The Department of Water and Sanitation is calling on residents to report burst pipes even if they have to report the same fault a number of times.

In a statement released by the department, it has urged residents to remain calm and execute their responsibility of reporting leaks to their respective municipalities, as the municipality relies heavily on them to do so.

The municipality used the main water pipe in Highfern Road, Durban, as an example where action and persistence from residents could have saved the municipality water and residents money.

The main water pipe in Highfern Road burst four times in the space of three years, causing water to rush down the road. Although the municipality sent out an engineer to investigate and fix the problem, it was not immediately resolved.

When the community initially reported the pipe burst, the technicians were quick to respond and fix the problem. However the pipe burst in different places each time after being repaired.

“Although there are calls by the residents for the municipality to be more proactive in detecting and fixing leaks, which is correct, the fact is that the municipality relies on residents to tell them where the leaks are,” says Sputnik Ratau, spokesperson for the department.

According to the department these alerts are imperative as they reduce water loss significantly and the municipality is quick to attend to such areas and minimise the effects caused by broken sewer or water pipelines.

“The municipality resources are then managed optimally, and because it has a direct financial impact on water tariffs, residents can actually see the benefit,” explains Ratau.