By rosebell
The Lesotho Highlands Water Project ‘s (LHWP) maintenance work on water transfer and delivery tunnels has been completed and the tunnels are being refilled.
With the aim of advancing a six-month joint maintenance operation, the LHWP tunnel system was shut down on October 1 last year.
The work undertaken by the Trans-Caledon Tunnel Authority (TCTA) on the Delivery Tunnel North in South Africa, as well as the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority (LHDA) on the Transfer and Delivery South Tunnels in Lesotho, were the contents of this project.
While the planned date for reopening this tuneel was March 2025, because of maintenance work delays experienced in the Delivery Tunnel South on the side of Lesotho, the closure was extended.
Being finalised on March 19, maintenance work on the South African side was completed on schedule.
According to department spokesperson Wisane Mavasa: “The filling of the tunnel started with the filling of Muela Dam in Lesotho between 13-17 May 2025, and the Department of Water and Sanitation and the TCTA are closely monitoring the flow of water filling of the Delivery Tunnel North in South Africa.”
Mavasa also added: “The tunnel system played a crucial role in supplying water to the Free State and Gauteng provinces, contributing over 400 million m3 of water to the Vaal Dam, annually.”
The expected date for the tunnel water outflow at the Ash River Outfall Works by Ministry of Water and Sanitation is May 25, marking the end of more than seven months of tunnel closure due to maintenance.
