WATCH VIDEO: Decade-old water leak turns Witfield home into a wetland
For almost 10 years, a Witfield resident has been battling with a leaking water pipe which has resulted in her property suffering great damage.
The Advertiser, in fact, published a story about the property and its water woes in 2009 – by which time the owner, Louise Pretorius, had been battling to have the water leak fixed by council for two years.
She invited the Advertiser to visit her home, in Calla Avenue, to experience the severity of the issue first-hand.
When you enter the house, you can’t help but notice the clear cracks in the walls, paint peeling off the walls, damaged ceilings, sandy carpets and furniture resting on bricks.
Outside, you have to watch your step due to water pools and wet terraces in the front and backyard. You’ll also witness water bubbling from the ground, due to a possible water leak.
“My garden looks like a wetland,” said Pretorius.
According to her, metro contractors have been on site numerous times in an attempt to repair the pipe, but to no avail.
“They leave my garden, which I have put a lot of time, money and effort into, in a disastrous mess and without the problem being resolved,” she said.
“Every year they dig up my garden, destroying all my precious flowers. It is very upsetting.”
The foundation of the house has also suffered severe damage over the period because of underground water seeping through.
“We can’t repair the floor in our lounge because the foundation is non-existent,” explained Pretorius.
“The wall in the lounge is also going to collapse soon.
“Whenever it rains, the water doesn’t subside because the yard is always wet and full of water. This leads to rising water levels.
“When there’s heavy rain, muddy water floods through the house and damages everything inside. We had to lift our furniture and put in on bricks to prevent further damage.”
She argued that the area’s drainage system is also not in a working condition, because the water from surrounding streets gushes through her property too.
“The Ekurhuleni metro doesn’t appoint contractors to clean the drainage systems,” said Pretorius.
“My property suffers damage continuously.”
In November 2016, Pretorius wrote a letter to the Ekurhuleni municipality, expressing her thoughts and feelings surrounding the ongoing matter, but has received no response.
The Advertiser has sent a list of pertinent questions to the metro, including whether council will foot the bill for repairs to the home as a result of the ongoing water leak.
No response was obtained at the time of going to press.
