For the whole of 2022 and a few weeks into 2023, burst water pipe repairs and replacements have been a frequent occurrence in the Gazette’s distribution area.
Reflecting on the devastating issues that come with the burst water pipes, councillors of the area, Eleanor Huggett of Ward 73, Daniel Schay of Ward 72, Belinda Echeozonjoku of Ward 72, Tim Truluck of Ward 117, and Joanne Horwitz of Ward 81, voiced their concerns about the issue.
Even though Joburg Water has done many repairs in the area, residents still face issues.
All councillors agreed that the majority of pipe bursts they are seeing are caused by old pipes especially the ones from fibre cement pipes.
Eleanor Huggett, Ward 73 councillor.
According to Huggett, pipes need to be replaced because many are over 50 years old.
“The entire system of pipes needs to be replaced; fixing a section just puts pressure on another section for a burst, and constantly repairing a section is a waste of money, resources, and time.”
Huggett highlights that she advocates for the entire system to be replaced.
Daniel Schay, Ward 72 councillor.
Regarding ward 72, Schay explains that they had an extensive pipe replacement last year in Sandringham and Glenhazel.
“We have seen a few bursts of the older pipes in Swemmer Road in Sunningdale, Long Avenue, Glenhazel, and Meyer and Club Streets in Linksfield recently this year.”
He states that the new leaks are directly related to the increased pressure on the system due to the newer pipes.
“The only way to deal with the issue in the long term is to motivate and pressure the City into instituting pipe replacement projects in these areas, which I will continue to do.”
He believes that the new pipes have proven to be an effective and reliable plan.
Belinda Echeozonjoku, Ward 74 councillor.
For ward 74, Echeozonjoku’s biggest concern has been the Weinberg Park pipe, which has been dug up by the Joburg Water contractor upgrading the sewer pipe in Savoy, a project that was supposed to take six months to complete but has taken a year.
“It is now becoming a health hazard; there is a big hole now filled with water and likely sewage as well, and children are running into this.”
She states that all the years of non-maintenance of infrastructure are now being felt as there are water pipe issues across Ward 74.
“I will continue to raise this issue and fight for our residents to get services from Joburg Water; hopefully, this will be resolved soon, before tragedy strikes in these instances.”
Joanne Horwitz, Ward 81 councillor.
“As ward 81 councillor I hear many complaints about the disrepair of pipes carrying potable water to residents and the increasing number of outages caused by leaks.”
She states that the problem is with the piping that has not been maintained and degrading faster than it can be maintained or replaced.
Tim Truluck, Ward 117 councillor.
According to Truluck, he has not changed how he feels about pipe bursts, and still says they need to be replaced to avoid water issues.
What Joburg Water and JRA plan to do to fix the burst pipes
The Gazette inquired about the recent burst water pipe reported at the corner of Keyes Avenue and Tyrwhitt Avenue in Rosebank and asked Joburg Water what plans they were making to ensure that these kinds of problems do not occur.
Puleng Mopeli, Joburg Water (JW) spokesperson stated that the repairs were done at the corner of Keyes Avenue and Tyrwhitt Avenue in Rosebank, the only thing that is left to do is the backfill.
“It will take about five more days before we do a backfill as we have to check if they are no leaks, so we are still in the process with the reported issue.”
As for their comment on what plans they have for ensuring that these kinds of problems do not occur, Puleng stated that other departments and sources had to be consulted before they could properly address the query. Some of the most
devastating issues that come with burst water pipes are that they destroy roads and create potholes.
Bertha Peters-Scheepers of the Johannesburg Road Agency (JRA) said they have issued a blanket wayleave to their sister entity, JW. “This is due to ageing water infrastructure and JW’s needing to undertake emergency repair work throughout the city frequently.” She said the conditions of the wayleave stipulate that JW is responsible for reinstating the roads and sidewalks that it has dug up.
“The JRA monitors that the conditions of the wayleave are adhered to, including ensuring the excavated area is visible for the safety of the public and, once sufficiently dry, that the affected road or sidewalk is reinstated according to standard.”
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