A persistent water leak outside Emfuleni Complex in Honeydew Ridge has been plaguing the residents for almost over a year. It has caused significant frustration among residents and raised concerns about water wastage, potential infrastructure damage and the lack of a response from local authorities.
The Roodepoort Northsider visited the area to speak to some of the residents to find out how this water leak affected their daily lives. According to residents, they have tried several times to report the leak to Johannesburg Water (JW) but they are told that the system is offline and therefore their complaints can’t be logged.
This lack of action has left residents feeling helpless as they witness valuable water flowing unchecked every day.
“At some point earlier in the year when people had started complaining, JW workers came and dug it up and supposedly fixed the leak but they left a hole there and they never came back to cover it. The hole has been there for about five or six months now, if not longer,” Jane Peter, a concerned resident says.
Peter further shares that at some point, water was running down inside the complex, and one of the residents dug a trench to keep the water out. It’s disheartening to watch so much clean water being wasted, especially given the water shortages that the area is currently facing and the water restrictions that are being implemented.
The situation is particularly concerning for those living near the leak, who are worried that prolonged water exposure could eventually cause more severe structural damage to the surrounding infrastructure. Several attempts to escalate the issue to higher officials have also proven fruitless.
“You can see how long this has been like this because the grass is starting to grow through it, this is deep and a little kid could drown in there,” Peter remarks.
Ward 97 councillor Jacques Hoon reported the issue to their escalation group, but JW consistently responded that they have a shortage of resources and promised to fix it once all was available. Hoon adds that he has proposed that JW must at least shut the water off while they can’t fix it so that it does not get wasted, but no one responds to anything.
Residents of Emfuleni Complex and Honeydew Ridge are calling on local authorities to address it as a matter of urgency. They emphasise that the issue goes beyond mere inconvenience – it’s an environmental, health, and infrastructure concern that demands immediate action. Residents hope to finally draw the attention needed to solve this issue.
The Northsider sent an email to JW to get their comment on this issue, but no response has been received yet. An update will be provided once the response has been received.
