Residents in Lorraine, Gqeberha, have been left frustrated with the regular water leaks and burst water pipes, with at least 48 incidents being reported to the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality in the last four months.
Ward 8 councillor, Gustav Rautenbach, said that from February to mid-June ward 8 had 48 burst water pipes, water leaks, fire hydrant leaks and water valve leaks.
He said that a burst water pipe was repaired in Shabani Road, Brymore earlier in June, which is closely linked to his ward.
Since the repair was completed Rautenbach said that he had noticed an increase in water leaks and burst water pipes in his ward, with at least 19 water leak matters reported from June 2 to 15.
“My suspicion is that as a result of the repair of a burst water pipe in Shabani Road our water leaks and burst water pipe troubles accelerated,” said Rautenbach.
“The logic and knowledge I have about my ward after many years of experience show me an indication of problems in my area.”
Rautenbach, who has been the Ward 8 councillor for 23 years, said that 20 years ago he warned the municipality that the underground infrastructure, built over 60 years ago, was deteriorating.
Since most of the water pipes were made of asbestos, he said that it was essential that the infrastructure be replaced.
Unfortunately, Rautenbach’s concerns fell on deaf ears.
As a result of the aging infrastructure, he said that water leaks and burst water pipes have become a regular occurrence in his ward, which has left him feeling very frustrated.
“The frequent water leaks in the area have often kept me up at night, as I am concerned about the large quantities of water loss in our metro,” said Rautenbach.
“I drive around in my ward to do my own inspections, and I am constantly monitoring community WhatsApp groups for water leak updates. There have been many mornings when I have woken up to messages of water leaks.”
Rautenbach said that once water leaks are detected it often takes many hours before the water valves are closed, and as a result thousands of litres of water goes to waste.
He further said that while residents wait for the water leak or burst water pipe to be repaired, they are left without water for long periods of time.
“The residents in the metro are asked to save water, but then there are so many litres of water lost before a leak is repaired. Water is a basic human right and residents are left frustrated because they are without water for such a long time,” said Rautenbach.
In addition to the difficulties they face with water leaks, he said that after leaks and burst water pipes are repaired the turn-around time for the reinstatement of the road can take two months or longer, while the roads are left in a very bad state.
“In one incident, work was done on a burst water pipe in a driveway of a home in Lorraine, and the resident was unable to drive their vehicle for some time while Emstan Road has had five burst water pipes,” said Rautenbach.
“Since reinstatement of the road takes a long time, the roads look like war zones.”
Rautenbach further said that the frequent water leaks have also created more potholes in the area.
He said that the municipality does not have enough qualified plumbers to deal with the frequent water leaks and burst water pipes, and they have made use of contractors.
From February to the end of May this year, Rautenbach alleged that at least three senior plumbers within the municipality had retired and these vacancies have not been filled.
“The municipality needs to replace the underground infrastructure, and they need to employ qualified plumbers,” said Rautenbach.
He further said that he is frustrated by the lack of communication from the municipality after his office reported a water leak or burst water pipe. “I always visit water leak sites in my ward to investigate, and it is important that I give the residents feedback. This is not always possible because of the lack of communication from the municipality,” said Rautenbach.
Newly-appointed MMC for Infrastructure and Engineering, Khanya Ngqisha, said that the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro has old underground infrastructure; however a budget has been set aside to improve the infrastructure.
He said that the Lorraine area was not a super suburb and cannot be looked at in isolation of other wards in the metro.
Instead, he said that their main concern was within the poor communities where there is a higher demand due to many people staying in these communities.
When interviewed on June 13, before an additional four leaks were reported, Ngqisha said that reports of 44 leaks since February was not a bad number.
“This would mean that since February there have been only 10 leaks per month on average,” said Ngqisha.
Regarding the employment of qualified plumbers, he said that a budget has been allocated to employ 30 artisans to attend to various water issues and the recruitment process would be under way soon.
Ngqisha said that he is unable to comment on the issue regarding the time frame in which the roads are repaired after a burst water pipe has been fixed, as this was the tenure of the DA-led government.
DA councillor, Retief Odendaal, was ousted as mayor of NMB in a vote of no confidence in May, which meant the end of the DA-led coalition in the metro and a new coalition with Gary van Niekerk from the Northern Alliance as mayor.
“I do, however, agree that it should not take two months to repair the road after work on a burst pipe has been completed. Such a long turn-around time will be unacceptable in my directorate,” said Ngqisha.
