UMBILO residents expressed outrage after watching thousands of litres of eThekwini’s water wash down their road for more than a week.
According to resident, Brian Keppler, the water from the leak on Pinewood Gardens Road in Umbilo has been running down the street for more than a week. “On Friday afternoon, 20 May I was on my way home when I saw the leak and stopped contractors that were fixing the water leak in the centre of Harriet Crescent and Pinewood Gardens Roads. It was after 4pm and I noticed they were packing up to leave, while another leak was trickling down Pinewood Gardens just a few meters away!
“I personally asked one of the workers to assist to fix the second leak which sprung up and was allowing hundreds of litres of water to wash away down the road but was told after he went to look at the leak, that it was not his problem as he was only supposed to fix the main leak in the middle of the two roads. He got into his vehicle and left with all the workers,” the frustrated resident said.
Keppler said he had tried calling the municipal water department on five occasions in the week. “All I get is sitting on the line for as much as twenty minutes and finally when someone answers, there is still no joy. All the while waiting on hold I could hear how we as ratepayers are asked to reduce our water usage by 15 per cent!
“I personally have implemented water saving measures at home and even collect the bath water to wash my car. Watching perfectly clean water being wasted daily by the municipality’s inability to sort out a water leak for more than a week makes you really cross.
When Berea Mail visited Keppler on Friday, the water was still running down the road. Another resident, Pops Papiah, also called to report the leak twice and received reference numbers but is still waiting to have the leak outside his home fixed.
The Department had not responded to queries from Berea Mail at the time of going to print.
