City blames system failure for delayed response to Croydon pipe burst
Dlamini said they strive to attend to all known burst/leaks within 48 hours. However, the extent of the damage on the pipe determines the period within which it is attended to.
The City of Ekurhuleni (CoE) has acknowledged awareness of a recent pipe burst in Croydon, attributing delays in repairs to a system glitch that affected response times.
This follows an article published by Kempton Express on January 23, which highlighted residents’ frustration over having no running water while thousands of litres flowed from a burst pipe for several consecutive days.
The pipe, located in front of 9 Marie Linde Avenue, burst on January 15.
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According to resident David Smith, the municipality was informed immediately, and a service request was lodged. However, no action followed.
“We were told there was a 48-hour response time. That time has long passed, and it’s now Saturday. Water is still running down the road while our taps remain dry,” Smith said.
Frustrated by the lack of intervention, he added: “Our councillor’s office was notified, but it’s all talk and no action.
We’ve been without water for four days and counting, with no resolution in sight. There seems to be no interest, and certainly no accountability.”
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When Kempton Express visited the area on January 19, water was still streaming down Croydon’s streets in significant volumes.
Another resident, Gideon Pool, echoed Smith’s concerns, stating that he also lodged a complaint with the municipality but received no assistance.
“With the pipe burst, there’s no water pressure to reach our homes. To use the bathroom, I collect water from the burst pipe. For drinking, we rely on a neighbour with a borehole,” Pool said.
At the time he called for at least a temporary solution.
“Every day, the situation worsens. If they cannot fix it now, the least they can do is shut off the running water. More than 10 000 litres of fresh water have been wasted. It’s heartbreaking to see this while others go without basic water access.”
Resident Colette Fernandez shared similar sentiments.
“If it weren’t for a Samaritan on the corner with a borehole, we wouldn’t know what to do,” she said.
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Ward councillor Tracy Lourenco confirmed she had promptly reported the burst pipe and escalated the matter to the water department.
“During my visit to Croydon, I observed multiple serious pipe bursts. A team was dispatched, but due to a large tree obstructing the area, they couldn’t get equipment in place to dig,” Lourenco explained.
She added that the water and sanitation department has been under immense strain, dealing with numerous pipe bursts and severe sewer blockages across various wards.
According to CoE spokesperson Zweli Dlamini, repairs began on January 19, and water was restored the same day. However, an essential component was unavailable at the time, affecting one house.
“We sourced and installed the component the next day, on January 20, in the afternoon,” said Dlamini.
Addressing concerns about water tankers, he added: “It is standard practice to provide water tankers during outages.
“However, since water was reinstated on January 19 for the entire street, except for one house, there was no need for trucks.”
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Dlamini said that the city strives to attend to all reported bursts and leaks within 48 hours but noted that response times depend on the severity of the damage.
“Our water services teams remain on standby to respond to outages and leaks as they are reported.
“We are committed to ensuring a quality and sustainable water supply while preventing unnecessary water losses,” he said.
