Issued by: Department of Water Affairs and Forestry
TWO MILLION CUBIC METRES CONCRETE PLACED AT KATSE DAM
24 JANUARY 1996
Another milestone has been reached on the Lesotho Highlands Water Project with the placing of the two million cubic metre of concrete at the Katse Dam, the centrepiece of this binational project.
The two millionth cubic metre of concrete was taken to the dam wall at 10:00 this morning. At nine-cubic-metre bucket transported the concrete from the batching plant on the right bank of the Malibamats'o River, using the one kilometre overhead cableway spanning across the Malibamats'o Valley.
The dam wall is being built in 46 blocks, with centre blocks that will be 185 m high. When completed during the second half of 1996, it will be the highest dam in Africa. A total of 2,4 million cubic metres of concrete will be required to complete the structure.
Water is currently being released through the Katse Dam low-level water outlets at a rate of 300 l/s to supply in downstream needs. Any incoming flow in excess of this will also have to be released in order for the dam level to be kept below the "holding level" of 1 982 m above sea level, which will be enforced until about the end of February 1996. This arrangement is required to allow for the completion of certain construction work within the dam basin. Water in the reservoir will eventually need to rise to the minimum operating level of 1 989 m above sea level, to enter the Intake Tower, some 17 km upstream of the dam wall.
Impounding at the Katse Dam started in October 1995, as part of the programme to ensure that sufficient water will be available for transfer once work on the 45 km transfer tunnel is completed. A tunnel system totalling 82 km will be used to transfer water from the Katse Dam to the Ash River Outfall near Clarens in the Eastern Free State in 1998. From there, the water will flow to the Vaal Dam to augment its supply capacity, to ensure economic development in Gauteng, South Africa's industrial hub.
ENQUIRIES: W S CROUCAMP MANAGING ENGINEER: INTERNATIONAL PROJECTS TEL : (012) 299 2404