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A part of Rand Water’s proactive infrastructure maintenance project comprised the refurbishment of pumps and electrical boards at the Lethabo Intake Pumping Station. This key facility pumps water to ESKOM Lethabo Power Station and supplies over half of Gauteng via the Vereeniging Pumping Station. P6
VEGA measurement technology provides precise measurement data as the basis for automatic control of the various process stages. All sensors are state of the art, certified and easy to install and commission.
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Water & Sanitation
Managing Editor: Kirsten Kelly kirsten@infrastructurenews.co.za
Journalist: Duncan Nortier
Digital Manager: Ziyanda Majodina
Designer: Beren Bauermeister
Contributors: Kirsten Kelly, Duncan Nortier, Dr Lester Goldman, Dr Harrison Pienaar
Advertising Sales: Hanlie Fintelman
c +27 (0)67 756 3132
hanlie@infrastructurenews.co.za
Marita De Vos
c +27 (0)82 924 4183 sales@infrastructurenews.co.za
Publisher Infrastructure News
47 Grove Road, Orange Grove, Johannesburg Gauteng, 2192
Africa Minister Senzo Mchunu can still play a pivotal role in
WISA’s Vision Inspiring passion for water
Physical address: 1st Floor, Building 5, Constantia Park, 546 16th Road, Randjiespark Ext 7, Midrand Website: www.wisa.org.za
• International Water Association-Southern Africa (IWA-SA)
• Innovation for Water Supply & Sanitation
• Mine Water Lead
• Process Controllers
• Small Wastewater Treatment Works
• Water Distribution
• Water Reuse Division
• Modelling and Data Division
EMPOWERMENT PLATFORMS
• Women In Water
• Young Water Professionals
this sector
The biggest challenges facing the water and sanitation sector is the theft and vandalism of water infrastructure, the ‘Water Tanker’ mafia, the ‘Construction Mafia’, the theft of water through bypassing water meters or slowing them down as well as the illegal discharge of effluent.
As the new Police Minister, Senzo Mchunu has his hands full – and we should make sure that they kept busy with tackling some of the problems mentioned above. There is little point in municipalities and water boards constructing and investing in water infrastructure when it is constantly stolen or vandalised. Why have a regulation division in the Department of Water and Sanitation when their inspectors cannot gain access to properties or are held up at gun point? What is the point in tackling non-revenue water when municipal officials trying to fix leaks from illegal water connections are shot at? Why invest in water projects when they are delayed and costs spike due to the construction mafia? We need law enforcement.
An interesting email from ‘Lucky’ One would think that with a company name of ‘Infrastructure News’, it is obvious that we write stories about infrastructure. But I get emails from a Mr Chin trying to sell me steel pipes to a Betty asking me to tender on building a prison (yes, I know that is another con). Criminal activity is so rife that I received an email from a ‘Lucky’ last week offering the following: “My name is Lucky, I am a Manager for Region B, I have over twenty years working as an employee of Joburg water and knows how to beat and maneuver the system to resolve issues. I render the following services Overcharging of meters, I cancel
accounts owing municipal bills at a very reasonable payment rate of 40% of total amount owed I connect back your disconnected water and disconnected electricity at minimal cost. I can supply and install the exact water meter adjusted to run very slowly for your use with rest of mind, I also do water bypass, I also clear municipal accounts owing I do estimates. I also supply, register and adjust electricity post and prepaid meter to run very slowly at reasonable rates. contact me Lucky Joburg Water on 0651741875 and 0639407533."
I have forwarded the email onto the entity Lucky supposedly works from and they have acknowledged it and are investigating this. But can you imagine how many companies and households are taking him up on his offer?
We have recently seen protests in the City of Cape Town over the installation of new meters. Yes, these changes should be communicated to residents in a timely, respectful manner. But let’s be honest here: the protests are not around the new meters, the protests are around the fact that illegal connections have been severed and payment will have to be made for electricity and water.
I do hope the Minister Senzo Mchunu does not forget us, and that the Department of Water and Sanitation implore him to prioritise criminal activity within the sector.
COVER OPPORTUNITY
In each issue, Water&Sanitation Africa offers companies the opportunity to get to the front of the line by placing a company, product or service on the front cover of the magazine. Buying this position will afford the advertiser the cover story and maximum exposure. For more information, contact Hanlie Fintelman on +27 (0)67 756 3132, or email hanlie@infrastructurenews.co.za.
You said it in WASA
The opinions and statements shared by thought leaders in the water industry
to Water&Sanitation Africa .
“The biggest challenges facing the water and sanitation sector is the theft and vandalism of water infrastructure, the ‘Water Tanker’ mafia, the ‘Construction Mafia’, the theft of water through bypassing water meters or slowing them down as well as the illegal discharge of effluent. As the new Police Minister, Senzo Mchunu has his hands full – and we should make sure that they kept busy with tackling some of these problems.” Kirsten Kelly, editor, Water&Sanitation
“It is absolutely critical that women play a leading role in water management, particularly because it is women and girls that are responsible for collecting water in 80% of households without access to water on premises. This task can take several hours each day, limiting their opportunities for education, employment, and participation in community activities. Moreover, inadequate access to clean water and sanitation disproportionately affects women, leading to health issues, increased vulnerability, and social marginalisation. Achieving SDG 6 is closely linked to gender equality in the water sector.” Dr Lester Goldman, CEO, WISA
“As a South African company, APE Pumps supplies water boards and electricity suppliers across the country. This is because firstly, we have been in operation for 72 years, plus, we are part of the global WPIL Group in India with extensive backing and leverage from our sister OEMs in regions that include Australia, the United Kingdom, Thailand and Italy. We are constantly investing in our company through buying new equipment, adopting the latest technology and training our staff. To the best of our knowledge, few pump companies match our local capacity.” John Montgomery, general manager for the APE Pumps and Mather+Platt Group
“I am honoured to be appointed as the new WISA chairman and am looking forward to the continued collaboration of professionals in the sector in achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6: Clean sanitation and water for all.”
Dr Harrison Pienaar, Chairman, WISA
“The water sector is filled with passionate and knowledgeable people, and our job also entails informing the public about water. When we do our work right and follow our code of integrity and ethics, we improve lives, and we need to continue our efforts for the betterment of human beings, and to encourage the public to be conscientious about water.” Carin Bosman, water and environmental governance advisor
“Leachate needs to be safely captured, managed and treated. However, this is difficult because the composition of leachate can vary significantly depending on the type of waste in the landfill, the age of the landfill, climatic conditions, and the landfill's management practices. Due to the varied make up of leachate, there is no one-size solution to manage it. The treatment process requires flexibility to manage variability in quantity and quality.”
PAGE
“Mine closure planning needs to start from day one. There is zero tolerance for the kind of contamination historically caused by mining. There is also a growing concern in metals markets about ethical and sustainable supply chains in mining. Industry benchmarks such as the Copper Mark have become essential for mining companies to understand current trends in customer expectations. Responsible sourcing of minerals–especially those related to battery and renewable energy technology – is becoming entrenched in the supply chain of key markets like Europe. Mining responsibly has wide-ranging implications that include water management, so the leading mining companies and their industry bodies are embracing water stewardship principles to ensure they are good neighbours in the catchments where they operate.” Ismail Mahomed, partner and principal hydrogeologist at SRK Consulting
“The Blue Drop national report reveals a clear correlation between the presence of qualified technical staff and high scores for water systems. Systems with a substantial number of qualified technicians, technologists, process controllers, engineers, and scientists achieve high scores, whereas those with a significant shortage of technical staff tend to receive lower scores. Furthermore, the Western Cape has a ‘training culture’ where all personnel at the plants, depots and head offices are subjected to regular and relevant training.” Dewald van Staden, process controller, WISA
“It is important to note, that while water quality is a dominant category within the Blue Drop Report, it is not the only aspect that is measured. There are categories like financial management, risk management, capacity management and technical management. So, while we had thirteen systems that were placed within the critical and medium risk categories, they all produced good water quality, but scored low in other areas.”
Boniswa Hene, director: Regulation, Department of Water and Sanitation 30 PAGE
“Since Veolia has been appointed as the O&M contractor for Overstrand’s water and wastewater infrastructure, there has been improved monitoring and improved reaction time in case of emergencies, with the creation of more than 20 additional full-time posts. There is a respectful, open-door relationship between Overstrand and Veolia where we tackle any problems that arise together, in a collaborative manner. There are dedicated, professional people on both sides that have a common interest. The team from Overstrand LM have an excellent knowledge of water infrastructure, making communication and understanding of any problems that arise that much easier.” Coenie Loubser, operations manager at Overstrand for Veolia Services Southern Africa
PAGE
“CMAs are not just organisations; they are the guardians of the most precious resource–water. Water is the essence of life. It flows through our rivers, nourishes our land and sustains our eco-systems and supports our livelihoods. However, in recent years, pollution, climate change, overuse and mismanagement has left many of our water systems on the brink of collapse. It is in this context that CMAs become indispensable.” Dr Thava Kelly, chairperson, Pongolo–uMzimkhulu CMA 40 PAGE
A part of Rand Water’s proactive infrastructure maintenance project comprised the refurbishment of pumps and electrical boards at the Lethabo Intake Pumping Station. This key facility pumps water to ESKOM Lethabo Power Station and supplies over half of Gauteng via the Vereeniging Pumping Station.
40 YEARS STRONG: Lethabo Intake Pumping Station’s historic
The Lethabo Intake Pumping Station is owned by Rand Water and was constructed in 1982 under the Additional Water Supply (AWS) Scheme. It is the primary source of raw water supply to the Vereeniging Pumping Station and Eskom Lethabo Power Station.
Approximately 1200 Mℓ/day of water is pumped through three centrifugal vertical split case 450 Mℓ/day pumpsets, with an extra standby pump (4 to 7). Raw water to the Eskom Lethabo
refurbishment
Power Station is supplied through three 105 Mℓ/day pump-sets (1 to 3).
40 years later
“All pumps at Lethabo are Mather + Platt that have been in operation since 1982. We were delighted to see that four decades later, besides the normal wear and tear, the pumps were still in good condition. Given our history with this pumping station, we were honoured to be awarded the contract for the overhaul and recommissioning of our pumps as well as the electrical, mechanical and civils works,” says John Montgomery, general manager for the APE Pumps and Mather+Platt Group.
The Group holds an 8ME (mechanical and electrical) contractor grading per the Construction Industry Development Board's ranking system. APE Pumps can therefore provide a full turnkey solution.
"Most of our clients prefer one contractor to take responsibility for all the electrical and mechanical elements. This removes the ‘blame game’ where a valve supplier will blame a pump supplier who will blame an electrician who will blame the civils should something go wrong. As an original equipment manufacturer (OEM), we
The Lethabo Intake Pumping Station is the primary source of raw water supply to the Vereeniging Pumping Station and Eskom Lethabo Power Station.
All pumps at Lethabo are Mather + Platt that have been in operation since
John Montgomery, general manager for the APE Pumps and Mather+Platt Group
possess comprehensive knowledge of our systems and the appropriate technologies, engineering expertise, and manufacturing capabilities to refurbish and recommission any of our installed pumps," he adds.
This was reiterated by Moleboheng Nenzhelele, project manager, Rand Water: “Contracting an OEM to maintain and refurbish their own pumps drastically added to the success of the maintenance project. It gave us peace of mind as APE Pumps had the requisite knowledge to refurbish the pumps.”
Included in the scope of works is the repair of the chamber’s concrete base, as well as the installation of new pipe flanges and pipe stands and the manufacture and installation of the blank flanges for when the pumps are removed for maintenance. APE Pumps had to remove (and reconnect once the pump was refurbished) all instrumentation and cable tray systems. Upon conclusion of the project, APE Pumps will provide as-built drawings to Rand Water that will give a detailed blueprint of the pumps, valves, electrical and instrumentation.
Removal of the pump
"This maintenance project was the result of extensive planning over several years, involving close collaboration between APE Pumps and Rand Water’s electrical, mechanical, operational, asset, quality, and safety teams. We
strategically scheduled the work for June, when water demand is typically lower during the winter months, to minimise any potential impact on our customers," states Nenzhelele.
As one of the key pumping stations in the country, Lethabo must continue operating with no disruptions.
Therefore, APE Pumps is refurbishing and then commissioning one pump at a time. It was decided that Pump Set 5 was most in need of refurbishment. There was excessive leaking due to wear of the stuffing box area and the pump was not performing optimally.
Nenzhelele explains that a programme of works was drawn up where time frames and responsibilities were allocated to different parties.
The 45-tonne pump was removed from its chamber in three pieces – top casing, rotating elements and bottom casing – by a specialist rigging contractor on the 4th July and will be recommissioned in early September. During the entire maintenance process, Pump Set 5 is insured for its full replacement value by APE Pumps.
“The removal of this pump was the trickiest part of the entire maintenance project. This was because both Pump Set 4 and Pump Set 5 had to be turned off as they both run into the same manifold. There was also a risk of flooding the entire pumping station. The pumps were isolated using a bypass valve, suction valve and delivery valve as well as an actuator that stops the flow of water through the pumps. Another valve is opened to drain the line. When draining the line, there was mild flooding of the system. The pump that is used to cool the motor then tripped. Fortunately, APE was able to replace that pump on
APE Pumps sourced an artisan with decades of experience and found one of the few line-boring machines (18 metres long) on the continent that could work on the huge pump casings
RAND WATER AND MAINTENANCE
“Proactive infrastructure maintenance is important to preserve the quality and integrity of the infrastructure, reduce maintenance costs in the long term and increase the life span of the infrastructure and assets.”
Sipho Mosai, CEO, Rand Water In addition to maintenance work on Lethabo Pumping Station, Rand Water has successfully completed its extensive proactive infrastructure maintenance project which affected the two water treatment plants: namely the Zuikerbosch and Vereeniging Water Purification Plants and four of its booster pumping stations: Eikenhof, Zwartkopjes, Mapleton and Palmiet.
The maintenance of the water infrastructure was critical and necessary to improve the integrity and long-term preservation of the infrastructure. It is also necessary to ensure sustainable and uninterrupted potable bulk water supply for the current and future generations. The maintenance work entailed increasing and maintaining plant availability, reliability and improve water supply efficiency. It also included the replacement of plant equipment, bulk water meters and replacement of various infrastructure.
the same day and the system was not compromised,” says Montgomery.
Drawings and 3D Scanning
The OEM keeps technical drawings for every single pump ever produced since 1952 in a vault system. These technical drawings can be used to execute assessments, repairs, refurbishments or a complete rebuild. The drawings contain details like metallurgical materials, type of liquid handled, casing and impeller trims.
Drawings for the pumps at the Lethabo Intake Pumping Station were available and used to bring Pump Set 5 back to OEM status with the correct size brackets and bearings.
Most of the internal components of the pump have been replaced
“An important part of the pump refurbishment was bringing the pump back to OEM standards by removing all non-OEM parts. Pirated parts do not precisely match APE Pumps and Mather+Platt design tolerances and are therefore prone to premature failure. They expose the pump to the risk of cavitation, as well as imminent bearing, impeller, wear ring and shaft failures,” explains Montgomery.
The drawings were complemented with APE Pump’s latest 3D scanning technology, which achieves a 0.02 mmdimensional accuracy. All pump parts (new and old) are scanned to confirm that they either meet the specifications of the manufacturing drawings or are feasible to reuse. These pumps can be scanned at the APE premises or on-site. The pump had to be scanned by two teams and two separate scanners because of the size of the pump, this enabled A.P.E Pumps to manufacture a like for like pump if needs be in the future without removing one of the existing pumps for reference.
“The 3D scanner has drastically increased our turn-around time for pump repairs and retrofits. With this data, we were able to manufacture some of the internal components of the pump as well as the pipe stands, prior to the pump coming out,” says Montgomery.
The company is busy scanning all the pumping stations around the country that are fitted with APE Pumps. “We are able to extract valuable information from these 3D scans, from the colour of cabling to the size of a bolt or length of the pump without sending someone onto the site,” he adds.
According to Thorne Zurfluh, a mechanical engineer at APE Pumps, one of the biggest benefits of 3D scanning is quality control. “At APE, 3D scanning is used over and above the traditional quality control methods. It is an additional aid to prevent the misalignment of pumps by verifying pump geometries (concentricity, parallelism, perpendicularity and shaft runouts) during manufacturing, assembly and even commissioning. All pump parts are scanned to confirm that they meet the specifications of the manufacturing drawings. The 3D scans also generate digital reports indicating that the pump and pump parts meet (or do not meet) certain specifications and tolerances. These reports are often supplied to customers.”
World class water board
Montgomery adds that Rand Water were well prepared for the maintenance work. “Firstly, they had a spare motor for redundancy, they also had the rotating elements and bearings manufactured and ready for the pump maintenance work before the pump was removed. The original bearings took close to seven months to be manufactured and delivered from the United Kingdom,” explains Montgomery.
Furthermore, Rand Water have excellent governance systems in place. They have their own quantity surveyor, quality control department and project manager. An audit process in instituted once anyone signs off on the manufacture of a pump part. Auditors
The pump will be recoated and sealed, covering any pit holes
will check that the pump part has been manufactured and is to the correct quality. There are stringent quality control plans that are meticulously followed.
“Rand Water is a responsible institution, they have an entire team that evaluates the performance of pumps, and we will only be required to do work on pumps that are not performing optimally,” adds Montgomery.
Most of the internal components of the pump have been replaced. APE Pumps themselves have conducted extensive quality tests such as
dimensional checks, paint thicknesses, clearances on the bearings, balancing, material certifications as well as dye penetrant (DP) inspection on the impellers. Representatives from Rand Water are sometimes present at these quality checks.
Maintenance
Additional maintenance work included shot blasting the pump casing to remove shells and freshwater mussels as well as lasering to remove the salt from the steel. The pump will be recoated and sealed, covering any pit holes.
Line boring was done to restore the old pump casings for an efficient pump operation. This requires a high level of precision as the tolerances are extremely small. By definition, line boring is a machining operation of a cylindrical hole effected by a machine tool called line boring machine. The operation consists into enlarging the hole to reach the desired diameter or to correct its axiality. The weep holes of the pump had to be rebuilt to make them concentric.
There is no gasket between the pump casings – the machined smooth finish makes the casings watertight.
“We sourced an artisan with decades of experience and found one of the few line-boring machines (18 metres long) on the continent that could work on pump casings of this size,” states Montgomery.
The pump had to be scanned by two teams and two separate scanners because of the size of the pump, this enabled A.P.E Pumps to manufacture a like for like pump if needs be in the future without removing one of the existing pumps for reference
Conclusion
Through Mather+Platt, the relationship between APE Pumps and Rand Water began in 1919, when they supplied a steam turbine pump.
“As a South African company, APE Pumps supplies water boards and electricity suppliers across the country. This is because firstly, we have been in operation for 72 years, plus, we are part of the global WPIL Group in India with extensive backing and leverage from our sister OEMs in regions that include Australia, the United Kingdom, Thailand and Italy. We are constantly investing in our company through buying new equipment, adopting the latest technology and training our staff. To the best of our knowledge, few pump companies match our local capacity,” Montgomery concludes.
www.apepumps.co.za
www.matherandplatt.com
The 45-tonne pump was removed from its chamber in three pieces – top casing, rotating elements and bottom casing – by a specialist rigging contractor
Line boring was done to restore the old pump casings for an efficient pump operation
TIt has been heartening to celebrate an increasing number of women leaders in the water sector – the new Minister of Water and Sanitation – Pemmy Majodina being one of many.
By Dr Lester Goldman, CEO, WISA
THE ESSENTIAL ROLE OF WOMEN LEADERS IN THE WATER SECTOR
he month of August is used to commemorate women, and remember the 1956 Women’s March, where women of our country, coming from all corners of the country and united in their diversity, marched on the Union Buildings to demand an end to a system that undermined their dignity and rights as citizens equal to their male counterparts. These women placed their lives at risks against a system known for its brutality and zero-tolerance to dissent in order to guarantee that any future government would be founded on the principles of human rights and equality, would appreciate and respect the role women could play in national unity and development. It is absolutely critical that women play a leading role in water management, particularly because it is women and girls that are responsible for collecting water in 80% of households without access
to water on premises. This task can take several hours each day, limiting their opportunities for education, employment, and participation in community activities. Moreover, inadequate access to clean water and sanitation disproportionately affects women, leading to health issues, increased vulnerability, and social marginalisation. Achieving SDG 6 is closely linked to gender equality in the water sector.
WISA has an empowerment platform – Women in Water – that provides opportunities for women in the water sector to network in social and professional environments. The platforms aim to encourage women to be more active in the water sector, facilitate greater community involvement in water management, encourage public and private organisations to promote a greater role of women in water sector related activities, to encourage
young women and girls to follow water careers and to promote innovative and sustainable solutions to water management.
They recently hosted a successful webinar entitled: “Navigating Your Career Path for Success (Aspirations and Transitions).” If you want to join this empowerment platform, we encourage you to contact Ntuthuko ps.admin@wisa.org.za.
Women’s leadership in water management leads to more effective and inclusive solutions, benefiting entire communities and ensuring that no one is left behind. As the world works toward sustainable water and sanitation for all, the role of women in leadership must be recognized and promoted as a key driver of success. Women deserve more that a month of recognition, let us work everyday to fully harness the potential of women in the water sector and make a concerted effort to increase their representation in leadership positions.
TURNING THE TIDE TO ACHIEVE SDG 6
I am honoured to be appointed as the new WISA chairman and looking forward to continued collaboration among professionals in the sector towards achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6: Clean water and sanitation for all.
By Dr Harrison Pienaar, chairman, WISA
Coming off the back of the WISA 2024 Biennial Conference and Exhibition, we can all agree that accelerated change is needed in achieving SDG 6 by 2030.
As we celebrate 30 years of democracy this year and honour women during the month of August, it is fitting that we reflect on South Africa’s performance against these SDG 6 targets. Achieving SDG 6 relies heavily on our collective efforts in the sustainable management of water resources and investment in the sector. I am encouraged by the leadership of the Department of Water and Sanitation’s (DWS) continued efforts and commitment to protect, promote and reinforce women’s rights in all areas.
Access to clean water and sanitation reduces health risks, increases girls' school attendance, frees time for economic opportunities, and enhances safety and dignity. This empowerment enables women to participate more fully in society and contribute to gender equality.
Performance thus far
The National Water Status Report that is published by the DWS indicates that South Africa is not on track in achieving SDG 6. We need to seriously reflect as to what more needs to be done in terms of collaboration and cooperation among ourselves.
Non-revenue water statistics are frightening. At a national level, government’s most recent water balance puts non-revenue water loss at 47.4%.
Another concern is the lack of infrastructure, maintenance and asset management. Water service authorities need to formulate asset management plans. There must be increased investment in infrastructure asset management activity.
Over the years, a lot of time and effort has been placed in the formation of governance systems. However, more effort and priority should be placed on actual governance tasks. How many different governance systems in the water and sanitation sector are operational and functional?
Collaboration between different sectors is also incredibly important. This includes collaboration between the different WISA participation structures, water boards and municipalities. Our water problems are complex and need to be addressed in a systemic, strategic way.
Ending on a positive not, I am encouraged and excited. Firstly, Regulation 3630 is going to play a key role in developing and retaining skills in our sector. The water sector will be further empowered through qualified process controllers.
Secondly, our former Minister Senzo Mchunu has put the sector on a good trajectory, and our new Minister Pemmy Majodina has already commenced to continue along this path.
Let’s turn the tide together.
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOAL (SDG) 6: CLEAN SANITATION AND WATER FOR ALL
6.1: Achieve access safe drinking water for all
6.2: Access equitable sanitation and hygiene
6.3: Improve water quality by reducing pollution and minimising the release of hazardous chemicals
6.4: Increase water use efficiency
6.5: Implement integrated water resource management for all areas
6.6: Protect and restore water related ecosystems
6a. Expand capacity support for water and sanitation
6b. Support participation for local communities in water
CRUISING THROUGH
WISA2024
The WISA2024 conference theme was “Turn the tide” a call to action. The turnout, presentations, keynotes, and ceremonies reflect the excited face of the water sector, a sector ready to move forward and truly begin tackling the challenges that lay ahead.
The Durban ICC played host to a wonderous 3 days of all things water. Success is often measured in numbers and with a conference jam-packed with 129 captivating presentations, 32 workshops, 6 technical tours, and 5 keynote presentations the conference really showed up, but what would those numbers be without the people
attending? Nearly 2000 registered delegates and an additional 600 walk-in visitors set their sights on and tuned their ears to the conference and its call to “turn to tide.” Success is also measured in the atmosphere, the electricity of new ideas pulsing, the friendly faces of the sector and the passion that echoes in the minds of those who are all up for the task of playing their part in “turning the tide.”
Setting sail
This year the conference was divided into 6 subthemes, so the waters could be easily navigated.
• Hands-on the wheel: Moving towards stronger partnerships and stakeholder engagement
• Aye Aye Capt’n: Turn the tide with improved governance
The organising and technical committee at the gala event
SENIOR FELLOW AWARD
THE
BEST STUDENT PAPER
Sibelele
Sibisi
• Forging A’Head: Improving municipal water and sanitation service delivery
• Reading the charts: Effecting resilient planning and management in a changing environment
• Tending the lookout: optimising monitoring and efficiency
• Clipping new edges with innovation and technology
Highlights, of which there are many, include the Minister of Water and Sanitation Senzo Mchunu opening the conference and announcing the launch of 6 new catchment management agencies and the packed-out auditoriums for the keynote presentations.
The WISA Gala dinner
The fully booked gala dinner was a smash hit, the perfect setting to gather with peers and celebrate the industry. WISA also handed out several awards.
These awards honour and champion good work, passion, and dedication and spotlight the important work that people do.
In the closing of the conference WISA CEO Dr Lester Goldman, says, “Together, we are the water warriors of Southern Africa. Let's continue to fight for a sustainable water future, one drop, one ripple, one wave at a time.”
If the theme was “Turn the Tide” then this conference has set it in motion, we are now actively “turning the tide” and in two years' time when we gather for WISA2026 in Cape Town, the tide will already be in on its way, as we set sail to better waters.
BEST STUDENT PAPER 1ST RUNNER-UP
Margareth Thulisile Ngcongo
BEST STUDENT PAPER 2ND RUNNER-UP
Phumlile
Pretty Mamba
THE
BEST SMALL STAND
THE
BEST MEDIUM AND MOST INTERACTIVE STAND
BEST LARGE STAND
Hewi Africa
Liquid Science
KSB Pumps and Valves
Minister Senzo Mchunu delivers the conference opening speech
AQUA VITA EST AWARD
Jurgen Menge and Carin Bosman
Young Water Professionals, and Solomon Makate
WISA HONOURARY MEMBER AWARD
Prof Jo Burgess
SOUTH AFRICAN FLAG FLIES HIGH AT IWA WORLD WATER CONGRESS
A fellow, distinguished fellows, IWA (International Water Association) president, various presentations, and workshops as well as a Bronze Innovation Award: South Africans water professionals did us proud at the IWA World Water Congress in Toronto.
Thousands of leading water professionals and companies from around the world convened at the World Water Congress, seeking solutions to the world’s most pressing water challenges. Over 7000 thought-leaders, decisionmakers, researchers and business leaders attended the conference, with a number of South Africans receiving recognition for their work within the water and sanitation sector.
Several South Africans gave platform presentations, poster sessions, participated in workshops and even chaired sessions. Such as, to mention only a few:
• Professor Faizal Bux (founding member: Institute for Water and Wastewater Technology at Durban University of Technology) is chair of the National Committee of IWA and is participating in the governing assembly where the two vice presidents of the IWA were elected.
• Mendy Shozi (project manager, BORDA South Africa) was part of the Emerging Leaders Water Forum Programme Committee.
• Jay Bhagwan was session chair for Advancements in Non Sewered Sanitation
• Ismail Banoo presented Quantitative
and Qualitative Analysis of Public Knowledge Level Knowledge, Awareness, Attitudes, Behaviour and Perceptions of Domestic Water in the City of Durban, South Africa
Professor Hamanth Kasan is a Distinguished Fellow of the IWA and was formally inducted as the IWA President.
Jay Bhagwan (executive manager: Water Use and Waste Management, Water Research Commission) received an IWA Senior Fellow Award.
“I am honoured and privileged to be inaugurated into a very unique and special group at the International Water Association, as a Senior Fellow.”
“From organising the first International Water Association UK YWP conference in 2002, to establishing the IWA / Water Institute of Southern Africa YWP ZA in 2009, through three jobs, to distinguished fellow admission. Life in the water sector is a life with terrific colleagues. I'm especially proud that I'm still wearing jeans at conferences.”
Bronze Award:
Project Innovation
The Water Research Commission’s, South African Sanitation Technology Enterprise
Jo Burgess (head: Trial Reservoir Services, Isle Utilities) received an IWA Distinguished Fellow Award.
Programme (SASTEP) has brought global recognition to the country by winning the bronze Market-Changing Water Technology and Infrastructure Award
The award acknowledges SASTEP’s groundbreaking approach to alternative sanitation technologies, which has shown remarkable impact on the lives of countless people. The programme has been instrumental in developing and implementing sustainable sanitation solutions that are tailored to the specific needs of South African communities.
“Being recognized on the world stage is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our team and partners,” said Jennifer Molwantwa, CEO of the WRC. “SASTEP is more than just a programme; it’s a catalyst for change, facilitating acceleration of technology and innovation development and adoption, driving sustainable development and economic growth in South Africa.”
(From left) Doulaye Kone, interim director, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Dr Lester Goldman, CEO, WISA
The water sector is filled with passionate people, Carin Bosman is one such passionate person, and she serves to remind us all that water is for the betterment of humanity, and when you are tasked with doing what is right, you have to make some noise.
Early on in her career, Carin realised that when you are working with people and when you are working with water you need to keep yourself to a high standard, she says “You need to have a code, you need to be able to guide yourself. Integrity, honesty, scientific correctness, using knowledge and evidence-based information for decision making, the code will then guide you and
CARIN BOSMAN: MAKE NOISE AND HAVE A CODE
if something threatens this code then you have to resist.” An example of her code in practice was when she was 25 years old and had the lab at Roodeplaat Dam closed for 6 months. The lab did not have enough safety features and seeing that people’s health and safety were at stake she spoke out. This agitated her then-employers and she had to attend a disciplinary hearing but she remained steadfast. Now when you visit the Roodeplaat Dam laboratories the massive extraction fans are a monument to her solid ethics. “When people’s health and well-being are at stake, you do what is right,” she says of this memory.
A lasting impact
This code allowed for an astonishing career where her impact is felt throughout the water industry. She worked at the then-named Department of Water Affairs for 14 years in various positions and divisions, such as the deputy director of business planning and the director of water resource protection and waste management. Extraordinary career highlights include:
1) Helping to initiate the Blue and Green Drop to improve compliance by local government on water-related matters. 2) She was involved with the drafting of
the National Water Act 36 of 1998 (NWA).
3) The prevention of wide-scale pollution and job losses in the Klerksdorp–Orkney–Stilfontein–Hartbeesfontein (KOSH) area. She saw that mining companies were willing to allow acid mine drainage into the Vaal River once the mines no longer turn a profit. Seeing this as a corporate crime that would have done untold damage in pollution and left many without work, Carin wrote a directive that pushed for these companies to continue pumping at the Margaret Shaft to avoid an environmental and social catastrophe. She proposed a reading of section 19 of the National Water Act that would lawfully require these mining companies to continue pumping water away from the Vaal. The High Court of South Africa agreed with her interpretation resulting in the continued pumping at the Margaret Shaft to this day. In 2006 the political tide began to turn and state capture began to take hold. This resulted in her being suspended from duty, a direct correlation with her
Carin Bosman with the CoCT
involvement at the Margaret Shaft. “Doing the right thing does come at a cost, but it will never be a bad thing in the long run” she says, and this turns out to be true. The Public Services Bargaining Council, acting on behalf of the CCMA, decided that her suspension was an unfair dismissal resulting in the department paying out the rest of her contract. With her code, reputation, and resumé she established Carin Bosman Sustainable Solutions (CBSS). A company that reflects her high moral standards and scientific rigour.
She bases the company’s philosophy on the saying “that you can only eat an elephant one bite at a time” coupled with her colourful addition, “You also cannot eat an elephant alone, you need a village to help you”, implying that collaboration and networking are key elements to improving water management
Since its founding CBSS has worked with mining companies, environmental consultancies, local and national government departments, labour unions, NGOs and universities.
The company has a strong focus on leading the water sector through the fourth industrial revolution and launched its innovative Leguaan Software-as-aService™ data visualisation program. Carin says, “The sector does so much work but the decision-makers and community stakeholders are usually not technically minded. Making the data accessible through visualisation is imperative to make good and better decisions.” The software converts water quality monitoring data into interactive graphs that everyone can understand. It assesses the equity and efficiency of water resource allocation and distribution, balancing water use between socioeconomic activities and ecosystems. This “software as a service” pushes the water sector out of the Excel spreadsheet era and makes data accessible and understandable to those who need to make informed decisions. She has launched the WaterMonster™ app which is designed to streamline water sample collection by capturing essential field data directly on a mobile device. It records various details including the type of water sample, weather conditions at the monitoring location, and characteristics of the water such as colour, odour, and flow. The app also logs field readings like temperature, electrical conductivity, and dissolved oxygen, as well as the geolocation and photos of the sampling site. If a sample cannot be taken, it documents the reasons. Additionally, the app calculates the purge time for boreholes.
Recognising great work
Her years of service to people, and water has not gone unnoticed. The Water
The Margaret Shaft
Carin on-site
Institute of Southern Africa (WISA) awarded Carin their Senior Fellow Award at the WISA Gala during the WISA2024 conference. This award is highly prestigious and is only given out to someone who has made significant contributions to the water sector and has supported WISA over an extended period. Of the award, Carin says, “It is a massive honour to be recognised by WISA. Many of us in the sector work on important projects without ever being acknowledged outside of our peer group. To see my work being celebrated is great.” To this point, she adds, “I think we need to recognise important work. People are doing amazing things that directly impact people and the environment in a positive way and awards can be very fulfilling and allow people to strive for something greater.”
The Leguaan water monitor that Carin’s app is named after
WISA is a greatly beneficial organisation, “Yes they provide an umbrella for water professionals, they have good training courses, and provide many opportunities for networking but what sets WISA apart as a professional organisation is that they really listen. A few years ago I had the idea to create some training programs and I approached many organisations with the idea that I create and present the courses and they assist in marketing and CPD points. The only organisation that listened and followed up was WISA.” Carin notes that this quality allows WISA to actively shape the water sector. Using their influence, they push projects through and “make things happen” is what makes WISA so important within
the sector. Carin notes that whilst at the 2024 WISA conference she spoke to a peer about trying to publish new SANS standards, and there was some bureaucratic hold-up. After speaking to WISA CEO Lester for 5 minutes things started moving. Two weeks after the conference the SANS standards were published. Using their influence to get things moving is very powerful.”
Throughout her career, she has championed marginalised voices and diversity in the sciences and is a member of the Quote This Woman+ database, a database for journalists to get information and quotes from experts who are often overlooked such as women and people of colour.
“The water sector is filled with passionate and knowledgeable people, and our job also entails informing the public about water. When we do our work right and follow our code of integrity and ethics, we improve lives, and we need to continue our efforts for the betterment of human beings, and to encourage the public to be conscientious about water”.
SURFACTANTS IN WASTEWATER: CHALLENGES TO TREATMENT
EFFICIENCY AND EFFECTIVE
Rising surfactant levels in wastewater are hindering treatment processes. Moleaer's nanobubble technology offers a non-toxic solution to enhance efficiency and tackle this critical issue.
The word surfactant comes from “SURFace ACTive AgeNT,” which describes their chemical function: they lower the surface tension between two substances, such as a liquid and solid or two unmixable liquids. The structure of surfactants typically consists of a hydrophilic (water-loving) head and a hydrophobic (water-repelling) tail. This unique structure enables surfactants to interact simultaneously with both water and non-water substances, facilitating the formation of stable mixtures or emulsions.
Surfactants are used widely in various industries, including personal care products, detergents, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, paints and coatings, agriculture, and oil recovery processes. Common examples include sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) found in most personal care products and benzalkonium chlorides (BACs), used in industrial cleaning. They contribute to the functionality, stability, and performance of these products and processes by modifying interfacial properties and improving interactions between different substances.
Why is there an increase of surfactants in wastewater?
Most aerobic biological processes in wastewater treatment can manage low levels of surfactants and can be effective in removing them. However, they are difficult to
treat at high concentrations. Several recent trends have resulted in elevated surfactant concentrations in wastewater, making surfactant removal more important than ever.
• The pandemic and trends in surfactantcontaining products. During the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, people were urged to wash and disinfect their homes, workspaces, schools, hospitals, stores, and themselves more frequently and more thoroughly, leading to higher concentrations of surfactants in wastewater discharged to the collection system. The move toward liquid soaps and concentrated liquid detergents and away from bar soaps and powdered detergents, a trend that preceded Covid-19, has also exacerbated the problem because liquid cleaners contain more surfactants than solid cleaners.
SOLUTIONS
BLUEPLANET AND MOLEAER
Surfactants are used widely in various industries, including personal care products, detergents, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, paints and coatings, agriculture, and oil recovery processes
• Water conservation. Paradoxically, the success of water conservation efforts, plus the introduction of high-efficiency appliances that use less water, has also led to greater challenges for wastewater treatment facilities. While consumers are using less water to accomplish their household and cleaning tasks, which is beneficial from a climate perspective, they continue to use the same amount of soap and cleaning products. So, less water is being added to the collection system resulting
BluePlanet is in an exclusive agreement with the leaders in the field of nanobubble technology –Moleaer. “There are a number of nanobubble technology companies, but we chose Moleaer for their scalable, low-maintenance method of generation. You get nanobubbles and then you have Moleaer nanobubbles – the scale and performance are years ahead of other developments,” explains Rowan McDonald (RM), Head of Nanobubble Technology at BluePlanet South Africa. Moleaer nanobubble technology includes a water pump, a gas source (air compressor or oxygen concentrator), and a nanobubble generator core, which dissolves gas into water and generates the functional nanobubbles. The nanobubble generator has no moving parts and is low maintenance in design. Electrical requirements come from the pumping of water and low-pressure air/oxygen supply. Sizes vary from 9 m3/hour to 1000 m3/hour per module and multiple modules can be deployed.
BluePlanet is in an exclusive agreement with the leaders in the field of nanobubble technology – Moleaer.
in higher concentrations of surfactants in wastewater.
The problem
Although beneficial for many applications, the use of surfactants has negative consequences in wastewater treatment and the environment. They destroy aquatic microbial populations, damage fish and other aquatic life, and reduce photochemical conversion efficiency of plants. Surfactants also adversely affect wastewater treatment processes in both industrial and waste streams.
When mixed in water with fats, oils, and grease (FOG), surfactants increase the complexity and cost of wastewater treatment
where they cannot be treated. In addition to creating inhibition in the anaerobic digestion process, they create foaming issues and reduced biogas quality.
Additionally they:
• Reduce oxygen transfer efficiency
• Lower oxygen transfer in the biomass
• Reduce biomass kinetics
• Interfere with solids separation and dewaterability of the sludge
Surfactants adversely affect wastewater treatment processes in both industrial and waste streams
When mixed in water with fats, oils, and grease (FOG), surfactants increase the complexity and cost of wastewater treatment because they interfere with nearly all water and wastewater treatment processes (physical, biological, and chemical). FOG and surfactants disrupt water treatment because they emulsify wastewater, impede oxygen transfer, interfere with separation, inhibit biological processes, and consume disinfection chemicals.
FOG and surfactants cause issues like accelerated fouling of micro/ ultra-filtration and reverse osmosis membranes, requiring more energy for backwashing and more chemicals for clean-in-place procedures. In some cases, the presence of these contaminants restricts the extent of treatment and water recycling that a municipality can cost-effectively achieve.
Surfactants have an affinity to adsorb to the solids surface - a key characteristic for a cleaning agent. In wastewater treatment, they sorb to the sludge that is then sent to the anaerobic digester
Moleaer’s nanobubble technology
wastewater treatment plants a non-toxic pretreatment method that removes surfactants from wastewater
Combating the negative impact of high surfactant concentrations in wastewater treatment
Many of the symptoms of surfactants are often misdiagnosed as insufficient treatment capacity requiring costly infrastructure improvements to address. Alternately, some plant operators solve the problem with temporary fixes such as applying chemicals like QUAT blockers without long-term mitigation.
Moleaer’s nanobubble technology offers wastewater treatment plants a non-toxic pretreatment method that removes surfactants from wastewater and improves the efficiency of downstream treatment processes including primary treatment, secondary treatment, and disinfection.
In wastewater treatment, nanobubbles work like clean chemistry – changing the fundamental nature of the inhibitory compounds and delivering significant results. Some of the specific nanobubble properties beneficial to wastewater treatment include:
• Size: The nanobubble has a diameter of < 200 nanometers and is invisible to the naked eye. Compared to a
bubbles provide 10 000 times more surface area for adsorbing inhibitory compounds. Around a billion fit on the tip of a finger.
• Charged: Nanobubbles have a strong negative surface charge preventing them from coalescing as they spread throughout the water body.
• Stable: Nanobubbles are neutrally buoyant – they remain suspended in water giving the time for the reaction to happen.
• Hydrophobic: Nanobubbles are hydrophobic – and as such will attract the hydrophobic tails of the amphiphilic compounds.
• Internal pressure: The nanobubble has a diameter of 100 nanometers. As determined by the Young Laplace equation, these bubbles have a high internal pressure of 400 psi (27.5 bar). Therefore, these bubbles release tremendous amounts of pressure and heat energy when destabilised. When introduced early in the wastewater process, the unique properties of nanobubbles attract and sequester the inhibitory compounds. When destabilised, the bubble releases the energy trapped in it which breaks the surfactant molecules and makes them easy to treat. The inhibitory compound’s properties are fundamentally changed, thus making them easier to treat. By changing their ability to coat other organic compounds, the remainder of the wastewater becomes easier to treat.
A FIRST OF ITS KIND LEACHATE AND EFFLUENT TREATMENT PLANT
TInterwaste, a Séché Environnement Group company, has launched a R100-million leachate and effluent treatment plant in South Africa.
his initiative reflects Interwaste's commitment to providing a circular solution for South Africa. It will help companies comply with the country's ban on liquid waste to landfills and support the national waste management strategy. Additionally, it represents another step by Interwaste to address its own leachate management impacts," states Kate Stubbs, Interwaste's marketing director.
Leachate
Leachate is formed when rain/surface water passes through the waste body of a landfill. It becomes contaminated as it filters through the waste body, resulting in a complex mixture of organic, inorganic
and potentially hazardous substances such volatile organic compounds, heavy metals or even pathogens. This can cause water pollution, soil contamination, health risks, odour problems, regulatory non-compliance and ecosystem damage. Potential components:
• Inorganic compounds – heavy metals, salts, ammonia
• Nutrients – nitrogen compounds, phosphates
• Anions and cations – chloride, sulfate, bicarbonate, calcium, magnesium
• Pathogens – bacteria, viruses, other micro organisms
• Trace elements – copper, nickel, manganese, other trace metals
• Contaminants – pesticides, herbicides, pharmaceuticals, industrial chemicals “Therefore, leachate needs to be safely captured, managed and treated. However, this is difficult because the composition of leachate can vary significantly depending on the type of waste in the landfill, the age of the landfill, climatic conditions, and the landfill's management practices. Due to the varied make up of leachate, there is no one-size solution to manage it. The treatment process requires flexibility to manage variability in quantity and quality,” explains Stubbs.
Kate Stubbs, Interwaste's marketing director
She adds that this is why the development, implementation and commissioning of the Leachate and Effluent Treatment Plant is a monumental achievement in the realm of sustainable waste management. “Up until now, there has been no sustainable solutions for leachate in the country.”
The plant will process various liquid waste streams and is designed to accept and treat effluent waste across two categories including: leachate produced by Interwaste’s own facilities or other waste disposal facilities and liquid waste streams from various industries such as manufacturing, mining, oil and gas.
Equipped with technologies that not only effectively treat these waste streams (43 million litres of effluent a year), the plant also recovers an impressive 80-90% as clean, reusable water. The clean water produced by the plant exceeds the Department of Water and Sanitation’s safe discharge limits and will produce approximately 36 million litres of clean water per annum.
After a rigorous design and development phase, the Interwaste Leachate and Effluent Treatment Plant employs a multi-stage treatment process that ensures the efficient removal of contaminants while maximising water recovery. From pre-treatment analysis, homogenisation, clarification and separation through to reverse osmosis, evaporation, stabilisation and post treatment testing, the plant achieves a high efficiency and recovery rate of 8090% clean water for reuse.
“Our main plan is to re-use the clean water onsite for operational purposes like dust suppression, thereby reducing our use on municipal or borehole sources, but it can also be discharged to replenish the local water course,” says Stubbs.
Basic steps are to test incoming leachate, pre-treat it, process and recover clean water.
Key features include:
• Flexibility to treat and process a range of liquid waste types including leachate.
• Bespoke pre-treatment processes which balance pH levels and removes elements such as suspended solids, pollutants, and oils to ensure the optimal blend is created, enabling the facility to operate within safe conditions, minimising risk and ensuring maximum output.
• Refined concentration methods that separate salts from water.
• Advanced filtration systems to remove remaining constituents from the water.
• Continuous monitoring and control systems to ensure optimal performance and compliance with regulatory standards.
• Reverse osmosis is included too which demonstrates the ability to go to a high level of cleanliness (very fine filtration process).
Talbot
“The FOUR main contractors were Talbot, Kainos, Cube and SA-Five. We are proud that the majority of material suppliers were South African. The entire operational team is South African,” states Stubbs.
Talbot provided turnkey installation of the evaporator and polishing plant to treat up to 120 m3/day of leachate and industrial effluent streams to environmental discharge limits.
Through the design process, Talbot engaged with KMULoft, an international market leader in mechanical vapour recompression (MVR) evaporation units. These evaporators from Germany were chosen for their robust design and energy efficient operation. Concentrating the leachate wastewater streams to up to 25% total solids, the MVR evaporators significantly reduce the liquid burden on the landfill site.
The distillate generated is polished with reverse osmosis (RO) and is suitable for discharge to the environment or sale to end-users. High levels of ammonia, due to the nature of the feed, are removed from the RO brine in an SG Plastics Ammonia Stripper/Scrubber and captured as a byproduct with potential value. The stripped RO brine is returned to the feed tank, thereby avoiding any water losses and improving overall efficiency.
The plant was designed and built in conjunction with a Kainos pretreatment facility, comprising an API, clarifier, and DAF units. The overall plant can accept a range of leachate and industrial effluent streams, concentrate up by a factor of nine or higher, and produce water within the legislated general discharge limits.
Two years were spent researching, analysing and designing the plant and one year to build it. Interwaste is exploring the implementation of similar plants elsewhere in the country.
Plant
ROCH DISTRIBUTORS SUPPLY
CEDI TECHNOLOGY TO THE AFRICAN MARKET
Continuous electro deionisation (CEDI) is a water treatment process that uses a combination of ion-exchange resins, ionexchange membranes and direct current to continuously deionize water without the need for chemicals. This is used to produce ultrapure water.
Ionpure® modules first commercialised CEDI for water purification in 1987. Since then, the company has continued to evolve and bring out new technologies. It has undergone a number of transitions and was recently acquired by Xylem, while trading under the name Evoqua Water Technologies.
Evolution of deionisation
Deionisation is typically the last process to remove any remaining dissolved solids (such as sodium chloride) in water.
Previously, the only option available was chemically regenerated ion exchange resins where the mixed-bed stage was preceded by separate units for cation and anion exchange.
In a bid to further improve water quality, reverse osmosis (RO) was
introduced to reduce total organic carbon as well as chemical usage in water treatment systems. This was followed by the mixed bed stage.
“As the cost of RO started to drop, the uptake of the technology increased. RO pulls out the majority of bulk ions and organics and prepares the water for CEDI technology,” says Patrick Buzzell, director: Product Management, Ionpure® products.
What is so great about CEDI?
Unlike traditional ion exchange methods that require periodic regeneration of the resin beds, CEDI operates continuously without the need for regeneration.
Regeneration is a process that takes ion exchange resin beds that are exhausted (fully loaded) and removes ions that have been picked up during the
in-service cycle so the resin can continue to be used. This involves the use of hydrochloric or sulfuric acid as well as sodium hydroxide (caustic acid).
“With CEDI, there is no need to use the hazardous regeneration chemicals, making the entire treatment process intrinsically safer and environmentally friendly. There is no need to manage the pH levels all day and there is limited downtime,” states Buzzell.
Ion exchange resin is a batch process, therefore there is a threshold or a minimum water quality that needs to be maintained. As the resin beds begin to exhaust, the water quality will drop. There is a breakthrough of ions at the end of the service cycle and a rinse out of regenerant at the beginning of the next service cycle. Usually, the detection of a weakly charged contaminant like silica is an early indicator that the resin bed is beginning to exhaust. At that point in time, a new resin must be used, or regeneration must take place. This interrupts the treatment process.
Buzzell adds that when using CEDI technology, the water quality will remain consistent for the life of the product, creating a stable operation. “The longevity of CEDI technology largely depends on several factors, including maintenance practices, operating conditions, and the quality of the feed water. In general, CEDI systems can operate continuously, with an average lifespan of five years.”
How does CEDI work?
CEDI combines two processes: ion exchange and electrodialysis. The positively charged electrodes will attract negatively charged ions and the negatively charged electrodes will attract the positively charged ions. CEDI utilises ion exchange membranes and electricity to remove ions from water.
Dan Flower, global technical lead: Ionpure products and Patrick Buzzell, director: Product Management, Ionpure products
The cation transfer membranes only allow positive ions to move through them and an anion transfer membrane only allows negative charges to move through. The membranes are impermeable to water. The water flows past and not through the membrane while only the ions move through the membranes. There are alternating cation and anion exchange membranes, as the ions move across the CEDI module.
The spaces in between these membranes are configured to create liquid flow compartments with inlets and outlets. The compartments are bound by an anion membrane facing the positively charged anode and a cation membrane facing the negatively charged cathode. These are diluting compartments. The compartments bound by an anion membrane facing the cathode and a cation membrane facing the anode are concentrating compartments.
A chemical-free, self-regenerating technology used to provide a consistent flow of high-quality deionized
To facilitate ion transfer in low ionic concentration solutions, the dilute compartments are filled with ion exchange resins. The ion exchange resin attracts the ions from the water. The DC electric field helps to transport the ions from the ion exchange resin within the diluting compartment towards the ion selective membrane and into the concentrating compartment. This process effectively removes the ions from the diluting stream into the concentrating (waste) stream. The ions effectively get stuck between the membranes, creating the waste stream. Between 5% to 10% of the flow is diverted into the waste stream to flush these ions away. The waste stream can be safely discharged, reused or recycled back in front to the RO feed to maximise the full CEDI recovery.
Performance equal to or better than conventional mixed-bed deionization is now achievable using CEDI technology through enhanced layering and staged CEDI modules
very different from RO that is pressure driven. CEDI requires an electric field. Ionpure’s technologies run on DC power, providing up to 600 volts and 13 amps output. We have also developed our own power controllers through collaborating with other partners. It is the amperage that moves the ions through the membranes,” explains Buzzell. The design flow for a full sized Ionpure® VNX-MAX module is /hour, with the minimum at 7.5 m3/hour and maximum at 22 m3/hour. “The higher the flow rate, the less time there is for the electric field to work on the ions. So generally speaking, the lower the flow rate, the better the performance. But if the flow is too low, the channels will not fill up adequately and there will
Roch recently held technical workshops on Ionpure products and CEDI technology
water
Ionpure® Modules first commercialised CEDI for water purification in 1987
be inadequate flow distribution,” he adds.
Higher loads of CO2 negatively affect the ultimate quality of the water and is accounted for with Feedwater Conductivity Equivalent (FCE) or load. For example, 10 µS/cm of load will give better water quality than 40 µS/cm of load. “Most of our modules go up to 40 µS/cm of load. If the loading is greater than that, the module will continue
BOTSWANA’S
to operate, but we cannot predict the quality of the water at the end of the process,” says Buzzell.
Conclusion
CEDI is a compelling option for various water treatment applications, particularly in industries where water purification is critical. It is an efficient and cost-effective method for producing high-purity water with low levels of dissolved
solids. It offers several advantages over traditional ion exchange processes, including high efficiency, low operating costs, low maintenance requirements, and flexibility in terms of scalability and space requirements. This makes it widely used in power production (boiler feed), science-intensive industries, pharmaceuticals, food & beverage, general industry, and production of high-purity substances.
Contact Roch for more information. https://roch.co.za/
NEW 16 ML A DAY WATER TREATMENT PLANT
WEC Water, a South African engineering, procurement, and construction company, completed building a new multi-stage water treatment plant at Kasane in Botswana. This new plant will provide safe drinking water to the local communities.
This new water treatment plant produces 16 Ml (16 million liters) of potable water per day for the local population of 90,000 people. The water will also be crucial for local businesses. The Kasane area is experiencing rapid population and economic growth and the old treatment plant was no longer capable of meeting the demand, this new plant sees that the exciting growth in the area will be met with continued water supply.
WEC was appointed as the mechanical and electrical sub-contractor, responsible for the design, manufacturing, delivery, installation and commissioning of the water treatment works.
Raw water is drawn from the Chobe River and is treated by clarification, followed by gravity sand and activated carbon filtration and final disinfection by dosing chlorine dioxide.
