Sanral and contractors help tackle Ashburton’s water crisis

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04-10-2024
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The Witness
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The parties agreed to install temporary high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipes to provide residents with water.

Sanral and the construction company building the new R2,4 billion Ashburton interchange have agreed to assist the community in addressing the ongoing water crisis that has plagued the area for over six weeks.

An emergency meeting was held on Tuesday evening, involving local councillor Edith Elliott, the municipality’s water department, and representatives from Sanral and construction company Base Major-China Construction JV.

The parties agreed to install temporary high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipes to provide residents with water.

According to Elliott, the HDPE pipes will run on the surface and deliver water to residents.

“Pope Ellis Drive is still going to be expanded, so we can’t replace the asbestos pipes just yet,” she said, adding that the installation process has already started, and she is hopeful that the pipes will be in place by the end of next week.

“In the meeting, it was agreed that Base Major would secure 75 mm rider pipes for both sides of Pope Ellis East, from the bridge to Sandland and Dalkeith,” said Elliott.

In the past six weeks, at least 20 burst pipes have been reported.

While municipal plumbers have been working day and night to repair each rupture, the old brittle pipes keep springing leaks whenever the water system is repressurised.

Apart from the aging infrastructure, residents feel that Sanral’s construction of the new Ashburton interchange and bridge across the N3 has exacerbated the situation as the project involves heavy machinery and blasting to remove large amounts of rock.

Sanral’s Eastern Region project manager, Stephné Wilmot, confirmed that Sanral is trying to assist in fixing Ashburton’s water issues.

Sanral’s mandate is to build and maintain national roads, and although the replacement of the water pipeline is not part of our scope, Sanral and the contractor will support the municipality in finding a solution.

“An appropriate plan is being discussed and will be implemented to address the issue,” said Wilmot.

For many Ashburton residents, the six-week-long water crisis has forced them to find alternative ways to manage basic tasks like hygiene, cooking, and cleaning, while also strengthening the community spirit.

“We’ve been collecting rainwater whenever possible, but that’s not reliable. I’ve also been driving to my sister’s place in Pietermaritzburg to fill containers with water. It’s exhausting,” said local resident Miriam Naidoo.

Some residents have turned to purchasing water in bulk from supermarkets, while others rely on donations from the local councillor.

Makeshift water collection systems, such as tanks and buckets set up to capture rainwater, have become a common sight throughout the neighbourhood.

Marcus Elliot, whose driveway was dug up during the repairs, said, “With no water, I’ve been forced to use water from my pool for things like flushing the toilet.

“I’m planning on installing water tanks as a permanent solution to this ongoing issue. We sometimes buy drinking water, and our ward councillor has also been bringing water around.”

Despite the frustrations, some residents have found comfort in the strong sense of community as neighbours come together to share resources.

“Some of us have been sharing water with our neighbours. It’s brought the community together in a strange way, but it’s still not easy living like this,” said Sipho Dlamini.