Two major recurring water leaks in Ward 102 continue to waste litres of clean, drinking water, leaving councillor Bea Campbell-Cloete frustrated and questioning the response from Johannesburg Water (JW).

The first leak, famously named ‘Jozi Jacuzzi’, on Pretoria Avenue, first made headlines about a year and a half ago. It became a symbol of prolonged infrastructure failures after flowing for months before JW eventually repaired it. Unfortunately, history is repeating itself.

Read more: Months long water leak frustrates Ferndale residents

The same leak has resurfaced and has once again been running for months, with precious water continuously going to waste despite numerous reports. The water runs down Herly Road, also causing damage to the road surface.

Campbell-Cloete explained that the infrastructure in that area (Pretoria Avenue) is just gone. When JW fixed the first leak, the reinstatement was not properly done and there was a storm water drain left opened. “They left the reinstatement and now the leak is back again. The other problem we have is while there I realised that the storm water drain is also blocked, and not covered, which is not going to help when it starts raining again. So, it’s the leak and the storm water drain, which has now also become a house for vagrants. It started with something small and it’s ended up with a whole heap of problems created from that one problem that wasn’t solved.”

She reported and escalated the leak to the JW Randburg depot manager. “The only outcome now, as we saw with the other area in Pretoria Avenue, is to write a letter to the city mayor, the city manager, and the speaker to ensure that somebody gets attention on this. That’s lots of water being lost there.”

Also read: Taps run dry while street leak flows

The second leak is located in the middle of Bram Fischer Drive. It was repaired just a month ago, but the repair has already failed. The leak has returned stronger than before, with water gushing down one of the area’s busiest roads. Every day, hundreds of vehicles drive directly over water, raising concerns about road safety, further infrastructure damage, and the durability of the previous repair.

The frustrated councillor said the problem underlines the issue around giving contracts to people who can’t do the jobs right. She said that, the first time there was a leak, they were told that it happened because the valve was not moved when the road was broadened years back. “Surely, they should have anticipated that this was going to cause problems. When we were there the first time, they said they have to move the whole pipeline. That is not the solution I would look for. I actually suggested they build a chamber around the valve and secure it.

“They then went and fixed it. Nobody knows what they did, but within a month even more water was pumping out of that hole than before. So, they have to find a lasting solution, and they have to find it fast.”

Campbell-Cloete added that infrastructure in Ward 102 is old, and they will run into more problems in the coming years. “We’re going to have multiple pipe bursts, especially in the CBD area where it’s been here for a while. The whole of my ward has got places where the infrastructure is now just collapsing.”

The ward councillor is calling on JW to urgently implement lasting repairs instead of short-term fixes. Questions were sent to the entity about both leaks and will be published once made available.

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