A burst water main in Brookvale has caused controversy among locals as countless litres of freshwater flood the streets, leaving Sydney Water and Northern Beaches Council pointing fingers.
The corner of Ethel Avenue and Miles Street has been drenched in water for over three weeks due to a malfunctioning fire service valve. Chase Projects, the local business, operating across from the leak, contacted Sydney Water on August 12 but was not satisfied with their response.
“This has been going on for, like, I don’t know, I’d say three weeks. We’ve reported this, at least three or four times to Sydney Water,” a Chase Projects employee said.
“They’re blaming the Council. And then now we’ve lodged it with the Council as well, and then the Council is saying it’s Sydney Water and then they’re playing it against each other, which is, pretty crazy.”
The local business reported that Sydney Water told them the burst main was private property and therefore not within their responsibility to fix and elected Council to amend the leak.
Council allegedly became aware of the issue this week and sent an environmental officer to inspect the site who told a Chase Projects employee it was a Sydney Water issue.
Meanwhile, scores of water continued to gush the streets causing damage and hazards.
“There’s all the school kids coming past the pavements… There’s so much pressure under there that it’s actually lifted the pavement up 50 millimetres from the mains. So, you know, if you remove that section of concrete, the water would be spurting, who knows how high into the air, probably three or four metres,” an employee explained.
Manly Observer inspected the site on Tuesday, 3 September, and sent an inquiry to Sydney Water and Northern Beaches Council, asking when someone will take responsibility for the fix, outlining the immediate severity of the issue.
The following day Sydney Water sent out network technicians to inspect the site once more. The organisation as well as Council replied to Manly Observer in separate statements confirming the two had been in constant communication with each other and agreed the financial responsibility of the fix should go towards the landlord who owns the private plumbing.
“The leaking pipe is located on private property, so the property owner is responsible for the repair. Sydney Water, as the appropriate regulatory authority, has liaised with the owners to undertake the required works,” a statement from Council read.
“Today Sydney Water directed the property owner to engage a qualified plumber to repair the fault. Council believes the damage is being rectified immediately.”
It is understood that the plumbing belongs to the building in which Chase Projects operates – it is to be noted this business does not own the building – and was installed around 40 years ago before Council infrastructure was situated around the property.
Sydney Water was able to access the fire service valve but was unable to switch it off completely due to the age and damage to the pipes. Water is still drizzling from the same location onto the street.
“The fire service there obviously runs up underneath this big tree here. Nature does its thing. It knows the waters in the pipe. It manoeuvred the pipe and basically put a split in it, shoved down,” a local plumber mentioned.
“You probably filled a couple pools by now with the amount of water that’s come out, easy.”
A Chase Project employee said the real estate agent sent Wormald – a business which provides services & supplies fire equipment – to inspect the property yesterday but deemed it out of their expertise due to a fire service valve being located on the street.
It’s unknown exactly when the Landlord will be able to commence work on the repairs, but between forking out for new pipes, tree removals, road closures and potentially replacing the Council pavement to access it, the cost may be enough to release some waterworks of their own.
