A new water pipe in the pipeline between Persida and Bakerton
Contractors are currently digging a 5.9km trench for the new major supply line between Persida and Bakerton.
![](https://images.caxton.co.za/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2014/08/34-sr-Pipe-ar-Custom.jpg)
The trench is along Welgedacht Road and is visible to the public.
Excavation started in July with a trench with a diameter of 500m x 300m.
The old water pipeline will be replaced with a high density polyethic pipe.
According to Michael Motshegare, foreman for the metro, the lifespan of this pipe is 100 years.
Johannes Mdakane, the community liaison officer on duty, is responsible for the labourers coming from the community and their training.
“This is about job creation and we have opened applications to the community and will give them on-the-job training,” he says.
Part of his duties on this project is to give feedback to the metro on a regular basis on how the project progresses.
This is part of phase one of the project and it will take up to 18 months to complete the job.
Mdakane says the job will be completed in January 2016.
A new reservoir will be built in Persida, next to the current one, as part of phase two. The new reservoir will be able to contain 35 megalitres of water.
When phase two will start is not yet known.
No comment was received from the metro at the time of going to press.