Western Aqueduct work on schedule

At least 35 percent of the break pressure tank that is under construction in Ashley Drive, Hillcrest, has been completed and the project is likely to be finished by the second quarter of 2015.

A spokesman for Icon Construction – which was awarded the R45-million contract in May this year – confirmed that they had finished the blinding layer for the floor of the massive reservoir and poured the first wall panel by the end of August. On completion, the Ashley Drive break pressure tank will hold 20 mega litres of water.

A second break pressure tank, which will hold 20 mega litres will be constructed in Wyebank. The tender for this project is due to go out in the fourth quarter of this year with construction expected to commence at the beginning of 2015.

These are an integral part of the 39km second phase of the Western Aqueduct (WA) which is currently under construction between Inchanga and Ntuzuma.

The first phase of the Western Aqueduct, which measures 20km and stretches from the Umlaas Road Reservoir to Inchanga was commissioned at the end of 2012. Together they form the biggest ever bulk water pipeline project undertaken by EWS.

The estimated overall cost of the second phase of the WA and associated branch pipelines is R 1.8 billion.

The WA is intended to both replace and augment existing infrastructure that brings water from the Midmar and recently constructed Springrove Dams into Durban. It is ultimately expected to inject up to 400Ml per day, significantly strengthening the capacity of bulk water supply and meeting the needs of the greater eThekwini region for the next 30 years.

Martin Bright, project manager for eThekwini Water and Sanitation (EWS) explained that, because of height differences between distinct areas of the 55km pipeline, break pressure tanks needed to be constructed.

“Because of the steep terrain, it is necessary to break pressure. Moving through the Umgeni valley, there can be drops of as much as 300m, increasing pressure by as much as 30 bars,” he said.

To date, approximately 15 percent of the second phase of the WA has been completed. Although the entire second phase of the WA is expected to be completed within the next seven years, Bright said that work on the four contracts that are already underway was running according to schedule and key components of this vital pipeline would be complete by 2017.

At the beginning of 2013, EWS speeded up construction of the second phase of the WA substantially with the injection of additional funds. In addition, it also unbundled this mega project into individual contracts that could be delivered simultaneously.

Cycad Pipelines was appointed to construct the R 125-million 7km stretch from Inchanga Station to Alverstone Nek which is due for completion in May next year.

The second contract for the 7km stretch of pipeline that extends from Alverstone Nek through to Ashley Drive in Hillcrest and is valued at R138-milllion was awarded to KwaZulu- Natal company WK Construction and is also due for completion in May next year.

The R363-million, 25 km third contract for the segment beginning at the Ashley Drive break pressure tank and ending at the NR5 Reservoir at Ntuzuma was awarded to Esor Construction in February this year.

Two additional contracts for spur pipelines to Tshelimnyama and Mount Moriah are yet to be awarded.

According to Bright, the contract for the Tshelimnyama line recently closed and adjudication is underway. It is likely that a contractor will be on site by year end. The contract for construction of the Mount Moriah branch line is expected to be awarded during the second quarter of 2015.

The Western Aqueduct project has been designed and is being monitored by the Western Aqueduct Joint Venture Consultants consisting of Knight Piesold/Naidu Consulting/Royal Haskoning DHV Consultants.