Johannesburg Water silent as Sunninghill residents foot the bill for burst pipes
While Johannesburg Water remains silent on key questions about expired contracts and delayed repairs, Sunninghill residents are left to pay for burst pipe fixes out of their own pockets.
Johannesburg Water (JW) has remained silent on allegations that contract issues within the utility have led to repair delays, forcing Sunninghill residents to spend thousands of rands out of their own pockets to restore water supply.
On July 3, questions were sent to JW spokesperson Nolwazi Dhlamini, and cc’d to Puleng Mopeli, requesting clarity on the utility’s procurement status, and response to concerns raised by Ward 93 councillor Vino Reddy.
“Reddy has raised concerns over JW’s procurement issues, which have led to delays in repairs, forcing residents to purchase parts and materials at their own expense. According to Reddy, JW’s contract issues have resulted in residents paying over R3 500 for parts and materials to fix the pipe leak.
Also read: Joburg Water still has no timeframe for fixing the Pritchard Street leak
“The outage was at Marise Crescent. Can you confirm the status of your procurement contract and explain the reasons behind its expiration? How do you respond to allegations that your temporary contract arrangements have caused delays in repairs and inconvenience to residents in Marise Crescent? What does the law say about residents who fix JW pipe leaks, and what is your reaction to that? We know, with JRA, it is illegal for residents to fix potholes,” reads the email by Fourways Review.
In the meantime, residents of Marise Crescent have taken matters into their own hands, after a second pipe burst on July 1 left them without water, again.
“In an act of desperation, the kind residents have bought the pipes and materials to effect the repairs,” said Reddy. “Just so they can get water. It’s a crying shame that residents have to dip into their own pockets and fork out over R3 500 to purchase these parts and materials.”
Also read: Year-long water leak still unfixed
Reddy said the burst comes just days after the previous one was repaired over the weekend. While one home has since been reconnected, frustration continues to grow among community members who feel let down by the city.
Reddy blamed ongoing procurement issues within JW, saying that since January, the utility has been operating under temporary arrangements that are clearly not meeting demand. The councillor also raised concerns over ageing infrastructure, saying he has repeatedly asked the utility to replace failing pipes in the area.
Also read: Sunninghill residents buy water pipes as Joburg Water fails to deliver
“I met with the Sunninghill community, JW Zandfontein depot management team, and Region A CRUM on site at Peltier to discuss the constant bursts on Peltier and Marise turns. I have been requesting, for the past two years, that these pipes be renewed, but it has come to nothing.”
He said, although officials had initially promised to replace the problematic pipes by early June, that commitment has yet to be honoured. “Parts and materials shortages have ensured that this doesn’t happen.”
At the time of publication, JW had not responded to the allegations despite following up.
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