Heritage Cases

The Department of Water Affairs (DWA) appointed AECOM (Pty) Ltd. in 2010, to undertake a Feasibility Study for Augmentation of the Lusikisiki Regional Water Supply Scheme. This study reported that a combination of surface water (Zalu Dam) and groundwater would be the most feasible solution for the long-term water supply for the LRWSS. The Zalu Dam was found to be the most feasible surface storage option for the areas around Lusikisiki, with the south-western part of the study area requiring supplies from groundwater The DWA proposes to begin the second phase of the scheme to augment the existing water supply in the area from Lusikisiki to Port St Johns (Ingquza Hill and Port St John’s Local Municipalities). This will involve two water resources: • The construction of the Zalu Dam on the Xura River to the west of Lusikisiki, which will also involve the upgrading of the Lusikisiki water treatment works and the expansion of the potable water reticulation in the Lusikisiki area; and • A groundwater abstraction scheme in the south, which will augment water supplies to Port St Johns and the surrounding areas. The study area for the EIA comprises the entire region between Lusikisiki (up to about 15 km inland) and the coast, extending from the Mzimvubu River in the south-west to the Msikaba River in the northeast. This area includes the Zalu Dam site and its catchment along the Xura River, conveyance routes between the dam and control reservoirs, as well as borehole sites that could be developed for augmentation of water supplies from groundwater and the routes of the main pipelines from the boreholes to the control reservoirs