Residents of Constantia Park have raised concerns after treated water was observed continuously flowing into a drain near the Gunib Crescent-Verdi Street gate closure, close to the junction of William Nicol and Verdi streets.

Rob Dryden said he first noticed the issue while carrying out maintenance at the gate. “At the entrance to the Gunib Verdi gate closure, there is a grated drain that allows vehicles to cross from the lay-by into the closed-off area. A 300mm diameter pipe from the Constantia Park Reservoir leads directly into this drain,” he explained.

Dryden said water had flowed from the pipe occasionally in the past and was assumed to be part of a flushing process. However, on February 17, he observed a steady, relatively heavy flow of purified water from the pipe into the drain. He estimated the rate at two to three litres per second.

“This was reported to our ward councillor Andrew Lesch, who in turn reported it to the City of Tshwane and the relevant director responsible,” Dryden said.

After about a week with no action, he escalated the matter. He later alerted a municipal leak-response team and showed them the flow. They said it was the responsibility of another division, but promised to report it.

As of March 5, the water was still flowing. Dryden calculated the potential scale of the loss: at an average flow of 2.5 litres per second, the leak would equal about 216 kL per day or 6 480 kL per month. At the lowest water tariff of R32.74 per kL, that would be more than R212 000 per month in lost revenue.

“Apart from this being a shocking waste of a very scarce resource, it is the ratepayers who are picking up the tab,” he said.

Lesch said the problem highlighted wider concerns about water leaks in the area. “Local institutions in the community also have issues. There is a leak that has been leaking for over a year. I have reported it multiple times, and so has the community, but there is no response,” he said.

Residents question why they should conserve water when the municipality appears to be wasting it, noting that water losses in the metro are already at 40%.

“How much more water must be lost before action is taken on these leaks?” Lesch asked.

Metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said routine inspections had identified a leak inside a chamber at the Constantia Park Reservoir and that repair plans are underway.

Mashigo added that the metro believed the loss was limited and that proactive inspections and continuous maintenance had minimised water loss.

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