AVBOB celebrates a milestone by rewarding its members on a large scale says the Ethekwini Municipality water woes need urgent attention.  Majodina says the newly upgraded Hazelmere Dam located on the Mdloti River on the KwaZulu-Natal North Coast will provide relief to areas that have been experiencing water issues since 2017.  ENCA reporter Pule Letshwiti-Jones filed this report Pemmy Majodina recently commissioned the world’s highest Piano Key Weir dam This state-of-the-art dam is expected to bring relief to areas struggling with water supply issues The Department of Water and Sanitation raised the dam wall by 7 meters to increase storage capacity and augment water supply to areas like Verulam Minister Majodina emphasized the crucial role municipalities play in ensuring water reticulation to households “The Department of Water and Sanitation upgraded the Hazelmere Dam wall to meet the needs of the increasing population in the North Coast as it is our role to ensure bulk water supply The concerned municipalities should now roll up their sleeves to ensure that water is directed to households,” said Majodina KwaZulu-Natal’s North Coast has experienced rapid growth leading to increased demand for potable water The department believes the dam wall extension will address water challenges in parts of the three municipalities Some notable technologies used in the upgrade include the world’s highest Piano Key Weir and largest capacity post-tensioning stressing jacks Innovative data management software and 3D digital crack meters were also employed The project created employment opportunities for 187 locals Eleven Small Micro Medium Enterprises (SMME) were appointed with some obtaining professional registration Tabloid Newspapers distributes more than 490 000 newspapers weekly giving a total readership of more than 2 million Contact us: info@tabloidmedia.co.za uMngeni-uThukela Water has dismissed a video circulating suggesting that water will be released from the Hazelmere Dam without any prior warning being issued to communities living in the vicinity of the dam said the entity has not effected a release of water from the Hazelmere Dam “The dam is currently overflowing due to the recent heavy rains in parts of KwaZulu-Natal that have pushed up dam levels to 102% uMngeni-uThukela Water issued a media statement on Friday wherein it cautioned communities living downstream of the dam to practice extra caution as the dam overflow would lead to the uMdloti River swelling,” Maphumulo said uMngeni-uThukela Water will continue to monitor the Hazelmere Dam and in the event that its level gets to 105% Maphumulo emphasised that in the event of a water release would inform the public and all affected stakeholders before effecting the water release “As the water levels at the Hazelmere Dam levels have not reached 105% mark uMngeni-uThukela Water has no immediate plans of releasing water via its emergency scours uMngeni-uThukela Water would therefore like to allay any public fears or concerns about water releases “We would also like to again remind the public to practice vigilance around the uMdloti River due to the dam overflow,” Maphumulo said KwaZulu-Natal Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Thulasizwe Buthelezi announced that more than 20 people have lost their lives as heavy rains continue to wreak havoc in the province “We have lost more than 20 people in the last two months and we are continuing to count the cost especially the destruction of public infrastructure such a roads clinics and access to homes,” Buthelezi said The MEC urged residents in low-lying areas to seek shelter on higher ground and appealed to people in the province to stay indoors and avoid unnecessary travel “We strongly urge residents in low-lying areas to immediately move away and seek shelter on higher ground Residents are also advised to avoid all non-essential travel,” the MEC said the South African Weather Service has reported that isolated showers and thundershowers expected over the most parts of the country with scattered over the south-eastern areas as well as the western parts of the Northern Cape on Tuesday The forecaster has also issued an alert level 5 for eThekwini and other four KwaZulu-Natal areas “Take immediate action to ensure your safety avoid travel and follow evacuation instructions if necessary,” the weather service said in a statement on Monday 🔴 Central News Special Edition | Issue 94 🔴 Download the Latest Print and E-Edition | Headline: “I am a proud International criminal,Malema Fires back at Musk and Trump” https://centralnews.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Central-News-Issue-094.pdf https://www.magzter.com/ZA/Central-News-Pty-Ltd/Central-News/Newspaper/All-Issues Central News also offers Sponsored Editorial Content To place your advert on our platforms (Print Newspaper or Digital Platforms) : Please email : sales@centralnews.co.za For Business Related:business@centralnews.co.za Newsroom:Send your Stories / Media Statements To: newsroom@centralnews.co.za Office Administrator:admin@centralnews.co.za Social Media Platforms (@centralnewsza) : Linkedin and website in this browser for the next time I comment DURBAN - Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina will open the newly-upgraded Hazelmere Dam on the KwaZulu-Natal North Coast The dam wall was raised by seven metres to increase its capacity and water supply to areas such as Ballito This comes as some municipalities in the province are experiencing water shortages The raising of the Hazelmere Dam project was successfully completed at a cost of R820 million increasing the storage capacity of the dam said Minister in The Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni It increased from 23.9 million m3 to 43.6 million m3 which is an increase of 83% for the KwaZulu-Natal dam.  “To enable this additional stored water to be treated and supplied to the City of eThekwini the uMngeni-uThukela Water Board has completed a project to increase the capacity of the Hazelmere Water Treatment Works from 55 to 75 millilitres (ML) per day “It will further increase the capacity of the treatment works to 90 ML per day within the next three years at a cost of R25 million,” Ntshavheni said on Thursday She was addressing a media briefing on the outcomes of the Cabinet meeting that was held on Wednesday Cabinet received a progress report on four strategic Mega Raw Water Resource Augmentation projects executed by the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) “The implementation of the Umzimvubu Water Project [in the Eastern Cape] was delayed for many years by [a] lack of funding is expected to be completed in 2028.  “The Raising of the Tzaneen Dam Project [in Limpopo] at a cost of R555 million,” the Minister said Ntshavheni said the Raising of the Clanwilliam Dam Wall Project in the Western Cape is aimed at meeting the need for additional water for agriculture development “The dam wall is being increased by 13 metres to increase its storage capacity from 122 million m3 to 343 m3 The project is currently at 34% construction and anticipated to be completed in April 2028 at an estimated cost of R3.92 billion,” she said Cabinet also received a progress report on the implementation of the Informal Settlements Upgrading Partnership Grant Framework/ Policy that was introduced in the 2019/ 2020 financial year “The objective of the Grant is to provide the means for households to receive basic services such as water The target was to upgrade 1500 informal settlements,” the Minister said The progress has been reported as follows: General Enquiries newsfiles@gcis.gov.za Tel: 012 473 0213Editor Roze Britz roze@gcis.gov.za News Editor Janine Arcangeli janine@gcis.gov.zaEditor-in-Chief Zanele Mngadizanelemngadi@gcis.gov.za  KwaZulu-Natal Water and Sanitation Department has reiterated its commitment to fast track the completion of the raising of Hazelmere Dam wall which will increase water availability to the North Coast Region of KwaZulu-Natal as it addresses the urgent need to augment water supply to the North Coast which will in turn benefit areas including Verulam “Since commencement of construction at the Dam 110 employment opportunities have been created for skilled and semi-skilled locals in the area This is proof to show that not only are we working towards securing water in the province but also providing the necessary skills and opportunities for unemployed people,” Starkey said Starkey alongside Umgeni Water Board Acting Chief Executive led a media tour to Hazelmere Dam on the North Coast on Thursday to provide a first-hand account of work being carried out to raise the dam wall by 7 meters The raising of the Hazelmere Dam wall from 85.98 meters to 93.00 meters through the construction of the Piano Key Weir will increase the dam’s storage capacity from 23.9 million cubic metres to 43.6 million cubic metres The system's water is mostly used for domestic The agricultural purposes is mainly for the irrigation of sugar cane farming Dlamini emphasised the collaborative ways in which the water utility together with the department and the contractor work closely to effectively complete the project by December 2022 “Umgeni Water is the current operator on the dam and carries out daily monitoring of the water level amongst other things When we met with Minister Senzo Mchunu a few months ago we had already agreed amongst ourselves that only working collaboratively will we be able to fast-track and complete this project,” Dlamini said He added that when the Minster implored the parties to sort out their differences and work together it was only fitting that “we continued to work with vigour and more closely together” The department has also recommitted to complete bulk water projects in the province This follows the National Water and Sanitation Summit held last month which aimed at finding long-lasting solutions in the sector including effective implementation of water infrastructure projects The department called on local communities to report infrastructure vandalism to local authorities Western Cape Water and Sanitation Provincial Head has also observed progress on the Tulbagh Bulk Water Supply construction site in Tulbagh which aims to augment water supply for Witzenberg Local Municipality The project was funded through the department’s Regional Bulk Infrastructure Grant Phase 1 of the project entails the construction of a dam which upon completion will yield 1.2 megalitres of water.  