The Craighall Park Residents Association (CRA) remains concerned about the hazardous excavation on Buckingham and Rothesay avenues and said it was a result of a repeat repair from years ago.
Read more: Illegal excavation in Parkwood contravenes JRA act
The publication visited the excavation site on September 10 and was met with a heap of sand, yellow barricades and broken pipes inside the large hole.
CRA member Samantha Herman said the hole was dug on August 8. “Since then, the site has been left open with no visible progress on reinstating the road. This has not only made half of the road unusable but has also created a dangerous obstruction, especially as it sits on a bend, adding to the traffic and safety concerns in the area.”
Herman added a few years ago, the City of Joburg addressed a leak in the same location using metal drums to support the pipes under the road.
“Unsurprisingly, the drums have since rusted and corroded, causing another significant leak that resulted in the collapse of the road,” claimed Herman.
Johannesburg Water spokesperson Nombuso Shabalala said the excavation was carried out due to a burst water pipe.
Also read: Excavated water pipes left dug up
“While the team was exposing the burst pipe, they had to remove a stormwater pipe as the water line was underneath the stormwater pipe. Furthermore, Johannesburg Water cut the steel pipe and replaced it with a uPVC pipe on September 12 where the stormwater pipe was broken, to prevent the reoccurrence of the burst pipe underneath the stormwater pipe.”
Shabalala added the repair of the broken stormwater pipe was referred to the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) and the backfilling would be done immediately after its restoration.
Ward 90 councillor Martin Williams visited the site on September 17 and confirmed that the water utility had installed a uPVC pipe but said there would be further delays in the reinstatement.
“A senior JRA official confirmed to me that they requested Joburg Water to realign the blue uPVC pipe in the hole as it is obstructing the path of JRA’s large concrete stormwater pipe. You may recall that Joburg Water unavoidably damaged the stormwater pipe when attending to a burst pipe.”
Williams added that Johannesburg Water had to re-route their uPVC pipe.
JRA head of regional operation Khayalethu Gqibitole confirmed on September 18 that they were in communication with Johannesburg Water. “There are technical aspects that Johannesburg Water needs to review on-site to enable JRA to proceed with repairing the damaged stormwater pipe. A site meeting between officials from JRA and Johannesburg Water has been scheduled for September 18 to address the technical issues.”
Gqibitole added JRA would then provide a quotation to Johannesburg Water for the repair work, an order would be issued by the water utility, and repair work would commence. Commencement timelines will be communicated after the meeting.
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Related article: Johannesburg Water to liaise with Johannesburg Roads Agency to fix unsafe excavation
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