Gauteng communities face severe water shortages, but two new water towers in Kempton Park and Brixton promise to significantly improve supply and infrastructure resilience.
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With taps running dry and infrastructure under pressure, Gauteng’s water woes have pushed communities to the brink — but hope is rising in Kempton Park and Brixton, where two new water towers are nearly complete and set to ease the relentless strain on supply.
Situated on the western edge of Ekurhuleni, the new Kempton Park water tower boasts an impressive 43-metre conical structure capable of storing 2.5 megalitres of water. This will significantly alleviate water shortages in a region often plagued by high demand. Meanwhile, a similar slanted wall structure in Brixton is expected to be completed by the end of 2025, helping to address the pressing needs of a water-stressed area in Johannesburg.
Uni-Span, a trusted name in structural engineering for over 36 years, played a central role in these developments, providing the critical framework that supports essential public assets throughout Africa, including bridges and water reservoirs. The company’s expertise is instrumental in the complex design of temporary works, ensuring the towers are built to withstand extreme conditions while maintaining safety and reliability.
According to the company, both towers required highly complex temporary works design due to their structural demands. This included high load-bearing capacities, circular geometry, vertical climbing systems, and advanced preventative measures to guard against deformations or collapses, even under extreme weather conditions.
For the Kempton Park Water Tower, Uni-span played a key role by providing specialised formwork support to the main contractor, MLK Engineering and Construction, ensuring structural integrity during the construction process.
John Damant, CEO of Uni-span, noted that despite the similarities between the two towers, each project required a tailored approach. He said both developments involved detailed planning, precise design, and extensive on-site support to meet the structural demands and ensure construction ran smoothly.
“A water tower takes around 18 months to complete and is one of the most intricate structures a contractor can supply, even more so than a bridge. These two projects called for meticulous design and a high degree of preparation and onsite support.”
He explained that the tight timelines and phased construction approach required careful coordination between Uni-span, the contractors, and the engineers. The team had to strategically plan and sequence the delivery of formwork and falsework to prevent delays and keep the project moving according to schedule.
Damant added that the Brixton water tower marked Uni-span’s first use of a new technique for angled wall formwork. Instead of the usual custom-made timber shutters, the team utilised rental equipment for the entire process, which proved to be highly effective.
“As the economy grows and investment into infrastructure continues, one cannot overstate the importance of structural integrity in every project, big and small. Our formwork, but most importantly our expert engineers, are critical in ensuring stability as these compounded structures are painstakingly put together. From the start of each project, our engineers are present on site to ensure correct assembly and maintenance of each part of the formwork, a commitment I believe sets us apart.” Damant said.
He emphasised that the water towers would play a key role in supporting Johannesburg’s wider strategy to combat its ongoing water challenges. He noted that the city’s broader intervention plan includes major infrastructure upgrades, such as the refurbishment of existing systems and the development of new reservoirs and pump stations to improve supply and resilience.
Gideon Lesia of Mapitsi Civil Works, the company leading the Brixton project, echoed similar sentiments, stressing that the new water tower would have a meaningful impact on the existing water supply system across Johannesburg’s surrounding suburbs.
“It's a project that positively contributes to addressing the area's water infrastructure challenges and supports the broader community. Working with Uni-span as our formwork subcontractor was a seamless experience. Their designs were clear and professional, and the logistics around material delivery were efficient and hassle-free. They proved to be a reliable partner,” he says.
Both projects highlight the critical importance of expert engineering and high-quality formwork in delivering infrastructure that addresses urgent demands while laying a foundation for long-term community development.
The new water towers form a key component of Johannesburg’s broader strategy to tackle its ongoing water crisis. As previously reported by IOL, many areas across Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni have faced prolonged water outages—sometimes lasting several days—due to both scheduled maintenance and emergency repairs carried out by Rand Water.
Johannesburg Water recently announced that emergency repairs on one of Rand Water’s bulk pipelines have disrupted supply to several areas, including Soweto, Randburg, Roodepoort, and the Deep South — affecting communities such as Orange Farm, Eldorado Park, Ennerdale, Lenasia, and Zakariyya Park. The repairs have also impacted the Commando System, which feeds key reservoirs like Brixton, Crosby, and both Hursthill 1 and 2.
“Due to the complexity of this system, additional isolation is required to facilitate the repair work. Therefore, pumping from Rand Water’s Eikenhof pump station will be stopped to achieve the necessary isolation,” the City of Joburg’s water utility stated.
Johannesburg Water has confirmed that there is currently no estimated time for when the water supply will be fully restored.
The Star
masabata.mkwananzi@inl.co.za