Redhill water woes ease as faulty valve repaired
After six pipe bursts disrupted the water supply in just one week, Johannesburg Water says the fault has been fixed.
Residents along Redhill Road in Morningside can expect some relief after Johannesburg Water (JW) repaired the faulty pressure-reducing valve (PRV) that caused a series of pipe bursts and repeated water outages over the past week.
The utility confirmed that investigations traced the six pipe bursts to the malfunctioning PRV on West Road North, adding that the valve has since been repaired.
This follows growing concerns raised by Ward 103 councillor Lynda Shackelford after six pipe bursts were reported within a week, leaving residents without water for days and raising fears of another infrastructure crisis similar to that experienced in 2022 and 2023, when 22 pipe bursts were recorded along the same stretch.
“It seems to be starting again,” she said. Residents are extremely frustrated about this. Just in the last week, we’ve had six bursts along this smaller road within the Morningside area, with only a few houses, but the pipe bursts are affecting the surrounding area. Residents go days without water because of pipe bursts.”
She added that the recent efforts by JW to resolve pressure issues in nearby Summit Drive may have shifted pressure onto Redhill Road, contributing to the latest series of bursts.
Shackleford said JW has agreed to investigate pressure in the area, but she believes pressure adjustments alone will not solve the recurring problem.
“We really need to get a budget. We really do need to have a look at the bigger problem areas. Joburg Water needs to start looking at not just the burst pipes but what it is affecting the greater community.”
Responding to Shackleford’s concerns, Johannesburg Water spokesperson Nombuso Shabalala said the recent bursts were not related to the water supply network.
“The issue was caused by the PRV not functioning as intended, which affected pressure regulation in the area,” Shabalala said.
“Johannesburg Water continues to implement pressure management measures across the network. PRVs require regular maintenance and are attended to as part of planned maintenance programmes, as well as when operational requirements arise, to ensure they continue functioning effectively.”
She added that as part of preventative measures, JW is prioritising the maintenance and monitoring of PRVs to ensure effective pressure management and reduce the risk of pipe failures.
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‘JW has not recorded any abnormal pressure readings or other network incidents in the Morningside area over the past two weeks.”
According to Shackelford, while pressure fluctuations are contributing to the failures, the underlying problem is ageing infrastructure.
“These pipes are the old asbestos pipes. This road has been on my IDP since 2022 for a pipe replacement. I know Joburg Water at my depot submitted this road as a concern through to their head office, but we’re getting no feedback.”
The Sandton Chronicle sent a follow-up enquiry to JW on July 1 to confirm the condition of the water infrastructure on Redhill Road and whether the road has been prioritised for replacement in the 2026/27 financial year budget. Updates will be provided once they become available.
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