ACORNHOEK "B"
COMMUNITY WATER PROJECT
COMPLETION REPORT
Project No. SSP/6.6
Prepared by
AWARD
Association for Water and Rural Development
Private Bag X483
Acornhoek, 1360
Tel : 015 - 793 - 3991
Fax : 015 - 793 - 3992
June 2001
PROJECT SUMMARY
Name of Project
Acornhoek “B” Community Water Project
Size of Community
349 stands : 1,760 people
Budget
R 188,500
Project Start Date
February 1999
Project Completion Date
March 2001
Project Results

Prior to this project, the water supply for Acornhoek
“B” consisted of a single communal tap that provided
very small quantities of water from a weak source for
very brief periods on certain days.

After this project, their water supply improved
dramatically with 20 new communal taps that can
provide a much greater quantity of water from a
strong, reliable source. There is now a dependable
water supply within 200 metres of every household in
Acornhoek “B”.

Engage with local government and the Department of
Water Affairs from the start of project implementation.
This helps to secure their co-operation and approval
of the project.

Ensure that the Water Committee maintains open
communication with other community structures
regarding the project. Keep the community as a
whole informed of progress on the project. This will
help to establish community ownership of the project if
they are given the opportunity for full participation.

AWARD started harvesting the skills and experience
of local people for the implementation of this project.
Local people have developed strong project
management and implementation skills over the years
from previous community initiatives. This proved to
be a much better resource than relying on expensive
urban-based consultants, as was done in the past.
Main Lessons
Innovations
(i)
Acornhoek "B" Water Project Completion Report
Table of Contents
Page
PROJECT SUMMARY
(i)
1.0
Introduction .......................................................................................................
2.0
Community Background
3
2.1 Location and Population ............................................................................
3
2.2 Socio-Economic Activities ..........................................................................
3
2.3 Acornhoek "B" Water Project ....................................................................
3
2.4 Physical Planning of Acornhoek "B" ...................………….......................
4
3.0
Water Committee Status ..................................................................................
4
4.0
Project Description
4.1
4.2
Greater Acornhoek Water Projects ..........................................................
4
4.1.1 Tinswalo Hospital Water Supply Project .......................................
4
4.1.2 Acornhoek Water Treatment Plant ................................................
5
4.1.3 Bulk Water Supply to Orpen Housing Scheme .............................
5
4.1.4 Green Valley Water Supply Project ................................................
5
Acornhoek "B" Water Project
4.2.1 Previous Situation ..........................................................................
5
4.2.2 Phase 1 ..........................................................................................
6
4.2.3 Phase 2 ...........................................................................................
6
5.0
Timeline of Acornhoek Water System Development .........................................
7
6.0
Project Implementation
Page 1
6.1
AWARD’S Policy ........................................................................................ 8
6.2
Community Facilitation ..............................................................................
6.3
Water Committee Election Process ............................................................ 8
6.4
Water Committee Training .......................................................................... 8
8
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Acornhoek "B" Water Project Completion Report
Table of Contents (cont'd)
Page
6.5
Community Participation ............................................................................
9
6.6
Project Labour ...........................................................................................
9
6.7
Construction Supervision ……………………..……………………………
10
6.8
Project Design Drawings …………………………………………………..
10
6.9
Construction Materials ...........................................................................
10
6.10 Project Construction ...............................................................................
10
6.11 Operations and Maintenance ……………………………………………..
10
7.0
Project Expenditure Breakdown ………………………………….………………
12
8.0
Results of the Project
8.1
Improved Water Supply .......................................................................
13
8.2
Demand for Higher Level of Service ....................................................
13
8.3
Transfer of Skills and Capacity Building ..............................................
14
Figure 1 Overall Plan of the Acornhoek Regional Water Supply System ......................
16
Figure 2 Detailed Plan at Reservoir H05-R1370 (No. 51) ............................................
17
Figure 3 Acornhoek "B" Water Reticulation System - As Built Layout (Main Section) ...... 18
Figure 4 Acornhoek "B" Water Reticulation System - As Built Layout (Molapo Section) ... 19
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Acornhoek "B" Water Project Completion Report
1.0 Introduction
This report has been prepared by AWARD to provide a summary of the completed project,
and to reflect on the successes and lessons learned. This report focuses primarily on the
Acornhoek "B" water project that was implemented under the Save the Sand Project which
was funded by the Department of Agriculture and Land Affairs (DALA). Funding for this
project was approved in February 1999.
