Residents urged to sign petition over ongoing Rossouw bridge water leak

Residents of Meyerspark and Murrayfield in the east of Pretoria are once again frustrated as a long-standing water leak under the bridge on Rossouw Street continues unresolved.

The leak, which has resurfaced multiple times despite Tshwane claiming to have fixed it, is reportedly wasting thousands of litres of water daily.
It is also causing major traffic delays during peak hours as one lane toward the N4 highway and The Willows is closed.

This recurring issue has become a serious concern for both commuters and residents, who are now being urged to sign a petition demanding immediate and lasting repairs.

Ward 41 Councillor Ben Chapman said the issue has resurfaced despite repeated reports and concerns by the community.

Chapman is now calling on residents to take a stand and sign a petition demanding immediate and effective action from the Tshwane metro.

“The water leak under the Rossouw Street bridge is not just a minor inconvenience – it creates a nightmare for residents during peak traffic,” said Chapman.

“With ongoing cuts to overtime and a visible lack of resources, it’s clear we are suffering the consequences of poor planning and weak service delivery.”

Chapman emphasised that it’s not only about stopping the leak, but also about ensuring the road is properly restored afterwards, a step that has been overlooked in the past.

“We want to make it absolutely clear that once the water leak is repaired, the road surface must be restored to a high standard,” he said.

He said about two weeks back, the metro inspected the leak and opted to put asphalt to close the holes, but didn’t fix the pipes underneath.

Chapman stated that previous repairs in this area were shoddy and unacceptable.

“This is a major problem, and residents deserve qualified, experienced professionals to carry out durable repairs that can withstand heavy traffic.”

Chapman said the repair teams are doing a great job, however, the issue is with the senior people at the municipality, as they fail in planning and co-ordination.

He urged residents, especially those who haven’t signed the petition, to support the campaign.

“If you’ve never signed a petition before, now’s the time to do it. This is about holding our local administration accountable for the basic services we pay for and rely on. Together, we can make a real difference.”

He said the petition aims to apply pressure on Tshwane to prioritise the Rossouw Street bridge issue and ensure quality infrastructure repairs going forward.

Chapman previously raised concerns that the Region 6 water department appears on the verge of collapse.

He said what was once a relatively efficient service, with response times of three to four hours, has now deteriorated to the point where residents wait for weeks for repairs.

However, the metro claims that the pipe was properly repaired.

Metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said the pipe was properly repaired but was damaged again during road construction.

“The damage to the pipe was caused by construction and excavations close by. The city ensures a high and lasting standard of road repairs by using quality materials and compacting the surface before repairing the road,” said Mashigo.

He said to prevent damage to the water infrastructure, the city issues indicate the location of all underground infrastructure to all contractors in the city.

WATCH:

Do you have more information about the story?

Please send us an email to bennittb@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114.

For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord’s websites: Rekord East

For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok.