Water & Sanitation Africa Jul/Aug 2019

Complete water resource and wastewater management

Water & Sanitation Africa

e xploring PPP feasibility in sa’s water sector

Big Data & i o t SA’s readiness for 4IR

Water Quality

A new monitoring approach

Dams & Water s torage

The impacts of climate change

Treat your water-energy like gold

Unmet efficiency with up to 10%-20% energy cost reduction

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High regulation capabilities

The local water and sanitation sector faces numerous problems, not least of which is a funding gap of R330 billion over the next 10 years. Public-private partnerships (PPPs) may offer a solution, but are they sustainable in South Africa’s water and sanitation space? P12

AMBITIONS FOR AFRICA

Editor Danielle Petterson

Managing editor Alastair Currie

Head of design Beren Bauermeister

Designer Jaclyn Dollenberg

Chief sub-editor Tristan Snijders

Contributors Shafick Adams, Lester Goldman, Derek Hazelton, Lee-Ann Moodley, Chris Swartz, Peter Townshend, Achim Wurster

Operations & production manager Antois-Leigh Botma

Production coordinator Jacqueline Modise

Distribution manager Nomsa Masina

Distribution coordinator Asha Pursotham

Financial manager Andrew Lobban

Printers Paarl Media KZN

Advertising sales Hanlie Fintelman

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Copyright 2019. All rights reserved. All articles herein are copyright protected and may not be reproduced either in whole or in part without the prior written permission of the publishers. The views of contributors do not necessarily reflect those of the Water Institute of Southern

WISA Contacts:

Head office

Tel: 086 111 9472(WISA)

fax: +27 (0)11 315 1258

Physical address: 1st Floor, Building 5, Constantia Park, 546 16th Road, Randjiespark Ext 7, Midrand Website: www.wisa.org.za

BRANCHES

central Branch (Free State, Northern Cape, North West)

chairperson: Dr Leana Esterhuizen company: Central University of Technology

Tel: +27 (0)51 507 3850 email: lesterhu@cut.ac.za

eastern cape:

Branch contact: Dan Abrahams company: Aurecon

Tel: +27 (0)41 503 3929 cell: +27 (0) 81 289 1624 email: Dan.Abraham@aurecongroup.com

Gauteng

Branch Lead: Zoe Gebhardt cell: +27 (0)82 3580876 email: zoe.gebhardt@gmail.com

KwaZulu-Natal chairperson: Lindelani Sibiya company: Umgeni Water cell: +27 (0)82 928 1081 email: lindelani.sibiya@umgeni.co.za

Limpopo chairperson: Mpho Chokolo company: Lepelle Northern Water cell: +27 (0)72 310 7576 email: mphoc@lepelle.co.za

Mpumalanga

Chairperson: Lihle Mbatha (Acting)

Company: Inkomati-Usuthu Catchment Management Agency

Tel: +27 (0)13 753 9000

Email: mbathat@iucma.co.za

Western cape chairperson: Natasia van Binsbergen company: AL Abbott & Associates

Tel: +27 (0)21 448 6340 cell: +27 (0)83 326 3887 email: natasia@alabbott.co.za

Namibia

Please contact the WISA Head Office on admin@wisa.org.za for more information

Creating opportunities from within I

n his 2019 State of the Nation Address, President Cyril Ramaphosa called South Africa’s youth unemployment rate of more than 50% a national crisis that demands urgent, innovative and coordinated solutions.

The fact that 50% of the population is under the age of 30 makes this statistic all the more shocking. In fact, Ramaphosa stated, “When it comes to youth unemployment, we have to run just to remain in the same place.” With more young people entering the labour force every year, the economy needs to create far more jobs for youth than it currently does.

But this begs the question: are our youth employable? John Matthews, president, Master Builders South Africa, thinks not.

Speaking at the African Construction Expo, Matthews stated that, according to educators, 42% of grade seven learners are unable to effectively read and write, or do arithmetic. This is particularly problematic, given that only those with a strong foundational education can be taught the technical skills that South Africa so desperately needs.

“We have a dichotomous situation where we have high unemployment yet we have a skills shortage due to the mismatch of skills demand versus supply,” he said.

Where are our artisans?

The recent Critical Skills Survey released by Xpatweb found that ICT specialists and engineers remain the most difficult to recruit in South Africa, followed by artisans, senior financial executives, professionals in the health sector, executive managers, specialists and academics, mining executives, risk managers, and foreign language speakers.

The most notable jump in figures is the number of South African companies struggling to recruit artisans, increasing by 45% from last year; this despite the fact that the National Development Plan calls for 30 000 artisans to be produced each year as part of efforts to improve education, training and innovation.

Matthews pointed out that, unfortunately, only 7% of learners who enter training in five of the building-industry-related trades will actually complete an apprenticeship. Moreover, the poor quality of artisan training is a real challenge.

How do we address this?

Matthews offered a number of solutions to these growing challenges, encouraging the industry to step up and take the lead in developing skills and creating job opportunities.

This starts with promoting more work-based forms of learning such as apprenticeships, learnerships and internships. All employers, including SMMEs, should be encouraged to take on apprentices to improve the completion rate. And rebates are in place for this. According to Matthews, the cost of training an apprentice to artisan level is R129 000, while the rebate currently being offered by SARS is R150 000. “It is not a question of money – it is a question of commitment,” he said.

Ramaphosa spoke of the need for a comprehensive plan, driven and coordinated by The Presidency, to create no fewer than two million new jobs for young people within the next decade. Instead, perhaps this plan should be driven by the private sector, which has the opportunity to promote work-based learning, drive artisan training, and take on the responsibility to create the jobs they need to continue to be successful in the future.

WISA’s Vision Inspiring passion for water

Africa or the publishers.

Big data over bad data

When it comes to water science, big data includes data from, among others, supervisory control and data acquisition systems, including flow statistics, online monitoring, dissolved oxygen measurements, and air flows, as well as data from laboratory information management systems and computerised maintenance management systems.

Such data is beneficial, and much of it has been around for years; however, it needs to be effectively utilised within the ambit of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) to maximise efficiency in our treatment plants and laboratories. Unfortunately, the way data is gathered at treatment facilities is often fragmented, driving similar decision-making patterns.

Breaking down silos

There are silos of data in our systems that don’t always talk to each other. We need to ensure that data is funnelled into a single, meaningful pool of information that allows water and wastewater treatment process controllers to understand, manage and use it to optimise plant reliability and performance.

Big data initiatives and new data management tools enable treatment professionals to turn all that data into

understandable, useful information that helps us become more proactive and make better decisions about plant operations.

No matter what specific services or tools water and wastewater professionals choose to use, it is important to develop a management plan, pull all important data together, and take advantage of dashboards and smart screens that use that data to perform calculations and identify trends. Then, water professionals can break the information down to increase energy efficiency, and manage resource budgets.

Becoming smarter, however, requires focus on the quality as well as the quantity of our data, shifting our focus from big data to bad data. If sensors are not cleaned, calibrated or properly used, for example, it doesn’t matter what we do with the resulting data. The starting point is to make sure you have good primary measurements, and ensure adequate training on all such instruments.

Building smarter utilities

In their 2016 publication Smart Water

Utilities:Complexity

MadeSimple, Dr Pernille Ingildsen

Big data just means that we have a lot of data. However, it is essential to consider how we are using all this data to improve our water treatment and management processes and create smarter utilities.

and Dr Gustaf Olsson explain what utilities and professionals need to do to be smart. They boil it down to a simple, yet very useful, framework and suggest that water utilities have to be ‘MAD’ to be smart.

As they explain, M is for measure, because focus must be placed on having good measurements in the right place. A is for analytics, because the data must be analysed and understood. D pertains to the decision-making process. Using what we know to make good decisions can be an automated process in some cases. Splitting big data into these three parts may be helpful to make better use of this data.

Come what may, 4IR is with us, and we need to ensure that we are equipped for it. Many of you probably are well equipped already, but if not, please ensure that you attend accredited training to fast-track your path down the information highway.

Dr Lester Goldman, CEO, WISA

Water from a different perspective

Earth is blessed with a natural water cycle that, for the most part, meets the primary and secondary needs of society. But are we effectively managing this precious resource?

By Achim Wurster

Were we to arrive on a version of planet earth where the natural water cycle did not exist, we would find a planet with salty oceans, dry desert land, no rain and no wetlands or rivers. If we used our current technology to build a land-based water infrastructure network to supply clean water for all of our requirements, it would probably include desalination, water reticulation, wastewater treatment and reuse systems.

But what would it cost us to supply these water services from scratch? And how does that cost relate to our society’s current ability to cover these costs while supplying every individual with a fair and equitable amount of quality water?

My educated

guess is that – with our current level of technology, human productivity and management expertise – we would not be able to meet this goal. The reason: we are currently not meeting this goal, even with the large amount of essentially free water nature provides.

Protecting our natural systems

Fortunately, we live on a planet that provides us with reasonably regular rain, ensuring clean water is stored in rivers, dams and underground. Rivers transport away our dirty, used water, while the natural processes within the rivers convert much of our waste to harmless by-products.

These natural systems have allowed society to develop and grow; however, we have started overloading these systems and negatively impacting their ability to cope with the demands we place on them. Their usefulness decreases and, instead, they become a harmful burden.

It should be our priority to protect the still-functioning natural systems and reverse damaged ones so that they can once again provide us with free, goodquality water, particularly as demand

continues to rise with population growth and urbanisation.

Unfortunately, South Africa is currently fully utilising or exceeding the capacity of the natural, free water services available to us. If we want to maintain the overall lowest-cost option for maximum benefit to society, we need to accept that for all future increases in water services capacity, we need to maintain functioning natural systems while building capacity with a mindset of being new arrivals on a desert planet.

continuous improvements

Our current technology, productivity and management effectiveness do not provide us with the capacity to duplicate the natural, free water services without negatively impacting society’s ability to cost-effectively continue to improve living standards. This means that we have to keep on improving in future.

For a start, we have to get the basics right with what we have. We need political recognition of the importance of maintaining the existing water infrastructure and commensurate financial support. This must translate into effective oversight, efficient execution of projects, followed by ongoing operational management and maintenance excellence. This includes our national regulator effectively exercising its mandate to hold all water users accountable and enforcing the rules and regulations that already exist.

We have to optimise water use in our current processes and practices through improved operation and maintenance, as well as more water-efficient farming practices. Significantly improved monitoring and data-based decisionmaking are crucial for optimised water use.

Achim Wurster, chair, WISA

Future

additional water use and waste discharge must conform to circular economy principles, where additional water to be used comes from reuse and, once used, is treated and made available for further reuse.

We have to continue to improve our technology to allow us to more efficiently and cost-effectively treat, use and reuse water. While there is a place for high-tech technology, especially in industry and large-scale applications, technology that is appropriate for low-cost application at the level of expertise of the non-expert local user is also crucial, as we need to reach every water user, including those in rural and informal settlements.

If we are to avoid panic and chaos during drought times, we must sensitise society as a whole to the fact that a new normal has to be accepted. This acceptance will only be gained if we

simultaneously capacitate society to costeffectively adapt to this new normal without negatively affecting their quality of life. Municipal regulations relating to water use must facilitate this improvement.

We also have to sensitise and then capacitate staff at all levels of the water value chain to make improved decisions based on a wider set of considerations that include the complex set of technical realities, financial constraints and human factors that make up the problems we face.

The list goes on and I am sure you, the reader, can think of many other areas that need to be improved in future, as well as ways in which you can play a

positive role in enabling and supporting this improvement.

WISA, as an organisation and through its individual members, also has a crucial responsibility in facilitating simultaneous improvement in all these areas, as, going forward, we are effectively new arrivals on a desert planet – only teamwork will get us where we want to be as a society. Borrowing from the WISA 2020 conference theme, I propose that ensuring a fair and equitable supply of water, of the right quality, at a sustainable cost, for all, requires #AllHandsOnDeck!

Exciting new prospects for Imvelisi

The Imvelisi Enviropreneur Programme is an ideationphase entrepreneurship support programme that focuses on supporting South Africa to transition to a greener, more prosperous economy, by nurturing early-stage entrepreneurs focusing on water and biodiversity opportunities.

By Lee-Ann Moodley

The Imvelisi programme is a partnership initiative between GreenMatter and the South African Young Water Professionals Network (YWP-ZA), which is an empowerment platform of the Water Institute of Southern Africa and a division of the International Water Association.

Imvelisi is a training intervention for aspiring enviropreneurs at the ideation/ conceptualisation phase. The purpose of the programme is, therefore, to ensure a streamlined innovation support system for young people considering careers in the water and biodiversity sectors, by helping participants through the ideation phase of business development and preparing them for pitches to mentors, incubation programmes and early-stage entrepreneurship investors.

The Department of Science and Technology is the core funder of the programme, but the programme is also made possible by the contributions of other funders such as the University of Johannesburg,

The Innovation Hub, as well as the Department of Environmental Affairs.

Growth brings new opportunities

The Imvelisi programme has been active since 2015. It has experienced tremendous growth and success, having been through two successful phases in 2015 and 2017. Now, in 2019, the number of multi-institutional opportunities for the Imvelisi programme has rapidly grown, as has the number of participants that Imvelisi supports.

In addition to ideation boot camps, the programme will also be looking into furthering its community of practice and knowledge hub. With this growth and success, the Imvelisi programme has hired a full-time project coordinator to assist with the expansion of the programme and manage the range of Imvelisi activities, intra-institutional synergies, and more personalised support to participants.

The new project coordinator for Imvelisi is Amanda Muchedzi, who has an enterprise and business development background, having come from a leading business incubator.

Muchedzi’s portfolio managed companies in the energy, waste and water sectors and supported start-ups moving towards commercialisation.

