PROPOSED LIBODE & NGQELENI BULK WATER SUPPLY CONVEYANCE CORRIDORS OR TAMBO DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY, EASTERN CAPE

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1 PROPOSED LIBODE & NGQELENI BULK WATER SUPPLY CONVEYANCE CORRIDORS OR TAMBO DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY, EASTERN CAPE Background Information Document DEDEA Ref No s: EC 155/ORT/LN1&LN2/M/13 34 EC 157/ORT/LN1&LN3/M/13 33 INTRODUCTION In 2012 the President of South Africa announced the rejuvenation of the City of Mthatha and stated that this initiative was a key Presidential Intervention Programme. As part of this Programme a Bulk Water Conveyance Master plan for the upgrading of the bulk water supply network in and around the City of Mthatha as well as to villages surrounding Mthatha was prepared for the King Sabata Dalindyebo Municipality (KSDM). The KSDM Bulk Water Conveyance Master plan comprises of a number of large phased components. One of these components requires the construction of a new bulk water supply system including rising and gravity mains as well as reservoirs in order to transfer the clear water pumped out of the Thornhill and Rosedale Waterworks to the extended areas of supply within the 5 corridors depicted in Figure 1. Figure 1: Extent of the five proposed Water Supply Conveyance Corridors which form part of the KSDM Bulk Water Supply Master Plan. Indwe Environmental Consulting has been appointed as an independent Environmental Assessment Practitioner to undertake two separate Basic Assessments (BA) in support of the Ngqeleni and Libode Bulk Water Supply Conveyance Corridors. The BA s will conform to the requirements of the National Environmental Management Act (Act 107 of 1998), (NEMA) as amended EIA Regulations (2010), as published in Government Notice No. R This document is intended to provide background information to stakeholders, authorities and other interested and affected parties (I&APs) and forms a key component of the Public Participation Process being undertaken as part of the Basic Assessments.

2 1. LIBODE BULK WATER SUPPLY CONVEYANCE CORRIDOR PROJECT DESCRIPTION Proposed activities within the Libode Bulk Water Conveyance Corridor will involve the following: Misty Mount Rising Main (Pink Line) The installation of a 400 mm diameter rising main pipeline from the Lalini booster pump station to the proposed 10 ML Misty Mount reservoir over a distance of approximately metres. This pipeline will be installed within the existing Rosedale Libode pipeline servitude (Black Line) Figure 2. Megacon Gravity Main (Green Line) The installation of a 300 mm diameter gravity main pipeline from the proposed 10 ML Misty Mount Command Reservoir to the proposed 10 ML Megacon HL Reservoir over a distance of approximately metres. Mandovini Gravity Main (Orange Line) The installation of a 200 mm diameter gravity main pipeline from the proposed 10 ML Megacon HL Reservoir to the proposed 1 ML Mandluvini Reservoir over a distance of approximately metres. Enjiveni Gravity Main (Blue Line) The installation of a 200 mm diameter gravity main pipeline from the proposed 10 ML Megacon HL Reservoir to the proposed 1 ML Enjiveni Reservoir over a distance of approximately metres. The construction of the Lalini booster pump station at the following co ordinates: S E The construction of the 1 ML Lalani Reservoir at the following co ordinates: S E The construction of the 10 ML Misty Mount Command Reservoir at the following co ordinates: S E The construction of the 10 ML Megacon Reservoir at the following co ordinates: S E The construction of the 1 ML Mandluvini Reservoir at the following co ordinates: S E The construction of the 1 ML Enjiveni Reservoir at the following co ordinates: S E Figure 2: Layout of the proposed pipelines and reservoirs within the Libode Bulk Water Conveyance Corridor. 2 P age

