Department of Water and Sanitation in KwaZulu-Natal fast-tracks the completion of the raising of the Hazelmere Dam wall
The Department of Water and Sanitation in KwaZulu-Natal has reiterated its commitment to complete bulk water projects in the province following the National Water and Sanitation Summit last month which was aimed at finding long-lasting solutions in the sector, one being the effective implementation of water infrastructure projects.
As such, the Department’s Provincial Head Ashley Starkey alongside Umgeni Water Board Acting Chief Executive Mboniseni Dlamini led a media tour to the Hazelmere Dam on the North Coast on Thursday, 17 March 2022 to provide a firsthand account of work being carried out to raise the dam wall by 7m to increase its storage capacity.
Starkey said the project is of importance as it addresses the urgent need to augment water supply to the North Coast, which will in turn benefit areas such as Verulam, Groutville, Blythedale and Ballito.
“Since commencement of construction at the Dam, 110 employment opportunities have been created for skilled and semi-skilled locals in the area. This is proof to show that not only are we working towards securing water in the province, but also providing the necessary skills and opportunities for unemployed people,” he said.
Also speaking during the media tour at the Dam, Acting Chief Executive Dlamini emphasised the collaborative ways in which the water utility together with the Department and the contractor were working closely to effectively complete the project by December 2022.
“Umgeni Water is the current operator on the dam and carries out daily monitoring of the water level amongst other things. When we met with Minister Senzo Mchunu a few months ago, we had already agreed amongst ourselves that only working collaboratively, will we be able to fast-track and complete this project,” he said.
“So, when the Minster implored us to sort out our differences and work together, it was only fitting that we continued to work with vigour and more closely together,” Dlamini added.
The raising of the Hazelmere Dam wall from 85.98m to 93.00m through the construction of the Piano Key Weir will increase the dam’s storage capacity from 23.9 million cubic metres to 43.6 million cubic metres.
The Department has also called on locals to report infrastructure vandalism to local authorities.
Source: Government of South Africa