The Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP) tunnel is scheduled for maintenance, for 6 months, starting from 1 October 2024 to 31 March 2025.
The six-months shutdown will be done by the Lesotho Highlands Development Agency (LHDA, operatators of the Lesotho section of the LHWP tunnel system, and the Trans-Caledon Tunnel Authority (TCTA), responsible for operation and maintenance of the section within South Africa.
The tunnel system requires general inspections and repair work to be conducted at approximately five years intervals, to ensure the integrity and reliability of the entire water tunnel system.
As a result of the tunnel shutdown, about 700 million m3 per annum will be transferred in 2024, resulting in a shortfall of 80 million m3 from the normal annual transfer volume.
Speaking on site the LHDA, Pemmy Majodina, Minister of Water and Sanitation, said municipalities in the Free State, must get ready for the shutdown of the tunnel in the next two weeks.
Majodina said affected Municipalities, must expedite plans to continue to provide water during the shutdown.
She engaged with the Executive Mayors of Thabo Mofutsanyana and Fezile Dabi District Municipalities in Bethlehem, Free State, over the weekend.
She was accompanied by Deputy Minister David Mahlobo, Deputy Minister of Performance, Monitoring and Evaluation Seiso Mohai, and Free State MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Saki Mokoena.
In a statement, the Department of Water and Sanitation, said it has embarked on relief interventions for municipalities along the Caledon River, Wilge River, Vaal River and Rhenoster River.
“The interventions include the upgrading of water treatment works, upgrading of raw water pumps, upgrading of abstraction works, the construction of new reservoirs as well as the development of groundwater resources by drilling and equipping boreholes.
All of these projects are underway, but some of the municipalities are behind schedule with the implementation of the projects. Where necessary, the Department of Water and Sanitation will intervene to support these municipalities to complete these projects which are critical in ensuring sustainable water supply to communities during the tunnel system shutdown.”
Picture: DWS