City commissions new Shongweni reservoir

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24-08-2023
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Highway Mail
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The eThekwini Municipality announces the completion of a new reservoir that is set to serve five areas.

THE newly constructed Shongweni Reservoir has been commissioned with improved storage capacity for the areas serviced by the reservoir.

Areas serviced by the reservoir include Shongweni, Salem, Ofudu, Clifton and some parts of Zwelibomvu.

The new reservoir holds a total of six megalitres of water and is built adjacent to an existing reservoir which stores 0.8 megalitres of water.

eThekwini Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda said the completion of the project is a testament to the City’s commitment to ensuring adequate water supply for all communities.

“We are doing our best to ensure that our infrastructure is maintained and upgraded to meet the current demand. Shongweni is one of the areas with a growing community which has resulted in the old reservoir not having enough capacity to supply the community. Rapid urbanisation requires the government to upgrade infrastructure and create additional sources of water because the demand now exceeds the available water supply,” said Kaunda.

Owing to high theft and vandalism at reservoir sites, in addition to the security personnel on-site, the team at the Shongweni Reservoir opted for the inclusion of ultrasonic inline flow meters. These are buried deep underground, making it impossible to vandalise. This meter does not need to be open as it transmits the signals electronically.

The construction of the reservoir also created job opportunities for locals while others were upskilled through SETA-accredited training on various skills.

The City has several other upgrades and construction projects for water infrastructure underway. This includes Adams K5 and K6, KwaNqetho Reservoir, Maphephetheni bulk water infrastructure, and a steel rising main from Hazelmere to Grange Reservoir, to name a few.