About Us

Deon van der Merwe (PrEng) created the company, Hydrological Environmental Engineering Solutions (Pty) Ltd (HEES), during March 2018 after 23 years in the industry.

HEES is a professional services company which focus on the following consulting engineering activities (although a multidisciplinary service is possible):

• Dams:
  • Safety evaluation (Approved Professional Person for dams up to 30 m),
  • Design and sizing of new dams and
  • Rehabilitation of existing dams,
• Storm Water: Design and modelling of storm water systems (clean-dirty water separation),
• Environmental Engineering: Erosion protection measures, flood line determination and include the design of gabion and concrete structures (canal, pipe, system, low bridges) and airspace modelling

The mission of the company is to provide a cost-effective solution to the engineering challenges of clients with a vision of growing the company to a highly respectable engineering company with a group of members working together to reach the mission.

Mr. Van der Merwe holds a BEng (Agric) and a Master’s in Business Leadership (MBL) and has 26 years of professional experience as a design engineer, project and general manager. He specialises in the design and project management of projects comprising dams, hydrology, canals, gabion structures and concrete structures. He also has experience in the management and maintenance of pump schemes and general management. He has successfully completed many water-related projects for the mining sector but has undertaken work for an array of other clients in other sectors.

Mr van der Merwe served as the area manager/deputy regional director of the Tugela-Vaal Government Water Scheme on behalf of the Department of Water Affairs (DWA), he was the deputy chief engineer for open channel systems and manager of the hydraulic laboratory at the DWA. He is thus aware of the challenges South Africa faces in terms of water resources. He started his career at the Department of Agriculture and at exiting was the Principal Engineer – Soil Conservation for the North West Province.

His most recent project experience includes the designing of the 55 m high ACR Itare Dam components, the EPC tender design of the ± 90 m high Arror ECRD, 3 130 m³/s diversion tunnels, dam intake structure and cofferdams for the 1000 MW Hydroelectric Power Sounda Gorge Project, serving as the Civil Design Engineer for a 40 m high Concrete Gravity Dam and Powerhouse on the Orange River in South Africa for a installed capacity of 22 MW, Assistant Civil Design Engineer for the water infrastructure tender design of the 40 MW Kabompo Gorge Hydroelectric scheme in Zambia, the Assistant Design Engineer for the feasibility investigations and option analysis for the uMkhomazi transfer scheme, Design Engineer on the river diversion tender design for Neckartal Dam, Design Engineer for the review on the river diversion of the Mphanda Nkuwa Hydroelectric Project, Member of the project team for the Safety Evaluation of the Category III Bivane (Paris) Dam, Locumue (Mozambique) Dams, the Category II Doornpoort, Wilge River, 3^rd Recovery, the Approved Professional Person for the Category II Raw Water Reservoirs at Lethabo Power Station and detail design and draughting of a 4 km concrete-lined canal for AngloGold Ashanti’s West Complex (R6 million).

Mr van der Merwe’s is a solid all-rounder and has an in-depth knowledge and experience of the management of people and projects.