Heritage Cases

Terratest (Pty) Ltd has been appointed by the uThukela District Municipality to undertake the necessary environmental services required for the proposed Wembezi Water Conservation and Demand Management Bulk Water and Reticulation Upgrade Scheme, Inkosi Langalibalele Local Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal. The proposed upgrade includes the installation of a new 8.8km High-density Polyethylene (HDPE) 750mm diameter (Ø), rising main bulk pipeline from the existing pump station at George Cross Water Treatment Works, to a new 10 Mega-litre (Ml) bulk storage reservoir located in Wembezi. The proposed rising main bulk water pipeline will be aligned to run alongside an existing Ø355mm steel rising main which currently serves an existing 10Ml Wembezi Reservoir, within an existing servitude. The project also includes for the upgrade of the existing water reticulation scheme in Wembezi, which will amount to the replacement of approximately 160 993m of reticulation pipeline, ranging from Ø75mm unplasticized polyvinyl chloride (uPVC) to Ø500mm HDPE. All reticulation will be constructed within the same footprint as the previously installed network, barring new household connections required for previously unconnected households. The proposed upgrade is required as Wembezi experiences severe water losses from the existing, dated infrastructure and supply is therefore unreliable. The neighbouring area of Ntabamhlophe feeds off the Wembezi infrastructure, and as this is failing, the area of Ntabamhlophe also receives an unreliable supply of water, if any at all. The proposed development therefore forms part of a larger project, which aims to upgrade water infrastructure and potable water supply in both the areas of Wembezi and in the neighbouring area of Ntabamhlophe. An additional aim of the upgrade is to stop the unnecessary and extreme water losses currently experienced in the area and is thus also considered to be a water conservation initiative.