City of Matlosana drowning in water leaks

The City of Matlosana Local Municipality cannot comply with the South African Government’s goal of celebrating Water Week by urging everyone to make use of water in moderation to guarantee water for all. The municipality is currently drowning in water leaks that are only being ignored.

For months, there have been extensive water leaks in Matlosana that the municipality currently treats like the new normal (see video here).

This is completely unfair towards residents and the Democratic Alliance (DA) will not accept the poor standard of service delivery.

If Matlosana could prioritise the repair of water leaks, it will result in enormous financial benefit to the City. Over the last seven months, Matlosana recorded a water loss of 4,5 million kilolitres at a financial cost of about R120 million, a massive increase compared to the previous year when a financial loss of R118 million was recorded.

Water leaks are rapidly becoming unmanageable and are a contributing factor for potholes.

Countless water leaks and water meter leaks are reported by Councillors, Ward Committee Members, and residents, to no avail.

The DA is very concerned about the fact that the municipality currently only has one vehicle servicing the Klerksdorp and Jouberton area, despite the new addition to the fleet and the rapid growth in water leaks.

The municipality is currently on crisis management without maintenance. Rushing from one leak to another is not sustainable.

The backlog on high-priority leaks is becoming immense. Repeated pipe bursts at the same locations might be a result of the aging of infrastructure. It is evident that old water infrastructure will continue to burst at the repair joint because of decreased pressure and the repressuring of the waterline.

The DA will request an audit on the integrity of the water reticulation infrastructure to identify immediate interventions to progressively replace aging infrastructure.