If the couple’s one-year old child did not wake up crying because of the cold water, the toddler would most probably have drowned in the camp cot as the house was knee deep under water.
On Thursday morning, December 13 at approximately 06:00 in Aldrin Street in Reyno Manor a water pipe burst and flooded the house.
The issue was reported to DA Councillor Jolandi Schneider-Breetzke and she then followed her procedures and reported the necessary issue.
The pavement where the water pipe burst in Reyno Manor on Thursday morning, December 13; the hole was not closed off with barricade or tape by the council, the new pipe was just dropped off there.
DA Councillor Jolandi Schneider-Breetzke stands and shows how high the water level was.
She went to the house to see the couple whose house was under water, to see the extent of damage done to the house.
Everything in the house was wet, all the cupboards were damaged, carpets were damaged and both cars were under water in the garage.
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It’s alleged that employees from Emalahleni Local Municipality arrived at the house and the valve was closed.
One of the maintenance workers could not speak to the owner as he just looked on at the devastation the water had caused.
A new water pipe was place over the hole where the pipe had burst and the team left.
Both the owner’s cars had to be taken away; they were both under water in the garage. DA Councillor Jolandi Schneider-Breetzke stands and watches the car been pulled onto a flat bed on Friday, December 14.
Pictures of how the garden was flowed with water on Thursday morning, December 13.
The hole was not barricaded off or no tape was placed around the hole, the hole was just left like that – the neighbours in the street all have little children.
The water pipe burst was next to an electrical box, so the homes connected to that box did not have electricity.
By Friday, December 14 the same maintenance team arrived at the house and it’s alleged that they reopened the water valve and water once again flowed down the driveway, causing more water damage. This time the maintenance person could speak to the owner.
By Friday afternoon, the team arrived back in Aldrin Street to fix the hole and the water pipe.
The main bedroom inside the house was flowed with water.
The water streamed through the house; the water level inside the kitchen.
On Monday, December 17 the electricity still was not on and the couple was still sitting in the dark, with a household of unusable items as everything was still soaking wet.
“It is a mystery why the municipal worker refused to speak to the home owner. But we will launch an investigation to establish facts of the matter before we reach any conclusion. Generally speaking, municipal workers are friendly and treat home owners with courtesy and warmth. We are grateful that the leaking water has been fixed and the home owner we assume is happy. We also appeal to home owners to respect our workers when they are on duty,” said Mr Kingdom Mabuza, spokesperson from the Emalahleni City Council.
