Downpour reveals shoddy work
The storm water drain next to Zululand Remedial Schools field is posing problems.
BOTCHED stormwater drain work, running parallel to Zululand Remedial School’s field, has damaged the school’s fence and field.
Monday afternoon’s heavy downpour exacerbated the damage.
The problem has been ongoing although the municipality completed the job in December last year. It still has to clear away the vegetation in the trench and around the pipe, on a regular basis.
Zululand Remedial School, Principal Des Millin explained, ‘For more than a year they had been working on this section of the drain and I was promised it would be completed in September last year. It is a safety and health factor especially with children using the field on a daily basis. The quality of the workmanship and choice of materials is pathetic and a job that should have been done properly once, is been done incorrectly over and over again.’
The pipes which had been recently installed, along with a large amount of soil and rubble, have been dislodged and washed down the trench.
Large broken sections of pipe and concrete blocks have been moved metres from their original location.
The school’s perimeter fencing has also been damaged during the installation of the pipes as well as during the storm.
Soil has been washed away and parts of the fence cannot be secured owing to soil erosion.
According to a source at the municipality, the problem has been addressed and a solution has been found.
The pipes that were originally installed were not effective owing to the lightweight material they are composed of. The pipes could not withstand the volume of water that was flowing through them on Monday or the weight placed upon them when they were covered with soil.
However, according to the source, ‘work should start on Wednesday.
‘This will involve stronger concrete pipes being installed in the trench. These concrete pipes can handle a greater flow of water. They also have a greater load-bearing capability.
‘It will not be a quick, easy job, as access to the drain is difficult, but it will be completed properly as soon as possible.’
