The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) has announced a revised completion date for the raising of Tzaneen Dam Wall project, which was initially scheduled for March 2025.
In a statement on Wednesday, the department announced that the new target for the project completion is March 2026.
The Tzaneen Dam Wall Raising project, which is part of the Groot Letaba River Water Augmentation Project (GLeWaP), was resumed on 06 June 2023.
The project includes raising the dam wall by 3 metres, which will significantly increase the dam’s storage capacity to meet the growing water demands and improve water security in the Limpopo Province.
Once completed, the additional water supply is expected to benefit households, agricultural and industrial sectors the region.
According to the department, the project is currently 46% complete.
Anthony Bhasopo from the department’s Water Resource Infrastructure Development unit, expressed satisfaction with the progress and reaffirmed the department’s commitment to deliver the project within the revised timeframe.
While acknowledging some unforeseen incidents that hampered with progress to complete the project within the stipulated timeline, Bhasopo said the department has made strides since the beginning of the project in 2023.
“We have progressed well and achieved significant milestones of the project, and we are confident that the revised timeline will be met. This project will ensure that the objective to meet the projected growing primary water requirements for the next 20 years in the region, is finally realised,” Bhasopo said.
The construction project that has been carried out includes the demolition of the upper section of the existing ogee spillway, construction of a new labyrinth spillway to increase discharge capacity, strengthening of the earthfill embankments for improved dam stability, realignment of the permanent access road downstream of the dam, and additional supporting and safety-related works.
The components that have been completed, or are in progress are as follows:
• Temporary fencing around the site.
• Temporary access road from Deerpark and river diversion pipeline.
• Realignment of the permanent access road, which is 20 % complete.
• Embankment strengthening, which is 36% complete.
• Tongue wall construction, which is 19 % complete.
• Labyrinth spillway construction, which is 11% complete.
“The project enabled 241 people to be employed, which includes the main contractor and sub-contractors. Females count to 76, and the youth count to 108,” Bhasopo said.
Originally completed in 1977, the Tzaneen Dam features a mass concrete gravity spillway flanked by earthfill embankments. The existing ogee-type spillway, which is 91.44 metres long with a crest level of 723.90 metres above sea level (masl), will be replaced by a more efficient labyrinth spillway.
The non-overspill crest currently measures 1,063.5 metres at 730.60 masl, with protective interlocking concrete blocks on both the upstream and downstream embankment faces.
The dam’s current gross storage capacity is 157.3 million cubic metres (m3), and the project will increase the total storage capacity by 35.7 million m3. After the completion of the project, the new capacity will be 193 million m3. – SAnews.gov.za
