The support of the local community has allowed the new inlet pipe that transfers water from the main line to the Jerome Drive Reservoir in Kloof to be well on track for completion by the end of the year.
60 to 70 percent of the work on the pipeline replacement has already been completed according to Andrew Copley, spokesman for eThekwini Water and Sanitation (EWS).
Construction began in June and the new pipeline is expected to be commissioned in December this year. The contractor will leave the site in January 2014 in time for the beginning of the new school year.
The new pipe has crossed the M13 from Old Main Road, continuing down St. Mary’s Road and moving into Edgecliff Road, before ending in the Jerome Drive Reservoir complex.
The new pipe will mean avoiding continual repairs and minimising leaks that will conserve Durban’s precious water resources.
Copley said that, given the fact that this is a busy thoroughfare traversed by up to 1000 cars each day, the logistics surrounding the project had been considerable. It was decided that no work would be done before 8am to avoid inconveniencing those involved at St. Mary’s Girls School.
“Everything has been running smoothly. The contractor has been working closely with the community, keeping everyone updated on the progress of the project and future plans. Effective traffic plans have helped and the parents of children attending the school are kept informed before any work commences. They have been able to avoid areas where we are working as a whole. We were extremely pleased to have been commended by the school for the work we have been doing,” Copley concluded.
For more information, contact Leisel Bowes at EWS on 031 311 8656.