Request for Johannesburg Water to decommission the current old 350mm asbestos water pipe

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The Issue

Dear Residents, Neighbours, and Community Members,

We are calling on your support to address a serious and growing water supply disruption and safety risk that affects not only Luka's Place in Olivedale but the wider surrounding community including the Olivedale retirement village, businesses, and hundreds of households.

For years, residents have endured repeated failures of an ageing municipal asbestos water pipeline that runs directly through our complex. This pipeline has burst multiple times in 2018, 2025 & recently in 2026, causing extensive property damages, prolonged outages, water losses, and increasing concern for the safety of residents. Despite numerous reports and requests for permanent intervention, the problem continues to recur.

The most recent pipe failures have highlighted the alarming condition of this critical infrastructure with concerns regarding the structural intergrity of the pipe. Coupled with ongoing leaks and poor maintenance, the risk of a catastrophic rupture is becoming increasingly real. A major failure could cause significant damage to homes, endanger lives, and disrupt water supply for multiple days as already been experienced to the many households, businesses, and community facilities that depend on this pipeline.

We believe that temporary repairs are no longer sufficient. The only responsible and sustainable solution is for Johannesburg Water to decommission the ageing asbestos pipeline and relocate it to the adjacent servitude, where it can be safely maintained without putting residents and their properties at risk.

We cannot afford to wait for a disaster before action is taken.

By signing this petition, you are supporting our call for urgent intervention to protect basic human right, our homes, our families, and our community's wellbeing. Together, we can ensure that Johannesburg Water prioritises basic human rights, public safety and implements a permanent solution to avoid any catastropy.

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Petition created on 7 September 2026