With core beliefs cemented in protecting our most precious resource and the environment it influences, comes the inherent understanding of the value added benefits a correctly engineered water treatment solution brings to industry.
As a business unit of Murray & Roberts Water, Aquamarine Water Treatment custom designs and manufactures water and waste water treatment solutions to meet customer and process specific requirements. With a number of commercial packages available we strive to offer a turnkey solution which ticks all the boxes.
• Reverse Osmosis
• Nano Filtration
• Desalination
• Ultra-filtration
• Membrane Bioreactors
• Conventional filtration
• Solar Powered Solutions
• Ultra Violet Sterilisation
on tHe CoveR
Qualified people, years of practical experience and extensive manufacturing facilities have propelled AquaPlan Water Treatment Engineering into becoming a leader in the local market for packaged, modular treatment plants. P4
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Publisher Elizabeth Shorten
Managing editor Alastair Currie
Editor Frances Ringwood
Head of design Beren Bauermeister
Designer Ramon Chinian
Chief sub-editor Tristan Snijders
Sub-editor Morgan Carter
Contributors Lucinda Barry, Ernst Bertram, Benjamin Biggs, Krynauw Coomans, Lloyd Fisher-Jeffes, Lester Goldman, Lektratek Water
Technology, Jon Lijnes, David Mazvidza, Sithembinkosi Mhlanga, Munyradzi Munodawafa, Valeria Naidoo, Suvritha Ramphal, Farouk Robertson
Jacques Rust, Johan van der Waals, AD Watts
Marketing manager Mpinane Senkhane
Head: Digital marketing Roxanne Segers
Client services & production manager
Antois-Leigh Botma
Production coordinator Jacqueline Modise
Distribution manager Nomsa Masina
Distribution coordinator Asha Pursotham
Financial manager Andrew Lobban
Administration Tonya Hebenton
Printers United Litho Johannesburg
t +27 (0)11 402 0571
Advertising sales Avé Delport / Jenny Miller t +27 (0)11 467 6223 avedel@lantic.net / jennymiller@lantic.net
Publisher
Physical address:
No 9, 3rd Avenue, Rivonia, 2191
Postal address:
PO Box 92026, Norwood, 2117, South Africa
t +27 (0)11 233 2600 • f +27 (0)11 234 7274/5 frances@3smedia.co.za
Copyright 2017. All rights reserved. All articles herein are copyright protected and may not be reproduced either in whole or in part without the prior written permission of the publishers. The views of contributors do not necessarily reflect those of the Water Institute of Southern Africa or the publishers.
WISA ContACtS:
HeAd offIce
Tel: 086 111 9472(WISA)
Fax: +27 (0)11 315 1258
Physical address: 1st Floor, Building 5, Constantia Park, 546 16th Road, Randjiespark Ext 7, Midrand
“South Africa is a water-scarce country with highly variable rainfall and water run-off. Mitigating this situation requires proactive and responsive risk management, coupled with innovative water security management interventions.” Minister of Water and Sanitation Nomvula Mokonyane
TWISA’s Vision
The promotion of professional excellence in the water sector, through building expertise, sharing knowledge and improving quality of life.
he March/April National Water Week edition of Water&Sanitation Africa features insights from industry leaders across the public and private sectors. It is aligned with the Department of Water and Sanitation’s powerful campaign for reiterating the value of water, the need for sustainable management of this scarce resource and the role water plays in eradicating poverty and under-development in South Africa.
Each year, South Africa’s World Water Week coincides with the week of 22 March, the United Nations’ World Water Day celebration. This year, the UN’s theme is wastewater.
Globally, 80% of all wastewater from urban and rural environments flows back to nature without being treated or reused, causing pollution and the loss of valuable nutrients and minerals, which could otherwise be reused for beneficiation initiatives.
direct reuse
Multiple experts have suggested in this edition, as well as past iterations, that there is an urgent need for South Africa to become more intimately involved in the practice of direct wastewater reuse, polishing wastewater to potable standards to improve water availability, especially in times of privation.
