A long-running leak at the Dan Pienaarville Reservoir has finally been repaired after millions of litres of treated drinking water were lost over three years due to neglected infrastructure.

Ward councillor Aloysha Jooste said the leak began in August 2023. Despite repeated reports of the problem, no repair team was dispatched.

“Over the next three years, I made numerous follow-up calls and sent countless messages. The response remained the same: ‘Awaiting materials,’” Jooste said.

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The leak eventually created what she described as a dam with its own ecosystem.

“Frogs made it their home, and whenever it overflowed, a river of clean drinking water streamed down the road. When the leak once again flooded the road, I escalated the matter to Deputy Minister Jack Bloom and the Department of Water and Sanitation,” she said.

Following the intervention, the leak was repaired within six hours.

Jooste estimated that about R5m worth of treated drinking water – roughly the equivalent of 120 Olympic-sized swimming pools – had been lost over the three years.

“This should never have taken three years. Public funds must be spent for their intended purpose, and basic service delivery must be a priority. The residents of Mogale City deserve value for the rates and taxes they pay. They deserve efficient service delivery, accountability, and responsible management of our precious water resources,” she said.

Bloom said the repair would likely have cost about R30 000 had it been carried out when the leak was first reported.

“I am pleased to report that my intervention has fixed a three-year water leak in Krugersdorp that wasted millions worth of clean water,” he said.

He said water sustainability remained a major challenge in South Africa.

According to the latest No Drop Report, 47% of municipal water is lost as non-revenue water through leaking pipes, illegal connections and unbilled usage. Of that, 32% is lost because of unrepaired bursts and ageing infrastructure. The Auditor-General estimates these losses amount to about R15b a year.

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Bloom said Mogale City loses 67% of its water, with 35% of those losses attributed to leaks from deteriorating pipes.

He added that poor supply chain management often delays the procurement of parts needed to repair leaks.

“I will be closely monitoring the planned introduction of a quick reaction system in Mogale City so that speedy repairs can save huge amounts of money. My mission is to pressure inefficient municipalities to repair major long-running leaks,” he said.

The Krugersdorp News approached Mogale City Local Municipality for comment following the oversight visit but had not received a response by the time of publication.