Joburg Water responds to 2-year delay in repairing Linden trench

Joburg Water has blamed a work backlog, rain delays and ageing infrastructure for it taking perhaps two years to repair a trench across 7th Street, Linden.

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The furrow in the ground was one of thousands of reinstatements still to be repaired in Joburg in May. Resident Ilse Britz reported it in January, claiming it had been dug by Joburg Water early last year. However, Ward 99 councillor Nicole van Dyk believes it may be even older.

Joburg Water spokesperson Nolwazi Dhlamini could not confirm when the incident occured, but said it was a new connection installation, not a pipe burst. “New connections require Joburg Water to apply for wayleave from the Joburg Roads Agency (JRA) before the start of the installation,” she said.

“Installing a new connection requires a distinct series of steps, [unlike] repairing a pipe that has burst.” Dhlamini added there was a backlog of 4 400 backfillings and reinstatements to be done, which they are working around the clock to complete.

“Efforts are being made to get this completed before the end of this financial year (June 2023). With over 15 200 reinstatement jobs completed thus far, the entity is steadily making inroads.”

She said the turnaround time for burst water pipes is 10 days but if there are damages that require collaboration from other service providers, it could take longer.

Van Dyk said some of the reinstatement in the city is about two years old now.

Before 7th Street was repaired, cars had to slow down to a crawl to cross the trench. There was an increase in traffic, not so much on the road itself but because of motorists taking alternative routes.

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Joburg Water commits to completing reinstatements in the City