Bringing the system together
Behind the opening of the Kromkloof Water Treatment Works
DP
Senior Project Manager: Water · 3 min read
AT A GLANCE
of water treated per day
24,500
people served across surrounding villages
spent on SMMEs
spent on local labour
Earlier this month, the Kromkloof Water Treatment Works was officially opened by Minister of Water and Sanitation Pemmy Majodina, Limpopo Premier Phophi Ramathuba, and local traditional leaders.
The facility was designed to treat approximately 6 megalitres of water per day and forms part of a wider water supply system that serves around 24,500 people across surrounding villages.
Water treatment works are often the most visible part of a water supply scheme. What is less visible is the network of infrastructure required to make the system function.
In Kromkloof’s case, the treatment works relied on several related projects progressing together. Boreholes, raw water pipelines, treated water pipelines, reservoirs and distribution infrastructure were delivered through separate contracts, involving different consultants and contractors.
Figure 2 General layout of the Kromkloof Water Treatment Works
Photo 3 Chemical dosing plant at the Kromkloof Water Treatment Works
That created one of the project’s biggest challenges.
Delays on any one contract had the potential to affect the readiness of the entire system. While the treatment works itself reached completion, parts of the broader network were still being finalised. A partial completion certificate and dry commissioning process were implemented until all the infrastructure required to deliver raw water and receive treated water was ready.
“Infrastructure projects are rarely defined by a single structure.”
Atana was appointed after the original contract arrangements and provided professional services from design review through to commissioning, contract close-out, as-built documentation and operations and maintenance manuals. The team’s work also included converting construction drawings into editable formats to enable updates during implementation and final record documentation at project completion.
The completed facility incorporates raw water connections, telemetry systems linked to boreholes and reservoirs, chemical dosing infrastructure, gravity filters, chlorine contact facilities, clear water storage, pumping systems, laboratory facilities, roads and supporting mechanical, electrical, civil and control systems.
Photo 4 Clear water reservoir at the Kromkloof Water Treatment Works
Beyond the infrastructure itself, the project generated local economic benefits during construction. Approximately R3.4 million was spent on SMMEs and R2.1 million on local labour.
Infrastructure projects are rarely defined by a single structure. Their success depends on how effectively multiple components come together to form a functioning system.
At Kromkloof, the opening marked the completion of years of coordination across disciplines, contracts and stakeholders. Most importantly, it marked the start of a facility designed to provide treated water to thousands of people in the area.
Projects like Kromkloof demonstrate the importance of integrating planning, engineering and commissioning across complex water supply systems. Atana supports municipalities and water sector clients with the delivery of treatment works, pipelines, reservoirs, and associated infrastructure.