Here's the story

While employed by the City I Managed the Traffic Signal & General Services Section, I relinquished the General Services Section five years prior to my retirement in 1999 simply because I was intimately involved in the current Metropolitan Area Traffic Control System as the Project Engineers Technical and Product Acceptance Representative.
Under the General Services Section, for many years I carried out regular inspections and essential electrical tests on about 70 individual locations on protection systems which were installed to protect the pipeline and submerged structures from electrolytic corrosion as part of my job description.
Here comes the "Highly Technical" bit of the story, "electrolytic corrosion" takes place in areas where minerals and moisture in the ground create an electrolyte the steel pipeline or any other metal structure within the area now creates a local cell, much like a mini motor car battery resulting in a circulating current. This phenomenon causes the steel to be aggressively eaten away until the pipeline bursts if no system is installed to neutralise this action. I will concentrate on the 60 odd locations where sacrificial anodes were connected to the pipeline to stop aggressive corrosion. Simply the circulating current now leaves the pipeline via the anodes which are eaten away instead of the pipeline. Thus the term Sacrificial Anodes. Regular testing and inspections ensure that anodes are replaced timeously.
For a long time I suspected this was not being done so I submitted my concerns via our local free weekly newspaper, The Constantiaberg Bulletin asking a few questions, one of which was "Is Regular testing and inspections still being done?"
Xanthea Limberg, spokesperson & MEC for water and other portfolios replied "NO" due to vandalism this is not being done but within the next few years the systems will be reinstated by a External Service Provider. "WOW" more money down the drain, previously a part of my remuneration!
This prompted a few more questions, "How long has this not been done?" an answer this time from a Hayley van der Woude. For 10 years!!!! Slaan my dood met 'n pap snoek! So for 10m years (If I believe that) THE PIPELINE HAS BEEN "VROTTING AWAY" AT SOME 60 INDIVIDUAL LOCATIONS! Suddenly since my questions reinstatement will take place within the next few years but the External Service Provider but may not undertake regular test and inspections. That's lekker, maybe I should submit a tender for R50 million and not have a responsibility to maintain the systems.
The balance of the 10 other systems use different protective systems, I am being deliberately vague as I hope to be able to ask some spokesperson a few difficult questions should I be given the opportunity. (I won't hold my breath)
In conclusion; It does not matter how full of empty the dams are, Boreholes and Desalination plant augmentation is not going to enable us to open the taps for water if sections of the "Bulk Water Pipeline" disintegrate due to sheer incompetence and lack of foresight. Get ready to stand in queues with your 5L cans at watering holes. Sorry to paint such a bleak picture but I'm just Gat Vol.
Have a wonderful and joyous festive season be safe on the roads.!!



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