The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) expects to start the transfer of water from the Tugela river to the Sterkfontein dam on or around December 2, after resolving challenges that delayed the initiative for months.

The date remains provisional as the department, which is continuing negotiations with the community, is finalising some of the details of the arrangements.

The transfer is critical to ensuring the continued integrity of the Integrated Vaal River System (IVRS) as it will fill up the Sterkfontein dam – the reserve dam for the IVRS – to capacity, as well as reduce losses of water flowing from the Tugela river to the sea.

As at November 18, the Sterkfontein dam stood at 91.4% of capacity.

This transfer activity was to have started at the beginning of August.

The DWS explained in a statement on Monday that many of the challenges had been resolved, including that of the initial technical and safety issues with infrastructure that the Department of Employment and Labour identified during a visit to the Driel pumping station.

Further, issues of concern raised in March by Eskom and Sasol were resolved by the end of September, after an emergency contractor was appointed and the required transfers were made.

“There was also an issue experienced with a local community through which the canal that transfers the water from Driel through to Kilburn runs. These went back about three years and revolved around the number of drownings that had taken place in the canals,” the department noted.

“Several information sessions educating the scholars about the dangers of the canal were held, led by the central operations component of the DWS. Together with this, the DWS initially erected barbed wire fencing which disappeared. This was replaced with palisade fencing which was also vandalised.”

After further engagements, the DWS agreed to erect a tamper-proof wall along the canal. The community also insisted locals be hired to ensure the safety of the community when pumping takes place.

“The central operations has engaged DWS: Construction to assist in hiring 100 community members for this purpose – this will be a special contract under Section 76 of the National Water Act,” the department pointed out.