Repairs complete after Garsfontein Road construction damages water and power lines
Two recent construction incidents damaged critical municipal infrastructure, and the Tshwane Metro has confirmed that repairs are now complete and that the contractor is expected to cover the costs.
The Tshwane Metro has confirmed that both the recently damaged municipal water pipeline and the major electricity distribution feeder cables that were struck during construction at the Garsfontein Road upgrade site have been fully repaired.
The metro claimed the contractor was responsible for all repair costs arising from the incident.
The confirmation follows two separate incidents in recent weeks in which construction work along Garsfontein Road damaged critical underground municipal infrastructure, temporarily disrupting electricity and water supplies to parts of Pretoria East.
The latest incident occurred when a contractor undertaking the road upgrade accidentally struck a municipal water pipeline during excavation, resulting in temporary water interruptions in parts of Garsfontein and Waterkloof.
Tshwane metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said the municipality responded immediately after the damage was reported.
“The leak occurred after a contractor undertaking the Garsfontein Road construction project accidentally damaged a section of the pipeline during excavation. The matter was addressed immediately to minimise the impact on water supply,” Mashigo said.
He said repair teams from the Water and Sanitation Maintenance Section were dispatched without delay.
“The affected section of the pipeline was repaired immediately, and the repairs were completed on the same day the incident was reported. Normal water supply was restored shortly thereafter,” he said.
The burst pipeline comes just weeks after construction activities on the same project damaged major electricity distribution main feeder cables, causing widespread power outages across several Pretoria east suburbs.
Mashigo said the power supply interruptions in recent weeks in Garsfontein were caused by the damaged electricity infrastructure.
He said the city would not bear the cost of repairing infrastructure damaged during the construction project, as the contractor is responsible.
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