Construction work on Durban’s Western Aqueduct bulk water pipeline worth more than R700 million will be in progress by 2015. To date, 7.5KM of the 55KM second phase has been completed and the entire project is well on track for its expected completion in 2017.

“Four contracts along the full length of the pipeline have been awarded and work on each is well underway,” said Neil Macleod, head of eThekwini Water and Sanitation (EWS). Two additional contracts – one for the Wyebank reservoir and another for a spur pipeline going from the main pipeline to Mount Moriah and Tshelimnyama – are expected to be awarded by year end.

The Western Aqueduct is Durban’s largest ever bulk water pipeline project and is intended to both replace and augment existing infrastructure that brings water from various dams surrounding Durban into the growing city.

“The Western Aqueduct is intended to provide an additional injection of much needed water to the Durban Municipal area and provide for the bulk water distribution needs of the area for the next 30 years. The completed WA is expected to significantly strengthen the capacity of bulk water supply to the western regions of eThekwini, initially injecting up to 80Ml per day into the system, with the ultimate capacity exceeding 400Mld,” said Macleod.

The first phase of the Western Aqueduct measures 20km, beginning at the Umlaas Road Reservoir and ending at Inchanga. This was completed at the end of 2010. However, the full effect of this first phase will only be felt once the second phase has been commissioned. This stretches between Inchanga Station and Ntuzuma with spur pipelines going to Mount Moriah and Tshelimnyama.

The estimated overall cost for the Western Aqueduct Phase 2 and associated branch pipelines is R 1.8 billion in present day terms.

Macleod stressed that construction of the Western Aqueduct Phase 2 is logistically complex in that the large diameter pipeline is constructed through extremely hilly terrain and along suburban roads. “Competent contractors have been appointed to execute the work and this is augmented by a large consulting engineering team that has extensive experience in this type of work,” he said.

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

According to project manager, Martin Bright, work on the first contract which covers the 7km stretch between Inchanga Station and Alverstone Neck awarded to Cycad Pipelines, is progressing well with 2,5 km of pipe already in the ground. He said there had been minimal disruption of traffic flow and the contract was well on track for completion in April 2015.

The second contract, which begins at Alverstone Nek and continues to Ashley Drive in Hillcrest, was awarded to WK SA Construction in August last year. Here, too, work is proceeding well with 2.5 km of pipeline in the ground and the completion date of April 2015 well within reach, he said.

The contract for the third and largest segment of the pipeline reaching from Ashley Drive to the NR5 Reservoir at Ntuzuma was awarded to Esor Construction earlier this year.

As this is a 25km stretch of the pipeline, work has commenced at three fronts in Kloof, KwaDukuza and Ntuzuma. So far, 0.5km of pipeline has been laid.

Bright confirmed that work on the 20 mega litre break pressure tank at Ashley Drive had been awarded to Icon Construction. The duration of the contract is one year with completion scheduled for the first quarter of 2015. At this point, earthworks are complete and the commencement of concrete works is imminent.

The contract for the spur pipeline to Tshelinyama went out to tender last week and is expected to be awarded during the fourth quarter of 2014. The duration of the contract is expected to be 16 months.

The tender for construction of the Wyebank Reservoir and the spur pipeline to Mount Moriah is due to go out in the fourth quarter of this year with construction expected to commence at the beginning of 2015.