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

Client
eThekwini Water and Sanitation.

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 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 three engineering phases spanning 55 km.

In Phase 1, 18-m-long steel pipes, ranging from 1 200 mm to 700 mm in diameter will be laid to link two existing reservoirs in Phoenix to the proposed Blackburn reservoir. The steel pipeline will continue onwards to connect to the existing reservoir in, Umhlanga Ridge.

Phase 2 will involve the construction of the 1 200-mm-diameter pipeline between Emachobeni and the Phoenix 4 reservoir. It will close the link between the WA project and the northern most portions of the eThekwini water supply network. This section of work will be constructed simultaneously with the construction of Phase 1.

Phase 3 will run from Ntuzuma to Ogunjini. It will comprise the laying of 22 km of 600 mm and 300 mm pipelines and 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
Not stated.

Latest Developments
The first contract of Durban’s NAA has gone to tender and is expected to be awarded during the fourth quarter of this year.

Construction on this first contract of the project is expected to start next year.

The project has been designed and is being monitored by a joint venture between Knight Piesold and Naidu Consulting.

The first contract of the project starts at the Phoenix 2 reservoir and extends to the Waterloo reservoir near Verulam, and includes a link to the Umhlanga reservoir.

Meanwhile, a tender to construct the new Blackburn reservoir, which will play a crucial role in supplying water to Cornubia, is also being processed.

The second contract of the NAA project, which stretches from Duffs road to the Phoenix 2 reservoir, is undergoing an environmental-impact assessment.

Unlike the WA project, the NAA is not being built in a linear fashion.

Segments in areas of critical need will be constructed first, which will allow for water to be routed to important areas from reservoirs, with spare capacity to guarantee an uninterrupted supply of water, says project manager Martin Bright.

Meanwhile, construction of the WA, which will ultimately feed water into the NAA, is gathering momentum. The eThekwini municipality has released a further R580-million to be used over a three-year period to accelerate the city’s water infrastructure projects.

The second contract of the WA project, for the segment of the pipeline that begins at Alverstone Neck and continues to Ashley drive, in Hillcrest, was awarded to KwaZulu-Natal company WK SA Construction in August. Construction is expected to start this month.

Additional funding has also enabled EWS to link the next two contracts so that the pipeline from Ashley drive to the NR5 reservoir, at Ntuzuma, can be completed in one in one continuous effort. The tender for this contract and for a massive 20 Mℓ break pressure tank at Ashley drive, is expected to be awarded before the end of this year.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
Knight Piésold Consulting and Naidu Consulting (feasibility study).

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.