Umkhomazi project might be the answer to Durban’s woes
A SPOKESPERSON for the Department of Water and Sanitation, Sputnik Ratau, says ethekwini is expected to face a water supply crisis in the next five years if nothing is done to improve the current conditions.
Speaking on television last week, Ratau cited a lack of infrastructure maintenance as one of the main causes of the foreseen crisis. The city’s water challenges were exacerbated by the April floods, which saw some of the city’s infrastructure washed away.
A long-term solution was the intervention and augmentation of the umkhomazi Dam. A report by the department titled Introduction to the umkhomazi Water Project: Phase 1 (UMWP1) explains that the project is a feasibility study for the transfer of water from the undeveloped umkhomazi River to the existing umgeni system to augment water supplies to the Durban and Pietermaritzburg areas. It is a multi-disciplinary project undertaken by the department and Umgeni Water.
“(The project) comprises three modules: a raw water module developing the resource and the transfer infrastructure (module 1), a treated water module (module 3), and an environmental impact assessment module (module 2). The modules have been and will be assigned to professional service providers to address different aspects related to a major water development,” the report states.
The report indicates that, if this scheme is deemed feasible in relation to other options, it may be implemented by 2023.
Ratau said the umkhomazi water transfer scheme would be the largest water transfer scheme in South Africa, if compared to the Lesotho Highlands Water Project in terms of water volume and tunnel lengths and diameters.
Meanwhile, ethekwini mayor Mxolisi Kaunda announced that construction work for the Tongaat water treatment plant had been completed ahead of schedule and had been commissioned.
Tongaat residents haven’t had running tap water since the April floods, and have had to rely on water tankers.
The Tongaat water treatment plant was damaged during the floods.
Kaunda said the city would use the commissioning period to fill the on-site reservoirs with treated water.
“This will include testing the quality of the water to ensure it meets all
safety requirements. The Hambanathi reservoir will also be supplied with potable water first, and thereafter the following reservoirs will be filled: Emona, Metcalf, Belvedere, Tongaat South, and Mamba Ridge-jan Ross-burbreeze,” said Kaunda.
He appealed to residents to continue to boil drinking water for the first few days after this happened. “This is just a precautionary measure, because the pipelines will not have been in use for an extended period,” said Kaunda.
He said while water and sanitation infrastructure had been damaged during the floods, vandalism had also been at the centre of the failure of some wastewater pump stations.
“In the south of Durban, the municipality is finalising repairs of the two pump stations which are affecting emanzimtoti Beach. The contractor is currently on site, with the work expected to be completed in the next few weeks,” said Kaunda.
The city had also commenced repair work at the Ohlange sewage pump station in the north of Durban, which he said was responsible for the contamination of umhlanga Beach.