Frustrations grow over slow fixes to leaking meters in Tshwane

The metro says it is working on a programme to resolve all leaking meters in the southern region.

This follows ongoing frustrations from residents in Ward 69, who say repairs are often delayed or incomplete.

Metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo confirmed that of the eight most recently reported leaks, seven had been repaired, but one could not be located.

He explained that major leaks in dolomitic areas are prioritised, while leaking water meters are addressed second.

Mashigo acknowledged that staff shortages were affecting repair times.

“There is a need for additional human resource capacity. The city is in the process of resolving the issue,” he said.

He added that the metro is currently busy with a water pipe replacement project in parts of Ward 69.

Ward councillor Cindy Billson said she has repeatedly raised concerns about slow repairs and warned that water continues to be wasted while residents wait for solutions.

“I have multiple water leaks that I have reported that have not been fixed, or the city takes a long time to fix. It is an extremely serious concern because water continues to be wasted,” she said.

Billson listed several cases, including:
– A water meter leak on Shrike Avenue in Rooihuiskraal North
– A leaking fire hydrant opposite the Upside Down Eatery on Lenchen Road
– A water leak on Swallow Street in Wierda Glen Estate
– The corner of Janet and Alan roads in Eldoraigne
– A leak on Kingfisher Street in Wierda Glen Estate
– A leak on Boekenhout Road in Rooihuiskraal North
– A leak on Egret Street in Rooihuiskraal North.

This list includes some leaks that the metro has indicated it has already repaired.

Billson stated that the slow pace of repairs is unacceptable and emphasised that residents’ repeated reports must be addressed promptly.

Residents described their frustrations with delayed and inadequate repairs.

Trisha Naidoo, of Kingfisher Road in Wierda Glen Estate, said she reported a leak on August 7 that was only repaired on September 2.

“The leak was near my boundary wall, and luckily it didn’t cause major damage, but the water pressure was affected,” she said.

Naidoo noted that she had to escalate the issue several times before the repair team arrived.

She explained that the leak spilt water onto the road and caused mould to develop in her laundry.

“The muddy puddles also made parking really difficult,” she said.

Naidoo expressed frustration that, while the city encourages water conservation, a leak was left unresolved for more than three weeks.

Boekenhout Street resident Jacques Bezuidenhout said a newly installed water network between his property and his neighbour’s has caused repeated problems.

“The city is not monitoring the new water system. It is leaking, and they are covering it up. The city has not investigated the work done. They keep fixing leaks, but the same issues keep happening,” he said.

Bezuidenhout explained that the network, with six to eight joints, has repeatedly leaked and required several interventions.

On September 4, he returned home to find that the hole on his property had been covered while workers were still closing others in the street.

He criticised the replacement of the water pipeline on Penguin and Boekenhout streets, saying it was done without proper supervision or quality control, leaving residents to deal with ongoing problems.

The ongoing issues on Boekenhout Street follow the metro’s recent water network upgrade in Wierdapark, Eldoraigne, and surrounding suburbs, which caused extended disruptions on August 26 and 27.

Mashigo previously said contractors had faced unforeseen challenges while tying in the Boekenhout Street pipelines.

On August 26, Ward 70 councillor Marika Kruger-Muller confirmed that water pressure problems persisted and that some meters were leaking.

“The team worked until 01:30 to complete two tie-in connections, and water was restored around that time,” she said.

She added that while water was flowing again, the situation was not fully resolved.

“There is still a pressure problem, and some water meters are leaking at the pipe connections,” she said.

According to Kruger-Muller, the old network was still receiving water and needed to be capped to ensure supply flowed only through the new system.

“One cap is already in place, and they are now busy with the second. These measures will ensure water only flows through the new network,” she said.

She added that residents in high-lying streets such as Starling Avenue were hardest hit, experiencing very low pressure despite supply being restored.

Kruger-Muller noted that plumbers had to dig manually to avoid damaging the network, and several old pipes still needed to be capped to complete the upgrade.

Supply was eventually restored on August 27.

However, Bezuidenhout’s complaint suggests that even after the major upgrade, issues with the newly installed pipelines continue, creating repeated leaks and frustration for residents.

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