The Douglasdale estate has been plagued by a leaking manhole since February.
Back then, the initial trouble was getting the right team from Johannesburg Water to the site. What was presumed to be a sewage leak turned out to be a water leak.
It was initially fixed on 6 March.
Unfortunately, the problem has been on-going, with another resident, Rob Schutte, who stays at the top of Reve De Provence next to the leak, affected. It has resulted in a constant flow of water into his property.
According to Schutte, at its worst the water was about 10cm deep.
“There is a damp smell in one of the rooms already,” he said, indicating that the water has seeped into the foundation, causing rot on the property.
His dog has also been banished and has to spend most of the day outside, due to him trekking mud all over the house.
“I have to wipe him down before he can come inside,” Scutte explained.
By 22 August, most of the water had drained into the soil, but a muddy trail of evidence still remained.
Glynnis Watts, a trustee at the complex, said after many e-mails to Johannesburg Water, three men arrived to assess the situation on 20 August. “This was after six weeks of nothing happening,” she added. Watts said a grader had arrived and dug a hole near the manhole, but since then, no-one had been to the site to continue with the repair process.
Johannesburg Water has not yet responded to questions sent to them by the Fourways Review.
