The city has confirmed that the long-delayed Waterkloof asbestos pipe replacement project is officially underway.

However, residents living along Julius Jeppe Street will have to wait even longer for repairs.

According to metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo, the first phase of the 2025/26 project will focus on Victoria Street and Crown Avenue, with work scheduled between September 18 of this year and March 18, 2026.

“Main Street will be upgraded in the next phase, and other streets will be upgraded or replaced in the future, based on the availability of funds,” Mashigo said.

That confirmation has done little to ease the frustration of Waterkloof residents who say they have been living with burst pipes, shoddy repairs, and traffic congestion for months.

Resident Ian Fuller said the situation on Julius Jeppe Street has become unbearable. “There are still two massive holes in the road causing huge traffic problems,” he said.

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

For residents like Fuller, however, promises of future funding bring little comfort.

“We keep hearing about phases and plans, but on the ground, it’s the same story: broken streets and leaking pipes,” he said.

Mashigo, however, said the metro is not aware of any substandard backfilling work on Julius Jeppe Street.

“When a water leak is repaired, the excavation is safely barricaded to avoid any unforeseen circumstances. Backfilling is prioritised urgently if the excavation is within the road reserve or driveways,” he said.

The metro has established a construction site at 85 Hazelwood Road in Menlo Park, where the appointed contractor is currently procuring materials ahead of the main works.

Ward 42 councillor Shane Maas said that while it’s encouraging that the project has finally started, the scale remains far too small to address Waterkloof’s infrastructure woes.

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

Mashigo confirmed that only 7% of Waterkloof’s asbestos network will be replaced in this phase, but said the city is planning to apply for additional funding to expand the project scope in the future.

In the meantime, he said, operational teams are continuing to repair burst asbestos mains using 6m PVC pipes wherever possible.

Ward 82 councillor Siobhan Muller echoed those concerns, adding that the most problematic streets have once again been excluded.

“They’re only replacing pipes in Victoria Street,” she said, continuing, “None of the trouble spots like Julius Jeppe, Heloma or Main Street are included.”

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