Underground pipes are finally replaced
Residents are asked to be patient until the project is complete.
AFTER a four year long wait, asbestos underground pipes in Jo Naude Road, Davidson Crescent and Byron Place are finally being replaced with new, stronger and longer lasting plastic pipes.
Diggings started on Tuesday, 24 November and pipe conversions are currently underway. Although the plastic pipes have not been installed as yet, they have been connected and can be seen running across driveways. Residents are asked to be patient until the project’s completion.
“I’m happy that the pipes are finally being changed after a four year wait. These pipes would burst every now and then and residents would go without water for an entire day sometimes,” said Queensburgh councillor, André Mitchell. He said the black pipes running across some driveways were temporary and that construction would be completed in no time. “We have placed sand bags on either side of the pipes to ensure that people are able to access their homes and to prevent the pipes from getting damaged,” he added.
Asbestos pipes generally have a life span of about 45 years, according to the project’s Clerk of Works, Cyril Hadebe. “Essentially, what we are doing here is laying new pipes and replacing the old ones. The old pipes are made of AC material which is asbestos based and the new ones are made of MPVC material which is plastic,” he explained. Hadebe said he is confident in the material the new pipes are made of.
“Plastic pipes last longer underground as compared to the ones made of asbestos. These new ones could last for up to 100 years” he said.
Construction is expected to be finished by no later than Friday, 18 December.
