POLOKWANE – Residents who commute and live in the area of the intersection at Genl Maritz and Diemeer Street were forced to take an alternative route when a waterpipe burst, causing the road in Genl Maritz Street to crack open last Thursday.
The impact of the rupture and the force of the gushing water was so immense, that a huge chunk of the road caved in near the pavement, leaving a deep crater in the road. A large stretch of Genl Maritz Street had to be completely cordoned off and traffic in both directions was diverted. According to municipal workers on the scene, it is believed that the pipe burst because it was old, and may have developed cracks due to corrosion.
Jason Burger, a resident who lives nearby, said they heard a noise and thought it had suddenly begun raining heavily. “But when I stepped out of my house to check, there was water all over and a pond in the middle of the road,” he described.
The hole and pipe took a while to repair and were completed by Friday. Municipal spokesperson, Matshidiso Mothapo, said final road repairs would have to be done within a few days.
He said all waterpipes utilised by the municipality were South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) approved. He said the old pipes in the city in areas including Bendor, Ext 11,Welgelegen and Eduan Park, were made of asbestos and were eroded on the outside by acidic groundwater. They could therefore not take the water’s pressure and this was why the pipe had ruptured.
Mothapo said all water pipes that were replaced, were replaced with UPVC SABS approved pipes, which were not affected by acidic groundwater.
He explained that the reason it had taken so long for the repairs to be done, was that all waterline valves had to be closed manually in the area and the water did not stop flowing immediately. The water then first had to be drained before repairs could be made, he said.
Mothapo further said, as a preventative measure, the municipality had have already divided the city into different pressure zones to ensure less pipe bursts in future.
