Moyeni / Zwelisha Water Treatment Works , 2006/02/24
For decades, the people of Moyeni and Zwelisha, in the uThukela District of KwaZulu-Natal, lived next to the Tugela-Vaal water transfer scheme without ever having access to improved water services. However this changed recently when a water supply scheme with an initial capacity of 2Ml per day was officially opened by the Mayor of uThukela District Municipality, Mr Sipho Mvelase.
“Our people have been very patient,” he said. “Getting the necessary funding was a challenge but now we are proud to be opening the first water scheme of this size in a rural area, which in turn will open a new page for our communities who have never accessed such clean water before.”
The project began in 2002 when Jeffares and Green, the long established consulting engineering firm, were commissioned through the BoTT (build, operate, train and transfer) programme to improve water supply to the areas of Zwelisha and Moyeni covering 42km2 and 47km2 respectively. Over 25 thousand people are resident in these two communities.
“Until now people have had to rely mostly on boreholes equipped with hand-pumps or on springs for their water supply, with some having to walk kilometers to the nearest water source,” said Neal Bromley, the Jeffares & Green project leader in charge of design, construction supervision and project management.
Jeffares & Green’s first challenge was to identify a suitable raw water source. After exploring numerous inadequate conventional options the investigation led to an old weir on the Khombe River. This, and two other weirs and canals, formed an early part of the Tugela-Vaal transfer scheme. The infrastructure, constructed in 1974, was largely obsolete because of system upgrades but after 30 years it was still in good working order. It was decided to use this existing infrastructure which would require only minor refurbishments and thus save costs as well as obviating the need to construct new infrastructure in this environmentally sensitive area at the foothills of the Drakensberg Mountains.
The works will have an initial capacity of 2Ml per day, with the potential to be upgraded to 4Ml per day. Ease of operation and maintenance are an integral component of the design criteria. The infrastructure is under the custodianship of the uThukela District Municipality and is operated by uThukela Water as the water service provider to the area.
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