Johannesburg Water says technical faults and second leak delay Witkoppen Road repairs

Johannesburg Water has reported unforeseen technical challenges and the discovery of a second leak at the Witkoppen Road repair site in Paulshof, delaying emergency repairs and leaving several northern suburbs without a confirmed restoration time.

What happened and where

The damaged pipeline is at the corner of Witkoppen Road and Milcliff Drive in Paulshof. Johannesburg Water said repair work that had been expected to finish on July 12 was delayed after crews encountered difficulties while working on the pipe burst.

Why repairs are delayed

Johannesburg Water reported that the affected pipeline has been successfully isolated but is still draining. For safety reasons and to ensure effective repairs, work can only resume once the pipeline is fully drained. To accelerate drainage, fire hydrants and scour valves have been opened.

Scope and impact

The emergency operation resulted in an unplanned water supply interruption affecting Edenburg, Paulshof, parts of Rivonia, Sunninghill, Leeuwkop, Waterfall, Equestrian Estate, Polofields Crossing, Polofields Lifestyle Estate, Woodmead, Khyber Rock and surrounding areas. Johannesburg Water also urged residents to stay away from the site, describing it as an active construction zone with deep excavations and heavy machinery and asking motorists to exercise caution and follow traffic management measures and signage at the intersection.

Restoration timeline

At the time of publication, Johannesburg Water said there was no estimated time of restoration for either the water supply or the completion of the repairs.