Water crisis persists at Klein Helderkruin
Residents of Klein Helderkruin are no closer to knowing when their ongoing water problems will be resolved.
Elderly residents of Klein Helderkruin Centre remain caught in the middle of a crisis due to dilapidated underground water infrastructure.
The Roodepoort Record recently reported that residents have been dealing with frequent water outages and downright dangerous conditions caused by burst water pipes.
A steady stream of crystal-clear drinking water flows from an overflowing hole in the ground next to the parking lot and has done so for nearly two years, resulting in serious erosion of the road, and thick mud and ankle-deep water, forcing residents to traverse precarious makeshift bridges to access their units.
• Also read: No end in sight to Klein Helderkruin’s water problems
Several deep holes where pipes have been temporarily fixed remain open, presumably since frequent repairs are required, and therefore, there is no sense in closing them up.
The Record approached Johannesburg Water spokesperson Nombuso Shabalala, who says that repairs inside the centre grounds fall under the responsibility of the Department of Human Settlements.
“There is no official memorandum of understanding between Johannesburg Water and the Department of Human Settlements.
“The Department of Human Settlements requested help from us when an emergency arose, where they were unable to attend to the problem. We assisted, but this was a once-off arrangement.
“As per the service level agreement with the City, Johannesburg Water is not required to attend to water and sewer-related issues inside properties. That is the responsibility of property owners,” Shabalala says.
In its turn, the Department of Human Settlements says the water problems at Klein Helderkruin are receiving attention.
“The team attended to several leaks as they were reported with the assistance of Johannesburg Water,” says the communication officer of Human Settlements, Bubu Xuba.
“Individual geysers have been replaced as and when reported. An assessment was done on the damage, and it was discovered that the leaks will keep recurring as the underground network has deteriorated and needs to be replaced in its entirety.
“The City is in the process of procuring a contractor to carry out the replacement of the pipeline, notwithstanding that the project will take months and will have to be a phased intervention because of the magnitude of work to be done.”
