Burst water pipes frustrates Northdene residents
The residents say the city did sent someone to repair the burst water pipes shortly after the Queensburgh News visited, but the pipes seem to have burse once again.
RESIDENTS in Parkers Hill Street, Northdene say they are fed up with a series of constant burst water pipes in their area.
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“As soon as one gets fi xed, it seems there is another,” said Anika Dulichan who contacted the Queensburgh News after what she described a never-ending struggle to get anyone from the municipality to attend to the break.
Frustration
When the Queensburgh News visited Dulichan, many of her neighbours also arrived to discuss their frustrations with their water supply.
Dulichan, who is elderly and diabetic said she was told by her plumber to disconnect her geyser due to the low water pressure her property suff ered as a result of the damaged pipes. “Now I have to carry buckets of hot water between my kitchen and bathroom and I shouldn’t have to do that!” she exclaimed.
Water meter
Dulichan’s neighbours, Anthea Olmesdahl, said she is concerned that she may have to replace her water meter.
Olmesdahl, who said she has found her water bill has been incredibly high recently, added she was sure readings haven’t been taken from the meter on her property because it was so far underground, they had to dig to unearth it.
“It’s crazy that I should have to pay for it to be replaced,” said Olmesdahl.
“The bills I have been getting for water have also increased over sixfold,” she said. The neighbours are convinced the broken pipes are causing the high bills.
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“They don’t come to take meter readings so our household usage isn’t separated from the volume of water which is lost because of the breaking pipes,” they said.
Slippery
Motorcyclist, Titch Bradshaw said the wet roads caused by the leaks posed a danger for motor cyclists. “It makes the road very slippery,” he said.
“It seems that as soon as one of the holes is repaired another one pops up,” said Bradshaw adding that in his opinion the only thing that would sort the problem out for good is if all the water pipes in the area were replaced at one time rather than repairs done piecemeal the way it had been happening.
“Those pipes are all the old ones originally laid when this area was developed,” he said. “When they come to fi x a break, and dig to expose the pipe it is all old asbestos piping,” he said.
Attempts to obtain a comment from the municipality proved futile at the time of going to print.
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