DV Harris Builds World’s View Project (61 Pipeline)
Umgeni Water is needed to boost water supply to Durban and Msunduzi Municipalities, via the World’s View Reservoir, by 102 litres per second. The need to increase supply was a result of: increased demand by eThekwini Municipality’s Outer West Areas (until 2035); and the need to accommodate the newly constructed Western Aqueduct Pipeline. 
Consulting Engineering firm Jeffares & Green was appointed to design a pipeline to connect the DV Harris Water Treatment Works to World’s View Reservoir.
After the new system is connected, the World’s View Reservoir will produce 330 mega litres a day and the supply points will be ED1, ED2, ED3 and ED4 off-takes and Umlaas Road Reservoir. These off-takes will be incorporated in the augmentation of the 61 Pipeline from ED2 to ED4 and ED4 to Umlaas Road, which is currently in design phase.
The project comprises 3.8km of 900mm and 1.8km of 1200mm diameter continuously welded steel pipeline from DV Harris Water Works to World’s View Reservoir. This pipeline will augment the existing 61 Pipeline and improve the supply to eThekwini and Msunduzi Municipalities. This project is segmented into 3 contracts, namely pipe jacking, pipe supply and pipeline construction.
The new pipeline, which is 900mm in diameter, will follow the route of the existing pipeline from the DV Harris Water Treatment Works up to Queen Elizabeth Park, through Victoria Country Club, under the N3 and R103 along the Mistbelt Grassland and up to the existing Clarendon Reservoir.
The Works
The conventional approach to pipeline installation is to dig an open trench, place the pipeline and then bury it. Although this method does not pose much of a problem in rural or sparsely populated areas where vehicle traffic is light, it would have caused havoc to traffic on the N3, the main highway between Johannesburg and Durban. Hence the decision was made to jack the pipes under the N3 pipe jacking.
From this point the two pipelines will be conjoined and a new 1,200mm diameter pipeline will connect to the inlet at World’s View Reservoir. The 1,200mm outlet will follow the same route as the incoming line for 500 metres then deviate to link up with the existing supply lines to Umlaas Road. The total length of pipe to be laid under this contract is 5,775 metres.
The N3 pipe jacking project was undertaken in advance of the construction of a R92 million (US $12.4million) bulk pipeline project, commissioned by Umgeni Water, to boost the water supply from Pietermaritzburg to Durban by 1 ,024 litres per second. The designers were Jeffares & Green and the contractor was Esor Construction.
The proposed pipeline will run from the DV Harris Water Treatment Works in Ferncliff to the World’s View reservoir. The route goes under the N3 on Town Hill, between Hilton and Pietermaritzburg, and under the R103, 200m to the west of the N3 crossing.
Despite may challenges the project was completed within budget and without affecting the programme of the main pipe-laying contractor.
Project Team
Jeffares & Green
Consultants Consulting Engineers
Esor Franki
Pipejacking Contractor
Icon Construction
Contractor Pipeline Pipeline Contractor
Infraset
Pipe Supplier to Esor
Hall Longmore
Supply to Icon Construction Supplier to Icon Construction