This report also includes a brief background of AWARD's relationship with the Acornhoek
community, as well as a description of recent developments in the overall water supply for
the Acornhoek area. AWARD has been actively involved with this community since 1993
and assisted the community in establishing their first water committee. They requested
AWARD's assistance in accessing an improved water supply for the Acornhoek "B" section
of the village. This was the most under-developed part of Acornhoek.
2.0 Community Background
2.1 Location and Population
Acornhoek is a large village located in the Bushbuckridge area of the Northern Province.
Acornhoek is located approximately 150km north of Nelspruit and 200km south-east of
Pietersburg. Accurate population figures for Acornhoek are not available, but it is generally
estimated that there are 12,000 to 15,000 people living in this area.
2.2 Socio-Economic Activities
Acornhoek serves as a business hub for the surrounding area and includes extensive
shopping areas, business district, Mapulaneng Technical College, Tintswalo Hospital, train
station, police station, bank, post office, several schools, several churches, and many other
services. It could be considered as a peri-urban town because it has elements of urban and
rural areas. Acornhoek is generally divided into the following districts :
Acornhoek A
Acornhoek B
Acornhoek C
Acornhoek D
Chavelagaza
RDP Houses
west of Tintswalo Hospital
east of ESKOM
west of Mapulaneng Technical College
east of Mapulaneng Technical College
north of Tintswalo Hospital
between Chavelagaza and Orpen Road
2.3 Acornhoek "B” Water Project
This project deals specifically with upgrading the existing water supply system for Acornhoek
"B". This community is located in the south-west part of Acornhoek and it consists of 2
sections. Recent census information shows that the main section of Acornhoek “B” has 228
stands with 995 people (average of 4.4 people per household) and the Molapo section has
121 stands with 665 people (average of 5.5 people per household). The totals for
Acornhoek “B” are 349 stands with 1,760 people for an average of 5 people per household.
This community has one primary school and one creche. There is also a community garden
in Acornhoek "B". Acornhoek "B" is sometimes referred to as "Powerline" because it is
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Acornhoek "B" Water Project Completion Report
located beside ESKOM.
electricity until late 1999.
Ironically, this section of Acornhoek was not serviced with
2.4 Physical Planning of Acornhoek "B"
There is no formal plan for the development of Acornhoek "B". However, it continues to
expand with the recent construction of several dozen new plots to the west of the main part
of Acornhoek "B". This section of Acornhoek "B" is locally known as Molapo and is located
just south of ESKOM. This section of Acornhoek "B", as well as un-serviced areas in the
main part of Acornhoek "B" were addressed under this project. Local income generating
activities and other activities that are large water users include household gardens, house
building, traditional beer making, and brick making. There are community development
plans for community gardens, upgrading the existing creche, and to expand the Powerline
Primary School.
3.0 Water Committee Status
Acornhoek "B" has a Water Committee that was established in 1993. Members were
democratically elected at a mass community meeting. The Water Committee consists of a
chairperson, vice-chairperson, secretary, vice-secretary, treasurer, and 5 additional
members. There are men, women, youth, and elders on the Water Committee. There is a
written constitution for the Committee and each member is aware of his/her roles and
responsibilities. Members of the Acornhoek Civics also regularly attend Water Committee
meetings and provide their support to community development work. There have been
several changes in personnel of the Water Committee during recent years. The main reason
is that many of the key members have left the community for employment or to further their
education.
4.0 Project Description
4.1 Greater Acornhoek Water Projects
The main source of water for the Acornhoek area is surface water from the Mahlebe
(Acornhoek) Dam. There was an old treatment plant and pump station at the dam that were
drastically under capacity to serve the Acornhoek area. Fortunately, 4 new bulk water
supply projects were recently constructed through government funding that have made a
significant improvement in the water supply for the Acornhoek area. Two (2) of these
projects have had a direct impact on the water supply for Acornhoek "B". All 4 projects form
part of the large-scale long-term upgrading programme that was initiated under RDP-2 for
Bushbuckridge in 1996. This programme is generally referred to as the "Acornhoek
Regional Water Supply Scheme." The following is a brief description of these bulk water
projects.
