Name of the Project
Lower uMkhomazi water project – Phase 1 (uMWP-1).

Location
Municipal districts of eThekwini and Ugu, in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Project Owner/s
The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) subsidiary Trans-Caledon Tunnel Authority (TCTA) and implementing agent Umngeni-Uthugela Water.

The Lower uMkhomazi water scheme project will be funded and implemented by the TCTA. 

Project Description
uMgeni is the main water source supplying about six-million people and industries in the Durban and Pietermaritzburg regions. The uMWP-1 aims to augment the in-deficit uMgeni system from 394-million cubic metres a year to 608-million cubic metres a year.

The Lower uMkhomazi water scheme project is part of the uMkhomazi water project.

The project comprises the 81-m-high Smithfield dam and associated infrastructure on the uMkhomazi river, near Bulwer, with gross storage capacity of 251-million cubic metres; water conveyance infrastructure, including a 33 km, 3.5-m-diameter raw water tunnel from the Smithfield dam reservoir to the uMlaza river valley; and a 5.1 km, 2.6-m-diameter gravity, bulk pipeline connecting the tunnel to the Baynesfield Water Treatment Works (WTW). 

The project is divided into two phases with the first phase comprising a raw water component consisting of two independent systems – the Ngwadini system, with off-channel storage; and the Goodenough system, with abstraction works and a raw water storage reservoir.

Phase 2 entails a potable water component, comprising 100-million-litre-a-day WTW; 3.5 km gravity main pipeline to Quarry reservoir; extension of Quarry reservoir to 30-million-litres-a-day capacity; and the construction of a Green Star-certified administration building.

Potential Job Creation
Not stated.

Capital Expenditure
More than R20-billion.

Planned Start/End Date
uMWP-1is expected to be complete in December 2027.

Latest Developments
Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson has welcomed the work being done by Infrastructure South Africa to unblock the bureaucracy and red tape pertaining to the uMWP-1 bulk water supply scheme.

The work ensures that construction continues and is completed on time.

“Infrastructure South Africa’s involvement in the project highlights the importance of being involved in infrastructure projects moving forward to realise President Cyril Ramaphosa’s dream to turn the country into a construction site,” Macpherson said on August 6.

Macpherson believes that Infrastructure South Africa’s work should be replicated countrywide to unleash a wave of infrastructure investment that will help to expand the economy and create jobs.

The organisation could further play an important role in identified areas such as providing electricity for the construction site and ensuring that future phases of the project proceed without delay for speedy water provision to the region.

“The Lower uMkhomazi bulk water supply scheme is a prime example of how, through collaborative efforts, infrastructure investment can be unlocked which directly leads to improved living conditions for thousands of people.

“Going forward, we have to work together closely – including with the private sector – to unlock further construction projects which will ignite economic growth and create jobs. Let us build South Africa,” Macpherson urged.

However, criminal elements targeting public infrastructure sites remain a significant challenge, which Macpherson said, in this case, had resulted in the death of three people.

Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
None stated.

Contact Details for Project Information
TCTA, tel +27 12 683 12 31 or email info@tcta.co.za.