Imiesa July 2012 by 3S Media

Winner of the 2011 PICA Non-professional writer of the year

The official magazine of the Institute of Municipal Engineering of Southern Africa

IMESA

MEDIA

INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT • MAINTENANCE • SERVICE DELIVERY

Excellence in motion Blue Drop Report card

Sol Plaatje WWTW upgrade

Opinion Engineering challenges

Trenchless contract completed in Port Elizabeth

p55

ISSN 0257 1978 Volume 37 No.7 • July 2012 • R40.00 (incl VAT)

CONTENTS

Blue Drop

Kamfers Dam

Winner of the 2011 PICA Non-professional writer of the year

The official magazine of the Institute of Municipal Engineering of Southern Africa

VOLUME 37 NO 7 JULY 2012

Reservoir construction

Trenchless technology

IMESA

MEDIA

INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT ͻ MAINTENANCE ͻ SERVICE DELIVERY

Government perspective

Sol Plaatje

12 Streamlining legislation

40 WWTW upgraded

with development

Baarlooworrld Eq quipm ment Blue Drop Report card

Excellence in motion

Project news 42 South African engineering in

13 In the footsteps of giants

Sol Plaatje WWTW upgrade

Industry perspective

Lesotho

Opinion Engineering challenges

Trenchless contract completed in Port Elizabeth

ISSN 0257 1978 Volume 37 No.7 s *ULY s R40.00 (incl VAT)

Opinion

Panel discussion

15 How many degrees are there

43 Introduction: Blue and Green

in a half circle? KwaZulu-Natal-based multidisciplinary group Aqua Transport & Plant Hire continues its national expansion strategy in the construction sector, adding to its extensive plant holding with the recent acquisition of a fleet of new Cat 140K motor graders, supplied and supported by Southern African Cat dealer Barloworld Equipment.

Water and waste water

19 Digging deep at De Hoop 21 Automation innovation 23 Hydroscrew introduced

47 49

to the market

25 Water storage overhaul 27 Zeekoegat WWTW update 30 2012 National Water Conser vation Awards

33 Managing the coastal zone

Regulars 3 5

Editor’s comment President’s comment

Cover article 6

Aqua’s civil excellence

News 9

Blue Drop analysis for 2012

Water infrastructure 34 KZN losing 40% of its water 35 Innovations and best practice boosted

51 53

Drop – what does it mean to you? Depar tment of Water Affairs: Leonardo Manus ERWAT: For tune Mabunda CSV Water Consulting Engineers: Charl van der Walt Grundfos: Alber t de Vos BKS: Dr Gideon de Villiers and Gerna Clifford

Pipes pumps and valves 55 Por t Elizabeth goes trenchless

62 SAPPMA releases revised technical manual

64 Name change for water group 65 Protection for pipelines

Mangaung

Products and services

36 New Bloemfontein reser voir 38 Andries Pretorious

67 Irrigation products for

Street upgraded

all markets

68 Lighting up Tzaneen IMIESA JULY 2012

EDITOR'S COMMENT

PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTORS PUBLISHER Elizabeth Shorten EDITOR Richard Jansen van Vuuren ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Ferdie Pieterse HEAD OF DESIGN Frédérick Danton SENIOR DESIGNER Hayley Mendelow SENIOR SUB-EDITOR Claire Nozaic SUB-EDITOR Patience Gumbo CONTRIBUTORS Candice Landie PRODUCTION MANAGER Antois-Leigh Botma PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Jaqueline Modise FINANCIAL MANAGER Andrew Lobban (ACIS, FCIBM) MARKETING AND ONLINE MANAGER Martin Hiller ADMINISTRATION Tonya Hebenton DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Nomsa Masina DISTRIBUTION COORDINATOR Asha Pursotham SUBSCRIPTIONS subs@3smedia.co.za PRINTERS United Litho Johannesburg +27 (0)11 402 0571 ___________________________________________________

Infrastructure forums to be rolled out regionally

N 21 AND 22 JUNE, 3S Media, in conjunction with Akanya Media, held the inaugural national PublicPrivate Infrastructure Forum in Johannesburg. Presentations were made by the following people: • Phumelele Motsoahae – executive manager of group planning: Transnet • Andrew Etzinger – senior general manager: Eskom • Chris Campbell – president: Engineering Council of South Africa • Manglin Pillay – CEO: The South African Institution Of Civil Engineering • Gregory Mofokeng – secretary: Black Business Council Built Environment • Sarah Rushmere – special projects manager: Green Building Council of South Africa • Neville Gurry – executive director: South African Federation of Civil Engineering Contractors • Mfezezko Gwazubue – acting COO: Public Works (on behalf of Minister Thembelani Nxesi) • Ursula Ntsubane – CEO: Construction Industry Development Board • Tumi Dlamini – executive director: Master Builders South Africa • Frank Stevens – deputy president: IMESA • Naren Bhojaram – president: Consulting Engineers South Africa. On the afternoon of the 22nd, delegates and speakers were split up into groups to workshop the following topics: • job creation, transformation and empowerment in the construction industry • unlocking infrastructure spend for new projects and for maintenance • how the public and private sector can work together to achieve infrastructure development and maintenance goals, and how to access funding. Each group presented the problems they had identified followed by proposed solutions – these will be highlighted in the August edition of IMIESA. Following the success of the inaugural

ADVERTISING SALES Jenny Miller Tel: +27 (0)11 467 6223 ___________________________________________________

PUBLISHER: MEDIA No. 4, 5th Avenue, Rivonia 2056 PO Box 92026, Norwood 2117 Tel: +27 (0)11 233 2600 Fax: +27 (0)11 234 7274/5 E-mail: richard@3smedia.co.za www.3smedia.co.za ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION: R480.00 (INCL VAT) ISSN 0257 1978 IMIESA, Inst.MUNIC. ENG. S. AFR. © Copyright 2012. All rights reserved. ___________________________________________________ IMESA CONTACTS IMESA Administration Officer: Ingrid Botton P O Box 2190, Westville, 3630 Tel: +27 (0)31 266 3263 Fax: +27 (0)31 266 5094 Email: imesa@webstorm.co.za Website: www.imesa.org.za BORDER BRANCH Secretary: Melanie Matroos Tel: +27 (0)43 705 2401 Fax: +27 (0)43 743 5266 E-mail: melaniem@buffalocity.gov.za EAST CAPE BRANCH Elsabé Koen Tel: +27 (0)41 505 8005 Fax: +27 (0)41 581 2300 E-mail: elsabek@africoast.com KWAZULU-NATAL BRANCH Secretary: Rita Zaayman Tel: +27(0)31 311 6382 NORTHERN PROVINCE BRANCH Secretary: Cornel Taljaard Tel: +27 (0)82 899 8341 Fax: +27 (0)11 675 1324 E-mail: cornel@rchc.co.za SOUTHERN CAPE KAROO BRANCH Secretary: Henrietta Oliver Tel: +27(0)79 390 7536 Fax: 086 536 3725 E-mail: imesa.southcape@gmail.com WESTERN CAPE BRANCH Secretary: Erica van Jaarsveld Tel: +27 (0)21 938 8455 Fax: +27 (0)21 938 8457 E-mail: erica.van_jaarsveld@capetown.gov.za FREE STATE AND NORTHERN CAPE BRANCH Secretary: Wilma Van Der Walt Tel: +27(0)83 457 4362 Fax: 086 628 0468 E-mail: imesa.fsnc@gmail.com REST OF SOUTHERN AFRICA Representative: Andre Muller E-mail: imesa@webstorm.co.za

IMESA

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INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT ͻ MAINTENANCE ͻ SERVICE DELIVERY

INFR ASTR

All material herein IMIESA is copyright protected and may not be reproduced either in whole or in part without the prior written permission of the publisher. The views of contributors do not necessarily reflect those of the Institute of Municipal Engineering of Southern Africa or the publishers.

Winner of the 2011 PICA Non-professional writer of the year

The official magazine of the Institute of Municipal Engineering of Southern Africa

IMESA

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event, we will now be rolling the event out on a regional level beginning with Mpumalanga, from 23 to 24 July, and Limpopo in August. As this is a water-focused edition of IMIESA, we highlight a massive challenge facing Richard Jansen KwaZulu-Natal. It is estimatVan Vuuren ed that 9 000 Mℓ/month of water is being lost in the Durban area alone. Government statistics released by Water Affairs Minister Edna Molewa indicate that more than 50% of purified pipe water supplies go to waste in most KwaZulu-Natal municipalities, largely from burst pipes and leakages, thefts

ABOVE Non-revenue water remains a significant challenge for municipalities

or other unauthorised use. In the Newcastle area, 76% of treated municipal water supplies is considered “non-revenue water”, while more than 65% of treated water in three other municipalities is also leaking away or used illegally. Although the percentage of non-revenue water in eThekwini is considerably lower at 36.8%, the Durban area nevertheless accounts for the largest waste by volume. The Blue Scorpions, the special government unit set up to protect water resources, is understaffed and did not lay a single criminal charge against water thieves and polluters last year, according to a new report by the Centre for Environmental Rights. The report, titled “Stop Treading Water”, says there are between 14 and 21 specialist members of the Blue Scorpions dealing full-time with a wide variety of water law violations. Last year, the Blue Scorpions were asked to investigate more than 100 violations.

D VERY DELI

Cover opportunity

Ba arlo oworrld Eq quipm ment Z ility -BEN S E D ob E C kM R uc ME Introduces Tr Blue Drop

h he in th

Engineering Job losses

Sol Plaatje

Excellence in motion Opinion

Report WWTW Engineering card urg Insight upgrade challenges ring Enginee Johhannesb sperity completed in Port Elizabeth contract o dTrenchless pro Floo ISSN 0257 1978 Volume 37 No.7 s *ULY s R40.00 (incl VAT) alleeviation p18 p rapid

In each issue, IMIESA offers advertisers the opportunity to get to the front of the line by placing a company, product or service on the front cover of the journal. Buying this position will afford the advertiser the t cover story on pages and maximum exposure. For more information on cover bookings contact Jenny Miller on tel: +27 (0)11 467 6223.

ing” ing scope for eree is hugeinfrastructure mapp T ) “Ther ns in (incl VA ions ent of SAGI:ve solut olutio 40.00 2 • R ffecti arch, presid ne 201 Peter Newm times and cost-e l u m e 3 7 N o . 6 • J u 78 Vo turnaround 257 19 ISSN 0

IMIESA JULY 2012

24 - 26 October 2012 GEORGE 031 2663263

www.imesa.org.za conference@imesa.org.za

2012 IMESA CONFERENCE Theme: Engineering for Change Share ideas and experiences with over 650 municipal engineers & stakeholders. Discover the latest in technology with over 60 confirmed exhibitors! Submit a paper extract for consideration to harold@george.org.za to share knowledge, and gain exposure and recognition for your contribution to engineering. Acknowledge the best in the industry by attending the Excellence Awards & Opening Function! Network and socialise with suppliers and customers during the conference and at the informal Gala Function at De Vette Mossel. Enjoy an extended weekend in the beautiful Garden Route with your partner â&#x20AC;&#x201C; see website for details of the spectacular Companions Tour on offer! Choose your Technical Tour from a selection of Award Winning projects or the rare opportunity to visit PetroSA:

Eco Project: Touw River

Re-use of Waste Water: George Ultra-Filtration Plant

New Water Sources: Mossel Bay Desalination Plant

Safety / Acquisitions: PetroSA

To register or for comprehensive information visit www.imesa.org.za

PRESIDENT'S COMMENT

Utilising the legacy The various stadiums built for the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup are assets for the future. by Jannie Pietersen, president of IMESA

E WERE PROUD when the event went off almost flawlessly, and ever y person who contributed to this great project deser ves a par t of the credit, including, to no small extent, members of our institute. In par ticular we have been left with a legacy of magnificent stadiums. A question that was often asked before the World Cup is how successful these stadiums would be after the FIFA caravan had folded its tents and gone; and now, even more per tinently, we are asking what we are left with: a monument to infrastructural planning or a collection of white elephants?

IMESA and CESA 2012 Biennial Project Excellence Awards I am pleased to confirm that entries are open for the IMESA and CESA 2012 Biennial Project Excellence Awards. As advised on the institute’s website, the general objectives of the awards are to: • give recognition to well-engineered civil engineering projects for infrastructure • portray the art and science of civil engineering for infrastructure to the general public • illustrate how the profession finds answers to challenging infrastructure engineering problems.

Towards the end of 2011, the minister of sport was able to give an indication: the answer is that we are left, it seems, with some vibrant successes, but also a couple of large pale pachyderms. Among the latter are the Ellis

Sharks rugby franchise, has hosted over 90 events, more than three times the next best, Royal Bafokeng, thanks to an impressive feat of marketing. Events have included music concerts, political and religious rallies,

Moses Mabhida stadium in Durban, despite not landing the Sharks rugby franchise, has hosted over 90 events... thanks to an impressive feat of marketing Park and the Free State stadiums, which have hosted 10 and 12 events respectively since the World Cup (and this must be balanced against the fact that both of them are South African Rugby Football Union Test Venues that host Currie Cup and Super Rugby franchises). Apart from Royal Bafokeng and Cape Town stadiums with 29 and 25 events respectively, all the others, including Port Elizabeth, have held between 12 and 19. At the other end of the scale, the iconic Moses Mabhida stadium in Durban, despite not landing the

Twenty20 cricket and, of course, soccer. Moses Mabhida has also successfully hosted the Top Gear Festival, a spin-off of the worldrenowned BBC TV series. A track was laid inside the stadium, and adjacent streets were closed to form a circuit on which Top Gear displayed a range of events and cars, including Formula 1 demonstrations. It is this sor t of imaginative cooperation between municipalities, marketers and promoters that will ensure the success of these stadiums.

Award categories are: • structures and buildings • water/wastewater • roads/stormwater • environmental • community upliftment. I encourage members to submit entries. These awards are the shop window not only of the entrants and winners, but of the institute as well. Entries and supporting documentation and material must be submitted by 31 July. Winners will be announced at the annual conference in October.

IMIESA JULY 2012

COVER STORY

Aqua’s civil excellence Solid foundations lay the groundwork for ongoing expansion of roads, municipal infrastructure and plant hire.