Bila-Mupariwa said the last phase of the project which involves the construction of the rising main and pump station phase 1 progress is seating at 40% which is great on budget and approved specification,” Bila-Mupariwa said The Witzenberg Local Municipality experienced serious water problems during 2004/5 drought period “The climate change has made us aware that these occurrences are seasonal so we must explore other alternate water sources we can reduce heavy reliance on surface water,” Bila-Mupariwa said David Nasson said that once the entire project is completed it would enable the development of low-cost housing development and improve water security within the region “The project is also creating much-needed jobs during the construction phase creating the desired socio-economic benefits,” Nasson said DOZENS of volunteers  gathered in Hazelmere this week to build large artificial hollows for black cockatoos at a nest box workshop hosted by Trillion Trees More than 30 participants took part in constructing artificial hollows at the Hazelmere nursery aiming to support endangered black cockatoos which struggle to find natural nesting sites Trillion Trees ecological restoration manager Doug Laurie said artificial hollows were one way to support species affected by clearing there’s a lot of old trees that get taken out,” he said “So this is one way we can simulate nature because hollows take 150 to 200 years to form “And so to provide an artificial hollow in the short term while other trees grow is one way that we can sort of help those species that are in urgent need.” The workshop was led by environmental scientist and ornithologist Simon Cherriman who guided participants through the technical steps of constructing a functional and durable nest box lining the bases – these are tree-ready,” Mr Cherriman said during a wrap-up talk “All of this hard work is the start of the journey had already been used by a wide variety of wildlife “These boxes have been used by red-tailed black cockatoos He said one of the advantages of the box design was that it helped keep out pest species “If our feral bee population disappeared tomorrow it would be one of the best things that could happen for hollow-dependent fauna in the southwest of WA,” he said Mr Cherriman encouraged residents in the Perth Hills and Avon Valley to stay involved by volunteering spreading awareness or funding box installations “You might not see a cockatoo move in straight away – it might take time – but every box is a step toward helping these incredible birds survive,” he said Green Party votes for a National Register of Contaminated Land as standards and contamination issues highlighted in Scotland fears over pollution from fire quelled in Hazelmere and technical updates from SoBRA and the BSI The Green Party voted at its conference to bring in Zane’s Law which would force all local authorities to keep a regularly updated Register of Land that may be contaminated and the Environment Agency to hold a National Register of Contaminated Land Zane’s Law was named after 7-year-old Zane Gbangbola died in a case allegedly involving hydrogen cyanide being carried by floodwater from a contaminated landfill site into his home in 2014 although the coroner’s report ruled that he died from carbon monoxide from a petrol-powered pump used to clear flood water said: "Current UK regulations on contaminated land pose a threat to human life and welfare Zane’s Law proposes measures to address this crisis "It seeks to address this contamination crisis by aligning the UK with global best practice for the protection of communities from hazardous land It would reinstate legislative provisions removed by the Conservative government from the 1990 Environment Protection Act and ensure the UK adheres to the Universal Right to a Healthy Environment "The protection of citizens must be a primary responsibility of government As Greens we therefore urge Labour to add this important and long overdue law to their legislative programme and provide the necessary funds for local authorities to meet the new requirements."    the Environmental Rights Centre for Scotland Environmental (ERCS) has criticised Environmental Standards Scotland (ESS) for either ignoring or delaying contamination and pollution cases An ERCS report said that ESS had not once used its powers to enforce environmental laws against public bodies Cases which ERCS researchers point to include sewage pollution in the River Almond which took ESS "in excess of six months to decide to progress to 'pre-investigation' and a year to resolve," and contaminated land in Aberdeenshire involving lead shot which the watchdog didn't investigate The ESS said: "We have met with the ERCS to discuss their report and have responded to them in full Fears raised by a fire at a Hazelmere site due to be developed by Bellway have been allayed by a contamination assessment report from Structa The fire caused by fly-tipped waste catching fire burnt for weeks and necessitated Bellway to submit a new planning application to Buckinghamshire Council It wants the authority to approve a ‘supplementary contaminated land assessment’ and if required an updated remedial strategy to mitigate any risks from contamination from the fire The supplementary contamination assessment Bellway has sent to the council has identified the presence of TPH The assessment prepared for Bellway by Structa says that if the necessary mitigation measures are put in place it will not be necessary to conduct ‘further assessment of the potential risk to human health from contamination’ The assessment says: "In order to mitigate the potential risk to human health at the proposed development the previous investigation recommended that a suitable cover layer is placed in all areas of soft landscaping forming part of the proposed development in the south-east "It was also recommended that the chemical laboratory test results should be forwarded to the mains water service provider to ensure that their requirements for service line construction are satisfied." based on the