MMC’s visits Crown Gardens water tower during Water Week

The MMC for Environment and Infrastructure Services Department, councillor Mpho Moerane, took a tour of the City’s water and sanitation entity’s new pump station, a 2.0mL (concentrated mass at the top) elevated tower, under construction at Crown Gardens on March 18 to assess the progress made in its construction.

The visit was part of the MMC’s activities to commemorate Water Week, which ended on March 19.

Project background

The Crown Gardens Reservoir and Water Tower complex was commissioned in the mid-1950s and is situated in the suburb of Crown Gardens Ridge in Johannesburg South.

The complex has been operational for more than 50 years. The Rand Water pipeline supplies water directly into the reservoir. However, the existing pump station is equipped with old technology and inefficient split-case pumps.

The general norm is to have a storage capacity of at least four hours’ peak consumption in an elevated tower.

Due to the population growth over the years in the area, the storage capacity of the existing tower became inadequate for the demand, and Johannesburg Water plans to supplement the storage capacity through the construction of this additional tower.

The new pump station is designed to be equipped with three pumps. The pump station is designed to house a fourth pump in the future, should the need arise.

Johannesburg Water Infrastructure Planning Department appointed Esor Construction for the project, with an estimated project cost of R56 829 000 (excluding VAT and contingencies), and the construction duration was 18 months. The tower is 95 per cent complete.

SMMEs

The contractor was appointed with the condition that 20 per cent of the construction activities should be subcontracted to the local community, with particular emphasis on skills transfer.

The following was achieved on the project regarding SMMEs:

• A total of eight SMMEs were appointed to the project.
• A total of R8.1-million has been spent on SMMEs to date.

Jobs created: 31 locals were employed for the project. This number consists of youths.

Challenges

Since its inception, the project was subjected to several delays (technical and non-technical), including work stoppages, excessive rain, the pandemic, pumps and outstanding work.

Completion

Anticipated completion time, according to the valve supplier, all valves will be delivered by end of April and all installations will be completed by May.

The entrance and the guardhouse to be completed in April.

The access road and paving underneath the tower to be completed by March.

A section of fencing to be completed by March.

Refurbishment inside the old tower and refurbishment of the old pump station into a generator room and storeroom to be completed by April.