South Africa to Build $280m Dam

South Africa’s Department of Water Affairs is to spend over R2bn ($280m) on the construction of the Spring Grove Dam, which will provide water to more than two million people in the province of KwaZulu-Natal.

The European Investment Bank will provide €195m ($277m) and the Development Bank of South Africa will fund R250m ($35m).

Water Affairs Minister Edna Molewa said construction work on the Spring Grove Dam and its water transfer system is expected to begin in 2012 and will be completed by 2014.

The project will involve the construction of a conveyance system to transfer water to the Mgeni River catchment area and will deliver an additional 60 million cubic metres of water a year.