Contractor Modera Business Projects began work to fix 400 metres of water pipes in the area on 3 February, according to Nene Modise, marketing and communications manager for Odi Water Services.
Odi Water Services is a Section 21 non-profit owned by the City of Tshwane providing water, sanitation and wastewater treatment services to Mabopane, Winterveldt and Ga-Rankuwa.
Employing about 80 percent of its workforce from the surrounding community, the project was successfully completed on 11 March, according to Modise.
This follows what residents claim was about six weeks without steady access to water as they relied on water truck deliveries while the new pipes were being laid.
During this time, children in the area collected water with buckets and wheelbarrows at the train station and taxi rank about 200 meters away. Taxi driver Sonti Hlangwini watched the children dart through traffic to access water and said he had been concerned for their safety.
According to Modise, a steering committee comprised of local community members has also been formed and will be tasked with reporting back to the community on the project’s completion.