Resident not fully satisfied with Joburg Water reinstatement
Barkston Drive resident sees his garage and studio flooded by third burst water pipe.
![](https://images.caxton.co.za/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2023/07/P2_54758.jpg)
A reinstatement in Blairgowrie was only done three months after it was reported, though the resident is still unhappy with what he calls the ‘minimum basics of repair work’.
Johannesbuig Water repaired Barkston Drive resident Carsten Hoeck’s driveway after a water pipe burst outside his home and loosened the bricks and pushed them out of place. The water also flooded his garage and studio. Few items were lost though the floors and walls were damaged and needed to be repainted after this third flooding of the property by the same water pipe.
![Resident Carsten Hoeck and Ward 99 councillor Nicole van Dyk are unhappy with the way Joburg Water dealt with a burst water pipe reinstatement. Photo: Nicholas Zaal](https://images.caxton.co.za/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2023/07/P2CarstenHoeckandWa_84556-e1689339335229-520x339.jpg)
The pavement next to the street is still to be repaired.
“There is dirt all over the side of the road so when it rains a lot of mud goes all over the place,” said Hoeck, who had been phoning and emailing Joburg Water for months to seemingly no avail before contacting Randburg Sun. Once this publication became involved and requested comment from Joburg Water about the matter, the entity responded within days and repaired the driveway.
“They did the minimum basics at best so it does not look great but I guess I should be glad it is done,” Hoeck added.
![The driveway bricks were loosened following the water pipe burst. This has been repaired since this photo was taken though the resident called it the minimum basics of repair work.](https://images.caxton.co.za/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2023/07/P1PhotoNicholasZ_08236-e1689339363199-520x356.jpg)
Ward 99 councillor Nicole van Dyk said reinstatements like this were widespread in the city and some have been waiting years for repair.
“The budget the city has set aside for reinstatements is not nearly enough,” she said. “We are seeing pipes burst all over Joburg at an incredible rate and the materials and manpower to repair these are not cheap.”
![The pavement of Barkston Drive still needs to be repaired. Photo: Nicholas Zaal](https://images.caxton.co.za/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2023/07/P3PhotoNicholasZ_83908-e1689339514673-520x343.jpg)
Joburg Water spokesperson Nombuso Shabalala said the paving was also damaged by a TLB when it was turning during the repairs of the burst pipe. “The customer’s complaint about the paving was rectified… and the customer was also on-site together with our team,” she said.
With regards to contacting Joburg Water for timely responses, Shabalala encouraged residents to connect with the entity on Twitter @JHBWater; Facebook under the page Johannesburg Water; email customerserviceemails@jwater.co.za; phone the 24-hour hotline on 011 688 1699 / 086 056 2874 or SMS 45201.
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