City leaps into leak prevention action

THE WATER Leaks Project is part of the City’s drought action to ensure that water losses are kept as low as possible and at the same time to assist those who are unable to afford to fix leaks on their properties.

The City of Cape Town has accelerated the roll-out of this programme to indigent properties.

The project focuses on areas with the highest indigent property leakage rates in the metro.

Thus far the City’s contractors have investigated around 10 000 of the 30 000 identified indigent properties.

Once leaks are detected, the team returns to complete the necessary repairs free of charge.

As part of its ongoing water demand reduction efforts, the City has increased its leak detection work.

This includes the capacity of its leak detection teams to attend to private properties, especially in previously disadvantaged areas across the metro.

In general, leaks on private properties are the responsibility of the property owner but many residents do not have the means to pay for repairs.

Investigations have revealed a very high level of private leaks on a number of properties in vulnerable communities.

“The City has been assisting our indigent customers through the Water Leaks Project since 2005.

“However, recent investigations indicate a great need to accelerate the leak detection and repair work, especially while we are still experiencing the most severe drought on record,” said mayco member for informal settlements, water and waste services; and energy Xanthea Limberg.

“We are focusing all our efforts on these areas and urge residents who are approached to allow the contractors on to their properties to repair leaks.

“For some of these properties, we will be doing the repair work for a second time even if they have already benefited from this intervention in the past.”

The contractor for this project is the Joat Group, identified via card identification, protection vests and branded cars.

Where possible, local labour has been sourced and this has been done with consideration of the communities in which the work will be carried out, she said. – Staff Reporter