uMshwathi Regional Bulk Water Supply Scheme Phase 2

Nominated for a 2020 SAICE Regional Award for KwaZulu-Natal and CESA

Nominated for CESA/AON 2020

Provided critical water supplies for the future to underserviced areas

Ensured the development and empowerment of communities, emerging contractors, and consultants in line with national development goals

Challenges

The Wartburg system was revealed to be reaching its ultimate capacity and needed to be augmented
Interfacing with existing infrastructure and concurrent other works being undertaken on a number of sites
Providing a flexible and scalable system

Solutions

Two booster pump systems were designed and constructed, one on the Phase 1 pipeline (constructed under a separate contract) and the second on the Phase 2 pipeline
The Phase 2 pipeline consists of 15.1 km of a 700 mm diameter steel pipe with a 6 mm wall thickness and 3LPE coating with 57 chambers incorporating air, scour, and isolating valves
To accommodate the steel main crossing of provincial roads and rail lines, 2,130 mm diameter concrete pipes were jacked with six crossings undertaken, totaling 171 m
The 10 Ml Dalton reservoir is a 40 m diameter prestressed concrete structure with a flat concrete roof slab and a height of 9.4 m. The reservoir was constructed on an existing reservoir site with future planning of a second identical reservoir. Concurrent construction of Phase 3 on the same site under a separate contract required close coordination between the respective consultants and contractors.
The interface between the Phase 1 pipeline and the Phase 2 pipeline is the new 8 Ml Wartburg reservoir which was constructed under a separate contract adjacent to two 1.5 Ml reservoirs.
The integration of the three reservoirs was added to the scope of the Phase 2 project during the contract and required the construction of new chambers, pipework, and control systems on the Wartburg site.

Highlights

On completion, the contractor exceeded the minimum requirements of the client in respect of emerging contractor development
The project provided employment for and upskilling of the local community (approximately 250,000 work hours).
High-quality end product was produced with minimal impact on the environment.

Project numbers

R233 million excluding VAT (final contract value)
700 mm diameter steel pipeline from Wartburg to a new 10Ml reservoir at Dalton and two pump stations
35% Contract Participation Goal (CPG) was achieved
40 m reservoir diameter with a height of 9.4 m
2,130 mm diameter concrete pipes were jacked with six crossings undertaken, totaling 171 m