The Phase-2 of the US$1.3bn Lesotho Highland Water Project will begin in April 2014 with the construction of the 155-metre high Polihali Dam and several tunnels
The project began in 1998 and is situated in northern Lesotho. According to reports, the Lesotho Highland Water Project will be completed by 2022 and Phase-2 of this project will boost the supply of water to South Africa by 50 per cent.
Jacob Zuma, president of South Africa, said, “The project represents a win-win mechanism as it provides needed water to South Africa and creates an opportunity for the required infrastructure development and energy generation in Lesotho.”
Mava Scott, spokesman for the department of water affairs in South Africa, added that the Phase-1 of the project currently supplies 10bn cubic metres of water to South Africa’s Vaal River System. “This would be increased to about 15bn cubic metres by 2022 in Phase-2, which involves the construction of the Polihali Dam in the Mokhotlong district and the Kobong pumped storage hydroelectricity project.”
According to National Treasury projections, South Africa consumes 98 per cent of the water it treats and the demand would outstrip supply between 2025 and 2030.
