Cape Town - Blue Downs Downs and surrounding areas experienced water problems for more than three weeks after yet another burst at the Blue Downs pipeline on Tuesday evening.
This burst occurred just as the City was finalising repairs from a previous extensive leak.
Water and waste mayoral committee member Zahid Badroodien said, “At the initial assessment, the department found they must replace a section of the 650mm diameter pipe and immediately processed a special order, but the delivery lead time was too long and would have placed the repair time at great risk.”
Badroodien said this prompted the department to find an alternate solution which then involved internal manufacturing processes to join the new and existing pipe sections.
“The department successfully installed the pipeline and repaired the excessive leak that was identified first,” said Badroodien.
However, when the operational team procedurally tested the section, they found that the adjacent pipe section developed a serious leak.
Badroodien said the department immediately started repair work on the newly identified leak and anticipated that water would be restored systematically to the affected communities last night.
Badroodien said everything was being done to restore the water as quickly as possible and water tankers continued to be located in the area, as well as a number of stand pipes.
The areas affected included Blue Downs, Brentwood Park, Camelot, Hagley, Highgate, Malibu Village, Nuwe Begin, Silversands, Summerville, Sunbird Park, Wembley, and Wesbank.
Tuscany Glen neighbourhood watch and CPF member Rashied Hoosain said local ward councillor Frans Sauls was on the ground and arranged water trucks to periodically distribute water in the affected areas.
“However, apart from the fact no one actually budgets on buying 20 litres of water on a daily basis, it was particularly inconvenient for residents with small children and the elderly – especially due to the fact that the schools reopened amid the heat wave and the situation is becoming worse and unsanitary. We can’t even flush toilets and now have to queue in the heat for water as well,” said Hoosain.
Tuscany Crime Watch chairperson and executive member of Tuscany Glen Ratepayers Association Neil Theys said the current water problem was unacceptable.
“The underground water pipes were raised as a problem to be replaced four years ago, but nothing was done about it and now they are sitting with a bigger water problem that could have been prevented if action had been taken,” Theys said.
