The De Hoop Dam (formal name to be established through public participation) is a

gravity dam A gravity dam is a dam constructed from concrete or stone masonry and designed to hold back water by using only the weight of the material and its resistance against the foundation to oppose the horizontal pressure of water pushing against it. ...

on the

Steelpoort River The Steelpoort River, iNdubazi or Tubatse ( af, Steelpoortrivier) is a river in Limpopo Province, South Africa. It flows northeastwards and is a right hand tributary of the Olifants River, joining it at the lower end of its basin. Its source is ...

, near Burgersfort,

Limpopo Limpopo is the northernmost province of South Africa. It is named after the Limpopo River, which forms the province's western and northern borders. The capital and largest city in the province is Polokwane, while the provincial legislature is ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

. Its purpose is to enable the extraction of rich mineral deposits in the eastern

province, and to supply

water Water (chemical formula ) is an inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odorless, and nearly colorless chemical substance, which is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living organisms (in which it acts as a ...

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...

s, industries and communities in the Sekhukhune district, where service delivery was of a poor standard. The completion of the dam was delayed by four years (2010 to 2014) due to supply chain problems, technical and equipment problems, deficient environmental impact studies, resettlement of families in the area, and labour strikes. The flagship dam in the Olifants system, South Africa's largest dam since the 1970s, was developed by the

Department of Water Affairs The Department of Water and Sanitation is one of the departments of the South African government. It is responsible for the state of water and sanitation in South Africa. In May 2009, following the election of Jacob Zuma, the Department of W ...

. The project of R3,4 billion involved innovative solutions in energy dissipation and the use of roller-compacted concrete, for which the department received a Fulton award. It was the second phase of the Olifants River Water Resources Development Programme (ORWRDP), the only viable solution for water delivery to the Nebo plateau, where some 800,000 people are resident. The first phase, completed in 2006, included capacity improvements to the Flag Boshielo Dam.

References

List of South African Dams
from the

Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (South Africa) The Department of Water and Sanitation is one of the departments of the South African government. It is responsible for the state of water and sanitation in South Africa. In May 2009, following the election of Jacob Zuma, the Department of W ...

Dams in South Africa Dams completed in 2014 Gravity dams Buildings and structures in Limpopo 2014 establishments in South Africa {{SouthAfrica-dam-stub

See also

References