A DURBAN North resident has expressed her frustration over an unattended water leak outside her property which has been running for seven days.

Hilda Grobler said the leak on her verge on the corner of Clarendon Road and Buxton Road has led to thousands of litres of water being wasted.

This comes at a time when city contractors, including plumbers, have raised concerns about delays in processing their invoices as a result of a new online invoicing system.

Also read: Constant leaks, bursts frustrate Ridge Road residents

Speaking to Northglen News, Grobler said the inaction to resolve the leak does not align with the city’s message of water conservation.

“The leak runs freely since Friday (April 24) and we are losing thousands of litres of water which we are told needs to be saved. The leak has also made its way under my boundary wall, undermining it. We have escalated and reported the matter to the municipality, we’ve spoken to our councillor Heinz de Boer who himself has tried to escalate it further, but still nothing has been done,” she said.

Meanwhile Ward 36 councillor De Boer said the water contractor payment situation remains unresolved.

“I’m told by management that no plumbers are available. This is an unacceptable situation that we have escalated to our executive. Plumbers must be made available to address the situation. The turnaround time to fix leaks and bursts is horrendous and it is one of the biggest headaches for frustrated residents because so much water is being wasted,” he said.

Also read: Calls to step up repairs on uMhlanga staircase

On Wednesday, Durban Mayor Cyril Xaba said the City is ensuring that all valid invoices are processed and paid within 30 days.

“Since the beginning of April, over 6000 invoices, amounting to approximately R800m, have already been paid.  A further 1837 invoices are approved for payment and scheduled to be settled, in line with applicable payment terms … Suppliers are urged to submit their invoices, with all supporting documentation within prescribed timeframes to ensure seamless payments,” Xaba said.

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