Lesotho: The Department of Water and Sanitation has announced the completion of maintenance work on the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP) water transfer and delivery tunnels, while the process of refilling the tunnels is currently underway.

According to South African Government News Agency, water from Lesotho arrived at the Little Caledon tunnel on Wednesday and is expected to arrive at the Ash River Outfall Works in Clarens, Free State, on Thursday, 22 May 2025.

The LHWP tunnel system was shut down on 1 October 2024 for a six-month joint maintenance operation. The project involved work undertaken by the Trans-Caledon Tunnel Authority (TCTA) on the Delivery Tunnel North within South Africa, and the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority (LHDA) on the Transfer and Delivery South Tunnels in Lesotho. The tunnel was scheduled to reopen in March this year, but due to maintenance work delays experienced in the Delivery Tunnel South on the side of Lesotho, the closure was extended to allow the maintenance w
ork to be completed.

Maintenance work on the South African side was completed on schedule and finalized on 19 March 2025. ‘The filling of the tunnel started with the filling of Muela Dam in Lesotho between 13 -17 May 2025, and the Department of Water and Sanitation and the TCTA are closely monitoring the flow of water filling of the Delivery Tunnel North in South Africa,’ department spokesperson, Wisane Mavasa said. Mavasa added that water reached the Little Caledon tunnel on Wednesday and is expected to reach the Ash River Outfall on Thursday, 22 May 2025.

Mavasa highlighted that the tunnel system plays a crucial role in supplying water to the Free State and Gauteng provinces, contributing over 400 million cubic meters of water to the Vaal Dam annually. The Ministry of Water and Sanitation is expected to witness the tunnel water outflow at the Ash River Outfall Works on Sunday, 25 May 2025, marking the end of more than seven months of tunnel closure due to maintenance.