Raw water is collected from the Chobe River and is then processed through clarification, gravity sand and
activated carbon filtration before a final disinfection of chlorine dioxide. Ruan Kellerman, senior project manager at WEC Water says, “The recent economic growth of Kasane spurred the government to upgrade its municipal services in the area. This upgrade aims to accommodate the new influx of tourists, and workers in the area.”
The plant guarantees that treated water, adhering to the Botswana Bureau of Standards is supplied to one the nation’s fastest growing regions.
CEDI is widely used in the pharmaceutical as well as food and beverage industries
Lamella clarification section of the new Kasane Water Treatment plant in northern Botswana
WATER RISK RISES AS MINING GROWS IN AFRICA
While many African countries benefit from mining’s growth, there remain concerns about communities adjacent to mines facing risks to their groundwater or surface water supply and resources – casting a spotlight on mines’ water stewardship responsibilities.
Africa’s world-class copper belt, for instance, holds great potential for the future, and mining development there needs to manage its water issues carefully,” said Ismail Mahomed, partner and principal hydrogeologist at SRK Consulting. “This is vital not only for mines to comply with local regulations and global industry standards, but to protect their broader social licence to mine.”
Mine dewatering is one of the many facets that increase this risk, especially in regions with low rainfall like southern and northern Africa. The contamination of water resources continues to pose a potential liability
and risk for any mining operation especially with the rising standards that require mines to leave behind a safe environment upon closure.
Plan for closure
“Closure planning needs to start from day one” says Mahomed. “There is zero tolerance for the kind of contamination historically caused by mining.” There is also a growing concern in metals markets about ethical and sustainable supply chains in mining. Mahomed points to mining companies in countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo, where copper and cobalt mining is ramping up to meet the demands of a lower carbon future. Industry benchmarks such as the Copper Mark have become essential for mining
companies to understand current trends in customer expectations.
“Responsible sourcing of minerals – especially those related to battery and renewable energy technology – is becoming entrenched in the supply chain of key markets like Europe,” he explained. “Mining responsibly has wide-ranging implications that include water management, so the leading mining companies and their industry bodies are embracing water stewardship principles to ensure they are good neighbours in the catchments where they operate.”
Supporting sustainability
To effectively underpin and apply the right policies, mines need specialised technical expertise that will generate accurate data and analyse it so that
Ismail Mahomed, partner and principal hydrogeologist at SRK Consulting
Sathisha Barath, principal hydrogeologist at SRK Consulting
it is practically useful. They also benefit from taking a strategic view of water stewardship rather than focusing solely on compliance, according to Sathisha Barath, principal hydrogeologist at SRK Consulting. “In response to mining regulations, many companies accrue large volumes of compliance monitoring data; however, data interpretation and trend analysis can be optimised using ‘big data’ management tools. The focus should be on quality data collection and analysis to inform decisions, rather than on data quantity or a 'tick-box' exercise.”
She pointed to compliance requirements such as monitoring of water resources through borehole sampling. While a company can comply by meeting certain minimum deliverables, this activity may contribute only modestly to the sustainability of the mine or its environment. Water samples may be collected, tested and documented according to legal guidelines, for instance, but ultimately this data should be used to optimise the mine’s environmental management strategy – which in turn is to protect human health and the environment.”
Models and tools
Mahomed highlighted the potential to create digital dashboards to make better use of information gathered, allowing quick and easy access to waterrelated data on a mine site and broader catchment.
“On the strength of tools like numerical models, mines can define the best way to implement their dewatering programme, making sure that they ‘close the loop’ with additional data as it is collected,” he said. “It is important that models are not used blindly but are rooted in mine-specific data and continuously improved based on ongoing scientific observations.”
Meaningful targets
Barath said that by taking an integrated approach to water management, clients can be assisted in developing tailored and site-specific solutions with meaningful targets in line with the mine’s strategic objectives.
“This means avoiding ‘copy-and-paste’ compliance with checklists, and rather pursuing a technically sound long-term solution that is cost-effective and meets regulatory compliance standards,” she explained.
With its wealth of experience in surface water and groundwater solutions, SRK Consulting’s Water and Environmental Technology (WET) team works around Africa helping mines to manage their water supply, dewatering and other related challenges.
Working with other specialisations in the business – such as mining and environmental, social and governance (ESG) experts – the WET team of mainly hydrologists and hydrogeologists is involved in studies such as due diligence and feasibility, as well as environmental and social assessments (ESIAs).
CONSERVING WATER
PART OF DE BEERS RESPONSIBLE STEWARDSHIP
Water conservation is at the core of De Beers’s mining practices, aligning with the company’s broader environmental initiatives and community engagement.
De Beers use a multifaceted approach to water conservation including technology to reduce the volume of fresh water used in diamond mining and processing as well as sophisticated filtration systems that allow for water to be purified and reused. This is all monitored to minimise water waste.
Responsible water management also means considering other stakeholders in the catchment, so the company collaborates with local communities and governments to ensure that its water use does not negatively impact local water resources. Through partnerships and educational initiatives, De Beers promotes water conservation awareness and practices beyond its own operations.
Corporate responsibility
This has led De Beers into a partnership with EHA Group JV Hlengani Business Enterprise. Together they completed the Alldays Municipality Water Infrastructure Refurbishment Project in Limpopo province. Focusing on the repair and upgrading of existing water infrastructure, as well as the construction of a new supporting water storage tank, the project involves the collaboration with the community and local suppliers. The result is improved water access and reliability in Alldays, while empowering local stakeholders.
De Beers is involved with various environmental restoration projects, of which enhancing local water ecosystems is a key aspect. By rehabilitating natural water bodies and improving watershed management, the company aims to contribute to the overall health and sustainability of the region’s water resources.
Communities are at the centre of responsible water usage
WESTERN CAPE WATER SUPPLY:
There are pockets of excellence within the Western Cape Province, with 15 water supply systems receiving Blue Drop status.
OVERVIEW IN NUMBERS
Total population: 6 241 092 people
Water Supply Systems: 125
Water Service Authorities (WSAs): 25 Water Board: 1
Bulk Water Service Providers: 2
Water Services Providers: 3
(City of Cape Town MM and West Coast District Municipality)
(Overberg Water)
(Nuwater, IKUSASA, Veolia)
Water supply systems that received Blue Drop Status
Of the 124 water supply systems, 15 qualified for the Blue Drop Certification (scoring over 95%). In 2014, 8 water supply systems were awarded Blue Drop status. Using the 2014 audit results as comparative baseline, the province shows an improvement in excellence for 2023.
Municipality Water Supply System
Berg Rivier Local Municipality Velddrif
City of Cape Town Metro Municipality Cape Town
Drakenstein Local Municipality Hermon
George Local Municipality George
Baardskeerdersbos
Buffeljags Bay
Buffelsrivier
Overstrand Local Municipality
Greater Gaansbaai
Greater Hermanus
Kelinmond
Pearly Beach Standford
Saldanha Bay Local Municipality Hopefield
Swartland Local Municipality Withoogte
Summarised comment on report
The team was familiar with the blue drop system procedure, and this was reflected in most of the required information already uploaded on IRIS. There is also a good complement of technical people appointed on the management side to oversee and implement operations.
All senior managers were present, required information was uploaded onto IRIS beforehand. Water safety plans were completed in-house. The technical department is sufficiently staffed with skilled personnel on the engineering and scientific sides. A high premium is placed on training. The operational side is well managed with automated systems.
Comprehensive water safety plans provided an excellent sitespecific risk register. The microbiological and chemical acute compliance was excellent.
The effort exerted by the municipality to ensure their water supply systems are managed, operated, and maintained in line with the best-practice principles that underpin Blue Drop certification is certainly evident from this audit.
Theewaterskloof Local Municipality Botrivier
Impressed with the cooperative relationship between Veolia and Overstand municipality that is built on trust, respect and continuous communication. Senior technical people were present during the audit process and they presented an outstanding portfolio of evidence that made the audit process easy and efficient. There were excellent water safety plans with proof of implementation. The municipality knew about their water safety plan and could list the risks within their catchments.
Represented by senior managers who provided a portfolio of evidence that was well structured and easy to navigate. The team showed pride in their systems and an interest in how to improve.
Well prepared, presented by a senior technical team as well as a private engineering company. There is good maintenance and operational supply chain systems in place. Water safety plans are continuously updated and implemented.
The scientist responsible for the Blue Drop system took great care in uploading relevant and concise information to the applicable key performance areas on the IRIS system. Support functions on the maintenance side are in place while there is also a good complement of technical people appointed on the management side to oversee and implement operations
Total volume of water treated per day: 1 162 422 kℓ
Pump stations: 348
The Blue Drop audit verified a total installed design capacity: 2 454 432 kℓ/d and a total available capacity of 2 163 544 kℓ/d. Collectively, the 126 WTWs produce 1 162 422 kℓ/d and distributes 1 063 791 kℓ/d across the water networks. By comparing the available treatment capacity with the treated water volume, a spare treatment capacity of 1 001 122 kℓ /d is available (46%) to meet additional future demands.
Blue Drop Risk Rating (BDRR)
102
The BDRR assessment focuses on critical risk areas within water services provision. This allows the water service institution to identify and prioritise the critical risk areas within its drinking water treatment process and to take corrective measures to abate these.
The provincial BDRR remained in the low-risk category and improved from 34.8% in 2022 (Blue Drop Progress Assessment Tool) to 27.4% in 2023.
• 115 water supply systems are situated in the low-risk category
• 8 water supply systems in the medium risk category
• 1 water supply system in the high-risk category
• 0 water supply systems in the critical risk category
Pipelines: 14 087 km bulk water supply lines 6563 km reticulation pipelines Reservoirs and towers: 1
Best performing WSAs
• Overstrand Local Municipality
• City of Cape Town Metro Municipality
• George Local Municipality
Of the 26 water systems that received Blue Drop status, 15 of the water systems were in the Western Cape. Why?
“The Blue Drop national report reveals a clear correlation between the presence of qualified technical staff and high scores for water systems. Systems with a substantial number of qualified technicians, technologists, process controllers, engineers, and scientists achieve high scores, whereas those with a significant shortage of technical staff tend to receive lower scores.”
“Furthermore, the Western Cape has a ‘training culture’ where all personnel at the plants, depots and head offices are subjected to regular and relevant training.”
- Dewald van Staden, process controller, WISA
“The City of Cape Town has embraced resilience, innovative and technical thinking as well as skills development. We have taken the key performance indicators of the Blue Drop Programme and implemented them into our day-to-day operations. We had a clear plan on who will upload what on IRIS and by when. We involved our operational staff in the Blue Drop audit process, and this made them understand on how they fit into the bigger picture.”
-
Daisy Legodi, Faure Water Scheme Manager, City of Cape Town
STRIVING FOR EXCELLENCE WITH A CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT MINDSET
The Western Cape is the top performing province in the 2023 Blue Drop Report, claiming 15 of the 26 Blue Drop Awards. And while the province celebrates that success, they are working hard to improve the water supply systems that were rated critical and medium risk
The Blue Drop Certification Programme identifies focus areas for the Compliance, Monitoring and Enforcement division within the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) with regards to water quality. It provides information on the water service authorities (WSAs) that are non-compliant and require support.
Conversely, it is a report card for municipalities (making them accountable) and gives the public evidence on the water quality they receive and the state of the systems that provide that water,”
Boniswa Hene, Director: Regulation, Department of Water and Sanitation
explains Boniswa Hene, Director: Regulation, Department of Water and Sanitation.
Of the 125 water supply systems in the Western Cape, eight systems in four municipalities or Water Services Authorities (WSAs) were rated critical below 31%, and five systems in three municipalities / WSAs fell within the poor performing category below 51%. The seven municipalities that are responsible for these thirteen systems received non-compliance letters from DWS, requesting corrective action plans. Once these corrective action plans were received and analysed by DWS, officials personally visited each municipality.
“These meetings were well received by all parties, and we were thrilled that there was a high level of attendance by both technical people and key decision makers like mayors, deputy mayors, municipal managers and chief financial officers (CFOs) from these seven different municipalities. These are the people that need to motivate their councils for budgets for water quality. It was also critical for us that these senior people sign off their own corrective action plans in order to better support the technical people on the ground,” says Hene.
Common threads with low scoring systems
“It is important to note, that while water quality is a dominant category within the Blue Drop Report, it is not the only aspect that is measured. There are categories like financial management, risk management, capacity management and technical management. So, while we had thirteen systems that were placed within the critical and medium risk categories, they all produced good water quality, but scored low in other areas.”
She adds that there is a correlation between low technical capacity and low Blue Drop scores. “In some cases, there is no appointed chief financial officer (CFO) or no qualified process controller. Furthermore, the low scoring municipalities often failed to regularly upload required information onto DWS’s Integrated Regulation Information System (IRIS) or the data that was uploaded was inaccurate and they were penalised. For instance, one plant had qualified process controllers, but they failed to upload that information onto IRIS. Many of the municipalities also failed to document their processes in terms of maintenance or non-conformances and they were also penalised.”
Additionally, while some of the municipalities conducted their own process audits on their systems, they failed to implement the findings of those audits. Another weakness was the operational monitoring. Monitoring must be done to pick up early warning signs or anomalies before water enters the reticulation system.
“Commonalities in well performing municipalities were a strong water services provider (WSP). The WSP
concentrates on operations and monitoring while the municipality has freed up resources to attend to infrastructure programmes and planning,” explains Lungiswa Mgxwati Deputy Director for Water Services Regulation at DWS.
Support
In terms of Section 154 (1) of the Constitution, the national government and provincial governments, by legislative and other measures, must support and strengthen the capacity of municipalities to manage their own affairs, to exercise their powers and to perform their functions. At the same time, Section 155 (7) of the Constitution gives the national government and the provincial governments the legislative and executive authority to regulate the municipalities.
“The DWS must support and regulate municipalities, and the incentive-based Blue Drop Certification programme is a great tool for this. The first intervention has been the physical meeting between DWS and the seven municipalities, where we analysed and discussed the Blue Drop Results, the corrective action plans, infrastructure needs as well as fundamental issues that are easy to correct. Often, the municipalities were surprised that they made simple mistakes that cost them important points,” says Mgxwati.
The municipalities were also reminded of the window period during the audit, where they have a second chance to submit information. From the meetings, it was decided that all municipal managers should be given access to IRIS to monitor their own municipalities and the frequency and accuracy of uploaded data. The Blue Drop report has been
used to identify needs with regards to infrastructure. For instance, a number of treatment works in the province are working over their designed capacity.
“Municipalities receive funding, but this is not always allocated towards water services. One of the resolutions from the meetings was to ring-fence funding for water and wastewater services. Since our meeting with these municipalities, we have also seen advertisements to fill critical positions like process controllers,” states Mgxwati.
The South African Local Government Association (Salga) and Municipal Infrastructure Support Agency (Misa) have also provided support to struggling municipalities. Misa can second technical people to municipalities. In addition to that, the DWS has partnered with EWSETA, WISA and the CSIR to provide training for process controllers.
Municipalities that have strong oversight from communities tend to perform better. Therefore, DWS has established water and sanitation community forums in different municipalities. Through these forums, communities better understand the challenges faced by municipalities and if they can assist in any way.
“There is generally better communication between the two entities through these forums and typically less theft and vandalism of infrastructure. Municipalities may have the technical capacity, but if the community is not responding to the plans and projects of that municipality, there will be problems. We are currently establishing community forums in these seven municipalities,” comments Hene.
“Overall, we are encouraged and proud of the Western Cape’s Blue Drop Results and will continue to support the struggling municipalities. We believe that a tighter, closer relationship has developed between the DWS and these municipalities from the meetings, and that it will bear fruit in the future,” she concludes.
MEET SOUTH AFRICA’S BEST WSA
The country’s best performing water services authority (WSA) –Overstrand Local Municipality (LM) – received eight of the 26 national Blue Drop awards. All eight of their water supply schemes received Blue Drop status, with an overall Blue Drop score of 99.99%. Kirsten Kelly talks to the team about the reasons for their success.
Overstrand LM is situated in the Overberg District of the Western Cape Province and covers the areas of Hangklip-Kleinmond, Greater Hermanus, Stanford and Greater Gansbaai. With an average bulk supply input volume of 23 Mℓ/day and a combined design treatment capacity of 60 Mℓ/day, Overstrand LM supplies around 8 379 Mℓ of bulk potable water per annum.
The municipality has a population of nearly 130 000 people and eight water
supply systems, with each system receiving a Blue Drop award:
• The Baardskeerdersbos Supply system abstracts raw water from boreholes for treatment at the Baardskeerdersbos Water Treatment Plant (WTP)
• The Buffeljags Bay Supply system abstracts raw water from boreholes for treatment at the Buffelsjags Bay WTP
• The Buffelsrivier Supply system abstracts raw water from the Buffels River Dam for treatment at the Buffelsrivier WTP
• The Greater Gansbaai Supply system
serves 20 479 people. The system abstracts raw water from the Klipgat and De Kelders Grotte Fountain for treatment at the De Kelders WTP and the Kraaibosch and Franskraal Dams for treatment at the Franskraal WTP
• The Greater Hermanus Supply system abstracts raw water from the De Bos Dam, Gateway Borehole Field (5 boreholes) and Volmoed and Camphill borehole fields (7 boreholes) for treatment at the Preekstoel WTP
• The Kleinmond Supply system abstracts raw water from the Palmiet
Hanre Blignaut, principal engineer: Civil Infrastructure Planning, Overstrand Local Municipality
Coenie Loubser, operations manager at Overstrand for Veolia Services Southern Africa
Patrick Robinson, senior engineer: Water Infrastructure and Quality, Overstrand Local Municipality
Goosen Le Roux, senior engineer: Bulk Water and Sanitation, Overstrand Local Municipality
Kraaibosch Dam
River and Dorpsfontein for treatment at the Kleinmond WTP
• The Pearly Beach Supply system abstracts raw water from the Pearly Beach and Koekemoer Dams for treatment at the Pearly Beach WTP
• The Stanford Supply system abstracts raw water from the Stanford Spring Kouevlakte Boreholes for treatment at the Stanford Water Treatment Works
Veolia Services Southern Africa
“Like most WSAs, our challenges are a growing population, aging infrastructure and budget constraints,” explains Hanre Blignaut, Principal Engineer: Civil Infrastructure Planning, Overstrand LM. It was in this light that Overstrand LM decided to subcontract the operation of all their treatment plants to gain better efficiencies and preserve assets. They also needed additional skilled personnel to continuously operate plants with advanced technologies like ultra filtration, biofiltration, Nereda, and reverse osmosis.
After a thorough tendering process, where factors such as experience, skill set, financial health and pricing were considered, Veolia Services Southern Africa was awarded the 15-year operations and maintenance (O&M) contract at the end of 2018.
Veolia is managing the day-to-day operations of Overstrand’s water and wastewater infrastructure that stretches over 250 km. They have also conducted a number of process optimisation studies. A central management team in Hermanus manages and coordinates all aspects of operation, including teams that are available to assist and maintain the municipality’s infrastructure on a daily basis.
“With the implementation of this long-term O&M contract, efficiencies have improved, and the available funds are utilised optimally – to the benefit of our
taxpayers. Other benefits include having the fulltime involvement of focused, highly skilled engineers who can train and upskill our existing staff,” adds Blignaut.
Veolia is measured against key performance indicators (KPIs) such as water and effluent quality compliance, infrastructure downtime, energy efficiency, water losses and staff training. Penalties have also been built into the contract.
REGULATOR’S COMMENTS ON BLUE DROP AUDIT
“All representatives were very well prepared for the Blue Drop assessment, well informed of all aspects of their systems, and provided an outstanding portfolio of evidence which made the audit process easy and efficient. The regulator would like to applaud Overstrand LM for their commitment to a high standard of service delivery by taking the initiative in appointing Veolia for the operation of their treatment plants. During the assessment, it was clear that the relationship between Veolia and Overstrand LM is built on trust and mutual respect, with continuous communication between the two entities being key to their operations. With very-low risk ratings, and excellent compliance for both microbiological and chemical acute health across all their systems the value added by this appointment is plain to see, which resulted in a praiseworthy overall Blue Drop score of 99.99%.”
According to Coenie Loubser – the Operations Manager at Overstrand for Veolia Services Southern Africa – the contract gives Overstrand access to Veolia’s global wealth of technical expertise, which can be utilised for problem-solving and projects within the area. “As part of a worldwide company, Veolia Services Southern Africa has access to over 160 years of knowledge and experience in the management of water and wastewater services for public authorities and industrial companies. With a solid background in water treatment technology, chemistry, plant design, construction, and O&M, we can offer municipalities like Overstrand a truly holistic water solutions offering.”
He believes that the O&M partnership has given Veolia the opportunity to showcase its skills within the Overstrand municipal environment and ultimately improve and optimise processes to
ensure a beneficial relationship between contractor and client.
“Since Veolia has been appointed, there has been improved monitoring and improved reaction time in case of emergencies, with the creation of more than 20 additional full-time posts. There is a respectful, open-door relationship between Overstrand and Veolia where we tackle any problems that arise together, in a collaborative manner. There are dedicated, professional people on both sides that have a common interest. The team from Overstrand LM have an excellent knowledge of water infrastructure, making communication and understanding of any problems that arise that much easier,” states Loubser. Goosen Le Roux, senior engineer: Bulk Water and Sanitation, Overstrand, says that the partnership has given Overstrand LM the opportunity to better focus on service delivery to the end user as well as long term planning and implementation of capital projects for new infrastructure
Preekstoel Biofiltration Plant
while Veolia focuses on the operation and maintenance of the bulk infrastructure.
“With the appointment, the procurement process is slightly easier, and Veolia can implement quick fixes and small changes without having to engage with regular municipal supply chains.”
An annual plan is submitted by Veolia annually for input into the municipal budget cycle. Upon termination of the contract, the optimised bulk water services function and up-skilled staff will transfer back to Overstrand LM.
Recipe for success
Patrick Robinson, Senior Engineer: Water Infrastructure and Quality at the municipality, believes that Overstrand’s success lies in merely following the basics. “We did not do anything special; we merely incorporated the Blue Drop Certification Scheme into everyday operations. Fundamental to our success is the skill, experience and attitude of our staff working in our department that do more than what is merely required of them. Overstrand LM also has great support from its council and top management. Then we have Veolia that has played a key role in Overstand receiving these Blue Drop awards.”
Overstrand LM also targeted the bonus points that could be achieved in the different sections of the Blue Drop audit
OVERSTRAND OVERVIEW
Water Sources
• 5 Dams
• 1 River Abstraction
• 17 Boreholes
• 3 Springs
Bulk Water Infrastructure
• 9 treatment plants
• 46 reservoirs
• 19 pump stations
• 90 km bulk pipelines
Bulk Wastewater Infrastructure
• 6 treatment plants
• 51 pump stations
• 45 km bulk pipelines
Reticulation Infrastructure
• 716 km water reticulation
• 323 km sewer network
process. “Furthermore, our team are not new to the Blue Drop process, Hanre and I have been present at previous audits and are actively involved in preparing for the audits,” adds Robinson.
When asked what advice the Overstrand team would give to municipalities looking to improve their scores, Robinson emphasizes the importance of uploading information onto the IRIS system
before the assessment and to have all documentation available during the assessment. “Take notes and remember that you have another chance to give the auditors information that you may have not had on the day. Also, organise your information and clearly label the type of documents that you upload on the system and make sure that everything is uploaded in the right place. Identify gaps flagged by the previous Blue Drop assessments and focus on filling those gaps with improvement interventions.”
In conclusion, Overstrand LMs remarkable achievement as South Africa's best-performing WSA, recognised by eight Blue Drop Awards and a 99.9% score, is a testament to their unwavering commitment to excellence in water management. A large part of their success story is rooted in collaboration with Veolia Services Southern Africa, and a dedicated, skilled team that goes beyond the basics to integrate best practices into daily operations. By focusing on the fundamentals, maintaining rigorous standards, and continuously seeking improvements, Overstrand LM has set a benchmark in water services that other municipalities can aspire to. Their approach not only ensures high-quality water for their community but also positions them as a model for effective water service delivery in South Africa.
All eight of Overstrand’s water supply schemes received Blue Drop status
De Kelders Water Treatment Plant with ultra filtration and reverse osmosis technologyplant
Buffelsrivier Water Treatment Plant
AFRICA’S FIRST PRECASTCONCRETE WATER TOWER
The City of Ekhuruleni’s (CEMM) Water and Sanitation Department successfully completed the construction of four prefabricated reservoirs using cutting-edge precast concrete technology.
In addition to these four new reservoirs, the CEMM is building a new water tower which will be completed in late 2024. This tower will be almost entirely prefabricated, excluding only the floor slab and foundation. Upon completion this tower, standing at 36 m with a capacity of 2.5 Mℓ, will be the first pre-cast concrete water tower in Africa.
Why precast
The municipality opted for a precast concrete water tower because it was faster and more cost-effective to build. This while also providing a
final structure of exceptionally high quality which, in turn, will provide operating cost savings through reduced maintenance requirements.
The efficacy of prefabrication had proven itself time and again on each of the projects the Water & Sanitation Department completed. Meanwhile, its professional team had also become more proficient in executing the works, refining and honing the sophisticated method from one project to the next.
CEMM opted to use precast concrete because this technology reduces construction time and is more costeffective. This time and money-saving
process produces high-quality structures which in turn save on operating and maintenance costs. The efficacy of prefabrication proves itself with every successful project.
These precast concrete projects require collaboration and the municipality worked with Tangos Consulting Engineers- the design engineer and project manager, Infinite Consulting Engineers, RSMM Construction- the principal contractor and Corestruc- a precast concrete turnkey contractor. The partnership between Corestruc and RSMM Construction has earned them the
The superstructure consists of 12 tapered beams connected to the columns of the last rotation
reputation of delivering high-quality water-retaining structures in less time than conventional concrete construction methods. For comparison, this water tower is expected to be completed in 14 months, whereas traditional concrete water towers take between two and three years to complete. As this is the first precast water tower the time of completion going forward is expected to be reduced to 9 months when the process is more familiar.
This tower has a design life of 100 years if maintained correctly. The high-performance concrete used in this precast process is made to last, Corestruc’s quality control technicians calculate the moisture content of aggregates and factor in water for admixtures to modify and maintain the optimum water-to-cement ratio. The concrete used in the water tower is more impermeable than traditional concrete and can withstand damage from chloride, sulphate ions, and other aggressive chemicals.
The water tower design is the result of years of research and development by both Corestruc and Infinite Consulting Engineers. This project serves as the starting point. Another precast water tower is in the works for CEMM and
The structure comprises three sections or “rotations” consisting of columns that are connected to that portion of the spiral beam
other municipalities are exploring the more effective precast technology to augment their water supply systems.