She also managed the recruitment life cycle of companies into the incubator and has vast experience in this space. Muchedzi’s bubbly personality and warm welcoming smile are an added benefit! She currently holds an honours degree in geology from Wits and has coupled this with qualifications in business advisory, business incubation management and enterprise development leadership obtained from the Unisa School of Business Leadership.

connection opportunities

YWP-ZA and GreenMatter are looking forward to the third phase of Imvelisi and welcome Muchedzi on board. The first boot camp is planned to run from 1 to 5 July 2019. Although the window for applications is closed, you can find more information on the boot camp here: www.greenmatterza.com/imvelisicall-for-applications.html.

A second boot camp is planned for the latter part of the year. Please check the website for information. Should you wish to link up with Imvelisi, we will be attending the following events:

• IFAT Africa: 9 to 11 July 2019 at Gallagher Convention Centre

• YWP-ZA 6th Biennial Conference: 20 to 23 October 2019 at Durban International Convention Centre.

Imvelisi brainstorming

Lee-Ann Moodley, Imvelisi coordinator from the South African Young Water Professionals

Amanda Muchedzi, Imvelisi programme coordinator

Early registration extended

Early registration for the 6th South African Young Water Professionals

Biennial Conference has been extended to 31 July 2019.

The 6th Biennial Conference will be held for the first time in the KwaZulu-Natal province, from 20 to 23 October 2019 at the Durban ICC, and promises to be the best edition thus far.

The theme for this year’s event is ‘My Water, My Business’ and it seeks to shine a light on the business side of water, while also reminding attendees that everyone uses water and, as such, water management is everyone’s business.

The multidisciplinary programme –comprising workshops, presentations, technical tours and networking sessions – caters for everyone in the field

and also aims to establish and nurture collaboration and partnerships, which are essential in a water-scarce country.

All young water professionals – ranging from researchers to water practitioners, academics and business-minded individuals – and those with an interest in any aspect of water management are invited to join the conference and help in making water our business.

For more information, visit www.ywpzaconference2019.co.za or contact the conference chair on Lindelani.Sibiya@umgeni.co.za or +27 (0)82 928 1081.

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AfricA

Water and sanitation in Africa

Integrated and sustainable water management

The African Development Bank (AfDB) and the United Nations Water Convention (UNWC) are encouraging African countries to join the UN water management organisation to promote the integrated and sustainable management of surface water and groundwater resources.

According to Francesca Bernardini, secretary of the UNWC, the body aims to promote the sustainable management of transboundary waters through cooperation and partnership. “The UNWC and its activities are consistent with the AfDB’s water sector strategy, particularly supporting the bank’s Integrated Water Resources Management policy across all levels of water needs in its operations.”

Bernardini states that the benefits of membership

the investment risks typically occasioned by the long-term nature of development programmes and initiatives, through legally binding commitments made by parties to the convention. Several activities carried out under the UNWC also help to strengthen countries’ capacity for water management and boost the effectiveness of the bank’s interventions in the long term.

Since 2016, membership to the UNWC has been opened up to all UN Member States. So far, 44 countries have ratified the convention, six of which are nonEuropean nations.

EthiopiA

A new model for WSS Ethiopia has received a US$300 million (R4.3 billion) credit to help provide its citizens with safe water supply and sanitation (WSS) services and to promote improved hygiene practices to approximately three million people in selected rural and urban areas.

that extends from federal to community level.

Ethiopia has made significant progress in increasing access to WSS in the past 10 years, but much remains to be done. Water quality is a serious issue compromising the health benefits and impacting development efforts in the sector. Moreover, recurrent droughts, floods and rising temperatures make it more difficult to manage water resources effectively and ensure continuity in WSS service delivery.

Lowlands, under the Lesotho Lowlands Water Development Project – Phase II.

The project aims to finance activities to improve access to reliable domestic and industrial water supply services in the towns of Maputsoe and Hlotse, as well as settlements and villages along the transmission pipeline route.

The monies will also assist in improving the technical and financial performance of Lesotho’s Water and Sewage Company, for better

To address these challenges, the One WASH National Program aims to increase services and strengthen resources management for service delivery. The project prioritises interventions in communities with low service coverage, high prevalence of excreta- and waterborne

as well as drought- and

Improving water supply

US$78 million (R1.13 billion)

International Development Association will benefit up to 115 000 Basotho and businesses in the Lesotho

sanitation infrastructure and services. This will be achieved by incentivising the delivery of measurable operational improvements facilitated by change management support. These include improving the quality of its technical and financial data to facilitate decision-making and delivering on technical and financial performance against annual targets set by the Lesotho Electricity and Water Authority.

MozAMbiquE

Expanding sanitation services

Roughly 200 000 Mozambicans will benefit from increased access to sanitation services thanks to a US$115 million (R1.67 billion)

EthIOpIA Ethiopia has established a global model for the integrated implementation of WASH

LESOthO US$78 million in funding has been granted to Phase II of the Lesotho Lowlands Water Development Project

Word from around Africa – including the latest industry, project and development news.

grant from the World Bank. The funding will be used to provide infrastructure expansion, support institutional and capacity developments, and offer technical assistance to the cities of Maputo, Beira, Nampula, Tete and Quelimane.

Projects include the rehabilitation and expansion of the Infulene Wastewater Treatment Plant in Maputo, as well as on-site sanitation facilities for the peri-urban residents of Quelimane and Tete, where sewer networks will be rehabilitated and expanded, new wastewater treatment plants constructed, and stormwater drains installed.

Currently, only 1 in 10 households in Mozambique has access to sanitation services, and one in three safe water. These projects are expected to help alleviate pressure on already precarious sanitation infrastructure and services.

zAMbiA

Bringing water to the Copperbelt

The European Investment Bank (EIB) has teamed up

with the EU’s external action service in a bid to provide clean water and adequate sanitation to citizens in the Zambian Copperbelt Province, bordering on the DRC.

Zambia’s Copperbelt region is the country’s second most populous, but access to safe water typically remains below 40%.

Now, €5 million (R81 million) in EU grant financing will help the Mulonga Water and Sewerage Company (MWSC) implement the Mulonga PeriUrban Water and Sanitation Action. This initiative is part of the broader Zambia Water and Sanitation project, which aims to ensure urgently needed improvement to MWSC’s water and sanitation services.

Most of the existing infrastructure is over 50 years old and struggling to meet growing demand. The entire project is expected to benefit 350 000 people in total, most of which will gain access to clean water for the first time.

“The project will generate significant local employment. Ultimately, it will ensure MWSC’s ability to provide improved core water and sanitation services to a

broader, more inclusive customer base in a sustainable manner,” says Kanyembo Ndhlovu, CEO, MWSC.

ziMbAbwE

Upper Ncema Dam decommissioned

The Bulawayo City Council has been forced to decommission the Upper Ncema Dam – one of the region’s major sources of water. This step was taken after the dam’s water level plummeted to just 3.82%.

The city still has five remaining sources of surface water supply, namely Lower Ncema, Umzingwane, Insiza, Mtshabezi and Inyankuni. However, the total operational level for all of the dams is 50.70%.

The Bulawayo City Council has advised consumers that the current 48-hour watershedding programme for all suburbs remains unchanged, and residents are urged to conserve and use water sparingly.

Bulawayo, the country’s second largest city, has struggled to secure adequate water supply for years. The country’s capital, Harare, is also struggling with water supply, and the country’s largest power source at Kariba on the Zambezi has had to scale down on generation due to low water levels.

zIMBABWE The Upper Ncema Dam has been decommissioned after the water level dropped to 3.82%

FAST FACTS

R1.13 billion 1 in 10 350k in financing from the International Development Association for Lesotho

Currently, only 1 in 10 households in Mozambique has access to sanitation services

Zambia’s Water and Sanitation project is expected to benefit some 350 000 people

MOzAMBIquE Cities across the country are embarking on sewage infrastructure upgrades

Are PPPs feasible for SA?

The local water and sanitation sector faces numerous problems, not least of which is a funding gap of R330 billion over the next 10 years. Public-private partnerships (PPPs) may offer a solution, but are they sustainable in South Africa’s water and sanitation space?

By Danielle petterson

South

Africa’s National Water and Sanitation Master Plan clearly states that the country’s water and sanitation sector is not currently financially sustainable. Not only is the sector facing a massive funding gap, but it is also faced with a municipal water debt of R13 billion, deteriorating infrastructure, declining water quality and poor municipal water governance.

a growing challenge

In the 2014 MuSSA Municpal Vulnerability Index, 47% of water services authorities (WSAs) ranked themselves as being in a critical state.

The challenges they face are threefold:

1. Insufficient infrastructure capacity, paired with ageing infrastructure and under-investment in operations and maintenance.

2. Poor governance and institutional capacity, which leads to an inability to attract and retain skilled personnel, the

employment of the wrong personnel, corruption and the under-use of existing government grants.

3. Financial challenges as a result of poor billing practices, not ring-fencing revenues, incorrect tariffs, and poor credit ratings.

According to Alex McNamara, programme manager: Climate and Water, National Business Initiative (NBi), WSAs can be grouped into three categories. Category 1 comprises WSAs that are in crisis mode and require external assistance in order to function. Category 2 includes WSAs with limited capacity, but which are able to stand on their own. Category 3 WSAs are wellperforming entities.

Access to private sector investment, financial resources, skills and technical expertise is, therefore, needed to drive the sector forward, particularly in those WSAs not performing well.

However, negotiating PPPs and other performance-based contracts requires strong internal capacity within WSAs. Those PPPs that are well operated are generally also well regulated, with good oversight. Where this is lacking, WSAs run the risk of suboptimal service delivery.

“The water and sanitation sector is currently not financially sustainable.” – NWSMP, 2018

Private sector operators also tend to favour stronger regulation, because there is a reputational risk associated with not being regulated.

“PPPs are definitely a solution, but only under certain conditions where the success factors are in place,” says McNamara. This relies largely on effective WSAs, where there is sufficient procurement capacity and enough time for project preparation, he says.

The right types of projects are also important. According to McNamara, experts consistently raised desalination, any form of water reuse, non-revenue water and wastewater treatment as the main PPP opportunities in the water value chain.

Viability of PPPs in Sa NBi has developed a report, titled Water PPP opportunities in South Africa, which assesses where the main opportunities for formal water PPPs are likely to be located at both geographic and value chain levels. A tool was developed to rank the theoretical PPP potential of

table 1 WSAs with the highest theoretical PPP potential (Source: NBi)

144 of South Africa’s WSAs, namely: demonstrated need, PPP sustainability, openness to PPPs, and municipal capacity. What this found was that only four WSAs show excellent PPP potential, while a further 24 have good or very good potential for PPPs. Unfortunately, the remaining 116 fall within the low or very low PPP potential band.

Experts consistently raised desalination, any form of water reuse, non-revenue water and wastewater treatment as the main PPP opportunities

Metros dominate the top ranked WSAs for PPP suitability, largely due to their

greater resources, higher household incomes and larger populations. However, the top ranked candidates include a number of secondary cities and municipalities with only small towns, including Overstrand, Saldanha Bay and Sol Plaatje. This suggests that PPPs can be applied in a number of different municipal contexts, McNamara explains.

Strengthening capacity

would also allow for the more effective use of government grants.

According to McNamara, the strengthening of municipal capacity, revenues and tariffs underpins much of the investment needed in the sector.

This is essential for the effective use of government grants, achieving an appropriate spending balance between capex and opex, and creating opportunities to attract private sector investment and PPPs.

Unfortunately, PPPs are not theoretically viable for the vast majority of South Africa’s WSAs. Many of these are Category 1 WSAs, faced with a very limited revenue base, unable to borrow money and make inadequate use of government grants. In these cases, McNamara believes long-term external support is needed with oversight from national government and municipal councils. A revised implementation model

This should be coupled with an innovative approach to government grants. In theory, water-related grants owing to poorly capacitated WSAs could be implemented on their behalf by another organ of state. These allocated grants can then be used to attract additional funding sources through a blended finance approach. This would leverage every rand of government funding multiple times and enhance service delivery in difficult operating environments.

Lastly, McNamara recommends that a pool of centralised transaction advisers be developed to proactively support municipal projects in areas with sufficient potential. This would see WSAs being held by the hand through the process, from feasibility studies onwards – not just for PPPs, but for water and sanitation projects across the value chain.

Cleaning SA’s waters with microorganisms

Nearly half of South Africa’s wastewater treatment works are not in a good state, with 80% of them at medium to high risk. Given the significant drought and water shortages the country has experienced, pollution from the likes of mining, agriculture and human settlements remains a major concern.

Fresh water is a precious commodity, making it critical for pollutants such as acid mine drainage to be effectively addressed. To this end, Dr Robert Huddy, molecular biologist: Centre for Bioprocess Engineering Research at the University of Cape Town, has highlighted how the country must optimise the processes involved in cleaning up industrial effluent waters.

Speaking at a recent Café Scientifique event, Huddy noted that using microorganisms within tailored bioprocesses to treat industrial effluent is an essential part of the solution. His discussion, titled ‘Wastewater Bioremediation: Turning Pollutants into Resources’, put the spotlight on how improving bioprocesses is critically important to the state of water in South Africa.

“Water and access to clean water is crucial. As a result of various industrial processes, water gets contaminated with undesirable compounds; for example, in gold mining, processed water is polluted with cyanide and thiocyanate. These toxic compounds are harmful to people, animals and the environment,” he says.

The case for microorganisms Huddy’s focus is on microorganisms like bacteria or fungi that can use their metabolism to remove dangerous compounds present in industrial effluents.

“Essentially, we are getting these microorganisms to eat the compounds that we do not want. It is about harnessing the capabilities of these ‘bugs’ to clean up the water. Of course, this is not the first time people are doing this, but our approach to the development of these treatment processes is unique. We do so by gaining a better understanding of all the microorganisms that are present and trying to resolve their respective roles within these processes.”

