Johannesburg Water says it routinely attends to reported faults in River Park, despite growing frustration from residents over slow response times worsening road conditions.

The entity’s response follows criticism from Ward 81 activist Theo Lengwati, who said both Johannesburg Water and Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) need to take responsibility for the area’s deteriorating road network. Lengwati said wherever a road is riddled with potholes, a leak is always nearby.

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He pointed to a leaking meter along Mapane Street, where water has been trickling steadily into an already pothole-scarred road.

Johannesburg Water spokesperson Nombuso Shabalala confirmed the entity is aware of the Mapane Street leak. She said the matter has been escalated to the relevant operational team for assessment and intervention.

“Where leaks are reported through the city’s customer service channels or identified during inspections, service requests are logged and attended to in accordance with operational priorities,” Shabalala said.

Water leaks and road damage linked

The entity acknowledged that, like many other established residential areas, River Park experiences occasional leaks on water meters, service connections and distribution infrastructure. Lengwati said these have taken a visible toll on road quality.

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Johannesburg Water conceded the connection, stating that prolonged, unaddressed leaks can contribute to road deterioration and the formation of potholes.

“The entity therefore prioritises the investigation and repair of reported leaks to reduce water losses and mitigate the potential impact on surrounding infrastructure,” Shabalala said. “Johannesburg Water also works closely with relevant municipal departments and entities responsible for road maintenance to ensure co-ordinated responses where water-related defects affect road conditions.”

Ongoing maintenance carried out

Shabalala maintained that the entity attends to similar incidents across the city, including River Park, as part of ongoing efforts to minimise water losses and maintain service reliability. She said each reported leak is assessed and repaired according to its severity and impact.

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Shabalala said Johannesburg Water continues to carry out reactive maintenance in response to reported faults and infrastructure failures in the area. She added that preventative and planned maintenance programmes are also rolled out across the network, guided by asset condition assessments, operational requirements, and available resources.

Regarding pothole repairs, JRA infrastructure development head of department Kwazelela Mcetywa said there is currently no budget allocated for the upgrade or rehabilitation of roads in River Park, nor are there funds for new road projects.

However, Mcetywa said the agency continues to carry out maintenance work in the area, having recently cleared blocked drains on streets such as Thomas Molepo Street.

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