Sunninghill residents plagued by pipe bursts have found some resolution from Johannesburg Water.
Following two emergency water shutdowns on the corner Tana and Nanyuki roads in Sunninghill that were six days apart, one on January 11 and again on January 17, a problematic pipe has so far been attended to after a number of bursts.
Sunninghill Ratepayers Association chairperson, Linda Gildenhuys said the pipe has been a concern in the community since last year in November, but it was due to multiple issues the pipe had to be repaired by Johannesburg Water.
“It was first a leaking sewer last year on November 9, which was fixed. Then on November 16, there was a burst pipe, this was fixed. Then December 6, the underground fire hydrant was leaking due to the fixing of burst pipes in Sunninghill Gardens. This was fixed. On December 18, sewerage was leaking again. This was fixed,” she said.
She added that while repairs were taking place in the shutdown on January 17, there was more damage to the roads caused by the water, but welcomed the rate at which the pipe was repaired.
“This time, so far, it seemed to be successful. Our office took strain during this time as residents were not only angry about the potholes developing but the water running down the road over such a long period caused their frustration levels to be very high,” she said.
“During the shutdown, however, they were understanding and welcomed it. Council to be fair stuck to their timetable for the amount of time the water would be off and finished well within that time.”
External communications officer, Nolwazi Dhlamini said it was due to the ageing infrastructure of the pipes that they required repair.
“Ageing infrastructure remains a contributing factor for the bursts and this is unforeseen. Joints between old and new infrastructure are also risky and there are no guarantees,” she said.
“The first emergency shutdown at the corner Tana and Nanyuki Road, Sunninghill, occurred on January 11, and this was due to leaking valve chambers that required welding repairs. Repairs were done on January 11 and work was completed by 15:00 on the same day.”
Just six days later, another shutdown by the municipal entity saw them return to the site to assess a problem with the. “Repairs were done on two major bursts in Sunninghill. The first one was again at the corner Tana and Nanyuki Road and the other one was a temporary repair at the corner of Peltier and Waterfall Drive. Communication for these emergency shutdowns was sent out 24 hours prior to the shutdowns,” she concluded.
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