Taps continually running dry in Witpoortjie
Some residents without water for around four days last week.
According to residents taps in Witpoortjie have continually run dry on weekends and public holidays for the past couple of months and again last weekend.
According to complaints the issue seems to be persistent in Ext 13 and 14. On Heritage Day Thursday (24 September), Friday and during the weekend some households have been without water for up to 20 hours. Residents took to contacting Ward 71 councillor Gert Niemand and the Joburg Connect call centre this weekend, logging the issue.
One woman received two different reference numbers for the same problem on Thursday and Saturday.
“I have been complaining about our water issue since the beginning of the year,” she told Niemand in an email on Thursday.
“We can’t shower, do laundry or drink water on public holidays and weekends, especially on Saturdays.”
According to her the call center was not aware of issues in Witpoortjie until she phoned in on Thursday. On Saturday, one of the operators told her a special team will have to be sent out.
At around 12.30pm Joburg Water inspected a hydrant on Adam Tas Street and established water is available but is not reaching households. Nothing, however, was done to sort the problem, the woman said.
On Sunday after she had contacted the call center three times, supply was restored at around 11am.
“I heard a noise from water pipes at around 10.15am and soon after, we could finally use water.”
A second resident said he is tired of complaining.
“It’s been a while that we’ve had water pressure issues in this suburb and every time we’re simply told to log a call, not given a solution.”
Niemand confirmed he contacted Joburg Water and called the situation “serious”.
Joburg Water spokesperson David Sibiya wasn’t aware of the situation upon the Record’s inquiry but committed to engaging with the relevant depot about an answer.
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