ONGOING water pipe bursts in Glen Anil has again brought ageing municipal infrastructure to the forefront.

This comes after several bursts and leaks on Glen Anil Street and the lower end of The Curl.

Two weeks ago, Northglen News reported on a resident’s home which had been flooded for the fourth time due to bursts on the old asbestos pipes.

They are calling on the eThekwini Municipality to replace ageing asbestos pipes to prevent further damages to verges, roads and properties.

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While this is an ongoing problem, residents had tried various methods to get their voices heard, going as far as starting a petition in 2023 asking the City to replace the water pipe infrastructure in the area.

Local resident Nathanael Naicker said the recent spate of bursts is testing residents’ patience with seven leaks and bursts in two weeks.

“What has been most frustrating is the knock-on effect each burst causes. We’ve seen cases of properties being flooded, road surfaces being damaged and often dug-up holes are left open. The turnaround time, not only to fix the burst pipe but then to reinstate roads, is ridiculous. In the case of The Curl, there are a few trees planted on the median and the roots are growing into the asbestos pipes leading to the leaks and bursts.

“There’s a stretch of around 300m where the trees are impacting the infrastructure. My solution is to install an above ground pipe between Yellowwood Road and the end of The Curl as a possible solution. That way our water supply isn’t impacted. Glen Anil Street is also often hit by bursts. We know there will be more because each time a burst happens, the old pipe is removed and a new join is put in. Inevitably, due to ageing infrastructure, there will be another burst down the line,” he said.

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Vaughan Williams, whose home flooded for a fourth time at the beginning of the month, echoed those sentiments.

“While our has been flooded four times, the main water pipe outside our home has burst five times and we fear it will happen again. When municipal teams excavated to attend to the most recent burst you could see the previous sections where the plastic/PVC components were used and there is one remaining section of asbestos pipe right outside our main gate which hasn’t been replaced. We know from past experience that this in time will burst too which again will enter our home.”

The eThekwini Municipality did not comment at the time of publishing.

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