Leaks anger business owners
Businesses don't understand why it takes so long to fix leaks and are worried that some communities don't have access to water
Business owners in Alexandra Street are complaining about the ‘stinky sewer leak’ in their road.
They say it’s been days since it started and they hope it will be fixed soon. Businesses are worried that this might have a negative impact on the number of customers who visit their stores.
The leak is on the corner of Alexandra and Harding Street.
Also read: Water shortage frustrates community members
One visitor to Estcourt, who parked his car near the leak, commented that the smell is unbearable. “I wanted to throw up and I couldn’t eat, as the smell put me off,” he said.
A water leak reported ‘ages ago’ by Victoria Street business owners is still not fixed.
It’s a similar situation in Victoria Street, as business owners in this area are fed up with seeing water running down the drain every day. This leak is next to Pro-Tech Business and Computer College. The business owners say it’s been like this for several months.
Chante Jungbadur from one of the businesses along Victoria Street said, “We have complained to uThukela District Municipality, but nothing has been done. The leak is destroying the property; we have spoken to the people in charge and have also put it on various groups, but to no avail.
The leak in Victoria Street is small and in a busy parking lot, so business owners think that might be the reason it is not readily noticeable. “The leak is small, but it’s a lot of water. After reporting it on different social media platforms, we were told that uThukela does not come out for small leaks. The problem is that it has been a long time since we started reporting the matter to uThukela; since last year,” said Jungbadur.
The chairperson of Water & Sanitation at uThukela District Municipality, Councillor Mthokozisi Khoza, was unavailable for comment, as his cellphone went unanswered. uThukela communications officer Nothile Zwane, however, promised to report the leaks to the relevant departments.
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