Ward 72 councillor Daniel Schay has raised safety concerns over Johannesburg Water’s work quality following infrastructure replacements in Linksfield.

Schay conducted a ward oversight visit on September 28 along Club Street, where two deep excavations were found posing a danger to pedestrians and motorists by exposing replaced pipes.

Read more: Longstanding excavation continues to pose a danger

Johannesburg Water spokesperson Nombuso Shabalala said, on October 1, that the excavation on Club Street resulted from a burst pipe repair.

“For repairs to take place, the ground has to be excavated to access the leaking pipe,” Shabalala said.

“Following the repairs of the leaking pipe, backfilling was completed on September 29, and the next step is to complete the paving reinstatement, which is in the process of being planned for completion.”

She added that backfilling and reinstatement took longer to complete because a protective valve, or meter chamber, must first be constructed around the underground pipeline.

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“This structure protects the infrastructure from vandalism and allows Johannesburg Water teams to easily access critical valves for future maintenance without needing to excavate the sidewalk,” she said. “This work will be done through a service provider.”

Shabalala noted that the procurement process has commenced to secure the specialised external provider needed to finish the chamber and final restoration.

The excavation is secured with health and safety barricades.

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