Zimile Consulting Engineers is nearing the completion of a large-scale water supply scheme covering seven villages in uMuzimkhulu local municipality, in KwaZulu-Natal.

After implementing the project in early May 2021, the construction firm is preparing for the handover to the municipality by the end of May 2022.

The scope of the project, which aims to support rural communities with clean and safe, drinkable water, and to cater for additional families coming into the areas, included borehole drilling, network refurbishment, electrical work, design and construction of rising mains, and water storage solutions, besides others.

“We were honoured to be awarded this contract, as the project was multifaceted, to say the least. With several sites needing our attention, each with its own unique requirements and challenges, we were able to put our skills to the test. We needed to be dynamic and flexible for this undertaking to ensure the right solution was matched to each village’s water system,” said Zimile Consulting Engineers junior technologist Vuyokazi Radebe.

Many of the sites were in a poor condition, had illegal connections and had insufficient water treatment processes, rendering the water unsafe, he explained, noting that when it came to aging, deteriorating infrastructure, there was no one-size-fits-all approach to rural bulk water supply.

Zimile drilled a total of four new boreholes and refurbished one. It also refurbished two springs, designed and executed three new water reticulation systems, refurbished another three and added three new water storage tanks.

“The team at Zimile made sure that each site was equipped with the right control and monitoring technology where necessary, and repairs and replacements were made to the pipes to ensure the new water infrastructure would hold firm for many years to come,” Radebe commented.

Further, additions were made in terms of water treatment, with two sites being fitted with chlorine dosing plants to ensure the borehole water does not pose any dangers to the communities.

“As we near the end of another successful project, we have added even more experience to our team. Working across scattered and remote communities was no simple task, but we rose to the occasion and are ready to apply the lessons learnt to our next rural infrastructure project,” Radebe concluded.