WATER & WASTEWATER
Planning for KZN’s bulk water needs The approximate 30-year projection for potable water supply in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) is 3 000 Mℓ/day. In order to meet this, Umgeni Water compiles an annual Bulk Water Infrastructure Master Plan (IMP) to highlight the infrastructure needed and ensure adequate planning. By Kevin Meier*
T
he total bulk water supply capacity for KZN at present is only about 1 500 Mℓ/day. The shortfall between demand and supply can be attributed to the following: • increasing water demand as service levels in communities improve • ageing infrastructure and lack of maintenance causing high levels of water loss • insufficient resource or infrastructure supply capacity constraints
• unserved (backlog) areas that still require a reliable source and supply of water. In June 2020, an update of the Umgeni Water IMP was published to include not only planning within Umgeni Water’s supply area, but also the remaining areas within KZN. This IMP is available on Umgeni Water’s website: www.umgeni. co.za/infrastructure-master-plans. The pragmatic approach to developing this IMP follows below.
Identification of supply systems Water resource supply considerations are as important as the infrastructure supplying the demand. The raw water source must be planned to supply the present and future demand of an area for the full length of the planned forecast period. In compiling the Bulk Water IMP for KZN, Umgeni Water divided the province into supply systems (as shown in Figure 1). These systems include water resource areas (catchments) and the water supply ‘footprints’
IMIESA IMIESANovember/December November/December2020 2020
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