The City Times has received numerous complaints from Brentwood Park residents about water being cut in the area.
Residents say water is cut from Monday to Saturday from 9am to 3pm and that this has been going on for months – but does not reflect on their water accounts as the amounts remain the same despite there being no water all week.
In addition to this, there has been no explanation about or respite on the crisis from the metro. Complaints, residents said, are falling on deaf ears.
Spokesperson for the Ekurhuleni metro Themba Gadebe responded to the City Times and said the bulk water supply for Brentwood Park comes from the Rand Water Northmead Reservoir and the K/H Pump Station in Northmead, which pumps water to Farrar tower.
ALSO READ:
Community swimming pools now open
“The water is supplied to the Brentwood Park area through the bulk water pipeline which delivers water directly to the distribution and reticulation network.
“Construction of the new Northmead tower has been initiated to stabilise or eliminate the low water pressure to no water problems in the area.
“The construction of the tower is in progress.
“Brentwood Park experiences water shortages mainly when the K/H Pump Station in Northmead fails, resulting in the Farrar tower being empty.
“The metro will monitor the pump station to ensure less interruption of water supply to the area,” he said.
Kabelo Mahonko, Ward 24 councillor, said she had a meeting with residents of Villa Victoria and had spoken to a representative from Village Walk.
“I have escalated this matter to the city manager and the department. The problem is that this is not a yesterday’s problem. When the developments were being applied for in Brentwood Park the proper infrastructure was not laid down.
“The body corporate of a few complexes has put in their own JoJo tanks and pump machines to assist with the water pressure. The body corporate of another complex refused to instal pipes to assist with the pressure as they do not want to spend the money.”
She added that they expect council to resolve the matter; they are receiving revenue from their residents but are refusing to assist.
“Council is not ready to add a new pipe structure as they are still building a reservoir which still needs proper pipes.
“However, body corporates need to come on board and assist as there is no overnight solution to this problem.”
Mahonko encourages residents to attend community meetings to raise their concerns.
Ward 23 Clr André du Plessis mentioned that as a councillor of the area for the past 10 to 15 years, he has been addressing this issue on various platforms.
“I have put it on a system called the Integrated Development Plan (IDP), where we have public meetings once a year to which the public is invited to voice their concerns and opinions. During the IDP public participation process, I requested for the water infrastructure to be upgraded in this area.
“We are well aware of the fact that there is a new reservoir being built in Hospital Road which will service this area and give it additional capacity, but we have been asking for the water pipe infrastructure to be upgraded for many years. Along Kirschner Road, seven or eight years ago, was agricultural holdings and the water piping infrastructure to that area was only supposed to accommodate agricultural holdings.
“A lot of people had boreholes and with all the developments that are taking place in the area there has never been an upgrade to the water pipe infrastructure,” he said.
Angry resident Ettiene Hambakis said no meeting has been called by the ward councillors or the Ekurhuleni city manager to hear the issues and concerns from the residents, and even worse is the fact that new townhouse developments for Brentwood Park continue to be approved by the metro.
“This in an area the council themselves said a year ago did not have the infrastructure to carry the supply to the homes,” Hambakis said.
“Yet the development of new complexes is being approved by council and continues with wild abandon.
“There are currently seven new developments in Kirschner Road alone, and many more are planned.
“We are now at a point where water supply into our homes is completely shut down from around 9am then switched on again at around 3pm.
“There are residents in complexes on Kirschner Road who stay on the second floor who have no water until very late at night when the demand is at its lowest,” he said.
Hambakis added that the cutting of the water is not by chance.
“The regularity of this does not speak to a ‘fault’, broken pump or broken pipes.
“It is clear the infrastructure is not there to cater for the current or new demand.
“Another concern is these new developments market the units without informing prospective buyers about the water crisis in the area.
“Our taps are drier now than they were a year ago.
“Not everyone owns property or is able to instal water tanks with pressure pumps to ensure water supply.
“When the issue was raised and nothing was done, shoulders were shrugged and it was said it was because the infrastructure was for smallholdings.
“Then council still went ahead and approved complex upon complex upon complex with the full knowledge that they don’t have the infrastructure to supply enough water to meet existing demand in Brentwood Park.
“Never mind a further strain with all the additional complexes and no upgrade at all to the water system to meet the demand,” said Hambakis.
He added that water hydrants are also drying up, putting all residents at risk should a fire break out.
Du Plessis added that it is also the developer’s responsibility to ensure their third-floor residents have adequate water supply.
“My colleague Kabelo and I are addressing the issue and I am communicating with my residents as often as I can,” he said.
“I am putting pressure on the top structures of the metro to resolve the issue.”
Residents can contact du Plessis on 083 655 8187 or andre.duplessis@ekurhuleni.gov.za
