The Maguga Dam Project

Komati Basin Water Authority (KOBWA)

The Project

During 1992, the Governments of the Kingdom of Swaziland and the Republic of South Africa signed and ratified the Treaty on the Development and Utilisation of the Water Resources of the Komati River Basin, which provides for the joint construction of the Driekoppies and Maguga Dams and the formation of the bi-national Komati Basin Water Authority (KOBWA). The Driekoppies Dam in the South Africa has already been constructed.

In October 1993 and January 1994, Swaziland and South Africa respectively confirmed their commitment to the construction of the Maguga Dam in Swaziland, which has started. The new democratic Government of the Republic of South Africa has recently extensively reviewed the relevant aspects of this development and has reconfirmed its full support for the construction of the Maguga Dam.

The project will allow for a significant increase of irrigation in Swaziland and for previously neglected small commercial farmers in the Nkomazi district of South Africa; improve water supplies for existing irrigation and to the large local population; improve ecological water supplies and water supplies to Mozambique, support sustainable socio-economic development and increase the regional opportunities therefore and promote co-operation between South Africa, Swaziland and Mozambique who are all members of the Southern African Development Community Region.

The question of the guarantee structure has been resolved between the two Governments. South Africa will provide a 100% guarantee on the loans raised by KOBWA for the project and Swaziland will provide a 40% back-to-back guarantee to the South Africa.

Good progress has been made in the definition of the studies of the regional development linked to the Komati Project and the Cumulative Environmental Impact Assessment of the Komati Basin developments. Mozambique has indicated great interest in participating in these studies.

Mozambique is being kept informed on progress. The Maguga Dam Project has the potential to link up with the Maputo Corridor Development.

The principal components of the Maguga Dam Project comprise:

a. The construction of the Maguga Dam on the Komati River

The Maguga dam will:

• provide for the expected increases in primary water demand within the Basin
• allow for a moderate increase in irrigation development
• improve and assure water supplies to existing irrigation and urban developments
• establish irrigation on the right bank (south eastern side) of the Lomati River
• stabilise irrigation supply on the left bank (north western side) of the Lomati River
• stabilise water supply to existing users downstream of the Komati-Lomati confluence
• utilise irrigation releases to generate hydro-electric power at times of peak demand
• stabilise river flows

The main features of the dam and reservoir are:

b. New permanent access roads and upgrading of existing roads

c. Re-alignment of the Mbabane-Piggs Peak road with a new road bridge over the Komati River

d. A permanent residential township and infrastructure including recreational facilities at the rehabilitated Piggs Peak Club

e. New bulk water supply for Piggs Peak

f. Office accommodation (permanent and temporary) at the dam site

g. improvement of schools, clinics and the main government hospital in Piggs peak

Scope of Work for MDC-1

Work required for MDC-1 includes the detailed planning of an environmental impact assessment and the design and construction of the following:

• the north and south permanent access roads to the dam site - awarded to Wilson Bayly Holmes Overkon
• the bridge and approach sections of the MR-1 road at the Komati River - contract awarded to Grinaker Construction
• various sections of temporary access roads at the dam site - awarded to Wilson Bayly Holmes Overkon
• construction of the dam office complex - awarded to Wilson Bayly Holmes Overkon

Scope of Work for MDC-2

Work required for MDC-2 includes the detailed planning of an environmental impact assessment and the design and construction of the following:

• bulk water supply to Piggs Peak
• roads in housing area
• all services in housing area
• solid waste disposal site

Scope of Work for MDC-3

Work required for MDC-3 includes detailed town planning including an environmental impact assessment and detailed architectural design and construction of the following:

• housing at all levels for the accommodation of the Maguga Dam Project construction personnel (184 units)
• upgrading of the Piggs Peak country club, various sports fields and selected health facilities

Scope of Work for MDC-4

Work required for MDC-4 includes the detailed planning of an environmental impact assessment and the design and construction of the following:

• a dry core rockfill dam 750m long and 113m high
• a river diversion by means of two tunnels about 410m long and an upstream cofferdam 15m high
• concrete intake works consisting of a 102m high dry tower and a 12m diameter shaft over the outlet tunnel
• a bifurcation of the outlet tunnel consisting of the penstock tunnel to the power station and a river outlet works
• a raw water pump station including pumping main from outlet works to a water treatment plant
• a clay core saddle dam approximately 300m long and 15m high
• a lybirth type concrete spillway, chute and deflector bucket including a 9m wide concrete road bridge carried along the top of the spillway and comprising 9x25m spans
• civil and structural construction of a power station

MDC-4 has been awarded to a joint venture between Group Five Swaziland, WBH Swaziland, LTA, Grinaker and a Swazi consortium.

The 34 month contract is worth E343.5m

KDJV contractors won the tender to build the actual Maguga Dam and to complete it by the year 2001.

The Maguga Dam site is situated in the Middleveld region of Swaziland, about 8 km direct distance downstream of the Mbabane - Piggs Peak road bridge over the Komati river and about 12 km south of Piggs Peak.

Engineering, water utilisation and economic studies have indicated that the optimum development is a dam about 105 m high impounding a reservoir having a full supply level of 626 m.a.s.l. and a gross volume of 332 hm3. The optimum size for the hydro-electric generating plant at the dam has been shown to be 15 MW installed capacity.

The following possible types of dam are to be considered:

• the preferred design of a straight or curved gravity dam or roller compacted concrete, with central uncontrolled spillway and a clay core earthfill or rockfill embankment for the flanks

or the less preferred designs as

• rockfill embankment with asphaltic concrete core or membrane, uncontrolled chute spillway and a clay core embankment for the flanks
• rockfill embankment with a concrete facing, uncontrolled chute spillway and a clay core earthfill embankment for the flanks

with emergency spillway arrangements on the left flank.

Scope of Work for MDC-5

Work required for MDC-5 includes the detailed planning of an environmental impact assessment and the design and construction of the following:

• hydro-electric power house
• electro-mechanical works
• transformer
• switching yard and
• transmission lines

Scope of Work for MDC-6

Work required for MDC-6 includes the following:

• the development of an environmental impact assessment for the Maguga Dam Project
• the development of an environmental impact assessment for the reservoir
• the determination of the Instream Flow Requirements for the Komati River from Maguga Dam to the confluence of the Komati and Crocodile Rivers near Komtipoort

The Environmental Impact Assessment of the Reservoir and the Instream Flow Requirements contract (MDC-6) was awarded to AfriDev Consultants Ltd and Knight Piésold (Pty) Ltd. The project length is expected to be 5 years. The broad aim of the Reservoir Environmental Impact Assessment and Instream Flow Requirements Project is to develop a comprehensive Maguga Dam Project EIA Report and CMP and to receive information on the effectiveness of the application of Task specific CMP's. The appointed Consultants will ensure the minimisation of adverse impacts of Maguga Dam on the environment and on the Swazi people and the maximisation of beneficial impacts.

Further Details

Further details of the project can be obtained from:

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The information provided above does NOT in any way represent the OFFICIAL opinion or views of KOBWA or the Swaziland Government about the Maguga Dam Project

This page was last updated on 05 November 2001

Background

The Project

Social and Environmental Responsibility

The Components of the Development

The Komati River Bridge

The Maguga Dam

Access Roads

Resettlement and Compensation

The Piggs Peak Bulk Water Supply

The Maguga Dam Clinic

The Glen Housing Village

The Multi-purpose Hall

The Piggs Peak Club