A burst pipe on the outskirts of Gqeberha that spewed clean water for so long that it resulted in a marsh has finally been fixed.
Reeds, already 2m high, stretched nearly 500m from the site of the leak near Swartkops Road towards the Bayland informal settlement.
Ward 52 councillor Frans Swanepoel said on Wednesday that the leak had been repaired.
“They started work on Thursday, and it was finished on Friday afternoon.
“Everything was resolved.”
Though the municipality said repairs began two weeks ago, it cited recent power outages for the delay in completing the work.
The water comes from a 450mm distribution pipeline.
It transfers water to the Perseverance industrial area via the Motherwell Reservoir.
The line draws water from the Gariep Dam through the Nooitgedacht Water Treatment Works and the new Coegakop works.
The metro’s combined usable dam levels slipped to 35.87% on Wednesday.
The daily water consumption was 388-million litres on Wednesday, while the recommended daily limit is 280-million litres.
Municipal spokesperson Sithembiso Soyaya said the circulation of images of leaks was frustrating for many residents, and rightly so.
“Water is a shared resource, and every loss matters to the community, given that the Bay is a water-scarce metro.
“The municipality understands that trust is built not by denying challenges, but by responding to them openly and fixing what needs to be fixed.”
He said repair teams acted swiftly to stop the loss of water caused by the leak.
“But the bigger commitment is ongoing, strengthening ageing infrastructure, improving leak detection and reducing preventable water losses across the system.
“These are long-term efforts that require consistent work, investment and public accountability.
“The community deserves transparency, action and measurable improvement, and that is the direction the work is moving.
“Residents are partners in this effort. Reporting leaks, protecting infrastructure and staying engaged help accelerate solutions.
“Protecting water security is a shared responsibility and progress happens fast when the municipality and the community work together to conserve water.”
The Herald