The first filling of the Durban Point Phase 1 seawater canal occurred at Durban Point on Friday.

It was marked by the opening of the discharge valves from the adjoining uShaka Marine World by Mzi Khumalo, chairperson of the Durban Point Development Company (DPDC), and Mayor Obed Mlaba, chairperson of Durban Marine Theme Park, owner of uShaka Marine World.

"This is a significant occasion, not only for the Durban Point precinct and uShaka Marine World, but for the entire City of Durban," said Mlaba.

"The canal forms the central spine for the urban redevelopment of Durban Point and creates enormous economic benefits of water frontage along the entire 700 m length of the first phase of the R10-million canal," he added.

The sale of sites adjoining the canal amounted to R60-million and the commitment of development expenditure to the value of almost R400-million to building projects that have either been approved by the DPDC or are under consideration.

The opening of the canal is the culmination of a significant engineering feat that involves the drawing of seawater via pipes placed six metres below the seabed using the sand as a primary filter.

The water is then pumped to a water purification and recycling plant situated in uShaka Marine World where it is further filtered and treated to the correct standards to maintain marine life in the numerous tanks and pools, which between them will contain about 17 000 m of water.

The canal itself varies in width from 10 m to 25 m along its length with a water depth of 1,3 m, a further freeboard of 0,5 m to the top of the coping.

The seawater in the canal will reportedly be of a higher quality than the surrounding seawater and will be suitable for a variety of marine organisms, which will create an extension of uShaka Marine World into Durban Point.

At the far end of the canal water will be discharged into the harbour mouth via an existing stormwater culvert subject to stringent quality controls.

The water ultimately discharged will be ‘cleaner’ than that extracted from the Indian Ocean.

"The canal should prove to be a huge tourist attraction," says Mlaba.

"The presence of water will provide an enhanced environment for public restaurants and other businesses. The canal can also be used by water taxis as a transport link between various sections of Durban Point".

A proposed second phase of the construction of the canal will ultimately see it link directly to the sea at Vetch’s Pier via a series of locks.

This phase will be designed at a greater depth to allow access to keeled yachts and will also open up further canal fronting sites for development and lead to the proposed small craft harbour, currently undergoing an environmental-impact assessment process.