A SECTION of the R1.2b Southern Aqueduct has been commissioned, marking a significant milestone in the ongoing effort to stabilise water supply to the South Coast areas.

Also read: Delays on Southern Aqueduct work

Work Package 1 of the project was commissioned on May 18, and eThekwini Municipality’s spokesperson, Gugu Sisilana, said the section consists of about 4km of a new steel pipeline, replacing the old concrete one. She said the commissioning has resulted in the system having a greater capacity to serve residents supplied by the Westcliff Reservoir and the downstream reservoirs that supply Folweni and Nsimbini.

Executive director for Technical Services Ednick Msweli said the commissioning was an important step towards securing a sustainable water supply infrastructure for the City.

“The successful commissioning of this section of the Southern Aqueduct demonstrates the Municipality’s commitment to investing in infrastructure that improves the reliability and resilience of our bulk water supply network. While this phase delivers an immediate improvement to system performance, the completion of the remaining sections later this year will significantly enhance the aqueduct’s overall capacity to meet both current and future water demands for communities across the south and central areas,” said Msweli.

Also read: Business chamber warns over water increases

He added that Work Package 3 also remains on track for commissioning at the end of this month, and the remaining work packages are expected to be completed later this year.

The Southern Aqueduct supplies water to approximately 1.2 million people via 33 reservoirs and is one of the City’s most critical bulk water infrastructure projects aimed at improving the bulk water network, reducing water losses, and enhancing service delivery resilience. The existing bulk pipeline network is more than 50 years old and has deteriorated significantly over time, becoming increasingly prone to leaks and failures.

Sisilana said that while work has been underway, the municipality has achieved measurable savings in water losses during construction.

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