Significant progress is being made on the Southern Aqueduct project which aims to meet the growing water demand in the south of Durban as well as some parts of the central area. eThekwini Mayor Cyril Xaba conducted an oversight visit on 11 June, to assess construction progress on a section of the pipeline at Mosely Park.
“This is one of the major water infrastructure projects that we have embarked on in 2024. Once completed, this 24-kilometre pipeline will significantly improve water supply to areas including Shallcross, Chatsworth, uMlazi, Folweni and Queensburgh. I am excited with the progress I have seen today, the team is working round the clock to ensure completion,” the Mayor said.
The R1.2-billion Southern Aqueduct project consists of a 24-kilometre bulk water pipeline. The Southern Aqueduct supplies about 1.2 million people through 33 reservoirs.
“We are replacing a pipeline that is more than 70 years old and had exceeded its 50-year life span. Due to constant leaks, we had to decommission a section of this pipeline. We are now upgrading it to meet the growing population. This includes restoring it to be two pipelines which will allow us to continue to provide water even if we conduct maintenance work on the other pipeline,” said Mayor Xaba.
The project of upgrading the Southern Aqueduct includes replacing the 975 mm diameter concrete pipes with new steel pipes of varying diameters (from 1000 mm to 1600 mm).
The project is divided into eight work packages. Work packages 1 and 2 started in 2024 and are already 50 percent complete. This consists of the construction of a new 1200 mm diameter steel watermain from Shallcross Road to the Chatsworth Reservoir as part of work package 1.
Work package 2 is the construction of a 1200 mm and 1400 mm diameter steel watermain from Shallcross to the Northdene area. Once completed, this will comprise a total of eight kilometres of new pipeline.
Work packages 3 to 6 also commenced in April this year (2025) with the construction of the pipeline running from Northdene through the Paradise Valley Nature Reserve and Westille, ending in Reservoir Hills at the Durban Heights Water Treatment Works.
“We want to reiterate that the provision of uninterrupted water in the City of Durban remains a priority. I will continue to conduct regular site visits to assess progress. I want teams to meet their timelines so that my commitment to the community is honored,” Mayor Xaba concluded.
Pictures: Thuli Dlamini for eThekwini Municipality
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