Earmarked to benefit from this investment are several major infrastructure projects in the Eastern Cape, currently being implemented by Amatola Water. These include the Amathole Dry Sanitation Project, Ndlambe Bulk Water Supply and Nelson Mandela Bay’s Nooitgedacht/ Coega Low Level Scheme Project, among others.
Amatola Water infrastructure upgrade project to eliminate supply backlogs
The Amatola Water Bulk Infrastructure Upgrade Project is the utility’s largest project to date.
Amatola Water is upgrading its Peddie, Sandile, Debe Nek, Masincedane, Binfield and Nahoon water supply schemes infrastructure. These upgrades will allow the utility to provide bulk potable water capacity, a drive towards the elimination of backlogs, and also achieve the organisation’s objective of increasing water supply to 750 liters per household per day. The project will also provide reticulation infrastructure to eliminate water supply backlogs in 4 057 households within the supply boundaries of the schemes, and extend supply to over 47 142 households. The project has been allocated R500-million over three financial years under the Department of Water and Sanitation’s Regional Bulk Infrastructure Grant (RBIG) programme.
Amatola Water appointed to complete Amathole dry sanitation project
Amatola Water has been appointed by the Department of Water and Sanitation as Project Implementing Agent for the completion of the Amathole District Municipality’s (ADM) Dry Sanitation programme. The project will be implemented in three phases and comprises the construction of 36,291 Ventilated Improved Pit (VIP) units in six local municipalities within ADM.
Phase 1 entails the construction of 15 000 VIP units, while Phases 2 and 3 respectively entail the completion of 10,259 new units for the Mnquma, Amahlathi and the Great Kei regions, as well as the completion of 11,032 new units for the Nkonkobe and Ngqushwa regions.
The construction of the VIP units will help restore dignity to the communities, and contribute to the respective area’s socio-economic development through the utilisation of local labour and SMMEs during the construction phases.
The project is estimated to cost around R508-million and anticipated to be complete in December 2017.
Increased water supply capacity for Nelson Mandela Bay
Amatola Water has been appointed by the Minister of Water and Sanitation to fastrack the augmentation of the Nooitgedacht/ Coega Low Level Scheme project to increase capacity of water supply from the Orange River System to Nelson Mandela Bay from 70 Mℓ/d to 160 Mℓ/d.
The project includes the construction of a 45 Mℓ balancing reservoir at Olifantskop reservoir site; rrehabilitation of the Missionvale Pipeline; and civil works for 70 Mℓ/d extension to Nooitgedacht water treatment works, including a 6 Mℓ clear water well, six gravity filters, sedimentation tank and inlet structure, pipeline extensions and control valves and filter backwash recycle facility.
The total project cost is estimated between R318-million and R510-million, with a budget of R128-million approved for 2016/2017 financial year. The construction phase is currently underway and expected to be complete by October 2018.
Thousands of Ndlambe communities to benefit from major bulk water supply project
Communities within the Ndlambe Local Municipality are set to benefit from a R370-million bulk water supply project aimed at providing long- term sustainable bulk water supply in the area.
The Ndlambe Regional Bulk Water Supply project entails the construction of:
- A new Reverse Osmosis (RO) plant at Port Alfred.
- Supply of groundwater from Central Bolt.
- Brine discharge line to the sea outfall.
- New portable storage reservoir and internal pipelines at Port Alfred.
- New reservoir, pump station and pipeline at Cannon Rocks.
- New reservoir and pipeline at Alexandria.
The project will augment water supply to the coastal towns of Port Alfred, Alexandria and Canon Rocks. This will ensure an increase in the quantity and quality of water supplied to the area.
Water supply to Alexandria will also be augmented through the construction of a new rising main from the coastal well fields at Fishkraals and Cape Padrone.
Port Alfred, Bathurst, Alexandria, Cannon Rocks, Boknes, Kenton-on-Sea, Seafield/ Kleinemonde, and Bushman’s River are also earmarked to benefit from this project.