THE effluent pipeline carrying gypsum from Foskor into the sea has deteriorated to the point where it must be urgently replaced – at a cost of over R110-million.
At a meeting of the Effluent Pipeline Forum hosted by Mhlathuze Water on Thursday, assessment of the 25-year-old B-Line was presented by consultant Duncan Shaw of Gibb Engineering& Architecture.
The investigation was instigated after three pipeline failures in the vicinity of Grindrod Terminal, two of which were associated with heavy trucks riding above the pipeline.
Repairs done were only temporary owing to the outdated pipe material (fibreglass outer layer and polypropylene line), which cannot be welded to new pipes.
It was also ascertained that the pipeline was being operated at a pressure some 30% above its maximum 8-bar design limit.
Phase 1a, the first 740m of the pipeline (Foskor to just past Grindrod), was reportedly the most vulnerable to rupture and should be replaced as soon as possible.
The next 1.5km (Phase 1b) is also at risk in that it is still of the fibreglass/polypropylene type, while the remaining section (phase 2) is too small for the current daily flow and should also be replaced before too long as it may be highly abraded.
The meeting was told Mhlathuze Water already has funds and a contractor on board (Midima Civils) for Phase 1a.
They will proceed as soon as the water use licence is granted.
