Bosch Holdings Enginuity November 2008 | Page 9

Eliminating water backlog in Chris Hani District Municipality Chris Hani District Municipality has appointed SBA and Sinakho Consulting (90/10 partnership) as service providers for upgrading the water supply to villages that fall within Ngcobo Water Backlog Cluster 6. T his cluster, which covers a total area of 667km 2 , comprises approximately 125 villages with about 38 214 inhabitants. “The area is characterised by high mountain plateaus incised by steep valleys, which makes this a very challenging project,” says André Naudé, director of SBA. “The topography from a height of 1 637 metres above sea level (msl) to a low point of 700msl represents a change in altitude of 917 metres and presents serious challenges for design and construction”. “Another problem facing the design team in this instance is the low density of the inhabitants, with some isolated households situated on high ground. Access to these homes is generally by footpaths, with severely restricted vehicular access.” The preliminary design has divided the area into nine different schemes, based on terrain and topography, as well as common sources of bulk water and access for construction. It is anticipated the bulk water supply will be abstracted from two points, one on the Ngancule River and one on the Mbashe River. In addition, the Aerial view of the severe terrain of the Ngcobo Water Backlog Cluster 6. abundance of spring water will be harnessed and built into the scheme to supply water to certain households. Contact: André Naudé: [email protected] Board appointments Guy Perrins Butch Carr New appointment Martin Welch Ivan Voigt Lourie Geldenhuys New offices for Port Shepstone Branch 14 B A Z L E Y S T R E E T Cindy Wells: Operations Engineer 9