Teamwork in the trenches

23 January 2020

It was all hands on deck last weekend to repair the main water supply pipeline in Nomzamo. The work, part of the infrastructure upgrade programme, disrupted the water supply to Asanda Village, Nomzamo, Strand and Lwandle.

The City’s Water and Sanitation staff demonstrated steely determination as they pushed through the heavy rains and strong winds to repair a 30m long section of the 600 mm diameter pipeline.

It was a race against the clock for the team of 25 who braved the stormy conditions to restore water supply to the area. The repairs involved a 4.5m deep and 3m wide excavation of the site, precise placement of materials, and a lot of welding – all in the adverse weather conditions.

Work commenced on Friday morning and continued throughout the weekend into Monday. The team had to down tools at 01:30 on Monday morning when the wind speed and rain posed a threat to both the construction and staff. Work resumed once conditions had calmed down later that morning.

‘A mistake at certain critical points of the operation could have resulted in immediate fatalities. The team’s skill and commitment deserve acknowledgment, appreciation and immense thanks. The scale of the undertaking, with much of the work conducted at night, once again reminds us that we are extremely fortunate to have such dedicated professionals in the Water and Sanitation department,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Waste, Alderman Xanthea Limberg.

‘I would also like to thank the residents of the area, who ensured children were kept clear from the substantial construction site and waited patiently for the repair work to be completed. Water tankers were deployed to the area to provide water for domestic purposes as supply was disrupted while the work was carried out.’

The City has over 1 000 operational staff doing maintenance 24/7 (day and night) and more than 1 000 service requests are dispatched daily. The City is replacing ageing pipelines in order to limit pipe bursts, water leaks and sewerage spills. Through this programme, about 30 km of sewer and 40 km of water mains are replaced each year. This has reduced the frequency of pipe bursts from 69 bursts per 100 km in 2010 to 17 bursts per 100 km in 2019.

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Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office