A 14km stretch of pipeline from Inchanga Station to Ashley Drive in Kloof, which makes up the first two contracts of the approximately  R1.8-billion second phase of the Western Aqueduct, is currently being commissioned and tested and should be fully operational by mid-year.

Head of eThekwini Water and Sanitation (EWS), Ednick Msweli, said this week that the city’s biggest ever bulk water pipeline project was proceeding in accordance with the project plan.

He said he was confident that all of the contracts that make up the full 39km second phase of the pipeline as well as its branch pipelines would be completed on time.

This portion of the pipeline comprises two 7km segments and is being completed by Cycad Pipelines and WK SA Construction respectively.

The largest segment of the Western Aqueduct, which is being constructed by EsorFranki, measures 25 km and stretches from the Ashley Drive break pressure tank to the NR5 Reservoir at Ntuzuma.

It is scheduled to be complete and fully operational with all construction and road reinstatement finalised by mid-2017.

Contracts for two further sections of the Western Aqueduct – the Wyebank Break Pressure tank and the pipeline that will link the Western Aqueduct to Mt. Moriah – are expected to be awarded during the third quarter of 2015. These will run for 15 months.

Msweli said that EWS was extremely proud of the progress made on the second phase of the Western Aqueduct.

He pointed out that the eThekwini Municipality had recognised a need to be proactive and put in place critical infrastructure that would have a major impact on the future of one of South Africa’s most rapidly growing cities.