Water pipeline

[Mystic Twilight]

I know it's way too late to do this for Cape Town now, can someone explain why there is no future plan to build a water pipeline between major dams in the country so that excess can be moved where needed?

 

[Scooby_Doo]

What does a interconnected water pipeline system look like?

Depending on from where and to where, we could be looking at huge pumping stations, 1000s of km of pipes (tunnels even?). Sounds more expensive than building nuclear power plants.

 

[LazyLion]

I know it's way too late to do this for Cape Town now, can someone explain why there is no future plan to build a water pipeline between major dams in the country so that excess can be moved where needed?

Gravity

 

[quovadis]

I know it's way too late to do this for Cape Town now, can someone explain why there is no future plan to build a water pipeline between major dams in the country so that excess can be moved where needed?

Mainly because it would need to be a helluva long and big pipe to deliver around 1 billion litres of water per day to Cape Town.

 

[Mystic Twilight]

What does a interconnected water pipeline system look like?

Depending on from where and to where, we could be looking at huge pumping stations, 1000s of km of pipes (tunnels even?). Sounds more expensive than building nuclear power plants.

No idea, hence the thread. Pipes don't necessarily have to go from dam to dam, could be from dam to river head. Basically closest point to redistribute water.

Gravity

They seem to do fine with oil pipelines.

 

[Mystic Twilight]

Mainly because it would need to be a helluva long and big pipe to deliver around 1 billion litres of water per day to Cape Town.

Well preferably the piping would start before water levels hit crisis levels, so say somewhere around the mid 30% mark or whatever level that is considered to be near minimum buffer. Also the piping doesn't have to be a straight pipe, could go between intermediary dams as current pump technology might not have the power to push water exceptionally far.

 

[ITCynic]

555 Km fuel pipline between Johannedburg and Durban cost over R 23 Billion in 2013 to complete.
(source http://www.engineeringnews.co.za/ar...ew-r23bn-fuel-pipeline-2012-01-11/rep_id:4136 )

If you can extrapolate the distance between say the Vaal River to Cape town at todays prices, the cost of desalination plants at the coast would probably be more cost effective.

 

[pedruid]

It would have to be something like the Fish River tunnels. Built in the 60/70s, however the cost would be exorbitant.

 

[Gordon_R]

Apart from the cost and logistics, there is no surplus fresh water anywhere in South Africa. The closest suitable source is the Congo River, about 3000km away!?

This issue was investigated by the DWA around the time the Berg River Dam was built. Don't have links at hand.

Edit: Only in the weird oil-rich Gaddafi regime in Libya could they construct thouseands of kilometers of pipelines to supply water to coastal cities: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Man-Made_River

The total cost of the project is projected at more than US$25 billion.

 

[neoprema]

Way too expensive, and difficult for the government cronies to steal 70% of the budget for it so they wont vote for it.

 

[Suspect99]

No idea, hence the thread. Pipes don't necessarily have to go from dam to dam, could be from dam to river head. Basically closest point to redistribute water.



They seem to do fine with oil pipelines.

They transport orders of magnitude Lees oil than they would need volumes of water

 

[quovadis]

Well preferably the piping would start before water levels hit crisis levels, so say somewhere around the mid 30% mark or whatever level that is considered to be near minimum buffer. Also the piping doesn't have to be a straight pipe, could go between intermediary dams as current pump technology might not have the power to push water exceptionally far.

Even at 50% of the daily usage the volume required would be around the volume and flow of Niagra falls - that’s a helluva pipe in diameter.

 

[Scooby_Doo]

They seem to do fine with oil pipelines.

We use a lot more water than oil. The pipe would be orders of magnitude bigger.

 

[c3n0byt3]

I know it's way too late to do this for Cape Town now, can someone explain why there is no future plan to build a water pipeline between major dams in the country so that excess can be moved where needed?

So like an aqueduct?
How's about this bad boy..
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Aqueduct

 

[access]

So like an aqueduct?
How's about this bad boy..
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Aqueduct

or our own?

http://www.popularmechanics.co.za/videos/water-tunnels-cape-town/

2mill litres x 18+ per day running into the sea(see from 5:20 in vid)

and then 2 rivers.

according to the mayoral committee the little bit of water is not worth the effort, maybe for irrigation and such they said.. lol

strond.


would be great getting spring water from my tap instead of buying it at the shop