Plans to replace pipes to address water woes in Waterkloof

Waterkloof residents may soon see relief from recurring water pipe bursts as the Tshwane metro rolls out plans to replace sections of the suburb’s ageing infrastructure.

The metro has confirmed that critical worn-out pipelines in Region 3, which includes Waterkloof and Ward 82, will be upgraded in the 2025/26 financial year.

This comes after years of complaints from residents and a formal petition that was submitted to the metro earlier this year.

The issue stems from old asbestos cement pipes that have long passed their lifespan, resulting in frequent bursts and water outages.

Ward 82 councillor, Siobhan Muller, said she was encouraged by the metro’s response to concerns raised by residents.

“The department has investigated the matter and provided a report to be tabled before the Petitions Committee within 90 days,” Muller confirmed.

She noted that although the department did not respond within the timeframe stipulated in the Petitions By-Law, she was pleased that attention was now being given to Waterkloof.

“I am pleased to see attention is being paid to Waterkloof. Would this be the extent of the project? I really do think that Julius Jeppe [Street] should be included. It is suffering significant leaks on a daily basis,” she said.

“I’ve lost count of how many times the pipes had to be repaired, specifically on Julius Jeppe between Heloma and Dely,” she added.

Muller explained that repairs often require shutting off water to the entire Waterkloof area, which has a wide-reaching impact on households and businesses.

She suggested that even if full replacement was not possible, a strategically placed valve could allow smaller sections to be isolated during repairs, minimising disruption.

According to Tshwane metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo, a portion of the 2025/26 budget will be dedicated to water infrastructure upgrades in Region 3.

“The following work is planned to be carried out in Region 3 in the 2025/26 financial year: completion of the scope of work in Waverley, which commenced in the 2024/25 financial year, with a budgeted amount of R6-million,” Mashigo said.

He added that the remaining budget of R15.8-million will be used to replace about 3.5km of critical worn-out pipelines in new work package allocations.

Mashigo said this will include:
– Victoria Street, Waterkloof (Ward 82) – 243m costing R1.1-million
– Victoria Street, Waterkloof (Ward 42) – 1.2km at R5.36-million
– Other suburbs in Region 3 – 2km at R9.36-million.

He acknowledged that budget constraints mean the city cannot replace entire networks in every suburb at once.

“The approved budget for Region 3 in the 2025/26 financial year is R21.9-million. There is not sufficient budget to replace the entire network per suburb.

“Since the 2023/24 financial year, only selective or critical worn-out pipelines with the highest priority for replacement per region are being replaced, ” he said.

Mashigo said that they aimed to reduce water loss in the city, by targeting the most problematic pipelines first.

He added that problematic pipelines exist in other parts of Region 3, not only in Waterkloof and Ward 82.

The metro’s water and sanitation department acknowledged the challenges experienced in Ward 82 due to aged pipes.

Mashigo said the replacement of water infrastructure is part of a phased approach, and is prioritised based on a pipe replacement potential (PRP) ranking system.

“The attached raw PRP data is dated December 2022 and reflects all pipe replacement work that has been done in Ward 82 over the past few years,” he said.

The metro confirmed that the replacement of critical worn-out pipelines in Waterkloof (Wards 42 and 82) will begin on August 15, with work scheduled for completion by January 30, 2026.

Mashigo said a robust maintenance plan will remain in place to address outages and leaks until the water infrastructure components are replaced.

He added that if additional funds became available, the metro would consider expanding the current project scope based on the priority list of critical pipelines.

“Should additional budget be made available, the priority list of critical worn-out water network pipelines will be followed, regardless of which suburb, region or area,” Mashigo said.

On April 29, the Office of the Speaker referred petition 314, which regards Ward 82’s water infrastructure, to the water and sanitation department, and asked for feedback within 14 days.

Mashigo confirmed that the Office of the Speaker has communicated back to petitioners through their respective ward councillors.

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