From time to time, the 9 200-strong community at Barkly East has lived without water from October to around December. The meagre local rainfall, which is below the average for the rest of country, was just not enough to sustain a yearlong water supply. In the months leading up to October, the available water dries up and the boreholes spin into action. Once they dry up there is simply no more water.

The project to build an emergency storage dam at Barkly East was actually approved in 1996, but it was only in late 2001 that the project finally hit the top of the priority list. "A project of this kind is not pure engineering. I spent a lot of time with the Project Steering Committee in Barkly East ensuring that the community was happy with the design," says Tiaan.

"We had commissioned an independent consultant to do an Environmental Impact Assessment as part of the process as well. This integrated process did however ensure that the final design, contractor selection and labour resources had the backing and commitment of all parties."

The original plan dictated that the dam was to be built on ground that was ideal from an engineering point of view, but that was problematical, as the land was privately owned. "To avoid all sorts of problems, the Steering Committee then ruled that the dam had to be located on council land."

The overflow of the existing water supply dam, and the water treatment plant sent their recycled water back into the Langkloof River. There was also an existing water infrastructure in the area, and it was in these three factors that Tiaan saw the solutions to overcoming the tough constraints imposed on the design by the budget.

"Using the waste water from the treatment plant, and capturing the overflow water from the existing dam, I was able to gravitate the water down a line into the storage dam," said Tiaan. "I also used the existing pipe and pump infrastructure as well. By using just a one small extra pump, the storage dam is kept full.

"The dam has a 650m long gravel wall that is 4.8m high at its highest point. The dam is only 6m deep at its deepest point. "The maximum capacity of 215 000kl means that the Barkly East community will now have water all year round. At a cost of only a paltry R282.60 per head, the community will profit hugely from the project."

"The benefits of this project go far beyond the provision of water all year. The immediate and long-term advantages to this community are staggering when you study them, says a proud Tiaan. "The contractor appointed to do the dam construction is a local contractor, and the labour force employed on the project is 100% local. For this area where work is just a distant dream for most, the employment opportunities are a godsend."
 

"Islands are also being built in the dam and will be stocked with a variety of birds, to attract tourists who have an interest in birding," said Tiaan, a keen birding man himself. "The dam will also be stocked with trout to attract fishing tourism."

"In the near future, the quality of life of the community will be greatly improved by the addition of water-borne sewerage, which of course for a community used to having scarce water will be wonderful."

"For me, using CIVIL DESIGNER ROADS as well as SURVEY+TERRAIN was wonderful. It saved me so much time, particularly on the earthworks, as we had to move 40 000m3 from the dam floor to be used in the wall construction. It is so accurate and easy to use," said Tiaan.