findings of the investigation at the site ‘contaminant resistant water supply infrastructure’ will be required for the south-east of the site The assessment adds: "It is considered that the mitigation measures detailed in Structa’s site investigation report would mitigate the potential risk from the contaminants of concern identified." The fly-tipped waste which caught fire has not been shown to have affected the ‘contaminative status of the site’ with respect to the risk posed to human health Some technical news and SoBRA’s General Assessment Criteria for assessing vapour risks to human health from volatile contaminants in groundwater originally published in 2017 has been updated to take account of eight Category 4 Screening Levels (C4SLs) The groundwater vapour GAC have been updated with the input parameters used in the derivation of the C4SLs for: cis-1,2-dichloroethene; trans-1,2-dichloroethene; 1,2-dichloroethane; tetrachloroethene (PCE); naphthalene; chloroethene (vinyl chloride And SoBRA’s Practical Tips documents for human health controlled waters and field to desk have been updated in August to reflect current legislation and guidance The vapour intrusion document is largely superseded by the SoBRA guidance notes 1A Conceptual site model development for assessment of VI contaminant linkages in the UK 1B Benefits of soil vapour sampling for assessment of VI risks The draft Investigation of Potentially Contaminated Sites Code of Practice – BS 10175 has been published on BSI’s Standards Development portal Also recently published is BS EN ISO 23611-5:2024 Soil quality — Sampling of soil invertebrates – Part 5: Sampling and extraction of soil macro-invertebrates extracting and preserving macro-invertebrates from soils It supersedes BS EN 23611-5:2013 which is withdrawn You may circulate web links to our articles but you may not copy our articles in whole or in part without permission All content © 2025 Environment Analyst Sign up here for your daily business digest direct to your inbox Sign Up Discover our talented editorial team and the principles that drive them A new housing development in Hazlemere is underway as construction begins on 259 homes, marking a “significant milestone” for Bellway North London’s latest project Located on a 21-acre site north of Amersham Road Pennwood Grange will feature a mix of apartments maisonettes and houses surrounded by tree-lined streets and seven acres of public open space providing “a green oasis”.  Plans include a children’s playground a multi-use games area and an interconnected network of footpaths and cycleways The first homes are set to go on sale off-plan in early 2025 with buyers being able to explore show homes and a ‘House to Home’ demonstration property by the summer.  Bellway North London managing director Ali Maruf celebrated the start of work on the site at an official groundbreaking ceremony on December 11 said: “The groundbreaking ceremony at Pennwood Grange represents a very significant milestone in the life of this exciting project “As the construction programme moves ahead we aim to launch the development early next year and hope to be able to handover the keys to the first residents later in the year “The variety of new housing we are providing at Pennwood Grange has been carefully designed to meet the specific requirements of the local market including family houses and smaller properties such as apartment and maisonettes for people taking their first steps onto the property ladder “The development will also bring much more to the area than new homes.  “As part of the planning agreement and Community Infrastructure Levy we will be investing more than £7 million into improving local services and facilities about a third of the site will be set aside as open space to provide a green oasis where residents new and old can socialise and enjoy the benefits of outdoor exercise and getting closer to nature.” Sign up to receive our popular morning London email for free Home | South Africa Umgeni Water has cautioned residents around the banks of the Hazelmere Dam to stay away from low-lying rivers in the area The ongoing heavy downpours have caused dam levels to rise rapidly to above 60 percent Umgeni water spokesperson Shami Harrichunder says an emergency water release on Tuesday will restore the dam to normal levels He says this will take place over five days “We are cautioning communities living on the banks of the Umdloti River to please stay away from the river because the level of the river will rise rapidly as water is being released from Hazelmere Dam It poses a serious risk to personal safety of anybody who goes close to the river People should not even attempt to cross the river while the releases are taking place because they could get easily washed away So the releases will begin and continue until we get to 53 percent The releases will place take at least for the next five days from the dam itself we want people to stay away from this river for their own safety.” The South African Weather Service expects the rain to continue until Wednesday over the central and eastern parts of the country It says there will be cold temperatures of around 10 degrees in Gauteng the Free State and KwaZulu-Natal due to the snowfall in the central part of the country Disaster management teams in KwaZulu-Natal are responding to several incidents as heavy rains continue unabated in the province The provincial Co-operative Governance Department’s spokesperson Senzelwe Mzila has urged residents to be vigilant