KNYSNA NEWS - Residents of Bigai Heights were left facing water shortages yesterday after a long-standing road defect in Harker Street collapsed during heavy rainfall, causing a major water pipe burst and significant water loss.

Community activist Lynn Kayster said repeated appeals to local authorities to repair the deteriorating road surface had been ignored despite numerous reports warning of the potential danger. 

According to Kayster, concerns about the erosion had been raised on several occasions before the heavy rainfall, but no action had been taken by municipal officials.

The situation worsened when the road collapsed further under the persistent rain, rupturing a main water pipe and forcing emergency intervention. 

Municipal workers only attended to the site after the collapse and subsequent pipe burst had occurred.

Residents were advised to fill water tanks, bottles and other containers as repairs could only commence once the affected reservoir had been drained.

The reservoir was believed to be empty following the extensive water loss. 

Community members expressed frustration that preventative maintenance had not been carried out sooner, arguing that earlier intervention could have prevented both the infrastructure failure and the disruption to the water supply.

Heavy rains continued to affect the area as repair teams assessed the damage. Knysna-Plett Herald was informed later that the pipe burst had been repaired and that water could once again be pumped from one reservoir to the other.

A collapsed section of road in Bigai Heights was further eroded by continued heavy rainfall, contributing to a major water pipe burst and disruption to the area's water supply. Photo: Supplied.

Municipal workers attended to the damaged section of road and burst water pipe in Bigai Heights yesterday as heavy rainfall continued across the area. Photo: Supplied.

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