The Herald previously reported that the large sinkhole had caved in on the sidewalk next to Bluebell Street in Carletonville on 13 July. It appeared at the site that municipal workers had previously excavated and had left open for more than a year. A water pipeline on the site, which supplies the Carletonville Ext. 9 area, was damaged in the process.
During the past week, residents who stay in the area of the sinkhole complained
that water was still leaking from the damaged pipeline.
On Monday, a councillor, Mr Carlos Rebelo, took the Herald to the site of the
leak. During the visit, a small but steady stream of water was dripping into the
sinkhole.
Rebelo pointed out that the water did not dam up or flow away at the bottom
of the sinkhole but disappears directly into the ground.
“What will happen if this constant water leak causes the hole to cave in even further deeper?” he said with concern.
Rebelo referred to a television documentary he had seen on the issue of sinkholes,
Experts emphasised that under no circumstances should water leaks be left unchecked at a sinkhole site as the potential for further ground instability
is great.
“This is really negligence on the part of the municipality. Some of these residents
are so worried that their houses are under threat that they want to get legal assistance. Why does the municipality not just do something about the leaking water?” Rebelo lamented.
He and other residents have been complaining about the issue for weeks but have not yet received feedback on the cause of the constant leak.
Problems here are nothing new, suggesting that this site is particularly prone to the forming of sinkholes.
In April last year, the Herald reported that the Merafong City Local Municipality
had left the excavation open for months after doing repairs on the pipeline and that where at least one sinkhole had occurred before.
At the time, residents expressed concern that the open pipeline could give rise
to another sinkhole at the site.
In January of the same year, the newspaper reported that a quick-thinking
municipal employee had repaired the pipeline using unused pipes he had dug up next to Dolomite Street when no other pipes could be found to repair a leak at the site.
As far as could be determined at the time, a small sinkhole had also appeared
at the site.
The Herald asked the Merafong City Local Municipality to shed some light on the latest water leak on Tuesday.
According to a spokesperson, the water came from a leaking valve that was in the process of being repaired.
He said a site visit had been conducted at the sinkhole.