WAZULU-NATAL-BASED multi-disciplinary group Aqua Transport & Plant Hire continues its national expansion strategy in the construction sector, adding to its extensive plant holding with the recent acquisition of a fleet of new Cat 140K motor graders, supplied and supported by Southern African Cat dealer Barloworld Equipment. These units join Aqua’s extensive and diversified plant holding of over 1 000 units in support of the company’s Plant Hire division and rapidly growing Civil Contracting arm. Aqua’s Plant Hire division is one of the largest in the country, serving a broad range of industrial, construction, civil engineering and quarrying clients, many of whom have been customers since Aqua’s inception in 1986. A privately owned company and a BBBEE contributor, Aqua has an 8 CE PE grading

IMIESA JULY 2012

from the Construction Industry Development Board, with plans in place to position the group for a move into the 9 CEP bracket soon. This will provide unlimited scope for project activity nationally. “Historically, the group started out as a plant hire business with a focus on bulk water tankers for downstream delivery to industry and communities, hence the name ‘Aqua’, Latin for water, in our company name,” explains Kevin Naicker, CEO of Aqua Transport & Plant Hire. “Today this remains an important business activity.” “Alongside our other business activities, Aqua has built a solid reputation in the civils industry based on our ability to successfully complete end-to-end projects,” adds Naicker. The civils project scope includes bulk earthworks, road construction, municipal storm- and wastewater, and structural concrete works

ABOVE Standard on all K-Series models, the variable horsepower feature increases machine productivity by matching power to ground speeds

such as bridges, reservoirs and water treatment plants. “Our ongoing capital equipment modernisation programme keeps pace with our capacity to tender on new projects,” says Naicker. In its home base of KwaZulu-Natal, Aqua has been involved in creating new road infrastructure, as well as maintaining and repairing surfaces for major municipalities for many years. Work in progress includes a major rehabilitation and upgrade contract awarded in November 2011 by the South African National Roads Agency Limited (SANRAL) on a section of the N11, in joint venture with Stefanutti Stocks, while work on the John Ross Highway

COVER STORY

in motion in Richards Bay for the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport is at an advanced stage of completion. Aqua has also recently been awarded the N2/KwaMashu Interchange project by SANRAL. Growth in the roads business was further strengthened in 2010 following Aqua’s acquisition of Sanyati’s Asphalt Division. The amalgamation of these technical skills and plant assets within the Aqua Group, together with a comprehensive equipment modernisation programme, has subsequently led to the formation of an asphalt manufacturing and surfacing entity branded as the Aqua Road Rehabilitation Division. Aqua’s Asphalt Division provides a turnkey black top surfacing solution, from asphalt manufacturing to truck delivery, laying and finishing, backed by the company’s milling, recycling and paving fleet. Current capacity is around 1 200 t of asphalt daily. Supporting Aqua’s market growth, Naicker says that the Cat 140K was determined as the optimum grader choice for its construction and plant hire businesses. “The Cat 140K builds on the excellent track record of the previous generation 140H model with noticeable improvements in terms of overall operator productivity,” comments Naicker. “This is a machine that’s designed to keep on delivering, providing a good return on investment.” Compared to the 140H’s Cat 3306 engine, the 140K’s C7 ACERT power plant provides a torque increase of 8 to 10%, depending on the application. Additionally, customised torque cur ves increase peak torque for improved

lugging per formance and responsiveness. “The torque rise on the Cat 140K is around 47% in contrast to 33% on the previous generation H-Series,” points out Barloworld Equipment Cat sales professional, Sanjeev Rampersadh, based at the Durban branch. “Standard on all K-Series models, the variable horsepower feature increases machine productivity by matching power to ground speeds,” Rampersadh continues, highlighting key features. “For example, in the lower gears where the machine is traction-limited, engine horsepower is automatically reduced, and this

ABOVE Aqua Transport & Plant Hire recently added to its extensive plant holding with the acquisition of a fleet of new Cat 140K motor graders

60 items of plant, including 14 readymix trucks. Longer-term plant hire contracts were

“Aqua has built a solid reputation in the civils industry based on our ability to successfully complete end-toend projects” helps to lower fuel consumption while minimising tyre slippage.” These features help to keep owning and operating costs down, which are important considerations from both contracting and plant hire perspectives. Aqua’s Plant Hire division plays a key role in major South African infrastructure projects, which in the recent past included the Gautrain Rapid Rail Link development and the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project. For the Gautrain project, for example, Aqua supplied more than

also recently completed for various consortium contractors at Eskom’s Medupi and Kusile power station developments. “Going forward, we continue to refine our capabilities in civil construction, plant hire, as well as the supply of asphalt products, ensuring that we have the expertise and technologies in place to meet current and future project requirements,” concludes Naicker. BELOW In its home base of KwaZuluNatal, Aqua Transport & Plant Hire has been involved in creating new road infrastructure, as well as maintaining and repairing surfaces for major municipalities for many years

IMIESA offers advertisers an ideal platform to ensure maximum exposure of their brand. Companies are afforded the opportunity of publishing a two-page cover story and a cover picture to promote their products to an appropriate audience. Please call Jenny Miller on +27(0)11 467 6223 to secure your booking.

IMIESA JULY 2012

IMESA AFFILIATE MEMBERS

IMESA

Afri-Infra

afri-infra@mweb.co.za

Kgatelopele Consulting

AJ Broom Road Products

ajbroom@icon.co.za

Knowledge Base

Arup SA

rob.lamb@arup.com

Lektratek Water

Aurecon

Ian.VanWijk@af.aurecongroup.com

Bigen Group Africa BKS Consulting Engineers

otto.scharfetter@bigenafrica.com siyandan@bks.co.za

Makhaotse Narasimulu & Associates Maragela Consulting Engineers Much Asphalt

BMK Consulting

brian@bmkconsulting.co.za

Nyeleti Consulting

Bosch Stemele

bsdbn@boschstemele.co.za

Odour Engineering Systems

Bosch Munitech

info@boschmunitech.co.za

BVI Consulting Engineers

marketing@bviho.co.za

CBI Consulting Engineers

durban@cbisa.co.za

Civilconsult Consulting Engineers Civil & Blasting Solutions Concrete Manufacturers

mail@civilconsult.co.za jane@drillingandblasting.co.za cma@mweb.co.za

Corrosion Institute of Southern Africa secretary@corrosioninstitute.org.za CSIR Built Environment

LAustin@csir.co.za

Davies Lynn & Partners

dlpdbn@dlp.co.za

Development Bank of SA

divb@dbsa.org.za

DPI Plastics EFG Engineers Elster Kent Metering EnviroServ Waste Management Geotechnologies GLS Consulting Goba Hidrostal SA Huber Technology Hydro-comp Enterprises I@Consulting Iliso Consulting Infraset Jeffares and Green Johannesburg Water

mgoodchild@dpiplastics.co.za eric@efgeng.co.za keith.bailey@za.elster.com benoitl@millenniumwaste.co.za garry@geotechnologies.co.za nicky@gls.co.za trumang@goba.co.za hstal@mweb.co.za fstammer@lantic.net dan@edams.co.za louis_icon@mics.co.za monde@iliso.com fmyburgh@infraset.com dennyc@jgi.co.za rtaljaard@jwater.co.za

kgatelopele@wol.co.za info@knowbase.co.za general@lwt.co.za mmakhaotse@mna-sa.co.za admin@maragelaconsulting.co.za john.onraet@murrob.com ppienaar@nyeleti.co.za mathewc@oes.co.za

PD Naidoo & Associates Consulting Engineers Johannesburg@pdna.co.za Power Construction

nbarnard@powergrp.co.za

Pumptron

info@pumptron.co.za

Pragma Africa

deang@pragma.co.za

Rocla SBS Water Systems

karen.devos@murrob.co.za irene@sbsgroup.co.za

Sektor Consulting

cradock@sektor.co.za

Sight Lines

sales@sightlines.co.za

SiVEST SA SNA Inc Siza Water Company SRK Consulting SSI Sulzer Pumps Wastewater Syntell Thm Engineers East London

garths@sivest.co.za snapta@icon.co.za tionette.bates@sizawater.co.za jomar@srk.co.za francisg@ssi.co.za Sonja.Hattingh@sulzer.com julia@syntell.co.za thmel@mweb.co.za

TPA Consulting

roger@tpa.co.za

UWP Consulting

zulchl@uwp.co.za

Vela VKE WorleyParsons WSP Group Africa WSSA WRP Zebra Surfacing

capetown@velavke.co.za chris.brandsen@WorleyParsons.com dirk.hattingh@mbs-wsp.co.za nbinase@wssa.co.za ronniem@wrp.co.za andrew@zebrasurfacing.co.za

NEWS

Blue Drop analysis for 2012 This year saw the fourth Blue Drop accreditation process come to fruition at the Blue Drop Awards, which was held in conjunction with the WISA 2012 conference and Exhibition. by Richard Jansen van Vuuren

BLUE DROP ASSESSMENT ANALYSIS (NATIONAL)

LUE DROP ACCREDITATION and the annual Blue Drop report and awards have had a significant impact on the water sector during the last four years. The report is prompted by the desire to be transparent and ensure that credible information is communicated between municipalities, the Department of Water Affairs (DWA) and the end user. This year, the DWA has clarified that: • Blue Drop certification goes beyond the quality of drinking water alone; it ventures into other spheres such as risk management, operations and asset management. • If a small town does not have Blue Drop certification, this does not necessarily indicate that the water is unsafe to drink. • The 2012 report provides information on the drinking water quality management performance of all South African water

Category

2009

2010

2011

Municipalities audited

107

153

162

153

Water systems audited

402

787

914

931

Number of Blue Drop awards

National Blue Drop score

51.4%

67.2%

72.9%

87.6%

services authorities for the period: January to December 2011. • The certification programme is a non-voluntary, incentive-based regulatory initiative.

National overview • Limpopo: 79.4% • North West: 78.7% • Gauteng: 98.1% • Mpumalanga: 60.9% • KwaZulu-Natal: 92.1% • Eastern Cape: 82.1% • Western Cape: 94.2% • Northern Cape: 68.2% Eastern Cape Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality is the best performing municipality in the Eastern

2012

Cape with support from Amatole Water Board as its water service provider.

Free State Matjhabeng Local Municipality is the best performing municipality in the Free State with support from Sedibeng Water Board as its water service provider. Gauteng Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality is the best per forming municipality in Gauteng with support from Rand Water as its water service provider. KwaZulu-Natal eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality is the best performing municipality in KwaZulu-Natal

IMIESA JULY 2012

IMESA

IMESA/CESA Excellence Awards CALL FOR ENTRIES

The Institute of Municipal Engineering of Southern Africa (IMESA) and Consulting Engineers South Africa (CESA) have pleasure in inviting local, provincial and government/semi-government authorities and / or their engineering consultants to submit entries for the 2012 biennial Project Excellence Awards competition. Entry forms can be downloaded at: www.imesa.org.za/2012-excellence-awards/ Completed entries must be sent to Debbie Anderson at conference@imesa.co.za before 31 July 2012 Completed entry forms must be submitted together with the hard copy submission and CD by 31Â July 2012 to: IMESA House, 2 Derby Place, WESTVILLE, 3629 Tel: +27 (0)31Â 266 3263 for more information

NEWS

PERFORMANCE LOG OF THE MUNICIPAL BLUE DROP SCORES FOR 2012 AND 2011 Water services authority

Province

2012 national log position

Blue Drop score 2012

2011 national log position Blue Drop score 2011

Ekurhuleni

Gauteng

98.95%

97.44%

City of Johannesburg

Gauteng

98.92%

97.69%

Mogale City

Gauteng

98.79%

96.19%

eThekwini

KwaZulu-Natal

98.77%

95.71%

Tlokwe

North West

98.45%

96.87%

City of Cape Town

Western Cape

98.14%

97.61%

Bitou

Western Cape

97.74%

96.12%

Witzenburg

Western Cape

97.63%

97.56%

Randfontein

Gauteng

97.54%

95.24%

George

Western Cape

97.41%

96.26%

with support from Umgeni Water as its water service provider.

Limpopo Lephalale Local Municipality is the best performing municipality in Limpopo with private sector support from Exxaro and Eskom as its water service providers. Mpumalanga Steve tshwete Local Municipality is the best per forming municipality in Mpumalanga with support from Eskom as its water service provider. North West Tlokwe City Council is the best performing municipality in the North West. Northern Cape Hantam Local Municipality is the best performing municipality in the Northern Cape. Western Cape City of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality is the best performing municipality in the Western Cape. Speaking at the release of the National Blue Drop Water Quality Assessment Report, the Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs, Edna Molewa, stated that water quality in the country is a key priority for the DWA. “We take our mandate as custodian of the nation’s water resources very seriously and we have, over the years, sought to perfect our strategies and planning initiatives to ensure only the best water is supplied to citizens,” she stated. Molewa highlighted that she is pleased that South Africa’s tap water remains among the best in the world, pointing out that South Africa is one of only a handful of countries where people can drink water directly from the tap. “We are therefore committed to doing everything in our power to ensure this does not

change but instead improves further. The Blue Drop certification programme is the department’s own innovative means of regulation, designed and implemented with the objective of improving tap water quality management. This is a flagship innovation of the department and it has been embraced by the majority of our municipalities over the past four years. This is borne out by the marked improvement in the submission of performance portfolios by municipalities. “I must however stress that a town or city whose water is not given a Blue Drop certificate is not necessarily unsafe for human consumption. The certificate is awarded as an acknowledgement of excellent drinking water quality management that surpasses the requirements of national norms and standards by a significant margin. In fact there are a number of water systems in many towns where the water complies well with set standards, but there are certain shortcomings identified with the overall risk management aspect,” pointed out Molewa. The report of 2012 shows significant improvements, which serves as evidence of the positive impact this incentive-based regulation approach is having on the South African water sector. The first Blue Drop report of 2009 indicated that the national microbiological compliance for South African tap water was measured at 93.3% against the National Standard (SANS 241). Notably this has increased to 97.3% in the 2012 reporting cycle. The overall national drinking water compliance figure is recorded at 98.93% (based upon microbiological, chemical, physical and organoleptic data). Molewa has since drawn attention to what has become a key performance area in the Blue Drop assessment process: Water safety planning. This is a fundamental component of the Blue Drop certification programme; it was introduced by the World Health Organisation and first implemented in South Africa country in preparation for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

In 2011, it was reported that 154 systems have water safety plans in place, while during the 2012 audits it was confirmed that 579 water supply systems had water safety plans in place. The significance of water safety planning is that it is a safety net to ensure people’s lives are not placed at risk when issues of contamination occur in the drinking water supply. An example of this is when contamination of water occurred at Diepsloot in Gauteng; because safety planning was in place, authorities were able to shut down the water supply until they were satisfied the water was again safe to drink. The department is measuring performance of municipalities on the key performance indicators of the Regulator y Per formance Measurement System. This year, the department released the Municipal Water Services Per formance Assessment repor t together with the Blue Drop report to allow the public a view on the status of municipal water services and allow the authorities to compare their performance with other similar sized municipalities.

IMIESA JULY 2012

GOVERNMENT PERSPECTIVE

Streamlining legislation with development In 1994, only 59% of the population had access to clean and safe drinking water. Eighteen years later, we have progressed to a national average of 94.7% with access to basic water services for all South Africans – an increase of 35.7%. By Edna Molewa, minister of water and environmental affairs

HE BACKLOG NOW STANDS at 5.3%, or some 710 000 households, compared to the 3.9 million households in 1994. This trend illustrates that the government’s performance is on an upward trend. In spite of this, there are still many rural areas and informal settlements close to our urban areas without water. Even more worrying is the fact that there are areas where post-1994 infrastructural deficiencies are still characterised by taps that have run dry due to poor maintenance or operational problems. Such an unacceptable state of affairs dictates that functional water infrastructure and quality

services to the remaining 5.3% of the population become a task to be undertaken with a sense of urgency. It is critical that our water policies should support and act in unison with the goals of a democratic developmental state. We are conducting a policy review during this financial year, in parallel with a review of the three pieces of legislation that fall under our jurisdiction: the National Water Act, the Water Services Act and the Water Research Act. The streamlining of these three pieces of legislation will ensure that they too serve the purposes of the developmental state effectively and enable us to meet the needs

of our people in relation to water services, economic growth and development. Flowing from this review, the effective involvement of all stakeholders – particularly the poor and the marginalised – in decision making processes is one of the indispensable and critical components that will ensure that we manage our water in a way that supports the purposes of a developmental state. To this end, we are finding innovative ways to incorporate the inclusive consultative and participatory mechanisms in the law. Together, we owe it to future generations of our country to find viable ways to ensure water security.

