Over 50 households in Parktown North and Dunkeld West and around 100 households in Parkhurst can look forward to an upgrade of the sewerage line servicing the area.

The R22-million capital project began two weeks ago to replace the old and cracking asbestos piping with new high-density polyethylene (HDPE) piping.

Ward 117 councillor Tim Truluck said that though this work often goes unseen, as a result of being underground, it is much-needed.

“This is not the sexy side of things but it is needed as these sewers haven’t been upgraded for about 60 years. The suburb has changed drastically, growing in density over the last 50 years so this needs to be done,” said Truluck.

The project conducted by TMC Civil Engineering is expected to take between three and five months, with minimal interruption to residents.

Site manager Zafika Msimanga of TMC Civil Engineers explained that the old asbestos pipes needed to be replaced since the roots of trees penetrated the pipes and they often clogged up.

“We don’t need to dig up the entire pavement but rather work from one manhole to the next. We clean the existing pipes and send a camera in to see where the sewer lines intersect and where there are obstructions. We then conduct a pipe-cracking process where we install the new pipe and it breaks the old pipe,” said Msimanga.

Entire pavements will not be dug up thanks to this technology, minimising inconvenience to residents. The new pipes are expected to last for over 100 years, according to Msimanga.

The project began at the intersection of 3rd Avenue and Eastwood Road. It will service some households in 3rd Avenue, 13th Avenue, 4th Avenue, Grafton Avenue, Roxburghe Avenue and Hume Road for the first phase and then enter into parts of Parkhurst.

Chair of the Parktown North Ratepayers and Residents Association Lee-Ann Louverdis said, “Residents are appreciative when the City undertakes capital projects. This is much-needed capital spend that is not seen. This will mean minimal interruption for residents since pavements will not need to be dug up, minimising accidental damage to infrastructure including water lines, power lines and fibre.”

Residents should be aware of small disruptions to traffic over the next few months. Affected residents will be notified by the Parktown North Ratepayers and Residents Association about when their sewer lines will be interrupted. Residents who have not yet been notified about the project in the affected streets can email Lee-Ann Louverdis on [email protected] to receive these notifications.

Related articles: