Name and Location
Maphumulo bulk water supply scheme (BWSS), KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Client
Umgeni Water.

Project Description
The requirement for potable water supply to rural backlog areas along the coastal belt has prompted Umgeni Water to plan a new potable bulk water supply scheme with a source on the Imvutshane river and supply to the Ilembe district municipality.

The BWSS includes abstraction works, a dam on the Imvutshane river, a treatment plant higher up and bulk rising and gravity mains to supply the water from the water treatment works to the Ilembe district municipality’s greater Maphumulo area.

The bulk infrastructure will consist of the bulk water supply from the Imvutshane dam to the Maphumulo distribution reservoir, including the abstraction works, water treatment plants (WTPs), reservoirs, pumpstations and other ancillary works.

The Ilembe municipality is preparing secondary bulk reticulation to extend from the bulk main to future consumers.

The Maphumulo BWSS will be implemented in 6 Phases.

Phase 1.1A consists of the construction of the temporary abstraction works on the Imvutshane river, a raw-water abstraction pipeline, a raw water pumpstation, a raw-water rising main, a six-million-litre-a-day WTP and the upgrade of Eskom’s electrical reticulation required to service the entire scheme.

This phase will provide potable water for the entire scheme.

This phase was commissioned in May 2013.

Phase 1.1B comprises the construction of a three-stage rising main, lifting water from the new six-million-litre-a-day WTP to the existing Masibambisane water treatment works (WTW) through an 11.5 km pipeline, 250 mm to 400 mm in diameter; the construction and commissioning of four pumpstations; three reservoirs ranging from 200 000 ℓ to one-million litres in capacity and 110 mm in diameter.

This phase is providing potable water for the areas of Maphumulo, Masibambisane, Kwasizebantu and a portion of Ngcebo 2.

Phase 1.2 includes a three-stage rising main, lifting water from the booster pumpstation, south of the town of Maphumulo, to the existing Maqumbi command reservoirs through 15 km of pipelines, 200 mm to 350 mm in diameter.

This phase will also include the construction of two pumpstations and a one-million-litre reservoir.

This phase will provide water for the areas of Maqumbi and a portion of Ngcebo 2.
Phase 1.3 entails the construction of a 9-km-long, 160-mm-diameter gravity main from the existing command reservoir at Maqumbi to the

Ashville command reservoir. This phase will provide water for Ashville.

Phase 2 includes the construction of the Imvutshane dam.

The growth in demand will be monitored and the implementation of Phase 3 will be timed to meet the growth in demand.
Phase 3 involves the upgrade of the WTW from six-million litres a day to 12-million litres a day and the upgrade of the pumpstations required to service the ultimate demand on a “just in time” basis.

Value
Not stated.

Duration
Phase 1 was commissioned in May 2013.
The completion of Phase 1.2 was expected by the end of November 2013.

Phase 1.3 will be completed by March 2014.

The construction of the Imvutshane dam is scheduled for 2015.

Latest Developments
Work is well under way on the R212-million Imvutshane dam, 30 km north-west of Stanger, in KwaZulu-Natal, which is a key link in supplying people in rural Maphumulo with a reliable source of safe drinking water.

The construction of the 3.1-million-cubic-metre dam is scheduled for completion in February 2015.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
MBB Consulting Engineers (design and supervision of construction of the Imvutshane dam).

On Budget and on Time?
Not stated.

Contact Details for Project Information
Umgeni Water, tel +27 33 341 1111 or fax +27 33 341 1167.
MBB Consulting Engineers, tel +27 33 345 3530, fax +27 33 342 7728 or email info@mbbpmb.co.za.