GLOBAL AWARD FOR DEPUTY MINISTER

EJOICE MABUDAFHASI, the deputy minister of water and environmental affairs, received the Global Award for Women Leadership in Sustainable Development at the recently held United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The award ceremony aimed to capture the spirit and momentum of women’s and gender champions’ efforts toward equality and sustainability over the last 10 years. The award is awarded for esteem work and dedication, and is bestowed in memoriam of Marie Aminata Khan – previous executive head of the Convention on Biological Diversity and human rights activist. “In recognition of your extraordinary effort and contribution towards equality and sustainability, we request you to accept this award, as our gesture of appreciation and inspiration,” said Cate Owren, executive director of Women Environment and Development Organisation,

IMIESA JULY 2012

which jointly hosted the awards with the International Union of the Conservation of Nation and Global Gender and Climate Alliance. In her acceptance of the award, Mabudafhasi stated that she had never seen her contribution to women empowerment and environmental protection as an award-seeking activity, for her it simply pushes her to do more for the plight of other women. The award comes amidst mounting pressures from gender and women’s group on the negotiating and developing partners to increase and scale up interventions aimed at the emancipation of women, including the ‘women’ Millennium Development Goals of water and sanitation. LEFT Rejoice Mabudafhasi, the deputy minister of water and environmental Affairs

INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE

The history behind South Africa’s large dams Following four years of painstaking research, a comprehensive book about dams in South Africa, In the Footsteps of Giants – Exploring the History of South Africa’s large dams, is available from the Water Research Commission.

HE AUTHOR of the book, Lani van Vuuren, who is the editor of The Water Wheel magazine, says her research took her on a nationwide tour to meet the people involved in the construction of South Africa’s dams. The book launch, held on 30 May, was attended by many of the country’s most experienced engineers who have first-hand knowledge of South Africa’s largest and most innovative dam projects. The glossy, full-colour 340-page publication takes the reader on a journey through the history of South Africa’s largest dams, starting with the traditional attitudes and indigenous knowledge around water resources prior to European settlement and ending with a glimpse into the future of dam building in the country. The vast majority of the population of this country get its drinking water from dams, and water from dams is used to generate electricity, power industries and grow food. In fact, South Africa has the largest number of dams in Africa (over 500 large dams) and was at one time one of the leading dam-building countries in the world. Yet, few of us know which dams serve us, how they got there and who built them. The aim of the book is to educate and raise awareness about the country’s dams. The big era of dam construction is now over and, apart from a few more projects, such as the second phase of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project, we are unlikely to see any new large dam projects in future. They form an

important part of our national water heritage, and just like other water infrastructure, such as water and wastewater treatment works, they need to be maintained and looked after. We also need to use the water from the dams wisely – to make sure the people who toiled hard in the sun and extreme weather to build them did not do so in vain. “South Africa has developed a large percentage of its water resources and there will be limited dam developments in the future. However, we need to look after our multibillion rand dam assets by way of maintenance and rehabilitation,” says Danie Badenhorst, chairperson of the South African National Committee on Large Dams (SANCOLD). “Dam safety is cardinal in this respect. Highly developed skills are required for rehabilitation, which is often more difficult than constructing a new dam. SANCOLD and the International Committee on Large Dams resources are in place to assist with such skills and information transfer,” explains Badenhorst. “The book actually started as a series of water history articles in The Water Wheel. I first wanted to see how people would react to the articles, and what the demand for such a

ABOVE The cover of In the Footsteps of Giants – Exploring the History of South Africa’s large dams

book would be. My first history article was on the Hartbeespoort Dam, which was originally completed in 1924, and it appeared in the May/June 2008 edition of the magazine. I have been researching dam-related history for four years,” explains Van Vuuren. On a lighter note, she points out that she realised she had been working too long on the book when the staff at the national library began greeting her by her first name every time she walked through the door! “The book has confirmed to me that, like other people working in the water sector, engineers are hard-working, passionate people. Every dam project they tackle they do so in the hope that it will make a real difference to people on the ground. Without our extremely sophisticated water resources infrastructure network, this country would not have been able to develop. And for that we owe our engineers a great deal,” maintains Van Vuuren.

RIGHT Dr Theo von Robbroeck (honorary president: ICOLD); Dora Ndaba (board member: WRC); Lani van Vuuren; Dhesigen Naidoo (CEO: WRC); Drinie van Rensburg (multimedia publisher: WRC); and Danie Badenhorst (chairman: SANCOLD) at the launch of the book

IMIESA JULY 2012

OPINION

How many degrees in a half circle? We are constantly confronted with the news that civil engineering is one of the priority scarce skills that South Africa needs to ensure the creation, maintenance and development of infrastructure that would lead to social and economic growth.

IMULTANEOUSLY, SOUTH AFRICA is losing qualified engineers to other countries and disciplines. And Sanral (South African National Roads Agency Limited) almost lost a valuable asset. The loss of competent professionals is damaging to South Africa, whether through a lack of project roll-out, economic downturn, greener pastures within and outside the country, or personal frustration with inadequately qualified government officials in charge of procurement procedures. A concerted effort should be made to avoid further loss of this scarce resource. For South Africa to meet the needs of service delivery to communities, it will be imperative for all tiers of government to make use of the existing resource, which primarily consists of pale, ageing males with loads of knowledge, experience and wisdom. The much

sought-after turnaround strategies, which have been tried in recent years, can only come to fruition with the application of this wisdom through direct intervention, knowledge transfer to young engineers through the ENERGYS programme of the South African Institution of Civil Engineering (SAICE) – this will affect

– home, school, university or the industry? Are mentoring and coaching the links to creating this ‘creature’?

How does it work? Manglin Pillay, CEO of SAICE, sketches a scary scenario: At a university of technology, the lecturer asks the cream of the crop of first year civil engineering students: “How many degrees in a half circle?” He points to a youngster sitting in the third row. The student whispers something; the lecturer draws closer and says: “Louder please.” The student mumbles: “Sir, it depends on the size of the half circle.” In 2011, about 495 000 learners sat for their matric examinations. Only 12% passed

Only 12% passed both core maths and physical science with more than 40% adequate and appropriate service delivery well into the future. What lies at the heart of producing civil engineers with the professional expertise, managerial competencies, experience and wisdom to start a world-class business/venture? What is the impetus that would activate this process? Where does the responsibility belong

both core maths and physical science with more than 40%. This is the pool from where all professions come to drink. According to Allyson Lawless’ research document, Numbers and Needs, about 1% of those who write this examination will enter into tertiary engineering programmes. However, if we think that the threat to engineering sustainability is limited to core maths and science performances and a floundering education system, we are misleading ourselves. “Engineers operate within a balance of group work and focused independent work. Written, spoken and visual communication is critical, as are group dynamics. Asking questions and challenging ideas are part of what we do. We are professionally obliged to provide creative and cost-effective solutions in a well thought through process, in an ethical manner. It is not up for debate – core maths, science, accuracy, excellent general knowledge and appreciation for local and national political and business environments are absolute requirements. But there are also those uncomfortable components associated with emotional awareness: respect, ethics and interdependent professional human relations. These are the people issues – being able to effectively communicate with the boss, other seniors, contemporaries

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OPINION

and subordinates, under all circumstances,” explains Pillay. “I am not sure that the university can teach coming to work on time, respecting company resources, having regard for seniors, colleagues and clients, dressing appropriately and such like. This used to emanate from being part of a wholesome community, which includes healthy family units, involvement in faith-based organisations, schools and other community-related avenues. Engineering seniors need to take into account that many engineering graduates come from single- or no-parent homes. The challenge is enhanced by the cultural differences that South Africa so richly enjoys. “Furthermore, learners are starting to suffer serious written and spoken impediments. Thanks to instant communication devices, the English language, which is the dominant engineering language in South Africa, is being reduced to phonetic and guttural sounds. ‘Lrnrs cum ot of skol spelng lik dis… ROTFL’ [Learners come out of school spelling like this… rolling on the floor laughing]. The inability

to converse or write is pervading young people like a transmitted disease – what with Facebook, SMSing, tweeting and other similar e-communication products available. The instant information age is upon us, like a thief in the night. I recently interviewed a young lady and requested an essay on a pertinent civil engineering issue. Chunks of the essay were copied verbatim from online articles – Google helped us both,” says Pillay. “Previously the

report or drawing over and over again, write the same lengthy compilations, advance the intelligent engineering graduate, marginalise the misfit and misunderstood graduates until they leave,” asserts Pillay. Being civil engineering professionals who boast about being solution-oriented, finding solutions for these complex issues should surely be a priority if South Africa intends on having home-grown civil engineering professionals

Finding solutions for these complex issues should surely be a priority if South Africa intends on having home-grown civil engineering professionals paradigm differences between the youth, the middle-aged and seniors were limited to differences in appreciation of music, hobbies and taste in clothing. But the youth and young engineers think and communicate differently from, say, 10 years ago. I have noticed, however, that our training and development methods in the engineering environment have remained almost unchanged over the past 30 years – review the

answer the call for service delivery in future. “While some wrestle the education system, perhaps it’s time we recreated ourselves, revised our operations and started accommodating new succession planning methods for sustainable civil engineering,” concludes Pillay. Perhaps then the question: “How many degrees in half a circle?” would not be as daunting.

IMIESA JULY 2012

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WATER AND WASTEWATER

Digging deep at the De Hoop Dam project B&E International is continuing its long-standing relationship with the Department of Water Affairs after winning the contract for the supply of all aggregates to the De Hoop Dam scheme.

HE DAM, which has a planned capacity of 300 million cubic metres, is the 14th largest in South Africa, and the project – which began in 2008 and was concluded in 2011 – was the secondbiggest in the company’s history. According to Royden Webster, B&E International’s director of operations, the task was not without its challenges, especially in light of the complex geology prevalent in the region. “The topography was very brown and soft, and we had to remove more than 1.2 million cubic metres of overburden to a depth of 17 m to expose the material required for aggregate production. To do the job in the shortest possible time we brought in a 385 excavator and four B40s to remove the overburden and poorer quality material, and by November we were able to assemble and commission the crushing plant,” says Webster. With construction poised to begin, the timing was perfect for B&E International to commence the production of 120 000 tpm. The plant included nine crushers, three Hydrasander washers, three washing screens and five dry screens, all linked by a complex but efficient network of conveyors. Local geological conditions again caused some initial production problems owing to the variable quality of feed coming from the quarry. “We had to constantly change crusher settings and alternate screens to stay within specification. However as our production increased we were soon able to grow stockpiles to take the pressure off,” explains Webster. The urgency may have eased, but output was prodigious. During the project life cycle, B&E International produced nearly two million tonnes

will soon be under water, extended a massive 400 x 250 m. This high level of productivity also helped the national water regulator to stake its own claim to fame by pouring over 133 000 m³ of concrete in 28 days, a new South African record. “B&E International was one of our most reliable and honest subcontractors, with a ‘first-time right’ approach. Aggregate was

The task was not without its challenges, especially in light of the complex geology prevalent in the region of aggregate and over a million tonnes of high specification <4 mm washed sand, all of which went into the construction of the dam wall. In addition, its quarry supplied a further 87 000 t of G1 material for the construction of the R555 by-pass around the dam. By the end of the operation, the quarry footprint, which

delivered on time and within specification,” says Department of Water Affairs’ design representative, Jaco van Niekerk. The dam is located near Steelpoort in the water-stressed Sekhukhune region of the Limpopo province.

ABOVE De Hoop Dam Primary Crushing Station RIGHT De Hoop Primary Screening Station

IMIESA JULY 2012

WATER AND WASTEWATER

Innovative automation equipment for purification plant Festo South Africa was subcontracted by Bateman Engineering Technologies to supply and install a state-of-the-art pneumatic system for Meulwater Water Treatment Works (WTW).

HE MEULWATER WTW is a newly constructed purification plant located in the ecologically sensitive Paarl Mountain Nature Reserve. The plant, capable of treating 8 Mℓ of potable water per day, is situated beneath the Paarl Rock overlooking the Paarl valley below. To ensure that the beauty of the surrounding landscape remains undisturbed, Meulwater WTW required a system that would be both aesthetically pleasing, and environmentally friendly. “We supplied and installed automation equipment for the plant filtration and backwash recovery systems. The components form part of a concept that ensures the plant can use a hybrid centralised and decentralised approach to control, implementing a ‘best of both worlds’ approach,” explains Brian Abbott, Festo product manager. The pneumatic equipment boasts a quiet operation and uses clean compressed air technology. The valve actuators are simple in construction, with few moving parts, and have a long life expectancy. The system also features low energy requirements, all of which contribute significantly to the ‘green’ aspect of the system. “Festo installed key products due to their reliability and ability to minimise long-term maintenance,” notes Abbott. The system comprises polyimide air reticulation piping from compressors to valve terminals, to minimise air leaks, simplify installation and increase longevity through its high corrosion resistance, as well as MPA valve terminal technology from Festo that ensures

ABOVE The automation equipment for the plant filtration and backwash recovery systems form part of a hybrid centralised and decentralised approach to control

that all pilot valves controlling compressed air to the actuators are centralised and protected from the harmful elements of the environment – weather, UV lights and moisture, for example. Festo PLN flexible tubing from the valve terminals to the actuators also offers high resistance to UV sunlight, thus increasing durability even more. Service units and

automatic moisture purge valves were installed at key locations to maintain instrument air quality at all times. “The Meulwater WTW installation is another example of the type of complete automation solutions that Festo is proud to offer customers in addition to our traditional pneumatic products,” maintains Abbott.

RIGHT The state-of-the-art pneumatic system in the Meulwater Water Treatment Works FAR RIGHT The pneumatic equipment boasts a quiet operation, uses clean compressed air technology and the valve actuators are simple in construction, with a long life expectancy. The system has low energy requirements

IMIESA JULY 2012

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WATER AND WASTEWATER

Hydroscrew introduced to SA A new hydrodynamic screw has been introduced to the South African market by WAMGROUP, an internationally recognised specialist in the manufacture of screw conveyors and various bulk material handling and processing equipment.

YDROSCREW IS manufactured by WAMGROUP’s Italian sister company Roncuzzi and is an environmentally-friendly and cost-effective reversible volumetric machine designed for the production of electrical energy by converting hydro energy into mechanical energy. WAM South Africa general manager, Emilie

clean water discharge in wastewater treatment plants, utilisation of water power in channels and for process water in paper and water milling applications. “The operation of the machine is based on the difference in potential energy between two varying points in a water flow. Thanks to the drop from the highest point of its natural flow, the water is used by the rotor to transform the energy, before flowing back to its bed,” she explains. “The Hydroscrew is fed by the weight of the water, which moves from top to bottom by force of gravity. The mechanical energy generated by the liquid

“The operation of the machine is based on the difference in potential energy between two varying points in a water flow” Marchand, explains that the Hydroscrew is ideal for numerous applications, including the replacement of damaged water-wheels,

ABOVE Hydroscrew is placed into a river or stream with a minimum decline of 1 m and a weir is built to divert water into the screw

moving the rotor is transformed into electric energy by a power generator, which is connected through a panel to the local power network.” Marchand notes that the Hydroscrew can be placed into a river or stream with a minimum decline of 1 m and a weir is built to divert water into the screw. “While one single machine is able to produce up to 300 kW of renewable energy and can handle a head of up to 6 m and a flow rate of up to 7 000 ℓ/s, several machines can be combined to handle more water or higher heads” she continues.

