The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) is confident that the Lesotho Highlands water tunnel will be reopened by the end of March as planned.

The critical water tunnel closed on October 31 for six months for maintenance, refurbishment and repair.

“Although there is a slight delay on the maintenance work undertaken by Lesotho Highlands Development Agency in Lesotho, the agency is working on a catch-up plan to ensure that they are back on track to ensure that the tunnel can be opened by the end of March 2025, as per the schedule,” the DWS said in a statement.

“The DWS is closely monitoring the progress of the maintenance repair work being done and is satisfied that the work will be completed according to the planned schedule.”

The TransCaledon Tunnel Authority is responsible for the maintenance work in South Africa, which started by cleaning of the rubble inside the tunnel following its dewatering, followed by the refurbishment of the 37 km tunnel.

The closure of the tunnel has impacted many municipalities, however, the Saulspoort dam in the Liebenbergsvlei river, which ensures sustainable supply of water to local municipalities of Dihlabeng, Nketoana and Mafube, is at a comfortable 78.74%.

Relief intervention programmes for the municipalities include the upgrading of water treatment works, upgrading of raw water pumps and the construction of new reservoirs, as well as the development of groundwater resources by drilling and equipping boreholes.

“All of these projects, implemented by the responsible municipalities, are under way and are critical in ensuring sustainable water supply to communities during the tunnel system shutdown,” the DWS explained.

Further, the municipalities implemented water restrictions in their area of operation for the duration of the closure, while the DWS gazetted water restrictions guiding water use by farmers in the area until March 31 to ensure that there is enough water during the closure of the tunnel.

The gazette stipulates that water users on the left bank of the Ash and the Liebenbergsvlei rivers may abstract water for agricultural purposes from 06:00 on Mondays until 06:00 on Wednesdays, while those on the right bank of the Ash and the Liebenbergsvlei rivers can abstract water from 06:00 on Wednesdays to 06:00 on Fridays.

“The DWS, together with the affected municipalities, has been working tirelessly in ensuring that municipalities communicate effectively and promptly with their communities about water issues that arise and conduct public awareness campaigns to encourage responsible water use and water conservation, particularly during the time of a tunnel closure,” the department commented.

Meanwhile, the DWS noted earlier in January that recent rainfall had boosted the water levels of the Vaal dam significantly, with plans to fill the dam with water from Sterkfontein dam no longer necessary.

The water levels of the Vaal dam had been dwindling, and preparations had been under way, at the time, to augment the water from the Sterkfontein dam as soon as the Vaal dam’s levels had reached 18%.