4.1.1 Tintswalo Hospital Water Supply Project
The first project was called "The Tintswalo Hospital Water Supply" because it was
funded by the Department of Health & Welfare. In fact however, this project forms
part of the overall upgrading of the bulk water supply for the entire Acornhoek area,
not just the hospital. The project generally consists of a new pump station located at
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Acornhoek "B" Water Project Completion Report
the dam and a bulk water supply pipeline from the new pump station to the existing
raw water reservoir at the Tintswalo Hospital treatment plant. This project was
constructed from January to July 1999. The bulk supply pipeline for this project
passes very close to the empty reservoir (Reservoir No. 51) near Acornhoek "B", and
the pipeline includes provision for a connection to this reservoir.
4.1.2 Acornhoek Water Treatment Plant
The second project was called "The Acornhoek Regional Water Supply Scheme –
Water Treatment Plant". This project is one of the 4 original projects to be
constructed under the Bushbuckridge Area RDP-2 Programme in 1997. The funding
for construction of Phase 1 became available in 1999 from Department of Water
Affairs and Forestry (DWAF). Phase 1 of this project generally consists of a 3Ml/day
capacity water filtration plant. Construction of Phase 1 was substantially completed
in February 2001. This project will essentially treat raw water from the dam, which is
then pumped to Acornhoek through the new pump station described above.
4.1.3 Bulk Water Supply to Orpen Housing Scheme
The third project generally consists of a new bulk pipeline from the recently installed
bulk pipeline under the Tintswalo Hospital Water Supply project to the existing
reservoirs located in Chavelagaza. This project was intended to improve the water
supply to the Orpen Housing Scheme and the surrounding villages. The project
construction period was from October 1999 to March 2000. This project does not
have a direct impact on the Acornhoek "B" water project.
4.1.4 Green Valley Water Supply Project
Construction on this project began in April 2001. The consulting engineers are
Sennett & Wessels of Pietersburg, and the construction contractor is a local firm.
The project generally consists of a new concrete reservoir located beside Reservoir
51 and a bulk supply line from this new reservoir to Green Valley. The bulk supply
line shall include connections to the police station, the plaza, and the proposed
housing project by Mamokhuthu Developers (Greenview Estates). This new
reservoir will be filled through a connection to the new bulk pipeline that was installed
under the Tintswalo Hospital Water Supply project. The capacity of the new reservoir
is somewhat larger than Reservoir 51, i.e. greater than 600,000 litres.
4.2
Acornhoek "B" Water Project
4.2.1 Previous Situtation
Until recently, there was no formal water supply to Acornhoek "B" at all. The only
water supply was a small-diameter "informal" connection to one of the old rising
mains that serves a single public standpipe and a small ferro-cement tank located at
the edge of the community. People often use local springs or an open pond beside
the reservoir to access water. There are some boreholes located in the greater
Acornhoek area, however there are no boreholes in the immediate vicinity of
Acornhoek "B". Groundwater was not considered to be a viable option for Acornhoek
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Acornhoek "B" Water Project Completion Report
"B" due to the lack of available boreholes and because of the recent upgrading of the
bulk supply for the Acornhoek region described above.
4.2.2 Phase 1
From November 1998 to March 2000, Acornhoek "B" constructed Phase 1 of a new
reticulation system for their community. This project was funded by the Claude
Harris Leon Foundation. Phase 1 included the installation of approximately 1,200
metres of small diameter (50, 63 and 75mm) pipelines, 5 public standpipes, and
connection to Reservoir 51 referred to above. Unfortunately, this phase of the project
did not actually work because the reservoir was usually empty, and this was known at
the time. It should be noted however, that this problem was in the process of being
corrected by the construction of the bulk water supply projects noted above in
Section 4.1.
4.2.3 Phase 2
Acornhoek "B" was able to secure additional project funds from the Department of
Agriculture and Land Affairs (DALA) under the Save the Sand Project to implement
Phase 2 of their water supply. The primary focus of Phase 2 was to secure the
actual source of water first. This involved making a direct connection from the new
bulk supply pipeline to Reservoir 51 located beside Acornhoek "B". Once the source
was secured, further extensions to the reticulation were then made and additional
public standpipes were constructed. This phase included the installation of
approximately 4,000 more metres of small diameter (50 and 75mm) pipelines and
construction of 15 more public standpipes for a total of 5,200 metres of pipe and 20
standpipes for Phase 1 and 2 combined. This provided complete coverage of
Acornhoek "B" including Molapo such that no household was more than 200 metres
from the nearest tap. The most important improvement however was securing the
source from the new bulk supply into the reservoir. Phase 2 was constructed from
July 2000 to March 2001.
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5.0 Timeline of Acornhoek Water System Development
October 1993
Received approval "in principle" from the Leon Foundation for
R100,000 for the Acornhoek water project
September 1994
Received written approval from the Leon Foundation for the
Acornhoek water project (R100,000.00)
1995
Acornhoek "A" - evaluation of existing water supply, no physical
improvements were implemented
1995
Acornhoek "D" - existing boreholes evaluated, minor improvements
recommended
1995 to 1996
Acornhoek "C" - construction of small reticulation system and 5 taps
Oct. to Nov. 1996
Acornhoek "B" - construction of ferro-cement tank and upgrade of the
only public standpipe in the community
September 1998
MBB Consulting Engineers hired for design and construction
supervision of reticulation system for Acornhoek "B" (Phase 1)
November 1998
Construction started on Phase 1 of Acornhoek "B" reticulation system
January 1999
Construction started on pump station and pipeline for bulk scheme
February 1999
Secured project funds from DALA through Save the Sand to
implement Phase 2 of the Acornhoek “B” water project (R188,500.00).
July 1999
Construction completed on pump station and pipeline for bulk scheme
September 1999
Financial management & bookkeeping training provided by local social
consultant – Tsebo Consultants of Acornhoek.
November 1999
Construction started on treatment plant for bulk scheme
March 2000
Completion of pipeline installation for reticulation system for Phase 1
Mar. to Sept. 2000
Negotiations with DWAF for approval to connect to the reservoir
September 2000
Approval received from DWAF for connection to the reservoir
Jan. to March 2000
Record rainfalls and extensive flooding throughout the region.
March 2000
Successfully completed the connection to the (empty) reservoir,
effectively completing all construction work for Phase 1
March to May 2000
Planning workshops conducted for implementation of Phase 2
May 2000
Presented project plans to DWAF for their approval
June to July 2000
Community made final preparations for start of construction
July 2000
Received verbal approval from DWAF to proceed with construction
July 2000
Start of construction for Phase 2
November 2000
Successful connection of bulk supply to the reservoir, thereby
securing a reliable water source for the community
December 18, 2000 Water flowing to the new public standpipes for the first time
February 2001
Construction completed on treatment plant for bulk scheme
March 2001
July-Aug. 2001
Completion of all construction work for Acornhoek “B” Phase 2
Conducted follow-up workshops on water system sustainability, water
catchments, water conservation, and water legislation
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6.0 Project Implementation
6.1 AWARD’s Policy
AWARD implements community projects using a holistic, community-oriented process. This
process involves an intensive process of capacity building and community training before
construction is started. The community is empowered with the skills and knowledge to make
their own decisions throughout the project process. This also results in maximising the use
of local labour and materials in the implementation of the project. AWARD provides social
and technical support throughout the project so that the community is able to properly
manage their project. As stated at the beginning of this report, the Acornhoek community
approached AWARD to request our assistance in making improvements to their water
supply. This makes the initiative a demand-driven process rather than something that is
supplied from the outside.
6.2 Community Facilitation
Every effort was made to have the community and local people do as much of the work as
possible throughout the implementation of the project. AWARD also helps the community to
recognise the fact that there are certain times when outside expertise is required. Typical
examples of these situations are for financial training, borehole drilling and development,
preparing design drawings, or providing electrical power to a pump. Fortunately, almost all
aspects of this project were implemented with local skills and labour.
6.3 Water Committee Election Process
The early stages of the project involved facilitating the community to elect some form of
project steering committee. For this project, this took the form of a Water Committee. We
encouraged the community to have a representative committee that includes men and
women, youth and elders. The community held a mass meeting and democratically elected
their Water Committee. Individuals were also selected for the executive positions of
chairperson, secretary, and treasurer.
6.4 Water Committee Training
AWARD then provided training to the newly formed committee on the roles and
responsibilities of each person on the committee, as well as how to conduct meetings, take
minutes, leadership skills, and to develop a written Committee Constitution. It was also
emphasised to the Committee that they are representatives of the community at large, and
they must act in the community's best interest, and keep them informed of the project
progress.
