Bromhof residents have been left without water after Johannesburg Water shut off a valve in an attempt to fix low pressure in the area, only to lose track of what they had done.

The situation worsened when the utility, having caused the full cut-off, admitted it was unable to identify what action it had taken that triggered the loss of supply to the entire neighbourhood.

Ward 101 Councillor Ralf Bittkau has been on the ground documenting the crisis across a series of video updates to residents, visiting key points including the corner of Ostrich Street and locations along President Fouche Drive near the Olivedale Library.

Read more: Johannesburg Water repairs Kruispad Church’s six-year water leak

“We’re mainly holding our thumbs and hoping for the best,” Bittkau said in one update, noting that Johannesburg Water’s teams were working through multiple valves in the area in an effort to identify the source of the problem.

Speaking from the corner of Kelly and President Fouche Drive, where he was joined by the regional manager, Takalani Makhuva, Bittkau said the focus was on restoring flow to the main line. “Once we’ve got the main line up and running we should be clear,” he said, adding that he could not obtain an estimated time of restoration from officials on the scene.

At the root of the disruption, according to Bittkau, is a burst pipe on President Fouche Drive near the Olivedale Library that has gone unrepaired for over a year.

The pipe sits alongside a control valve that links the Honeydew water supply system with the Randpark system, and Bittkau said Johannesburg Water had temporarily halted supply to Bromhof specifically to carry out repairs on the pipe and assess whether fixing it would restore pressure to the area.

Also read: Taps run dry while street leak flows

“We’ve been reporting this burst pipe for over a year and finally, finally, we have got action,” he said.

Bittkau said the repair work was causing significant traffic disruption along President Fouche Drive, with queues building in both directions and JMPD officers deployed to help manage the flow of vehicles.

While Bittkau acknowledged that the situation remained uncertain, he said he remained cautiously optimistic. “Any step forward is an improvement,” he said. “Persistency does pay off.”

Residents who have been without any supply since the valve was closed have expressed frustration at the lack of communication and the absence of a clear timeline for restoration.

The Randburg Sun has approached Johannesburg Water for comment.

Are you dealing with a similar water supply issue in your area? Contact Randburg Sun reporter Nkazimulo Ncube on WhatsApp at 068 024 3997.

Follow us on our Whatsapp channel, Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok for the latest updates and inspiration!