Company Announcement - The 14 kilometre stretch of water pipeline extending from Inchanga Station to Alverstone Reservoir and then on to Ashley Drive in Kloof is now complete and, following the conclusion of pressure testing and commissioning, will be handed over to eThekwini Water and Sanitation  and brought into service Head of eThekwini Water and Sanitation , Ednick Msweli, said this week that this important milestone indicated that the city’s biggest ever bulk water pipeline project was on target for completion in 2017

The completed segment of pipeline, which took a total of 24 months to put in place, comprises the first two contracts of the R1,8-billion* second phase of the Western Aqueduct.  The first phase of the Western Aqueduct, which measures 20km and stretches from the Umlaas Road Reservoir to Inchanga, was commissioned at the end of 2012. Project manager, Martin Bright, said that pressure testing of the pipeline that extends 7km from Inchanga Station to Alverstone Reservoir was underway and that Cycad Construction was expected to hand over the project to EWS during July. He added that many residents in the Bothas Hill area, particularly those living at the bottom of the valley near the Inanda Dam, who had been under constant water supply pressure, would enjoy a more consistent supply of water as soon as the pipeline was fully operational.

The second contract between Alverstone Reservoir and Ashley Drive in Kloof, that has been completed by WK Construction, has been successfully tested and is due to be also handed over to EWS in July. Bright thanked residents for their patience during construction and pointed out that motorists would not only notice that roadworks were complete but that all roads excavated to lay the pipe had been completely rebuilt in places. Bright confirmed that the third contract that will see the remaining 25 km of pipeline laid from Ashley Drive to Ntuzuma is already well underway. He said that the contractor, Esor Construction, would be entering one of the more challenging parts of this project as it excavated the through fare near the Kloof Station in order to lay the pipeline.

He said this would lead to some traffic congestion and confirmed that road works would continue until 2017. Road closures and detours will be clearly sign posted. Another project milestone has been reached is the awarding of a fourth contract for construction of an urgently needed branch line running along Haygarth Road and under the N3 to Tshelimnyama to Esor Construction. This 16 month long contract, worth R88 million, is expected to relieve water shortages in the Tshelimnyama area. It will entail laying a pipeline with a diameter of 600mm from the entrance to Makaranga Lodge to the Haygarth Road Reservoir. From there, a 500mm pipe will take water to the existing reservoir in Tshelimnyama. This contract entails laying 8km of pipe, crossing under the N3 at the Marianhill Toll Plaza.  However, according to Bright, there will be no disruption to traffic or visible construction work affecting the N3. Esor Construction will construct a pipe jack that will push a 90 metre long concrete sleeve under the N3. The new water pipe will be inserted into this.

He added that work by Icon Construction on the Ashley Drive break pressure tank was progressing well. On completion during the third quarter of 2015, it is expected to hold 20 mega litres of water. Tenders have closed for the construction of the Wyebank Break Pressure Tank and EWS is currently assessing bids, according to Bright. Construction is expected to take 18 months with completion expected towards the end of 2016.

Msweli said that these achievements by contractors on behalf of EWS were significant and ensured that the eThekwini region had some of the best bulk water infrastructure in the region. “The Western Aqueduct is intended to both replace and augment existing infrastructure that brings water into Durban from the Midmar and recently constructed Springrove Dams. The Western Aqueduct is expected to significantly strengthen the capacity of bulk water supply and meet the needs of the greater eThekwini region for the next 30 years.” The Western Aqueduct project has been designed and is being monitored by the Knight Piesold/Naidu Consulting/Royal Haskoning DHV Joint Venture.