We then introduced the Committee to the overall project process, which includes
management of the project funds. A Funding Agreement was prepared, explained, and
signed by the Committee and AWARD. The Funding Agreement is a standard document
used for all community projects implemented by AWARD. It sets out the roles and
responsibilities of AWARD, the Committee, and the funder. Once this Agreement is
understood and signed, this leads into financial training for the Committee. This is often
done by an outside consultant that specialises in providing these services, and this was the
case for this project. The Committee invited other community members to attend this
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Acornhoek "B" Water Project Completion Report
training as well in order to spread the benefit to many people in the community. AWARD
facilitated the Committee to request quotations from trainers, evaluate their proposals, and to
select the most appropriate one. In this manner, the Committee is provided with guidance
and support from AWARD, then they can make their own informed decision. The Committee
selected Tsebo Consultants of Acornhoek to provide the financial training. They provided an
intensive 4 day course plus follow-up training and all participants were satisfied with the
quality of the training.
6.5 Community Participation
The next phase of the project involved the committee gathering information on their
community, including background information on the people, institutions, and social
structures. They were also facilitated using PRA techniques to develop community maps or
transects that show their existing infrastructure and water system. AWARD's engineer
walked through the community with local people that are familiar with the existing water
resources to assess the existing system. We then helped the community to make a detailed
plan of how they would go from where they were before the start of the project to where they
wanted to be at the completion of the project. Workshops were conducted to develop
detailed plans on how we were going to achieve these goals. This generally included a
written project implementation plan that listed several tasks, who was responsible for doing
these tasks, a schedule for each task, and indicators to verify that each task had been
accomplished.
6.6 Project Labour
Once the capacity of the Committee was sufficiently developed, detailed planning for
construction was made. We facilitated the Committee to develop a set of criteria for
selecting labourers which included men, women, youth, and elders, and favoured people
who were unemployed. Acornhoek "B" was in the fortunate position of recently completing
construction on Phase 1 of this project. This provided them with an excellent source of
skilled labour for supervision of the construction.
Ten labourers were selected for the construction, consisting of half men and half women.
The payment rates for the labourers was based on tasks rather than time, and were decided
by the community based on what was considered to be a fair wage for the amount of work.
Each labourer was paid R30 for excavating 15 metres of trench, which was a typical amount
of work for 1 day. The trenches were 1,000mm deep and 600mm wide. For pipeline
installation and back-filling, each labourer was paid R30 for 15 metres. This was also a
typical amount of work for 1 day.
The community also required 2 key positions for the construction phase of the project, a
Bookkeeper and a Stock Controller. An individual from the community was selected for each
of these positions, and both had taken the financial training course earlier in the project
which provided them with the skills for these positions. The Bookkeeper kept daily
attendance records of all labour and supervision, which was used to process the monthly
pay packets. The Bookkeeper also kept track of all payments and receipts during
construction as well as maintaining the project Cash Book and Petty Cash Book. The Stock
Controller kept track of the daily tools and equipment register, as well as all construction
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Acornhoek "B" Water Project Completion Report
materials. The community decided on a daily payment rate of R60 for each of the key
positions.
6.7 Construction Supervision
The Water Committee was also advised by AWARD to hire a Construction Supervisor who
would be on-site full time each day to monitor the quality of the construction and to provide
training and guidance to the labourers. The foreman from Phase 1, Mr. Benjamin Manzini,
was selected by the community to provide full time supervision of the construction for this
(Phase 2) project. He is a senior man who is widely respected in the community, and has
strong leadership and technical skills. Mr. Manzini was very conscientious in his approach to
his work and he provided an excellent service to the community. The community decided on
a daily payment rate of R60 for the Construction Supervisor.
6.8 Project Design Drawings
Design drawings for this project (Phase 2) were previously prepared by MBB Consulting
Engineers of Pretoria under Phase 1. The location of pipes and public standpipes were
decided by the community based on their own assessment of their water supply needs.
6.9 Construction Materials
An assessment was made of the tools and equipment required such as shovels, picks,
wheel barrows, construction line, measuring tape, etc. which were all purchased locally.
Some of these items had already been purchased under Phase 1 and were readily available
for Phase 2. One of the Committee member's stands was selected as a safe place to store
tools and materials during construction.
