Empangeni burst water pipe still not fixed

WHILE some areas in uMhlathuze are often left without water for days, others are plagued with months of water leaks while the municipality apparently struggles to procure parts.

A burst pipe outside a house in Standish Lester Road, Empangeni has been leaking for almost six months with the owner claiming that almost 4 000 litres of water have already been wasted.

The elderly man told the ZO that the soil outside his home had been dug up by the municipality when they first attended to the leak last year.

The homeowner was told that the City needed to order equipment to fix the problem but despite many calls to report water leaks, nothing has been done.

A deep, uncovered hole now exists on the once grassy sidewalk, which turns into a swamp when it rains as well as being an everyday litter den and safety hazard.

The resident first spoke to the ZO in November last year.

‘This issue has been ongoing since August 2019 and although it does not affect our water bill, it is sad to see how much water is being wasted while some people do not even have water.

‘Every day, my grandson and I have to pick up litter that accumulated in the the hole that is filled with water.

Another issue is that this open hole, which has hazard tape around it, is situated right on a bend. Two pedestrians have almost fallen while trying to dodge passing cars and all the sand that was dug up.’

Last year, the city said they would be looking into the problem.

Challenges with a newly implemented financial system, have severely delayed service delivery in the city, as the officials have reportedly been experiencing difficulty in paying suppliers for goods and services.

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