Orange–Fish River Tunnel

Orange–Fish River Tunnel

The Orange–Fish River Tunnel is an 82.8 km irrigation tunnel in South Africa which diverts water from the Orange River under the Suurberg mountain plateau to the Great Fish River and the semi-arid areas of Eastern Cape province.[1]

Its inlet takes water from the Gariep Dam at Oviston: the name Oviston is an acronym based on the Afrikaans Oranje-VISrivier TONnel. With a maximum throughput of 54 m3/s, it supplies to the Teebus Spruit and the Great Brak River and from there to the valleys of the Great Fish River and the Sundays River. It is the longest continuous enclosed aqueduct in the southern hemisphere and the third-longest water supply tunnel in the world.[2]

The tunnel has a finished diameter of 5.3 metres (17.4 ft) and ranges in depth of between 80 metres (262 ft) and 380 metres (1,247 ft).[3]

Construction started in 1966 and the tunnel opened in 1975.

When the tunnel was completed it was the longest continuous enclosed aqueduct in the southern hemisphere and the second-longest water supply tunnel in the world.

References

  1. ^ http://www.halcrow.com/html/our_projects/projects/orange_tunn.htm
  2. ^ http://www.dwaf.gov.za/orange/Mid_Orange/orange-f.htm
  3. ^ Doyle, Barry R. (2001). Hazardous gases underground: applications to tunnel engineering. CRC Press. pp. 201. ISBN 9780824704834. 

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