Spokesman for EWS, Andrew Copley, said that it had been decided to lay a completely new pipe as continual repairs would not only be costly but cause considerable inconvenience.
He explained that the new pipe - which is 300mm in diametee and covers a stretch measuring 1,5 kilometres - will cross the M13 from Old Main Rd and exit in front of Standard Bank in Village Rd and then continue down St. Mary's Rd past the St. Mary's Girls School. It will then turn left into Edgecliff Rd, pass through a servitude into Jerome Place and end in the Jerome Drive Reservoir complex.
Construction will commence on 6 June 2013 and it is estimated it will be complete by the end of December 2013.
Copley added that EWS was aware of the fact that this was a busy thoroughfare traversed by up to 1,000 cars each day and wanted to apologise for any delays experienced by motorists. He said that EWS had done everything in its power to ensure that inconvenience to parents, pupils and staff at St. Mary's Girls School would be kept to a minimum.
"The principal will be provided with information throughout. Each Thursday, she will receive a notice outlining exactly where work will take place the following week. This will ensure that parents are notified ahead of time," he said.
To assist the school, no work on the new pipeline will be carried out before 8am and detours throughout the day will be provided to ensure that traffic flows continually. The contractor will at the end of each day close all open trenches in the roadway or in the event that he is unable to achieve this, a 24hr manned stop-and-go system will be implemented.
