Negligence leads to massive water wastage
"They didn't seem to know what they were doing"
ALBERTON has lost a staggering amount of water lately due to negligence.
At approximately 1.45pm on Friday, May 26, a contractor hired by the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality struck a water pipe whilst digging a trench to install a sewerage pipe in Pieter Uys Avenue, Alberton North. The pipe was eventually repaired, but not before water gushed out for several days.
Then on Monday, May 29, at around 1.30pm, the same thing happened in Louw Street, Southcrest, when a contractor attempted to move the water meter.
According to a neighbour who remains anonymous, the workers just stood around after the incident. “They didn’t seem to know what they were doing,” said the man.
Alderman Bruna Haipel was on the scene. “They say they could not do anything because they did not have the proper GIS (Geographic Information System) plans to show where the pipes were,” he said.
Recently, Alrode South also had to put up with countless litres of water going to waste over a period of weeks. Water pooled and ran down roads in the area because of a damaged water pipe. There was a leak on the 400mm main line at a valve chamber near the corner of Adamson and Stadler street, Alrode South.
“The connection was excavated on Wednesday, May 17 and was repaired the next day as the pipe needed to be isolated before technicians commenced with repair work,” said Themba Gadebe, spokesperson for the City of Ekurhuleni.
Comment from the municipality regarding the other two incidents is pending.
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