A Johannesburg Water (JW) contractor has finally attended to and replaced the troubling pipe on Bosbok Road in Randpark Ridge.

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This follows the previous incident where a pipe burst ran unchecked, pouring out water for 21 days. The pipe was located under the road, but it was exposed after the road was flooded early in the year during heavy rains. It was left exposed making it easy for it to be damaged, resulting in the pipe suffering multiple bursts, and leaving nearby residents with no water for days.

The entity carried out temporary repairs in April, and now, four months later, the long-awaited reinforcement and pipe replacement has finally been carried out. On August 1, the entity began the work of replacing the ageing 150mm asbestos cement pipe with a more durable 200mm steel pipe.

Ward 134 councillor Devon Steenkamp said that, while this marks welcome progress, he remains concerned that if Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) does not carry out regular storm water maintenance, especially before and during the rainy season, “the force of water runoff could once again threaten the stability of this infrastructure, despite the improved materials used. Additionally, debris and broken pipe fragments have been left behind at the site. I will be engaging the entity to ensure that proper clean-up is completed.”

He added that this remains a textbook example of poor planning and delayed response, and he will continue holding the city accountable to prevent a repeat of this costly failure.

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