Electrical hazard causes delay in fixing water leak at Pretoria Avenue, Atholl

A damaged water pipe in Pretoria Avenue, Atholl, left residents exasperated, as JW’s delays and miscommunication raise questions about their response efficiency.

Xoliswa Zakwe

February 4, 2025

Pretoria Avenue, Atholl, resident John Clinning shows the pipe which took JW nearly seven days to repair.

Residents of Pretoria Avenue, Atholl, were frustrated as a leaking water pipe, damaged by a truck delivering bricks on January 17, took nearly seven days to fix.

A resident, John Clinning, said he reported the issue to Johannesburg Water (JW) shortly after the incident, marking the beginning of a long and unsatisfactory response from the utility service. “The damage was reported as urgent in the early hours of the morning on January 17, and yet here we are, waiting for long.”

He said, not only did he report the leak, but the construction company and brick company in the area also alerted JW, yet the official response has been woefully inadequate.

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According to Clinning’s account, the first time a JW vehicle and a JCB arrived was on January 18, a full day after the incident.

“The immediate area experienced a water shutdown at 14:30 on that day, which lasted until 15:00 on January 19. However, the leak has persisted since then, resulting in an estimated 70 hours of ongoing water waste. Their excuse? They’re waiting for spares,” Clinning said.

When JW’s spokesperson Puleng Mopeli was questioned about the incident, she said the report ticket was closed due to insufficient information, including the non-existing address. “Can we advise residents to put correct details when reporting queries? Prior to escalating to the media?”

However, when pressed by the Sandton Chronicle about how the report ticket could be closed due to insufficient information, while her team responded to the issue on January 17, she remained mum.

According to the resident, the JW team came in the late hours of January 23 and finally repaired the pipe, but left the dugout soil unfilled.

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Meanwhile, Mopeli said the pipe has not been repaired as their team faced significant challenges when locating the burst, including a power cable that posed safety risks. “We logged two calls with City Power to resolve the cable issue before proceeding with the repairs, as the safety of our personnel is our top priority. We understand the inconvenience this has caused, and we assure residents that there will be no impact on water bills related to this incident,” Mopeli said.

City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena said: “JW logged on City Power regarding the ongoing situation at Pretoria Avenue, Atholl.

“Following the logged call, City Power technicians were allocated to investigate and resolve the issue. Upon arrival, our technician found that water from the pipe was splashing, presenting an electrical hazard. As a result, JW requested City Power to isolate the affected section of the electrical supply in order to safely complete their repairs.”