How it all comes together
The tower consists of 12 columns and spiral beam elements for each of the three sections or “rotations” that comprise the outer portion of the tower. These 30 interconnected semi-circular prefabricated elements wrap around the structure providing the necessary support, while also offering a striking
Resting on bearing pads, the 12 tapered beams will carry and distribute the load of the precastconcrete tank and its contents
aesthetic effect. The two columns are fixed via the protruding dowels that pass through the underside and topside of the spiral beam which is then filled with concrete. This process was repeated until the columns reached their final height.
Then there are the 15 prefabricated elements that make up the 3,6 m-diameter shaft, which is constructed at the same time as the outer portion of the structure. Equipped with precast concrete stairwells with balustrades, it leads to the underside of the prefabricated tank. Thereafter, the shaft connects with stacked precast concrete pipes equipped with a cat ladder. Cast into the reservoir floor slab, this top portion of the shaft will traverse through the water-retaining structure to a manhole on the roof.
The superstructure consists of 12 tapered beams connected to the columns of the last rotation. Resting on bearing pads, they will carry and distribute the load of the precast concrete tank and its contents.
Installed in the triangular-shaped junctions between the tapered beams, cut-to-size and shape hollow-core slabs serve as the shutter for the in-situ foundation for the water-retaining structure. Coping panels have been installed along the perimeter providing an aesthetically pleasing finish.
The floor slab has to be made on-site and is not prefabricated, so Corestuc locally sourced four sub-contractors to handle the job. The slab will be
35 cm thick and use a total of 103 m3 of concrete. The slab has to withstand the heavy reinforcement of the beam junctions so the concrete has to be managed carefully to ensure it is compacted correctly, while also being watertight. An articulated boom lift has already been placed on top of the superstructure to assist with the installation, as well as the grouting of the 34 tank wall panels. This is in addition to the two buttress panels for post-tensioning, which will be undertaken in the same way as all of Corestruc’s other reservoirs. All of the wall panels will be propped during their installation. Conventionally, only the first wall panel is propped to free up space. Meanwhile, the roof structure consists of four columns and beams and 150 hollow-core slabs. The centre portion or “core” will be constructed first, and the outer section completed last.
Meyer van Rooyen, a Corestruc Project Manager, who has supervised
all precast-concrete work thus far, says that there is very little scope for error on this project. “We have achieved tight 15 mm tolerances throughout the construction of the three rotations of the substructure, starting with the placement of the first-rotation columns on the in-situ foundation. Among other factors, this is also facilitated by our precise manufacturing processes. Each element undergoes extensive quality assurance before it is dispatched and again once it has arrived on site. Once the elements have been safely transported to the site and as the last component in Corestruc’s precast-concrete value chain, the responsibility rests with my team of riggers to maintain the highest levels of productivity, efficiency and accuracy.” His team is supported by a 150-ton mobile crane. The 12 tapered beams, for example, each weigh a staggering 18.5 tonnes and the columns for the second and third rotations slightly less.
Precast concrete structures require high-accuracy construction and Corestruc has invested in robotic total stationing to achieve the levels of accuracy needed.
The structure demonstrates both precast and cast-in-place techniques. “Supporting this water tower is a 1m-thick and 25 m diameter foundation consisting of 500 m2 of 30MPa cast-in-place reinforced concrete. It is underpinned by 200 m2 of mass concrete blinding. This took 10 hours to place, starting at 5h00 and using two concrete pumps, while also isolating an entire ready-mix concrete plant just for this purpose,” says Van Rooyen.
Safety is the number one concern on any construction site, and since construction jobs like this are relatively new this project had a height safety specialist on-site to assist with safety protocol as well as provide specialist training to the team.
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SDG 6: SNAPSHOT IN SOUTH AFRICA
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015, has adopted 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). SDG 6 focuses on ensuring universal access to clean water and sanitation, promoting sustainable water management practices. Here is the latest South African data from the United Nations SDG 6 report:
SANITATION
72% OF THE POPULATION IN SOUTH AFRICA USES A SAFELY MANAGED SANITATION SERVICE
HYGIENE
44% OF THE POPULATION IN SOUTH AFRICA HAS A HAND WASHING FACILITY WITH SOAP AND WATER AVAILABLE AT HOME
WASTEWATER
41% OF WASTEWATER IN SOUTH AFRICA IS SAFELY TREATED
ECOSYSTEMS
26% OF ECOSYSTEMS IN SOUTH AFRICA IS EXPERIENCING
RAPID CHANGES IN THE AREA COVERED BY SURFACE WATERS
WATER STRESS
65% OF RENEWABLE WATER RESOURCES IN SOUTH AFRICA IS BEING WITHDRAWN, AFTER TAKING INTO ACCOUNT ENVIRONMENTAL FLOW REQUIREMENTS
TRANSBOUNDARY
95% OF TRANSBOUNDARY BASIN AREAS HAVE AN OPERATIONAL ARRANGEMENT FOR WATER COOPERATION
EFFICIENCY
$14/m3 IS THE VALUE ADDED FROM THE USE OF WATER BY PEOPLE AND THE ECONOMY IN SOUTH AFRICA
WATER QUALITY
52% OF MONITORED WATER BODIES IN SOUTH AFRICA HAS GOOD AMBIENT WATER QUALITY
WATER
RESOURCE
MANAGEMENT
71% IS THE DEGREE OF IMPLEMENTATION OF INTEGRATED WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT IN SOUTH AFRICA
NEW CMAS TO IMPROVE WATER SECURITY AND SERVICE PROVISION
Catchment management agencies (CMAs) are statutory bodies established in terms of chapter 7 of the National Water Act to manage water resources at catchment or regional level. Four additional CMAs have recently been launched.
The new CMAs (Vaal-Orange, Pongola-Umzimkhulu, Mzimvubu-Tsitsikamma and Limpopo-Olifants) will work alongside the existing Breede-Olifants and Inkomati-Usuthu CMAs.
CMAs are responsible for the planning, implementation and management of water resources. Secondly, they are tasked with coordinating the water-related activities of other water management institutions and water users within Water Management Areas (WMAs). CMAs are governed by Governing Boards (GBs) that are established by the Minister. The GB of a CMA must represent all of the stakeholders affected by water resource activities within the WMA, including local government.
“CMAs are not just organisations; they are the guardians of the most precious resource – water. Water is the essence of life. It flows through our rivers, nourishes our land and sustains our eco-systems and supports our livelihoods. However, in recent years, pollution, climate change, overuse and mismanagement has left many of our water systems on the brink of collapse. It is in this context that CMAs become indispensable,” says Dr Thava Kelly, chairperson, Pongolo–uMzimkhulu CMA.
The work of CMAs is multi-faceted and involves:
• Water quality monitoring
• Regulating usage
• Water conservation and demand management
• Restoration of degraded ecosystems
• Education of the public on conservation “Each of these tasks are critical in their own right, but together, they form a comprehensive strategy for safeguarding water resources,” adds Dr Kelly.
Decentralised approach
Dedicated to the sustainable management of water resources within a catchment area, CMAs are driven by the needs of the
CATCHMENT MANAGEMENT AGENCIES IN SOUTH AFRICA
NEW
• Limpopo-Olifants
• Pongola-Umzimkulu
• Vaal-Orange
• Mzimvubu-Tsitsikamma
EXISTING
• Breede-Gouritz-Olifants
• Inkomati-Usuthu
community in which they operate. The establishment of the four new CMAs is a step towards achieving the integrated water resources management (IWRM) principle of decentralisation of water resource management to local level and contribute to the transformation of the water sector.
The purpose of CMAs is to enhance decentralised decision-making and to involve stakeholders in managing water resources, in an integrated manner, at a local level. “This decentralised approach makes sure that the unique challenges of each CMA are addressed with tailored solutions, taking into account each CMA’s individual characteristics” states Dr Kelly.
She emphasizes the huge role that stakeholder engagement plays in creating an impactful CMA. “By bringing together government, environmental advocates, local communities and industries, the CMA fosters a collaborative approach to water management. Strategies must be adopted to ensure that all voices are heard and that solutions are equitable and sustainable.”
“Let us recognise the CMA as a beacon of hope, a pillar of sustainability with a mission to ensure the health and prosperity of communities for generations to come,” concludes Dr Kelly.
Dr Thava Kelly, chairperson, Pongolo–uMzimkhulu Catchment Management Agency
CMAs ensure the health and prosperity of communities for generations to come
Hands on the wheel: moving towards strong partnerships and stakeholder relationships
ACROSS BORDERS, BREAKING BOUNDARIES
Water disregards borders, but people don't. Shared river basins in Africa necessitate transboundary water agreements. Crucial for cooperation and peace, these agreements ensure sustainable development by managing conflicts and promoting equitable resource use across borders. By Duncan Nortier
Another important organising body is the Limpopo Watercourse Commission (LIMCOM). They oversee cooperation between Zimbabwe, Botswana, Mozambique and South Africa.
The Okavango River Basin Commission (OKACOM) is a river basin organisation established by Namibia, Angola and Botswana to jointly manage resources of the Okavango River Basin Commission
Africa accounts for 17% of the world's population and 9% of the global renewable water resources. The continent's water is unevenly distributed. Six of the most water-rich countries in Central and Western Africa hold 54% of the continent's total resources. Twenty-seven of the waterpoorest countries hold only 7%.
In Africa, water availability is linked to two interconnected mechanisms: rainfall and internal resources. Where the rains are seasonal, they fill reserves and replenish groundwater and when there is no rain, there is no natural input into the water cycle.
Two-thirds of African livelihoods are found in the water-heavy sectors of agriculture and fisheries. This necessitates robust water management and because of the geographic nature of water in Africa, cooperation is imperative.
Whose borders?
Transboundary water (TBW) resources are especially important in Africa, where 63 international transboundary river basins cover about 62% of the region’s land area and account for 90% of the total surface water.
Water agreements between countries sharing a TBW resource often constitute the main governing apparatus in the use, development, and management of shared water resources. However, the last SDG indicator 6.5.2 report shows that in Africa, only 29% of transboundary river basins and fewer than 10% of transboundary
aquifers are the object of TBW agreements and, of these, only 19% have any basin-wide agreements. In addition, most TBW agreements assume that future water supply and quality will not change and fail to consider increasing climateinduced water variability. Therefore, most TBW agreements lack the capacity to adapt to temporal and spatial changes in water quantity.
Existing agreements
TBW agreement in Africa often cover a range of issues such as water resources management, wildlife conservation, and regional cooperation. Here are some notable ones:
The Development Organization (OMVS) is one of the largest and most well-defined organisations that promote cross-country cooperation with Senegal, Mali and Mauritania. This large cooperation exists to share the transboundary river effectively across the three borders. This includes research and development but extends to diplomatic ties between nations.
While the OMVS is an example of good cooperation, other organisations like the Lake Chad Basin Commission, which facilitates cooperation between Cameroon, Chad, Central African Republic, Libya, Niger, and Nigeria is an example of uniting under differences.
Lake Chad has been subject to damming, over-extraction, droughts and the effects of climate change which have decreased its size by 90% in sixty years. Member states have placed their faith in the LCBC to coordinate development and mediate disputes.
The Orange-Senqu River Commission (ORASECOM) houses Botswana, Namibia and South Africa as member states and has recently taken more initiative in transboundary cooperation. The commission has established the MultiCountry Cooperation Mechanisms (MCCM) for the Stampriet Aquifer system. This embeds a groundwaterspecific mechanism into a river basin organisation, thus facilitating the conjunctive management of surface water groundwater resources and building on already existing cooperation.
The Shire River basin (shared between Malawi and Mozambique), a surface water catchment within the Zambezi River basin, overlays two transboundary aquifers. Both countries face high levels of socio-economic instability. The lack of water access is due to insufficient flood
preparedness, poor water quality, and a lack of monitoring which is exacerbated by non-cooperation between the two countries, highlighting the need for an effective transboundary agreement. This needn’t be difficult as the Shire basin forms part of the Zambesi River which already has the Zambezi Watercourse Convention (ZWC) that mediates between Angola, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
South Africa
Positioned as one of the more developed countries in Southern Africa, South Africa has the responsibility to be involved with many of the transboundary agreements that necessitate water sharing in the region. The Tuli Karoo Transboundary Aquifer Area shared by Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe is one such case.
The South African Development Commission which oversees Tuli Karoo transboundary agreements sees a nearconstant influx of additional agreements or growing agreements.
Another important organising body is the Limpopo Watercourse Commission (LIMCOM). They oversee cooperation
between Zimbabwe, Botswana, Mozambique and South Africa. In March 2024 Zimbabwe, through LIMCOM, agreed to send 15 million cubic metres per annum (m3/a) which is equal to megalitres of water per day (41 Mℓ/d) of treated water to the Musina area.
Musina Local Municipality has a total population of 132 009 residing in 192 villages and the town of Musina relies solely on groundwater. This addition is a clear example of how cross-border cooperation can help those who need it most.
Problems with existing agreements
There is a definite benefit and need for these agreements but existing agreements are not without issue. There are 63 transboundary water basins in Africa but only 14 have co-operative legal and institutional arrangements. Of these existing arrangements, five main problems constrain them:
1) Absence of a designated and mandated agency to act on behalf of the riparian countries
As noted with the Shire River basin, the existence of a transboundary basin does not mean that there is effective management. The LCBC was established as a direct response to unregulated water
Map showing Africa’s key transboundary systems, highlighting the Zambezi river basin
usage among many countries where the existence of a mandated agency would have prevented many of the problems that the LCBC are tasked with fixing today.
2) Technical and managerial weaknesses at the level of the secretariat of the basin authorities
The mere existence of an organising body is not enough, training of qualified staff is the key for any effective water management. Over and above that, these bodies need to be strong in the face of regional instability and clashes of interests.
