Frustration about to burst over frequent water leaks

ONGOING water outages are a top concern for residents of Ward 27, and this is followed by gripes over frequent power outages in the ward. Ward 27 councillor Ernest Smith said the issues were discussed at a recent meeting attended by officials and community members.

Smith said the discussion on water issues took up about 90 minutes of the meeting.

“The number of burst pipes in the area is a concern. Sometimes faults re-occur,” he said.

Over the past six months, there have been frequent waterpipe bursts on Hartley Road, Peter Makaba (Ridge) Road and Essenwood Road.

“Hartley Road was the worst, with a waterpipe burst every week, sometimes twice a week. Peter Makoba Road saw multiple bursts in the same spot. The infrastructure is old. Asbestos piping needs to be replaced,” he said.

Spokesperson for the eThekwini Municipality Msawakhe Mayisela said infrastructure upgrades are in the pipeline.

“As a long-term capital solution, a project motivation to replace the waterpipes in the high-level area of the Berea has recently been tabled, and this is estimated to cost millons. Pipe-replacement projects are compared and prioritised across the city according to available budget.

“As a short-term solution, the Water Operations Department is currently investigating pressure surges in the high-level zone as the root cause,” he added.

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Msawake attributed frequent pipe bursts to several factors, including aging infrastructure.

“Waterpipe bursts can be caused by a number of factors. They are sometimes caused by continuous rainfall that may loosen the soil, thereby making pipes move. We also have cases where temperature, corrosion and high-water pressure in the pipes can cause bursts; encroachment by tree roots and soil erosion can cause pipes to lose their positions. Aging infrastructure can also be a cause,” he said.

Residents concerns

A re-occurring leak on Peter Makoba (Ridge) Road was cause for concern for Morningside residents Nicky Burke and Adrian Ash.
“This stretch was dug about six times in the space of four weeks during August,” said Ash, adding that water would be out for extended periods.
“Some people were without water for five days,” added Burke.
She called for investigations into the repair process, saying the Peter Makoba (Ridge) Road burst was tended to several times before the repairs finally held up.
“When pipe bursts continue in the same place, you question whether there is an issue with the equipment being an inferior quality – or what is it? There has to be some sort of investigation,” she said.
Ash added that there are ongoing leaks across the area.
“The plumber rectifies the burst, then after a few days, a hole appears. After a little rain, it is a huge crater, and it takes months to resurface it,” he added.

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During water outages and power cuts, residents were left in the dark about the repair process.
“A large amount of frustration for residents comes down to a lack of communication from the department – letting residents know what’s going on,” said Smith.

He added that he received numerous requests to escalate a fault within a few hours of it being reported.
“An escalation period happens after the first two to twenty-four hours after a fault is reported. A lot of people will phone me after one hour and ask that it be escalated. This is problematic because there is a service-level agreement in place that the department needs to response within two to twenty-four hours. A lot of residents feel that is unacceptable. People often feel that if there is no one on site, there is no action being taken – that is not the case,” explained Smith.

Report issues
For water-related queries, residents can call 080 311 1111 or use the eThekwini Water and Sanitation WhatsApp number: 073 1483 477. Alternatively, they can email eservices@durban.gov.za.