R1,2 billion upgrade of Nandoni Water Treatment Works finally begins

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12-03-2026
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Limpopo Mirror
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The R1.2 billion Nandoni Water Treatment Works upgrade officially began, nearly two years late, aiming to double capacity from 60 to 120 megalitres daily. This crucial project, funded by the DBSA, will significantly improve water supply for over a million people across Limpopo by its 2030 completion.

Nandoni treatment works capacity to double

The long-awaited R1,2 billion project to upgrade the Nandoni Water Treatment Works has officially begun, nearly two years later than originally planned. The Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) last week launched the major water infrastructure project aimed at significantly improving water supply to large parts of Limpopo.

Speaking during the site handover on Tuesday, 3 March, at the Nandoni Water Treatment Plant, the DBSA’s construction project manager, Ms Alungile Tsheketshe, said the bank was excited about the project and described it as an important step towards delivering essential infrastructure to communities that need it most.

Tsheketshe was joined by the executive mayor of the Vhembe District Municipality, Cllr Freda Nkondo, as well as representatives of the Mulenzhe and Mphaphuli traditional councils.

She explained that a four-year contract had been signed with the appointed professional service provider, Virtual Consulting Engineers. The project site has now been officially handed over to the contractor, iCon Construction, marking the formal start of the upgrades, repairs and maintenance work at the Thohoyandou site. The project is expected to be completed by March 2030.

Representing both the Mulenzhe and Mphaphuli traditional councils, Vhamusanda Mashonelo Tshimange welcomed the project and said the upgrade would significantly improve the lives of rural communities that have long struggled with unreliable access to clean water. The launch of the project follows several years of stakeholder engagement between government and the Mulenzhe and Mphaphuli traditional councils.

According to a document prepared by the Department of Water and Sanitation, the main objective of the project is to upgrade and refurbish the Nandoni Water Treatment Works to increase its capacity from 60 to 120 megalitres per day.

Nandoni Dam forms part of the Luvuvhu River catchment and was originally built to supply domestic water, support recreational activities and contribute to the tourism industry. Construction of the dam was completed in 2004, with the facility initially producing 60 megalitres of water per day. The dam, which has a wall height of 43 metres, is regarded as one of the larger dams in the province.

Currently, the dam supplies water to communities within the Vhembe District Municipality and is also intended to supply parts of the Mopani and Capricorn districts in Limpopo, serving an estimated population of more than one million people.

The planned upgrade from 60 to 120 megalitres per day will support bulk water pipeline projects being implemented by the Department of Water and Sanitation to extend water supply from the Nandoni Water Treatment Works to areas such as Malamulele, Vuwani, Elim, Makhado and Sinthumule Kutama.

According to online DBSA tender documentation, the tender for the appointment of a service provider was advertised in March 2023. Construction on the project was initially expected to start in 2024, with the proposed completion date set for 2028.