3 2. NGQELENI BULK WATER SUPPLY CONVEYANCE CORRIDOR Proposed activities within the Ngqeleni Bulk Water Conveyance Corridor will involve the following: Mdoni Rising Main (Dark Blue Line) The installation of a 400 mm diameter rising main pipeline from the Lalini Booster Pump Station to the Mdoni Booster Pump Station over a distance of approximately metres (Figure 2). Palini Rising Main (Green Line) The installation of a 300 mm diameter rising main pipeline from the Mdoni Booster Pump Station to the proposed 10 ML Palini Reservoir over a distance of approximately metres (Figure 2). Ngqeleni Gravity Main (Light Blue Line) The installation of a 300 mm diameter gravity main pipeline from the proposed 10 ML Palini Reservoir to the proposed 1.5 ML Ngqeleni Reservoir over a distance of approximately metres (Figure 2). The construction of the Mdoni booster pump station at the following co ordinates: S E The construction of the 500 kl Mdoni Reservoir at the following co ordinates: S E The construction of the 10 ML Polani Reservoir at the following co ordinates: S E The construction of the 1.5 ML Ngqeleni Reservoir at the following co ordinates: S E P age Figure 3: Layout of the proposed pipelines and reservoirs within the Ngqeleni Bulk Water Conveyance Corridor. 1. LIBODE BULK WATER SUPPLY CONVEYANCE CORRIDOR PROJECT LOCATION The Libode corridor is located to the east of Mthatha and includes Wards 7, 8, 9, 16 and 18 all of which are administered by the Nyandeni Local Municipality within the OR Tambo District Municipality, Eastern Cape. The corridor runs in a westerly direction from the eastern peri urban suburbs of Mthatha to the small town of Libode located approximately 30km east of Mthatha. From Libode the corridor extends in a westerly direction to the villages of Enjiveni C and Mkhankatho (Figure 2). Apart from the town of Libode, the majority of the pipeline route passes through countryside interspersed with a number of small rural villages. The majority of land along the proposed pipeline route is state owned land administered by the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform. The pipeline will cross the N2 National Road in Mthatha. This section of land is administered by the South African National Roads Agency.

4 2. NGQELENI BULK WATER SUPPLY CONVEYANCE CORRIDOR The Ngqeleni Bulk Water Conveyance Corridor is located to the southeast of Mthatha and includes Wards 12, 13, 14, 15 and 21 all of which are administered by the Nyandeni Local Municipality within the OR Tambo District Municipality, Eastern Cape. The corridor runs in a south easterly direction from the eastern peri urban suburbs of Mthatha to the small town of Ngqeleni located approximately 25 km south east of Mthatha (Figure 3). The majority of the pipeline route passes through countryside interspersed with a number of small rural villages. The majority of land along the proposed pipeline route is state owned land administered by the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform. PROJECT MOTIVATION There is a need to formalise and unify (or replace) existing under capacity and aging systems for the town of Mthatha and surrounding peri urban areas and to provide the backbone for a sustainable regional bulk water supply system that can be implemented under the overall King Sabata Dalindyebo Municipality Master plan. The proposed project will vastly improve the Greater Mthatha and surrounding areas long term level of service and assurance of water supply and thereby unlock the economic growth potential of this region. In particular, it is expected to greatly uplift the economic development of towns along the corridors (such as Ngqeleni and Libode) and thereby reduce the trend of concentrated growth in Mthatha at the expense of the surrounding areas. The proposed Libode & Ngqeleni Bulk Water Conveyance Corridors forms part of the KSDM Master Plan to develop and extend the existing water supply system to as many communities as possible in and around the town of Mthatha. The Master Plan itself is a high priority Presidential Intervention Programme and forms part of the Strategic Infrastructure Projects identified within the 2011 National Development Plan. KEY PROJECT ISSUES Key project issues associated with the project identified to date include: Land acquisition and allocation of servitudes and way leaves Disruption to services and disturbances to communities during construction The clearing of indigenous vegetation and associated biodiversity impacts for construction of the pipelines Rehabilitation of trenches, cleared areas, access roads and subsequent erosion control Obtaining General Authorisations for the proposed headwater seeps, streams and river crossings Water quality impacts associated with construction within water courses Potential heritage (cultural, archaeological and paleontological) impacts Selecting a route that is the Best Practical Environmental Option. 4 P age EIA REQUIREMENTS NEMA Section 24(5) stipulates that listed activities require environmental authorization via a BA process. Listing notice Activity No Development Activity number 544, 18 June (i) A portion of the project involves the construction of a water pipeline with a diameter exceeding 0.36m for a distance exceeding 1000m outside a road reserve. 544, 18 June (xi) It is likely that infrastructure exceeding 50m2 (pump station) will be built within 32 m of a water course 544, 18 June (i) In excess of 5 cubic metres of sand or rock may be removed from a watercourse for trenching and securing the pipeline

