Name and Location
Northern aqueduct augmentation (NAA) project, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Client
eThekwini Water and Sanitation (EWS).

Project Description
The NAA project forms part of the eThekwini strategic master plan to deal with the increasing demand for water in the northern regions of Durban.

It is expected that the NAA project will inject 150-million litres a day of water into the area. The supply area will include the north-eastern regions of Durban north of the Umgeni river, south of the Tongaat river and east of Ntuzuma. Urban developments planned for Cornubia, King Shaka Airport, Dube Trade Port and the surrounding regions will also benefit from the project.

Water from the Western Aqueduct (WA) project is proposed to be injected into the NAA system through a pipeline linking Emachobeni to Umhlanga Rocks. The project will include some of the reservoirs in Ntuzuma and Phoenix, as well as the Blackburn reservoir, in Cornubia.

The project will comprise four engineering phases.

The first phase, which started in March 2014, will consist of 18-m-long steel pipes, ranging from 1 200 mm to 700 mm in diameter. The pipes will link the existing reservoirs in Phoenix to the existing reservoirs in Umhlanga and Waterloo, with a feed to the new Blackburn reservoir. This phase comprises 22 km of pipeline.

The first phase also includes a 1 200-mm-diameter steel pipeline over 6 km, from Duffs road to Phoenix reservoir, valued at R 90 million.

The second phase, from Durban Heights reservoir to Duffs road, involves laying 15 km of 1 200-mm-diameter steel pipeline.

Phase 3 will involve the construction of the 1 200-mm-diameter pipeline between the town of Emachobeni and the Phoenix 2 reservoir, and will close the link between the current WA pipeline project and the northern-most portions of the eThekwini water supply network.

Phase 4 will comprise pipe construction from the town of Ntuzuma to the town of Ogunjini. This entails laying 22 km of 600-mm- and 300-mm-diameter pipes, the construction of a ten-million-litre capacity reservoir and a booster pumpstation in the Ntanda region.

Value
The project is estimated at R860-million.

Duration
Phase 1 is scheduled for completion in the third quarter of 2015.

Construction of phases 2 and 3 are scheduled to start in the fourth quarter of 2015.

Construction of Phase 4 is scheduled to start in the third quarter of 2015.

Construction is expected to be completed in 2017.

Latest Developments
The construction of R250-million in urgently needed bulk water infrastructure in the northern part of the eThekwini region is nearing completion, says EWS.

Newly appointed EWS head Ednick Msweli confirmed in March that, two of the multimillion-rand contracts, which comprised a portion of the NAA project, were expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of this year.

These contracts form part of the seven individual projects of the NAA, with segments in areas of critical need, which will be put in place first, according to the different contracts.
Msweli confirms that work is proceeding according to schedule and that, by the end of the year, the pipeline to the Waterloo reservoir will be complete.

“This will alleviate the water shortages and rationing currently experienced in the Phoenix and Waterloo areas. These areas currently receive water from Hazelmere dam, which is low. We will be able to reroute water to compensate for this,” he says.

NAA project manager Martin Bright has further reiterated that the construction of these two contracts is complex, with special measures being taken to accommodate residents, preserve environmentally sensitive flora and rehabilitate excavation sites.

Bright has added that EWS has commissioned consultants to undertake the environmental-impact assessment and design of the contract for the link from Reservoir Hills, also known as Durban Heights, to Duffs road. This will go out to tender in early 2016.

Construction of this 30-month-long contract is expected to start in mid-2016. This will also entail a complex construction process that involves excavation and laying a 1.2-m-diameter steel pipe along a route of about 15 km.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
Knight Piésold Consulting and Naidu Consulting (feasibility study) and Esor Franki Construction (Phase 1).

On Budget and on Time?
Too early to state.

Contact Details for Project Information
eThekwini Municipality, tel +27 31 311 1111 or email sizakala@durban.gov.za.
Knight Piésold Consulting (South Africa), Iain Watson, tel +27 31 276 4660 or
fax +27 31 262 2950.
Naidu Consulting, tel +27 31 262 0272, fax +27 31 262 2547 or email info@naiduconsulting.com.
Esor Franki Construction, tel +27 11 776 8700, fax +27 11 822 1158 or email info@esorfranki.co.za.