Helen Joseph Hostel to receive long-awaited sewer upgrade
After years of sewer blockages, relief is finally on the way for residents of Alexandra’s Helen Joseph Women’s Hostel. The city has launched a multimillion-rand sewer upgrade project to improve residents’ living conditions.
The Helen Joseph Women’s Hostel in Alexandra, long criticised for its inhumane living conditions and crumbling infrastructure, is set to receive a major sewer system upgrade.
This follows the launch of the Helen Joseph sewer reticulation replacement project, introduced by Johannesburg Water’s Mduduzi Nhlapo and the City of Johannesburg’s MMC for Human Settlements, Mlungisi Mabasa.
Read more: Help prevent sewerage blockages
Nhlapo, who is the lead engineer for the project, said the work will involve replacing ageing pipelines outside the hostel that are currently collecting wastewater from laundry room plumbing fittings. “We are going to replace about 850m of pipes. We are also going to replace manholes that are part of the system itself,” he noted.
Mabasa, who visited the hostel on Friday to introduce a contractor who will fix its sewer system, acknowledged the hostel’s long-standing challenges with sewer clogs. “A lot of people know that Helen Joseph has a serious problem with sewer blockages,” he said. “Our infrastructure is damaged because it was installed a long time ago,” he said.
Also read: Sewage mess on 9th Avenue ends
He said that the hostel’s ageing system has struggled to cope with a growing population and lack of maintenance, resulting in sewage flooding outside the building and severely impacting residents’ quality of life.
“That is why we have a contractor who is going to deal with the sewer issue and install new pipes. After that, we will come back with a contractor who will deal with the issue of water,” Mabaso said.
The R9m project will also create opportunities for local small businesses and employment. Nhlapo confirmed that at least two Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) in the construction industry will be appointed, and around 10 local labourers will be hired to support the work.
“Contractors determined that about 10 local labourers should be sufficient on their part. Obviously, the SMMEs will also have their own labourers,” he shared.
“What is nice about this project, as the MMC has indicated, it is going to improve the livelihoods of the residents of Helen Joseph.”
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