Wrestling the water leaks hydra
● Metro upbeat but burst pipes continue to gush across the Bay
The Nelson Mandela Bay municipality continues to wrestle the water leaks hydra, saying it has fixed 10,000 leaks in two months but signs of the problem still proliferate across the metro.
To test its claim that, on average, it takes 24 hours to fix a leak, The Herald reported two leaks in Pickering Street, Newton Park, on Thursday last week.
Yesterday morning, they were still running.
Leaks have come under the spotlight again because, despite above-normal winter rains predicted, the major storm needed over the Langkloof catchment remains elusive, and the metro’s dam levels continue to fall.
On Monday, they were at a combined 18.23% of capacity, with the Kouga Dam near
Patensie at just 7.02%. Responding to questions yesterday, metro spokesperson Mthubanzi Mniki said though the full deployment of municipal plumbers had been disrupted by Covid-19 they were still hard at work in the field, supported by seven subcontractor teams.
“According to the metro’s water complaints table, as of June 29, looking back over a period of two months, 16,665 complaints were received, 10,215 were resolved and 6,450 are left outstanding.”
Pressed on these statistics compared to the situation on the ground, he said the numbers showed the teams were making headway.
“We are aware that this will not be an overnight project.
“However, we are working around the clock to eliminate the backlog.
“This will give us space to focus all our resources and time on maintaining the existing infrastructure and replacing the infrastructure that is worn out.”
The DA’s Masixole Zinto said: “I can take you now to Ward 8, which includes Jacksonville and KwaNoxolo, where there are 50-100 leaks creating misery for people and potholes in the streets. In Bluewaterbay Drive right now the water is leaking into the road.
“It is the same wherever you go in Nelson Mandela Bay.
“These statistics do not match the situation on the ground.”
The metro’s estimate of a 24-hour turnaround for leak repair jobs appeared in the midterm budget and assessment report tabled in February.
The Herald phoned the municipal leaks hotline, 080-0205-050, on Thursday morning to report the two leaks in Pickering Street — one between William Street and 7th Avenue and one between 4th and 3rd avenues.
Our call was picked up within 30 seconds and we were supplied with a reference number.
Asked about the situation yesterday, Mniki said he did not know why, 120 hours after they had been reported, the leaks had not been fixed.
He said he would refer them for attention.
In Breda Place, Glenroy Park, a water pipe has ruptured multiple times.
DA Ward 8 councillor Gustav Rautenbach said: “It burst a couple of months ago and then recently five of six times in as many days.
“It affects the local residents, of course, but even those along the line, in Brymore for instance, who have had so many water outages it adds up to seven to 10 days.
“It’ sa vrot [rotten] old asbestos pipe and I’ve written to our senior water officials to say they need to budget urgently to replace 200-250m of it.
“They’ve agreed so we will see now what happens.”
Mniki disputed the perception that the metro lacked a campaign to make the public aware of the urgent need to conserve water.
“Billboards and street pole posters are there for everyone to see.
“Radio slots that we purchase are confirmation of our work.”
Water has been seeping out of a park in Mowbray Street, Newton Park, and flowing across Sheila Street for about two months.
“It was repeatedly reported via the municipal water complaints hotline,” a resident said yesterday.
The flow had popped up lower down the hill in Daphne Street so was flowing underground, he said.
“It therefore could possibly erode to a point where a catastrophe could occur as many properties in this area are on an incline.”
Mniki could not say when this leak would be fixed, but vowed it would be attended to.