CoE plans to fix damaged roads, leaking pipes in Birchleigh
According to Dlamini the leaking pipe had been finalised on Wednesday and the reinstatement will be done by November 24.
The City of Ekurhuleni has confirmed that contractors are aware of severely damaged roads and persistent water leakages in Birchleigh.
According to city spokesperson Zweli Dlamini, the area at the intersection of Ysterhout and Matumi avenues was attended to last week.
In the November 16 edition of the Kempton Express it was reported that residents of Birchleigh had called on the city to repair roads in the area damaged by recent water leakages.
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In certain areas leaking water had swept away large portions of the tarred roads.
Residents also called for better services to be rendered to those living in the area.
The residents said they are concerned about the state of their roads and worried about clean potable water wasted.
According to Ward 15 sector representative of environmental services, Phineas Momoti, the road had been in a state of disrepair for three years.
“We have tried to report the matter to the municipality several times and there is no luck. We have never seen anyone concerning the road damages.
“The road is affecting us in terms of traffic because you have to wait for an oncoming vehicle to pass before you can drive through. It wastes our time and the tyres get damaged.”
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He added the water department must attend to the water leakages on time because prolonged leaks negatively affect residents.
“We are scared to log complaints of water leakages because we know they will leave the holes open for years.”
“For all the years I have lived in Birchleigh, it is constant and persistent and the water leaks reoccur every three months or so,” said resident Geneve Christopher.
“The broken road is from the last burst pipe that the municipality never ‘reinstated’. With the way it is, we cannot drive on the correct side of the road for fear of damaging our cars.”
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She said another reinstatement that has not happened in months was situated at the intersection between Geelhout and Matumi roads, a block away, where motorists can also only use one side of the road.
Christopher said residents have reported and escalated issues countless times and have references to prove it.
“This is very unsafe and as a community, we all predict an accident there soon. I am frustrated to see clean water running on the road during these difficult times of water shortages.
“Do we have to report the same incidents repeatedly then weeks later, with countless logs, follow-ups and escalations?
“A leak is fixed, and they leave the road in a mess. Then another leak occurs a few months later, and then it is an endless frustrating cycle. Every time I need to use that section of the road, I get reminded of how the road is messed up.”
According to Ward 15 Clr Amanda Davison, all road conditions have been and are reported by residents and escalated to the relevant departments by herself.
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“The Birchleigh stormwater system is collapsing, causing sinkholes at various locations because of non-maintenance for over 20 years.“
She said the Birchleigh system upgrade began at the end of 2021 at the bottom of Cloete Road where they installed new stormwater pipes.
Davison said all roads in Ward 15, Kempton and the CoE are becoming inaccessible.
“Ward councillors are inundated with complaints of potholes becoming craters, especially after a rain storm.”
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In response to an enquiry sent to CoE, Dlamini said teams would be dispatched to attend to the matter.
According to Dlamini, the leaking pipe was repaired on Wednesday last week and the road reinstatement would be completed by November 24.
He said contractors in the city were dealing with backlog challenges.
“Unless there are backlog challenges, the city’s turnaround time to repair water leaks is 48 hours.”
“The city responds to all major leaks which disrupt water supply to prevent water loss, and to restore water supply.”
Dlamini added that the CoE does follow up on sites, but teams are overwhelmed with backlogs.
