Asphalt road where the pipeline was installed is being restored.
The Renova Foundation resumed the Pedra Corrida pipeline’s works, in the district of Periquito (MG), on Wednesday, July 15th. The groundwater well will be connected to the Water Treatment Plant (WTP). For this construction to be completed, the restoration of the asphalt where the new pipeline was installed is underway. The works are being carried out at the sections that needed to be opened to connect the water pipeline pipes.
The decision to resume the works, which had been suspended due to heavy rains at the beginning of the year and, subsequently, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, complies with the decrees of the Federal Government and the government of Minas Gerais, which listed the civil construction sector among essential activities and services.
Sections of the following streets will receive new asphalt: Acesita Street, Francisco Silveira Filho Avenue, Jose Rodrigues Street (Da Turma Street), and the crossing Via Olimpio (Cruz Lima) with Francisco Silveira Filho Street. The entire area will be surrounded by well-signposted hoarding panels to ensure the safety of residents.
The Pedra Corrida pipeline will connect the underground water well to the Water Treatment Plant (WTP), making the alternative water withdrawal system utterly independent from the Doce River, the primary water withdrawal source.
“We completed the pipeline’s construction, but we had to stop activities due to the heavy rains that occurred in early 2020 and the Covid-19 pandemic. The decision to resume the works was carefully analyzed. All preventive and safety measures will be taken to contain the spread of the virus in the territory,” explains Alessandro Jeronimo, Infrastructure Works manager at the Renova Foundation.
The resumption of works was evaluated by the Covid-19 Management Committee and approved by the Renova Foundation, establishing actions that mitigate the possible spread of the virus.
Preventive health and safety measures
In total, six workers are deployed, and the works are expected to last one month. The reduced number of crew members follows the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines to avoid larger groups.
Several preventive actions will also be adopted, such as: daily checks of the employees’ temperature; mandatory use of masks and gloves when at work; easy access to hand sanitizer; intensification of the cleaning of equipment, tables, chairs and such; transportation of employees is carried out in small vehicles with a maximum occupancy of two people, one in the front seat and one in the back; among others measures. Also, workers over 60 years old or with pre-existing conditions were not deployed.
During the construction period, the road receiving the services will be closed and signposted, but part of the sidewalks will be open for transit. The Renova Foundation is taking all measures to assist residents who live in these districts.