President’s comment

STRATEGIC PLANNING

As we move into 2022, there are positive signs that South Africa’s National State of Disaster will come to an end soon. This, of course, doesn’t mean that Covid-19 has vanished from our lives, and strict health protocols will still need to be observed.

AND IMPLEMENTATION

With herd immunity growing and a slow and steady uptake in vaccinations, a degree of normality is returning and with it a renewed focus on the challenges that faced us prior to the 2020 and 2021 pandemic lockdowns. Top of mind are the living conditions for South Africa’s mushrooming informal settlements, the state of our ageing water and sanitation infrastructure, plus the ongoing load-shedding saga.

Across the board, we need to eradicate pit latrines in general, especially at schools, turn back the tide on environmental pollution, and proactively manage HIV and TB prevention, among other interventions. The health and social welfare threats from these areas arguably pose even greater ones than Covid-19.

IMESA Technical Projects

As IMESA, we are committed to making a difference within our specialist field of municipal engineering. To this end, our Strategic Planning session this month sets out to establish the road map. This initiative also responds to IMESA’s November 2021 membership survey in terms of suggested technical projects that should be covered.

Current projects include the Water Reclamation and Reuse Guide for South African Municipal Engineers, which is being jointly funded by IMESA and the Water Research Commission (WRC). The express purpose is to advance water and sanitation research, development and innovation. Wastewater reuse is widely practised in both developed and underdeveloped countries. However, in South Africa’s case, we still use potable drinking water to flush toilets and water the grass. The advent of climate change, with its unpredictable drought cycles, makes moving to reuse a necessity that can no longer be ignored.

Design Flood Estimation

Another ongoing project, which is also being jointly funded by IMESA and the WRC, is the Best Practice Guideline for Design Flood Estimation in Municipal Areas in South Africa. The team, led by consulting firm CBA Specialist Engineers, includes three academic institutions. All team members also serve on the National Flood Study Task Team, which is presently reviewing all flood methods for the country.

Asbestos

New projects being considered include Working with Asbestos guidelines to assist municipalities. This responds to the Asbestos Abatement Regulations, 2020. The regulations are intended to impose strict health, safety and environmental compliance. The accurate recording of in situ asbestos inventories is a requirement. Examples would include related materials found in buildings and infrastructure, such as asbestos cement (AC) pipes. Thereafter, there are regulatory requirements that include risk assessments, maintenance and the procedures for safe disposal. A hypothetical example would be the replacement of AC pipes using trenchless pipe bursting techniques, where a comprehensive method statement would be required.

Rising to the challenge

Tackling our social infrastructure challenges can seem insurmountable at times. For this reason – and rather than taking a shotgun apxproach – municipal engineers need to focus on projects that have the most immediate benefit.

To achieve this in practice requires funding and an enabling environment – the latter driven by strategic engagement across the three tiers of government. From IMESA’s perspective, a core mandate is to ensure that municipal engineers have the skills, support and coherent procurement framework to get the job done.

Bhavna Soni, president, IMESA