Approaching wastewater in this way, alongside the implementation of measures to reduce its production, is critical for achieving the target set out in Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6, i.e. to halve the proportion of untreated wastewater and increase water recycling and safe reuse.
economic case
The opportunities gained from exploiting wastewater as a resource are enormous, but continue to go largely untapped in South Africa. Save for a small handful of excellently managed facilities regularly featured in this magazine (which stand out as exemplars of wastewater treatment best practice), the country’s wastewater facilities are not operating near their potential capacities or efficiencies. This is a lost opportunity, given that that the costs of wastewater management are greatly outweighed by the benefits to human health, economic development and environmental sustainability.
A well-managed facility provides entrepreneurial opportunities, green jobs, and even power and secondary revenue streams – in the form of biogas for power generation and some raw materials for compost production – among others.
The need to reconsider our approach to wastewater is urgent: while 50% of us currently reside in cities, these figures will soar to 70% by 2050. If adequate infrastructure and process are not put in place now, the economic heartlands of the country will be disadvantaged, affecting South Africa’s competitiveness, and businesses’ ability to perform in future.
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 on cover bookings, contact Jenny Miller on +27 (0)11 467 6223, or email jennymiller@lantic.net.
Engineering packaged excellence
Over 100 years of practical experience combined with extensive manufacturing facilities have propelled AquaPlan Water Treatment Engineering into becoming a leader in the local market for packaged, modular treatment plants.
At AquaPlan, we design, manufacture, install and commission complete water treatment plants, from packaged potable water treatment plants, to more complex industrial effluent treatment systems. We offer various solutions to vast water-treatment-related challenges, ranging from unconventional technologies to supplying specialised resin,” says Johan Bieseman, managing director of AquaPlan.
AquaPlan’s core specialisations are employed in all unit processes used in the four main fields of water treatment, namely: water purification for human consumption; water treatment and preparation for special industrial applications; industrial effluent treatment; and wastewater treatment.
In order to provide its customers with a tailor-made, effective, yet affordable solution, AquaPlan employs the full spectrum of unit processes in its designs, ranging from conventional clarification and filtration systems, to more complex membrane systems. It also applies a philosophy of continuous optimisation while promoting the use of energy recovery from effluent.
Packaged treatment excellence
“In recent years, we have witnessed a rising demand for packaged, easy-todeploy modular treatment plants. Although this technology has been on the market for some years, we have seen
AquaPlan will work in conjunction with clients from around the world to ensure a quality, affordable solution for any location around the world
a growing interest in purchasing modular systems throughout South Africa. Modular systems provide more flexibility – allowing the plant owner to adjust plants to the size of the service community, or even move the plant to a new location, as needed,” explains Bieseman.
“Not only have our customers shown increased interest in this product, but the orders that we have received thus far reflect a growing range of treatment types required in packaged form,” he adds.
Application range
AquaPlan offers a diverse product range, serving the needs of municipalities, water boards, the power and petrochemicals industry, mines and the agricultural sector. Other areas where AquaPlan has established a strong presence are renewable energy, and the food and beverage industry.
“We are currently constructing three packaged modular wastewater treatment plants: two for rural communities in KwaZulu-Natal, and one for export to Vietnam,” says Bieseman.
“On the conventional potable treatment side, we are also constructing three packaged modular raw water treatment plants. These include an 8 Mℓ/day
treatment plant for a rural community in Kwazulu-Natal treating water from the Tugela River; a 5 Mℓ/day expansion treatment plant for a rural community in Polokwane; and a 2 Mℓ/day treatment plant for deployment anywhere in South-Africa, under the Department of Water and Sanitation’s Drought Eradication Programme,” he adds.
demand uptick
Bieseman attributes the uptick in demand for AquaPlan’s packaged modular treatment plants to drought and general water scarcity.
“When considering the enormous demand for clean, potable water in Southern Africa, in conjunction with the ever-increasing population growth, coupled to the sporadic drought we have seen, it comes as no surprise that there is an enormous demand for quality products in the shortest possible time – at a reasonable cost. This is exactly our mission at AquaPlan: to provide packaged excellence, at an affordable cost,” he explains.
delivery timelines
Municipalities, in particular, require fast turnaround times and are becoming more and more likely to consider packaged treatment options. As initiatives like the Blue and Green Drop certifications have been rolled out, municipalities are holding themselves to a higher standard when it comes to providing access to improved water and sanitation infrastructure for all. As a result, there are a greater number of extension and retrofit projects happening, and these projects take a long time to get off the ground due to the rigorous planning, funding and environmental processes involved. In the meantime, municipalities will often require an interim solution to serve their community’s potable and wastewater treatment needs.
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6
7
“We found that the timeframes for many of these projects became extended and municipalities wanted a high-quality packaged plant capable of lasting throughout the duration of an extended project. AquaPlan responded by customising and optimising our solutions for the local market, ensuring that our plants are constructed with materials that provide superior durability,” says Bieseman.
Projects such as this require a complete solution in a short time. AquaPlan has structured its production process to meet these exacting demands.
“Our lead times with regard to packaged plants are highly competitive. We have streamlined our supply chain, our manufacturing production line and assembly workspace to achieve shorter turnaround times.
“A complete, tested and ready-to-run, water treatment plant can be custom built in six to eight weeks. We carry critical components in stock, to reduce pressure on the supply chain, and we have a vast range of complete designed and engineered solutions that can go into manufacturing within a day from the initial order being placed. Amongst our range of products, we have optimised redundancy and contingency to be able to increase the uptime of our plants even more. Our installed products are supported by a team of specialists in the field that oversee the operation and maintenance of the products in joint venture with our clients,” explains Bieseman.
Bright sparks
The entire AquaPlan team shares a pas sion and commitment to providing clean drinking water to all. It also boasts cross-functional abilities, resulting in effective and efficient service.
“We have a dedicated Engineering Design Department that focuses on ensuring that all projects are executed on time and in line with our stringent quality standards. We rely on a full draughting and manufacturing division to allow the engineers the freedom to plan, design, and execute all functions in-house. All our engineers have extensive experience in water treatment,” says Bieseman.
AquaPlan currently has seven packaged treatment plants under construction at its Pomona facility in Gauteng, and can begin construction within a day of receiving an order
offices and land to be able to execute core functions,” says Bieseman.
Together, AquaPlan’s engineering team members share over 100 years of practical experience along with extensive manufacturing facilities, allowing them to provide skilled services in all areas of the water treatment industry.
Advanced manufacturing
The assembly, transport and rigging of packaged plants during manufacturing and assembly necessitate a considerable amount of space to be able to carry out quality workmanship safely and efficiently. AquaPlan currently has more than 60 000 m² of prime land available, with more than 14 000 m² of covered manufacturing area.
“At AquaPlan, we pride ourselves on the increasing expansion of our manufacturing division. Not only are we investing in plant equipment to aid the manufacturing process, but also in
Looking to the future
AquaPlan currently undertakes the majority of its projects in South Africa. However, part of the company’s long-term strategy is to supply Africa, and ultimately the globe, with water treatment plants. “We are currently focusing intently on Africa, having executed projects in Madagascar, Namibia, Botswana, Mozambique, Mali, Ghana, Tanzania, and the DRC,” says Bieseman. Apart from packaged modular treatment plants, AquaPlan also provides expert mechanical and chemical engineering services, and has excelled in demonstrating these capabilities in the past on large, municipal treatment works.
Just connect
We have an exciting year ahead, as we are introducing new technology to stay in touch with us and enhance our interactions with you.
You may be aware of our new CRM tool, which we asked you to log in to, and update your details on. If you have not yet done so, then kindly contact operations@wisa.org.za for your unique login details. This will ensure that we have all your correct details, which is also the key to the numerous membership benefits you receive.
We are trying to increase the successful interactive correspondence with members as, unfortunately, our statistics indicate that while 99% of our e-mails are delivered, only 26% of members open our them, on average. This is also evident when we speak to members, especially those with any challenges or complaints.
client care
Since early last year, when we committed to excellent client care, through our Client Care manual, we have had excellent interactions and responses from members. Our annual client care survey, sent late last year, indicates that 98% of respondents find value in being a member of WISA. This does not mean that all members are happy, but we find
A new client relationship management (CRM) programme at the Water Institute of Southern Africa (WISA) is streamlining the Institute’s communications even further. WISA CEO lester goldman explains why it’s now easier than ever for members to just connect.
that challenges are usually as a result of poor communications, which we mostly trace back to the incorrect details on our database, or not reading correspondence from WISA.
