R20 billion water scheme project under way
Fever Local News | The water scheme project is aimed at augmenting raw water availability and meeting water supply demand to approximately 50 000 households on the South Coast within the municipal districts of Ugu and eThekwini.
The Lower uMkhomazi Water Scheme project in eThekwini Metro and Umdoni Local Municipality, which has been plagued with delays, is expected to be completed in December 2027.
The project is worth more than R20 billion and brags Umngeni-Uthugela Water as the implementing agent.
The minister of the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS), Senzo Mchunu, conducted a site inspection at Phase 1 of the project, Goodenough Abstraction Point and Pumping Systems, which is currently at 46% in terms of progress.
The water scheme project is aimed at augmenting raw water availability and meeting water supply demand to some 50 000 households on the South Coast within the municipal districts of Ugu and eThekwini.
Mchunu said the project is divided into two phases. The first phase consists of raw water components comprising of two independent systems: the Ngwadini system with off-channel storage and the Goodenough System with Abstraction Works and raw water storage reservoir.
He said that phase 2 entails a potable water component comprising 100Ml/day water treatment works, a 3.5km gravity main pipeline to the Quarry Reservoir; and an extension of the Quarry Reservoir to 30ML capacity.
The minister said the Lower uMkhomazi Water Scheme project is part of the uMkhomazi Water Project.
He said it consists of the construction of an 81m high dam at Smithfield on the uMkhomazi River (with a gross storage capacity of 251 million m3), a 33km (3.5m diameter) tunnel from Smithfield Dam to the uMlaza River Valley, and a 5.1km, 2.6m diameter gravity bulk pipeline connecting the tunnel to the Baynesfield Water Treatment Works (WTW).
Mchunu said this part of the project will be funded and implemented by the Trans-Caledon Tunnel Authority (TCTA), an entity of DWS, adding that the Umkhomazi Water project will result in a 55% increase in the amount of available water in the uMngeni Water Supply System.
“We are pleased with the progress made by the contractor’s determination and the capacity demonstrated by being ahead with about 6% of the expected schedule. This project will augment water in the South Coast areas that have been experiencing challenges for a long time. We are confident that the project will meet demand in the area, even in the foreseeable future,” said Mchunu.
He added that there will also be a balancing dam and a water treatment works in the uMlaza River with a gravity pipeline to the Umngeni Water Supply System, which supplies water to more than five million people in six districts namely, Ugu, eThekwini, Msunduzi, uMgungundlovu, Ilembe and Harry Gwala.
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