IMIESA JULY 2012

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WATER AND WASTEWATER

New rising main, pipelines and pump station for Kamfers Dam The rising levels of the Kamfers Dam have been flooding a major railway line in the Northern Cape, affecting its stability. The rising levels have also begun flooding the Lesser Flamingos’ breeding island in the dam, causing a deterioration of the water quality.

WATER QUALITY STUDY, conducted by Dr Jan Roos from Water Quality Consultants in Bloemfontein, has found that Kamfers Dam’s water quality has deteriorated significantly. According to Roos, the Kamfers Dam aquatic system is under severe pressure because of a massive cyanobacterial (algal) bloom and extreme oscillations in oxygen concentrations driven by poor water quality. Not only is the water quality the worst it has ever been, the water is reported to be at its highest level. More than two-thirds of the Lesser Flamingos’ breeding island remains flooded and two important railway lines are at risk. “This is a disaster,” explained Jahn Hohne, chairman of the Save the Flamingo Association. “Kimberley is about to lose one of its most important assets and tourist attractions and the massive displays of thousands of flamingos which greet visitors as they arrive in Kimberley may soon be gone forever.”

Water quality According to Roos, the nitrogen, ammonium, fluoride and phosphates of the inflowing sewage water are exceptionally high and way above the Department of Water Affairs’ allowable standards. The non-compliance to treatment standards by the Homevale sewerage treatment works is still the biggest problem to ensure an acceptable water quality in Kamfers Dam. Kamfers Dam is a nutrient-enriched system because of an excessive inflow of nutrients (sewage) and consequent high algal biomass. The Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), for example, in the discharge water is very high (206 mg/ℓ) and above the maximum allowable limit of 75 mg/ℓ. The composition of algae is changing from mainly blue green algae, Spirulina platensis, which is the dominant food of the Lesser Flamingos, to Chlorella, one of

the green algae – leaving room for concern that toxin-producing algae, such as Microcystis, may also soon be present in this polluted wetland. Of further concern is that faecal coliform bacteria in the outflow water were unacceptably high (>241 900 cfu/100 mℓ) and too numerous to count at the Institute for Ground Water Studies laboratory in Bloemfontein. The general limit for faecal coliform in sewage effluent is 1 000 cfu/100 mℓ. These bacteria are often an indication of human pathogens in the water,

be maintained at an acceptable level, which means no flooding of the flamingo breeding island and surrounding railway lines.

so people who come into contact with the water could be in danger of being infected with several diseases. The E coli concentrations were also too numerous to count.

Fiberpipe supplied the physical pipes and fittings for all the phases as well as trained the contractors’ staff on the proper installation of the glass reinforced pipes (GRP). In addition, the company provided a monitoring service to ensure that installation procedures were correctly adhered to and provided technical assistance to the contractor. For the performance required from the pipeline, GRP was decided upon as the best material – complying with technical and design requirements – and was the rated the most economical. The installation of GRP is also much quicker. The cost of the pipes for this project was R35 million.

WWTW upgrade The rising water level resulted in the flooding of the island and thousands of chicks drowned and eggs were lost. The Homevale WWTW has been fixed at a cost of R60 million, hence water of a significantly improved quality will be flowing into Kamfers Dam. The pipeline, which will be used to pump excess treated water away from Kamfers Dam, is currently undergoing rehabilitation. The dam’s water level will therefore

Project overview The rising main, pump station and gravity south and north pipelines was a combined effort of Sol Plaatjes Municipality and Transnet. The contractor, Entsha Henra Construction, was commissioned to carry out the installation, and it purchased the pipes from Fiberpipe.

IMIESA JULY 2012

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WATER AND WASTEWATER

WWTW UPGRADE AND EXPANSION ON TRACK

Zeekoegat WWTW complete by year end The construction and commissioning of Stage 1 of the upgrading and expansion of Tshwaneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Zeekoegat Wastewater Treatment Works (WWTW) is on schedule for completion in November this year.

BELOW An aerial view of the construction of Zeekoegat Wastewater Treatment Works

IMIESA JULY 2012

WATER AND WASTEWATER

HIS IS ACCORDING to Pierre van Vuuren, Concor Civils’ contracts manager responsible for this contract, which is being carried out in joint venture with Power Construction. Concor Civils forms part of Murray & Roberts Construction. “Completion will be two years from project start-up in October 2010, which is six months ahead of the scheduled contract period,” Van Vuuren says. Work on the stressed 30 Mℓ/d plant has been split into four stages for budgetary reasons. Stage 1 comprises the construction

of a new 40 Mℓ/d biological nutrient removal activated sludge module. The elements of the first stage comprise additional screens and degritting chambers at the existing inlet works; three primary settling tanks; 10 000 m³ balancing tank; 30 000 m³ biological nutrient removal reactor with associated air blowers, diffusers and pipe work; four secondary settling tanks; chlorine contact tank; various small pump stations and sumps; all interconnecting pipework and valves; and the upgrading of the bulk electrical and reticulation systems.

ABOVE Concor Civils is constructing two identical biological reactors, each capable of handling 20 Mℓ/day. The reactors are being configured to incorporate several different process configurations. A diffused aeration system will be installed because it is more energy efficient

“The project started on 21 October 2010 and from November to March 2011 we recorded 476 mm of rain, causing a delay as a result of the works being flooded.” A challenge of a more technical nature comprised setting up the formwork to allow for the varying angles of walls to accommodate the design shape of the bioreactor. One side of the wall is vertical, while the other side is at an angle. In addition, the angles are different where walls cross. A total of 46 572 m² of formwork is required for Stage 1. The Concor Civils/Power Construction JV has set up a batch plant on site to produce the 14 239 m³ of concrete required for stage one of the project. Concrete mix designs were finalised with the assistance of Cyril Atwell, concrete and research manager at Murray & LEFT Concor chlorine contact channels at Zeekoegat. The new chlorine contact tank will have the capacity to handle total flow of 85 Mℓ/d and has been split in two separate units to allow disinfection to take place when one unit is out of operation for maintenance

IMIESA JULY 2012

WATER AND WASTEWATER

WINNING TEAM FOR THE ZEEKOEGAT PROJECT

ABOVE One of the four 35 m diameter secondary settling tanks being constructed at the Zeekoegat Wastewater Treatment Works by Concor Civils

Roberts Group. AfriSam’s high-strength cement from the company’s Roodepoort blending plant is used for the concrete mix and aggregates are supplied from its Olifantsfontein quarry. Van Vuuren points out that the concrete mix design is stipulated at 35 MPa. An average strength of between 45 and 48 MPa is being achieved after 28 days. The Concor Civils/Power Construction JV has overall responsibility for all aspects of the first stage of the project, including

The plant will be fully automated with a SCADA system controlling operational parameters

The joint venture consists of the following: - Bigen Africa Services (Pty) Ltd; - Worley Parsons (formerly KV3 Engineers); with - DJJ Conradie as electrical and electronic subconsultant

electrical and electronic (subcontracted to EDSE) and mechanical (subcontracted to Lektratek Water). The plant will be fully automated with a SCADA system controlling operational parameters. The consulting engineers, ABOVE One of three new BAKV3 – a joint venture comprimary settling tanks measuring prising Bigen Africa, KV3 (the 25 m in diameter. The tanks will be equipped with rotating latter now part of the internabridges and scrapers tional Worley Parsons Group) and DJJ Conradie as specialist electrical consultant – were briefed to plan the project to ensure there was an overlap of work on each of the stages. David Turner, divisional director responsible for water and wastewater treatment at Worley Parsons, says the overall objectives of the four-part project are to increase plant capacity from 30 to 85 Mℓ/d, improve the quality of effluent entering the Roodeplaat Dam to meet more stringent phosphate limits of 0.035 mg/ℓ in order to better manage the treatment of raw water into potable water and to upgrade sludge handling capabilities at Zeekoegat to comply with the latest legislation. The contract also specifies the creation of job opportunities. “The BAKV3 JV was appointed to undertake the detailed design and supervision of the entire upgrading and extension of the Zeekoegat plant. The completion of the overall project is set for 2015/16,” he explains.

IMIESA JULY 2012

BAKV3 joint venture is the professional service provider appointed by the City of Tshwane for the design and supervision of the Zeekoegat Wastewater Treatment Works.

The appointed contractor is a joint venture of Murray and Roberts and Power Construction as the main contractor, and they are supported by Lektratek (as mechanical subcontractors) and EDSE (electrical).

The team is proud to be responsible for THISÒ¹AGSHIPÒPROJECTÒONÒBEHALFÒOFÒTHEÒ#ITYÒ of Tshwane. Enquiries: Mr Corrie Marx 012 842 8786 corrie.marx@bigenafrica.com

WATER AND WASTEWATER

2012 National Water Conservation The Department of Water Affairs has a vision of a South Africa that has an embedded and actively applied culture of water conservation and water demand management in which all sectors share water resources in an equitable and sustainable manner.

ARLIER THIS YEAR AR the deputy minister of Water and Environmental Af fairs, Rejoice ce Mabudafhasi, announced thee 2012 winners of the Water Conservation on and Water Demand Management ment Sector Awards. Through the awards, thee department seeks to createe a platform and an enablingg environment for all role playyers and stakeholders from all sectors to start appreciating ng and understanding the imporortance of conserving water.

IMIESA JULY 2012

This is the third event of its type that recognises excellence in the field of water conservation and demand management, and this year 44 nominations were received across four categories, namely: • agriculture • industry, mining and power • domestic or local government • business. In the local government category, 15 entries were received and the top three received awards on the evening. Johan Vorster and Slindokuhle Habede from Ekurhuleni were The Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality in Gauteng was named the overall winner in the Local Government Sector

WATER AND WASTEWATER

Awards

ABOVE The Drakenstein Municipality in the Western Cape received recognition for its implementation of an indigent leak-repair programme to save water and promote efficient use among households in the town of Saron, located in Paarl. Pictured are Andre Kowalewski and Raymond Vermeulen

Kerbs Dry-casting means no exposed aggregate or blowholes on the surface of our kerbs.

present to receive the top honour in the most competitive category of the annual Water Demand Management (WDM)awards. The award was presented in recognition of its revenue meter enhancement project involving the investigation and consolidation of the Top 500 consumers. This project is one of the largest industrial meter auditing projects undertaken to date in Africa as it involves the main industrial areas of Ekurhuleni, which in turn includes some of the largest industries in South Africa. The project has been highly successful in identifying the numerous broken or missing water meters which have since been replaced or repaired where necessary. In this manner, Ekurhuleni intends to ensure that all water supplied to its large consumers is properly measured and billed each month. The increase in revenue from this

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exercise is such that it has a pay-back period of between six months and a year, making it one of the most effective water demand management interventions in the overall WDM programme. Tshwane Metro came second in the local government categor y after finishing first in the previous award event, held two years ago,

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LEFT The City of Tshwane, came 2nd in the Local Government Sector. Pictured are Trevor Westman, Nico Schmulian and Darryl Cassell from City of Tshwane, together with some of the WRP team members who supported Tshwane on its WDM efforts

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WATER AND WASTEWATER

and was recognised for its continued WDM inter ventions that have helped to reduce its water losses and non-revenue water to approximately 25%, which is one of the lowest for any major city in South Africa. Trevor Westman from the City of Tshwane was pre-

in the Western Cape. This was the first time that Drakenstein received recognition for its efforts in the WDM field, having beaten many of the large municipalities and metros such as City of Cape Town. Kowalewski has been actively involved in reducing water wastage

Drakenstein has driven its non-revenue water down to approximately 10%, making it one of the lowest levels in South Africa sent to receive the award on behalf of the city, and it was the first time that any city has been recognised in consecutive years for its WDM efforts. Tshwane is aiming to reduce its leakage levels even further in years to come and has created an internal unit dedicated to the efficient use of water throughout the city. The third award was presented to Andre Kowalewski from the Drakenstein Municipality

for many years, with his municipality being one of the first in the Western Cape to introduce pressure management on a large scale using some of the most advanced equipment available, imported from Europe. Drakenstein has driven its non-revenue water down to approximately 10%, making it one of the lowest levels in South Africa. The award was presented in recognition of the

municipalityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s recent efforts to lower leakages even further in specific areas that experienced ver y high levels of plumbing leakage within the households. This is a problem issue in many parts of South Africa and the efforts of Kowalewski demonstrate that progress can be made on a sustainable basis if properly implemented. In summar y it was a ver y positive outcome, particularly for Tshwane with its second place overall. In addition, all three winners are being supported by the Pretoria-based WRP Consulting Engineers and its local subsidiar y 4Water in the case of Klein Drakenstein. This is the third time in a row that a project supported by WRP has taken the top honours in the national awards with previous recipients being Emfuleni Local Municipality and the City of Tshwane. The awards are becoming more prestigious each year and certainly one of the top accolades in the Water Conser vation and Water Demand Management arena.

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WATER AND WASTEWATER

Managing the coastal zone The West Coast District Municipality is getting to grips with the management of the coastal zone in a sustainable and integrated way.

O ASSIST WITH the task, the West Coast District Municipality (WCDM) has appointed leading consulting engineers and scientists SRK Consulting to assess the current situation and propose a strategy going forward, in keeping with the National Environmental Management Integrated Coastal Management Act (No 24 of 2008). The work, which focuses on preparing and adopting a municipal coastal management programme, will involve the local municipalities of Bergrivier, Cederberg, Matzikama, Saldanha Bay and Swartland. According to Scott Masson, environmental consultant for SRK in the Cape Town office, the status quo assessment is the first phase of the project and will investigate aspects such as coastal livelihoods, the management of marine living resources, sustainable and unsustainable coastal development, sources of pollution and waste management, and

access to the coast. “This will include looking at aspects of coastal management programmes within and outside South Africa and practices and procedures at municipal and provincial level,” says Masson. “We will also be evaluating the capacity of the five local municipalities and the district municipality to address the requirements of the Act.” Input from the private sector, parastatals and civil society has already been gleaned through a series of stakeholder workshops, to identify key areas of concern and start building a common vision to manage the coastal zone. In the second phase of the project, a strategy will be developed to address the priority issues, clarify the roles and responsibilities of various relevant state agencies, and consider the costs and benefits of priority options. It will also lead to the establishment of a Municipal Coastal Committee to help implement the strategy.

ABOVE Stakeholders provide input at a series of workshops held along the coast BELOW Main beach at Yzerfontein BOTTOM Illegal coastal access between Doringbaai and Standfontein

“In the third and final stage of the work, the current by-laws governing the management of the coast will be evaluated and a new coastal management by-law will be drafted to address priority issues,” explains Masson.

IMIESA JULY 2012

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WATER INFRASTRUCTURE

KZN losing 40% of its water It has been revealed that 40% of KwaZulu-Natalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s water supply water is being lost.