He says that different organisms are living in the bioreactors used to clean up the water systems. Traditionally, engineers would look at these reactors and monitor whether they are working.

“What we are trying to do is delve into more detail and understand how these microorganisms are working together to remove the unsafe compounds. For example, in a gold mining wastewater treatment process, we have identified more than 150 different microorganisms

present, with less than five of them involved in the breakdown of the pollutants. It is about providing process engineers with more detail in order to rationally design process systems to clean up these effluents more efficiently,” he says.

Part of this work entails studying the interdependencies of each of these organisms and the processes involved in having all of them present.

“People must take a more sustainable view of wastewater and how it can be reused. We want to change the public perception of effluent waters – from a waste product to a potential resource for the development of new processes and livelihoods through the recovery of value-added by-products. By specifically looking at wastewater from industry, we are creating an opportunity to significantly overhaul bioprocesses that can prevent long-term damage to the environment and create sustainable economic solutions for industry and surrounding communities. Sometimes, you have to go small – microscopically small, in fact – to have a big world impact.”

Case study: secure and energy-efficient water production

The treatment of acid mine drainage is challenging but necessary due to its ecological impact, and can be particularly beneficial in areas prone to water shortages.

Acid mine drainage (AMD) can appear in areas of coal or core mines. In one South African mining area, a secure and energy-efficient process has been developed to treat AMD to potable standards using ultra-low-pressure Lewabrane® RO B400 ULP ASD elements. This is achieved by a reverse osmosis (RO) plant developed and designed by Watercare Maining.

application and system design

As a kind of natural pre-treatment, the water passes through the ground and is pumped to the surface for further treatment in the water treatment plant. The water treatment plant consists of a glass media filtration and 1 μm cartridge filters in front of the reverse osmosis process. Additionally, a scale inhibitor and non-oxidising biocides are used to prevent inorganics and biological fouling of the membrane.

The RO plant itself has two stages, with 12 vessels in stage one and six in stage two. Each vessel contains eight B400 ULP ASD elements. The recovery rate of the RO process is 72%. The feedwater has an average conductivity of around 2 600 μS/cm, while the cleaned water,

table 1 Project details

Membrane performance

As the feedwater is complex, monthly cleaning is necessary under acidic and caustic conditions. During the observed period, the performance of the membrane could be restored after the cleaning.

Using a standard brackish water membrane before, the water conductivity was the same magnitude but the pressure after start-up was 30%

higher. Therefore, significant energy savings could be achieved without losses in permeate quality. Additionally, the feed flow could be increased from 112 m3/h to 135 m3/h, keeping the same recovery rate without any problems.

conclusion

Lewabrane B400 ULP ASD was specially developed for drinking water and wastewater treatment where a high rejection of organics and a good rejection of salts are required. The results confirm that this ultra-lowpressure membrane is suitable for treating difficult water to drinking water quality. Compared to a standard brackish water membrane, 30% less pressure is needed, which leads to lower energy consumption. Even by increasing the plant capacity, the desired water quality could be achieved.

NOT ALL PLASTICS ARE ALIKE

Plastics is a generic term covering a very wide array of materials and applications. It could be a simple bag to carry your groceries and needing to last one day, a colourful toy for a toddler, a bearing to enable low-friction rotation of a fast rotating shaft, an impact resistant body part on a modern car, or a large diameter pipe to carry a fluid under pressure and required to last a hundred years.

Each application requires a di erent grade of polymer and obviously a vastly di erent design and manufacturing approach. High performance plastic pipes are made from very specialised polymers that were unknown half-acentury ago. It enables pressure pipe sizes with diameters more than 3 000 mm or operating pressure capabilities up to 2 500 kPa. MOST CERTAINLY ARE NOT ALL PLASTICS ALIKE!

“A great platform for learning and interacting with my South African and international peers” - Safripol“A

Industrial filtration solutions

From humble beginnings in the wine industry, Quality Filtration Systems has, over its 22-year existence, been involved in many industrial water applications – from food and beverage to mining – doing its part in the private sector to assist with its ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis technologies.

The flagship project of Quality Filtration Systems (QFS) in the steel industry is a 5 MLD wastewater treatment plant for ArcelorMittal in Vanderbijlpark. Here, process water is fed through a high-rate clarifier, acting as a high-turbidity protection step, to ultrafiltration (UF) skids and through reverse osmosis (RO) skids, finally producing water that is safe to dispose of from site. The product water quality the plant achieved was below 200 μ S/cm and was successfully completed in August 2012.

For another steel industry site, Steelpoort Tubatse, QFS has installed a system in which wastewater from the Samancor plant is pre-treated through Memcor® UF

ensuring clean process water for the Samancor plant to utilise in its processes. Remaining in the steel processing industry, QFS was able to provide a solution to Cape Gate to treat 40 m3/h of heavy-metal-laden wastewater. This solution made use of Duraflow® tubular microfiltration technology and RO to produce water with a conductivity of less than 200 μ S/cm and was completed in January 2015.

Sticking to QFS’s roots, the company has been able to install a UF and RO solution at Distell’s cider facility. Treating pre-treated organic industrial effluent water, this facility is able to produce 2.4 MLD of irrigation water for Distell’s facility. This project was completed in June 2018.

treatment facility for Parmalat, completed in November 2018. This plant treats brackish borehole water to produce about 500 kℓ/day of potable treated water for one of Parmalat’s dairy processing facilities. The unit comprises an iron removal step, UF and RO.

QFS has many other noteworthy projects in the industrial sphere, where UF and RO technologies have been used to alleviate clients’ water requirement needs, and save them time and money.

water solutions, QFS has also been able to provide solutions to industries wanting to

BELOW QFS’s in-house engineering capability can assist in solving industries’ need for water

ABOVE QFS’s wastewater treatment solution for ArcelorMittal in Vanderbijlpark

LEFt A QFS containerised ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis unit for Parmalat’s off-grid brackish borehole water solution

A satellite approach

The disappearance of the Blue and Green Drop reports are in line with a growing decline in water quality monitoring across South Africa; however, an explosion of applications using satellite technology has opened up a new opportunity: monitoring water quality from space in near-real time. By Danielle petterson

South Africa has seen a sharp decline in the frequency of water quality monitoring.

According to Dr Mark Matthews, founder, CyanoLakes, government’s sampling and analysis programme has seen an almost complete breakdown recently, largely due to officials now needing pre-approval to collect samples. Environmental advisor Dr Anthony Turton concurs that water monitoring, in an official sense, has all but ceased to exist in South Africa. He attributes this to the breakdown of the Blue Drop and Green Drop reporting system. “Sadly, this undermines confidence in the state as a custodian for water. We are, therefore, seeing a growing crisis of confidence and mistrust,” says Turton. Satellite monitoring presents a potential solution to this problem, offering consistent monitoring on a large scale without the logistical and labour challenges.

changing the game

The CyanoLakes service, developed by Matthews, uses satellite imaging to provide daily information on gross water pollution for more than 100 water bodies nationally. Although the software cannot measure individual contaminants, it can provide a gross pollution indicator to show how impacted a water body is by human waste, most often resulting from effluent. Importantly, the service also monitors cyanobacteria blooms. “These blooms are extremely prevalent across our water bodies. Our data shows that roughly 60% of South Africa’s 100 largest water bodies have, at various times, blooms that represent a public health risk. This is

a major concern and a dynamic problem due to the changing nature and seasonal variation of the blooms,” says Matthews.

Cyanobacteria present a number of health risks. Contact with high concentrations can lead to gastro-intestinal symptoms, skin irritation and allergic responses, while ingesting large amounts can result in life-threatening liver damage. Although trying to control these blooms is not practical, providing real-time data can allow utilities and recreational users to make informed decisions.

a growing threat

Cyanobacteria blooms in freshwater bodies are known to be triggered by a rapid change in the ratio of nitrogen to phosphate. These two elements are directly linked to sewage effluent and agricultural run-off back into rivers. “We are unable to control these blooms. To believe we can control them is delusional,” says Turton. “The only way we can control this is to reduce phosphate discharges from the 824 wastewater treatment works in the country.”

South Africa currently produces over 5 billion litres of sewage effluent daily at a national level, around 4.3 billion of which is discharged back into rivers without treatment, or at best with only rudimentary treatment, Turton explains. This nutrient inflow is enriching our water resources, which are also becoming warmer due to climate variability. Warm, nutrient-rich water is a perfect recipe for cyanobacteria blooms.

“More importantly, the same sewage effluent is also high in partially metabolised medication including antiretrovirals,

antibiotics and oestrogen. Our rivers are becoming incubators of the next generation of drug-resistant pathogens.

“In parts of KwaZulu–Natal, we are already seeing elevated levels of hepatitis emerging from septic tanks at clinics and hospitals treating Aids patients, many of whom also have multidrug-resistant TB. In this context, cyanobacteria blooms are but one manifestation of a distressed water resource that has national security implications,” says Turton.

filling the gap

Matthews believes that CyanoLakes fills a significant gap, providing timely and cost-effective data that is both powerful and consistent. “There is a black hole as far as data is concerned. At municipal and national level, there is a huge lack of information in terms of the risks we face and, unfortunately, water quality seems to fall by the wayside in comparison to other societal problems. But other countries are taking this very seriously and we need to ensure there is no major event that results in deaths.”

CyanoLakes was designed around the Department of Water and Sanitation’s resource quality and information services staff. It was built to be user-friendly and intuitive, for easy use by government decision-makers and the general public; however, advanced users can download full reports containing all the statistics and high-level data needed for effective monitoring.

The service currently has a number of subscribers, ranging from water utilities to non-profit organisations (NPOs) and treatment technology companies across

the globe, including countries such as Armenia, Australia, Brazil, China, Israel, Mexico and the USA. Locally, a number of NPOs use CyanoLakes to monitor water quality in dams used for sport and recreational activities.

One such example is the Hartbeespoort Rehabilitation Steering Committee (HRSC), which is working to control the water hyacinth population on Hartbeespoort Dam. According to Frederick Botha, technical advisor, HRSC, the hyacinths have caused cyanobacteria blooms and eutrophication of the dam. Botha was able to use CyanoLakes to monitor the state of the dam and the activity of the hyacinth in order to take appropriate action to preserve the water quality.

“The fact that CyanoLakes has been trialled by utilities across four continents shows that it is just a matter of time before this kind of technology becomes commonplace,” says Matthews.

“High-speed internet, ever-growing computing capabilities and improved satellite technology have made services like this possible. Businesses are often slow to adapt and adopt new technologies, but we need to change the way we do things. Having this kind of data available can save lives. It is all about empowering our utilities to provide cleaner water to their clients and safeguard public health.”

Towards a sustainable water future

Turton believes that in order to restore the trust and confidence lost as a result of the breakdown in water monitoring, an independent water regulator is needed. Water Shortage SA and OUTA are currently driving the establishment of such a regulator, supported by the creation of a Water Chamber as an element of the Public-Private Growth Initiative (PPGI) housed in The Presidency.

According to Turton, the PPGI has embraced water as a central element in the national economic recovery plan. This has seen the emergence of a plan to make the water sector investable, given that the fiscus is simply unable to pay for the kind of infrastructure needed to avert what he refers to as “a full-blown catastrophe”.

This plan aims to upgrade South Africa’s 824 wastewater treatment works using private capital in a beneficiation programme that adds value to the waste streams and uses offtake agreements for treated effluent to bankroll the upgrades.

The Water Chamber has been established to become home to this plan, which supports the overall intention to remove impediments to economic growth, such that we can achieve 5% annual growth in the next decade, he explains.

“The idea is to attract R1 trillion of private capital into the water sector, in a vision that sees water as an economic enabler. This is not the privatisation of water, but the creation of a beneficiation model that manages water as a flux and thus an infinitely renewable resource.”

FAST FACTS

- cyanoLakes uses medium spatial resolution data from the sentinel 3 satellite

- Additional high-res data from sentinel 2 allows for value-added derivatives

- cyanoLakes’ data is updated daily at 12:00

- Depending on cloud coverage, users get up to six updates per week for more information, visit www.cyanolakes.com.

One Stop Shop for Water Analysis

Integrated Lovibond® solution for all routine measurements

■ Complete solutions for Waste and Drinking Water and various industrial applications

■ Easy-to-use instruments, rapid results - yet resolutely accurate

■ Photometric Analysis - up to 70 Parameters including Ammonia, COD, Nitrate, Nitrite, Nitrogen, Phosphate (reagents supplied)

■ Photometer with Bluetooth® data transmittance to Lovibond® AquaLX® App

Citizens take action

The biodiversity along the Hennops River is under serious threat, with much fish, insect and other animal life along the river having died off. In fact, Willem Snyman, director, FRESH (Fountain River Environmental Sanctuary Hennops), believes that the Hennops may have become one of the most polluted rivers in Gauteng.

Snyman established FRESH roughly five years ago, when he began lobbying government over the declining state of the river. Although the river is in a better state today, he says that patches of black sludge and foam several metres high are still a common occurrence, along with vast quantities of solid waste, particularly plastic.

The biggest polluters, according to Snyman, are the sewage treatment plants that discharge effluent into the river, particularly the Olifantsfontein and Sunderland Ridge wastewater treatment plants. Informal settlements have also established along the wetland source areas, resulting in further untreated sewage and solid waste polluting the river. Despite engagement with these treatment plants,

Snyman says insufficiently treated effluent is still being discharged into the river.

The result is

a highly polluted river that carries this waste into Hartbeespoort Dam, which is an important source of irrigation and drinking water, as well as a site for recreational activities. The dam receives effluent from 11 wastewater treatment plants via a number of rivers, including the Hennops, many of which carry a high phosphate and sediment load. In recent years, community-led groups have undertaken activities to reverse the hyper-eutrophication in the dam.

