Major headway on Tugela transfer scheme
Appointment made for crucial drought emergency project
THERE was palpable relief all round when key stakeholders heard on Tuesday that high profile consultants have been appointed for the project that will double the transfer of water from the Tugela River to Goedertrouw Dam.
Even more welcome was the news that the site of the R407-million turnkey project was handed over to multinational engineering firm Aecom on 3 January.
As service provider for the Tugela Transfer Scheme (TTS), which will double the river-to-dam rate of transfer from the present 1.1m3 per second to 2.4m3 per second, Aecom will meet with local
Tugela Transfer Group (TTG) on 31 January to give comprehensive feedback on time frames, planning and progress.
The TTG comprises stakeholders from industry, business and agriculture, among others.
Department of Water & Sanitation Project Manager Muneka Paradzai told the TTG the 18-month Aecom contract is a non-negotiable one, with severe penalty clauses.
The actual construction time is 12 months, and the TTG expressed the opinion Aecom could reduce the total contract time by four months should they make use of the pre-feasibility studies and groundwork already done and delivered by Royal Haskoning, courtesy of RBM via Rio Tinto.
Clearly frustrated after seven months of delays the TTG, which has given a significant amount of input during this time, was given the assurance by Paradzai that all their recommendations and concerns would be given to Aecom.
Parallel activities
Possible waiving of certain EIA requirements will be discussed at national ministerial level by the departments of Water and Environment.
There is also the possibility of shortening the contract by putting more money into it.
‘All the political weight is there; we now need the professional weight.
The good thing about a turnkey project is there can be a number of parallel activities,’ said Ashley Starkey, Provincial Head, DWS: KZN.
‘The money is there – Aecom can do the procuring and DWS will pay promptly.’
Assurance was given that DWS engineers would be seconded to Richards Bay to sit with the various task teams of the TTG, namely: Technical, Environmental, Electricity and Community Facilitation.
Concern was expressed that priority should be given at an early stage of construction to the building of access points for communities that have been and will be affected by the release of water.
It remains a race against time as the drought shows no sign of breaking, especially given the lengthy delays to date.
Even the doubling of the TTS will only extend water availability to around November, unless the drought cycle is broken and resources (dams, rivers, water tables) are significantly recharged.
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