Mayoral committee member for water and sanitation Zahid Badroodien, ward councillor Roberto Quintas and a municipal worker observe the trenchless pipe-cracking technology being used for the City’s water pipe replacement project..
The second phase of a R7 million project to replace 3.3km of water pipes in Hout Bay is well under way, says the City.
The water pipes being replaced are along Baviaanskloof Road, Campbell Street and Scottsville Circle in Hout Bay.
The first phase, tackling 1.9km of pipes, started in October last year, and the second phase started last month to replace the remaining 1.5km, said mayoral committee member for water and sanitation, Zahid Badroodien.
Frequent pipe bursts and leaks have plagued Hout Bay in recent years, leaving large parts of the community without water for hours and sometimes days at a time (“Reservoir pipe burst adds to water woes,” March 1).
“Public reports play a crucial role in assessing the need for pipe replacement. In this instance, both the age of the pipes and their frequent bursts prompted the decision to replace them. The aged fibre-cement pipes are being replaced using advanced trenchless pipe-cracking technology,” said Dr Badroodien.
“This innovative approach involves inserting a bursting head, which is hydraulically pulled through the existing fibre-cement pipe, breaking it apart. Simultaneously, a new high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe is pulled behind the bursting head, effectively replacing the old pipe,“ he said.
The City says the trenchless pipe-cracking technology is cost effective, causes minimal disruptions and enables faster turnaround times.
Asked about the cost of using this technology, Dr Badroodien said: “The installation cost is R2 700 per meter, on average, City-wide, depending on the required reinstatements. For example, installation in the roadway is more expensive.”
The total cost of the project is R7.4 million, Dr Badroodien said.
Hout Bay community activist Roscoe Jacobs said the City’s exact plans for the water pipe replacements were unclear.
“The call from the community was for the City to host a meeting in Hout Bay to explain the plan, but this didn't happen. I don't know the plan, and I doubt the community is aware of the plan.
“I still believe that the City must have a meeting in Hout Bay to communicate its plan to address the ageing infrastructure in Hout Bay.”
Asked if there would be future meeting about the pipe replacements, ward councillor Roberto Quintas said: “No, there was a large detailed public meeting attended by more than 50 people from Hout Bay. The presentation is available for anyone on request.”
This meeting took place at the Alphen Centre in Constantia within the third week of February.
The City will also be replacing water pipes in Victorskloof Rroad, Surcingle Avenue, Monterey Road, Almond Road and surrounding streets during the second phase of the project.
Asked whether water pipes in Hangberg and Imizamo Yethu would also be replaced, Dr Badroodien said: “There are currently no replacements scheduled for Hangberg. The bigger portion of Imizamo Yethu has new infrastructure and no replacements are required.”
The second phase of the project is expected to be completed in June.