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HIS CAME TO LIGHT after the minister of Water Affairs, Edna Molewa, replied in writing to a parliamentary question. In it she stated that the 14 water service authorities in the province had lost, in total, more than 22 million cubic metres of water each month in the past financial year. This was out of the 55.5 million cubic metres of water that were pumped into the provinceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s supply systems each month during the period 1 July 2011 to the end of April 2012. The term â&#x20AC;&#x153;lostâ&#x20AC;? includes pipe leakage and illegal abstraction, as well as water not billed for by the authority. According to an annexure attached to Molewaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reply, the authority with the highest loss was the Newcastle Local Municipality, which lost, on average, about 70% of its input a month. Of the 1.83 million cubic metres put into its water system each month, 1.28 million was lost. The eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality lost 9.39 million cubic metres of the 26.15 million cubic metres put into its system each month (35%). Annualising the total of the monthly averages for all 14 of the authorities gives a total loss for the year of about 266.4 million cubic metres. In comparison, the capacity of the provinceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Midmar Dam is 235 million cubic metres. The water losses are also almost twice as large as the gross storage volume of the new Spring Grove Dam, which is being built on the Mooi River and expected to be completed next year. Water authorities in the province are also looking to the desalination of sea water to help augment supply in what they describe as a â&#x20AC;&#x153;very stressedâ&#x20AC;? system.

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IMIESA JULY 2012

WATER INFRASTRUCTURE

Innovations and best practices boosted The ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Andre Haspels, and the head of eThekwini Water and Sanitation, Neil Macleod, have launched a Centre of Expertise.

HE CENTRE OF Expertise is hosted by eThekwini Water and Sanitation (EWS), the water utility for the greater Durban area, and will introduce innovations and best practices to the Southern African water and sanitation sector. It is an initiative by EWS and Dutch parties Vitens-Evides International, World Waternet, Wateropleidingen and Your Man on Site. Through the centre, a series of pilot projects will be executed to showcase the implementation of new technologies and facilitate knowledge transfer. For the individual pilot projects, contributions and support from various partners will be combined. The Centre of Expertise, which aims to unlock innovative solutions for the benefit of the Southern African water sector, is partly funded by the Dutch government through the Transition Facility. Targets for the centre include improving the performance of Southern Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s peer utilities and assist in implementing innovations, best practices and technologies. EWS and the Dutch partners are aiming to establish a long-lasting cooperation. The partnership program will run for a four-year term, which will act as a general framework for the individual activities, projects and pilots. The initial focus is on non-revenue water, asset management, sanitation and the reduction of energy consumption. Four pilot projects have already started for 2012 and more exciting developments are waiting to be explored.

TOP RIGHT Neil Macleod, head of EWS, and Andre Haspels, ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands BELOW Neil Macleod, head of EWS; Hugo von Meijenfeldt, deputy director general and special envoy for climate change within the Dutch ministry of environment and ministry of foreign affairs; and Andre Haspels, ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, at the launch of the centre

IMIESA JULY 2012

MANGAUNG

New reservoir for Bloemfontein Construction of the 45 Mℓ Longbridge Reservoir, with pipeline links to neighbouring suburbs, is currently under way.

HE MANGAUNG CITY council identified the need for additional storage capacity in the south of Bloemfontein. Funded by the Development Bank of Southern Africa and the Urban Settlement Development Grant of Mangaung Municipality, construction of the new Longbridge Reservoir rings in at a total cost of R61 million. The scope of works includes: • the erection of a large 45 Mℓ prestressed concrete reservoir • bulk earthworks (excavation and backfilling)

IMIESA JULY 2012

MANGAUNG

• • • • •

sub-reservoir drains inlet and outlet structures valve chambers and linking pipelines automatic level control valves a portion of a decommissioned existing 700 mm Ø cement mortar lined steel pipeline will be excavated and relaid as part of the works • provision has been made for a concrete block paving access road, utilising local labour where possible.

Project design The proposed reservoir is a 45 Mℓ circular reservoir with an internal diameter of 76.3 m measured at the base of the wall. The wall height is 11.3 m, with the internal face sloping from a 700 mm thickness at the bottom to a 350 mm thickness at the top of the wall. The wall is designed as a prestressed concrete wall with a sliding base on elastomeric bearing at the bottom and the roof slab supported on elastomeric bearings at the top. The roof will be a precast structure including columns, beams and roof slabs. The floor slab is 200 mm thick and is divided into 10 m x 10 m reinforced concrete panels centred on column positions, with expansion joints between the panels. The wall, on the other hand, is founded on a circular foundation on dolerite, which is expected to be found at a depth varying between 1.4 and 1.7 m. The floor is to be founded on engineered layer works onto dolerite rock. Corestruc became involved in the project after an alternative design to the roof structure was proposed to Ruwacon, the main contractors on the project. The alternative design proposed a precast prestressed concrete roof structure instead of the proposed in situ roof structure. Ruwacon found it financially viable to appoint Corestruc as a subcontractor as it was

PROJECT TEAM Client

Mangaung Local Municipality

Civil engineer Bigen Africa Contractor

Ruwacon

ABOVE AND RIGHT Construction of the new R61 million Longbridge Reservoir in Mangaung

competitive in both direct costs and timesaving. The bases, foundations, walls and floors of the reservoir are done in situ. The roof structure (columns, beams and roof slabs) of the reservoir is a precast structure done by Corestruc. The roof slab consists of 4 750 m2 prestressed 250 mm hollow core slabs with a span of 11 m between the beam centres. The roof structure was designed by Corestruc’s engineers and approved by VBL Engineers and Bigen Africa. The dominating materials used in the construction are in situ concrete for the foundation and walls, precast cement for the columns, beams and roof slabs, stainless steel for all the internal pipework, and steel for all the external pipework. Construction commenced on 27 October 2011 and the estimated completion date is 27 August 2013.

IMIESA JULY 2012

Design and construction of precast concrete structures Corestruc is the industry leader in South Africa at providing more cost effective design and construction methods in shorter time schedules. Associated companies Coreslab precast concrete manufacturing and Twin Structures steel construction allows Corestruc the opportunity to provide clients with a total structural solution. The experienced and extremely innovative and competent design team combined with the precast concrete and structural steel factories allows Corestruc the opportunity to construct the most economical structure for clients who in the past only had the option in South Africa of the conventional in-situ concrete method. Tel: 082 6777 469 / 487 • E-mail: info@corestruc.co.za • Web: www.corestruc.co.za

MANGAUNG

ANDRIES PRETORIUS STREET

R29.6 million upgrade High traffic volumes in Andries Pretorius Street, Mangaung, resulted in the rehabilitation of 2.2 km of road network, including intersections.

NDRIES PRETORIUS STREET is currently one of the main arterial streets in Mangaung, Bloemfontein. It provides access between the city centre and the N1, the north-western outskirts of

ABOVE Completed G1 base layer in Section 1

IMIESA JULY 2012

Bloemfontein, Noordhoek residential area and the Hilton industrial area, and traffic volumes are high on this four-lane street. The project includes the rehabilitation and upgrading of 2.2 km of the street, redesigning and construction of the traffic circle at the intersection with Willcocks Street, as well as the upgrading of the Alexandra Avenue intersection. Various other intersections with turning lanes will also be upgraded. Commissioned by the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality and funded by the Urban Settlement Development Grant, the project mainly includes limited excavation of unsuitable pavement layers, in situ reconstruction of the existing

layers, construction of a new base layer, and asphalt surfacing. Concrete block paving will be constructed at the traffic circle. Ancillary works include stormwater kerb-inlets and pipes, concrete kerbing and channeling, road signs, the relocation of traffic signal lights and underground services.

Andries Pretorius Street background Riding quality of the existing street is exceptionally poor due to pavement failures and numerous patches, making it clear that the pavement has reached the end of its design life. The rounded shape of the existing street creates an undesirable large cross slope on the outside lanes,

MANGAUNG

RIGHT Preparation for cement stabilisation of sub-base layer in Section 2 (traffic accommodated on inbound lanes) FAR RIGHT Indication of the condition of the existing road to be rehabilitated

which will also be improved with the upgrading of the street. The current geometrical layout of the traffic circle is not suitable for large trucks and high traffic volumes, and requires upgrading to facilitate smooth traffic flow during peak hours.

Traffic impact during construction Construction commenced on 13 February 2012 and will continue for approximately 12 months. Although a concerted effort is being made by the contractor to keep traffic disruptions to a minimum, construction work has to be carried out on half of the street while traffic is accommodated on the other half. Two of the existing four lanes of the street will thus have to be closed for construction purposes. The remaining two lanes will be used to accommodate the traffic in both directions. Construction will be carried out in sections, meaning that only a portion of the road will be partially closed for traffic at any given time.

Challenges experienced As with the most urban construction projects, the relocation of municipal and other services poses a major challenge. Numerous shallow copper pipe house connections need to be lowered before major construction of the layer works can commence. Other services include the relocation of fibre optic cables, a main water pipe and electrical high mast lights. It is also interesting to note that the presence of a rock layer on one side of the road, approximately 200 mm below the existing surfacing, suggests that it could have been the foundation of an old tramline. The rock layer is being removed where it is too shallow and encroaches into the new in situ reconstructed sub-base layer.

Construction materials The pavement design makes provision for the existing base and sub-base layers to be in situ reconstructed and stabilised with cement as the new sub-base. Where unsuitable in situ materials are encountered, these will be excavated and replaced with imported natural G5-G6 gravel material. A new base layer of imported G1 crushed stone will be constructed on the recycled sub-base. Continuously graded asphalt will be constructed as the final surfacing layer. Concrete paving blocks, which have to comply with a high durability specification, will be installed at the traffic circle. Significant quantities of concrete are being used in the kerbing and stormwater channeling along the reconstructed street.

PROJECT TEAM Client

Mangaung Local Municipality

Civil engineer Vela VKE Contractor

Q-Civils/Jodan Construction JV

IMIESA JULY 2012

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SOL PLAATJE

KIMBERLEY WWTW

Hydraulic capacity increase Sol Plaatje Municipality commissioned the upgrade of the Ritchie WWTW as it was hydraulically overloaded and only running at a capacity of 0.5 Mℓ/d.

ELA VKE’S BLOEMFONTEIN office is currently responsible for the design and site super vision of the Ritchie Wastewater Treatment Works (WWTW) upgrading, which forms part of the infrastructure upgrade by Sol Plaatje Municipality – initialised by the executive director of Infrastructure and Services, Boy Dhluwayo. Situated on the town of Ritchie in the Northern Cape, the WWTW currently consists of only oxidation dams, which are being used with a capacity of 0.5 Mℓ/d and was in need of an urgent upgrade. It was therefore necessary for the hydraulic capacity of the WWTW to be increased to 2 Mℓ/d.

Manholes that last for more than a lifetime

Project overview The current inflow at Ritchie WWTW consists of mainly residential sewerage that enters the works from a pump station – no gravity inflows take place.The WWTW was designed and constructed in a cost-effective manner without compromising quality or construction standards – to comply with national government’s obligation to uplift community hygiene standards andother general expectations. The current works consist of: • a primary pond of 13 000 kℓ and 1.3 m deep • a secondary pond of 19 500 kℓ and 1.3 m deep • two tertiary ponds, each 800 kℓ and 1.3 m deep • three tertiary ponds of 2 300 kl, 1.3 m deep.

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• two anaerobic ponds, each 1 450 kℓ and 4.3 m deep The upgrading of Ritchie WWTW comprises of the following three sections:

1. WWTW design and construction The works are currently being upgraded adequately to treat an average dry weather flow of 2 Mℓ/d. The proposed Ritchie upgrade entails the following process elements: • construction of a truck dump facility • construction of new inlet works complete with mechanical screen and manual standby screen • two duty/standby horizontal flow grit channels • inlet flow measuring station based on BS3680 flume • upgrading of the two existing anaerobic ponds to 1 450 kℓ concrete activated sludge reactors, complete with mixing, surface aeration, mixed liquor and sludge recirculation • construction of a new 16-diameter clarifier downstream of the two reactors for effluent clarification, settling and return of sludge from the clarifier to the anoxic reactor • use of primary ponds as contact tank and maturation ponds after chlorine dosing • flow from the last chlorination/maturation pond will be released to the adjacent vlei area BELOW Excavation of existing anaerobic ponds for upgrade to concrete-lined activated sludge reactors

SOL PLAATJE

PROJECT TEAM Client

• • • •

a new measuring station last three ponds will be reconstructed and used as sludge lagoons electrical infrastructure complete with office buildings new 200 KVA, with a supply voltage of 400 V – Eskom line was built to supply the works.

2. Erection of a security fence around the WWTW A security fence is being constructed to prevent unauthorised access to the works site, while at the same time to protect the community of Ritchie from injuries associated with the treatment works. Flat razor mesh security fences (1.8 m high) with access gates are being installed. A new guardhouse consisting of a store room and operators control room was also newly build at the entrance gate. 3. Construction of a 2 km gravel access road to the WWTW The need to upgrade the access road to the WWTW was also identified. Construction is currently under way and once complete will accommodate heavy vehicle traffic (sewer tanker trucks and waste compactor trucks), which travel to the WWTW and landfill site on a daily basis. The road consists of three layers with a final layer of 150 mm, C4 material compacted to 98% MOD AASHTO. A section of road of about 140 m starts adjacent to the current township and will be constructed with kerbs and channelling. The road also includes two stormwater culverts consisting of three 900 x 450 mm box culverts. Project funding The project is funded from the Municipal Infrastructure Grant, and a community project steering committee was formed to liaise with the contractor. This committee represents the interests of the community during the course of the construction and takes decisions on its behalf. Another objective identified by the client was to identify suitable local residents during construction for transferred skills training (in the various aspects of the construction) and to be trained as operators on the new plant. The estimate full construction amount will be R17.82 million (excluding VAT). Progress Construction is currently on track with 36% of the work complete and an anticipated final completion date of 31 August 2012. Although Vela

IMIESA JULY 2012

ABOVE New clarifier construction under way

Sol Plaatje Local Municipality

Civil engineer Vela VKE Contractor

WEC Projects

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PROJECT NEWS

South African engineering behind Lesotho GIBB, in a joint venture with Consolidated Consultants of Jordan (GIBB-CC JV), has been awarded the contract for detailed design and construction supervision for Lesotho’s Metolong Dam, which is part of the Water Supply Programme.

IBB-CC JV IS responsible for the design of the dam, the intake tower, outlet works and raw water pump station, which are the working elements of the dam. The main objective of the Metolong Dam Water Supply Programme (MDWSP) is to supply potable water for domestic and industrial use, to Maseru and the neighbouring towns of Roma, Mazenod, Morija and Teyateyaneng. The construction of the dam and associated infrastructure forms a significant component in the achievement of this goal. According to Colin Logan, director of Dams,

Hydropower and Underground Works at GIBB, the dam will be built on the South Phuthiatsana River about 35 km from Maseru, adjacent to the villages of Ha Seeiso and Ha Makotoko. “The project forms part of the Lowlands Bulk Water Supply Scheme, which will improve access to water in the lowlands areas of Lesotho and support economic growth. The 83 m high, straight roller compacted concrete (RCC) dam with a crest length of 270 m, will have a storage capacity of 63.7 million cubic metres. The site is very steep, and one of the challenges will be to ensure access to the proposed dam wall to do the foundation

Cape Town’s optic fibre project

management team, to minimise disruption to traffic and prevent

Through the recent successful implementation of its broadband

runs through Cape Town CBD, which is an area of historic and

infrastructure project, the City of Cape Town has invested in its own

congested services.

telecommunications infrastructure network. This will reduce costs

congestion in the city. The most challenges arose where the project

GIBB managed the process of coordinating the contractor’s

and contribute towards the economic growth of Cape Town. Leading

activities to ensure that deadlines were met and challenges were

consulting engineering company GIBB led the project management

averted or addressed.

and undertook the civil engineering design and construction monitoring of the R125 million, 500 km optic fibre network project. Currently, the city spends about R70 million a year on

On the outset of the project, GIBB was informed that the project needs to be completed using trenchless excavations to ensure minimal disruption to surface traffic, business and other activities.

telecommunications costs for telephonic and data services at

This was not possible due to the maze of existing services under the

municipal offices. The project in its entirety included laying a

roads and sidewalks. GIBB then engaged meetings with various road

network of optic fibre cables across

managers to resolve a way forward in

Cape Town with sufficient capacity

undertaking open excavations.

to meet the City’s current and

Municipal fibre networks have

future needs. Thereby ensuring

the potential to reduce operational

that the city has access to low-cost

costs for cities, increase competition

broadband services to support the

and improve services in the

delivery of municipal services and

telecommunications sector. In

have spare capacity available to

the long run, it will also benefit

third-party network users.

community organisations, and

Certain elements of the project

GIBB was happy to be part of the

needed to be completed in time for

success story.

the World Cup to ensure there was

LEFT A total of 500 km of optic fibre cables have been installed in Cape Town

a network service available to the disaster management and traffic

excavations and the RCC placing. The blasting and excavation of the river diversion works on the left bank will also be challenging as it will take place during the wet season when flooding could be a problem,” says Logan. The MDWSP is a five-year project managed by the Metolong Authority. It began in 2008 and is expected to be completed in 2013. Impoundment of the Metolong Dam is expected over the 2012/13 wet season. Sinohydro Corporation is the contractor for the construction of the Metolong Dam and raw water pump station. The contractor is currently under way with the site establishment.

