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Phase 1
Phase 1 of the Mooi-Mgeni Transfer Scheme Pre-feasibility Study recommended a high dam at Mearns on the Mooi River from where the water would be transferred via the 11 km long Wellington Tunnel to the Mpofana River.
From the Mpofana River outfall, water would run down from the Mpofana, to the Lions and the Mgeni rivers to be stored in the Midmar Dam.
At the conclusion of Phase 1 of the Mooi-Mgeni Transfer Scheme Pre-feasibility study the recommendations of Phase 1 were re-visited and re-assessed.
It was found that the same yield could be obtained with a new and smaller scheme configuration than with the previously proposed large Mearns Dam and Wellington Tunnel.
The scheme utilised the infrastructure of the old Mearns emergency transfer scheme, namely the pipeline and the pump station.
New components consisted of an 8m high diversion weir on the Mooi River at Mearns, installation of a stand-by pump at the existing pump station (which was initially not installed) and the raising of the Midmar Dam by 3.5m to provide storage for the transferred water.
Additionally, servitudes for an aqueduct were registered on the receiving Mpofana, Lions and Mgeni rivers. The construction of the first phase (MMTS-1) was authorised by the Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry in 1999, approved by the Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism in 2001, and constructed in 2003. |
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