A water pipe, running under units at Lukas Place in Olivedale, has burst for the second time in seven years, leaving residents frustrated and calling for its removal.
The 350m pipe first burst in December 2018. At the time, residents were unaware of its existence beneath their property. They were told by municipal workers that the pipe was linked to land sold by the original developer, and that it had been there for decades.
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“They told us the pipe had been fixed properly and wouldn’t burst again,” said resident Helena Pillay, but, on August 1, it did, causing disruption and raising questions about the quality of the repair work.
In addition to the flooding, the City of Johannesburg disconnected both water and electricity to the property, citing arrears on the municipal account. Pillay says the account has been under dispute since 2018, due to billing errors that were never resolved. “Our water was cut off, and they demanded full payment. We had no choice but to get a lawyer involved.”
With legal help, the household’s electricity was restored, however, a new problem emerged, when a new pipe was installed after the second burst, but water was still visible inside the repair hole. Municipal staff claimed that it was underground water, but Pillay disagrees. “It’s leaking from the new pipe they installed. It’s not natural underground water.”
Pillay wants the city to decommission the pipe, and to reroute it to open veld near the complex, to avoid further risk to the property.
Ward 101 councillor Ralf Bittkau said the case reflects a wider problem. “We have about 12 500km of water pipes in Johannesburg, and around 3 000km are still old asbestos cement pipes. The city is R54b behind on infrastructure upgrades, due to mismanagement and corruption.”
Bittkau admitted that poor workmanship has led to multiple leaks in Sharonlea, and that billing and disconnections are also riddled with problems. “There are too many incorrect disconnections. Contractors are paid per cut-off and reconnection, which opens the door to corruption.”
He said he has launched a petition to push for better service from the city’s billing department, but for the residents of Lukas Place, the petition is not enough. They want lasting solutions and the pipe gone for good.
A media enquiry was sent to Johannesburg Water, but they were unable to respond by the time of print. An update will be published as soon as they respond.
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