Successful bidders, Murray & Dickson JV & Cerimele Construction Company, represented by Messrs Rukesh Raghubir & Eduardo Cerimele, who were signatories along with LNW’s CEO, Dr Cornelius Ruiters.
Lepelle Northern Water (LNW) signed a R889m contract with two service providers towards upgrading the Olifantspoort/Ebenezer water supply schemes by June 2029 as a solution to the city’s water challenges.
Cerimele Construction Company (Pty) Ltd will be responsible for the civil works and Murray & Dickson Construction Group for the electrical mechanical work.
The companies will implement the first package of phase 1A of the restoration of the original production capacity to 114 Ml/day by June 2025.
LNW chairperson of the board, Dr Nndweleni Mphephu has vowed to to steer the embattled water utility in the right direction.
“We look forward to a fruitful and very productive working relationship and are confident that this project will reach completion through a seamless process during which targets and deadlines will diligently be met,” Mphephu said.
A further contract of R3,7b will increase production from 114 Ml/day to 144 Ml/day by November 2026. LNW also plans to invest another R4b towards increased production from 144 Ml/day to 180 Ml/day by November 2027.
LNW project manager Gundo Motsoare said phase 1B of the project will entail the upgrading of infrastructure to meet current and projected future demands until 2043 by the synchronisation of LNW master planning with that of the Water Services Authorities, Capricorn District and Polokwane municipalities as well as support to the municipalities in implementing water conservations and water demand management.
Some of the other interventions include a dual powerline from Greater Tzaneen Municipality to the Ebenezer plant and the construction of the Olifantspoort weir and new abstraction works and raw water pipelines.
Phase 2 will see increased production from 180 Ml/day to 270 Ml/day by June 2029 and will cost around R10bn.
This solution depends on the availability of raw water from De Hoop Dam of 70 Ml/day to Olifantspoort as well as an increased allocation of 20 Ml/day to the Ebenezer Plant from the Tzaneen Dam.