ABERDEEN NEWS - The multimillion-rand upgrade of Luxolo Intermediate School in Thembalesizwe, Aberdeen is in progress.

The emergency project was eventually approved in February this year.

The upgrade include a newly built age-appropriate ablution block for gr. R-learners and the renovation of all other ablutions at the school. Currently, one of the biggest unforeseen challenges is the existing underground sewer system.

During a site visit, accompanied by the contractor and the school principal Christo Frazenburg, the Advertiser saw that a whole network of trenches, at some points more than a meter deep, has been excavated over a large area.

Faulty sewer system

Frazenburg says during the first site inspection by the engineers it was discovered that the underpinning sewer system was in principle faulty. "Beforehand we only knew our ablutions were a total disgrace. 

Nobody could have known the faulty ablutions were actually the result of a faulty underground sewer system. This is an emergency project, meaning specific procedures and protocol must be adhered to.

Deviation from the planned project was inescapable. They cannot give us new ablutions while the underpinning sewer system remains faulty."

More time and money

The existing sewer line had to be dug up and after inspection the engineers concluded that a new sewer line had to be installed. "New trenches must be excavated, but just look at these rock banks - it is literally rock solid," says Frazenburg. He emphasises that the effect of this hiccup is a time and money consuming deviation.

Skilled labour

Frazenburg also explains that this type of unforeseen challenges is part of the reason why the main contractor reserved the responsibility of all plumbing work to be done at the premises. Plumbing is one of the skilled work packages not to be outsourced to SMME's. "It should be appreciated that the main contractor has to provide certain liability guarantees for work done."

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