The water leaks that plague Bank and Loskop roads are due to the ageing asbestos pipes. This area, which is home to large industries and high traffic volumes, is often the site of frequent water pipe bursts, which has seen an outcry from some residents who commute to this area daily.
Recently, Ronald Harilal challenged Uthukela District Municipality, saying that a change in management might bring decent service delivery. Mr Harilal commented that the water leaks and pipe bursts occur almost weekly.
READ MORE HERE: Poor workmanship or a lack of qualification?
“A work man of poor technical knowledge appears three to four times a month repairing the same water leakage. The pipes are in bad condition or out of control. The staff very primitively digs up the problematic area and are obviously advised by some well-paid qualified foreman to dig up, patch up and move up,” he explained.
Businesses in the area suffer the consequences and experience water interruptions frequently; this negatively impacts productivity and in turn the economy. A plea was made to the district municipality to address these concerns.
Communications Manager Jabulani Mkhonza has responded, explaining that the reason for the continuous pipe bursts is due to the ageing existing pipeline.
“The existing pipes are manufactured from asbestos cement and due to the ageing process the pipe walls have become very thin and brittle. Due to expansion and/or contraction of the surrounding ground, there is slight movement of the ground, which affects the pipes that then develop slight cracks. The water pressure in the pipes then leads to burst pipes,” he explained.
Responding to concerns about the same pipe bursting time after time, he says this isn’t the case.
“The asbestos cement pipes are replaced with uPVC pipes, which are obviously stronger than the asbestos cement pipes and therefore the weaker pipe (asbestos cement) will burst. It can be right next to the previous burst pipe or it could be anywhere else on the line where the asbestos cement pipe could have developed a crack,” he added.
Mr Mkhonza further stated that Uthukela District Municipality staff are adequately qualified and experienced to replace and repair burst pipes and respond to call out for repairs at “any hour of the day or night.”
If you spot a burst pipe or water leak, report it to the customer call centre on 086 010 4257 and remember to get a reference number.
Click to receive news links via WhatsApp. Or for the latest news, visit our webpage or follow us on Facebook and Twitter
