The second phase of Durban’s Western Aqueduct bulk-water pipeline is under way again, with two contracts having already been awarded and another on the way. In addition, the eThekwini municipality has injected a further R580-million to accelerate the project.

Neil Macleod, head of eThekwini Water & Sanitation (EWS), says the additional funds will be spread over the next three years and will allow construction of key components of the bulk-water pipeline to be completed as early as 2017.

The second phase of the Western Aqueduct, the largest ever water infra- structure project undertaken by the eThekwini municipality and originally estimated to be worth about R850-million, was delayed by a protracted legal battle following an appeal by the now liquidated Sanyati after the initial contract was awarded to Esorfranki Construction.

The eThekwini municipality then decided to re-evaluate the entire project and, at the beginning of 2013, unbundled it into six individual contracts that it expects to be rolled out over a seven-year period.

Both phases of the project have been designed and are being monitored by the Knight Piésold/Naidu Consulting/Royal HaskoningDHV joint venture. Phase 1, extending for 19 km from Umlaas road to Inchanga station, was commissioned in June 2011.

Macleod says that Cycad Pipelines, which was acquired by Stefanutti Stocks in March last year, has been awarded the first contract for the 7 km stretch between Inchanga station and Alverstone Neck. This is valued at about R125-million. Portions of the pipeline corridor have already been cleared and excavation of trenches is under way near Inchanga station.

Project manager Martin Bright confirms that the second contract 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 begin this month.

Bright says additional funding has enabled EWS to link the next two contracts so that the pipeline reaching from Ashley drive all the way to the NR5 reservoir, at Ntuzuma, could be completed in one. The tender for this contract and one for a massive 20 Mℓ break pressure tank at Ashley drive are expected to be awarded before the end of this year.

This means that the full length of the main spine of the Western Aqueduct will be under construction by next year.

Macleod welcomes the decision to release additional funds to accelerate the project as Durban is in need of an assured, sustainable supply of water. He says this infrastructure is now critical for the further development of Durban to the west or the north-west and critical projects such as the Dube Tradeport and Cornubia are being held back by a lack of water.

“We have enough water to meet the current demand but we don’t have the infrastructure to deliver it to where it is needed. We don’t have the network capacity to supply water,” he explains.

The second phase of the Western Aqueduct is expected to significantly strengthen the capacity of bulk water supply to the western regions of eThekwini, injecting up to 400 Mℓ/day. In future, it will also feed into the urgently needed Northern Aqueduct, which will take water to the north. This is expected to get under way at the beginning of next year.

Until recently, Macleod has warned that Durban’s water situation was tenuous, with supply outstripping demand, which means that the city is in danger of water restrictions following the slightest dip in rainfall. The completion of the new Springrove dam, at Mooi river, together with high rainfall, which has kept dams supply- ing water to the greater Durban area full during the dry winter months, has ensured that available supply and demand are balanced.

However, he says, Durban remains in “a honeymoon period”, with the slightest escalation in development likely to upset the situation once more. “From 2014 onwards, we start slipping back to where the supply is not statistically able to meet the demand,” he warns.