A group of Durban residents are pleased with the eThekwini Municipality’s swift response after a burst pipe collapsed the road, leaving them with restricted access on Tuesday.
An underground pipeline burst along Mc Bean Road in Cowies Hill at 4am on Tuesday, causing considerable damage to the road and temporarily leaving eight households unable to leave their driveways by vehicle.
Andreas Mathios, spokesperson for private company Marshall Security community support, said residents woke up to the sound of gushing water through their properties on Mc Bean Road.
He said a sinkhole then formed, leaving residents stranded and with restricted access to Mc Bean Road, Avent Road and Radwin Road. He said residents were frustrated because the pipeline had burst previously. In a short video clip recorded by Mathios, water can be seen gushing out of the pipeline and flowing down the road into a driveway.
A burst water pipeline in Cowies Hill , Durban, caused damage to the road on Tuesday. The pipe has since been repaired.
eThekwini Ward 18 councillor Melanie Brauteseth said the water supply was restored to the area. She said the roads department inspected and assessed the damage to the road. S
he was able to send three water tankers to the area while repairs to the pipeline were being undertaken. She confirmed that the pipeline had broken in August 2025. She said residents were up in arms over the repeat burst.
Mary van Wijk, a resident, said municipal teams were filling up the potholes and sinkholes on Wednesday. She said a lot of the tarmac had washed away due to the force of the water. She said municipal teams opened up sections of the road to allow them entry to their driveways. However, driving on the road is restricted while repairs are underway. She said although it was a short road, the damage was considerable.
“The paving on my driveway washed away, and the hinges on my gate were ripped off. A neighbour’s wire fence and side wall collapsed due to the force of the water. The municipality had done an amazing job with the pipe repairs. They worked non-stop through the night. An amazing response from the councillor as well,” she said.
The municipality stated that they attended to a major burst on the water reticulation system’s 525 mm asbestos-cement pipe. The municipality has since replaced the damaged section with a 600 mm steel pipeline.
zainul.dawood@iol.co.za
IOL
The burst water pipeline caused damaged to a residents driveway in Cowies Hill, Durban.
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