La Mercy desalination back-up plan

The La Mercy desalination plant is not Umgeni Water‘s first choice in augmenting the region’s water infrastructure.

Umgeni Water’s Kevin Meier said at a public participation meeting held on Wednesday, April 13 at the Tongaat Town Hall that the Umkomaas water project (a new dam at Smithfield on the Umkomaas River near Richmond) was the preferred project.

The Smithfield Dam, if built, will supply 600 million litres per day (Ml/d) into the Umgeni scheme and therefore there will be no need to build the highly contested 150 Ml/d La mercy desalination plant.

The current Umgeni Scheme comprises Midmar, Albert Falls, Nagle and Inanda Dams in KZN, a water transfer scheme from the Mooi River and the new Spring Grove Dam.

However, should a fatal flaw be found during the Umkomaas water project EIA, the desalination plant will have to be built.

Meier said as the area around the King Shaka International airport develops, the 110 Ml/d Lower Tugela Bulk Water Supply Scheme (LTBWSS) would eventually not be able to keep up with water supply demand, even with the added water from the raising of the Hazelmere Dam wall.

A number of people at the meeting raised the issue of water loss and insisted that fixing leaks and stopping water theft would save enough water to eliminate the need for desalination.

At a strategy steering committee meeting held in September 2015, it was reported that KZN was losing 538Ml/d at a cost of R623 million per year and saving this water would be the most cost effective way of obtaining the water the province needed.

Recycling as an alternative to desalination was also suggested but Meier said that option was turned down by the public who objected to the re-use of water (usually recycled sewage water).

Other objections raised by the community included the emotional value of the land, the visual impact, noise, health and safety, and a number of environmental concerns that were addressed in the draft EIA that is available on the CSIR website and in presentations made at the meeting.

The one objection which could not be addressed adequately at the meeting was the potential loss in value of property as a result of the desalination plant which has not been quantified in the EIA.

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