Ward 93 councillor Vino Reddy is fed up with the water woes experienced by the residents of Sunninghill, which have continued unabated since the Easter weekend.

Reddy said the problem started when a pipe burst was being repaired in Achter Road in Paulshof. “Water was turned off, and then, apart from the failed repair in Achter Road, the water was restored at 50% pressure, but the bursts in Sunninghill continued.”

He said this was attributed to the air management and alternatives (AMA) effect, where you have air pockets in the system and the water pushes them, which, eventually, bursts the pipe again.

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“This continued over the weekend, and despite the low water pressure, the pipes continued to burst. Johannesburg Water has said the pipes in Sunninghill are 30 years old and therefore, they cannot justify pipe replacement.”

Reddy believes that this should not be a factor in terms of considering pipe replacement. “The efficacy of the pipes and their ability to withstand the water pressures should be the primary factor by which the water utility should be considering pipe replacements.”

He said, as a result, the residents have been experiencing water issues with over two to three leaks per day.

“It’s ongoing. Their lives cannot function properly because they don’t know when they will have water. The minute they have water, there’s another burst.

This has led to so many angry and frustrated residents that they’re at their wits’ end, and Johannesburg Water is not offering any tangible solutions to resolve this issue. Yes, they are repairing it, but the minute something is repaired, there’s another burst.”

Reddy said he had walkabouts at the water utility, held site meetings, and invited them to public meetings to address the issues with the residents.

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“I’ve got one of the largest retailers in South Africa that is complaining, and they’ve been extremely patient. Their basement has been flooded frequently, their entrance is blocked or dug up, and their workers can’t come to work. They’ve got 1 500 staff, and they all need to come to work.

“The water issue in Sunninghill is contributing massively to the decline in businesses. We’ve got a series of office blocks that are now being converted into apartments. Businesses are exiting the area based on the lack of services, the fractured services, and the fact that it’s not reliable.”

Reddy has invited Johannesburg Water to an urgent meeting on April 21 at 18:00. He said he is going to extend the invitation to the chief executive officer of the water utility.

“We need answers from the top. The depot at Zandfontein is doing its best to deal with the bursts, but the people need answers, and the decision makers are the management of Johannesburg Water.”

The water utility, as well as the City of Johannesburg, were contacted to confirm the receipt of the invite as an urgent media query.

Nombuso Shabalala said she has copied Johannesburg Water’s Stakeholder Relations Manager, Bonginkosi Xaba, who will be able to confirm whether an invitation for Ward 93 has been received. An update will be provided once it is received.

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