AWARD's engineer assisted the community to prepare a complete list of construction
materials required, including pipes, fittings, valves, taps, cement, and bricks. Quotations
were received from local suppliers, and the best quotations were selected. For the pipes
and associated fittings and valves, a supplier from Nelspruit was chosen. The Stock
Controller checked all deliveries of materials to ensure that what came off the truck matched
the waybills and invoices. Other materials such as bricks, cement and tools were purchased
locally.
6.10 Project Construction
On-site training was provided by AWARD's engineer to all labourers on skills such as laying
out the pipeline route, digging trenches, installing pipes, backfilling and compaction,
installation of all valves and fittings, construction of communal taps, and construction of
valve boxes. Only when all of the above steps had been successfully completed, did actual
construction begin. During construction, regular progress meetings were held with the Water
Committee. Construction progress was reviewed, any labour management issues were
discussed and resolved, and the remaining work was analysed in the context of the
remaining budget.
6.11 Operations and Maintenance
The concept of future operations and maintenance was also introduced. Workshops were
conducted with the community near the end of the construction phase to assist them to
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Acornhoek "B" Water Project Completion Report
establish a sustainable operations and maintenance system. This includes a system of
collecting and recording regular payments from each household, as well as technical
procedures to undertake routine repairs and maintenance on the water system. Acornhoek
“B” has developed a system to record all maintenance and repair work on their reticultation
system. It is noted that their source of water is a bulk supply that is outside of their direct
control. The community was also provided with details of outside organisations such as the
local water board, DWAF, and local water desk councillors who may be contacted when
outside assistance is required.
The community has established a collection system where each household pays 5 Rands
per month into the community operations and maintenance fund. The source of the water
supply to Acornhoek “B” is a bulk supply that is currently operated by the Bushbuckridge
Water Board under contract with the local government. At the present time, the government
has no cost recovery plan in place for any of their bulk schemes. No one pays anything for
the operations and maintenance of the bulk supply facilities, including treatment plants and
pumping stations. However, the local government is developing plans for putting a cost
recovery plan in place within the next few years. The monthly household contributions that
are collected locally in Acornhoek “B” are used to pay for any repairs to their own reticulation
system within their community. It may also accumulate to be used for future expansion of
the reticulation system.
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7.0 Project Expenditure Breakdown
58% (R108,500)
of Project Funds
spent locally
Construction Supervision
= R9,900 (5%)
Key Positions
= R19,800 11%)
Labour = R46,300 (25%)
Community Training
= R12,100 (6%)
Water Committee
Expenses = R7,600 (4%)
Construction Materials = R88,000 (47%)
Remaining
Project Funds
= R4,800 (2%)
Total Project Budget = R188,500.00 (Phase 2)
Notes :
1. The only project funds spent outside the community were for certain construction
materials such as pipes, valves, and fittings : (R80,000 or 42%).
2. Key Positions include the Bookkeeper and Stock Keeper which were paid positions
for the duration of the construction.
3. Design was completed by MBB Consulting Engineers under the budget for Phase 1.
4. Remaining Project Funds are held in the community’s project account for contingency
purposes such as emergency repairs, operations, and maintenance.
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Acornhoek "B" Water Project Completion Report
8.0 Results of the Project
8.1 Improved Water Supply
The most direct result of this project is a dramatic improvement in the water supply for
Acornhoek “B”. Prior to this project, this community was suffering with only one communal
tap that delivered very small quantities of water for very brief periods on certain days. Now
there are 20 new communal taps that provide a strong, dependable supply of water every
day within 200 metres of all households in this community. The most important technical
factor in the success of this project was the major investment by the government in
upgrading the bulk supply from Mahlebe Dam. Due to the combined efforts of the
government upgrading the source supply for the Acornhoek region, together with local
community efforts to access this improved water source, the residents of Acornhoek “B” now
enjoy significantly improved livelihoods.
Residents of Acornhoek “B” have noted that water is now flowing so well to their area, that
people from other sections of Acornhoek have started to come into Acornhoek “B” to collect
water. So far this has not created any serious conflicts. However, AWARD has started
receiving requests from these other sections of Acornhoek for assistance similar to what we
have provided to the Acornhoek “B” section.
8.2 Demand for Higher Level of Service
The success of this project has also encouraged residents of Acornhoek “B” to lobby
strongly to upgrade their level of service from communal taps to yard taps. They have a
great deal of confidence in the water system now that they see the amount of water
available. The community has thought about this proposal and they have the will and the
capacity to proceed with implementing their own yard tap level of service. They are also
determined to proceed with this initiative even without any external support or assistance.