Roughly five years ago, the fish in the Hennops River began to die off as tides of black sludge and foam began to overrun the river. Today, little life is left in the highly polluted river that runs through Gauteng.

By Danielle petterson

which have big running costs, and they aren’t always necessary,” he says.

Getting citizens involved

Similarly, FRESH has established a number of community-based clean-up initiatives to help restore the natural state of the Hennops River. The organisation is also lobbying the City of Tshwane to improve the efficiency and transparency of its treatment, as well as lobbying the Department of Water and Sanitation to get involved in the cleanup and preservation of the river.

Snyman also advocates for green infrastructure solutions to address the growing wastewater pollution crisis. “Simple solutions like wetlands offer a cost-effective option for water treatment. Imagine if it were mandatory to have a wetland at every wastewater treatment plant outlet, in order to further treat the water and remove the pollution and chemicals. Everyone gets stuck on big engineering solutions,

“We’ve become alienated from our rivers and people aren’t aware of how bad the situation is. Unfortunately, people have begun to see these rivers as a way of disposing of their waste, and the rivers are so dead that they can’t restore themselves any longer,” says Snyman.

He now runs monthly restoration campaigns along the Hennops River that include clean-ups as well as planting trees and other ecologically restorative activities. Over the past two years, these have grown from a small group of about 10 to well over 100 people in some instances.

Encouragingly, Snyman reports that areas tend to stay cleaner following clean-up activities. This is connected to education and FRESH is engaging with a number of communities in order to raise awareness and prevent further pollution. These areas include Tembisa, where the focus is on Kaalfontein and Duduza, which are the source areas of the Kaalspruit, and in Olievenhoutbosh at the source of the Rietspruit tributary. “Education is essential so that we can

prevent situations like that in Kaalfontein, where a community has begun to establish itself on the Kaalfontein Wetland. We’ve seen hundreds of truckloads of building rubble being dumped in the wetland area, and people establishing housing along the river. Not only is this unsafe, but it is also harmful to the wetland that plays an important ecological role,” says Snyman.

“We often see children playing in this very dirty river, and people are getting sick from drinking it. It is so unhealthy for the people living along these polluted streams, and we have to address the problem.”

FRESH is currently looking to implement educational programmes at the five schools in close proximity to the Kaalfontein Wetland, in the hope of empowering the community to take ownership of the protection and preservation of the remaining upper section of the wetlands, which houses natural fountains, and to educate them on the dangerous water quality.

A substantial programme of activities has been drawn up for Mandela Month in July, and the main focus will be clearing out the ‘Styrofoam islands’ that have developed on the river near the Royal Elephant Hotel. “We have invited the Minister of Water and Sanitation and we hope that her participation will serve as a catalyst for greater action,” says Snyman.

Green corridors

The ultimate goal is to establish green corridors along the Hennops, Jukskei and Crocodile rivers, which all connect at the new Crocodile River Reserve – a conservation project by private landowners in Gauteng to protect threatened ecosystems. The aim is to expand the wildlife reserve area, thereby introducing stricter laws around protecting and restoring the remaining natural areas and water bodies.

“There is a significant river community, with many lodges established along the Hennops. We can connect these and promote the area for recreational activities, such as hiking and paddling,” says Snyman.

He adds that the area has archaeological significance, with many hominin remains to be found in areas along the river, stemming from the nearby Cradle of Humankind.

“By extending and securing the boundaries of the new Crocodile River Reserve being formed and protecting this whole area adjoining the Cradle of Humankind, we can form a restored area of biodiversity that can spread out along riparian

corridors to repopulate and return naturally diverse life to our threatened grasslands,” Snyman continues.

“But in order to do this, we need citizens, businesses and government to all work together so that we can reconnect people with nature and create a contagious sense of positive action to restore our rivers.”

Climate change impacts on dams and water security

Sediment build-up caused by erosion steadily reduces dam storage capacity, posing a longer-term threat. The problem is exacerbated by extreme weather; however, it can be combatted, given the right engineered solution, which also presents opportunities for capturing extra flows during flood conditions.

By peter townshend, pr Eng

Scientific studies on the effects of global warming show definite changes in weather patterns. Longer-term predictions indicate that some areas will suffer lower rainfalls, such as South Africa’s Western Cape, while other regions to the north of the Zambezi could experience higher precipitation.

What is conclusive is that extremes in weather patterns will occur more frequently. This was made evident by the recent large-scale devastation caused by the cyclones landing in Mozambique, Malawi and parts of Zimbabwe.

Conversely, droughts will become more prolonged. Over the last four or so years, there has hardly been a city or town in South Africa that hasn’t had to institute water restrictions, with adverse effects on their economies. Cape Town received extensive media attention for its ‘Day Zero’ water shortage challenge.

Nelson Mandela Bay Metro and the broader Eastern Cape area have also been similarly affected, as have inland regions.

The prolonged drought periods are generally followed by heavy and intense rainfall, resulting in flooding. Both extremes are damaging to humanity, livestock, the economy and property. The ecology also suffers. Droughts denude the vegetation cover so that when intense rainfall occurs, the resulting erosion is severe and seriously reduces the storage capacity in dams.

Dams are designed to offset these effects, but are they still able to do so with changing weather conditions? Presently, the dams in Southern Africa are designed purely as storage dams, with very little flexibility to be used to mitigate the effects of climate change.

Sustainable storage

Dams should be fitted with moveable, preferably automatic spillway gates.

These can be used to increase the storage in existing dams to offset the long-term effects of droughts. They can also be opened ahead of predicted heavy rainfall events in the catchment to then create additional storage in the dam, plus help attenuate the forthcoming flood.

Weather prediction with satellite forecasting is now an almost exact science. It provides an early warning mechanism, enabling a dam owner to plan ahead and release water from the dam before the storm hits. It will also give downstream users ample warning of flood waters to come.

For river weirs and low dams of up to 25 m in height, use should be made of automatic self-operating scour gates placed in the base of the structure. They can

Large scour gate for the Neckartal scheme, Namibia

Spillway gates on the Avis Dam, Namibia

Peter Townshend, Pr Eng, managing director of Amanziflow Projects

also be retrofitted to existing dams or weirs, even for dams higher than 25 m. These automatic bottom opening gates will add to the discharge capacity of the dam in a flood but, more importantly, they open when the flood is running to pass sediment-laden water through the base of the structure. These are effective in minimising sediment buildup in the reservoir.

As South Africa is a semi-arid country, consideration should be given to recharging underground aquifers, as is the case in Australia. In arid areas, the temperatures are increasing dramatically and the loss to evaporation is considerable. There should be schemes on non-perennial rivers in those areas that are subjected to flash floods to extract the surplus flood flow

and divert it to settling ponds, then to a reedbed cleaning system before feeding back in boreholes to recharge the aquifers. This is the safest place to store water. It does, however, require a moveable weir with gate that will allow sediment to pass, as well as a control gate to divert excess flood water to the settling and cleaning ponds.

c hoosing the right gate

The choice of gates is important in the context of this sub-continent where maintenance is minimal and the level of the operators is questionable. Electromechanical-type gates, such as radial or vertical roller gates, are not suitable in these conditions. There is a long history of gate failure for electromechanical gates.

However, a range of automatic self-actuating gates has been designed in South Africa to effectively overcome the problems associated with electromechanical gates. These gates are activated purely on water forces and triggered by the water level to open and then close again to retain the full supply level. This range of gates does not require any electromechanical mechanism or operators and is essentially vandalproof. Such gates are, therefore, ideally suited for conditions in Africa. A number of these control gates have been working successfully in Southern Africa over the last 30 years. They can be viewed with animations of the equipment on the website www.amanziflow.com .

Weir gate on the Runde River, Zimbabwe

Spillway gates on the Belfast Dam, Mpumalanga

Tailings dams: failure not an option

Modern tailings dams are often designed by competent consulting engineers, but because they are built slowly in stages over many years, and conditions may also change with time, supervision of their construction may become relaxed. Tailings dams can also become very large. For example, one of the biggest tailings dams in the world is in Canada, at 18 km long and between 40 m and 88 m high.

Safety risks

According to a report from infomine.com, there are almost 3 500 active tailings dams worldwide. The same report also notes research suggesting that tailings dams tend to fail 10 times more often than conventional dams. Brazil experienced a major disaster in January 2019 when an iron ore mine’s tailings dam in Minas Gerais

More than 100 lives were lost after a tailings dam in Brazil collapsed, releasing around 11.7 million m3 of sludgy mining waste

state collapsed. Around 11.7 million m 3 of tailings collapsed, flattened the mining complex and tore through the surrounding countryside, resulting in the deaths of 142 people. This incident has raised many concerns around the construction and monitoring of tailings dams at mines.

Monitoring

is essential

Tailings dams share many common features with embankment dams; however, research suggests that tailings dams face a much higher failure rate, sometimes with deadly consequences.

3 500 tailings dams

Constant monitoring is essential to help prevent this kind of major collapse, as well as smaller-scale problems. Most mines perform manual checks for displacement, strain, level, pressure and flow, sending operators out a monitoring or control system. These

Smart instrumentation for hydrostatic measurement for water table monitoring allows for constant and consistent data readings

According to a report from InfoMine, there are almost 3 500 active tailings dams worldwide. The same report also notes research suggesting that tailings dams tend to fail 10 times more often than conventional dams

The FMR20 measures the dam’s surface and sends the data wirelessly

Smart data for consistent monitoring

Although monitoring needs may differ among dams, most should at least have level and flow measurement.

Mines typically need two level measurements – one for the water table level and one for the dam level. For tailings dam monitoring, wireless devices provide great solutions to avoid high costs in structure. They provide a vast amount of process data, as well as remote access to sensor status and configuration.

18 km long

One of the biggest tailings dams in the world is in Canada, at 18 km long and between 40 m and 88 m high

For the water table, a hydrostatic level sensor in a PVC tube can be installed within a water well. The data can be collected using a wireless device, which provides good accuracy, with regular updates provided as often as every 15 minutes.

142 dead

Brazil experienced a major disaster in January 2019 when an iron ore mine’s tailings dam in Minas Gerais state collapsed. Around 11.7 million m3 of tailings collapsed, flattened the mining complex and tore through the surrounding countryside, resulting in the deaths of 142 people

For the dam level, a radar level transmitter can monitor the dam’s surface and send the data wirelessly, while another ultrasonic or radar in a Parshall flume can be used to measure flow.

Endress+Hauser warns that while companies may look for inexpensive solutions, it is advisable to consider a standardised protocol like WirelessHART, which provides great options in the case of device failure. Security should always be taken into consideration, ensuring stable network conditions and data encryption.

Precise monitoring of water flows and leak detection in irrigation networks

WATERFLUX 3070 –technology driven by KROHNE

• Electromagnetic water meter with integrated temperature and pressure measurement

• Line pressure monitoring for leak detection or pump efficiency control

• Multiple power concept for any location

• Remote transmission of readings and meter status as option

Tunnel designers prep for LHWP Phase II

Phase II of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project is currently under way in order to boost supply to the Vaal System to around 1 255 million m3 per annum.

The Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP) is a multiphased initiative intended to provide water to Gauteng in South Africa and to generate hydro-electricity

infrastructure.

SMEC South

Africa, as a member of the Metsi a Senqu-Khubelu Consultants Joint Venture (MSKC) appointed by the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority (LHDA), is providing professional services for the design and construction supervision of the Polihali Transfer Tunnel.

Altogether, MSKC will carry out the design and construction supervision of: approximately 8.3 km of drill-and-blast tunnels, including intake tunnels, access adits, connector tunnels and outlet tunnels; approximately 34 km of tunnel-boringmachine tunnels; approximately 230 m

and technology transfer element of this contract,” states Chris Viljoen, project director, SMEC South Africa. “The contract also makes provision for the training of young professionals.”

In terms of the treaty between Lesotho and South Africa, water from the LHWP is transferred via the Katse reservoir, through a transfer tunnel and delivery tunnel, to the Ash River outfall between Clarens and Bethlehem in South Africa. Water flows from the Ash River into the Liebenbergsvlei, which joins the Wilge River near Frankfort, before finally reaching the Vaal Dam.

Phase II is expected to ensure another source of reliable water supply to South Africa, meeting growing demand in particular from the Gauteng region. Once completed, the current supply rate from the LHWP to the Vaal System of 780 million m3 per annum is expected

Katse Dam is a doublecurvature concrete arch dam with a crest length of 710 m

The Ash River outfall established during Phase I of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project

Changing lives Changing lives

A Mpumalanga community can now benefit from access to adequate clinic services with clean running water and a secure environment.

As part of its corporate social investment (CSI), KSB Pumps and Valves, together with Eskom, assisted in the upgrade of the Nthoroane Clinic. This involved connecting the clinic’s main water tank to internal facilities, constructing a new main entrance with boom gates, guard house, car ports for 10 vehicles, handrails for the entrance and disabled toilets, as well as the paving and painting of toilets.

“The project was undertaken after KSB Germany directly supplied four new HDC 6/8N pumps and a further nine REL oil pumps to Eskom. Since KSB was the sole OEM for these products, we were obliged to give something back to the local communities through our CSI efforts. This led to a decision to reinvest a percentage of the order value back into the community of

Grootvlei,” explains Gerald Surjoobhalee, commercial manager, KSB Pumps and Valves.

“Nthoroane Clinic was the perfect choice, as access to quality health service is essential for every community; the clinic was also in desperate need of some TLC. Once the decision was made, we sprang into action and started work in October last year. By May this year, all work had been wrapped up and the community is already enjoying the benefits of their own labour.”

Giving back to the community

KSB provided both funding and project management for the project and assisted in the development of local suppliers, contractors and labour, who received appropriate training and gained valuable experience through direct exposure to the fundamentals of project management.

the

Clinic patients now have proper taps with clean water and a backup generator ensures the lights stay on even if the power goes out. The controlled-access boom gate also ensures staff and patients are safe and secure.

“Having undertaken the project alongside Eskom, we have learned that big businesses, like ours, can do a lot to help communities in need. Team efforts such as this one, between state-owned enterprises and suppliers, can help build better business relationships and contribute towards healthier and happier communities in future,” concludes Surjoobhalee.

At

reopening of the Nthoroane Clinic were KSB Pumps and Valves’ Grant Glennistor, Gerald Surjoobhalee and Patience Kotyi (far right), with Sister Thangithi Mazibuko, who is in charge of six clinics in the district

Proudly South African pumps

Since inception in 1952, APE Pumps has been an innovator in the field of fluid transfer solutions across industries that include water utilities, mining, petrochemicals and the energy sector. This is a comprehensive skill set that is aligned with its sister company, Mather+Platt, which traces its own heritage back to England in 1845.

“As an OEM, we’ve always prided ourselves on being at the forefront of the market through home-grown product innovation,” says John Montgomery, general manager, APE Pumps and Mather+Platt. “We focus on continually repositioning our brands for sustained growth within a highly competitive market. This includes the Group’s ability to meet the Department of Trade and Industry’s local content provision for pumps. Our products are designed, cast and assembled in South Africa and we are 100% compliant.”

In May 2019, the Group took this a step further by becoming a member of the Proudly South African family. “Carrying the Proudly South African mark underscores our commitment to local industry and government’s goal of tackling the triple challenge of inequality, unemployment and poverty. It also aligns us with current and future clients who are already

The year 2019 marks a key milestone for APE Pumps and Mather+Platt, as the Group celebrates its 68th year in business, underscoring its design, manufacturing and project management capabilities.

members and dedicated to building a better future for every South African,” says Montgomery.

The manufacturing sector is one of the most important drivers in revitalising the South African economy. “Like most sectors, manufacturing has been in decline and a key contributing factor has been the rise in imported goods. We need to combat this,” he continues.

The end goal of Proudly South African is to ensure that private and public sector procurement is spent on locally produced goods and services. This will help to foster much-needed employment and the creation and sustainability of SMMEs, seen as a catalyst for socio-economic transformation. To become a Proudly South African member, companies need to meet the minimum local content threshold, adhere to set quality and environmental standards, and demonstrate fair labour practices.

“As a new Proudly South African ambassador, our role is to help inform our industry about the critical importance of boosting domestic capacity,” Montgomery explains.

“We’d like to encourage current and future clients to visit our Germiston facility to experience the energy and innovation that drive our current and future vision. This all hinges on our investment in plant upgrades and

equipment, and our diversified workforce. Our training and development focus is one of the main reasons we’re market leaders today,” he expands.

The Group is an accredited MerSETA trainer, and in addition to pattern- and mould-makers, prepares apprentices for qualification as boilermakers and fitters and turners, among other trades.

The Group recently increased its service and repair facility by around 5 000 m2 to cater for current and future expansion. This includes offering an operations and maintenance service for clients.

Product leadership

Backed by a history of research and development dating back to the first Industrial Revolution, the Group is now firmly entrenched in today’s Industry 4.0 environment.

Mather+Platt manufactures horizontal multistage pumps designed for high-pressure applications, and split-case pumps chiefly for high volumes. In turn, APE Pumps specialises in the design and manufacture of vertical industrial turbine pumps, split-case and endsuction pumps for most industries. APE Pumps and Mather+Platt also provide an installation and commissioning service.

A prime example of proven product durability in the power generation sector is the CW concrete volute vertical end-suction pump series. Designed for cooling water applications,

APE Pumps’ CW units are renowned for their high efficiencies.

During 2018, the Group was responsible for overseeing the maintenance of six 1.6 m diameter CW units at Lethabo Power Station. These units were originally installed by APE Pumps in 1981. Each pump has the capacity to supply up to 7 350 ℓ/s of water at a head of 21.5 m. When inspected, four of the pumps were still in excellent condition after 37 years of continuous operation; the remaining two showed signs of wear and were shipped to APE Pumps’ Germiston facility for refurbishment.

Malawi bulk water upgrade

Within the utilities arena, the work carried out by APE Pumps for the Blantyre Water Board (BWB) in Malawi is a classic example of how the Group executes turnkey projects. Divided into two contracts, the scope entailed the design, supply and installation of a range of solutions led by APE’s Projects Division.

water is pumped through a water treatment plant via two pipelines to a high-lift pump station. After transferring to the purification plant, two further pump stations, each housing three pumps in parallel and one on standby, transfer the water at up to 750 m3/h and 550 m head to Chileka over a distance of around 26 km. From there, pipelines carry the water a further 13 km to feed reservoirs in the city of Blantyre.

field and it’s an essential one, especially when tackling retrofits on pumps that no longer have available design drawings to work from.

The first project entailed rehabilitation and renewal works at BWB’s Walker’s Ferry raw water intake and high-lift pumping station; while the second involved the upgrading of the downstream Chileka pump station – both vital installations in terms of ensuring Blantyre’s water security.

At Walker’s Ferry, situated alongside the Shire River some 40 km from Blantyre,

The scope of works at Walker’s Ferry was extensive. Critical infrastructure works included the supply and installation of 16 m long common header delivery pipes (800 NB), and the installation and commissioning of six new raw water pump sets, each with a capacity of 750 m3/h and a head of 350 m.

At Chileka, the scope included the installation of eight new 750 m3/h pump sets, including connection pipework to existing common suction and delivery headers.

integrated solutions

Whatever the age or date of installation, APE has the ability to design, fabricate and retrofit. Not an easy task, but one it can successfully deliver thanks to its wooden pattern-maker expertise. In fact, APE is one of the few companies in South Africa that provides apprenticeship training in this

Standard, customised or retrofitted, the Group has a solution for every fluid transfer application, with future performance backed by OEM parts and comprehensive after-sales and warranty programmes. Since inception in 1952, the Group has never discontinued a product, so spares are always available.

“We strongly discourage the use of nonOEM replicated parts, and especially pirate parts, since this has serious implications for overall system performance,” says Montgomery. “It’s rare for replicated parts to exactly fit the original OEM tolerance specifications,” he adds.

“By supporting our OEM parts and services, clients are also buying local, and that’s Proudly South African,” Montgomery concludes.

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Case study: deep mining pressure reduction

A frequently failing pressure-reducing valve (PRV) system in one of South Africa’s deepest vertical mines necessitated a new, multistage pressure-reduction system.

With its installation at 2 982 m below ground level, the mine uses a uPVC and HDPE pipe system to feed the level. Pipe bursts occurred regularly due to a PRV system failing or overshooting.

The PRV system could not cope with the variation in flow rates during the different operations of mining during a 24-hour period. The system suffered from pressure surges and hunting because of the two valves, used in series, to reduce the pressure to the required set value.

Post-commissioning results

As a result of the high pressures, the mine faced a number of problems. The radial-type valves in place needed to be taken out of the line to do repairs, and the mine needed to replace the internal rubber sleeves every 20 to 30 days. Furthermore, the internal cores had to be replaced every three to four months. The control loop system was not suited for the application and failed due to blockage of the control piping, as well as remote pressure-sensing being done from the wrong side of an orifice plate. Due to the high pressure, the pilot internals failed every 7 to 12 days.

The challenge

The challenge was to design a stable and flexible control valve system able to reduce pressure from 80 bar to 13 bar, which would also:

• keep the downstream pressure constant irrespective of varying flow rates

• reduce the amount of maintenance needed

• increase the durability of the system

• prevent cavitation on the valve

• prevent water hammer and hunting in the downstream pipe system.

The Bermad solution Bermad and local supplier Macsteel Fluid Control were able to develop a solution

using their WW-8"-820-55-Y-SISO-40-EB-NN-FVIU valve.

The new system uses a PN 100 PRV slave (non-Bermad) to reduce pressure from 80 bar to 30 bar, as well as an 800-series single-chamber valve to further reduce the pressure from 30 bar to 13 bar.

The valve is equipped with a V-port to handle both low and high flow conditions and can be electrically controlled from the control room to switch to 5 bar during times of mine inactivity. In addition, the valve is equipped with a burst control function to shut down the valve in the event of excessive flow rates. A large control filter is installed to prevent any particles in the water blocking the control loop system.

“The new Bermad system has successfully resolved the mine’s water pressure challenges, significantly reducing maintenance costs and increasing the mine’s uptime. We are happy to have been involved in such an important project for one of South Africa’s deepest vertical mines,” concludes Rowan Blomquist, CEO, Macsteel Fluid Control.

Network pressure before

Preparing SA for the new revolution

Unlike the previous industrial revolutions, Industry 4.0 or the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) is not a technology revolution. Rather, it marks a change in the way existing technologies interact – a blurring of the lines between the physical, digital and biological. And it is not just an industry, but a global change that is beginning to affect all sectors and aspects of society, explains Dr Daniel Visser, strategy manager: RDI, CSIR.

Data is becoming the biggest currency, augmented reality is no longer just for gaming, and things like artificial intelligence and machine learning are changing jobs and making processes safer and more effective.

In government terms, the tools for efficient planning and service delivery are available, along with the tools to create ‘smart’ spaces. According to Visser, this could lead to the localisation of utilities and offers new solutions to old problems such as leak detection and water quality monitoring. However, it is important to examine South Africa’s readiness to embrace Industry 4.0.

examining readiness

A Deloitte Global survey on readiness for

4IR highlighted four areas that serve as indicators for readiness globally. These are:

1. Social impact – accept that all organisations have the power to influence society in multiple ways.

2. Strategy – take a holistic approach to strategic planning, explore to develop new products and services, and create new value for a broader range of stakeholders.

3. Talent and workforce – make it a priority to prepare workers to navigate Industry 4.0 by creating a culture of learning and collaboration, and creating training opportunities, both within the organisation and in underserved communities.

4. Technology – view technology as the most powerful differentiator in an Industry 4.0 world and invest in integrating new applications that can support new business models. The report also explored the most common challenges organisations face when adopting technologies and their applications. The lack of internal alignment on which strategies to follow was identified as the biggest challenges, followed by a lack of collaboration with external partners. Similarly, the main influences in investment in advanced technologies were identified as new business models, companies’ ability to integrate new

An enabling environment is essential for the adoption of all that Industry 4.0 has to offer. But is South Africa ready for this revolution?

By Danielle petterson

technologies and companies’ adaptability.

The future of work skills

According to Ilse Karg, chief director: Future Industrial Production Technologies, Department of Trade and Industry, South Africa faces a number of threats when it comes to implementing 4IR and the appropriate policies. Not least of these is a high unemployment rate, paired with a large youth demographic, and education and training systems that need radical improvements.

Karg reports that an estimated 5.7 million jobs are currently at risk in South Africa in the context of 4IR. There is a huge gap in the supply and demand of skills, particularly in the IT space.

Population growth has overtaken GDP growth, a trend that is expected to continue for the next 20 years. This will result in a continued expansion of the youth demographic, which currently accounts for around 50% of the population; however, Karg reports that around 75% of youth are without jobs, and labour and income are declining while unemployment continues to grow. This poses a serious challenge; however, the opportunities lie in investing in youth human capital to

prepare them for the growing skills gap that 4IR brings.

de-industrialisation

Furthermore, Karg reports that the country is not accumulating capital in the production sectors. Instead, South Africa is de-industrialising, which adds to the growing unemployment crisis. Trends show that consumers are spending more on consumables and, as a result, South Africa is importing more and producing less. Even more concerning, local manufacturers are not planning to invest in research and development, as declining economic complexity and technological change outpace institutional capacity.

The World Economic Forum’s Readiness fortheFutureofProductionAssessment 2018report evaluated the readiness of 100 countries and economies for the future of production on a scale of 0 (worst score) to 10 (best score), across both the drivers and structure of production. Table 1 shows South Africa’s scores.

prepare for and shape future production paradigms, South Africa ranked among the G20 countries displaying the lowest levels of readiness, together with Argentina and Brazil.

South Africa is also classified as a ‘nascent’ country. Together, these nascent nations –which account for 58 of the 100 countries – only account for 10% of global MVA (manufacturing value added). The report indicates that significant investments in these countries will be required to prepare for and capitalise on opportunities in the future of production.

Leading countries, on the other hand, are at the forefront of designing, testing and pioneering emerging technologies. Many have developed government-led strategies to capitalise on 4IR and are best positioned to facilitate global cooperation to usher in the next production paradigm.

addressing the challenges

Table 1 South Africa’s readiness for the future of production (Source: Readiness fortheFutureofProductionAssessment 2018 , WEF)

Although the assessment indicated that all countries can do more to

President Cyril Ramaphosa has embraced 4IR, seeing it as necessary to ensure that globalisation promotes inclusive growth and development, shaping industries and economies, as well as creating new patterns of employment, production and investment. With this in mind, he recently established the Presidential Commission on the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

However, the same Deloitte Global survey mentioned earlier recorded that the large majority of executives see businesses –both public (74%) and private (67%) – as having the most influence on how 4IR will shape society, followed by government and then intergovernmental bodies.

Encouragingly, government has established the Public-Private Growth Initiative, as a sector-based collaboration between government and business, in order to build a closer

relationship and align plans and objectives between government and the private sector. According to Karg, the group has made a number of recommendations that will impact on 4IR, including:

- Manufacturing capacity must not be underutilised.

- Job losses and de-industrialisation must be arrested before real growth and new jobs are created.

