Seven-month-old excavation in Fairmount is not forgotten
Johannesburg Water purposefully left a seven-month-old excavation to ensure thorough checks for potential leaks.
Johannesburg Water confirmed to the Gazette that the seven-month-old dangerous excavation at Shell Garage in Fairmount was intentionally delayed to ensure thorough checks for potential leaks.
The Gazette on August 15 reported that an excavation on the driveway of the Shell Garage in Fairmount was fixed, but the one near a tree was left with exposed pipes.
Johannesburg Water spokesperson Nombuso Shabalala explained, “The area in question was backfilled on August 8, following the repair of the pipe seven days earlier. The backfilling process was intentionally delayed to ensure thorough checks for any potential leaks, a necessary precaution to confirm the integrity of the repair.“
Read more: Open excavation a danger at Observatory intersection
Shabalala added that the water entity understood that this may have taken longer than expected, especially given the previous recurrence of bursts in the same section of pipe.
To prevent further issues and minimise the risk of additional damage, Johannesburg Water scheduled a full replacement of this section of the pipe, as the bottom part has already been replaced.
The spokesperson added that Johannesburg Water remained committed to addressing the situation swiftly and ensuring long-term reliability.
Follow us on our Whatsapp channel, Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok for the latest updates and inspiration!
