Residents of Waterfall Hills Retirement Estate in Ward 132 have been left with restricted access to the estate after a water burst resulted in an increasingly large excavation and the closure of the road.

Ward 132 councillor Annette Deppe said she first reported the burst to Johannesburg Water on August 4, after water started gushing from the road near the circle at the equestrian estate. According to Deppe, Johannesburg Water arrived at the site the following day and excavated the area in an attempt to locate and repair the problem. However, more than a week later, the repair remains incomplete.

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Deppe said the excavation has since been expanded, with the entire road now closed to traffic. Residents are consequently being forced to use a single lane to enter and exit the retirement estate. “When I phoned Johannesburg Water, I was told by the depot manager that they have no tractor-loader-backhoe (TLB) available to come and work here.”

She added that the manager told her he would contact her after a meeting, but four hours had passed without an update. Deppe questioned why residents were being forced to contend with the disruption for so long, and why the water burst had not yet been resolved. The prolonged excavation has also raised concerns about access to the retirement estate, particularly given that residents now have to share a restricted access route.

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In a separate area within the ward, Deppe said there is other work that has not been completed by the water utility, due to lack of TLB availability. “It is both in Region A and E. I do not know how they are going to get things done without the TLB.”

Johannesburg Water was approached for comment on August 13 regarding the incident and the concerns raised by Deppe. The utility was asked when the burst was first reported, what work had been completed at the site, why the repair remained outstanding more than a week after it was reported, and whether a shortage of TLBs was delaying the work.

Johannesburg Water was also asked when it expected the repair to be completed and the road reopened, as well as how it was addressing concerns about the disruption to residents.

The utility acknowledged receipt of the questions on August 13 and a reminder the following day to respond but failed to answer the questions. An update of the story will be provided should Johannesburg Water provide further information.

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