Community says it took too long to fix Farmall leak
A major leak outside Chartwell Leadership Primary in Farmall has been repaired, but residents say Johannesburg Water’s slow response wasted thousands of litres of water.
A major water leak on Riverside Road in Farmall, Randburg, has finally been repaired after flowing unchecked for more than two weeks. The burst, situated outside Chartwell Leadership Primary School at Plot 110, was first reported on September 18. Despite multiple complaints and promises of a 24-hour response, the leak continued to gush thousands of litres of clean water into the street and towards a nearby river until Johannesburg Water teams arrived this week to carry out repairs.
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School principal Simon White, who raised repeated concerns during the leak, said he was relieved the matter had been resolved. “I’m glad it has been fixed, but it is disappointing that it took more than two weeks. That’s an enormous waste of clean water, especially when so many communities are struggling with shortages.”
ActionSA Ward 114 Constituency chairperson councillor Sello Mabelebele, who visited the site earlier, welcomed the repair, but also criticised the long delay. “It is deeply concerning that Johannesburg Water continues to take far longer than the promised 24 hours to repair leaks. In this case, it took more than two weeks, despite the official turnaround time that is often cited.
Also read: Leak insults community already struggling with water shortage
“The reality is that Johannesburg loses enormous amounts of water to leaks, yet Johannesburg Water is not proactive in responding speedily when issues are reported. Instead, we see delays that waste resources and place further strain on communities already facing shortages.
“In fact, I had to personally drive to the Randburg depot to raise the matter directly with officials. On that day, I found the senior regional manager for Region B, and only then was real action taken. It cannot be that residents and representatives must fight every time for service delivery. People need to take responsibility for what they have been entrusted with.”
Residents and staff at the school echoed the sentiment, saying the fix brings relief but does not erase weeks of frustration and wasted resources. They added that the situation highlighted Johannesburg Water’s broader service delivery challenges.
The Randburg Sun requested comment from Johannesburg Water, and will provide updates once a response is received.
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