History & Heritage Sites
Daspoort Wastewater Treatment Works
| PROJECT DETAILS |
| PROJECT OWNER | Tshwane | ||||
| PROJECT FUNCTION | First sewage treatment plant in Pretoria | ||||
| PROJECT JUSTIFICATION | Still functioning after 100 years, now one of 10 in Pretoria | ||||
| DESCRIPTION | Screens, grit removal channels, primary sedimentation tanks (Dortmund tanks), 16 biological filtration units, and separate sludge digestion in rectangular tanks | |||
| PLANNER/DESIGNER | F Walton Jameson | |||
| DATE COMMENCED | 1913 | DATE COMMISSIONED | 1920 | |
| MAJOR MODIFICATIONS | 1933, 1945, 1952, 1973, 1986 | |||
| CURRENT STATUS | Operating | ||||
| SAICE CHAMPION | Chris Roth | ||||
| SAICE BRANCH | Pretoria | ||||
| RECOGNITION AND OTHER PARTIES | Regional landmark | ||||
Die Brug Piketberg
| PROJECT DETAILS |
| PROJECT OWNER | PAWC | ||||
| PROJECT FUNCTION | Crossing of Berg River | ||||
| PROJECT JUSTIFICATION | Crossing of major river on original main road to Clanwilliam and Namaqualand, obviating drifts or ferries across perennial river. Note Grey’s Pass, now Piekenierskloof opened in 1858 | ||||
| PLANNER/DESIGNER | Cape Colony PWD | |||
| RESIDENT ENGINEER/CoW | J. Rogers, District Engineer | |||
| DATE COMMISSIONED | 1863 | |||
| PROJECT INFORMATION | Reputedly the oldest steel bridge in South Africa. This bridge was built in the UK and destined for Australia, but was off loaded in Cape Town in 1850 when ship required repairs. Could not be reloaded, and remained on dockside for several years until placed at present location in 1863 | |||
| DATE INFORMATION PROVIDED | October 2019 |
| COMPILED BY | Tony Murray |
Bulshoek Dam
| PROJECT DETAILS | |||
| Planner/ Designer | F. E Kanthack MICE | ||
| Resident Engineer | D. Kokot | ||
| Contractor: Gates and Lifting Gear | Glenfield and Kennedy (Scotland) | ||
| Construction | Departmental | ||
| Cost | £600,000 | ||
| Construction period | Dam 1913 -1920 Canals completed 1924 | ||
| Current Status | Fully operational | ||
| PROJECT OWNER | Dept Water Affairs & Sanitation | ||
| PROJECT FUNCTION | To enable irrigation of lower Olifants River (Cape) valley, potential first recognised by engineer Patrick Fletcher in 1858. | ||
| PROJECT JUSTIFICATION | Decision to proceed justified by very successful irrigation scheme, producing significant quantities of table grapes and wine. | ||
| LOCATION | On Olifants River (Western Cape) approx 20km north of Clanwilliam | ||
| Nearest Town | Clanwilliam | ||
| Province | Western Cape | ||
| Access | Off N7 ; visible fom R363 | ||
| PROJECT INFORMATION | |||
| Masonry structure with 15 gates 4.6 metres high, lifted by hand power. Over 100km canals including invertes siphons and tunnels provide irrigation water as far as Lutzville. The dam was named after the farm on which it was situated: this policy was followed for all dams built by th Department in the 20th century. | |||
| REMARKS | |||
| This was the first dam and irrigation scheme built in SA in response to the 1904 report by Sir William Willcocks advocating such measures. Kanthack personally located and motivated the construction and funding of the dam. By 1927 it became apparent that the capacity of the dam was insufficient and by 1935 a storage dam had been built at Clanwilliam to regulate the flow to Bulshoek. This dam was raised in 1964 and is again being substantially enlarged. The Olifants valley vineyards are now some of the most productive in the country | |||
Smithfield dam (Groenspruit)
This dam was built circa 1864/5 to provide water for the wool washing plant.
Please see the dated photos attached of the dam wall and sluice tunnel.
This is surely a Civil Engineering structure of historical value, the Washing works tower and boiler included. The date that the dam washed away is not sure but is estimated to be around 1893/4
The structures is on Mr Lategan’s farm.
