Between JRA and Joburg Water, it remains unclear who is to blame for the leaking manhole. For more than three months, the foul water has been spilling out of the drain on Bordeaux Drive.
Residents log calls to Joburg Water to get assistance, but Nolwazi Dhlamini, Joburg Water spokesperson, confirmed that the matter was investigated and no blockages and sewer leaks were found on-site.
According to Dhlamini, their team checked the storm water system to see if there was any sewage inside the storm water. However, the team only found stagnant water inside the storm water drain that had a bad smell.
They informed The Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) about the storm water drain, which falls under their responsibilities.
The JRA recently conducted their assessment and confirmed that there is a sewer leak and pointed a finger back to Joburg Water.
JRA spokesperson Kelebogile Mafa said their team assessed the reported storm water drain on June 27. They found that it is a leaking sewer line that belongs to Joburg Water. “We have since escalated the matter to them to assist.”
The stinking water flows from Bordeaux Drive to Ryder Road through the neighbourhood into Main Street. It also produces filthy ponds near residents’ homes – which are health hazards – and runs past the Bordeaux Primary School gates.
Newly appointed Ward 102 councillor Julie Suddaby said that this is a major ongoing issue and nothing has changed since councillor Potter resigned and since the mayor was changed twice.
“There are still the same constraint and infrastructure has not been maintained for 30 year. Things like these we expect to happen. I haven’t had a look at these roads, but this is going to become a norm because you can’t have more and more people using these systems without upgrading them.
“As more and more people move in and the density of the population increases, the sewage system is going to fail unless there is an overhaul to accommodate the population.”
Suddaby added that she is exploring every avenue available to her in order to get the matter resolved.
Sipho Nxumalo, a taxi driver who parks his car on Bordeaux Drive, expressed concern about the health risks that this filthy water poses to them and their passengers.
“They are failing to fix this; they came once and never came back again. The smell is unbearable and makes it difficult for us to work. People walk on top of this mess and leave everything inside the taxis.”
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