Burst water pipe damages Durban North home

A BURST municipal water pipe caused hundreds of thousands of Rands worth of damage to a Burne Crescent resident’s home last week. The strength of the water sent stones cascading on to Anne Roselt’s roof, and also smashed several windows. What is more her entire home was flooded and the burst damaged sections of her garden, driveway (garage entrance) and filled the swimming pool with mud.

Roselt’s garden was also destroyed by the flow of water.

“The deluge of water began flooding my home at about 1.30am last Sunday. Initially I thought it was the biggest hailstone shower I’d ever experienced. There was loud bangs on my roof and several windows in the front of my home were smashed by rocks and stones. The water was too much for my gutters to take and they collapsed from the weight. The water came rushing in through my door and I messaged my neighbour to ask if they were being flooded because I couldn’t understand why the water was flooding my home so quickly.

“I put down as many towels to stop the water from coming in through my front door but at this stage the water had completely flooded three of the upstairs rooms. I then created a channel using towels to force the water out the back of my house but that caused more problems causing two sinkholes in my back garden,” she explained.

Roselt then contacted her husband for help.

“My husband was away on business at the time and he phoned one of his friends to come help. When his friend arrived he told me a water pipe had burst directly behind my house. The water at this stage outside my property was waste high. The sand blasted walls of my home also show how high the water level was. There were two sinkholes that formed outside my garage as a result of the high volumes of water,” she said.

Three of the rooms of the home which were carpeted have now been completely ruined and Roselt is concerned about the water pipe bursting again and causing more structural damage to her home.

“My main concern is to prevent further damage to the road and my home. I’ve been in touch with the City but all they’ve said is fill out a claim form and contact my household insurance. I believe the pipe system on Burne Crescent needs to be looked at and I’m concerned it may burst again,” she said.

Ward councillor, Nicole Bollman has asked the City to investigate any structural issues that might have become because of the burst pipe and to look at an overhaul of the water pipe on Burne Crescent.

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