Name and location
Lesotho Lowlands bulk water supply scheme project.

Project description
The Lesotho Lowlands bulk water supply scheme follows in the wake of the multibillion-dollar Lesotho Highlands water project, which began more than 20 years ago.

The Lesotho Lowlands bulk water supply scheme was initiated to tackle the increasing domestic, industrial and institutional water needs of the lowland districts of Botha Bothe, Leribe, Teyateyaneng, Berea, Maseru, Morija, Mafeteng, Mohale's Hoek, and Quthing, in Lesotho. The feasibility study for the Lesotho Lowlands bulk water supply scheme, completed by British company Parkman in 2004, recommended that the lowlands area be divided into eight zones.

Zones 1, 2, and 3 will be fed by the Hololo and Hlotse rivers that can be supplemented from the Highlands transfer tunnel; Zone 4 - the capital, Maseru - will have a conjunctive use scheme from the Caledon river and the proposed Metolong dam; Zone 5 - Morija - will be fed from Zone 4; and Zones 6, 7, and 8 will be fed from the Makheleng and Senqu rivers respectively, in the south of the country.

Value
The total cost of the project has not been disclosed. The contract for the detail design of the project is valued at R60-million.

Duration
The detail design phase of the project will take 18 months to complete.

Breakdown of main contracts
Not stated.

Client
The Lesotho government.

Latest developments
The Lowlands water joint venture (JV), headed by consulting engineering group, SSI, has been awarded a R60-million contract for the detail design of the European Union-financed Lesotho Lowlands bulk water supply scheme, and the implementation of a national water sector information management system for the Lesotho government.

The other partners are Jeffares & Green, GWC Consulting Engineers, of Lesotho, and Fichtner, of Germany, with subconsultants Inter-map and Sechaba, of Lesotho.

The 18-month detail design phase is the second of the four-phase project and includes reviewing water demands in the area, reviewing the hydrology of river sources, confirming water demand and projected water requirements, conducting geotechnical and environmental surveys, and consulting with public interest groups. The detail design is being conducted with a view to meeting the projected needs of the area up to 2020, as well as allowing for possible expansion to meet water demands up to 2035. The second component of the contract, the national water sector information management system, is being conducted by Intermap, from Pietermaritzburg, and will deal with the widely differing user requirements across and in Lesotho's water sector.

Participants
Lowlands water JV comprising SSI, Jeffares & Green, GWC Consulting Engineers, Fichtner, with subconsultants Intermap and Sechaba (detail design).

Construction materials
Not stated.

On budget and on time?
Not stated.

Contact details for project information
SSI group communications manager,
Robin Hayes, tel (011) 798 6522 or
email robinh@ssi.co.za.