MARISWE

MARISWE UNDERTAKES LARGE REGIONAL WATER SERVICE DELIVERY PROJECT

FOR SOUTH AFRICA'S CLOSE NEIGHBOUR, ESWATINI

Project: Eswatini Water Supply and Sanitation Access Project

Project Duration: October 2019 – to date

Client: Eswatini Water Services Corporation (EWSC)

Project Funder: World Bank

Project Cost: R800 million – R900 million (R103 million currently on-site)

Eswatini Water Services Corporation (EWSC) appointed the Mariswe (Pty) Ltd / ZMCK Consulting Engineers JV to undertake the preliminary and detail design, prepare the tender documentation, assist with the procurement of contractors, provide project management, full-time construction monitoring and defects liability support services for the Water Supply and Sanitation Access Project.

The project is located in Eswatini, between the Nhlangano and Lavumisa water supply schemes and aims to provide potable water to Zombodze, Hosea and Shiselweni 1 Tinkundla, and covers approximately 750 km².

In order to cover this area 64 km of bulk mains (Nhlangano to Matsanjeni Main) and approximately 265 km of lateral pipe network will be required. The project area stretches in an easterly direction from Nhlangano to just beyond Hluti. Access to the area is via the bitumen surfaced MR9 and MR11 roads.

Project Area

The area around Nhlangano, and roughly 10km along the transmission pipeline route, predominantly consists of commercial forestry whereas the remainder of the area is of rural nature and consists of settlements and small communities with primarily subsistence crop farming and livestock grazing. The terrain can be described as mountainous with moderately sloping plains. Elevations in the area range between approximately 1170m AMSL in the west and 430m AMSL in the east.

Project Beneficiaries

The project will directly benefit approximately 38,233 people located in the three target areas Zombodze, Hosea, and Shiselweni I within Eswatini. An estimated 18,478 people will benefit through new potable water supply and 8,000 people through new sanitation services.

Improved potable water supply and sanitation services will also be provided to four health clinics and 32 schools in the targeted areas, reaching an estimated 2,000 people and 5,600 people, respectively.

The project will provide several benefits nationally and within the target areas, such as:

• Improved quality of water services (for example, distance to water, pressure, and daily hours of service) for EWSC customers along the Nhlangano-Matsanjeni corridor.

• The improved reliability and quality of water supply will stimulate business and entrepreneurial activities, leading to increased commercial and residential water demand in the Shiselweni region.

• Improved operational and financial efficiency of the EWSC, through support aimed to reduce its energy use (energy audit and exploring the use of solar energy), which will benefit the EWSC and its customers.

• The interconnection of the Nhlangano and Lavumisa water supply systems will provide increased water security to the Shiselweni region.

• The institutional strengthening will contribute to increased overall water security and resilience, as it will provide a framework for early measures that can be taken on the onset of drought to mitigate its impact. This will directly benefit agriculture and water sectors and indirectly benefit the entire country.

Scope of Work

Mariswe (Pty) Ltd / ZMCK Consulting Engineers JV scope of work consists of the design of the following infrastructure:

• Three potable water storage reservoirs (2 x 4 Mℓ and 3.5 Mℓ circular concrete reservoirs);

• Pump-station with associated earthworks and 1 Mℓ storage sump;

• Chlorination works at the pumpstation site;

• Transmission pipeline with associated valve chambers – 64 km pipeline;

• Interconnecting pipes to households – 265 km;

• Water Kiosks at various locations.

The project scope was divided into three work packages, of which the first work package contains the storage infrastructure and pump station which is currently under construction.

The second package covers the bulk conveyance between the Nhlangano connection point and Lavumisa connection point. The bulk conveyance is designed to run bi-directionally to provide increased water security in the area should supply be limited in Nhlangano and vice versa. This is currently at tender stage.

The final package involves the lateral pipelines required for local distribution and community distribution points ‘’water kiosks’’. This is currently in design phase.

Construction of Package 1

The construction of the reservoirs, pump-station and chlorination commenced in May 2022 and the construction activity is currently still underway. The construction cost is R103 million being undertaken by an Eswatini based company, Inyatsi (Pty) Ltd.

The scheduled construction period is 18 months (May 2022 to December 2023), with progress to date at 89% complete, which at the current pace would result in the project being completed on time (December 2023).

Project Team

Mariswe’s Design and Management Team consist of 6 members:

Louis Uys, PrEng, PMP, PrCPM, BEng: Civil Engineering(Divisional Head: Water and Sanitation)

Project Director. Responsible for the overall project management and review of designs of all packages.

Annalize Visser, BEng: Civil Engineering (Lead Engineer: Water and Sanitation)

Project Engineer, responsible for the design of Package 1 and 2, peer review of all design packages.

Kuda Mujaji, PrEng, BSc: Civil Engineering (Lead Engineer: Water Retaining Structures)

Project Engineer, responsible for the design of Package 1 Reservoirs and structural elements at the Pump-station and Chlorination Building.

Elbert Eksteen, PrEng, BEng, who has since left Mariswe, Project Engineer, responsible for the design of Package 3.

Jerry Lekalakala, BTech: Civil Engineering (Technologist: Water and Sanitation)

Project Technologist, responsible for project administration and design assistance for all packages.

Johan Snyman, BEng: Civil Engineering (Resident Engineer : Package 1) Resident Engineer responsible for the construction supervision and management for all packages.