Johannesburg Water pumps R92m into new Erand tower and pump station project
Johannesburg Water pumps R92m into new Erand tower and pump station project to boost water supply in Midrand.
A new water tower, with a capacity of 2 megalitres (ML), intended to significantly enhance the water supply available to the Midrand area, is now 60% complete.
The R92m Erand tower and pump station project, currently being constructed by water utility Johannesburg Water (JW), will add capacity to the existing Erand reservoir complex. It will boost water supply in Midrand areas, including Carlswald, Blue Hills, Kyalami, and Barbeque Downs, to name a few.
The construction of the new Erand tower and pump station forms part of the entity’s reservoir storage upgrade programme, which aims to ensure the provision of a 24-hour storage capacity in all the entity’s reservoirs.
Part of the existing Midrand system consists of the Erand reservoir site, which comprises a 25ML capacity reservoir, a 9ML capacity reservoir, as well as a pump station.
The existing pump station sources water from the 9ML reservoir and delivers it to a 0.5ML capacity water tower elevated to 30m above ground level to produce the required hydrostatic pressure for the distribution of potable water to the local communities.
During the media site visit, on March 12, JW’s project manager Pfunzo Mudzanani said the JW master plan proposed a new, upgraded water pump station, which will supply both the new 2ML water tower and the 0.5ML existing tower.
“To increase water storage capacity of the existing system, specifically for higher lying areas, and to unlock the Midrand area for further development, JW is building a new 2ML water tower and pump station. This will increase the current storage capacity, as a result, and will provide a water network with adequate capacity to meet both present and ultimate demands,” said Mudzanani.
The storage capacity is required to mitigate against service disruption, should network bursts occur, or should there be a supply disruption from the bulk supplier, as well as maintaining adequate supply pressure in the reticulation system.
Mudzanani concluded that five small, medium, and micro-enterprises (SMME) were appointed for this construction, and the entity will still appoint more.
Scope of works:
- Construction of a new 30m high elevated reinforced concrete water tower with a capacity of 2ML. This includes the design and construction of piles, ground beams, shaft walls, columns, radial beams, and a cylindrical water tank.
- Construction of a new pump station housing four pumps each, with a head of 37m drawing water from the existing 25ML reservoir and delivering to both the new and existing water towers, including all the necessary appurtenances and control systems.
- Installation of all inlet and outlet pipework from the reservoir to the pump station and connecting to the existing distribution network.
- Cathodic protection and telemetry requirements.
- Installation of power supply to the new pump station as well as installation of a standby generator and lightning protection.
- Construction of new manholes and inlet and outlet chambers.
- Construction of paving around the pump station and tower.
Follow us on our Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok pages. Join our WhatsApp group for any story ideas you may have.
