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The Minister of Water and Sanitation, Senzo Mchunu has commended progress in the implementation of Lower uMkhomazi Water Scheme project which will augment raw water availability and meet water supply demand to approximately 50 000 households in the South Coast within the Municipal Districts of eThekwini and Ugu in KwaZulu-Natal. 

Minister Mchunu and Deputy Ministers David Mahlobo and Judith Tshabalala, together with the Mayors of the Districts, and the traditional leaders, Inkosi Bele and Inkosi Mcadi visited construction sites currently ongoing within uMkhomazi River on Saturday, 06 April 2024. 

Minister Mchunu and the entourage conducted a site inspection visit at Phase 1 of the project, Goodenough Abstraction point and pumping Systems, which is currently at 46% progress. The Minister expressed his gratitude on the advancements made on the project. The project is projected to be completed in December 2027.

“We are pleased by progress made by the contractor’s determination and the capacity which is demonstrated by being ahead with about 6% of the expected schedule. This project will augment water in the South Coast areas that have been experiencing water supply challenges for a long time. We are confident that the project will meet water supply demands in the area, even in the foreseeable future,” said Minister Mchunu.

Lower uMkhomazi Bulk Water Supply is worth more than R20 billion with Umngeni-Uthugela Water as the implementing agent and is situated in eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality (Ward 99) and uMdoni Local Municipality (Ward 18) in KwaZulu Natal. 

The project has previously been plagued by delays, but it has finally taken off following Minister Mchunu’s intervention. 

The project is divided into two phases with the first phase consisting of raw water component comprising of two independent systems: Ngwadini system with off-channel storage; and the Goodenough System with Abstraction Works and raw water storage reservoir, while phase 2 entails of potable water component comprising of the following packages: 100Ml/day Water Treatment Works;
3.5km gravity main pipeline to Quarry Reservoir; extension of Quarry Reservoir to 30ML capacity as we as the construction of a Green Star Administration Building.
The Lower uMkhomazi Water Scheme project is part of the uMkhomazi Water Project consists of a construction of 81m high dam at Smithfield on the uMkhomazi River (with gross storage capacity of 251 million m3), a 33km (3.5m diameter) tunnel from Smithfield dam to the uMlaza River Valley, and a 5.1km, 2.6m diameter gravity bulk pipeline connecting the tunnel to the Baynesfield Water Treatment Works (WTW). This part of the project will be funded and implemented by the Trans Caledon Water Authority (TCTA), an entity of DWS. The Umkhomazi Water project will result in a 55% increase in the amount of available water in the uMngeni Water Supply System.

There will also be a balancing dam and a water treatment works in the uMlaza River with a gravity pipeline to the Umngeni Water Supply System which supplies water to more than 5 million people in six districts namely, eThekwini, Msunduzi, uMgungundlovu, Ugu, Ilembe and Harry Gwala and industries in the province. 

Umgeni Water Supply System has experienced water deficit from as far back as 2016, but its augmentation from the uMkhomazi Water Catchment is expected to increase fresh water supply from 394-million cubic metres a year to 608-million cubic metres a year. 

Issued by Department of Water and Sanitation