- Industry can commit to boosting demand for goods manufactured in South Africa by buying local, identifying import substitution opportunities and enhancing export competitiveness.

- Alternative governance structures must be considered to enhance cooperation with and transparency of labour.

- Government needs to address structural conditions in the economy that are conducive to investment.

- Government needs to create conditions through policy certainty, coordination and alignment.

The ultimate goal of all this is to allow business to actively collaborate to create inclusive economic growth.

Visser agrees that public and private sector involvement is crucial for 4IR, along with state support instruments, and ways to incentivise the adoption of new technologies and risk taking. “Publicprivate partnerships are key – how the government works with industry and how those two work with the rest of society. If we do not do this, we will not keep up with the pace of how this revolution is moving and we will not necessarily grow in a holistic and inclusive way,” he says.

He points out that government needs to develop supportive policies and regulatory frameworks for 4IR technologies such as drones, 5G, biotechnology and the ethics of bio-intelligence. Without these regulations and an enabling environment, the technologies become useless.

It is also important to note that the way in which South Africa applies 4IR will have to differ significantly from other countries. Rather than embracing robotics and automation that replaces jobs, South Africa must seek to enhance jobs through technology and innovation.

“Research and development is a key area, but we don’t have to develop everything ourselves. There is a lot happening in the world and we can import technologies and localise them. But we need to develop niche areas where we are leaders, if we want to compete on a global scale,” says Visser.

Data-driven decision-making for water security

Measuring and interpreting data is crucial for the management of our water resources. Dr Shafick Adams* explores the role of datadriven decision-making in South Africa’s water sector.

Every day, we make observations to inform our decisions –whether it is taking your loved one’s temperature to establish if they have a fever or checking your fuel gauge or range on your vehicle’s display. It provides us with the comfort of knowing and decision-making information.

In 1954, Peter Drucker coined the now well-known cliché: “What gets measured, gets managed.” It follows then that what does not get measured, does not get properly managed. Recently, we have witnessed the immense power of data and the interpretive power of people and machines. These were the observation and imaging of a black hole (Messier 87) and the impressive predictions of the national and provincial election results. We have the capabilities to conceptualise and develop some of the best descriptions of the physical world but we need observations to convert these conceptualisations into meaningful predictive and management models. To ensure that these models (whether it is a simple equation or complex numerical model) perform as close as possible to

reality, we need more measurements and data to calibrate and validate model performance as well as improve confidence in the model outputs. Based on the information on hand, we make decisions whose quality is directly related to the quality of the data and information.

Garbage in garbage out

We are familiar with the acronym GIGO –garbage in, garbage out. Over time, some of our decisions become almost automatic as we understand our environment, experiences and relationships of the variables. We manage the uncertainties and risks with the information at our disposal. Unfortunately, we cannot do the same with environmental systems because of the dynamic nature of these systems and the often complex and interrelated immediate and long-term feedback mechanisms.

We got away with it for some time because some of the short- and long-term changes were fairly predictable. As our climate systems become erratic (and have been for some time), there is a need for data and information on a regular basis if not in near-real time. In trying to understand our water resources, we need to understand a multitude of things at the same time to plan and manage water provisioning, protect the resource, and predict potential disasters like droughts and flooding. One needs to understand long- and

short-term weather and climate, land-use changes, surface water and subsurface water status, water levels of the different reservoirs, water quality, and social information, among others. All this requires quantitative and qualitative observations.

Harmonising data collection

All this information and data is often collected by a variety of institutions. The data collected is often not for the purpose of managing water resources. Weather data (in particular rainfall data) is for instance collected by the South African Weather Services, Agricultural Research Council, Department of Water and Sanitation, academia, farmers and the public. This happens independently of each other and accessing the data and information is cumbersome

and often comes at a cost, due to institutional policies.

Data is not seen as a public good – it should be, and more so if it has been paid for by the public purse. This information is required at a variety of spatial and temporal scales, as it is not static information. Good decision-making thus relies on the best available near-real-time information.

Weather data is the main input in our planning models and improving the prediction of extreme events (i.e. droughts and flooding). Data sharing is thus a prerequisite for good decisionmaking. Unfortunately, there has been a steady decline in the collection of data and information related to climate and water systems. Coupled with the poor accessibility of data due to the fact that it is being sold or seen as a competitive advantage, it makes for a troubling situation. The Water Research Commission (WRC) has tried for years to

get organisations to openly share data and harmonise data collection.

The WRC has convened a Climate Advisory Panel to: enhance collaboration; provide a seasonal outlook, and reflect on the season ending within the context of water security; provide recommendations and advice for the season; and communicate the outcomes to a wider audience. Although not perfect, the predictions are a good start and can only get better if we rescue the ailing data collection systems, ensure their interoperability and improve institutional collaboration.

Publicly funded institutions should make the data and information freely available – it is data for the public good. I would like to see a comparison of the monetary value of the data sold versus the cost of not having the information

*Dr Shafick AdamsisanexecutivemanagerattheWaterResearchCommission.

26 Nagington Road, Wadeville, Germiston 1400, South Africa

Tel +27 11 824 4810 / Fax +27 11 824 2770

E-mail info@apepumps.co.za / info@matherandplatt.com

Website www.apepumps.co.za / www.matherandplatt.com

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available to plan for droughts and floods. I suspect we are paying much more in disaster relief, agricultural losses, loss of life, economic growth, job losses and so on.

The rise of big data

The rise of big data analytics and advanced algorithms offers a good opportunity to start bootstrapping (i.e. getting us out of this situation using existing resources) and improve data collection, availability and quality. Big data analytics, machine learning and artificial intelligence are revolutionising decision-making at all levels. Coupled with remotely sensed information from satellite sensors, unmanned aerial systems (drones) and land-based radar, we can develop intelligent data layers. However, there will still be a need for land-based observations.

Data collection systems must be optimised in time and space to give us the best available information using these technologies. Taking it a step further, we can incorporate data collected by ordinary citizens. In fact, there is a whole cadre of citizen scientists collecting data that can be extremely helpful in improving our understanding of earth systems.

A groundwater app is being developed that will enable citizens to collect data and store it in an existing database using their smartphone’s GPS, camera, and other sensors. This information will then be cleared over time using a modified blockchain approach to satisfy the accuracy required by models and decision-makers.

There is an urgent need for an integrated data centre or clearing house to serve planners, decision-makers and operators. The opportunity exists to create new career paths: most other jurisdictions have careers like chief data scientists, data collectors and modellers that ensure that their nations are prepared for imminent disasters and to effectively manage their resources. Locally, it seems that these activities are the first in line when there are budget cuts.

In short, if we do not measure and interpret the data, we cannot manage our water resources or prepare for environmental threats. Data and its proper interpretations are now more important than ever before. This is a plea to rescue and enhance monitoring systems, data collation, curation and interpretation for the judicious management of our resources. Data must be democratised for wider benefit.

Ablution solutions for eThekwini

Striving to restore dignity and improve the quality of life for some of KwaZulu-Natal’s poorest communities, eThekwini Municipality has rolled out communal ablution facilities to secure the supply of potable water and basic sanitation services.

EThekwini Municipality has passionately pursued the objective to provide water and sanitation services to informal settlements. The municipality’s Provision of Water and Sanitation to Informal Settlements Project has been instrumental in the delivery of 300 ablution facilities to over 34 informal settlements, serving more than 180 000 people across the city.

Furthermore, eThekwini’s roll-out of communal ablution facilities to rural communities illustrates the service delivery successes that can be achieved via partnerships between local and national government, private sector service providers and contractors, and local communities.

Taking the lead in prioritising socioeconomic development for the informal settlement communities, the municipality has adopted labour-intensive construction methods, encouraging the use of local labour and suppliers. Offering both direct and indirect benefits for the surrounding community, the project created 561 temporary jobs as well as training opportunities. Local sources of material were also used in construction.

ablution solutions

At an estimated cost of R1 billion, the three-year Provision of Water and Sanitation to Informal Settlements Project commenced in September 2015.

The roll-out of communal ablution facilities included containerised and modular ablution blocks as for both males and females, together with refurbishments to existing ablution block facilities. Modular ablution blocks, which consist of prefabricated panels, were considered the best solution for areas that were difficult to access. In addition to the on-site ablution facilities, water and sewage reticulation systems were put in place to tie into eThekwini’s existing network, together with large bulk sewer and water pipeline infrastructure. Refurbishment of existing bulk sewage

PrOject teAM

Client ethekwini Municipality, water and sanitation services

Consulting engineers

bosch projects, MMK consulting Engineers, impande consulting Engineers, tLs consulting Engineers

Project manager sMEc (sA)

pump stations was also undertaken.

For those communities that don’t have immediate and adjacent access to existing sewerage infrastructure, a 45 m³/day package sewage treatment plant was established.

effective collaboration

The project areas were prioritised by eThekwini and allocated to the main professional team, which included a project manager for four design consultants. Two emerging design development consultants were assigned to each of the design consultants, to fulfil the latter’s roles as mentor, and to accelerate training and knowledge-sharing in the areas of business development, project management, design and construction supervision.

Construction was closely monitored by full-time, on-site environmental site officers and part-time environmental control officers, to ensure compliance with the Environmental Management Plan. Specific emphasis was placed on stream health and rehabilitation of the areas affected by the construction. Future planning and implementation of bulk infrastructure to unlock water and sanitation services to informal communities also formed part of the project, seeking to further satisfy basic water and sanitation needs to informal settlements, while restoring dignity and improving quality of life.

A woman makes use of the new communal ablution facilities

Modular ablution blocks made of prefabricated panels offered the best solution for difficult-to-access areas

reuse: an attractive alternative

In order to meet the ever-increasing demand for water in South Africa, there is growing interest in the reuse of wastewater as an alternative water supply strategy to sustain development and economic growth in the region. By Chris Swartz*

There are a number of drivers that make water reuse attractive as an alternative water supply strategy or means of augmentation over conventional groundwater and surface water sources. Reuse water forms a locally sourced, sustainable and reliable supply of water, and authorities are becoming increasingly aware that reuse water is no longer only an emergency supply option, but also a sustainable alternative supply.

Water reuse also has a long track record of being a safe practice, mainly as a result of effective monitoring and quality control. Considerable research into health aspects and technology developments has led to a growing endorsement of reuse as an alternative water supply option, especially in areas where freshwater availability is limited.

Windhoek

Last year, the City of Windhoek celebrated 50 years of direct potable reuse. The original planners and researchers of the Windhoek water reclamation project are considered pioneers in this field. The first direct potable reuse plant was commissioned in 1968 and was the result of severe droughts in Namibia, with no other viable water sources for the City of Windhoek. Considerable research and development had taken place in Windhoek and South Africa to study health impacts, process efficiency and water management strategies.

The New Goreangab Water Reclamation Plant was commissioned in 2002 to replace the original upgraded plant.

Beaufort West

Beaufort West holds the distinction of having South Africa’s first direct potable reuse plant, where secondary treated wastewater is conveyed to an advanced water treatment facility for further treatment to drinking water quality standards. The plant was built in 2010 when the town’s main water supply, the Gamka Dam, dried up during a severe drought. It became operational in January 2011.

Although the drought was broken in June that year by widespread rains in the central Karoo and Garden Route, the Beaufort West region is currently experiencing a very harsh drought, probably even worse than that of 2010. The water reclamation project is proving to be a reliable source of water for the town, albeit not sufficient on its own to meet the water demand of the community and industry.

eMalahleni

eMalahleni (Witbank) is an industrial town surrounded by coal-producing mines, steel manufacture and Eskom coal-fired power stations. The town’s water security was threatened not only by water shortages, but also low water quality due to high amounts of dissolved metals and salts accumulating in the catchment, mainly as a result of acid mine drainage.

To address these challenges, a water reclamation plant was

constructed to treat mining effluent water to potable standards for use in the town. The plant has now been operational for several years and continues to produce safe, potable water to the eMalahleni community, while simultaneously reducing the risk of environmental contamination from the uncontrolled discharge of acid mine drainage.

city of cape Town

Prior to the recent drought, the City of Cape Town undertook a number of high-level planning studies as well as a pre-feasibility study on possible water reuse schemes in terms of the National Department of Water and Sanitation’s Reconciliation Strategy for the Western Cape Water Supply System. The pre-feasibility study identified the need for the implementation of a small-scale pilot water reuse plant to learn lessons and prove the technology. During the drought, the city committed to implementing the following:

Zandvliet WWTW, Cape Town

• Two indirect potable reuse schemes in which tertiary effluent from Borcherds Quarry Wastewater Treatment Works (WWTW) and the Cape Flats WWTW would produce an additional 8 MLD and 40 MLD of advance treated water, respectively. This would be injected into the Cape Flats Aquifer and abstracted after a minimum two-month retention time for potable water treatment.

• A temporary direct 10 MLD potable reuse plant on which tertiary effluent from the Zandvliet WWTW would undergo advanced treatment prior to injection into a 2.4 m diameter bulk water supply pipeline ordinarily conveying over 200 MLD for blending prior to distribution over an extensive area of Cape Town. Detail planning and design has also commenced on a further phase, which will involve the development of a permanent 70 MLD scheme utilising the same source water, with the option of upgrading to 100 MLD.

A STRONG FOUNDATION FOR INFRASTRUCTURE SUCCESS

Water reuse is a key component of the City of Cape Town’s water strategy, approved in May 2019, and the city is committed to designing and operating these facilities in accordance with international best practice.

