Cultural Heritage Impact Assessment of the Proposed Vulindlela Bulk Water Supply Scheme, Umgeni and Msunduzi Municipalities
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Vulindlela Bulk Water CULTURAL HERITAGE IMPACT ASSESSMENT OF THE PROPOSED VULINDLELA BULK WATER SUPPLY SCHEME, UMGENI AND MSUNDUZI MUNICIPALITIES. ACTIVE HERITAGE cc. For: KSEMS Frans Prins MA (Archaeology) P.O. Box 947 Howick 3290 [email protected] Fax: 0867636380 23 November 2016 Active Heritage cc for KSEMS i Vulindlela Bulk Water TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON THE PROJECT ........................................... 1 1.1. Details of the area surveyed: ........................................................................ 2 2 BACKGROUND TO HERITAGE RESOURCES OF THE AREA ........................... 4 3 BACKGROUND INFORMATION OF THE SURVEY ........................................... 10 3.1 Methodology ............................................................................................... 10 3.2 Restrictions encountered during the survey ................................................ 10 3.2.1 Visibility ................................................................................................... 10 3.2.2 Disturbance ............................................................................................. 10 3.3 Details of equipment used in the survey ...................................................... 10 4 DESCRIPTION OF SITES AND MATERIAL OBSERVED ................................... 10 4.1 Locational data ........................................................................................... 10 4.2 Overview of potential heritage resources in the project area ....................... 10 4.3 Description of the general area surveyed .................................................... 11 5 HERITAGE SITE DESCRIPTION AND STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE (HERITAGE VALUE) ................................................................................................. 13 5.1 Field Rating................................................................................................. 13 6 RECOMMENDATIONS ....................................................................................... 13 7 MAPS AND FIGURES ......................................................................................... 14 8 REFERENCES…………………………………………...……………………..……… 20 LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Background information……………………………………………………………1 Table 2. Evaluation of significance………………………………………………………….12 Table 2. Field rating and recommendation grading of sites……………………….…..…13 Active Heritage cc for KSEMS ii Vulindlela Bulk Water LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS EIA Early Iron Age ESA Early Stone Age HISTORIC PERIOD Since the arrival of the white settlers - c. AD 1820 in this part of the country IRON AGE Early Iron Age AD 200 - AD 1000 Late Iron Age AD 1000 - AD 1830 LIA Late Iron Age LSA Late Stone Age MSA Middle Stone Age NEMA National Environmental Management Act, 1998 (Act No. 107 of 1998 and associated regulations (2006). NHRA National Heritage Resources Act, 1999 (Act No. 25 of 1999) and associated regulations (2000) SAHRA South African Heritage Resources Agency STONE AGE Early Stone Age 2 000 000 - 250 000 BP Middle Stone Age 250 000 - 25 000 BP Late Stone Age 30 000 - until c. AD 200 Active Heritage cc for KSEMS iii Vulindlela Bulk Water EXECUTIVE SUMMARY A cultural heritage survey of the proposed Vulindlela Bulk Water Supply Scheme, Umgeni and Msunduzi Municipalities identified no heritage sites or features. There are no heritage resources within 50m from the proposed pipeline development. The area is also not part of any known cultural landscape. There is no known archaeological reason why the upgrade may not proceed as planned. However, attention is drawn to the South African Heritage Resources Act, 1999 (Act No. 25 of 1999) and the KwaZulu-Natal Heritage Act (Act no 4 of 2008) which, requires that operations that expose archaeological or historical remains should cease immediately, pending evaluation by the provincial heritage agency. 1 BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON THE PROJECT Table 1. Background information Consultant: Frans Prins (Active Heritage cc) for KSEMS Type of development: Umgeni Water proposes to implement Vulindlela Infrastructure Pipeline within both the uMgeni and Msunduzi Municipalities. The infrastructure is expected to address the water supply challenges within these municipalities. The pipeline infrastructure will potentially involve the construction of; new reservoirs, new pump station, new pipeline and the upgrading of existing pipework and existing pump stations. Rezoning or subdivision: n.a Terms of reference To carry out a Heritage Impact Assessment Legislative requirements: The Heritage Impact Assessment was carried