Residents on Austin Road and the Glen Austin Residents Association are at loggerheads with a property company and its contractor following a water drainage system that was allegedly not constructed properly.
Shaun Nauschutz and his wife Belynda, who live on a plot on Austin Road, in conjunction with the residents’ association, approached the Group 5 Properties company and its contractor Harrogate, to answer to the alleged incomplete water drainage system on the road.
According to the couple, who have been living in their home for about 25 years, the company that is developing a residential complex in the area, has constructed a stormwater drainage system starting approximately 200 metres from George Road but it ends on Austin Road, instead of in the main drainage system.
“The volume of the water in the 650mm pipe will not be accommodated in the 450mm pipe. The 450mm pipe was never properly installed and exits at ground level outside one of the plots. The proposed storm water system will, therefore, overflow and will result in serious flooding,” said Nauschutz.
Secretary of the association Christine Robinson, said the residents on Austin Road were never informed about the new development.
Although the construction comes with a number of inconveniences, Nauschutz said he was not bothered much by that, but was concerned about the shoddy water system. “Where will the water go to? On rainy days this gravel road would be flooded and we won’t be able to reach main roads – that’s our biggest problem,” he added.
Group 5, Harrogate, the roads agency, Nauschutz and his wife, had a meeting to discuss the issue on 9 November. “After the roads agency inspected and confirmed our complaint, the resident engineer discussed options with them, including extending the pipe past the existing obstruction and using the correct size overflow,” said Nauschutz.
He added that Group 5 and Harrogate were meant to submit an alternative plan to the roads agency and provide feedback to them within three days. Group 5 Properties development director Greg Skeen, confirmed the meeting but had not provided more details about it by the time of publication.
Spokesperson for the Johannesburg Roads Agency, Bertha Peters-Scheepers said they had not received the alternative plan. “We are awaiting the updated design from the resident engineer. The community will be informed once the roads agency has received the revised plans and once they’ve had an opportunity to study same,” concluded Peter-Scheepers.