Ballito

During the peak of the drought in KwaZulu-Natal in late September 2014, Sembcorp Siza Water – which has a 30-year concession contract with Ilembe District Municipality (DM) – was made aware of the critical levels of dams in the region. The company considered various options for augmentation of the drinking water supply to ensure sufficient supply of water for domestic, commercial and industrial purposes. These options included groundwater development, water carting (supply using water tankers), desalination of sea water, and wastewater reuse. Wastewater recycling was found to be the most sustainable and cost-effective option, and was chosen as the preferred option fo further development. The success of the project depended on the effective communication strategy and public participation process adopted by Ilembe DM and Sembcorp Siza Water. The recycling plant, with a capacity of 3 MLD, was subsequently constructed and commissioned in August 2016. The plant was upgraded in 2018 to a capacity of 4 MLD and currently supplies reuse water to communities in the Ballito area.

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Water reuse systems for private facilities

A recent development in water recycling and reuse in South Africa is the implementation of potable reuse schemes for private facilities such as offices, recreational spaces, and hotels. A number of these private facilities in Cape Town have included water reuse systems, in which wastewater is treated to a standard that allows for the reuse of the water for potable or non-potable use.

emerging substances of concern

If not treated properly, wastewater can be a possible exposure pathway to a large number of emerging substances of concern and their metabolites. The influent wastewater entering a water reclamation plant can contain some emerging contaminants such as pharmaceuticals and veterinary medicines, personal care products, plasticisers, flame retardants, perfluorinated and brominated substances, pesticides and herbicides. Research has shown that advanced water treatment processes are able to remove or reduce most of these unwanted chemicals to low levels in the final treated reuse water. Most of the municipal wastewater treatment plants are not specifically designed to deal with these emerging contaminants found in wastewater, and advanced treatment processes must therefore be provided in water reclamation plants to produce a product water that can be used for potable purposes.

Non-potable water reuse opportunities

There is a growing trend to also focus on non-potable reuse opportunities, especially where these schemes can replace the need for direct potable reuse. These non-potable reuse opportunities include industrial uses, the irrigation of public spaces such as golf courses and sports fields, groundwater recharge, toilet flushing in domestic and non-domestic buildings, agricultural uses, dust suppression, and fire-fighting

Reuse challenges

As mentioned previously, the implementation of water reuse in South Africa is slowly gaining traction. However, there are still a number of challenges facing the implementation of reclamation and reuse projects, such as:

• lack of National Water Reuse Guidelines and related water quality standards

• analytical capability for chemicals of emerging concern

• risks associated with operations and management of the reclamation facilities

• challenges with the performance of wastewater treatment plants (poor-quality final effluent)

• handling of waste streams

• operating costs (especially energy and waste streams)

• lack of public knowledge regarding water reuse

• need for public and political education and acceptance

• attention to de facto (unplanned/ unintended) reuse.

de facto reuse

A large number of water services authorities (WSAs) and water services providers (WSPs) are dependent on polluted water sources for drinking water supply to the communities and industry they serve. This is largely due to overloaded and/or poorly performing wastewater treatment systems, industrial discharge and unsewered informal settlements.

The treatment plants that were originally provided for drinking water production from these water sources were not designed to treat such poor-quality water, resulting in a high risk for pollutants (especially micro-pollutants) to pass through the treatment plants and have a health impact on the communities.

These plants are now considered to be de facto reuse plants (unplanned potable reuse plants), because they, in fact, reuse wastewater that is discharged to rivers and dams and then abstracted downstream for potable use. This implies that the process configurations for municipal drinking water treatment plants treating these waters should also include advanced treatment technologies to ensure the removal of all pollutants of concern (including chemicals of emerging concern) from the incoming water.

As a result of the health implications of the rapidly growing occurrence of de facto reuse, it has become a high priority to quantify the extent of de facto reuse in South Africa. A project funded by the Water Research Commission is currently under way to study de facto reuse, which will ensure that the national extent as well as health and economic impacts of this current situation are researched and documented, so as to provide the necessary knowledge base for remedial actions to be undertaken.

international developments in water reuse

The International Water Association held an

international conference in Berlin during June 2019 to discuss the latest trends and focus areas of water reclamation and reuse globally. The theme of the conference was ‘Overcoming water stress by the application of water reclamation and reuse’.

Considerable attention was given to the agricultural reuse of water, groundwater recharge, as well as to technological advances in potable reuse. The importance of risk management in water reclamation and reuse projects was also strongly emphasised at the event. New research focus areas in reuse include microplastics, nanomaterials and antibiotic-resistant microorganisms found in wastewater.

A number of papers were presented by South African researchers on topics that ranged from the health impacts of chemicals of emerging concern in reuse water, to the need for strengthening capacity and capability in water reuse through the establishment of a national learning platform for potable water reuse in South Africa, and reuse project case studies.

Overall, the experts at the conference agreed that water reuse as an alternative and supplemental water source will continue to grow, especially as the impacts of climate change become increasingly evident. Water reuse has proved to be an effective component of the overall water supply.

Research and advances in technology development, together with health studies on potable reuse and attention to environmental sustainability, will pave the way for the implementation of more reuse projects. Applications for non-potable reuse will further increase and complement or replace many potable reuse schemes.

It is evident that an important requirement for addressing the challenges of climate change and water scarcity is to embrace the ‘one water’ concept.

*ChrisSwartz(cswartz@mweb.co.za) istheownerofChrisSwartzWater UtilizationEngineers. Chrisisalsotheimmediate pastchairpersonoftheWISA WaterReuseDivision(WRD).The objectiveoftheWRDistoprovidea communicationforumforengineers, scientistsandpractitionersto shareinformationandknowledge onwaterreclamation,recycling andreuse,inordertofacilitatethe implementationofsafewaterreuse practiceinSouthernAfrica.

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WC/WDM: Water meters for scheme management and cost recovery

ThisistheseventharticleinaseriesofeightbyDerekHazeltononWC/WDM.Theearlierarticlesappeared in Water&Sanitationafrica(Vol.13Nos.4,5&6andVol.14Nos.1,2&3).

It is impossible for a WSA to manage its water schemes or to implement effective WC/WDM without installing bulk water meters in strategic locations. Universal customer water meters are equally important for effective WC/WDM, and without these meters billing customers for the water delivered to them to recover costs is impossible. This article will discuss bulk meters first, before proceeding to consider some of the multiplicity of customer meters available to WSAs.

By Derek Hazelton

Bulk water meters and metering

Where they should be installed

Figure 1 illustrates this. Bulk meters are required to measure a water scheme’s total system input volume (SIV). To achieve this aim, a water meter must be installed at each point where water is sourced for the scheme. In the fifth article of this series, the importance of monitoring minimum night flows (MNFs) to each zone where water is delivered to groups of customers was explained. Thus, meters must also be installed at the end of each connector pipeline feeding these zones.

Figure 1 shows recommendations for some additional bulk water meters in a typical scheme. These meters will

facilitate the not-to-be-forgotten, reduction and ongoing management of water losses from the illustrated pipelines and reservoirs through leaks and reservoirs overflowing.

Bulk meter add-on components The fourth article in this series was devoted to WC/WDM enablers, some of which are essential tools. The priority 1 bulk meters in Figure 1 are examples of essential tools. These meters can be fitted with add-on components, which, if appropriately chosen and planned, will become enhancing enablers.

The first-level component consists of a signal output, usually a pulse that is generated after a small fixed volume of

G Hazelton, Pr Eng., FWISA, founder and manager of TSE Water Services

water has passed through the meter. The next-level component comprises a small computer that can convert the signal outputs into a meter reading. These computers usually contain a clock and memory so that a record of the meter reading at fixed time intervals can be stored over time. Such computers are called data loggers. The third-level component is deciding how the logged data is to be retrieved: by swopping memory sticks (flash drives), by a physical or close-by communication connection to a robust reading device, or by long-distance intermittent or continuous transmission to suitable cloud-based bulk storage, from which anyone, and intelligent systems, can

FIGuRE 1 Recommended locations of water meters in a scheme’s bulk and connector pipelines

Derek

access it, using a password, via the internet.

These enhancements automatically direct the WSA’s management to technical solutions, including big

data and the internet of things. Such costly solutions will not lead to any improvement in WC/WDM unless the WSA already has a sophisticated integrated information management

system (refer to Figure 1 of the fourth article in this series) and plans, and has the resources, to manage the high maintenance costs due to high failure rates, tampering and vandalism of the additional components, electronics and batteries installed in a harsh, and usually unattended, environment close to water.

Alternative human resource solutions

These exacting realities mean that as the management of WSAs embark on implementing a WC/WDM project, rather than focusing on technical solutions, they need to take full cognisance of the power, versatility and ability of human resources. When doing so, they should remember another exhorting catchword principle: subsidiarity. This principle should then be used to ensure that actions are performed in a participatory way, at the lowest effective level, and where possible by people within each community, after appropriate training. Referring to Figure 1, all these meters should be read by community members

FIGuRE 2 Illustrations of the most common types of bulk water meters

Portable clamp-on transit-time ultrasonic meter

tABLE 1 Some of the properties of the most common types of bulk water meters

Meter type Moving parts Common size range (mm)

Bidirectional flow

Min straight length up- and downstream

Horizontal (WP) Woltmann meter Yes 40-500 Only special designs 5d and 3d

Typical accuracy excluding low flows

Orientation

External power source required

Class B Almost any No

Working parts can often be replaced without removing the meter body from the pipe system. These meters are also used as customer revenue meters for high water consumption customers

Combination meter

Yes

20X50-40-150 No 5d and 3d

Class B

Horizontal No

The only meter used as a bulk meter that can accurately measure low MNFs. This is, however, unimportant for non-revenue meters. Thus, combination meters are normally only used as customer revenue meters for costumers experiencing a wide range of flows

Electomagnetic No

300-2 000 Yes 5-10d and 3d 0.5% Almost any Yes

Must be adequately earthed. For pipelines with cathodic protection isolation flanges and a bypass earthing strap are required

Transit-time ultrasonic meter No

100-4 000 Yes 10d and 3d 1% Almost any Yes

These meters are very cost effective for large-diameter pipes

Clamp-on

000 Yes

Can be easily installed in any location, where the pipe is exposed, without interrupting the flow. Accuracy depends on the installer having full pipe physical information and on the care with which the meter is mounted on the pipe. Despite accuracy constraints, in the absence of permanent meters, very useful for planning a WC/WDM project and for monitoring early gains during implementation Also useful for checking flows and flow ranges before purchasing a permanent meter

at least once a month. However, the zonal feed meters, where MNFs are also required, should be assessed weekly. The meter number, date and time of the meter readings, and the meter readings themselves and MNFs, can then be SMSed to the WSA, by the meter reader. As often as practical, by way of feedback, the WSA should provide the meter readers with brief reports and/or charts covering the previous 12 months.

Possible meter types for bulk water measurements Table 1 compares some of the features of the most common types of bulk water meters. Such meters should be specified to be equipped with an indicator displaying the cumulative reading. Meters that can also display the current flow rate digitally are useful when MNFs are to be monitored. Note: in most situations, the optimal meter size will be less than the diameter of the pipeline in which it is being installed. Meters requiring a power supply need batteries or an external power source plus backup batteries.

Purchasing bulk water meters The third article in this series encouraged PSPs to seek quick wins initially by focusing on water-loss reduction. Thus, bulk meters

should only be purchased as WC/WDM is being implemented in each subsystem. Concurrently, adequate human and financial resources must be provided to ensure that the meters are maintained, monitored, and the necessary WC/WDM actions taken in response to that monitoring. A recent audit revealed that 50% of Johannesburg’s PRVs were not operating correctly.

customer meters and metering

Each customer must have a meter and the meters should be read monthly In South Africa, national regulations require that water delivered to customers must be volume controlled or measured with a meter that complies with SABS 1259. This is required for both WC/WDM and billing purposes. The only possible exception is poor households with dry sanitation, supplied from a wellmanaged system through a single yard tap with no hosing usage permitted. SABS defines four classes of meters, denoted by the letters A to D, with A being the least stringent and D being the most stringent. It is highly recommended that all meters, including prepaid water meters (PWMs) and advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) empowered meters, be read monthly.

This is recommended to facilitate accurate WC/WDM and to limit water theft through tampering.

Basic customer revenue meters and installations Five types of customer meters are commonly used in South Africa. Horizontal (WP) Woltmann and combination meters are used for customers with high water demands. These are included in Table 1. Three types are used for households and for other customers with low to medium water demands. These are compared in Table 2.

It is recommended that all installations comprise an above-ground meter box fitted with a customer-accessible isolating valve, an inlet y-strainer and a rotary-piston volumetric water meter. Ideally, the customer-isolating valve should have three settings: open, closed and restricted flow. If the customer-isolating valve is not installed upstream of the meter, or if the utility requires the ability to restrict the flow, a second isolating valve, inaccessible to the customer, must be fitted. The meter size for modest to medium-sized homes should be 15 mm. The entire installation should be manufactured of appropriate long-life non-metallic materials with low

tABLE 2 Some of the properties of the most common types of bulk water meters

Property Meter type Rotary piston

Common

Price

Extractable element

Particles in water

start

q minimum

Defined by the meter

class: Max value class b 2,67 times class D

Air registers as water. the meter error and additional wear can be severe. Air valves on well designed and maintained systems will remove this air

Required minimum straight length upstream

Required minimum straight length downstream

None. Note: Essential characteristic for above-ground meter box

None. Note: Essential characteristic for above-ground meter box

5 diameters

3 diameters

Key Best Medium Worst

the comparison applies to good-quality products, correctly installed and well maintained. A detailed strict purchase specification helps to achieve the desired qualities.

scrape values. The minimum maximum working pressure of all installations should be 16 bar. The meter should comply with SANS 1529 class C or D. The flow at which a 15 mm meter starts to register should be less than 4 ℓ/h. Meters should be installed just outside the boundary of the customer’s property for ease of access by the meter reader. Above-ground meter boxes are especially important in non-paved areas and are favoured by meter readers. The manual reading of the meter volume register in the meter box should be effortless. This is facilitated by the meter having a well-designed tamperproof register in a vacuum liquid-filled space, with the meter installed so that its register window is close to the top of the meter box, and by the meter box being fitted with a large-aperture slide-back, not spring-loaded, viewing window.

