The metro has dismissed claims that a water leak in Grace Avenue, Murrayfield, has been left unattended for more than 400 days, insisting the issue was fixed within 24 hours of being reported in July last year.

The ward councillor and property owners say they have complained about this leak, but the metro claims it was fully repaired, and that a new leak has since emerged.

Ward 41 councillor Ben Chapman called on the municipality to improve the response time to water leaks, saying that over 640 000 litres of water have been wasted since the leak began.

This is despite the municipality classifying this as a smaller leak.

Chapman said, “The technicians in Region 6 are good people. I have been working with them for some time now.

“The issue is that there’s no system or co-ordination between the water department and the technicians, hence some leaks are left unattended.”

“If the city left this leak for over a year, just imagine the amount of water lost. Despite it being small, [it has leaked] for over a year [and] it is indeed a massive water wastage,” he explained.

Chapman expressed frustration with the municipality’s sluggish response to infrastructure issues, citing a massive leak on Rotsvygie Street in La Montagne as a prime example.

He added that the metro fails to prioritise fixing of water leaks, only to later claim -its water reserves are under pressure, while thousands of litres are wasted.

According to metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo, the reported water leak on Grace Avenue was not left unattended as claimed.

He said the service request was logged on July 23, 2024 and was resolved the following day, on July 24, 2024, well within the city’s 48-hour turnaround target.

“It is therefore misleading to suggest that this leak has remained unresolved for more than 400 days.”

He explained that the metro’s team responded promptly and repaired the issue within 24 hours. However, if there is a new or recurring leak, residents are urged to report it again or provide an active and correct reference number so that a new service team can be dispatched to investigate and resolve the problem swiftly.

Mashigo said clients who feel their service requests are not being resolved within the promised timeframe are encouraged to escalate the matter through their ward councillor, who can assist in ensuring the issue is addressed through the appropriate channels.

He emphasised that the city maintains a 48-hour turnaround time for attending to reported water leaks, and continues to work to meet and uphold these service standards.

“The metro is committed to responding to water-related faults promptly, as part of its efforts to reduce water losses and ensure efficient service delivery,” he said.

Addressing the concern about the classification of leaks, Mashigo clarified that the city does not categorise water leaks as ‘small’ or ‘large.’

Instead, all leaks are treated seriously, but the metro prioritises them based on their severity and potential for water loss.

“This system allows the metro to allocate resources effectively and respond to the most critical cases first, while still ensuring that all reported leaks are eventually attended to.”

He added that in this specific case, the prompt response and repair within 24 hours prevented significant water wastage.

“Based on the reference number provided, the water leak was attended to within a day, which helped prevent major water loss,” Mashigo explained.

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