IMIESA JULY 2012

PANEL INTRO

BLUE AND GREEN DROP STATUS

by Candice Landie

What does it mean to you?

HE 2012 BLUE DROP REPORT showed significant improvements, which serve as evidence of the positive impact this incentive-based regulation approach is having on the South African water sector. The first Blue Drop Report in 2009 indicated that the national microbiological compliance for South African tap water was measured at 93.3% against the national standard (SANS 241). Notably this has increased to 97.3% in the 2012 reporting cycle. Overall, municipalities are taking their Blue Drop status seriously, with Ekurhuleni and City of Johannesburg dominating the charts, followed closely by eThekwini and the City of Cape Town.

On the other hand, the Green Drop certification programme for wastewater is an initiative to ensure that these treatment works progressively improve their operations, so as not to impact negatively on the water bodies into which they discharge their product. The proposed system aims at awarding water services authorities with Green Drop Status if they comply with wastewater legislation and other best practices required by the Department of Water Affairs. This incentive-based regulatory approach is a first for South Africa, and is internationally regarded as unique in the water regulatory domain. But as a supplier/consultant to these municipal water utilities, what do

Blue/Green Drop accreditations mean to you? What are your thoughts on the judging and awards process? Are the qualifying criteria fair to all parties or has the Department of Water Affairs set unrealistic targets for municipalities? Has Blue Drop status truly aided in the delivery of safe drinking water? How have your products and services contributed to the overall improvement of water and wastewater quality in South Africa? Candice Landie facilitates this panel discussion, which looks at the suppliers and consultants’ opinions on acquiring Blue/Green Drop status and the products and services on offer.

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PANEL DISCUSSION

BLUE AND GREEN DROP STATUS – What does it mean to you? LEONARDO MANUS – director, Water Services Regulation (also acting chief director: Infrastructure Operations) – DEPARTMENT OF WATER AFFAIRS Q. What is the core function of the Department of Water Affairs? LM The Department of Water Affairs (DWA) performs various functions as part of its sector leadership responsibilities, but the driving force behind the Blue Drop and Green Drop certification programmes is regulation. The results of these programmes assist other functions such as support and sector development since credible information is generated to inform on shortcomings within specific municipalities. Nevertheless these programmes are not voluntary, but are part of the incentive-based regulation initiative that necessitates access to information to determine water services' per formance in the drinking water quality and wastewater services domains. Can you give me some background information on the Blue and Green Drop programmes? Why were they started? LM Drinking water quality regulation in South Africa commenced in 2004 and at a rapid pace the department got municipalities to commence with monitoring of

IMIESA JULY 2012

tap water quality. Information was forthcoming but not necessarily with the level of credibility that left the department confident on the efficacy levels of drinking water treatment and management operations in general. The principle according to which drinking water

was stimulated. It is accepted that wastewater is the first and most important barrier in a multi-barrier concept for the supply of safe drinking water and this is why the wastewater element was linked to this concept as well. The concept was approved and launched in

September 2008 and the first report was released in May 2009.

regarded as unfortunate that the Blue and Green Drop programmes are sometimes mentioned without comprehending the constant high volume of work required throughout the period (within the assessment cycle), to ensure impressive performance during the audits. Municipalities that do well (not only those achieving Blue Drop or Green Drop) must be saluted for their efforts since the manner in which municipal officials embraced these programmes is most impressive.

With regard to Blue and Green Drop accreditations, what criteria is each judged on? LM All risk elements to the supply of safe drinking water were considered in the case of Blue Drop certification and extensive criteria were developed and incrementally introduced to the sector. This included various sub-requirements under each of the main key performance areas listed, the key ones being: Water Safety Planning (risk management), Process Control (skills), Drinking Water Quality Compliance (SANS 241), Management and Local Regulation and Asset Management. On the wastewater side, Green Drop requires a high level of efficiency in the following: Process Control and Maintenance, Monitoring Programmes, Submission of Results, Effluent Quality Compliance, Risk Management, Local Regulation and Asset Management. These requirements are not all minimum requirements set by legislation, but include international best practices that form part of the incentive-based concept. The DWA expects much, and recognition in form of certification is given to those who achieve 95% (Blue Drop) and 90% (Green Drop). It is

From a government perspective, how do you feel the Blue and Green Drop Awards have improved water and wastewater standards within municipalities? LM Note the results in the last reports and see that it is surely having an effect of improvement that surpasses my expectations. No one individual can take credit for this huge improvement since it has to be noted that the manner in which these concepts were embraced by women and men in the sector, is reason for the improvement. Most notable would be the pride that was restored in those taking responsibility for water and wastewater treatment. They now have something to aspire to and that is in line with the objectives of incentive-based regulation. It also made inroads in restoring the trust of the general public in the manner water quality is being managed, but we are cognisant of the fact that we have more work to do in this regard. But after all these two programmes were designed to inspire people to greater heights and that was achieved to a large extent. But there are also those who are lagging behind and the

The driving force behind the Blue Drop and Green Drop Certification programmes is regulation globally was regulated depended on water quality results alone. The occurrence of major outbreaks in Delmas (2005 and 2007) as well as Ukhahlamba (2008) necessitated a rapid rethink in the approach to drinking water quality regulation. The judgment of Judge O’Connor in the Walkerton case in Canada (2000) was studied to note his recommendations and together with the aforementioned local incidents, planted the seed for a unique approach to regulation. It was also identified that inadequate wastewater management played a role in all four incidents used to shape the incentive-based regulation concept and that was where the Green Drop concept

PANEL DISCUSSION

department is giving attention to those municipalities through both support and regulation initiatives where appropriate.

In the last five years, what have been the biggest challenges facing the DWA either from a national, provincial or municipal level, and what has been the way forward on these issues? LM Lack of resources to implement the requirements of drinking water and wastewater concepts is the biggest challenge. But instead of sitting idly waiting for something to happen, these two programmes allow for an incremental approach towards improvement. Therefore it would be better not to judge municipal per formance based upon whether they achieved Blue Drop or Green Drop but rather to note improvement and to give acknowledgement for that. You can be assured behind each case of improvement is a municipal or water board official who did their best in spite of the lack of resources. As part of the way forward, the department introduced a joint

operation between Economic and Technical Regulation. The Regulator y Per formance Measurement System (RPMS) audits are done jointly with the Blue and Green Drop to ensure that the required mechanisms are in place to enhance institutional financial viability. RPMS is currently being re-engineered to ensure that the risk-based element is introduced to the benefit of municipal financial management as it links to the relevant water services technical functions.

What are your comments on the results from the 2012 Blue Drop Awards? LM Mostly encouraging, but also disappointing when considering that there are a few municipalities that just show no desire to improve. Yet one is not in a state of despair because the rapid rate of overall improvement suggests that incentive-based regulation is a successful formula to stimulate excellence. Improvement over such a large spectrum would not be possible if the department solely depended on conventional regulation.

But it has its work cut out to go beyond incentive-based regulation where there is an evident reluctance or inability to improve.

Taking into consideration the 2011 Green Drop Awards, what are your expectations from the 2013 entrants? LM It is expected that all water services authorities will show improvement regardless of the challenges faced. There is no such thing as a Green Drop entrant â&#x20AC;&#x201C; all are required to be subjected to audits. The department is in the process of gearing itself for wholescale wastewater services audits at all municipalities and water boards.

ABOVE An on-site audit in progress

well with international standards. Note that it is also true that drinking water quality is not regulated in all countries, which make wide-scale comparison a bit more difficult. The standard used in South Africa for drinking water quality (SANS 241) compares very well with the guidelines set by the World Health Organisation. This implies that should water comply with the standard it should also comply well with international standards. Every citizen has access to information on the quality of water in their area of residence or interest in South Africa at www.dwa.gov.za/mywater or on cell phone at my-water.mobi.

How does the state of South Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s drinking water compare to other African (and some international) countries? LM Internationally, only overall figures are reported while we break it down into categories to expose risk areas. Yet we are confident that our cities and bigger towns, as well as most of the smaller municipalities are comparing very

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PANEL DISCUSSION

BLUE AND GREEN DROP STATUS – What does it mean to you? FORTUNE MABUNDA – district manager (special projects) – ERWAT Q.With regard to water and wastewater applications, what is ERWAT’s core business function? FM ERWAT currently manages 19 wastewater treatment works (WWTWs) and specialises in the treatment of wastewater, both domestic and industrial. ERWAT also has a SANAS (South African National Accreditation System) accredited laboratory where bacteriological, biological and chemical analysis is done and industrial wastewater management services are rendered. How is ERWAT involved in the Green Drop Awards, i.e. the readiness process from all sites? FM ERWAT has been participating in the Green Drop Certification programme since its inception in 2009, when it received an Excellence Award for large systems. A collaborative approach is required, from Ekurhuleni Metro Municipality (EMM) as a water services authority (WSA)

A Green Drop Acceleration Plan has also been developed, in line with ERWAT’s strategic objective to fast track the implementation of projects, which will ensure compliance with the Green Drop Requirements for all 19 WWTW’s for now and the future.

What is your view on the Blue and Green Drop certification process? Are the regulations set by the DWA within reason? How has this certification improved water and wastewater networks within municipalities? FM The Green Drop certification programme is a long awaited and welcome initiative. Because it is an incentive-based regulation approach, it provides a sense of reward as opposed to enforcement and promotes a spirit of excellence. It would be ideal to compare every aspect of the same calibre and size of the municipalities against their fellow counterparts. It is, for example,

everything that needs to be done by municipalities to ensure protection of public health and the environment. The 90% limit set as a minimum requirement to achieve a Green Drop status is very much within reason, considering that 95% is, in actual fact, the limit imposed on many water use authorisations. The Green Drop certification programme has brought back the passion required in managing our most valuable resource: water. The programme has invigorated some of the most forgotten fundamentals of wastewater treatment principles and objectives. In ERWAT, from the Board of Directors to the general workers, everybody speaks the same language, namely Green Drop!

In the last five years, what have been ERWAT’s biggest projects?

FM ERWAT has completed and initiated a few projects in the last five years, such as the construction of a sludge digestion and dewatering facility at Waterval WWTW, ERWAT’s biggest plant and located near the Klip River, at a cost of R47 million. The mechanical, electrical and electronic equipment and installation will amount to another R58 million and is expected to be completed by March 2013. A new module, namely Module 4, was constructed at the Waterval WWTW at a cost of R86 million. The Hartebeestfontein WWTW was rehabilitated at a cost of almost R72 million. The inlet works at ERWAT’s Daveyton WWTW was also upgraded, while some R4 million was spent to modify the Heidelberg WWTW.

The Green Drop certification programme has brought back the passion required in managing water and ERWAT as a water services provider (WSP), to prepare for the Green Drop Assessments. A Green Drop Working Committee has been established, which comprises of EMM officials and ERWAT employees from different disciplines, to ensure that all requirements for the Green Drop assessment are met, using the six Green Drop Criteria. The committee meets every month and an action plan has been drawn to allocate tasks, responsibilities and timeframes to ensure readiness for the Green Drop assessment for all 19 WWTWs.

difficult to measure ‘excellence’ if one municipality monitors their effluent once a month and has a Green Drop while another monitors its effluent daily, but does not have a Green Drop. However, the certification programme is still too much in its embryonic stage to be criticised for fairness. The regulations set by DWA are within reason, since they represent TOP A new module and a sludge handling facility have recently been built at ERWAT’s Waterval WWTW RIGHT Extensive refurbishments were done at Hartebeestfontein WWTW

IMIESA JULY 2012

PANEL DISCUSSION

BLUE AND GREEN DROP STATUS – What does it mean to you? CHARL VAN DER WALT – director – CSVWATER CONSULTING ENGINEERS Q. With regard to water and wastewater applications, what is CSVwater’s core business function? CvdW CSVwater Consulting Engineers is a company of engineers and other professionals who focus on the science and engineering of water. Specific areas of focus are water and wastewater treatment, bulk services including pipelines and pump stations, civil services including water and sewage reticulation systems, and operation of water and wastewater infrastructure, and institutional support such as Blue/Green Drop related services. CSV delivers full civil, mechanical and electrical consulting engineering services in its areas of focus ranging from the traditional feasibility studies, design, tender compilation and project management, to specialist studies and audits. In addition, we are able to assist our clients with the development of operations and maintenance plans for their plants and infrastructure. We focus on the design and optimisation of treatment processes, reactors, pump stations, pipelines and distribution networks. CSV has developed a number of partnerships to assist it with expertise outside of its focus areas. How is CSV involved in the Blue and/or Green Drop Awards? CvdW Five of our personnel did the training offered by the Department of Water Affairs (DWA) and are accredited to act as assessors. Being in contact with the various municipalities during the audits, we meet a number of key people and get to physically assess plants, which in some way impress the assessors on various levels. Apart from the points allocated to the water service authorities (WSAs) and providers as per the Blue/Green Drop scorecards,

which forms the core of the Blue/ Green Drop Awards, these outstanding people and plants are also nominated for other categories in the awards by the assessors. It is very satisfying to see the hard work done by the WSAs being valued in this manner.

to DWA for moderation. These moderated score sheets are later sent to the municipalities to prepare them for the final assessment during which the focus of the assessment team will only be on issues not resolved or requiring attention.