5 Listing notice Activity No Development Activity number 546, 18 June a (iii)(dd) The project may require the construction of reservoirs for bulk water supply with a capacity of more than 250 cubic metres, within a critical biodiversity area as identified in the Eastern Cape Biodiversity Plan. 546, 18 June a (ii)(ee) The project may require the construction of access roads wider than 4 metres with a road reserve less than 13.5 metres within a critical biodiversity area as identified in the Eastern Cape Biodiversity Plan. 546, 18 June (b) The project may require the clearance of 300 square metres or more of vegetation where 75% or more of the vegetation cover constitutes indigenous vegetation within a critical biodiversity area as identified in the Eastern Cape Biodiversity Plan. 546, 18 June (c)(ii) More than an area of 1 hectare or more of vegetation where 75% or more of the vegetative cover constitutes indigenous vegetation will be cleared outside urban areas. 546, 18 June (iv)(ff) The project may require the construction of infrastructure with a footprint exceeding 10 square metres such as reservoirs and pump stations within a critical biodiversity area as identified in the Eastern Cape Biodiversity Plan. The Basic Assessment process entails the following 2 broad phases: 1. Application Phase: Two separate applications for authorisation were submitted to the relevant authority, the Department of Economic Development and Environmental Affairs (DEDEA), OR Tambo Region. These applications have subsequently been accepted Reference No: Ngqeleni EC 155/ORT/LN1&LN2/M/13 34; Libode EC 157/ORT/LN1&LN3/M/ Basic Assessment: After DEDEAT has accepted the applications, separate Basic Assessments will be undertaken. This includes the undertaking of a public participation process (PPP) including consultation with key stakeholders, detailed site investigations, planning and reporting. The projects will culminate in the production of Basic Assessment Reports (BAR) which will be submitted to the competent authority (DEDEA) for their decision on the projects. ADDITIONAL STATUTORY APPROVALS The project will include the following statutory approval processes: General Authorisation in terms of Section 21(c)(i) of the National Water Act 36 of 1998 Approval from SANRAL for crossing the N2 National and R61 Provincial Roads Approval in terms of Section 38 of the National Heritage Resources Act 25 of 1999 Community Resolution in terms of the Interim Protection of Informal Land Rights Act 31 of 1996 PUBLIC PARTICIPATION PROCESS The public participation process will be undertaken in accordance with Regulation 54 of the NEMA EIA Regulations, as published in Government Notice No. R 543. This will entail the following activities: 1. Circulation of a BID (this document) and public notification (advertising) to allow I&APs to register on project database. 2. Release (for registered I&AP review and comment) of a draft Basic Assessment Report. 3. Release (for registered I&AP review and comment) of a final Basic Assessment Report including a Comments & Responses Report. 4. Submission of relevant documentation (final Basic Assessment Report, Comments and Responses Report and EMPs) to DEDEA for a decision. 5. Announcement of the outcome to all registered I&APs. 5 P age

6 Crucial to the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process is input from Interested and I&APs. Hence the public are encouraged to register as I&APs for these projects and to submit their comments in writing to the environmental practitioners regarding the proposed project. Registered I&APs will be kept informed of project progress throughout the EIA process. The public will also be given the opportunity to review and comment on the Draft Basic Assessment Reports (DBAR s). All comments raised by I&APs will be incorporated into the final reports and submitted to the environmental authority DEDEAT to enable them to make an informed decision with regard to the development proposal. Once an Environmental Authorisation is received, it will be distributed to registered I&APs who may appeal to the Minister of Environment in opposition to the decision. DETAILS OF THE PROFFESIONAL TEAM INDWE ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTING Indwe Environmental Consulting is a registered environmental consultancy that specialises in all facets of environmental management. Our focus is on project based environmental studies. Broadly the services offered are Basic Assessments, Full Environmental Impact Assessments; Strategic Environmental studies (State of the Environment Reporting, Strategic Environmental Assessments, Environmental Management Frameworks), Feasibility Studies, Climate Change & Sustainability Reporting and Integrated Waste Management Planning. Brendon Steytler is the Principal Member of Indwe Environmental Consulting. Brendon is a professionally registered Environmental Scientist (Pr.Sci.Nat. No /06) and holds a Masters Degree in Environment and Development. Brendon has been involved in many diverse EIA s and other environmental studies within the Eastern Cape for the last nine years. GIBB (Pty) Ltd GIBB (Pty) Ltd are appointed as the Consulting Engineers who will undertake all engineering designs associated with this project and manage the tender and construction process. SPECIALIST STUDIES Additional specialist studies will include: Botanical, Aquatic and Cultural Heritage assessments. YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO GET INVOLVED Should you wish to express your views regarding this proposed development, please feel free to register as an I&AP by sending us you re written comments. Please submit your name, contact information and written comments to the contact person below. A written comments form is supplied at the back end of this notice for your convenience. Contact Brendon Steytler Indwe Environmental Consulting 12 Preston Avenue Vincent 5241 Tel: Cell: Fax: E mail: brendon@indwecon.co.za 6 P age

7 COMMENTS SHEET: PROPOSED LIBODE & NGQELENI BULK WATER SUPPLY CONVEYANCE CORRIDORS Please send to: Cedric Gregson Indwe Environmental Consulting 12 Preston Avenue Vincent East London 5241 Tel: Fax: YOUR details (please print clearly): Name Organisation Telephone Number Physical Address Postal Address Fax Number Address Comments (please continue on an additional sheet if necessary): 7 P age