Residents in Gemsbok Street, Theresapark, experienced low water pressure from October 4, prompting multiple complaints to the Tshwane metro.

According to metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo, the disruption was caused by two faults – a leaking valve at Eekhoring Street and a burst pipe at Genet Street.

“According to the metro’s Customer Relations Management SAP service request reporting system, 15 households reported being affected by the low water pressure,” said Mashigo.

Mashigo said the metro’s Wastewater Collection and Water Distribution technical teams investigated the complaints and identified the two faults as contributing to the pressure problems in Gemsbok Street.

Both the leaking valve and burst pipe have since been repaired, with the metro reporting that water pressure had returned to normal levels.

He said the metro had initially expected normal water pressure to be restored by 20:30 on October 6.

Ageing infrastructure concerns

The incident has raised concerns among residents about the condition of water infrastructure in the community and the need for longer-term solutions to prevent similar disruptions.

Resident Cole van Dyk said replacing ageing pipes should be a priority for the municipality if it wants to address recurring water infrastructure problems.

“The only solution to change this is for the metro to replace the old pipes with new ones in the community,” said Van Dyk.

He believes upgrading the existing infrastructure would help reduce the risk of further pipe bursts and water disruptions affecting residents.

Reporting ongoing water issues

Although the metro has confirmed that the identified faults have been repaired, residents who continue experiencing low water pressure have been advised to escalate their complaints to their ward councillor or report the matter directly through the metro’s service request reporting system.

Mashigo said the metro also has a councillors’ WhatsApp group that connects ward councillors with divisional management and technical teams.

“The platform allows councillors to escalate service requests and facilitates communication with the relevant departments to improve response times.

“Residents experiencing further disruptions are encouraged to provide their service request reference numbers when following up with the municipality,” he said.

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