Water woes for Northdene pensioner
The force of the water from the burst pipe washed away a portion of the pensioner's yard and damaged his fence.
A NORTHDENE pensioner fears for his safety after a portion of his yard was washed away by a burst pipe on Wednesday, January 26.
“At about 04:00 I could hear water flowing from the road into my yard. It looked like there was a river. The force of the water washed away a portion of my yard and damaged my fence,” said Thamsanqa Dladla.
ALSO READ: Waterfall suffers mysterious water issues
He was also concerned that his dog could fit through the hole at the bottom of the fence.
“I am worried that my dog can get out of my yard, my son has made a make-shift solution to secure the area. I went to the water department on Friday to fill out a form, but it was lost when I followed up and I had to fill another. I was told that it would take around eight weeks for them to reply.
“I am a pensioner and I cannot fix this issue myself. I need something done urgently to repair the area. It was very sad to see drinking water being wasted for about two hours,” added Dladla.
Ward 63 councillor, Chris van den Berg also visited Dladla’s house to offer assistance.
“Insurance forms were filled in the water department, however, someone should have come to check the situation. I will follow up on the issue to ensure the problem is resolved,” said Cllr van den Berg.
ALSO READ: Wyebank unattended water leak a concern
The eThekwini Municipality was not available for comment by the time of going to print.
Meanwhile, in a separate incident, a metal sewer pipe in Malvern, that runs alongside the river, burst and needs to be replaced.
“This will be a lengthy process but I am trying to push for it to be done sooner. This is the reason for the stench around Malvern and Hillary. The supervisors are aware of the problem. Unfortunately, the rivers in the area are already badly contaminated therefore it is more than likely that whatever life was in the river will die. It is very unfortunate but it is a common problem,” added the councillor.
* Notice: Coronavirus reporting at Caxton Local Media aims to combat fake news
Dear reader, As your local news provider, we have the duty of keeping you factually informed on Covid-19 developments. As you may have noticed, mis- and disinformation (also known as “fake news”) is circulating online. Caxton Local Media is determined to filter through the masses of information doing the rounds and to separate truth from untruth in order to keep you adequately informed. Local newsrooms follow a strict pre-publication fact-checking protocol. A national task team has been established to assist in bringing you credible news reports on Covid-19. Readers with any comments or queries may contact National Group Editor Irma Green (irma@caxton.co.za) or Legal Adviser Helene Eloff (helene@caxton.co.za).