Please, we encourage you to update your details and digest the subject matters in our correspondences. We try and reduce the amount of correspondence we send by using the WISA newsletter for general information, and e-mails for important information. Your feedback on this can also help us to tailor your experience, and we value this.
If you have not yet paid your annual fees, please contact debtors@wisa.org.za so we can promptly resend your invoice, and allocate any payment made. This is especially urgent if we have incorrect or outdated contact details for you on our system. More troubling is that you may not receive any information or further member benefits based on outdated contact details.
New website
We will be releasing the new WISA website before the end of the first quarter, which will allow a much more interactive experience. Please be on the lookout for this, and let us know your thoughts and experiences. Your feedback is extremely valuable to us, so please feel free to send us any compliments, comments or complaints
Dr Lester Goldman, CEO, WISA
at clientcare@wisa.org.za, for our urgent follow-up.
We look forward to seeing you at one of our events or continuing professional development training this year, and hope that 2017 is a year of positivity and opportunity.
Finally, we are indeed thankful for the blessed rain we have received, although more is needed, especially in the areas still struggling.
We need your thoughts and ideas on how we can improve as a sector, and your involvement in our branches and divisions will certainly provide direction in this regard.
As always, please do not hesitate to contact me at ceo@wisa.org.za for anything member or sector related, while we grow our organisation.
Take care,
Drought: the new norm
With drought conditions becoming the new norm in Southern Africa, WISA president valerie naidoo asks, “Why are we surprised?”
It appears the dams in Gauteng are full again. The dams in KwaZuluNatal are also recovering, albeit slowly, while the Western Cape is at uncomfortably low levels. We also know that the cycle of droughts is part of the norm in South Africa, as is uncertainty concerning their frequency and duration. As South Africans, are we becoming aware enough of the fact that we need to improve the way we plan for new sources and infrastructure? Likewise, is there enough emphasis on how we manage and finance the water we have within our system? Is this self-awareness occurring at the level of all institutions, businesses and in society? Are water users prepared to pay more for a 100% assurance – both at a government macroeconomic level and consumer level? At the supply-side planning level, are we diversifying our mix to be more inclusive of surface water, groundwater, wastewater reclamation
and desalination (if appropriate) as part of a more integrated water supply system? On the demand side of water management, are we setting the stretch target of reducing non-revenue water from 36% at metros, and larger municipalities to 15%, over a five-year period? Lastly, are the financial incentives from the Department of Water and Sanitation in place to accelerate these outcomes? I believe that when a drought ends, it is not a time to relax but a time to work harder as professionals, businesses, and society to ensure we set ourselves stretch targets of excellence around “integrated” water management. This will include innovation development and smart financial models that incentivise society and sectors to move from
Dr Valerie Naidoo, president, WISA
water-wasteful practices to water-sensitive ones. The five critical aspects that need to be unpacked in this regard are: governance, institutions, finance, new and enhanced skills, and society.
Governance, institutions, finance Governance refers to the processes of governing through laws, powers, norms, and language. Governance determines who has power, who makes decisions, the participatory processes for consultation and engagement and accountability. A responsive, adaptive, cooperative governance structure will create enabling environments that break silos,
When a drought ends, it is not a time to relax but a time to work harder as professionals, businesses, and society to ensure we set ourselves stretch targets of excellence
A strong foundation for infrastructure success
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pool resources and co-invest in new multifunctional infrastructure and technologies. At the water board and regulator level, are we being bold or is it business as usual? (Which is a series of canals and dams for surface water collection.) Are we incentivising and opening the regulatory spaces for water boards to consider their mix as a combination of using surface water, groundwater systems, and wastewater (mine and domestic) reclamation. Interesting to note here is that water boards are currently operating in both the water supply and sanitation spaces. Public-private partnerships, financing and delivery models need to be explored and the successful ones need to become embedded in the sector. However, smarter public sector co-investment partnerships are required regarding common challenges and here the concept of offsetting has become relevant as a lesson to take forward.
