Asbestos pipes replacement behind schedule
The replacing process of asbestos cement (AC) pipes in the city, Annadale and Seshego was planned to span two financial years namely 2016/17 and 2017/18.
POLOKWANE – A report dated 16 July tabled during the last week of July before council stated that the work to replace around 175 km of AC pipes is behind schedule, especially in the CBD, where the physical progress was estimated to be 11%, with the contractor being five weeks behind schedule.
The official starting dates for contractors were 17 November 2016 for the CDB and Seshego and 2 December 2016 for Annadale.
The report, submitted by the Engineering Services Directorate stated that the contractor in the CBD, where 87 km of pipes of varying thickness need to be replaced, has since submitted a recovery plan including a revised programme and getting additional senior personnel and purchasing an additional pipe cracking machine.
Excavating of the entire at once was deemed too risky as some areas would be exposed for a long period and the contractor was requested to close up certain areas at his own cost.
The project has been subdivided into six blocks and expenditure so far amounts to R35,18 million. The total budget for the CBD area is R319,93 million.
In Annadale some 25 km of AC pipe needs to be replaced.
Around 10,04 km uPvc pipes have been laid so far. Testing and commissioning of the completed blocks were still to be done. Progress is rated at 40% within a 42% time lapse and expenditure is R29,10 million out of a total allocated budget of R61,26 million.
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In Seshego 63 km pipes need to be replaced. Progress is estimated at 35% and 34,8% of expenditure (R51,55 million). The total expenditure is budgeted at R148,22 million. The municipality has started with a feasibility study for the replacement of AC pipes in Seshego Zones 1 and 4, with an estimated 60 km to be replaced. Challenges in Seshego are congestion and poorly laid existing services (water pipes, electrical and fibre cables) which result in slow progress and interruption of residents’ services. There also was a delay in the procurement of materials which had to be manufactured on special order, the scheduling of work and supervision by contractor, hard rock and labour absenteeism – workers work for a month and then leave after getting paid.
It was proposed that the contractor purchase a cable detector to minimise cable damage, bring more resources on site such as an additional pipe cracking machine and employ suitably qualified and experienced technical personnel and soft blasting on rocky areas to avoid damaging properties.
