Delays continue at 84 Katherine Street as fibre repairs stall reinstatement work
Johannesburg Water says critical fibre repairs must be completed before site restoration can begin.
The prolonged excavation at 84 Katherine Street that has left residents frustrated and exposed to unsafe infrastructure is now facing a new hurdle: damaged fibre cables beneath the site.
Johannesburg Water (JW) spokesperson Nombuso Shabalala confirmed that reinstatement work cannot proceed until these cables are repaired. “There are fibre cables on site that were damaged while the area was being excavated to access the burst pipe. These cables must be repaired first before Johannesburg Water can backfill the site and begin the reinstatement process,” she said.
The excavation, part of a broader water supply repair effort, has resulted in a deep trench with exposed water pipes, electrical wiring, and ongoing water leaks.
Residents from nearby complexes have been left to endure unsafe and unsightly conditions with little communication about when relief might come.
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Shabalala acknowledged the city-wide backlog in reinstatement work, attributing delays to multiple factors, including limited capacity, resource constraints, and ageing infrastructure.
“Johannesburg Water is facing a huge backlog of reinstatements around the city, which we are working around the clock to complete. Turnaround times are affected by the scale of each job, weather conditions, and whether the work is handled internally or in partnership with agencies like the Johannesburg Roads Agency.”
She explained that the water pipe burst was likely caused by a phenomenon known as water hammer, a pressure surge resulting from sudden changes in water flow, which is often worsened by ageing pipes and unstable subsoil conditions.
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No specific completion date for the Katherine Street reinstatement was provided, as Shabalala said they await the repairs of the fibre cables on site, which belong to Vuma.
The Sandton Chronicle has reached out to Vuma for comment, and updates will be provided once they become available.
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