CESA Aon 2019

PROJECTS BETWEEN R50 & R250 MILLION: LOERIESFONTEIN BULK WATER

PROJECT TEAM Client Consulting Engineer

FINALIST

Hantam Local Municipality

BVi Consulting Engineers (Northern Cape)

Consulting Hydrogeologists

Geoss South Africa

Environmental OHS Consultant

Consultant ENVIROAFRICA

Safe Working Practice

Principal Contractor

ASLA Construction

L oeriesfontein is a small town in the Hantam Karoo. It has a population of approximately 3 800 people and is wholly dependent on groundwater for its water supply. When the town’s existing boreholes started to fail owing to lack of rain to recharge the groundwater, BVi Consulting Engineers got involved. From May 2013 until November 2015, extensive groundwater exploration was conducted within a radius of 40 km in an effort to find sustainable groundwater sources for the town. While exploration drilling was underway, BVi sourced funding from the Department of Water & Sanitation to con- struct an emergency water supply system. On completion of drilling and determi-

nation of sustainable yields and water quality, nine boreholes were selected for future production wells. The wellfield was located approximately 30 km south of Loeriesfontein in a deep valley, known locally as the Rheeboksfontein valley, through which the Koppieskraal River flows. The Koppieskraal River is ephemeral and only flows when rainfall occurs. The successful boreholes are all located within this valley and along the Koppieskraal River. The elevation of the Rheeboksfontein Valley is 660 m above mean sea-level while the Loeriesfontein reservoirs are located at 948 m above mean sea-level. This requires that all water from the bore- holes must be pumped to the town. z

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CESA AON ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2019