After months of uncertainty surrounding the rerouting of the 450mm steel water pipe at the Hennops River crossing, the Tshwane metro said the project is expected to be completed by March this year, provided work proceeds as planned.

Once completed, the project is intended to restore long-term water supply stability in Highveld.

“The pipe was delivered on schedule and is currently securely stored at the contractor’s designated facility, close to the construction site,” metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo confirmed.

However, the installation of the pipe has not yet started, he said.

According to Mashigo, the delay is due to the annual builders’ break period, during which construction activities were paused.

He added that despite this pause, several preparatory milestones have been completed since October 2025.
Mashigo said in preparation of the pipe replacement, the site has been cleared and safe access to the work area has been established. Core drilling and rerouting of the leaking water pipe has been done. The rerouting is “to allow for the construction of a second bridge access required for the replacement works”.

He noted that work resuming this month will focus on installing support brackets, hanging the steel pipe, and fitting valves to connect the existing pipeline to the new section.

Mashigo said the project is now expected to be completed by March.

He added that the municipality will only assume full operational control of the pipeline once the project has been completed and the pipeline has been properly commissioned.

“Full stabilisation of the water supply, without reliance on interim measures, is expected once construction has been finalised.”

Mashigo clarified that the relocation of the about 200m section of pipeline out of the riverbed, which he previously said formed part of the planned work, was not executed as part of the project scope.

However, he did confirm that resilience-related improvements, including the construction of scour valve chambers and other supporting infrastructure mentioned last year, remain part of the current scope and will be implemented as construction progresses.

“There are no outstanding compliance requirements at this stage. However, a partial road closure may be required if access beneath the bridge is constrained during construction,” added Mashigo.

This update follows previous information provided by the city in October last year, when it reported that it had made progress in efforts to restore long-term water supply stability in Highveld, following the failure of the 450mm pipeline earlier in the year.

At the time, Mashigo explained that the metro had implemented an interim measure by restoring supply through a ring feeder system while isolating the leaking line.

This allowed residents to continue receiving water, although with occasional disruptions.

He also said that the rerouting project had originally been planned to start in May and conclude by August but was delayed due to funding constraints and the need to finalise service level agreements between the city and the developer.

Mashigo confirmed at the time that these agreements had since been concluded, with the developer agreeing to use its bulk contributions to fund the work at an estimated cost of R2-million.

“The city is pleased to confirm that key progress has been made. The developer has received confirmation that the 450mm steel pipe will be hot-dip galvanised for enhanced durability and corrosion resistance.”

He also acknowledged residents’ frustration, noting that the rerouting involved complex engineering work in an environmentally sensitive area, requiring regulatory compliance and technical oversight by city officials.

Mashigo urged residents to remain patient.

“The City of Tshwane sincerely appreciates the continued patience, co-operation and understanding of the Highveld community during this period.”

Ward 65 councillor Gert Visser recently told Rekord that urgent and immediate intervention was required from the metro to resolve the ongoing water supply challenges in Highveld.

He stated that he had requested the Office of the Speaker to convene a public meeting in the area, with Highveld’s water supply as the sole item on the agenda, to provide residents with an opportunity to receive feedback and ask questions.

Visser also indicated at the time that the timeline for constructing the new 450mm water pipeline would be communicated to residents once it became available, stressing the importance of clear communication as the project progressed.

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