3) Inadequate funding by member states of the basin authorities
Many transboundary agreements in Africa struggle with insufficient financial resources to implement their mandates effectively. This can limit the capacity for joint projects, infrastructure development, and management initiatives across borders.
4) Inability to mobilise external funds for pre-investment studies and investments
With water being only one of many
MINING
issues in Africa, there is sometimes shortsightedness where if there isn't a major problem right now, the future problems will be ignored for more immediate concerns. This leaves many bodies willing to help but they are financially impotent to do so.
5) Politicisation of the selection of key personnel
As with any multi-national body, various political alliances creep into and prevent effective management. This could be because of unequal member states, or over-representation of certain political ideas within an organisation.
Over and above these issues are always the issue of political instability between African countries.
Rising water scarcity in Africa poses significant water management challenges.
Given the large proportion of transboundary basins in the region, mutual interests in transboundary cooperation – such as for water quality, water supply, infrastructure projects for agriculture and energy, flood control, and management of climate change impacts – can bring riparians and stakeholders together to collaboratively promote water, energy and food security. Transboundary cooperation can broaden the knowledge base, enlarge the range of measures available to mitigate water risk, increase preparedness and recovery for droughts and floods, and offer more cost-effective solutions.
The Shire River basin (shared between Malawi and Mozambique), a surface water catchment within the Zambezi River basin, overlays two transboundary aquifers.
placing emphasis on investment in bulk water supply infrastructure projects whilst vigorously assisting municipalities with water reticulation to ensure that unserved communities receive the services.
TFree State
ONGOING WATER INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS
hese following key infrastructure projects were mentioned in the budget speech:
• The Vaal Central Water Board is assisting the Maluti-a-Phofung Local and Matjhabeng Local Municipalities with a range of projects aimed at addressing the dire state of water and sanitation infrastructure in the two municipalities. The two key project amounts to a total of R5.4 billion over the next 5 years
KwaZulu Natal
• The uMngeni-uThukela Water Board and Zululand District Municipality are accelerating the R9.5 billion Mandlakazi Bulk Water Supply Scheme to benefit communities under Zululand as well as uMkhanyakude District Municipalities. The pipeline includes abstraction of raw water from Jozini Dam, laying of 28 km bulk line, pumpstation and upgrading of Mandlakazi Water Treatment Works, Mkhuze Water Treatment Works and others.
• The new R26 billion Upper uMkhomazi Dam and associated works are also earmarked to provide urgently needed additional water to eThekwini and surrounding districts including Ugu, Harry Gwala, iLembe and Mgungundlovu.
• The new R1.8 billion Cwabeni offchannel storage dam will provide
additional water to Port Shepstone and surrounding areas.
• The new R800 million Stephen Dlamini Dam will provide sustainable water supplies to the town of Bulwer and surrounding peri-urban and rural communities.
• The R500 million project to raise the wall of the existing Klipfontein Dam will provide additional water for domestic use and irrigation.
• Ugu District Municipality is also implementing various projects aimed at improving the water and reducing the non-revenue water, though non-revenue reduction programmes, refurbishment and replacement of infrastructure, revenue management plan, pipeline replacement of infrastructure and emergency borehole programmes, amongst others.
Mpumalanga
• The Loskop Regional Bulk Water involves the construction of a bulk pipeline from Loskop Dam in Mpumalanga to Thembisile Hani Local Municipality in Mpumalanga for domestic water supply. The project will also benefit communities in the Moutse area, under the Elias Motsoaledi Municipality. The bulk pipeline passes through the Moutse-East area under the Sekhukhune District Municipality in Limpopo, and the project includes distribution infrastructure to supply
The Umgeni River Mouth
Great Letaba River
treated water to villages in Moutse-East valued at R1.67 billion.
Gauteng
• In Gauteng, Rand Water continues to assist Emfuleni and Midvaal Local Municipalities with a range of projects to address the sanitation challenges in the Vaal. This includes the unblocking of blocked sewage pipelines, replacing collapsed sewage pipelines, repairing and refurbishing pumpstations, and assisting the Emfuleni Municipality to restore its operation and maintenance functions. The investment is estimated at R4.7billion.
Eastern Cape
• The new R8 billion Ntabelanga Dam on a tributary of the uMzimvubu River will provide additional water for irrigation and domestic use in the eastern region.
• The new R2 billion Foxwood Dam to provide additional water for irrigation and for the town of Adelaide.
• The new R1 billion Zalu Dam will provide additional water for the town of Lusikisiki and surrounding villages.
• The new R600 million Coerney Balancing Dam will improve water security for the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan area.
• Development of Phase 3 of the Nooitgedacht Water Treatment Works
• Mnquma Municipality to provide water to unserved communities, through the Nqamakhwe Regional Bulk Water Scheme and provide funding to develop the Lower Sundays River, Greater Mbizana, and Ndlambe water schemes
Limpopo
• The R4 billion new water transfer pipeline from the Crocodile West River to the Lephalale area of Limpopo will augment the water supply to the recently completed Medupi Power Station, Lephalale Town and the existing Matimba Power Station.
• The Lepelle Northern Water is implementing Phase 1, of the Olifants Ebenezer aimed at bringing relieve and sustainable water provision for Polokwane, Seshego and surrounding. This phase 1 estimated at
R4.7 billion is part of a 10-year R18 billion programme.
• The R750 million project to raise the wall of the existing Tzaneen Dam will address water shortages in Tzaneen and surrounding areas.
• The new R4 billion N’wamitwa Dam on the Great Letaba River will provide additional water for irrigation, and domestic and industrial use and increase flows into the Kruger National Park.
Western Cape
• The R7 billion project to raise the wall of the existing Clanwilliam Dam will double the size of the dam to provide additional water for irrigation, and domestic and industrial use to Clanwilliam and surrounding areas is also underway in the Western Cape.
• A R1.2 billion project is underway to abstract water from the Berg River and convey it to the existing Voëlvlei Dam, to increase the supply of water to the City of Cape Town and surrounding areas.
Northern Cape
• R24 billion Olifants River Water Resource Development Project in Limpopo and the R10 billion Vaal Gamagara Phase Two Project in the Northern Cape. These two projects are being implemented in partnership with the mining sector, with joint funding by the government and the mines. Both projects will increase water supply and ensure water security to enable investment in mining. Communities adjacent to the bulk pipelines will also benefit from these projects.
• Kimberley Bulk Water Supply Project Emergency Refurbishment that includes the refurbishment of the Riverton Water Treatment Plant, emergency leak repairs at Newton Reservoir Complex
• R10 billion Vaal Gamagara Phase Two Project in the Northern Cape to provide additional water for mining and communities
Clanwilliam Dam
Jozini Dam
This state-of-theart infrastructure supplies water to about 57000 people residing within Kwaggafontein
CEENEX HELPS THEMBISILE HANI
LOCAL MUNICIPALITY ENGINEER WATER SECURITY
Ceenex, a leading provider of water engineering solutions, recently handed over the new Mathyzensloop Booster Pump Station to Thembisile Hani Local Municipality (THLM). This state-of-the-art infrastructure supplies water to roughly 57,000 people residing within Kwaggafontein by extending the supply from the Bundu water supply system.
This new pump station is one of the largest projects completed by THLM.
The Bundu water supply system, where the booster pump station draws its water from, is run by Ceenex. “Considering our longstanding professional relationship with THLM which started when we were initially engaged to determine available surface water sources in the jurisdiction, we were again consulted to extend supply to Kwaggafontein. This would be done by constructing a booster pump station in Matheysenloop where the Bundu
water-supply scheme terminated,” Kabelo Ringane, a Ceenex Project Manager, says.
The system works by pumping water from the waste-water treatment plant via a rising main into the two Boekenhouthoek B reservoirs which are interconnected by an existing pipeline to the Boekenhouthoek A reservoirs. A pipe then feeds the new 10Ml command reservoir and two water-retaining structures in Matheysenloop.
The new booster pump station has a capacity of 7,5 Mℓ/day. It
delivers water from the Bundu reservoir to a new water-retaining structure in Kwaggafontein via a 250 mm-diameter OPvc pipeline.
The water infrastructure comprises three booster pumps. Provision was made for a fourth unit to bolster capacity should demand increase at a later stage. Two pumps operate simultaneously interchanging with the third unit to reduce strain on the system.
The pumps are connected to backup power ensuring that loadshedding or unplanned grid interruptions do not affect them. The booster pump station is also equipped with an overhead gantry crane to handle heavy items for maintenance and repair. This otherwise straightforward structure also comprises an office, kitchen and ablution facilities.
Collaboration is key Ceenex managed to complete the project within 16 months, 2 months ahead of schedule, which allowed THLM to bring urgent relief to the community earlier than anticipated. This timely success relied on collaboration, Ceenex contracted the Mbako Group to handle the mechanical work as well as Tshwele Logistics to construct the pipeline. These two contractors previously worked on the Bundu Water Augmentation Scheme with Ceenex, proving to be a powerhouse team.
“Already familiar with the contracting teams’ capabilities, we could anticipate challenges and take the necessary action timeously. Moreover, we worked well together to troubleshoot and find solutions to unforeseen challenges quickly. This helped to keep the project progressing according to schedule,” Ringane says.
Not without its challenges
Due to the mountainous terrain, the project required extensive chemical and conventional blasting to excavate the pipe trench. The environment also called for hydraulic hammers to break oversized material. The project implemented additional safety measures over and above the standard procedures because of communities close to the blasting sites. Due to fluctuating water flow and stresses, some of the pipes also had to be restrained so that they remained connected. Nevertheless, Tshwele Logistics successfully overcame all civilengineering obstacles.
As is the case with all Ceenex projects, an optimised life-cycle-centred philosophy was adopted in the design of the water infrastructure. This included the innovative use of fit-for-purpose materials to construct the booster pump station. KSB Pumps provide fast and efficient technical support as well as top-of-the-range pumps, which ensure longevity while reducing maintenance costs. As far as possible the project used locally sourced materials, even sourcing from within the Kwaggafontein and Mathyzensloop communities.
For example, top-of-the-range KSB Pumps were specified. Locally based, KSB can provide fast and efficient technical support to THLM to mitigate downtime. Moreover, high-quality imported valves that are supplied by a local company were deployed. This is considering that they comply with the ISO Valve International Standard, namely ISO – 5209 – 77. The use of high-quality equipment will ensure the longevity of the water infrastructure. This while also reducing maintenance and operating costs, one of Ceenex’s many waterengineering value propositions.
Community first
Notably, the project exceeded its socioeconomic development targets for this
project. All of the labour requirements were sourced locally. This provided over 60 employment opportunities, as well as skills development and training opportunities for community members. THLM actively engaged the community early on to proactively manage expectations, which ensured the community felt part of the project with zero cases of civil unrest. Keeping the community informed and up-to-date through transparent communication and procurement was key to keeping their trust.
The infrastructure handover was an important milestone for water security in THLM. The handover ceremony saw Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation, David Mahlobo, the Executive Mayor of THLM Lesetja Dikgale, the Executive Mayor of the Nkangala district, T.D Ngwenya, Eunice Malekana -who represents Technical Services of the THLM Members of Mayoral Committee- Municipal Manager Dumisani Mahlangu, and THLM Councillors.
At the ceremony, Zeph Nkosi, THLM’s Project Manager, echoed the Department of Water and Sanitation’s motto “Water is life, but access to water and sanitation is dignity”, adding “and with Ceenex we delivered exactly that.”
The water infrastructure comprises three booster pumps provision was made for a fourth unit to bolster capacity should demand increase at a later stage
50 TRUCKS FOR ETHEKWINI MUNICIPALITY
Werner Pumps, a manufacturer of high-pressure jetting equipment in South Africa, delivered a fleet of 50 trucks to a supplier for the eThekwini Municipality over a calendar year.
The fleet includes four street cleaning trucks, two combination jetting and vacuuming trucks, and 44 jetting trucks
Sebastian Werner, MD at Werner Pumps, says “The fleet will be put to use for street cleaning, sewer maintenance and stormwater drain cleaning, helping to improve service delivery in the municipality.”
More than a truck
The Werner Pump Impi units are locally manufactured and offer hydraulically operated jetting and vacuum functionality. The system has a capacity of 295 litres a minute at 135 bar, there is a pneumatically operated regulating valve making pressure adjustment simple and
safer. The vacuum pump has a 1700m3/hr suction capability and the vehicle is fitted with a 12.500 litre stainless steel tank. Other features include a hydraulic slewing suction boom, two hydraulic-driven hose reels and multiple toolboxes.
“The Impi trucks allow sewers to be cleaned using a high-pressure water hose with a specialist jetting nozzle that dislodges waster and flushes it down the gully hole,” explains Werner. “The vacuuming units then remove material that has been flushed down the gully hole, with water and solid waste being deposited into the sludge tank through a suction hose. The cleaning of sewers with
simultaneous jetting and vacuuming increases the efficiency of the line clearing process.”
While eThekwini Municipality services a major metropolitan area and requires a sizeable fleet, Werner says that many smaller municipalities rely on Werner Pumps for their jetting and vacuuming needs too. “We are happy to partner with local municipalities to provide them with technical advice to ensure they get exactly what they need to service, maintain and repair their infrastructure, within their budgets,” he says. “We pride ourselves on delivering not only exceptional vehicles that will be reliable and effective but also understanding our customers’ needs and matching them with the best vehicles for the job, and then assisting with aftersales service too.”
This includes operator training, truck maintenance and repairs, and access to truck rentals, as well as a comprehensive range of jetting and vacuuming accessories and spares through Werner Pumps.
Werner Pumps Impi units aid in municipal service delivery
