While Tshwane metro is attending to the various water issues across Centurion, some problems have been solved, and some have been created.
Leaky water meters have created problems for residents around Centurion. Some residents have struggled for days and weeks to have issues with water service delivery resolved.
Victor Wilkinson, a resident of Ruimte Road in Wierda Park had struggled for eight days with a leaky water meter outside his house before metro workers finally responded. “It took eight days, but the metro finally removed the leaky water meter outside my house. During that time, water incessantly spilled out from the meter, and onto my driveway. Now I’m just waiting to receive the massive bill for all the water that spilled during that time.”
Another Centurion resident, JP Prinsloo, had a similar problem. For days the water meter outside his house continuously spilled water onto his lawn. “I struggled for days to get the metro to come out. I finally phoned my ward councillor, Ina Strijdom, and within an hour the team was here to remove the leaky meter.”
Strijdom explained that metro were slow to respond due to lack of staff. “Unfortunately, these issues tend to take some time to be sorted out because the teams dealing with it are not only woefully understaffed, but do not have sufficient vehicles either, making it difficult to respond to calls.”
Strijdom added that the best way to resolve a water issue was still to report it to the metro. “Report any problem you have to the metro. If you get no response in six to eight hours, call your ward councillor who will be able to assist you.”
According to Lindela Mashego of the Tshwane metro, residents should report any problem to the metro. “Residents or customers should report by calling 012-358-9999 and select option 3. In addition, customers should feel free to make a follow up call if there isn’t any action taken to address the leak within reasonable time. They can quote the reference number(s).”
Strijdom added that being able to quote a reference number is essential in getting a problem resolved with the metro.
“A special mention needs to be made of the emergency team. The emergency team works all hours of the night, responding to emergencies. They really do their best to resolve water-related emergencies.”
Another issue was a burst water main in Marula Street in The Reeds that resulted in a large part of the road being dug up. The digging was done on 3 January, but the ditch was never filled up, causing a hazard. “On Tuesday 6 January, the ditch was filled. Next Tuesday (13 January) we will discuss these issues with the metro to ensure that this does not happen again,” said Councillor Peter Sutton.
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