Name of the Project
Olifants Management Model Programme (OMMP).

Location
Limpopo, South Africa.

Project Owner/s
Lebalelo Water User Association (LWUA) has been appointed by the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) and the commercial sector to implement the OMMP.

Project Description
The OMMP is resequencing the original Olifants River Water Resources Development Project – Phase 2 (ORWRDP-2).

Rolled out in phases, the programme aims to fast-track the construction of bulk raw and potable water infrastructure for communities and commercial users (including mines and industrial users) in the Sekhukhune district and Mogalakwena local municipalities.

The programme will further optimise existing infrastructure and water supply of the De Hoop and Flag Boshielo dams in the Middle Olifants catchment and enhance water supply to Polokwane local municipality. The project will start with Phase 2B and 2B+. This will be followed by Phase 2D and 2F while deferring Phase 2E to optimise capital expenditure, and expanding the ORWRDP-2 to include potable water infrastructure provisioning.

The phases completed under the original ORWRDP, which were built by DWS and represented by the Trans-Caledon Tunnel Authority (TCTA), include:

• Phase 1A – the raising of the Flag Boshielo dam by 5 m.
• Phase 2A – building of the De Hoop dam, the thirteenth-largest in the country, with a 347-million-cubic-metre reservoir capacity.
• Phase 2C – the pipeline from De Hoop dam to Steelpoort.

LWUA will be building six new infrastructure projects:

• Bulk raw water Phase 2B and 2B+ – comprising a steel pipeline from Flag Boshielo dam to Pruissen (2B), and from Pruissen to Sekuruwe (2B+) in the northern limb to connect the Mokopane region up to Sekuruwe with the Olifants river system through Flag Boshielo dam. This will include three new pumpstations.
• Bulk raw water Phase 2D – a new pipeline between Steelpoort pumpstation and a new break pressure tank at Mooihoek, and a bypass line around Clapham pumpstation.
• Bulk raw water Phase 2F – a new steel pipeline from Clapham junction to Olifantspoort weir to augment water supply to Polokwane. This will include two reservoirs at Klipfontein.
• Phases 2D and 2F will allow for the use of the newly built (2014) and sparsely utilised De Hoop dam to expand water provision in the eastern limb and connect the De Hoop and Flag Boshielo dams with Polokwane. This will increase water supply to cover current shortages in the municipality through a water treatment plant and pipeline from Olifantspoort weir to be built by other participants.
• Bulk potable water and reticulation on the eastern limb, including potable water pipelines; reservoirs; water treatment works at Spitskop and Havercroft region; the upgrade of existing water treatment works, pumpstations and associated infrastructure; and reticulation network and yard connections in defined areas in the Sekhukhune district municipality. The project aims to increase potable water supply by about 46 Mℓ/d and use a portion of the treated water to provide yard connections for about 250 000 people. The remainder of the treated water will be distributed by the water service authority in the region.
• Bulk potable water and reticulation in the northern limb, including potable water pipelines; reservoirs; two new water treatment works at Mokopane and Sekuruwe; pumpstations and associated infrastructure; and reticulation network and yard connections in defined areas in the Mogalakwena local municipality. The project aims to increase potable water supply by about 49 Mℓ/d and use a portion of the treated water to provide yard connections for about 190 000 people. The remainder of the treated water will be distributed by the water service authority in the region.

Included in the OMMP is the Association project – Southern Extension 2, to supply water from Phase 2C at Spitskop to Mototolo platinum mine. This is linked to the OMMP objectives to fully integrate and utilise available data, designs and infrastructure to exploit the integration opportunities of common project management systems and the sharing of information.

Potential Job Creation
Direct, indirect and induced employment opportunities for an estimated 42 000 people will be created. The development will comprise R3.2-billion average yearly capital expenditure from 2024 to 2030, R3.9-billion average yearly operational expenditure from 2024 to 2054 and R5.9-billion average additional mining revenue a year from 2024 to 2054. Between 16% and 21% of this expenditure will flow to low-income households.
 

Capital Expenditure
The OMMP’s infrastructure projects will be grouped into six stages over a ten-year period.

Stage 1: Phase 2B and 2B+ and northern limb (NL) water treatment works (WTW) is valued at R7.7-billion.

Stage 2: Phase 2D and Phase 2F, eastern limb (EL) WTW and EL and NL quick wins is valued at R5-billion.

Stage 3: EL and NL reticulation and EL WTW refurbishment is valued at R1.7-billion.

Stage 4: remainder of bulk potable water development is valued at R5.6-billion.

Stage 5: EL and NL reticulation Phase 1 is valued at R2.5-billion. Stage 6: EL and NL reticulation Phase 2 is valued at R2.5-billion.

Planned Start/End Date
Construction of Stage 1 is set to start in January 2025 and run until January 2027.

Stage 2 will run from July 2025 to July 2028.

Stage 3 will run from July 2026 to July 2028.

Stage 4 will run from July 2027 to July 2029.

Stage 5 will run from July 2028 to July 2031.

Stage 6 will run from July 2031 to July 2034.

Latest Developments
Early works for Phase 2B and 2B+ started in May 2024 to accelerate the project.

Phase 2E has been deferred.

Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
For Phase 2B and 2B+
Wilson Bayly Holmes-Ovcon (WBHO – main contractor); Wood PLC (project management consultant); and Sustainable Power Solutions (renewable-energy solution).

Contact Details for Project Information
LWUA communication manager Tim Boshoff, 
tel +27 12 348 4654 or email tim@lebalelo.co.za.