No answers have come from Johannesburg Water about the pipe burst on Vine Avenue in Ferndale as water continues to run down the street.

Residents are increasingly frustrated as large amounts of clean, drinking water goes to waste with no permanent solution from the entity. For months, water has been continuously pumping from a pipe burst, creating concern among residents who believe the ongoing leak is both wasteful and unacceptable, especially at a time when water conservation should be a priority.

Read more: Months long water leak frustrates Ferndale residents

According to resident Kelene Watson, the issue has been reported and escalated on numerous occasions. Although teams from Johannesburg Water have attended to the site several times, the leak remains unresolved. Residents are left confused and disappointed, as they have received little to no information about why the problem has not been permanently fixed, despite repeated interventions.

In an effort to investigate the source of the leak, Johannesburg Water dug up a section of the affected area to expose the underground pipe. Safety netting was installed around the excavation site to protect pedestrians, but residents claim that the leak has worsened since the excavation work was carried out. “They came and dug up the area, but it is not working. It is worse now, with water pumping down the drain.”

Watson explained that this problem has been ongoing for months. “We drive past here every weekend, and we see the water running down the road. I escalated it, and the entity came, but it’s worse. We recently had a water shutdown, and we were told to use water sparingly, yet water goes to waste like this.”

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Ferndale Residents Association chairperson Erica de Jager expressed concern about thousands of litres of water continuing to be lost daily. “Every time we report the leak, they take forever to come out. We have more leaks around the area, with two that have been leaking for four years. They are just everywhere.”

The other leaks mentioned include one on Dover Street, which has been troubling residents for years. “We keep reporting and they come but there is no solution for it. They came recently dug a hole and the leak looks worse than before. The water is causing more damage to the road.”

Residents are now calling on Johannesburg Water to provide clear answers and urgently implement a lasting solution to stop the leak and prevent further water loss.

Questions were sent to the entity on June 3. They noted the enquiry and promised to revert within their standard turnaround time of 24 to 48 hours. However, they had not replied by the time of print. Their response will be published once made available.

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