Joburg Water infrastructure issues
Water issues intensify as Joburg Water prioritises dealing with problematic ageing infrastructure.
A major burst on the corner of Witkoppen Road and William Nicol Drive that precipitated a second burst on March 29 is still frustrating residents.
Joburg Water’s external communication officer Nolwazi Dhlamini explained on March 29 that the ageing water infrastructure is the primary cause of the water outages in the area. “The City of Johannesburg has an ongoing problem with ageing infrastructure. This causes various issues, such as frequent pipe bursts and leaks, which lead to water outages,” Dhlamini said.
“The problem was isolated and only the mall is now affected. An alternative supply point is being investigated.
“The repair to the damaged portion of the pipe was exacerbated by a second burst approximately 40m south of the initial burst. This will require additional excavation in the area. However, continuing with work has been challenging because of wet weather conditions since last Saturday and further rainfall on the evening of March 27. As a result, an estimated timeline for completion cannot be provided at this stage and further feedback will be given as work progresses.”
Joburg Water’s social media account provided updates on March 30.
“The intermittent rain has delayed repairs on the second bursts as the excavation was flooded. The repairs team, together with management, have been onsite throughout the night in an attempt to finalise the project.”
Joburg Water promised that the work would continue until repairs are completed, as the scope of work requires repairs on the second burst and flushing of the network.
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