Johannesburg Water Announces Brixton Water System Upgrades Scheduled for Next Month

Johannesburg Water has recently announced plans to upgrade the Brixton water system, with the first phase set to begin next month. As reported by Northcliff Melville Times, the R250 million project aims to address worsening water supply problems in the area, which have persisted since 2014. Local SMMEs and labourers were given information about the infrastructure upgrades and encouraged to apply to become sub-contractors.

During the meeting, a few attendees expressed frustration about the lack of water in their homes and businesses, but these actions did not disrupt the proceedings. The project manager for Johannesburg Water, Nqobizitha Ndimande, outlined the three main elements of the project. The first phase will focus on the Brixton reservoir, tower, and pump station, with work scheduled for 18 months.

This phase will involve the construction of a new 26-megalitre ground reservoir, a 200-litre per second pump station, and a 2-megalitre tower, as well as installing pipework to reconfigure the fresh water and tower zones. The new infrastructure is expected to increase storage capacity for both the reservoir and tower zones and eliminate dead storage in the Crosby reservoir, providing additional storage for the whole supply district.

Johannesburg Water has appointed Mapitsi Civil Works to execute the project’s implementation stage through an open tender process. The contract value is R250,306,603.52, excluding VAT, with 12% allotted for sub-contracting local SMMEs to R21,050,320.94. SMMEs and general workers attended the meeting and were informed about the projects and job opportunities available in Regions E and F.

Also read: Can Joburg Water Stick to Its Pipe Replacement Plan?

The project’s second element involves installing a new 3,340m, 1000mm diameter steel pipeline to increase supply into the water district from Rand Water. The final component is the installation of a new 400 litres per second pump station, along with a 600mm diameter steel pipeline, to improve supply to the Hursthill supply zone.

The Brixton water system upgrades will primarily take place in Region F, under Ward 58, with the bulk of the work being the construction of a reservoir, tower, and pump station. Brixton Primary School will also be affected, as the project will lay infrastructure beneath the grounds. However, the scope of the works includes upgrades to the school’s facilities, such as a new drop-off and after-school facility, public parking, an amphitheatre, multi-purpose courts, an athletics track, a new lawn, and a school square.

According to Ward 87 councillor Bridget Steer, finding a suitable site for the new reservoir and tower took a lot of work in the densely populated area. Mapitsi Civil Works brokered a deal with Brixton Primary School to install the building and reservoir on a piece of underutilized land subject to some improvements to the school’s facilities. The reservoir will be below ground, and on top, the project will build various sports facilities.

The remainder of the upgrades will involve laying pipelines in Region B, under Wards 69 and 87. A 600mm diameter pipe, 135m long, will be applied on Caroline Street in Ward 68. In contrast, in Ward 87, 670m of 600mm pipe will be laid or upgraded on several roads, including Canary, Fulham, Artillery, Barnes, Wimbledon, Henley, and Finsbury.

Client liaison officers will be appointed for the upgrades in each ward to keep residents informed.

Also read: City of Johannesburg Reminds Residents to Observe Level 1 Water Restrictions

Picture:  Photo by Fran Jacquier on Unsplash