Johannesburg Water (JW) has attended to the major pipe burst inside Randburg Tennis Club, but has left a gaping hole and yet another reinstatement issue.

The leak was serious, with water pouring out beneath the surface. Workers had to dig a very large hole to reach the broken pipe. The neat tennis club quickly turned into a messy construction site, with piles of dirt and broken ground. For a few days, the repair work continued. People watched as the team worked hard to stop the leak. Eventually, they managed to fix the pipe, and the water problem was solved, but when the workers left, the big hole they had dug was still there. The ground was not filled in, and the area was not repaired. While the entity fixed the problem underground, it left a problem above ground.

Read more: JW replaces Bosbok Road pipe

Known for leaving reinstatements for months to years, Ward 102 councillor Bea Campbell-Cloete said she has requested a timeline from the entity, and will communicate this to residents as soon as she receives feedback. Updates will be shared via ward communication platforms as she receives them. “To me, this is unacceptable. Not only did the pipe repairs take extremely long to attend to, way past the 72 hours, but the reinstatement has not been done. We are often told that these are left to check for further leaks and for the soil to settle. However, more often than not, these gaping holes are left for weeks, if not months. Reinstatement is not optional. It is part of the job, and residents should not be left with unsafe or incomplete work.”

She added that she has formally escalated the matter with JW, requested an urgent reinstatement, and will continue to do site visits to check if the reinstatements have been done. “I will also be escalating this through oversight channels within JW, and, if no action is taken, I will escalate to oversight channels in the city, including logging formal complaints against the entity and/or contractor where applicable, to ensure that the matter is tracked to completion.”

Also read: Scammers acting as JW officials

Campbell-Cloete believes the entity has not met its obligations to residents. She said, while they have managed to repair the burst, the failure to reinstate the site means the obligation to residents has not been fully met. “If a doctor cuts open a patient, he closes the wound and applies wound care. Once a burst has been repaired, all possible steps should be taken to reinstate the area. Gaping holes that are not barricaded, where residents, especially children, are found, pose a real risk of injury. At the same time, damage to fencing, etc, may also happen.”

Questions were sent to JW on April 29. They had not replied by the time of print. Their response will be published once made available.

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