A hazardous trench that disrupted daily operations at the Mickey Mouse Daycare House in Murrayfield, east of Pretoria, have been backfilled and reinstated.

According to residents, the pipeline on Grace Avenue experienced multiple pipe bursts, leading to repeated water outages for the community. While municipal teams attended to the leaks, the excavation site was not backfilled or reinstated.

Mickey Mouse Daycare House owner Jenine du Preez said the open excavation outside her property made day-to-day operations virtually impossible, while a neighbour struggled to enter and exit his yard.

The trench posed a severe safety risk, forcing her neighbour to dismantle part of her boundary wall to gain access to her property through the nursery school’s limited parking area.

Du Preez said the first pipe burst occurred at around 03:00 on August 27 and was reported that same day.

“Strangely, a second burst on the same line occurred after 16:00 on the same day after the repairs team had left the site,” she said.

Du Preez explained that technicians did not immediately backfill the site because they were waiting for standing water to dry.

“We reported a third burst on August 31, a fourth on September 2, and a fifth on September 14, all on the exact same line.”

Despite repeated repair visits, the hole remained unfilled since it was first opened.

“The weeks of unfilled excavation also affected our nursery school very negatively, as parents only had two parking bays to drop off and pick up their children,” she said.

Du Preez expressed frustration over the time taken by municipal teams to fix the site, noting that technicians only returned on September 15.

“Parents dropping off their children had to manoeuvre around this excavation, which was a clear safety hazard.”

The cause of the burst pipe

Ward 45 councillor Ben Chapman also made the following claim: “It’s a big bulk pipe made from asbestos, and the reason why it keeps bursting is a question that only a qualified plumber will be able to answer.

“However, when I see repairs taking place – it is just my opinion – but I don’t believe the system is always being scoured or bled properly. They are in a hurry, and when there is air trapped in the system, the next pipe is likely to burst because the job hasn’t been done properly.”

City of Tshwane response

Tshwane spokesperson Lindela Mashigo confirmed the municipality was aware of the repeated pipe bursts on Grace Avenue, noting that the pipe was repaired, and backfilling and site reinstatement were completed on September 15.

“The city experienced multiple pipe bursts at the same location over the past few weeks; however, they were all attended to. The area was left open because the team had to procure approved backfill material as part of the standard backfilling procedure,” Mashigo explained.

Mashigo added that the city’s standard turnaround time for site rehabilitation is 14 days.

“However, the city often reinstates sites in less than 14 days, depending on the availability of approved backfill material,” he said.

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