In brief

  1. The Somaliland Development Fund lists pressure testing as part of the Geed Deeble Wellfield Collector pipeline works in its undated SDF2 project descriptions.
  2. Pressure testing checks the pipeline before backfill, so the test record, not the commissioning date, is the document that shows the jointing held.
  3. The SDF2 page records scope only; completion certificates are needed before calling the collector finished.
Contents
  1. What the source records
  2. What it means on site
  3. What the source does not establish
  4. What to do next

The Somaliland Development Fund lists pressure testing among the works in its Geed Deeble Wellfield Collector project, in the undated SDF2 engineering scopes published on its website. The collector is implemented by the Hargeisa Water Agency.

What the source records

The SDF2 project descriptions state that the Wellfield Collector construction includes supply and installation of pipelines connecting existing wells to the New Geed Deeble Pumping Station, "including pressure testing". The same entry lists borehole connections (feeders) to the main collector line alongside WFC-1, connections of WFC-1 to the old pumping station, and a permanent connection to the New Geed Deeble pumping station. It says the collector is expected to bring additional water to about 250,000 inhabitants of Hargeisa, including the urban poor. See Somaliland Development Fund.

What it means on site

Pressure testing is a check on the pipe joints and the line as a whole, carried out by filling and pressurising a section and watching for loss. Because the scope pairs it with the installation itself, the test normally sits between jointing and backfill, so a failed joint can still be reached. General practice is to test in sections between anchor points, hold the agreed pressure for the period the specification sets, and record section limits, pressure, duration and any repair. Ask the engineer what test pressure and duration the specification requires, and whether joints must be exposed during the test.

What the source does not establish

The SDF2 page is a scope description, not a completion record. It does not date the works, name the contractor, give test pressures, section lengths or results, or say which sections have been tested. Nothing on the page shows whether any pipeline has been installed, tested, backfilled or handed over. Pressure testing can be listed in a scope and still be outstanding on site. A signed test certificate per section, plus the completion certificate for the collector, is what would confirm the present state of the works. No cause of any defect is stated or implied here.

What to do next

Request the pressure test certificates for each collector section from the Hargeisa Water Agency, or through the Somaliland Development Fund project office, and ask which sections have been tested and backfilled. Read them against the specification's test pressure and duration.

Frequently asked questions

Does the SDF2 page say the Geed Deeble collector is complete?

No. It describes the project scope, including pressure testing in the pipeline works, and gives no completion date or result. Ask the Hargeisa Water Agency or the SDF project office for the test and completion certificates.

What does pressure testing cover on the collector?

It checks the installed pipeline and its joints for pressure loss before the line is buried. The specification sets the test pressure, duration and section lengths, so confirm those with the project engineer.

Sources

  1. SDF2 engineering scopesSomaliland Development Fund, Undated SDF2 project descriptions, somalilanddevelopmentfund.org. Documented project scope; laasdhure; Burao-Berbera; Borama; Geed Deeble sections.

Local reporting: this article is written for building work in Hargeisa and Somaliland. Ground conditions, prices and rules differ between places; confirm the details for your own site.