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First reported in May 2018, this fire hydrant in First Street, Eltivillas, continues to leak despite numerous reports to the municipality, causing more and more damage to the resident’s paving.

Millions go to waste while leaks are not fixed

Date: 03 August 2018 By: Jo Robinson

Mr Dave is fed up attempting to have a leaking fire hydrant in front of his house in Eltivillas, Louis Trichardt, repaired.

Mr Dave said that he had been trying since May this year to have the hydrant repaired, which has already caused damage to his paving because it is constantly soaked. “There was a more serious leak in May. A few days after that being reported, municipal workers repaired rotten pipes, so that particular leak was repaired then,” said Mr Dave.

Mr Dave said that when he approached the municipality once again to repair the leaking hydrant, they refused and said that a new report had to be made for that, even though it had already been reported.

In the weeks that have passed, the constant leak has caused more damage to the paving in the driveway and continues to do so. “I’ve reported this over and over, both telephonically and also by physically going into the municipal offices, and still nothing is being done,” said Mr Dave.

The leaking fire hydrant at Mr Dave's home in First Street, Eltivillas, is one of many similar leaking hydrants in town, resulting in millions of litres of water going to waste. On the corner of Jeppe and Klein Street, a hydrant has been leaking for months now. Similarly, another hydrant in Eland Street in front of the Acacia flats has also been leaking millions of litres of water for weeks now. “It is no surprise that they [the Vhembe District Municipality] are struggling to keep the reservoirs full,” remark one irate resident.

In response to questions concerning chronic and ongoing water leaks, Mr Matodzi Ralushai, spokesperson for the Vhembe District Municipality, said they were extremely concerned that leaks took so long to be repaired. “We are aware of leaks that are reported. Some are not reported. In most areas, the whole town’s system is aging and in need of continuous upgrading,” said Ralushai. He did not, however, respond to the newspaper’s queries as to the relation between these major water losses and the constant emptying of the town’s reservoirs.

On Tuesday, Mr Dave said that the leak had still not been fixed. “Whoever is in charge of the water department has given a deaf ear to this. In the meantime, we are told to save water,” said Mr Dave.

 

 
 
 

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Jo Robinson

Jo joined the Zoutpansberger and Limpopo Mirror in 2018 pursuing a career in journalism after many years of writing fiction and non-fiction for other sectors.

 
 

More photos... 

Another leaking fire hydrant that remains unfixed is this one at Acacia Flats in Eland Street.

 

The leak on the corner of Jeppe and Klein streets has been ongoing for months.

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