The Merafong City Local Municipality is permitting water leaks to continue despite owing more than R1b to Rand Water and the fact that our country is facing a drought due to the El Niño weather pattern.

During the past week, residents of Khutsong Ext 6 next to Welverdiend complained that water has been leaking in this area for months.

A resident, Jacob Gumede, pointed out the leak, situated between house no. 8599 and Station Street in Welverdiend.

Water is constantly streaming from a broken pipe with such force that it sprays into the air. So much water has leaked at the site that it has formed a large pool.

The grass and weeds near the leak also grow green and higher than in the adjacent veld.

“This is a massive problem. We have reported many times, but no one comes here to check,” says Gumede.

According to Gumede and other residents, water has been leaking at this site for six to eight months. “The municipality wants people to pay for water, but they waste it themselves. We are also worried that this can lead to sinkholes,” Gumede lamented. Meanwhile, water has also been leaking from a valve on the traffic island next to Bluebell Street in Carletonville since at least September.

A previous leak at this same site led to a sinkhole that led to water cuts about a decade ago. A retired plumber with knowledge about municipal infrastructure in Carletonville also confirmed that should the municipality not attend to this leak, it will form a sinkhole.

The Herald continually asked the municipality about the problem since September, but only received an answer on October 27.

“The water leak was investigated, and it was discovered that the isolation valve is leaking. The valve will be excavated within this week for repairs,” the municipality’s marketing and communication manager, Temba Fezani, replied. Despite this, the valve was still leaking on November 2.

There are also several leaks on sidewalks and the traffic island on Annan Road and Reinecke Street in the vicinity of Carleton Jones High School that the municipality has not fixed, despite several complaints.

Meanwhile, water has also been leaking in several places in Blybank during the past two months.

Water has been leaking on the sidewalk next to Dove Street since at least August. This leak was still there this week. As the leak is situated near the voting station for this town, political parties had to put up their stalls away from it so that their supporters do not have to step into the water or mud.

Meanwhile, water has also been leaking on a sidewalk in Hornbill Street, and pedestrians have grown used to just walking in the road instead. There were also two water leaks in Curlew Street, while another leak started again just around the corner from the Blybank Library about two weeks ago.

“I have reported the leaks to the municipality’s water section many times, but they are slow to respond,” the town’s former ward councillor, Thulani Mthembu, complained.

“The water section has not yet received the complaint. It will be investigated, and the section will act accordingly,” the municipality responded on October 27.

Nothing had, however, been done about it by November 2.