Briefly explain the work undertaken with regard to these awards. CvdW Our responsibility as lead assessors for the Blue/Green Drop process is to ensure that we are familiar with the criteria against which the municipalities are measured, and to maintain an objective view in assessing the performance against these criteria. We subsequently provide feedback to these municipalities on areas where they can improve. Depending on the number of systems managed by a municipality, and its preparedness, an initial assessment can take up to a day in sieving through all available data. This process is hugely aided by the internet-based Blue/ Green drop system designed by DWA that captures available information from the municipalities. Following the desktop-based study, we visit some of the plants to physically do a check on the operations and design of the works, while also providing a score to these plants based on a checklist. Consolidation of all the data and scoring of the audit panel members is then done after the score sheets are provided

What is your view on the Blue and Green Drop Certification process? Are the regulations set by the DWA within reason? How has this certification improved water and wastewater networks? CvdW I think it is an excellent tool to measure the commitment of municipalities to providing water and sanitation services to their communities. It creates a baseline against which all municipalities in our country are able to measure themselves. The municipalities are awarded sufficient time to rectify aspects identified in the first round that required attention. If you closely look at all the criteria, it is fair to expect any municipality to have a water safety plan in place, monitor its final water quality, and measure that against permit and/or regulation requirements. It is fair to expect a municipality to employ suitably qualified personnel to conduct the work at site and to manage high capital assets according to business principles such as having an operational and capital budget and knowing the status of its assets. None of the criteria

is unfair, although scoring full points at all of them is tough and this is where excellence and commitment is awarded. Scoring full points for final water quality is not something that comes automatically, but only achieved as a result of the ground work being done at the institution, such as having the right people, the right resources and the right attitude in place.

How has this certification improved water and wastewater networks within municipalities? CvdW Over the past four years, we as assessors have seen the improvement that the Blue/Green Drop programme has had on water and sanitation systems. It created awareness among individuals in municipalities on why water quality is so important as well as a general understanding on how to better manage resources in operating systems. In the last three years, who have been CSV’s biggest clients in the water sector? CvdW CSV is very fortunate to serve the wide water fraternity in South Africa and is currently engaged in doing projects for the following institutions: Midvaal Water, Magalies Water, Umgeni Water, Bloem Water, Lepele Water, Sedibeng Water, DWA, Exxarro and other consulting firms such as Proplan, and a number of municipalities such as Westonaria, Steve Tswethe, JS Maroka, Tzaneen, City of Tshwane and Alfred Nzo where Blue/Green Drop related work such as process audits, water safety plans and risk abatement plans were conducted.

LEFT A municipal Blue Drop Team undertaking a site inspection

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PANEL DISCUSSION

BLUE AND GREEN DROP STATUS – What does it mean to you? ALBERT DE VOS – GRUNDFOS

Q. With regard to water and wastewater applications, what is Grundfos’ core business function? AdV Grundfos is involved in the supply of a range of equipment used by the water treatment industry. This includes pumps, disinfection and dosing equipment, as well as some of the instrumentation that is used to monitor and control the processes. • Pumps: Our range includes various types of centrifugal pumps, ranging from submersible pumps and self-priming pumps designed to handle large solids to high-pressure pumps that are used to deliver treated water over long distances to remote areas. In cases where the final outflow water has to be treated by reverse osmosis, the Grundfos CR range of pumps is a common sight. • Dosing equipment: As part of the treatment process, certain chemicals have to be dosed into the treatment process. Grundfos offers a range of tested and proven equipment that can dose chemicals as: – dry product (powder/granules), e.g. lime for pH adjustment – liquid chemicals products, e.g. ferric chloride that is used to improve phosphate removal and acts as a coagulant of suspended particles in sewage treatment – chlorine gas (and other gasses) that is dosed into the final outflow (wastewater, for example) to prevent the release of harmful bacteria into our rivers and dams. Grundfos also has ready-built plants that prepare chemicals on site. These include: – the Grundfos “Polidos”, which has become more popular in recent years and is used to make up the polyelectrolyte from dry powder on site

– a range of chlorine dioxide dosing systems to be used as an alternative disinfectant – in cases where the logistics of transporting chlorine gas to site is a problem, Grundfos can offer a range of hypochlorite dosing systems ranging from on-site generation from salt, to the dosing of a chlorine solution based on HTH or sodium hypochlorite. • Instrumentation: A range of instruments to monitor and control pH and chlorine residual, as well as monitor the plant for chlorine gas leaks are available from Grundfos.

How has Grundfos been involved in the Blue and/ or Green Drop awards? Were you suppliers to water/wastewater treatment works? AdV One of the critical criteria when the Green Drop awards are done is the disinfection of the final effluent. It is found that the larger centres have the equipment and expertise to operate and maintain the dosing of chlorine into the final effluent before leaving the treatment works. It mostly at the smaller treatment works where this function is substandard – or not happening at all! Grundfos’s water treatment division is stocking equipment as an ‘installation kit’ to enable a municipal authority to set-up a safe chlorine dosing facility in a relative short time. The benefits of this service have been demonstrated when a crisis took place and remedial action was taken with a short deadline.

Affairs within reason? How has this certification improved water and wastewater networks within municipalities? AdV We are of the opinion that the Blue and Green Drop certification system has had a positive effect. We often have calls from municipalities and even from the plant operators stating: “We need equipment or a service urgently to maintain/or upgrade our Green Drop status.” The effect is that the industry and the customer have become partners in providing a better quality effluent. Grundfos is proud to be able to support the water treatment industry with the selection/design and supply of equipment. The company is also very instrumental in the design and supply of equipment to the water industry. In the past three years, who have been Grundfos’s biggest clients in the water and wastewater industry? AdV A large portion of the Grundfos equipment supplied to the industry is via the main contractors that specialise in the

supply and installation of the mechanical equipment at water treatment works. The equipment is supplied either directly to these contractors or indirectly via the Grundfos network of agents throughout Africa. At present, Grundfos Water Treatment division is executing various orders to Rand Water Board and Johannesburg Water for factory preassembled equipment as ‘dosing stations’. This equipment is factory tested and can easily be deployed on site.

What groundwater supply products does Grundfos have on offer? AdV As a matter of interest, it is now 50 years since Grundfos sold its first pumps into Africa. Since then the Grundfos SP range of borehole pumps have become a well-respected product in the groundwater industry. Due to the increasing risk of groundwater contamination with bacteria, Grundfos offers a customised dosing system to sanitise the water as it leaves the borehole so that safe water can be provided for consumption.

BELOW Chlorine gas supply system consisting of two manifolds, each with two 70 kg chlorine cylinders that are configured as a duty stand-by system for 1 500 g/h chlorine – typically used at 3 to 5 Mℓ/day wastewater treatment works

What is your view on the Blue and Green Drop certification process? Are the regulations set by the Department of Water

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BKS is a leading multi-disciplinary empowered consulting engineering and management company that has over 46 years of experience. The company provides consulting engineering services in the areas of infrastructure, planning, design and construction management. We fully support the Blue and Green Drop Services Certification Programmes for the regulation of drinking water and wastewater. We have an in-house certified Blue Water Services Inspector and, combined with a team of highly experienced and qualified individuals who specialise in various aspects of water engineering, construction management and environmental management, we are the consultant of choice for many local, provincial and national water authorities and departments.

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PANEL DISCUSSION

BLUE AND GREEN DROP STATUS – What does it mean to you? DR GIDEON DE VILLIERS AND GERNA CLIFFORD – BKS Q. With regard to water and wastewater applications, what is BKS’s core business function? GdV We provide the full spectrum of water engineering applications so that our clients can provide clean, safe potable water. Our water treatment services cover conventional and advanced water treatment, as well as membranes, granular activated carbon

Are you consultants to water and wastewater treatment works? GdV We are involved in all aspects of wastewater and water treatment from plant audits, feasibility studies, engineering and process design and construction monitoring, to catchment management, water use licence applications assistance and related environmental matters. Our experience

Our water treatment services cover conventional and advanced water treatment and ozone. In addition to treatment process design, we provide engineering services for bulk and reticulation water and sewage pipelines, pump stations, water towers, reservoirs and a host of other services related to water resources development, water quality and environmental management to ensure that our designs incorporate appropriate technology and treatment solutions.

How is BKS involved in the Blue and/or Green Drop Awards? GC We are consultants for the Department of Water Affairs and are responsible for assisting them with the Green/Blue Water assessments. We also have a qualified assessor in our employ. We have a thorough understanding of what the Blue and Green Water assessments entail, and thus help Water Service Providers (municipalities) assemble their Green/Blue requirements for the assessments. By assisting both the DWA and the water serviceproviders, we’re able to contribute to the initiative’s success by ensuring that all parties involved are fully aware of what is required and that the assessments are complete and are true representations of water and effluent quality.

and knowledge of the entire water and wastewater treatment process positions us as engineering consultants who can provide holistic, sustainable solutions for clients.

What is your view on the Blue and Green Drop certification process? Are the regulations set by the DWA within reason? How has this certification improved water and wastewater networks? GC We believe the Blue and Green Drop certification process is an excellent initiative from the DWA as it provides a basis for measuring the performance of our water and wastewater treatment works and processes, and for the measured improvement of services. The process also motivates water service providers and their staff to strive for excellence in service delivery and management because the results are published. It is also a key performance area for managers of the treatment plants and for municipalities.

services are mainly municipalities, although we often undertake these projects for government departments (such as Department of Water Affairs), water service authorities, mines and other private clients. Our biggest treatment projects in the last three years have been further afield in Africa and not within the borders of South Africa. However, we are currently working on some very exciting projects in South Africa, such as the Witwatersrand Gold Fields Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) for TCTA, which entails defining, developing and undertaking the design, management and construction management of the short-term AMD solution and required treatment, pipeline and pump station infrastructure in the Eastern, Central and Western basins. We are also currently undertaking the design, tender documentation, construction monitoring and project management of a new extension to the Worcester Wastewater Treatment and, similarly, the Tshwane Temba Water Treatment Works.

What water supply and treatment services does BKS have on offer? GdV Our water treatment services cover conventional and advanced water and wastewater treatment, as well as membranes, granular

LEFT Dr Gideon de Villiers – head of Water and Sanitation Department, senior technical director RIGHT Gerna Clifford – Certified Blue Water Services Inspector, associate engineer

activated carbon and ozone, and our services are: • design integration and evaluation • process development or research • integrated design of all disciplines • operation, maintenance and training support • condition surveys • appropriate technology • asset management and audits • master plans and feasibility studies • licence applications • treatment studies • domestic and industrial water and wastewater treatment • modeling of wastewater processes • CFD analysis • nutrient management and removal • water reclamation • sludge handling and disposal • waste minimisation and byproduct development • environmental Services.

BELOW 20 Mℓ/d extension of the Worcester Wastewater Treatment Works

In the last three years, who have been BKS’s biggest clients in the water sector? GdV Our South African clients for water and wastewater treatment

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PIPES, PUMPS AND VALVES

Port Elizabeth goes trenchless Trenchless Technologies, in conjunction with Africoast Consulting Engineers, recently completed Phase 2 of a contract for the Mandela Bay Development Agency.

HIS INVOLVED THE rehabilitation of two existing concrete parallel sewer pipes located beneath the heavily trafficked Govan Mbeki Avenue in the heart of Port Elizabethâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s CBD. Trenchless Technologies managing member, Sam Efrat, says that the company has been involved in two phases on this contract to date, between 2007 and 2011. In Phase 1, rehabilitation of parallel 450 mm and 840 mm concrete sewers had to take place concurrent to an urban environmental upgrading project involving decorative paving and resurfacing works. In Phase 2, the 450 mm pipe increases in size to a 525 mm sewer

ABOVE (Before) 450 mm cast iron pipe after cleaning with HDD back reamer and before lining with Ribloc Expanda RIGHT (After) 840 mm concrete pipe after relining with Ribloc Ribline

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PIPES, PUMPS AND VALVES

that is located underneath a heavily trafficked roadway, while the 840 mm pipe – as it flows downstream – increases to 1 050 mm located underneath the newly constructed Bus Rapid Transport lane. Considering the urban environmental upgrade project and the fact that the bus and road lanes are utilised every day, only non-destructive trenchless techniques could be employed for the rehabilitation of the pipelines.

Pipeline assessment At the preliminary stage, a thorough condition assessment of the two sewers was undertaken, which involved a theoretical analysis of the sewers based on effluent and operating conditions. A CCTV inspection and cutting of windows from the sewers was carried out so that they could be inspected. “The condition assessment ascertained that the circumference of the 450 mm sewer was severely corroded due to acidic effluent, with pH values as low as 3.3. This sewer was very old and was cast in two sections, with horizontal joints running along the full length. The mortar had corroded out of the construction joints and it was no longer water tight,” explains Efrat. What’s more, the 840 mm sewer was severely corroded above the water line and the reinforcing was exposed and corroded away at places. The most severe deterioration occurred at the sides of the sewer due to a combination of corrosion and erosion, which was particularly severe along the sections of sewer where the velocity was high. As a result, there was a 50 to 60 mm wide sill on either sides of the sewer, just above the low flow level. Efrat says that this corrosion was typical of what occurred in a sewer downstream of a rising main where there had been an accumulation of gas due to long retention times. It was estimated that the sewer would collapse within 10 years. Applications Efrat highlights that a number of trenchless technologies were considered for the project, including sliplining, cured in place pipe (CIPP) and Ribloc Expanda, Ribline and Rotoloc – an Australian brand of trenchless products for which Trenchless Technologies is the sole distributor in Southern Africa. “Sliplining appeared to be the most economical, but there was limited space for launch pits and storage of long lengths of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipes. The CIPP option would not have influenced the hydraulic capacity and lining could be continuous through the manholes. However the CIPP process was more expensive and the sharp edges of the sills running along the sewer did not allow for a technically sound design. “Ribloc Expanda, Ribline and Rotoloc solutions allowed for a complete no-dig lining solution that could be installed through the existing manholes with limited disruption. In addition to no excavation, the solution was design-compliant and the risk was lower as the process could be reversed in the event of unforeseen problems,” describes Efrat. Ultimately, Ribloc Expanda was selected as the technology of choice for the 450 and 525 mm pipes in both Phases 1 and 2, while Ribloc Ribline was grouted in position for the 840 mm existing sewer in Phase 1. Ribloc Rotoloc was used in Phase 2 to line the 1 050 mm sewer. The overall scope of work included the following: Phase 1: • 450 mm sewer: 570 m of Ribloc Expanda with a spirally wound

IMIESA JULY 2012

PIPES, PUMPS AND VALVES

unplasticised polyvinyl chloride (uPVC) profile expanded to a close fit • 840 mm sewer: 560 m of Ribloc Ribline with a spirally welded steel reinforced HDPE profile grouted in place.

Phase 2: • A total of five different trenchless techniques were used, namely: 1. CIPP ambient cure: 525 mm sewer, lining of a 90 degrees bend, 15 m length (undertaken by subcontractor Tuboseal) 2. Ribloc Expanda: 525 mm sewer, 620 m of spirally wound uPVC profile expanded to a close fit 3. CIPP UV cure: 800 mm sewer, reinforced liner impregnated in factory 43 m in length, where the 1 050 mm sewer reduces to 800 diameter (undertaken by subcontractor Tuboseal) 4. Ribloc Rotoloc, 1 050 mm sewer, 720 m, tight-fit spirally wound-in-place uPVC profile 5. pipe bursting: 225 sewer, 16 m of 225 HDPE installed using 60 t static chain puller employed from within the manhole. “Preparator y works included cleaning the existing sewers by both high-pressure water jetting and the pull-through of cleaning buckets using mechanical winches, after which a CCTV inspection of the pipelines was undertaken. In Phase 1, a sewer diversion was possible to divert the 450 mm sewer flows into the 840 mm sewer, whereas in Phase 2 overpumping of sewer flows by a surface bypass pipe was necessary.” discusses Efrat. Once the cleaning of the sewers had taken place, the manhole benching and portions of the manhole walls had to be broken to allow

TOP RIGHT (Before) 840 concrete sewer with deep sill worn away at pipe base RIGHT Phase 2 – 1 050 mm Rotoloc

IMIESA JULY 2012

PIPES, PUMPS AND VALVES

access for the Ribloc Expanda equipment in the 450 mm and for the Ribline equipment in the 840 mm manhole. “While the 450 mm breaking was straightforward, this proved to take two to three days per manhole in 12-hour shifts to prepare ahead of the Ribloc crew,” concludes Efrat.

