Gillian Gardner, Newlands
On Thursday July 13, I reported a water leak at 256 Main Road, Tokai, to the City of Cape Town’s water department.
Water was pouring out of a pipe into a gutter on the side of the road between Banderker’s Supply Store and Ujala Towers.
Since then, I have phoned and emailed again about the same leak – but nothing has been done and water is still pouring out.
Can you imagine how much water has leaked out since July 13?
Today, in desperation, I phoned again and was told to log my complaint again – I have already done this.
When I asked to speak to a supervisor I was told the supervisor was in a meeting, and I was not allowed to have the supervisor’s email address.
When I asked what else I could do to try to get this matter sorted out, I was told “I don’t know”.
We are in a crisis and are being asked daily to save every single drop of water – what kind of a place do we live in if the people we rely on to sort these problems out for us ignore the problem, refuse to let the concerned citizens speak to anyone with authority and refuse to give out an email address so we can at least contact them?
I am hoping that this article will result in the problem being sorted out, as I do not know how else to solve this.
* Xanthea Limberg, mayoral committee member for informal settlements, water and waste services; and energy,
Xanthea Limberg responds: The City of Cape Town has been receiving numerous complaints about this matter. This is non-drinking water (not municipal drinking water).
Following our investigations, we can confirm that the non-drinking water is the overflow of underground water that is being pumped into a storage tank, situated in the parking garage of a building. It is to be used for irrigation purposes.
The tank cannot accommodate the amount of water being pumped, with the result that it overflows continuously and it is piped to discharge onto the verge and subsequently into the stormwater channel on Main Road.
This matter has been referred to the
City’s water pollution control and roads and stormwater departments for further investigation in terms of the City’s by-laws around disposing of this non-drinking water through stormwater systems.