Skills and governance
It is important, as professionals in the water sector, not to become negative but to continue the engagement and use our professional platforms to explore the solutions that we think could work. To provide solutions, it is important that we continue to network with fellow professionals who are involved in different parts of the water business and engage with new knowledge from a variety of sources. Such governance environments will, in turn, unlock new solutions and innovations from various institutions. Supporting and incentivising learning and innovation playgrounds will lead to new and enhanced skills for the various technical professionals that provide us with services.
Society and leadership
I would encourage leadership structures to break hierarchies, silos and reduce risk aversion to allow the brightest in their organisations to think more broadly about solutions for the future and explore feasibility and capability needs through scaling up demonstrations. At a household level, there are various initiatives that can pursued to incentivise people to diversify their water mix from only tap water to include rainwater harvesting for pools, outdoor washing and watering, grey-water treatment use for gardens and the use of water-saving devices.
These interventions and changes will make water security a constant message in the media and within the halls of society. The benefit of such interventions is that, as a society, we stop looking solely to the state when a crisis arises but deal with droughts and floods in a more deliberate and proactive manner. In other words, we build resilience.
Key events in the YWP-ZA international calendar
2010
2011
Go for global
South African Young Water Professionals go international.
By lloyd fisher-Jeffes and suvritha Ramphal*
From 10 - 13 December
2017 the South African Young Water Professionals (YWP-ZA) will welcome Young Water Professionals from across the globe to Cape Town for the 8th IWA Young Water Professionals Conference (IYWPC). Preparations for the conference are already well underway with the first announcement having been made. The hosting of the 8th IWA Young Water Professionals Conference (IYWPC) in South Africa will mark a significant milestone in the history – and hopefully future – of this conference series as it will be the first time the IYWPC will be hosted in the ‘Global South’. It is therefore a great honour, and responsibility for South Africa, specifically YWP-ZA as hosts.
International profile-building
The opportunity to host the 8th IYWPC is as a direct result of South African Young Water Professionals’ presence internationally. YWP-ZA have, since 2009, organised several national conferences and the first Africa YWP conference, participated in international conferences, provided input to youth organisations position strategies, and shared the
successes of the YWP-ZA across the world (see Fast Facts). As a chapter of the Young Water Professionals division of the International Water Association (IWA) and a division of the Water Institute of Southern Africa (WISA), YWP-ZA’s members are exposed to a growing network of national and international professionals, working (task and specialist) groups, key sector events and activities that aim to find solutions to the world’s water problems.
YWP-ZA’s firm presence in the international young water professionals space was made possible through the commitment and dedication of past and present YWP-ZA’s and their employers to building the brand of young professionals in the South African water sector. As a result, YWP-ZA is recognised as one of the biggest and most successful Young Water Professionals chapter in the IWA platform.
Leaders and impact
The theme of the 8th IYWPC is ‘Building Leader’s & Making Impact’ – what YWP-ZA aims to do. The conference has a unique South African flavour with YWPs taking the lead in organising, promoting and
2012
• 1st South African YWP Conference, South Africa – organised the conference
• IWA Development Congress, Malaysia – coordinated and facilitated the YWP workshop and YWP schedule for the week
• 2nd South African YWP Conference, South Africa – organised the conference
• Stockholm World Water Week, Sweden – contributed to developing the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) Youth Vision 2050
• World Water Forum, Marseilles, France – coordinated and facilitated YWP workshops and sessions and YWP schedule for the week
• International Freshwater Governance Conference, South Africa – hosted an Inter-University Water Law Debate
• IWA World Water Congress, Busan South Korea – coordinated and facilitated YWP workshops and sessions and YWP schedule for the week
2013
2014
• Stockholm World Water Week, Sweden – contributed to developing an action plan to SIWI’s Youth Vision 2050
• 3rd South African YWP Conference, South Africa – organised the conference
• IWA Development Congress, Nairobi, Kenya – coordinated and facilitated YWP workshops and sessions
• Singapore International Water Week, Singapore – discussion leader at Young Water Leader’s Summit
• World Water Congress, Portugal –participated in youth-led sessions
2015
2016
• 4th South African and 1st Africa-Wide YWP Conference, South Africa –organised the conference
• World Water Forum, Korea – assisted in developing the young professionals programme for the International Youth Consortium, participated in youth-led sessions (panel member discussions and session chairing), coordinated events, lead in the civil society stand
• Youth for Water, Nicaragua –Plenary presenter
• World Water Congress, Brisbane – assisted in developing the young professionals programme, participated in youth-led sessions (session facilitator and lead rapporteur) and coordinated events
left First South African YWP conference in 2010 attracts 330 delegates
Bottom left Third South African YWP conference in 2013 attracts delegates from 13 countries over three days
managing many aspects of the conference. The local organising committee (LOC) has over 30 South African members (arranged in five sub committees) and is responsible for managing the finances, marketing and communication, South African sponsorship, and organising a career fair.
