Synopsis The City’s Water and Sanitation Department has recently been awarded the Southern African Society for Trenchless Technology’s (SASTT) 2011 Award for Excellence, for the construction of the spring water irrigation pipeline for the Green Point Common/Urban Park.
Story The project entailed the installation of a 5,2km irrigation pipeline using mostly trenchless technology methods. As a Caring and Safe City, the methodology used in the construction was carefully chosen to minimise the disruption of traffic and pedestrian mobility.
The project idea was conceived in 2008. A consultant was appointed to conduct an investigation into possible routes, with due consideration to soil conditions, existing water infrastructure and other underground services (amongst which was a 106 year old water main), traffic disruptions, public safety and potential inconvenience to pedestrians during construction.
Furthermore, the irrigation project had to be planned in conjunction with other construction and management activities in the city associated with the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ and also to keep the Company’s Garden neat whilst working in that vicinity.
The irrigation pipeline, which delivers 1,25 Ml of water per day, starts at the spring in the vicinity of Belmont Road in Oranjezicht, then passes through the Company’s Garden, continues via roads in the CBD before reaching the Foreshore, then proceeds along Prestwich Road where it crosses over into, and continues along, Somerset Road all the way to the Green Point Urban Park.
This is the second SASTT Award for Excellence that the City has received for the use of trenchless technology when upgrading water and sanitation infrastructure.
In the built environment digging trenches is always very disruptive and in terms of the impact on traffic it often creates dangerous conditions. The Cityis therefore increasingly using trenchless technology.
