Waterkloof residents are growing increasingly frustrated as the long-awaited project to replace the suburb’s ageing asbestos water pipes faces ongoing delays.

There is also confusion about when the project will actually begin and which streets are prioritised.

Resident Ian Fuller said he has not seen any sign of progress on the ground, even though the project was initially expected to start in mid-2025.

“I haven’t seen anything. They said they were going to start in July or August, but by now, they should have already started.

“I haven’t been informed that our property is included, and the poor repair work on driveways hasn’t been addressed either,” said Fuller.

He added that the state of the streets remains a concern.

According to Fuller, there are still two massive holes in Julius Jeppe Street, causing huge traffic problems.

“The previous repair work is already crumbling. I’ll probably have to redo it myself,” he said.

Ward 42 councillor Shane Maas confirmed that the project scope is limited and progress has been minimal so far.

“Only about 1.3km of pipe replacement is planned, but the total network that needs attention is closer to 50km. That’s just 2–3% of what’s required,” said Maas.

Maas said he had previously raised these concerns with the metro, adding that the planned replacement would not make a significant difference.

According to Maas, the metro said they have a limited budget.

He explained that while the metro has “established the site,” meaning materials and temporary offices have been set up, no digging or pipe replacement has started yet.

Ward 82 councillor Siobhan Muller said the project does not currently include some of the most problematic streets.

“They’re only replacing pipes in Victoria Street, Waterkloof. None of the trouble spots, like Julius Jeppe, Heloma, or Main Street, is included.

“Crown Street in Ward 56 is being prioritised first, and Victoria Street will likely only begin early in 2026,” she said.

City spokesperson Lindela Mashigo had previously said that the metro has budgeted R21.9-million for water infrastructure upgrades in Region 3 (Central and western) in the 2025/26 financial year.

This includes the part of Victoria Street, Waterkloof, that lies in Ward 82 (just over 240m, budgeted at R1.1-million), and a section of the same road, but in Ward 42 (1.2km, allocated R5.36-million). Other suburbs in Region 3 have been allocated R9.36-million for 2km of pipe replacement.

Mashigo said budget limitations mean only the most critical pipelines can be replaced for now.

“There is not sufficient budget to replace entire networks per suburb. Since 2023, only selective or critical worn-out pipelines with the highest priority have been replaced,” he said.

“Should additional budget be made available, the priority list of critical worn-out water network pipelines will be followed, regardless of which suburb, region or area,” he added.

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