out in terms of the National Environmental Management Act, 1998 (Act No. 107 of 1998) (NEMA) and following the requirements of the National Heritage Resources Act, 1999 (Act No. 25 of 1999) (NHRA) and the KwaZulu-Natal Heritage Act, 1997 (Act No. 4 of 2008) Active Heritage cc for KSEMS 1 Vulindlela Bulk Water 1.1. Details of the area surveyed: The Vulindlela Infrastructure Pipeline starts at Mount Michael in northern Pietermaritzburg and runs towards Haza and Mpophomeni to the south of Howick. The pipeline is proposed to consist of the following sections: PHASE 1: WORKS: RESERVOIR No.2 to RESERVOIR No.5 Construction of a new 15 ML reservoir at RESV2 29° 35' 40"S 30° 11' 52"E Installation of a new 400mm diameter steel Rising Main between RESV4 and RESV5 to replace the existing 300mm rising main Reservoir 4- 29° 38' 22"S; 30° 09' 29"E Reservoir 5- 29° 37' 54"S; 30° 08' 20"E Conversion of existing 300mm rising main to gravity main between RESV5 and RESV4 Reservoir 4- 29° 38' 22"S; 30° 09' 29"E Reservoir 5- 29° 37' 54"S; 30° 08' 20"E Installation of 200mm or 160mm uPVC Gravity Main from RESV4 to RESV3. (Size to be confirmed) Reservoir 4- 29° 38' 22"S; 30° 09' 29"E Reservoir 3- 29° 36' 31"S; 30° 10' 27"E Construction of new pump station at RESV2 to pump 18.5 MLD to RESV5 29° 35' 44"S 30° 11' 50"E Installation of adequate new power supply to the Reservoir No.2 pump station 29° 35' 44"S 30° 11' 50"E Modification of inlet & outlet pipework at Reservoirs No.2 and No.5. Reservoir 2- 29° 35' 40"S; 30° 11' 52"E Reservoir 5- 29° 37' 54"S; 30° 08' 20"E Modification of inlet pipework at Reservoirs No3 and No.4. Reservoir 4- 29° 38' 22"S; 30° 09' 29"E Reservoir 3-29° 36' 31"S; 30° 10' 27"E PHASE 2: WORKS: GROENEKLOOF TO RESERVOIR No.2 Construction of a new 11.4 km x 750mm diameter steel rising main from the Groenekloof Reservoir site to Reservoir No.2, including necessary modifications to the suction and delivery pipework at the Vulindlea pump station as required. Reservoir 2- 29° 35' 40"S; 30° 11' 52"E Groenekloof new reservoir 29° 34' 20"S; 30° 17' 17"E Active Heritage cc for KSEMS 2 Vulindlela Bulk Water Increase the capacity and reliability of the medium voltage electricity supply to the high lift pumps. Groenekloof new reservoir 29° 34' 20"S Groenekloof new reservoir 30° 17' 17"E Tie the new pipeline into the delivery manifold at the high-lift pump station and to the inlets of the reservoirs on the Reservoir No.2 site, after Phase 1 tasks have been completed. 29° 35' 40"S 30° 11' 52"E Modifications to 3 High Lift pumps to suit new system hydraulics (dependent on the completion of the Phase 1 pipeline and pump station components. Groenekloof new reservoir 29° 34' 20"S Groenekloof new reservoir30° 17' 17"E Construction of a new 10 ML reservoir at the Groenekloof reservoir site. Groenekloof new reservoir 29° 34' 20"S Groenekloof new reservoir 30° 17' 17"E Alternatives Reservoir 2- 29° 35' 40"S; 30° 11' 52"E Reservoir 1- 29° 35' 15"S; 30° 15' 24"E Reservoir 1- 29° 35' 15"S; 30° 15' 24"E Groenekloof new reservoir 29° 34' 20"S; 30° 17' 17"E The following three possible alternatives have been conceptualised: Preferred Alternative 1 – Implementation of a new 17km Pipeline with new reservoirs and pump stations from Reservoir 5 to Groenekloof new reservoir. Reservoir 5- 29° 37' 54"S, 30° 08' 20"E Groenekloof new reservoir- 29° 34' 20"S, 30° 17' 17"E. Alternative 2 – Alternative Route from Reservoir 2 to Reservoir 1 with a 20m construction working area. Reservoir 2- 29° 35' 40"S; 30° 11' 52"E Reservoir 1 29° 35' 15"S; 30° 15' 24"E Alternative 3 – Alternative Route from Reservoir 1 to Groenekloof new reservoir with a 20m construction working area. Reservoir 1- 29° 35' 15"S; 30° 15' 24"E. Groenekloof new reservoir 29° 34' 20"S; 30° 17' 17"E Active Heritage cc for KSEMS 3 Vulindlela Bulk Water 2 BACKGROUND TO HERITAGE RESOURCES OF THE AREA The greater Pietermaritzburg, including Howick, is relatively well covered by archaeological surveys conducted by members of the KwaZulu-Natal Museum. The available evidence, as captured in the KwaZulu-Natal Museum heritage site inventories, indicates that the greater Pietermaritzburg area contains mostly Early, Middle, and Later Stone Age material. Most of these sites are situated close to water, such as the Msunduze River, Slangspruit, Foxhill Spruit, and Mkhondeni, as well as in open air context or adjacent to exposed dongas or road cuttings. These tools were most probably made by early hominins such as Homo erectus or Homo ergaster. Based on typological criteria they most probably date back to between 300 000 and 1.7 million years ago. The presence of the first anatomically modern people (i.e. Homo sapiens sapiens) in the area is indicated by the presence of a few Middle Stone Age blades and flakes. These most probably dates back to between 40 000 and 200 000 years ago. The later Stone Age flakes identified in the area are associated