Work on the Clanwilliam dam wall-raising project is
progressing, with indications that the long-awaited project will be completed
by March 2023.
The R3.5-billion project will see the capacity of
the Clanwilliam dam roughly double after the existing wall is raised by 13 m.
“Practically, it means an entirely new wall is
being built up against the existing one, just 13 m higher. The original wall
was built in 1935 and also requires maintenance work to sustain its integrity.
This project will address those concerns too,” says Western Cape Local
Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning Minister Anton Bredell.
The national Department of Water and Sanitation has
progressed the first phase of the project with the relocation of the N7 highway
in the region of the dam.
The doubling of the capacity of the dam will
benefit and support the critical agricultural sector, said Western Cape
Agriculture Minister Dr Ivan Meyer.
“This will allow for more irrigation in the region,
estimated to be in the region of an additional 5 500 ha. This could see up to 3
800 additional permanent jobs in the region, thereby, helping to grow the
Western Cape’s economy,” he explained.
Bredell pointed out that, with the dam 100% full post the rainfall season, the sluices have been opened, showing that the added capacity “will not go to waste”. https://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article/clanwilliam-dam-wall-raising-to-be-completed-by-2023-2019-08-21/rep_id:4136
