As Pretoria east residents endure recurring water outages and repeated calls to use water sparingly, municipal figures have said that hundreds of reported water leaks remain unresolved across the region.

Data provided by the Tshwane metro shows that 4 154 water leak-related service requests were logged in Pretoria east during the past six months.

Of those, 3 285 have been repaired, while 317 remain outstanding.

The figures come just after several eastern suburbs experienced another unannounced water outages linked to emergency repairs at the Garsfontein Reservoir.

Areas including Elardus Park, Erasmuskloof Ext 2 and 3, Wingate Park, Rietvallei Park and Rietvalleirand were left without water over a weekend, leading to renewed criticism of the metro’s communication and infrastructure management.

For many residents, the existence of a backlog of hundreds of unresolved leaks raises questions about whether the metro’s response times are keeping pace with growing infrastructure demands in Pretoria East.

Waterkloof Glen resident Carina Gauché is among those who remain frustrated.

She said she has repeatedly reported and escalated a water leak near 20th Street in Hazelwood, but claims the problem has persisted for months.

“The whole area is sopping wet and the water is streaming down the street into the drain. It has been at least two months,” said Gauché.

“I’ve reported it and escalated it, but nothing has been done about it.”

According to Gauché, the leak continues to flow unchecked despite multiple reports to the metro.

She shared photographs showing water running down the road and into stormwater drains.

“It’s been nearly three months since I reported this and it is still not repaired,” said Gauché.

She questioned when the leak would finally be repaired, saying residents were repeatedly given new reference numbers and assurances that the matter had been escalated, yet no visible progress has been made.

Her concerns are echoed by Councilor Andrew Lesch, who previously highlighted a major leak in Verdi Street in Constantia Park near the corner of William Nicol Drive.

Lesch said it appears there is either a lack of clarity about what is happening on the ground or misinformation is being provided.

He added that despite raising the matter with Region 6 MMC Eugene Modise on several occasions, no steps have been taken to address what he described as a significant waste of a valuable resource.

Lesch further noted that residents have also reported the issue multiple times, yet no action has been taken by the metro.

“Water is flooding down the stormwater pipe and possibly originates from the Constantia Park Reservoir,” Lesch said.

Lesch warned that the impact of prolonged leaks extends beyond the loss of water.

“Water losses on this scale not only waste a critical resource but also erode public trust in the metro’s service delivery systems,” he said.

Responding to Rekord’s enquiry, metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo acknowledged that 317 service requests related to water leaks remain outstanding in Pretoria east.

However, he disputed claims that the metro had failed to respond to some reported leaks.

Regarding the Hazelwood leak, Mashigo said there is currently no open service request on the metro’s system.

“There is currently no open service request on the system indicating a leak in Hazelwood 20th Street. The team is therefore investigating with a view to effecting the necessary repairs,” he said.

Mashigo urged residents to ensure they use official reporting channels and obtain reference numbers when reporting faults.

According to him some of the queries that are escalated do not have reference numbers.

He therefore encouraged to always use the appropriate channels when reporting any service requests so as to receive the correct reference numbers and to ensure that their requests are attended to.

Despite residents’ concerns, He maintains that Pretoria east’s water infrastructure remains relatively stable.

“The infrastructure in Pretoria east is fairly stable and the city does not receive an influx of pipe bursts in the area. Most of the pipes in this area have been renewed to UPVC pipes,” he said.

Mashigo further dismissed suggestions that shortages of staff, equipment, contractors, or funding are contributing to delays.

To combat water losses, Mashigo said the metro responds to reported leaks and has implemented pressure-reducing valves throughout the network to regulate water pressure and prevent pipe bursts.

The issue of water leaks has become increasingly sensitive as residents continue to experience periodic water outages.

Just days ago, frustrated residents in several Pretoria east suburbs criticised the metro after emergency repairs at the Garsfontein Reservoir left thousands without water.

When asked how the city responds to criticism from residents who are urged to conserve water while leaks remain unresolved, Mashigo said the metro understands the frustrations being expressed by communities.

“The city strives to attend to all queries as and when they are reported. Criticism from residents is acknowledged and we are working tirelessly to ensure that we resolve all outstanding water leaks in the area,” he said.

Mashigo added that dedicated teams are available outside normal operating hours to attend to urgent cases and escalations.

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