Reservoirs - Above Ground

Small reservoirs may be used as balancing dams, whereby they are filled up overnight from a borehole. This greatly supplements the available water for daytime irrigation.

Roossenekal, Mpumalanga, South Africa - Client : Bethal Farmers Association / Eskom Development Foundation - Project management by Dams for Africa, July 2003

(1) Before : Prior to installing the shutters, the ground must be levelled and various pipes
must be installed: (a) inlet from the borehole,
(b) the delivery pipe to the irrigation pump,
(c) the overflow pipe, (d) the scour pipe.

(2) The shutters are erected and reinforcing mesh is installed.

(3) Once the reinforcing is in place the shotcrete is pneumatically applied to the
floor and wall-shutters.

(4) The inflow from the borehole pump is visible, and the overflow pipe may also be seen. Notice too that there is a float switch that stops the borehole pump when the reservoir is full.

(5) The flow out of the scour pipe is controlled by a valve. Water for furrow irrigation may also be taken at this point and either channelled or piped to the furrows.

(6) A view of another reservoir, at Motetema.
The same construction procedure was used.