CPF member and chairperson of Benoni Agricultural Safety and Security (BASS), Gavin Zillen, said this pipeline has been an ongoing problem since it began, with “contractors” operating out of the boots of cars and driving tracked machinery on paved roads.
He said driveways were ripped up and “supposedly repaired”, resembling brick piles with little or no cement used to repack them, unless homeowners carried out the repairs themselves.
He added that house numbers, street names and water meter boxes were also damaged, removed and never repaired or replaced.
“Pavements were dug up over and over,” he said.
The joints then came apart, and Zillen said the contractors responded by saying they did not know what to do about the problem.
The residents were left without water in their homes and “thousands of rands worth of water” was running down the already waterlogged, potholed tarmacs.
Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality spokesperson Lebogang Ramashala said the construction contractors were busy with the upgrading of the water network.
“The leak was subsequently repaired after receipt of the alert, but it dislodged again, at a different location within the repair site, due to saturated ground conditions,” she said.
She added that the pipe has already been repaired and the site cleared of excess rubble.
Zillen confirmed that the pipe has been repaired.
Locals can report similar incidents to the Municipal Services Call Centre on 086 054 3000.
A reference number will be provided for each call.
