After 10 years Parkmore residents are fed up with leak
Residents of Parkmore are at their breaking point after over a decade of reporting a water leak at 4th Street and Victoria Avenue with no permanent solution in sight.
The residents of Parkmore have had enough. After more than ten years of watching clean water stream wastefully from the corner of 4th Street and Victoria Avenue, the community’s frustration has reached a boiling point.
Despite ongoing reports to Johannesburg Water (JW) and Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA), the issue remains unresolved, and the silence from the authorities is deafening.
Read more: Parkmore fumes over 10-year leak
“This isn’t just a leak; it’s a symbol of how broken our system is,” says long-time resident Luz Helena Hanauer, who has been reporting the issue for years. “Inspectors come, they write up reports, they give us case numbers, and then… Nothing. The water keeps flowing.”
Hanauer added that, for a city constantly dealing with water shortages and infrastructure strain, the ongoing waste is both infuriating and ironic. “We are facing another water crisis, and meanwhile, millions of litres of clean water are being lost every single day. We now have plants growing in the water. This has become a scar in our suburb.
“I’ve even been in touch with Stephen Moore, the DA Spokesperson on Water. We keep pushing, but it’s the same cycle. More numbers. No solution.”
Parkmore suburb manager, and a member of Ward 90 committee, Lori Klein said she’s been dealing with the issue since taking up the role in 2022, and says her own attempts to escalate the matter have gone nowhere. “I’ve reported this to JRA countless times. We’ve met with their management on-site. Still, no permanent fix. The road is literally collapsing now. We have two major sinkholes, one temporarily filled with asphalt, the other just covered with sand.”
Also read: Kew water leak still unrepaired
She added that, even when a local corporate company offered to assist, bringing engineers and offering to work with the city, bureaucracy got in the way. “That meeting happened. The company was ready, but JRA never provided the procedures or approvals to let them proceed. Since then? Radio silence.”
The issue has also sparked confusion between agencies. Johannesburg Water has now said that the water leak is from a private borehole, saying it’s outside their responsibility.
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 spoke to, as Ward 90 does not have a councillor since the passing of councillor Martin William, JW remained mum.
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?”
Follow us on our WhatsApp channel, Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok for the latest updates!
