A water pipe burst causes chaos in the Greenpark area of Douglasdale
A sudden burst of water gushed down the road, causing chaos and confusion.
Greenpark residents in Douglasdale were in for a surprise over the weekend as a sudden burst of water gushed down the road, causing chaos and confusion.
The incident occurred on Friday evening (June 9) and the water continued to flow throughout the weekend, causing inconvenience to the residents in the area. The cause of the burst was still unknown but it was believed to be a result of ageing infrastructure.
The gushing water caused a river-like flow down the road, with some areas seeing the water level rise a few centimetres. Residents were warned to stay away from the area as the water flow could be dangerous. “This is the fourth burst in the section of the pipe since late December. We hope that the City will repair and replace the entire section to avoid further bursts and resulting damage and wasted water,” said resident Louise Cleland.
The burst pipe caused a huge inconvenience to the residents as some reported there had been damage to their properties while others were left without access to water.
Another resident Ntsika Dlamini said, “I had a terrible experience at the beginning of last year when we had a burst water pipe in the middle of the night. The subsequent weeks proved to be a nightmare because each time Joburg Water replaced the pipe it would burst again. This happened over three times, damaging our irrigation systems, completely destroying our paving and eventually collapsing the streetlight. Getting any form of assistance from Johannesburg Water was a fruitless exercise.”
Residents believed the incident should be a reminder of the importance of water infrastructure maintenance.
Ward 106 councillor Chris Santana said, “Joburg Water is experiencing a specialised fleet shortage and supply of materials issues. The lack of communication by Joburg Water is appalling to residents and councillors alike, we have engaged on this issue as a Region E councillor with Joburg Water’s management, yet nothing has changed.
“I want to thank residents who tirelessly log their service delivery issues on all the City’s official platforms and encourage those who do not, to start participating and not adopt the principle that someone else will. Active citizenry is enshrined in our democracy, never give up no matter how frustrating the process may be. Remember, I can only escalate your issues with valid reference numbers received, addresses, pictures, or a short video.”
Joburg Water spokesperson Nolwazi Dhlamini was contacted for comment but none was received by the time of going to print.
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