What makes this conference’s LOC different is that YWP-ZA is aimed at building capacity. YWPs on the different sub-committees are learning to lead, network, work together and how best to make an impact through arranging the conference. What is especially exciting is that ‘experienced’ YWPs are supporting less experienced YWPs to chair and lead the different committees and sub-committees.
Historically, one important aspect of South African YWP Conferences has been networking, and learning to network, and the sharing of ideas that may help solve challenges in the water sector. In this spirit, YWP-ZA invited
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YWP’s from outside South Africa to get involved. The response to the invite was overwhelming. The LOC has since integrated 10 international YWPs into the sub-committees. Involving International YWPs in the LOC has exposed South African YWPs to the benefits (and at times challenges) of networking on an international level even before the conference begins. While the LOC has been hard at work preparing for the conference, the conference’s programme committee, which is managed by the IWA (chaired by Ashton Maherry – YWP-ZA’s National Secretary), is in the process of putting together an innovative and challenging conference programme that aims to make an impact. It includes a career fair, an outreach initiative, workshops, learning sessions, and academic sessions. Together these sessions will ensure that any YWP attending the conference will at all times have the opportunity to engage, network, share ideas, learn and develop into the future leaders of the water sector.
Beyond conferencing
The hosting of this conference continues the work of previous YWP-ZA members in building the international profile of YWP-ZA and developing the future leaders of South Africa’s water sector. The conference will, if successful, position
South Africa as a strategic international research, development, and innovation partner. South Africa’s YWP’s will, hopefully, take this opportunity to develop long-term collaborative relationships with YWP’s from elsewhere in South Africa and the world.
*Lloyd Fisher-Jeffes is a professional engineer at Aurecon and Suvritha Ramphal is a YWP and programme officer at the Royal Danish Embassy; both are YWPs.
Fourth South African and first Africawide YWP conference
Water nymph wows
at Hartbeesfontein
Water and Sanitation Minister Nomvula Mokonyane has emphasised the role new technologies will play in water and sanitation solutions. Graham Hartlett, commercial director at WEC Projects, explains how Nereda®, a proprietary technology from the Netherlands, is being rolled out for the first time in Gauteng.
What was Wec Project’s role in the Hartbeesfontein WWTW extension?
aBove RIgHt Graham Hartlett, commercial director, WEC Projects aBove and toP RIgHt The first Nereda wastewater treatment plant in South America treated wastewater from the Deodoro Olympic venue and surrounds in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
GH It’s an interesting project for us because we are able to extend the main Hartbeesfontein plant by 5Mℓ/day using the existing civil structures – an ideal demonstration of Nereda’s retrofitting capabilities. The two redundant tanks on site have been converted to a Nereda buffer tank and a Nereda reactor. As the first Nereda plant in Gauteng, we are confident that this plant will be a showcase for the technology. In fact, I believe Nereda’s combination of benefits makes it an inevitability for the future of wastewater treatment.
