LAST week’s theft of cabling that supports a water pipeline that runs across the uMngeni River in the outskirts of Durban has even affected a major mountain biking race. The pipe crashed into the uMngeni River last Monday after cable thieves stole the piping that supports it.
The suspended pipeline, situated at the Durban Heights water treatment plant in Reservoir Hills, supplies 70 percent of the northern areas with water. Last week residents living in La Lucia and uMhlanga were faced with a water crisis after the city announced that its ability to carry water to these areas had been severely hampered. Now race organisers of the BSi Steel dusi2c mountain bike race, that takes place this weekend, have announced that they have had to change the route of the race following the major pipeline collapse.
Race organiser Glen Haw said: “ It was a bit of a curve ball. With the pipe down we had to make a plan and fortunately for us there is another pipe further down the river that we are going to have to use, we just need to work out how we are going to get riders to the crossing.”
He said the collapsed pipe was an important part of the inaugural route of the dusi2c but that it could be a “blessing in disguise”. “Last year we used that collapsed pipe which had bits of balustrading that had been stolen and I think that this year’s crossing is going to be a lot safer for riders and our only problem right now is working out how the riders will get onto the track that runs along the pipe.
“We could use a ladder to the riders down there and then create a compulsory portage on the other side with marshals in position to help out but we are going to make a decision on that tomorrow,” Haw said.