FIGuRE 3 Acceptable and unacceptable installations

Modern basic meters designed for manual reading are pre-equipped with a pulse generating probe, covered with a plastic plug. The plug, and any additional attachments, should be IP68 enclosure rated.

Such an installation will cost about R750. All costs quoted in this article are ex works and exclude VAT.

Information recording enhancements

The most common meter enhancement is a battery-powered AMR meter monitor, which is installed in the meter box as original equipment or retrofitted. The monitor is attached to the pulse output of the meter via an electronic sensor. The prime function of the monitor is to communicate with a walk-/drive-by meter readings collector, but typically, they also communicate, time and date specified, alarms such as for night flow leakage, excessive daily consumption, tamper detection, reverse flow and low battery. Such alarms are

useful to the utility, but are normally not available to the customer unless they are provided with a customer interface unit (CIU), as illustrated in Figure 4. The cost of an AMR meter monitor, including a CIU, is about R1 200.

Such meter monitors can also be configured to operate with longdistance AMI, so that the customer’s water usage is monitored by the utility intermittently or continuously. This is particularly useful in monitoring wet industries, so that MNFs can be evaluated objectively in zones containing such industries.

Touch-screen CIUs have the potential to help customers to manage their free basic water (FBW), monitor their historical water usage, and can even be used for self-billing. Such enhancements are not readily available and are not attractive to utilities, without the installation of a controlled isolating valve, as described in the next section.

Externally controlled isolating valve The above enhancements cannot be used for automatically managing the water delivered to customers. Such management might be advantageous in response to an alarm and is necessary for accurately limiting a customer’s usage to their FBW allocation or a negotiated higher usage, and for PWM implementation. A solenoid isolating valve, controlled by an appropriate enhancement, and fitted into the customer’s meter box, is needed for such management. Unfortunately, meter suppliers currently advise that this cannot be done without replacing the entire meter box installation. In addition, the power required to operate the isolating valve seriously shortens the life of the battery required for the enhancement add-ons. A separate battery should, therefore, be considered for this valve.

Legally automatic isolating valves must fail in the open position. Customers favour FBW being delivered on a 24-hour cycle basis, with unused amounts being carried over for future use. It is recommended that all PWM installations be STS compliant. The cost of a water management device, fitted in an above-ground meter box, complete with a 15 mm volumetric meter, and including a CIU, regardless of the end use, is about R2 500.

Priorities related to customer meters

Once a subsystem’s leaks are under control, basic water meters should be installed on every customer connection. Thereafter, all the abovestated warnings related to bulk meter add-ons are applicable to customer meter enhancements, and externally controlled isolating valves. Ongoing leakage repairs, and cost recovery, can be achieved through customer education and motivation, without these enhancements or automatic isolating valves. Therefore, basic water meters need to be prioritised.

afulllistofreferences, pleasecontacttheauthorat tsewater@icon.co.za.

FIGuRE 4 A Utility Systems Corporation automatic meter reading meter monitor and a customer interface unit

FIGuRE 5 Illustrations of a Honeywell Elster-Kent volumetric rotary-piston cold water meter

The relative motion of the grooved piston, with the stationary chamber wall, creates small flow eddies that hold solids in suspension until flushed

Water & Sanitation

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Ensuring cleaner groundwater near contaminated areas

As the world becomes increasingly reliant on groundwater resources to augment fresh water supply, strategies are being developed to deal with the implications of groundwater abstraction in areas where contamination plumes exist, with the aim of avoiding contaminated groundwater reaching receptors.

Speaking at the annual conference of the Network for Industrially Contaminated Land in Africa in Midrand late in 2018, Lindsay Shand, principal environmental geologist, SRK, presented a method developed from unconventional oil and gas drilling (UOGD) methods. Shand highlighted the problem that the normal process of abstracting groundwater in shallow aquifers could itself lead to contamination of the source, if there is a contamination plume nearby.

“The abstraction of groundwater from an open borehole or high-yield zone in close proximity to a contamination plume could result in the preferential migration of the plume towards the borehole, ultimately resulting in contamination of the groundwater being used,” she said.

a model approach

This means that water quality would be compromised, requiring that postabstraction treatment systems treat the water to a fit-for-use quality. The development of a site-specific geological conceptual site model is necessary to determine whether UODG methods –which were developed to mitigate the impact of hydraulic fracturing on shallow

Data from groundwater samples suggests that UOGD-designed wells can screen off shallow contamination plumes

groundwater aquifers – may be used for the installation of groundwater supply wells within potentially contaminated shallow aquifer systems.

Based on the outcome of the model, it is now possible to screen off the upper contaminated geological horizons, and allow for the abstraction of groundwater from a deeper, hydrogeologically separate unit, she argued. Applying the UOGD design, supply wells were drilled within a shallow contamination plume at two sites – telescopically drilling through shallow impacted geological units.

The sites had been affected by the historical release of hydrocarbons from underground storage tanks, so there were low concentrations of dissolved phase hydrocarbons evident in shallow groundwater monitoring wells. There was an aeolian sand aquifer on-site, underlain at depth by granite.

“The mud rotary drilling method was used to drill through an unconfined sand aquifer and kaolinite unit of weathered granite,” said Shand. “These upper horizons were screened off from the underlying fractured rock aquifer, by installing steel casing and a cement bentonite seal and plug.”

In a second boring phase, percussion drilling enters the fractured rock unit below, until a suitable yielding water strike is intersected at depth

The cased boring was then over-drilled using percussion drilling, through the plug at the base of the first boring and into the fractured rock unit below – until a suitable yielding water strike was intersected within the fractured rock at depth.

Positive results

“After drilling was completed, the boreholes were pump-tested to determine the yield, and groundwater samples were taken to confirm the groundwater quality,” she said. “Our data suggests that UOGD-designed wells can be used to screen off shallow contamination plumes, while providing the opportunity to supply clean groundwater from a deeper geological unit.”

She added that further monitoring was necessary to ensure that the borehole construction was successful, and that the geological unit from which groundwater was then abstracted continued to yield uncompromised groundwater.

“This showed that we could successfully use borehole design in shallow aquifers to minimise contaminant migration induced by groundwater abstraction,” she said. “This remedial technique is based upon a robust conceptual site model, but the design was specific to the geological conditions and called on a suitably qualified technical team, in order to be successfully executed.”

In a first boring, mud rotary drilling penetrates upper quaternary sand horizons and deeply weathered granite – which are screened off from the underlying fractured rock aquifer

#AllHandsOnDeck

Gearing up for WISA 2020

The WISA 2020 Biennial Conference and Exhibition will be held in Johannesburg at the Sandton International Convention Centre, from 31 May to 4 June 2020.

Southern Africa’s water demands are on the rise, as a rapidly growing and urbanising population, changing lifestyles, and economic growth place increasing pressure on this resource. The result is a growing water crisis worsened by insufficient water infrastructure maintenance and investment, recurrent droughts and floods driven by climatic variation, inequities in access to services, deteriorating raw water quality, and a lack of skilled water practitioners.

WISA believes that in order to address these challenges, the sector needs to have #AllHandsOnDeck. The WISA 2020 Biennial Conference and Exhibition will, therefore, provide a platform for these issues to be discussed, solutions shared and decisions taken in a pledge to action. #AllHandsOnDeck calls for local and regional players to work together towards a sustainable water future, and WISA 2020 aims to speed up delivery and bring purposeful feedback to the leadership of South Africa.

a plan of action

By design, the conference programme carries a call to action message into its sub-themes. Based on the Department of Water and Sanitation’s National Water and Sanitation Master Plan, each sub-theme reads as a ‘to-do’ item:

1. Reduce water demand and increase supply.

2. Manage the resource for a capable ecology.

3. Manage and monitor effective water and sanitation services and infrastructure.

4. Govern and regulate the sector.

5. Improve raw water quality and management.

6. Develop skills and technology innovations and disruptors.

“Our past conferences have provided a platform to discuss problems and solutions facing the water and related sectors. Now is the time to create mechanisms and an enabling environment to set us on a path of implementation and impact.

“Water is everyone’s business and everyone should be involved in ensuring we have water security. This is now more important than ever, as we need to navigate issues of climate change, weather variability, demand growth, infrastructure needs and so forth,” says Shafick Adams, chair of the local organising committee.

The bigger picture

The conference will also consider the broader impacts of water on society and the environment. With this in mind, WISA hopes to have as many as eight government departments on board, reflecting the integral role of water in all that we do, and the need to close the science-policy-implementation chasm.

“Water is an integral part of all sectors, and it is time to stop looking at it in isolation,” says Dr Lester Goldman, CEO, WISA.

“In a country such as South Africa, the work done by the water sector has a major influence on the sustainability and success of our communities and our economy. For WISA, our biennial conference is a reflection of the vital role that we have to play, as factors such as climate change and an ever-burgeoning population have necessitated an adaptation to the new, water-constrained normal,” he continues.

WISA invites all water sector

practitioners to attend the 2020 WISA Biennial Conference and Exhibition and play a role in getting #AllHandsOnDeck to turn around the Southern African water crisis.

To learn more about the conference, visit www.wisa2020.org.za

2018

A year in review

The past year has been a successful one for the Water Institute of Southern Africa, which has recorded better financial results and seen the implementation of many positive changes for the benefit of WISA members.

The Southern African water sector is facing a number of challenges. Locally, South Africa has faced a serious economic slump, with many industries heading for recession. Coupled with three ministers of Water and Sanitation in three years and the recent droughts, which have seriously affected our ecological footprint, the sector, like many others, is under strain.

Speaking at the recent WISA AGM, Dr Lester Goldman, CEO, WISA, noted that these and other challenges have added up to what has become a ‘new normal’ for the water sector. “The cascading impact of the state of the water sector is felt by WISA and its members. Flourishing businesses have had to close down, there have been allegations of tender irregularities, nonpayment of service providers, a lack of skills and resultant vacancies, a lack of infrastructure funding, etc.,” he said.

o vercoming challenges

WISA’s outgoing board chair, Dr Valerie Naidoo, noted several risks to the sector identified by members.

These include water scarcity and quality, poor water infrastructure management, a lack of skills and the growing threat of climate change. Funding and government support were also noted, along with revenue collection.

Naidoo argued that not only are utilities unable to collect the monies needed to run water supply operations like a business, but these funds are also not ring-fenced for use in the water space. Unfortunately, most water utilities allocate less than 10% of their budgets to operations and maintenance, with some allocations as low as 2%. Goldman similarly noted that technical requirements are being hampered by a lack of funds, and spoke to the need for updated legislation and WISA’s role in lobbying and advocating for change.

Lastly, Naidoo identified water education as a key focus, and argued that WISA needs to play a key role in behaviour change and providing a voice for the sector. She called on all WISA structures to play a role in giving the institute a bigger voice, and called on members to volunteer their time to drive WISA activities. Volunteerism is essential and Naidoo urged managers to empower their staff members by allowing them the time needed to get involved in WISA activities.

W i S a’s achievements

Despite sector challenges, WISA has taken a number of steps to improve its operational efficiencies and benefits for members and the sector.

Goldman reported that WISA has both improved its relationships internally – strengthening relationships with key partners such as IWA, EWSETA and IFAT – and established good links with government and other stakeholders.

“From a reputation perspective, over the last year – be it through our conference, our Day Zero activities, or our social media – we have enhanced the WISA reputation and this will benefit members and the sector,” said Goldman.

WISA has also been ISO 9001:2015 accredited and introduced a new Memorandum of Incorporation, which has been generally well accepted. “By amending our foundational documents

inTroDUCing The neW boArD

three new board members were elected by members at the AGM, namely inga Jacobs-Mata, sanele Mazibuko and Dan Naidoo. they replace outgoing board members

Dr Valerie Naidoo, Nora hanke-Louw and Dr Jo burgess.

the following members will remain directors of the board:

• Dr Nezar Eldidy

• Dr Lester Goldman

• Natasia van Binsbergen

• Juanita Vorster

• Gorden Walters

• Achim Wurster.

the new board has elected Achim wurster as the chair for the upcoming term, with Dr Nezar Eldidy serving as vice chair.

last year, we ensure not only compliance, but that our members and members of the public have more confidence and trust in WISA, as expected from all professional bodies,” said Goldman.

“For the first time, WISA members are electing WISA directors. That is a huge step forward in terms of our constitutional democracy.”

In addition to this,

the introduction of think-tank sessions will allow for better connectivity between members, and offers them the opportunity to share their valuable insights to inform WISA’s strategic planning.

Goldman also reported that WISA is addressing transformation, both internally and externally. Internally, the board and committees have been taking steps to become more representative in terms of race, gender and age.

The institute is currently busy with a gap analysis, exploring new sectors that are not currently covered by its divisions. These include areas such as agriculture, climate change, sanitation and river management. “We will be discussing this, whether it is through our think tank or the various participation structures, so that we can either consolidate or identify the gaps we need to fill,”

explained Goldman, asking members to send their input and referrals in this regard. “It is more important than ever that we collaborate with those sectors,” he said.

Steps are being taken to expand on training and knowledge sharing. “I think it’s an opportunity for us to make a difference in knowledge-sharing within the sector,” said Goldman. “WISA wants to use its well-known and recognised expertise to provide this training, so that it becomes a stamp of approval for training for the sector, by the sector.”

Building on Naidoo’s call for volunteerism, Goldman stated that WISA is exploring a loyalty and grading reward system to benefit those members who offer their time. “We need you and we appreciate you. We know you are busy, and please do not hesitate to call on us for our assistance.”

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