Challenges Efrat says that despite what may have seemed like insurmountable challenges, particularly on Phase 1, the team managed to overcome the following challenges with the following solutions: • To maintain continuous sewer flows, the team constructed a by-pass to diver t flow from the 450 mm sewer to the 840 mm sewer. • To remove the encrustations from a section of 450 mm cast iron pipe, the team had to backream using horizontal directional drilling (HDD) and a 430 mm OD backreamer • To accommodate the winding equipment in the 840 mm manholes that had no concrete base, the team had to reline the

manhole base with quick-set mortar and mesh to prevent erosion of the earth base during sewer flows. • As bends were found in the 840 mm sewer, which interrupted the winding of the MH to

Technologies, consultant Africoast Consulting Engineers and specialist consultant PIPES, managed to pull off the successful rehabilitation of the two sewer pipelines underneath the heavily trafficked Govan Mbeki Avenue

[They] managed to pull off the successful rehabilitation of the two sewer pipelines... without any disruption to traffic and the public MH sections, shorter sections had to be wound that could be pulled through bends and hand welded in position using extrusion welders. • As concurrent surface works competed for work space, night and weekend work became the modus operandi. • As there was a diameter reduction in the 450 mm line where it crosses over the 840 mm line, a new manhole was constructed on the 840 mm sewer to tie the 450 mm sewer into the 840 mm sewer, as a permanent solution. Despite these challenges, Trenchless

without any disruption to traffic and the public. Efrat says that this contract highlights the large range of trenchless techniques and expertise available in South Africa today. “I believe that the overall success of the contract can be attributed to the combined management team that worked together and contributed their ideas and solutions to overcome the challenges both cost-effectively and efficiently. Testament to the success of the project is Trenchless Technologies’ being awarded runner-up in the South African Society for Trenchless Technologies Award of Excellence in 2011,” concludes Efrat.

IMIESA JULY 2012

PIPES, PUMPS AND VALVES

SAPPMA releases revision of technical manual SAPPMA has published and released a third revision of its technical manual, which is aimed at assisting engineers who are involved in the plastic pipe industry to make informed decisions.

“T

HE PURPOSE OF this manual is to provide basic, relevant information and the guidance needed to ensure that plastic pipes for water supply and wastewater disposal applications are correctly specified and selected,” explains Southern African Plastic Pipe Manufacturer’s Association (SAPPMA) CEO Jan Venter. Although this manual does not attempt to replace published text books and codes on the subject, Venter says that it is a basic guide to the use, selection and specification of these products. It covers the differences between the various types of plastic pipes and the basic procedures for determining product size, strength and material properties for a range of applications. The

latest revision also includes sections on hot and cold water plumbing pipes; high-density polyethylene (HDPE) fabricated fittings as well as the jointing of HDPE. For a limited period

Plastic pipes have become the material of choice for most applications in South Africa and the rest of the world copies of the publication have been made available to design and civil engineers free of charge through the South African Institution of Civil Engineering, and as a service to the industry. “Together with the country’s networks of roads, railways and electrical grids, pipelines form a key part of South Africa’s infrastructure. By definition, these investments in infrastructure should be long-term. Modern plastic pipe materials are easily suitable for hundred-year lifetimes and we want to ensure that the engineers involved in specification processes are equipped with the most recent and independent design information when they are making their decisions,” explains Venter. Thanks to ongoing product development, innovation and research plastic pipes have become the material of choice for most applications in South Africa and the rest of the world. Not only do they help to preserve

The cover of SAPPMA’s revised technical manual

IMIESA JULY 2012

scarce resources due to an embedded energy that is notably lower than most other materials, plastic pipes also play a significant role in minimising pumping energy as they have

excellent hydraulic properties that remain virtually unchanged. Handling of plastics is significantly easier and cheaper than other materials and leak-free joints are economically and easily achieved. “However, poor quality plastic pipe is not necessarily obvious from a visual point of view, which makes it even more important for design engineers or specifiers to apply all available precautions in the selection of manufacturers, suppliers and installers,” warns Venter, adding that pipe manufacturers and installers who are members of SAPPMA and the Installation and Fabrication Plastics Pipe Association (IFPA) are subjected to additional quality control measures over and above the national standards. IFPA and its parent body, SAPPMA, have recently made a bend testing machine available for training and testing purposes at the Plastics SA head office in Gauteng. Bend testing is a quick and very effective way of determining the quality of fusion of butt welds. According to Venter the bend testing machine is used for quality assurance of butt welds done by contractors, as well as those done during training sessions hosted by Plastics SA. “We have identified that a huge need exists for experienced butt welders in the plastics industry,” says Venter, explaining that a wellengineered pipe system is dependent on good design, high pipe quality as well as minimum

PIPES, PUMPS AND VALVES

standards at the downstream end, which BELOW Bend testing is a quick and includes looking at the quality of fabricated effective way of determining the quality of fusion of butt welds fittings and pipeline installation. “SAPPMA realised what tremendous benefit it would unlock for the plastic pipe industry if we were to make a bend tester available, which could practically test and judge the quality of butt welding on pipes manufactured from HDPE and PVC. Not only does Plastics SA offer practical, hands-on training on the bend tester for its students, but it also makes an operator available should any of its members wish to perform their own tests,” continues Venter. The concept of a bend test for welds is simple: A narrow strip is cut from the welded joint, longitudinally with the pipe. This strip of material is prepared to a determined shape and finish. The finished sample is inserted in the machine and bent at a specified rate into a U-shape. No cracks should appear at the weld

area during the process. The purpose is to make certain the plastic material of the two pipes are properly fused, and that the weld and the heat affected zone have appropriate mechanical properties. Usually, bend tests are designed so that the outer surface of the specimen is stretched to a ductility level, which approximates the minimum percentage elongation required in a tensile test. When defects exist in materials strained to these limits, the material tears locally. When tearing exceeds a specific limit, the specimen fails. “The plastic piping business is a strategic industry and hardware needs to be reliable for extended periods of time. Long-term product and installation quality is therefore fundamental. By making this investment into the future of the plastic pipe industry, we are confident that we will see a marked improvement in the quality of butt welds and therefore in pipe installations in general in the next months to come,” concludes Venter.

IMIESA JULY 2012

If you are serious about Quality, insist on the SAPPMA mark www.sappma.co.za Southern African Plastic Pipe Manufacturers Association

PIPES, PUMPS AND VALVES

Name change gives impetus to dewatering business A CD300M Godwin pump powered by a diesel engine, skid mounted with a central lifting yoke

Flygt and Godwin products from Xylem (formerly ITT South Africa) are heralding the future of dewatering solutions in South Africa.

ODWIN DESIGNS, manufactures, ser vices, sells and rents products that are economical, reliable and target specific applications. Godwin fully automatic self-priming pumps are used in temporar y and permanent applications and Xylem rents and sells a full range of diesel and electric Godwin pumps used for dewatering and liquids transfer in mining, construction, municipal and industrial markets. State-of-the-art technology and durable construction materials ensure that Flygt dewatering pumps deliver a highly reliable per formance at the lowest possible cost of ownership. Flygt premier

Xylem has the largest submersible rental fleet on the continent, comprising more than 600 units submersible pumps, mixers and mechanical aeration equipment are being used in markets ranging from water and wastewater treatment, raw water supply, abrasive or contaminated industrial processes, mining and irrigation. Xylem has the largest submersible rental fleet on the continent, comprising more than 600 units. It also has the most diverse rental pump range, encompassing potable, sewage and slurr y pumps across four voltage ranges, together with dredging, mixing and turnkey solutions.

Flygt submersible pumps are also available from Xylem

IMIESA JULY 2012

PIPES, PUMPS AND VALVES

Sewage pipelines get protection Dynamic Fluid Control has launched the Vent-O-Mat Series RGX II, a secondgeneration air-release and vacuum-break valve designed specifically for sewage pipelines.

HE VALVE CONTROLS air release, protects the pipeline against vacuum, and alleviates the effects of potentially damaging surge. An entirely new product, the design of RGX II incorporates market feedback into proven VentO-Mat valve technology, itself the result of decades of comprehensive research. The RGX II is a brand new valve and not merely an adaptation of an existing one. It originated from a

Product development took place over a threeyear period, the goal being to design a compact valve that would overcome clogging while maintaining a full bore inlet and outlet, and incorporating the integral anti-shock device for which Vent-O-Mat is famous. The result is the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s only sewage air release valve with an anti-shock and antisurge mechanism fitted as standard protection against damage from the high induced pressure transients associated with high velocity air discharge. The mechanism dramatically and automatically reduces the surge caused by liquid column separation and liquid oscillation. RGX II features full port opening, with large orifice diameters equal to the nominal size of the valve (i.e. a 150 mm valve has a 150 mm orifice). This ensures the highest possible intake of air into a draining pipeline, protecting it against premature mechanical fatigue and pipeline collapse. Model sizes range from 50 to 200 mm. In operation, the RGX II protects a pipeline under all conditions, irrespective of the state of the water column within it. The valve is biased towards an anti-surge action, allowing controlled air release through an orifice aerodynamically engineered to throttle air discharge

pull quote here pull quote here pull quote here pull quote here pull quote here pull quote here pull quote here requirement to overcome the clogging of pipelines in the United States caused by grease and fat in the sewer lines. Internal components comprising solid polyethylene floats and dynamic O-ring seals that do not jam or distort, ensure reliable operation over the life of the valve. Its rugged design eliminates valve failure, breakage, premature closing, incomplete venting and the associated pressure shocks common to other sewage air valves. On the outside, a short, compact valve body has been achieved without compromising the pressure rating.

when the velocity of the approaching liquid would otherwise become too great and induce an unacceptable pressure rise. This throttling action increases resistance to the flow of the approaching liquid, which decelerates. The opposite extreme is experienced when a pipeline experiences liquid column separation due to pump stoppage. Under these conditions, RGX II allows air into the pipeline, but throttles its discharge as the separated column begins to rejoin, reducing the impact velocity and alleviating high surge pressures.

Vent-O-Mat Series RGX II second-generation air-release and vacuumbreak valves

IMIESA JULY 2012

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Residential and commercial irrigation markets targeted Following the unprecedented success of its TORO range of irrigation products in the Southern African golf sector, Incledon plans to expand its footprint into the residential and commercial sectors of the local market.

NCLEDON IS A partnered distributor of the US-manufactured TORO brand, which is internationally recognised as a leading provider of innovative turf and landscape maintenance equipment and precision irrigation solutions. “Incledon supplies a comprehensive variety of TORO irrigation products, ranging from central control systems and field controllers to microdrips, rotors and sensors,” explains Incledon Pumps and Irrigation manager Romeo Giannone. “These top-quality irrigation products have proven to be highly successful on a number of golfing estates across Southern Africa and the

South Sea Islands, providing Incledon with a commanding market share of more than 60% in this industry.” Giannone does, however, admit that Incledon has not yet received this same success in the residential and commercial areas of the market. “Incledon is looking at implementing an aggressive marketing strategy in order to improve TORO residential and commercial market share from its current standing of 10 to 20% within the next two years. We are also planning to build a stronger infrastructure, and are employing more sales representatives to focus on the sector.”

BELOW Euphoria Golf Estate main irrigation booster set

IMIESA JULY 2012

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PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

Lighting up Tzaneen Rocla partnered with the Mohale Electrical Contractors to improve the double circuit 66 kV line in Tzaneen.

HIS WAS ACHIEVED using both steel intermediate structures and spun concrete double poles for the electrification supply from the Tzaneen main substation around the outskirts of the town to the new Western substation. As a result of the network upgrade project, residents of the Tzaneen Municipality in Limpopo now have a better electricity supply. The spun concrete double poles have several features that make the product suitable for the application: they are long lasting with low maintenance requirements and are aesthetically pleasing. The added benefit of using these types of poles is there is no resale value for the concrete material making them unattractive to thieves and vandals. “This project’s location in Tzaneen presented logistical challenges, which we were able to overcome. The products, which were manufactured at the Roodepoort pole plant, took approximately five weeks to complete. The Mohale contractors empowered the community by employing local labourers to assist with preparation of the site for installation of the concrete poles,” comments Kevin West, Rocla’s pole specialist.

LEFT Pouring the concrete foundations

INDEX TO ADVERTISERS Arcus Gibb

ERWAT

SBS Group

IFC

Aveng Infraset

Fiberpipe

Sensus

Barloworld Equipment

Group Five Pipes

SIKA

Barloworld Equipment

OFC, 6, 7

Grundfos

South African Plastic Pipe

Manufacturers Association

Talbot and Talbot

18 39

BAKV3

Hall Longmore

BKS

Interbuild

Bosun

Incledon

Vela VKE

Corestruc

K'Enyuka

Veolia Water Solutions & Technology 20

CSVwater Consulting Engineers

Krohne South Africa

Verder Pumps

Department of Water Affairs

Lektratek

Water and Sanitation Services

Dynamic Fluid Control

National Asphalt

WRP Consulting Engineers

IBC

Rainbow Reservoirs

Xylem (ITT Water & Wastewater)

Rocla

Zest WEG Group

Eaton Echochem Pumps

IMIESA JULY 2012

2 65

Loose Insert

59 OBC

ndd

2ndd Regional African Water Leakage 29 August 2012 (Workshop), 30 August & 31 August 2012 (Summit) Rotunda Hall, Bay Hotel, Camps Bay, Cape TTown, South Africa & 3 September 2012 (Workshop), 4 & 5 September 2012 (Summit) DBSA Vulindlela Auditorium, Midrand, South Africa The 2012 African Water Leakage Summit will be held this year at the The Bay Hotel in Camps Bay on 30th and 31st August and at the DBSA Vulindlela Auditorium in Midrand on 4th and 5th September. Places are limited and will be allocated on a first come first serve basis. Tim Waldron from Australia, who is the chairperson of the International Water Associationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Water Losses Specialist Group will present a key-note paper at the event on behalf of the IWA. Prof. Mike Muller, visiting professor at Wits University Graduate School of Public Development Management, will also present an opening address on the importance of water loss reduction in South African. As part of this year's event and in response to previous delegate feedback, we are offering a 1-day workshop on 29 August 2012 in Cape Town and on 3 September 2012 in Midrand which will concentrate on the basics of water loss reduction as well as data acquisition and display. The summit and workshop are aimed at municipal personnel or those in government organisations who have an interest in understanding water loss management. For further information and to register your interest in attending this event as a delegate, sponsor or exhibitor, please email: constancem@wrp.co.za or call + 27 (12)346 3496 (Constance Makola or Zama Siqalaba).

Cost of Workshop: R1140 per delegate (VAT included) Cost of Summit: R3500 per delegate (VAT included) (All WISA and International Water Association members will receive a discount: Summit - R2500 (VAT included) and Workshop - R1000 (VAT included)) Workshop: CPD Accredited (1 points) SAICEwat 11/00886/12 Summit: CPD Accredited (2 points) SAICEwat 12/01112/12

Organised & sponsored by:

A Miya Group Company

4Water Supplies (Pty) Ltd