In South Hills on Outspan Road, a seemingly innocuous problem became a persistent headache for the community.
What began as an unnoticed water issue around last April evolved into an ongoing saga of frustration, persistence, and civic responsibility.
Despite the issue happening outside Queenshaven Retirement Village, the facilities manager, Sarah Schoonwinkel, a concerned citizen, took it upon herself to pursue the matter, shedding light on the challenges of dealing with municipal entities and advocating for a solution to a problem that seemed to have fallen through the cracks.
“It is not in our facility, but one cannot be unbothered,” said Schoonwinkel.
Her sentiments captured the essence of the predicament residents on Outspan Road faced.
“When the water issue began, it was easy to dismiss it as runoff from heavy rains, common in a region with abundant precipitation. However, the water is persistent, and its eventual descent down the road made it clear something was amiss,” said Schoonwinkel.
Her first attempt at resolution involved contacting Johannesburg Water via email. A swift response resulted in a visit from the utility, but their inspection proved unfruitful.
“Despite providing clear guidance on the water’s source, the team seemed to misunderstand, focusing on the wrong location and leaving without addressing the issue. The emails continued, I voiced concerns and reference numbers piled up, but the problem endured.
“Months rolled over into more months. A bigger hole was excavated at the location, revealing a profound contradiction: no leak was detected, yet the evidence lay bare in the subsequent potholes during heavy rains.
“Frustrated by the lack of action, I turned to all available channels: emails, phone calls, even social media. I tweeted, hoping to draw attention to the pressing issue. However, the echo of my tweets remained unanswered.
“The persistent leak I had initially reported had not only gone unnoticed but had escalated into an issue of negligence and inaction. I pushed on and eventually contacted our councillor, Faeeza Chame. She acknowledged the problem, and I was told she would update me. Ever since I have not had any response.”
Interactions with Johannesburg Water repeatedly revealed a pattern of miscommunication. Claims that the matter was outside their jurisdiction and belonged to Rand Water surfaced, only to be met with Schoonwinkel’s insistence that the issue was within Johannesburg Water’s purview.
Chame said she contacted Johannesburg Water and the Johannesburg Road Agency (JRA) but received no responses.
“This water has been leaking for several months. I personally took Johannesburg Water to the site to assess the extent of the damage, and nothing has happened since,” said Chame.
The Comaro Chronicle made several attempts, including emails and phone calls, to reach out to Johannesburg Water but received no response.
