Name of the Project
Lower uMkhomazi Bulk Water Supply Scheme.

Location
eThekwini metropolitan municipality (Ward 99) and uMdoni local municipality (Ward 18), KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Project Owner/s
uMngeni-uThukela Water is implementing the Lower uMkhomazi Bulk Water Supply Scheme.

Project Description
The scheme is intended to augment bulk water supply to southern eThekwini and the Ugu district by abstracting water from the lower uMkhomazi river.

Phase 1 comprises the Goodenough abstraction works, the Ngwadini off-channel storage dam and associated raw-water conveyance infrastructure. The Ngwadini dam is designed to store ten-million cubic metres of raw water.

Phase 2 includes a 100-million-litre-a-day water treatment works and associated potable-water infrastructure.

On completion, the scheme is designed to produce 100-million litres a day of potable water. The eThekwini municipality said in June 2026 that 75-million litres a day would be supplied to the municipality, supporting areas in the south, from Isipingo to uMkhomazi.

Potential Job Creation
uMngeni-uThukela Water reported in 2026 that the project had created about 650 jobs.

Capital Expenditure
The eThekwini municipality has placed the overall Lower uMkhomazi Bulk Water Supply Scheme at R11-billion.

The uMngeni-uThukela Water separately cites an estimated R4.3-billion investment for Phase 1, while an August 2026 Parliamentary oversight update identified about R2.4-billion for the two principal raw-water subprojects comprising about R1-billion for the abstraction works and R1.4-billion for the Ngwadini dam. These figures cover different scopes of the project.

Planned Start/End Date
The eThekwini municipality said in June 2026 that communities were expected to start receiving water from the scheme by the end of 2027. Parliament reported in August 2026 that practical completion of the Ngwadini dam wall was expected in September 2027.

Latest Developments
Parliament reported on August 20, 2026, that the primary engineering works on the R2.4-billion raw-water component had reached about 99% physical completion following the resumption of field operations in April 2024.

The raw-water component comprises the Goodenough abstraction works and the Ngwadini dam. The abstraction system includes a river weir, desilting infrastructure and pumping and conveyance works, while the Ngwadini dam will provide ten-million cubic metres of off-channel storage.

The 100-million-litre-a-day water treatment works moved into implementation after a court ruling on February 13, 2026, had cleared the tender award. By June 2026, the eThekwini municipality reported that the contractor had been introduced for Phase 2 of the water treatment works.

A permanent electricity connection remains an important commissioning dependency. Parliament has continued to flag the need for Eskom to provide the required grid connection for full operation of the raw-water infrastructure.

Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
None stated.

Contact Details for Project Information
uMngeni-uThukela Water, tel +27 33 341 1111 or email info@umgeni.co.za.