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Petition: Groundwater Study for Sundowner Randpark Ridge and Nearby Areas

Published

8 months ago

September 26, 2023

Petition Groundwater Study for Sundowner, Randpark Ridge, and Nearby Areas

Ward 134 Councilor Devon Steenkamp is urging residents to support a petition to prompt the city to conduct a comprehensive case study on groundwater issues within the ward. Over recent years, a troubling phenomenon has unfolded where water has been seeping up through the ground, causing substantial damage to roads and driveways. The Sundowner suburb has borne the brunt of this problem.

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The consequences are visible in the form of enormous potholes that collect stagnant water teeming with algae. In some instances, sinkholes have emerged, causing the ground to shift unpredictably under any weight.

Steenkamp expressed the worsening situation: “Recently, the situation of groundwater rising and causing havoc for property owners as well as road infrastructure has got worse.” Previous attempts by the Joburg Roads Agency to address the issue have proven insufficient in redirecting the water away from critical infrastructure.

Multiple agency and Environment and Infrastructure Services Department site visits have not yielded permanent solutions. An exception is the case of Wilgeboom Avenue in Boskruin, just outside the ward, where the roads agency pledged to redesign the road to address the groundwater problem and associated sinkhole.

Streets heavily affected in Ward 134 include Taurus Road, Apiesdoring Street, Scorpio Avenue, Olievenhout Avenue, Bouvet Avenue, Cycad Street, and Waboom Street.

The primary demand voiced by Steenkamp and the concerned residents is the initiation of a comprehensive case study into the groundwater issues affecting Ward 134. They also seek viable solutions and a budget allocation to upgrade and properly channel the groundwater.

Once gathered, this petition will be submitted to the City Petition Unit following in-person meetings conducted by Steenkamp with the public. Until then, residents are encouraged to sign and share the petition on social media and other online platforms.

Steenkamp further suggested that rebuilding the Sundowner Dam could be a partial remedy for the problem and mentioned the creation of a petition to address the groundwater issues.

Source: Petition for case study on groundwater in Sundowner, Randpark Ridge and surrounds