This is the first dam on the African continent built with this technique. The old concrete dam was severely damaged in the 1969 earthquake and had to be replaced. The new embankment dam made it possible to increase the reservoir from existing 0.4 mill m3 to 17 mill m3.
The joint venture project in the Ceres valley involved production of asphalt and filter zones. Colas South (PTY) Ltd. produced the asphalt and Kolo Veidekke's work was placing the asphalt. The joint venture operation included placing the asphalt core and filter core on both sides of the asphalt core. The dam is 60 metres tall. The asphalt core itself is 50 cm wide and each filter core measures 1,5 metres. In total, it took 4500 m3 of asphalt to complete the dam.
The Ceres valley is a flourishing valley and is known for its fruit and juice production. The valley is dependent on artificial water supplies for its agriculture. The construction of the new embankment dam started in 1997 and was completed in 1998.
