THE eThekwini Municipality has allocated R1m for a pipe replacement project on Hilken Drive and Northmoor Avenue in uMhlanga.

Residents on both roads have suffered with bursts over the years which have damaged driveways and flooded homes.

According to the City, the scope of work will entail the replacement of the existing asbestos cement (AC) pipes with new PVC pipes, as well as the decommissioning of the existing AC pipe infrastructure. No timeline was given by the City for the start of the pipe replacement project.

Also read: North Durban bursts leave roads waiting weeks for reinstatement

Northmoor Avenue resident Mark Hultzer said the project was desperately needed.

“The water pipeline down Northmoor and Hilken is an AC pipe and it’s past its life expectancy. My family and I have lived here for the past 13 years and I would say every single section of pipe down this road has broken over that period and been replaced with PVC pipes. There are patches everywhere you look on this road, showing how many bursts have occurred over the years.

“My neighbour’s home has been flooded several times, my garden area and driveway has been flooded several times and we had to replace the driveway. It is a very brittle pipe now because of all the bursts. This pipeline should have been replaced 10-15 years ago and it desperately needs to be done now. When I saw the news I was really happy about it,” he said.

Terri MacLarty, the chairperson of Umhlanga Ratepayers’ and Residents’ Association and Ward 35 committee member whose portfolio is water, sanitation and electricity, echoed those sentiments.

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“It is imperative the municipality start replacing old asbestos pipes. We’d like to see them replaced all over uMhlanga. This is a win for the residents and a much-needed project and we hope there will be future projects to replace pipes on Ridge Road in particular which has been particularly bad in the last few years with bursts and leaks occurring regularly,” she said.

City spokesperson Senzelwe Mzila said they acknowledge that the age of the existing infrastructure is a concern and has contributed to the need for pipe replacement.

“The plastic/PVC components currently being installed are interim repairs intended to ensure that consumers continue receiving a reliable water supply while the permanent pipe replacement programme is being implemented. The interim repairs are therefore not the final replacement solution for the ageing infrastructure. The Municipality remains committed to maintaining and upgrading its water infrastructure to improve the reliability and sustainability of water supply to residents.”

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