Thousands of litres of water went to waste after residents of Jukskei Park reported a broken pipe that was gushing water into the Jukskei River for three days.
Wendy Sears, a resident of the area, said that she and many of her neighbours called Joburg Water to report the problem and yet was surprised at the tardiness of the water entity.
“We called and called and received reference numbers but yet the pipe was only fixed three days after reporting the issue,”she said.
She explained that it was quite concerning that despite Joburg experiencing a drought and water shortages, Joburg Water took a long time to come and repair the problem while thousands of litres of water was wasted.
She added that although the pipe was fixed the workers from Joburg Water left a gaping hole in the ground that was only encircled with red tape.
“This poses a danger to residents as they walk here with their pets and children. I do not know what would happen if someone fell in there,” she said.
She blasted Joburg Water for just leaving the area exposed and added that she hoped that they did not take too long to cover up the hole which was filled with water.
“Why can’t they just finish their job properly once they are done fixing the pipe,” she asked?
Media liaison officer for Joburg Water, David Sibiya said that the response time for burst pipes was usually 48 hours to repair once a call was logged.
“When the artisans have fixed the pipe they then hand over a job card at the depot that will log the necessary backfilling that is required and this will be done in less than five days,” Sibiya said.
He added that the situation at the Jukskei River sounded dangerous and that every case was judged upon merit. If found to be posing a danger to residents, it would get treated as an emergency. He also pointed out that the wasted water would be paid for by the City of Joburg as it was a main pipe that burst and that residents would not get billed for the water.
Contact Details: Joburg Water, 011 688 1400
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