P730m Mmamashia-Kanye NSC ends mid 2017

The much anticipated Mmamashia-Kanye North South Water Carrier (NSC) connection will be run by supervisory control and data acquisition.

In an interview with Botswana Guardian this week, contract manager of Basil Read, Harry Smal said the automation system will ensure both efficiency and effectiveness. Work is ongoing at the site and so far pipes have been installed. Smal said all pumps would come from German company, WILO, which is one of the world’s leading pump manufacturers.

The tender was awarded in June last year as a joint venture with Basil Read (Pty) Ltd, Sharps Construction and Zhengtai group. The project, which commenced last year August, aims at connecting Kanye to the North South Carrier pipeline at Mmamashia Water Treatment Works.

It also involves construction of 0.2km of 900mm diameter steel gravity pipeline from the Master Balancing Reservoir at Mmamashia to the booster pump station outside Mmamashia Water Treatment Works.

Explaining the scope of the work further, Smal said it includes construction of 27.2km of a 900mm steel pipeline complete with fittings and accessories from Mmamashia to Mononyane along the Gaborone-Molepolole road. It also involves construction of 33km of 600mm diameter steel pipeline complete with fittings and accessories from Mononyane to Thamaga pump station along the Gaborone-Kanye road, 5.5km of 300mm from Thamaga pump station to Thamaga reservoir, 32.2km of 600mm from Thamaga pump station to Polokwe along Moshupa Kanye road, 0.253km of 250mm diameter steel pipeline from Polokwe pump station to join the existing 250mm unplasticised polyvinyl chloride line from Kanye to Moshupa.

The project consists of three pipeline laying construction teams, two concrete teams for the reservoirs and one concrete team for all pipeline chambers. The number of people employed for the project is 271. Thamaga and Mononyane reservoirs are complete. An elder from Thamaga, Bakgatla Mosime said that the project was long overdue. He stressed that residents sometimes go for weeks with little or no water. “It is a welcome development. Atleast government is doing something about the water crisis,” he said.