Water has been restored to suburbs previously affected by the interruption in water due to the burst pipe on Republic Road.
According to Johannesburg Water’s twitter page, water was restored to affected suburbs on 15 June. Johannesburg Water did not give further comment before time of print.
According to Van Zijl, the property group Citiq that owns the Rinanda complex, has moved the affected residents to other properties they own in Windsor East.
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A resident, who wished to stay anonymous, was not at home at the time of the incident but said her daughter had just come home from school when the pipe burst. Her 10-year-old daughter is traumatised from the experience and the family do not wish to move back to Rinanda, even after the complex has been revamped.
The resident explained her TV, washing machine, heater and lounge suite are some of the items damaged and in most cases need to be entirely replaced. Bricks that formed the steps to the flat were lifted by the water. The resident suspects the water was so forceful, it lifted the bricks high enough to break the windows of her ground floor flat.
She, however, did feel Citiq handled the situation well and helped move all the belongings she could salvage to new accommodation. Van Zijl added a City social worker was there the day after the incident to counsel the child.
“I don’t know what to feel, think, do or say at the moment,” said the resident.
Even though the water is restored and the residents have been moved, Van Zijl is disappointed in the response from the City’s disaster management department in helping the residents. Van Zijl provided blankets and a heater to those in need on the night of the incident but she is worried how the City will react in a real time of crisis if the City cannot respond efficiently to an incident that affects a handful of people.
Details: Johannesburg Water, 011 688 1400. Residents have been relocated from their damaged homes into other accommodation in the Windsor East area.
