Joburg tackles major water pipe repair job
TECHNICIANS from Johannesburg Water braved treacherous conditions yesterday to restore water to the northern suburbs in the city’s biggest and most complex water repair operation.
Workers toiled 35m underground to fix a 1.6m diameter pipe‚ which takes water from Rand Water to the City of Johannesburg reservoirs.
A Times LIVE team visited the Linbro Park site in Alexandra‚ where the city’s mayoral committee member for environment and infrastructure services Nico de Jager was already on site to see the work being done.
“The problem here is that a landfill site was developed above our infrastructure. It was not supposed to be there,” De Jager said.
“The acids that come from the landfill site erode the metal. That is why we have a problem.
“We just need to be careful how we do the work here. There are layers and layers of old rubbish.
“The burst happened underneath the pipe. What made it more difficult is that there is a concrete chamber over the pipe.
“It was difficult to cut through it to get to the pipe. The fixing of the burst pipe is happening from the inside.
“This is the biggest job that has ever been undertaken by Joburg Water. Our main concern is the people who are working here. “The land is unstable and there is groundwater coming out of the walls of the trench.
“We are hoping that this job will be done by 3pm today [yesterday]. But the pressure on the pipe is 22 bars.
“This means the pressure is equivalent to 22 tyres. If you were to hold this pipe into the air‚ the water would shoot up to 220m into the sky.”
The work began on Friday after a leak was discovered and water pressure began to drop in the area.
Technicians went on site to fix the leak on a 600mm pipe‚ which runs parallel to the big pipe, and supplies water to the neighbourhood.
It was only when they were fixing the small pipe that they discovered the leak on the big one.
The small pipe had eight leaks that were quickly fixed. But by then, water had covered the whole area.
Excavation had to be done to allow the gases from the landfill site to escape the soil.
The city technicians have been working around the clock to ensure that water is restored to areas including Sandton‚ Bryanston‚ Woodmead‚ Morningside and Alexandra.
Water tankers have been made available to the affected areas.
When the pipe is fixed‚ the system will be flushed to make sure it is clean.