Parkmore fumes over 10-year leak
For over a decade, Parkmore residents have endured a persistent water leak at 4th Street and Victoria Avenue, with still no solution at hand.
Parkmore residents are fuming after a decade-long water leak at 4th Street and Victoria Avenue has left their roads crumbling and their complaints ignored.
For the residents, the constant drip, drip, drip of a water leak is not just annoying; it’s infuriating. For over ten years, clean water has poured onto their streets, washing away road surfaces and hope alike.
Read more: Johannesburg Water closes Winnie Mandela Drive south due to sinkhole repairs
A frustrated resident, who has been reporting the issue for years, Luz Helena Hanauer said: “This leak is the definition of neglect. Inspectors come, take notes, give us case numbers, then vanish.
“Meanwhile, millions of litres of water keep gushing down the drain every single day.”
Hanauer, who has a growing collection of case numbers from Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) and Johannesburg Water (JW), says the endless run around is maddening. “We get new reference numbers like clockwork, but nothing gets fixed. It’s like shouting into the void.”
The relentless leak has not just wasted water; it’s wrecked the road. Two deep sinkholes have formed, one haphazardly filled with asphalt, the other covered with sand that’s already washing away. Residents fear for their safety every time they drive or walk past.
Also read: Sinkhole with car parked in it gets attention
Parkmore suburb manager and Ward 90 committee member Lori Klein has been battling city bureaucracy since 2022. “We’ve flagged this repeatedly to JRA. We’ve met with their managers. Still no permanent fix. Even when a local company volunteered engineers and resources, the city’s red tape stalled everything. The company was ready, but approvals never came. Silence since then.”
JW spokesperson Nombuso Shabalala said: “This is borehole water. JW does not deal with borehole sources. The councillor has been informed and will communicate with the property owner.”
When asked which councillor they informed, because Ward 90 does not have a ward councillor since the passing of Martin Williams, JW remained mum.
@caxtonjoburgnorth WATCH: Parkmore residents fume after a decade-long water leak at 4th Street and Victoria Avenue has left their roads crumbling and their complaints ignored, despite numerous reports to Johannesburg Water and Johannesburg Road Agency. Video: Xoliswa Zakwe #Sandton #Waterleak ♬ original sound – Caxton Joburg North
To residents, that explanation feels like passing the buck again. Klein argued that it’s not a borehole, it’s a storm water drain. “Even if it’s borehole water, why hasn’t anything been done in ten years? Why is it left to run down public roads, eroding infrastructure and wasting a vital resource?”
The explanation does little to calm nerves in Parkmore, where residents say the ongoing water waste is unforgivable as the city battles drought and water shortages. “We’re living in a water crisis, and here we are, watching clean water flow away and roads crumble around us,” said Hanauer. “It’s a disgrace.”
Sandton Chronicle reached out to JRA. Regional operations manager Khayalethu Gqibitole has promised feedback. “Our teams will inspect the area to determine if the cause of the leak is from underground water or Johannesburg Water pipes, and will provide feedback on the next course of action by tomorrow morning latest.”
We will publish their feedback once received.
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