You said it in WASA

The opinions and statements shared by thought leaders in the water industry to Water&Sanitation Africa.

“The water industry will never have the optimal amount of funding, number of water and wastewater treatment plants, nor people on the ground. This should motivate the entire country towards collaborating and working together to solve the water crisis. There needs to be less focus on the blame game and challenges, and more emphasis on the cooperation and integration of efforts. This cooperation does not need to happen within the water sector but within the value cycle of water.” Dr Lester Goldman, CEO, WISA 08 PAGE “I would like to take a moment to acknowledge the water professionals that show up every day and do their jobs. They are our South African heroes. There are still a lot of experienced, talented people in key positions that are managing (against all odds) to keep services going. We desperately need more of these people, who speak truth to power, who are practical and honest.” Dan Naidoo, chairman, WISA 09 PAGE

“We are now on the cusp of creating a new industry (the Tesla of sanitation) that can deliver safe sanitation solutions to communities and households in the form of a reinvented toilet. A reinvented toilet kills pathogens, requires no input water, and transforms human waste into a safe by-product, such as clean water and ash, and does not require a sewer or septic connection.” Dr Shannon Yee, lead on the

G2RT programme supported by the Bill &

Melinda Gates Foundation 24 PAGE “To illustrate the importance of cyber training, there was a recent case in Saudi Arabia, where an oil company underwent a series of penetration tests. The company’s network and software managed to thwart all attempts. As a last resort, a person handed out USB sticks (that hosted a virus) to the company’s employees and managed to infect computers with malware. Within minutes, the company was penetrated.” Johan Potgieter, cluster leader: Industrial Software, Schneider Electric 31 PAGE

“Reducing water consumption in a water-scarce country needs to be a business priority – not merely from a cost perspective, but for environmental, risk management and operational sustainability. By reusing water – especially water originally from rainwater catchment – businesses build resilience, reduce the risks posed by water interruptions and the impact on operations.” Chester Foster, GM, The SBS Group PAGE 33

“Depending on its quality, groundwater is generally more affordable than water reuse or desalination. It is a ‘sleeping giant’ and has huge potential in improving the region’s water security. Groundwater flows a lot slower than surface water and can provide water when the surface water sources are stressed. Then, when rainfall levels improve, and the rivers start flowing again, the groundwater can be recharged, while the surface water sources again become the primary water source. Groundwater can buffer the impacts of drought.” Neville Paxton, chairman: Eastern Cape Branch, Ground Water Division 39 PAGE

“Chlorine remains the most popular choice for treating water. It’s cheap, abundant and ruthlessly effective. Ozone and UV don’t necessarily compete with chlorine. Instead, they help reduce chlorine use, lessening risks and environmental impact, and offer alternatives where chlorine is impractical or dangerous.” Chetan Mistry, strategy and

marketing manager, Xylem Africa PAGE

42

“If water treatment facilities do not reduce the organic content of wastewater before it reaches natural waters, microbes in the receiving water will consume the organic matter. As a result, these microbes will also consume the oxygen in the receiving water as part of the breakdown of organic waste. This oxygen depletion, along with nutrient-rich conditions, is called eutrophication – a condition of natural water that can lead to the death of animal life.” Ralf Christoph, GM, Hanna Instruments

South Africa PAGE

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“In South Africa, there is a focus on the current cost of a product, without taking into account its life-cycle costs. Stainless steel is an optimal material in water system applications and, while it comes at a price, it is an investment in the country’s infrastructure. If the overall system is designed properly, the thickness of the steel can be reduced to withstand pressure. Drakenstein Municipality is a wonderful example of the savings that can be achieved when using stainless steel for bulk water reticulation.” Anesh Prithilall, business unit manager: Valves, EMVAfrica 47 PAGE “Darvill is a flagship WWTW for Umgeni Water due to its size, the iconic egg-shaped digesters and, more importantly, its processes that embrace a circular economy. Bulk water is our core business, and we therefore focus on maintaining and improving the quality of water throughout the water cycle. Catchment management is extremely important. We therefore have to treat our wastewater properly so that, when it is discharged back into the catchment, we can use that water again.” Megan Schalkwyk, process

engineer, Umgeni Water PAGE

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“The risk posed by water hammer should be assessed at the conceptual design stage, prior to finalising the pipe material, diameter and wall thickness, as well as at the technical design stage, prior to detailing the mechanical and electrical plant to ensure maximum safety and economy of the pipeline project.”

George Gerber, CEO, Water

Sanitation Engineering 49 PAGE

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