Hatch – uMshwathi Regional Bulk Water Supply Scheme Phase 2, Wartburg

PROJECT TEAM Client: Umgeni Water

Principal design consultant

and project manager: Hatch Main contractor: Icon Construction

The greater Wartburg and Dalton area – including Albert Falls, Mpolweni, Swayimana, Trust Feeds, Schroeders, and Cool Air – fall under the uMshwathi Local Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal. They were historically supplied with bulk water from Umgeni Water’s upper uMgeni system via the DV Harris Water Treatment Plant.

In 2007, Umgeni Water investigated the feasibility of extending the existing Wartburg System to supply the communities of Efaye, Ozwathini and Southern iLembe. This study confirmed that the Wartburg System was reaching its ultimate capacity and would need to be augmented. The uMshwathi Regional Bulk Water Supply Scheme was implemented

Hatch for uMshwathi Regional Bulk Water Supply Scheme Phase 2, Wartburg

in response, broken down into three distinct phases.

Hatch was appointed by Umgeni Water to design and manage the construction of Phase 2. This comprised a 15 km, 700 mm diameter steel pipeline between Wartburg and Dalton, two booster pump stations and a 10 Mℓ reservoir. Construction commenced in July 2015, with completion in April 2020.

The buried pipeline comprises a continuously welded steel pipe connecting a new 8 Mℓ reservoir in the town of Wartburg (Part of Phase 1) to a new 10 Mℓ reservoir in the town of Dalton (part of Phase 2). A 41 Mℓ/day booster pump station was required about two thirds down the pipeline route to boost pressure in order to supply the Dalton reservoir. The pipeline route required the driving of 5 number 2 130 mm diameter pipe-jacks under provincial roads and Transnet railway lines. The design, construction and commissioning of a 58 Mℓ/day booster pump station on the Phase 1 pipeline (which was being constructed under a separate contract) also formed part of the Phase 2 contract.

The two pump stations were designed with three pump sets each – two duty and one standby. The design philosophy adopted was that the projected system demands from 2015 through to 2035 could be met using the same infrastructure (including pumps) via the adoption of variable-speed drives.

The Phase 1 pump station constructed under the Phase 2 contract was key to supplying the Wartburg reservoir and the completion of the Phase 2 infrastructure was critical to supplying water for Phase 3 and the downstream communities. The commissioning of the scheme and ultimately the delivery of water therefore relied on the Phase 2 project team.