This issue of the community seeking to upgrade their water supply to a yard-tap level of
service is a demand driven response resulting from the success of their recently completed
water project. The level of awareness and knowledge about the Acornhoek regional water
supply system is quite high in the Acornhoek “B” community. They are well aware that the
source at Mahlebe Dam serves many communities in the Acornhoek area. They are also
aware that water system developments in one section of the area will have an impact on
other sections.
AWARD conducted a workshop specifically addressing this issue. We emphasised that
there is a wide range of levels of service that exist in the various sections of the Acornhoek
area, and that there is not sufficient capacity in the system to provide all residents in the area
with a yard-tap level of service. We noted that the bulk system provides water to many other
communities, not just Acornhoek “B”. These communities include Acornhoek A, C, D,
Tintswalo Hospital, Chavelagaza, Orpen Gate RDP Housing Scheme, the central business
area, Mapulaneng College, the Plaza, Green Valley, and the proposed Mamokhuthu
Housing Project. Again, the residents of Acornhoek “B” were well aware of this fact. We
encouraged the people of Acornhoek “B” to not pursue a higher level of service at this time
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June 2001
Acornhoek "B" Water Project Completion Report
until the overall capacity of the source can provide more water to all people in the Acornhoek
area.
However, Acornhoek “B” has thought through this issue in a rational manner and has
considered the consequences. They justify moving towards a higher level of service at yardtap level for the following reasons. One reason is that section “B” has suffered for many
years with probably the worst level of water supply in the Acornhoek region. While they
waited for assistance, the government has come in to the area to erect new housing scheme
with no services, then return to provide yard-tap level of water supply for reasons of political
expediency, and all this before other long standing residents are given any assistance. The
complete lack of integrated planning by the government in implementing this local housing
scheme is not regarded well by local residents to say the least.
They also noted the high incidence of illegal (“informal”) connections throughout Acornhoek
that are not regulated. In addition, it was noted that there would be no direct benefit to
Acornhoek “B” if they play the part of the good neighbour when other sections of Acornhoek
will certainly not respond in the same way. Acornhoek “B” also indicated that if the
installation of yard taps in their area has a negative impact on the water supply for all of
Acornhoek, then this situation should bring pressure to bear on the government to upgrade
the source supply for all of Acornhoek.
People in section “B” have also resolved to conserve water and use it wisely as they know
how precious and scarce this resource is. We conducted a workshop on water conservation,
and they have many sound ideas that they are already putting into practice to ensure that
water is not wasted. Measures include regulating the size and number of containers that a
person can use to draw water from the communal taps, and repairing leaking taps and pipes.
8.3 Transfer of Skills and Capacity Building
Another success story of this project is related to the transfer of skills at the community level.
AWARD has been helping poor rural communities access proper water supplies and
sanitation since 1993. Traditionally, AWARD relied on engineering consultants to provide
site supervision during the construction phase of projects. However, consultants are located
very far away, are extremely expensive, and may not be able to provide a conscientious,
high level of service because they don't live here.
AWARD decided to start harvesting the skills that local people have developed from
previous projects for our new projects. We helped the community identify key local people
from previous community water projects. These people were then hired to provide site
supervision during the construction. While hiring local skilled people was much less
expensive than consultants, this benefit was actually secondary. The primary benefits were
the level of service and care that local people provided in helping their neighbouring
communities implement their water projects. Now that this project is completed, it has
demonstrated that this arrangement has been a great success, provided local jobs and
valuable work experience, and helped to maximise the amount of project funds that are
spent locally. As noted above, the foreman from Phase 1 was hired by the community to
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June 2001
Acornhoek "B" Water Project Completion Report
provide full time supervision of the construction for Phase 2 of this project, and this
arrangement proved to be a great success.
