Residents of Lukas Place in Olivedale are growing increasingly concerned about the safety of their homes, as a 350mm municipal water pipe that runs directly beneath their units remains exposed nearly four months after it burst.

The pipe, which has already burst twice, first in December 2018 and again in August this year, was repaired earlier this year. However, residents said the repair site had remained open since July 1, with leaks still visible.

Read more: Lukas Place residents demand removal of leaking pipe

“They came to drain the water on Wednesday [October 22], and on Friday [October 24], they returned to check; it was still leaking,” said Helena Pillay, a Lukas Place resident. “At night, the pressure is high, so it pushes more water.”

Also read: Calls grow to remove ageing Olivedale water pipe

Pillay added that while the city said it would take two to three days to confirm whether the newly installed section was secure, she remains worried about the old asbestos pipe connecting to the new section.

“There’s still no talk about decommissioning the old pipe. This should be the priority,” she said. “If they don’t decommission it, the joint could break again in the future.”

Residents said they were unaware of the pipe’s existence when buying their homes and were now calling for the city to reroute it to open ground nearby. They argue that this would prevent further bursts, reduce damage risks, and improve safety for all households.

For now, the repair hole remains open, Joburg Water has not addressed decommissioning, and Lukas Place residents continue to live with uncertainty about the safety of their homes.

The situation has sparked a wider debate about the city’s management of ageing infrastructure and the need for proactive, long-term planning to prevent risks to residents.

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