The past week has seen multiple water pipe bursts in Bryanston, Rivonia and Sandton, with millions of litres of fresh water going down the drain.
These bursts are becoming a common sight amid one of the worst droughts South Africa has experienced in decades. Incidents this week included water pipe bursts in Sandton on 4th Street and Lillian Avenue, on Chesham Road in Bryanston, and on Sandton and Grayston drives.
Residents have been complaining about the slow response time from Johannesburg Water. A Bryanston resident who wished to remain anonymous stated, “I reported a leaking pipe on Chesham Road on the 14th. Johannesburg Water only arrived with a team on the afternoon of the 18th. An hour after they fixed the leak, the pipe exploded, causing a massive spray of water. I reported the problem again and was told that a team would only be able to return much later that evening.”
Sandton resident Maya Albert was displeased with the water utility after it took 24-hours to stop a major burst in front of her property on Lillian Avenue. “We are told by the government to save water, but I just saw hundreds of millions of litres of water going to waste,” she said. Albert added that the service she had received from Johannesburg Water was unsatisfactory and that workers had no sense of urgency.
Eleanor Mavimbela, communications officer of Johannesburg Water said, “Residents need to report a burst pipe as soon as they see it. When there is a burst pipe, a lot of water is lost. The sooner a team can come out and close [sic] the water, [the] less water is wasted.”
In terms of the time it would take to repair a burst pipe, Mavimbela said, “It depends on the size of the pipe, how deep the pipe is, as well as the damage. Therefore, we consider if it needs to be replaced entirely or if it is just a section that needs to be replaced.”
There was also a burst water pipe on the corner of Sandton and Grayston drives in Sandton with a significant amount of water flowing onto Sandton Drive. The pipe burst on 19 April and the matter went unreported until a Sandton Chronicle journalist contacted Johannesburg Water on 20 April and reported it.
On 25 April, a Sandton Chronicle journalist drove past the burst pipe and although the flow of water had decreased, water was still trickling out onto the road.
Johannesburg Water responded to this incident and stated that a team went onsite to do repairs after the leak was reported. They discovered that it was actually a sewer blockage and are currently working on the issue.
Details: Johannesburg Water 011 688 6672.
