With many of South Africa’s priority infrastructure projects having strategic importance for the development of water resources, Water and Sanitation Minister Senzo Mchunu highlighted several key projects across the country during a virtual briefing of the Portfolio Committee on Water and Sanitation.

In the Western Cape, he pointed to the Clanwilliam dam raising, which aims to provide additional water to improve the assurance of supply for agriculture, provide for water allocations to resource-poor farmers and to address dam safety aspects.

The scope of the work includes the raising of the existing dam wall by 13 m, the relocation of a section of the N7 directly affected by the raised dam wall and the raising of the secondary provincial roads affected by the full supply level in the dam basin. About 143 of the envisaged 262 properties have been expropriated.

The R534-million Nooitgedagt Coega low-level scheme, one of the projects to augment water supply in the drought-stricken Eastern Cape, comprises the construction of a flex mixer, two flocculation channels and settling tanks with six filters.

“This will increase the capacity of water treatment works from 70 megalitres a day to 210 megalitres a day,” Mchunu commented.

The augmentation project of the James Kleynhans bulk water supply in Makhanda is expected to improve water supply for the region and ensure security of supply for the long term.

In the Free State, the Xhariep Pipeline project comprises the construction of major water infrastructure, including abstraction works, water treatment plants, pump stations and a major pipeline, from the Gariep dam to Bloemfontein at a cost of about R10-billion.

“The Section 63 Vaal Intervention, one of the priority projects in Gauteng, includes the upgrading of water infrastructure, refurbishment, operations and maintenance, sustainability, water conservation, water demand management and advocacy within the Vaal area.

“This is meant to deal with urgent matters relating to security of supply and more urgently matters relating to the pollution of the Vaal river, and enhancement of capacity for the embattled Emfuleni local municipality.”

The Umkhomazi water project in KwaZulu-Natal, meanwhile, will provide water for the Umgeni water supply system, which is experiencing water shortages.

The project comprises the provision of bulk raw water implementation by the Trans-Caledon Tunnel Authority and bulk potable water implementation by Umgeni Water. The project is to be fully funded from loan funding.

In Limpopo, Mchunu highlighted the multi-year construction of the Masodi wastewater treatment works implemented by the Mogalakwena local municipality, delivering ten megalitres a day, with capacity for expansion to 15 megalitres a day if needed.

Meanwhile, one of the priority projects in the Northern Cape is the Vaal-Gamagara regional water supply scheme, in the John Taolo Gaetsewe district municipality.

This project entails the functional replacement of the existing steel pipeline with a new pipeline to provide assurance of current and future supply to all users.

In North West, the Brits water treatment works and associated works is set to boost the water supply for the Madibeng local municipality and surrounding areas. The Department of Water and Sanitation’s construction unit has completed 70% of the civil work.

Lastly, water supply in Mpumalanga will be enhanced by the Thembisile/Loskop regional bulk water supply project, which is currently at the tender stage.