Ageing water infrastructure causes multiple water pipe bursts in Magaliessig area
MAGALIESSIG– Mvundla said he had to battle with raging water that was flooding into the house after a pipe had burst at the gate of the house.
A Magaliessig resident has described multiple pipe bursts near his home on Hornbill Road as the beginning of tragedy that is yet to happen.
James Mvundla said he had to battle with raging water that was flooding into his house after a pipe had burst at the gate of the house on 19 April this year.
“I tried to prevent water from entering the house after the first burst at the corner of the house. While I was battling with that, another burst happened at the main gate of the house and eroded the pavement in the yard. It was a mess and I don’t know what will happen next because these pipe bursts keep on popping up everywhere along Hornbill Road.”
Local councillor Candice James, who also visited the house, confirmed that the area has been experiencing water pipe bursts recently. “The residents of Magaliessig report water pipe bursts almost every day. Joburg Water comes and fixes a pipe and it will burst again.
“This is frustrating and I truly understand their frustrations. I hope the utility will soon find a lasting solution to this by replacing the old infrastructure with a new one.”
Joburg Water spokesperson, Isaac Dhludhlu said the ageing infrastructure was the main reason behind water pipe burst in the area. “Our dedicated team was dispatched to attend to the incident and they are on the scene fixing the pipes in that area,” he explained.
“We are experiencing similar incidents in different areas because of ageing water infrastructure that needs to be replaced. The utility is currently facing a massive backlog because its budget is not enough and we are currently prioritising areas with dire situations,” Dhludhlu concluded.
