Neglected water and sewer leaks have become the norm in Estcourt.
In some cases, damaged pipes are not repaired for months, such as the sewage leak into the Bushman’s River (which has been ongoing for more than three years) or along the roadside in Ninth Avenue (which has been a health hazard for residents for a decade).
Another case in point is in Canna Avenue, right in front of the Jai Jai home. Homeowner Gurudev Jai Jai is at his wits’ end as he watches a water leak invade his property, while numerous phone calls and messages have gone unanswered.
Speaking to the Estcourt News recently, Jai Jai said the water leak sprouted outside his gate about eight months ago.
As a proactive resident, he reported the leak and waited each day for staff from uThukela District Municipality to repair it. However, as days turned into weeks and then months, Jai Jai became concerned about the damage to his property.
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He points to the trail of water that has soaked into his garden and is flowing onto his verandah.
“I am concerned that the water is seeping into my foundations and affecting the building itself. I have tried countless times to contact uThukela, from the call centre to the local staff, but no one has sorted out the problem,” explained Jai Jai.
He lists the people he has called and texted, as well as the number of times and their response or lack thereof. He says that, at times, there is a fountain of water spraying out of the leak on the pavement, which quickly flows through his yard and causes a ‘wet mess’.
“I have to scrub and clean the area because mould is starting to grow. This is unacceptable and someone needs to sort out the problem,” he said.
The Estcourt News relayed the resident’s concerns to uThukela’s communication department, but no response has been received as yet.
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