During AWARD's long history with the Acornhoek community, we have noticed a trend
resulting from our capacity building efforts, which has both positive and negative
consequences. Through our involvement and support of the community and Water
Committees, many people have developed new skills and gained valuable experience. Over
the years, this has allowed many of the key individuals in Acornhoek to leave the community
for formal employment or to further their education. Unfortunately, this meant that this
capacity has been lost from the community. The positive side however, is that it brings in
fresh faces and ideas, and allows skills and experience to be gained by more individuals in
the community.
filename = c:\my documents\projects\Acornhoek SSP 6.6\Acornhoek B project completion report.doc
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June 2001
Acornhoek "B" Water Project Completion Report
FIGURE 1 : OVERALL PLAN of the
ACORNHOEK REGIONAL WATER SUPPLY SCHEME
Twin 600kl Reservoirs
Railway
Tracks
Tintswalo
Tintswalo Hospital
Treatment Plant
New Bulk
Pipeline for
RDP Housing
Scheme
Hospital
Connection to New
Bulk Pipeline
Main Road (tarred)
through Acornhoek
Bulk Reservoir
ACORNHOEK
"B"
ESKOM
ACORNHOEK "B"
(Molapo)
Old Rising Main
from Old
Treatment Plant
Mahlabe
New Bulk Pipeline
from New Pump
Station
Dam
New Pump
Station
N
Old
Treatment
Plant
Old
Settling
Ponds
New Water
Treatment
Plant
Not to Scale
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June 2001
Acornhoek "B" Water Project Completion Report
ACORNHOEK REGIONAL WATER SUPPLY SCHEME
FIGURE 2 : DETAILED PLAN at RESERVOIR H05 – R1370 (No. 51)
Tintswalo Hospital
Water Treatment
Plant
Main Road through Acornhoek
200mm bulk pipeline to
Tintswalo Hospital Water
Treatment Plant
open
pond
250mm bulk
pipeline to
twin 600kl
reservoirs
200mm AC
pipeline
150mm
uPVC
pipeline
air valve
(AC-B13)
valve
box
Old 100mm AC inlet
pipe (from abandoned
borehole ?)
valve
box
125mm uPVC
pipeline to
Acornhoek B
reticulation
bottom
Access Ladder
new
connection
(2001)
Connection to
old inlet pipe,
plus check valve
RESERVOIR No. 51
(H05 - R1370)
Storage Capacity = 600,000
litres
Bulk Pipeline
from
Mahlebe Dam
(315mm uPVC)
top
top
Old 100mm
AC inlet pipe
from Mahlebe
Dam
bottom
tank drain with
blank flange
(no valve)
N
Not to Scale
Page 17
125mm uPVC
pipeline to
Acornhoek "B"
reticulation
June 2001
Acornhoek "B" Water Project Completion Report
FIGURE 3 : ACORNHOEK "B" WATER RETICULATION SYSTEM
AS - BUILT LAYOUT (Main Section)
to Tintswalo
Hospital
Tintswalo Hospital
Treatment Plant
Main tar road through Acornhoek
pond
150mm
valve box AC-B13
shops
50mm
315 mm uPVC bulk
pipeline from
Acornhoek Dam
Res.51
Marule
125mm
Mogakane
Community
garden
75mm
Chiloane
50mm
63mm
valve box AC-B12
75mm
Nyathi
Erosion
Sekatane
Old
creche
Madiba
Old 5,000 lt
ferro-cement
tank
50mm
Manyiki
old tap
50mm
big tree
75mm
Maunye
315 mm uPVC
bulk pipeline
from Acornhoek
Dam
Selowe
75mm Pipeline
to Molapo
Section
50mm
Malebe
Manzini
50mm
Mpumalanga
Tuck Shop
Annual
Stream
N
Not to Scale
Page 18
LEGEND
Pipeline - Phase 1 (1999)
Pipeline - Phase 2 (2000)
Road
Gate Valve
Communal Tap
Reducer
Apostolic
Zion Church
Humulani
Tuck Shop
(Ngobeni)
50mm
Ngobeni’s
Shop
50mm
Powerline Primary School
June 2001
Acornhoek "B" Water Project Completion Report
FIGURE 4 : ACORNHOEK "B" WATER RETICULATION SYSTEM
AS - BUILT LAYOUT (Molapo Section)
E S K O M
75mm
small dam
75mm
ESKOM
pylons
scour
valve
galvanised steel
pipes at dam
(84 m section)
75mm x 50mm
reducer
Mashile
50mm
Annual
Stream
Malope
big tree
Mokomolo
50mm
N
Not to Scale
Page 19
Enock
Malatjie
LEGEND
Pipeline - Phase 2 (2000/1)
Road
Gate Valve
Communal Tap
Reducer
June 2001
Acornhoek "B" Water Project Completion Report
Page 20
June 2001