Pipework Upgrade for the Garden Route Dam pumpstations
In the photo above: Pieces of new stainless-steel pipes transported to the Garden Route Dam and offloaded.
George Municipality has awarded a construction contract for the upgrade (enlargement) of the raw water suction supply pipe from the intake tower in the Garden Route Dam to the two raw water pumpstations. The work will be completed by July 2024 and will not impact recreational activities around the dam for most of the construction duration including the festive season. There will be a short period of time next year when the contractor will do some upgrading off the approach road to the parking area and the public will be notified timeously when that occurs.
The construction on site has started with delivery of the new 800 mm diameter stainless steel pipes and installation of a crawl beam in the tunnel under the dam wall. The current raw water supply pipe is an aged 600 mm diameter asbestos-cement pipe, which requires upgrading to cater for the additional capacity required in future years. The new pipe will have a capacity of 1200 litres per second, which will be able to supply both pumpstations and allow them to operate simultaneously. The pumpstations will then in future be able to pump up to 100 million litres of raw water per day to the balancing dams and water treatment plants to supply in the medium to long term future potable water demand for George.
During the construction period, involving the removal of the old existing pipe and installation of the new stainless-steel pipe, the raw water supply to the pumpstations will be pushed through an existing adjacent pipe, which will be connected to the pumpstations through a new cross-connection. After completion of the installation of the new stainless steel supply pipe, this existing adjacent pipe will be closed off from the tower intake and pumpstations and be returned to function as a dedicated dam scour pipe. The adjacent pipe can also be used in emergencies. The project also includes other minor upgrades to the access and surrounds of the dam and pumpstations to improve various safety aspects.
Photos:
Pieces of new stainless-steel pipes transported to the Garden Route Dam and offloaded.
Workers busy with the crawl beam installation. It is used to remove the 3-meter old pipeline pieces and in turn also used to bring in and move the stainless pipe pieces to where they need to be installed. The installation is permanent and is also being done with safety measures in mind.
Pieces of new stainless-steel pipes transported to the Garden Route Dam and offloaded.
Workers busy with the crawl beam installation. It is used to remove the 3-meter old pipeline pieces and in turn also used to bring in and move the stainless pipe pieces to where they need to be installed. The installation is permanent and is also being done with safety measures in mind.