EDITOR – It is a sad day when, out of frustration, concerned residents write to newspapers in preference to try and obtain a shred of interest about fixable problems from the authorities directly.
During the last eight weeks I visited the Traffic Department’s depot along Richmond Road in Pinetown on three occasions. During these visits I noticed a considerable flow of clean water coming out of the ground and flowing quite strongly down a storm water drain at the entrance to the vehicle testing section. Through the resultant puddle, massive trucks heading for the weigh bridge, make the pothole bigger and bigger while the water flow continues unattended and ever wastefully to deliver this vital commodity to the storm drain nearby.
Trying to speak to the depot manager is a waste of breath as no one knows where he is and even with polite messages left on his answering machine offering to assist, he does not return calls. One of the staff told me he is aware of the water leak. He would have to be blind to not be aware of it. The employee told me she believes the reason the water leak remains damaged is because of a lack of budget provision. If correct, what a lame excuse for serious water wastage.
If, as I suspect, this water is flowing from a broken pipe below ground on the “inside” user side of the Traffic Department’s water meter, the provincial auditor needs to take an urgent look at the department’s water account for that particular depot.
