City entities point fingers as Bryan Brook water leak drags on
Ward 93 Councillor Vino Reddy says residents continue to suffer as City entities and the Province fail to work together on resolving the Witkoppen Road water leak outside Bryan Brook Estate.
It has been two years since a persistent water leak was first reported outside Bryan Brook Estate on Witkoppen Road.
Ward 93 councillor Vino Reddy has raised concerns over what he calls a ‘major disconnect’ between government departments and municipal entities tasked with resolving the issue.
Two weeks ago, Reddy said he invited Johannesburg Water (JW), the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA), and the Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport (GPDRT) to a site meeting to jointly assess the situation. However, only the provincial department responded, promising to conduct an investigation.
Read more: Ward 94 gets kerbs while Ward 96 gets excuses from JRA
Reddy added that the scheduled meeting never took place, although he believed the GPDRT eventually conducted a site visit independently, which likely explained the partial road repairs that have been done.
According to Reddy, in the absence of coordinated action, JW and JRA have since carried out site visits.
He shared that initially, the entities claimed the leak was caused by groundwater. However, they have now backtracked on that assessment and launched a formal investigation, including the use of leak detectors and trenching at two new locations near Bryan Brook.
“I am still awaiting the results of the latest water test. They’re trying to determine the source of the water more accurately, but we are no closer to a resolution.”
He added that responsibility for resolving the issue had shifted back to the city, with JW and JRA now leading the investigation. GPDRT, however, will remain responsible for the final road reinstatement.
Nombuso Shabalala, the spokesperson of Johannesburg Water, confirmed their findings from a recent site assessment. “Johannesburg Water’s depot team conducted an assessment on the site and found that there is no leak coming from our water infrastructure. The water is instead coming from the sleeve. The team conducted a water test, and the results indicated that it is groundwater. It has therefore been escalated to the Johannesburg Roads Agency.”
Frustrated residents have long called for a clear plan and accountability, as the leak continues to create potholes, damage road surfaces, and contribute to traffic congestion on one of Paulshof’s busiest roads.
Fourways Review has reached out to JRA, and more information will be provided once it becomes available.
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