MAINTENANCE of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP) tunnel is on the right track.
This was revealed by Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation David Mahlobo, and the maintenance is expected to be completed by March 2025.
On Friday, 15 November, Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation Sello Seitlholo, and other officials inspected the Lesotho Highlands Water Project tunnel which is currently undergoing maintenance in the Free State.
The 38km tunnel was shut down in October and will remain out of service until 31 March due to the maintenance that is underway.
Mahlobo and other officials took a walkabout inside the tunnel during the inspection. Mahlobo said the tunnel was in good condition and no significant issues had been found.
“We are happy with the job done by all stakeholders to ensure the maintenance runs smoothly on our side. The maintenance work is ongoing as planned by the Trans-Caledon Tunnel Authority (TCTA) on the South African side and the Lesotho Highlands Development Agency (LHDA) in Lesotho.
“The TCTA is undertaking the maintenance operation on Water Delivery Tunnel North within South Africa, and LHDA is focusing on the transfer tunnels at the Muela Hydropower station in Lesotho,” said Mahlobo.
He said the tunnel system requires general inspections, and repair works to be conducted at about five-year intervals to ensure the integrity and reliability of the entire water tunnel system.
“As a result of the tunnel shutdown, 700 million cubic meters per annum will be transferred in 2024, resulting in a shortfall of 80 million cubic meters from the normal annual transfer volume of 780 million cubic meters. Water from Lesotho flows through the tunnels into the Ash and Liebenbergsvlei Rivers in the Free State and eventually spills into the Vaal Dam.
“The Ash and Liebenbergsvlei Rivers are sources of raw water supply to the local municipalities of Dihlabeng, Nketoana, and Mafube in the Free State, as well as to the agricultural irrigators in the area,” said Mahlobo.
The senior engineer at Raubex Construction André Olivier said they have been working on the tunnel since the beginning of October.
He said there’s no structural damage, while only minimal repairs are required in the concrete sections.
“The primary work will focus on the steel-lined sections, which will be sandblasted. In the previous inspection done in 2019, patches were applied, and it was determined that during the next round, the entire steel liner would be refurbished. Part of the maintenance is to ensure there are no cracks or other issues on the tunnel’s surface,” said Olivier
Daily Sun
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