THE eThekwini Municipality has commissioned a key section of work package 2 of the Southern Aqueduct upgrade. The municipality has commissioned the 3.8km pipeline between Shallcross and Northdene, comprising approximately 2.5km of 1200mm-diameter steel pipeline and 1.3km of 1400mm-diameter pipeline.

Also read: Massive Southern Aqueduct leak prolongs water interruptions

Major part in the upgrade

Siduduzo Mtshali, project executive, said the commission work is a vital part of the upgrade involving five cross-connection chambers, 12 scour valve chambers, 18 air valve chambers and an isolation valve chamber.

“A key component of WP2 has been the pipe-jacking works, which involved installing the new pipeline at a significantly lower level than the existing line. This infrastructure will facilitate the supply of water and improve operational flexibility within the network,” said Mtshali.

Although the contractors had some initial issues with too much rocks, excavations have been completed and work is already underway.

Benefits of the upgrade

• Once fully completed, WP2 will restore redundancy across around 3.8km of the system, reducing reliance on a single ageing pipeline.
• The additional pipeline capacity will enable the municipality to undertake maintenance and repairs to existing infrastructure while minimising disruptions to water supply.
• The additional infrastructure is also expected to reduce the risk of unplanned pipeline failures, water losses and prolonged supply interruptions associated with emergency repairs.

Upgrade on track

As it stands, work packages 1 and 3 have been commissioned and completed while work packages 2, 4, 5 and 6 are still under construction.

“The Southern Aqueduct project is a major investment in the city’s bulk water infrastructure and, once completed, will strengthen the bulk water network serving approximately 1.2 million residents. The upgraded 24km bulk pipeline will continue to supply 33 reservoirs while improving the reliability and resilience of water provision to communities in the southern and central areas,” he said of the R1.1b project.

Water disruptions

While the teams work on the upgrades, the municipality has announced a shutdown of the Southern Aqueduct from today until Thursday (October 1).

The interruption is expected to affect parts of the municipality’s Inner West, Central and South regions.

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