We were able to implement Nereda with a minimal impact on the existing plant footprint as a result of the use of existing civil infrastructure. Footprint savings is one of the main benefits of Nereda and the availability of land for plant expansions is becoming more and more of a concern for our clients.
Hartlett shows off the quality of water produced using Nereda
Project summary
Client ERWAT
Timeline 72 weeks
Contractor WEC Projects
Technology Nereda
Capacity extension 5 M ℓ /day
How did Wec’s solution save the client money while extending Hartbeesfontein WWTW’s capacity?
To start with, a Nereda plant, when compared to an equivalent conventional activated sludge plant, takes up much less space. In high-level studies conducted by WEC Projects as well as other entities working with the technology, the savings equate to more than 50% in most cases, which is phenomenal. Since the plant is so much smaller, the civil construction costs are greatly reduced.
Nereda is also extremely frugal when it comes to energy consumption, partly as a result of its innovative one-tank design. With Nereda, you don’t need anaerobic and anoxic zones, nor the consequential recycling systems. You also don’t need final clarifiers because the aerobic granular sludge cultivated
in a Nereda plant has superior settling properties. Therefore, all the nutrient removal zones, the aeration zone and clarification all occur in a single tank.
What properties make Nereda revolutionary for retrofitting?
The properties of the aerobic granular sludge make it denser than the conventional floc-type sludge and it subsequently settles much more rapidly, optimising existing infrastructure. Also, Nereda is an innovative, onetank design, meaning you don’t need final clarifiers.
Last time we spoke, W ec Projects had ambitions to take on more projects outside of South Africa. How have you successfully implemented this strategy to date?
We have always been very active all around the African continent and, today, that is even more of a focus for us. We are currently busy with projects in various African countries including Zambia, Swaziland and Guinea.
In terms of Nereda, I feel that it is as much a certainty in South Africa as it is all around the world. The global uptake of the technology is rapid and the quality of the licensees around the world is beyond question. We have
Wh AT IS N EREDA ?
become a member of a global community in which we can share ideas and experiences and, in so doing, continue to add value to our clients with an optimised solution. The value of Nereda is in this community as much as it is in the technology itself.
How are technologies like Nereda aligned with national government’s goals towards greater water security? Minister of Water and Sanitation Nomvula Mokonyane, in her revised strategic plan, has been clear about the role new technologies must play in the provision of water and sanitation solutions, saying: “The challenges of the water and sanitation sector cannot be addressed by utilising existing technologies alone. As signatories to the UN’s sustainability development goals and the commitments of COP21, compounded by the harsh realities of water scarcity and drought, the need to rapidly attain water security. Access to water and sanitation services for all in the country is highly reliant on the adoption of new technologies and innovation. Research into, and adoption of, new technologies in the areas of sanitation, water-quality monitoring, infrastructure development, maintenance and operations is thus
The name Nereda comes from the nereids of Greek mythology. Nereids are typically pure and flawless water nymphs, reflecting the quality of the water produced by the technology.
Nereda is an innovative and advanced biological wastewater treatment technology that purifies wastewater using aerobic granules. With superb settling properties, these biomass granules have vastly superior settling characteristics when compared to regular floc. As a result, Nereda treatment results in high-quality effluent.
Used for both new projects and extensions, Nereda is the future of wastewater treatmenmt technology. It was developed at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands in conjunction with Royal HaskoningDHV and Dutch water boards. WEC Projects is the exclusive licensee for Nereda in South Africa.
Benefits of Nereda
• 1 tank solution (therefore no need for clarifiers)
• Green field, retrofit and hybrid applications
• Significantly lower CAPEX and OPEX
• Up to 75% saving in footprint
• Up to 50% saving in energy consumption
• Superb settling characteristics
• Simultaneous biological nitrogen and phosphorus removal
• Easy to operate
• Pure biomass with no support media required
critical to the sector.” We must all find a more innovative approach to solving the problems we have in the water sector. The technology is available – it just needs to be applied.
Wec has established its reputation based on expertise in a number of cutting-edge technologies. As a leader in biogas-to-energy and wastewater solutions, what do you foresee being ‘hot button’ issues in the future, particularly in light of the World Water day theme of wastewater?
I don’t believe the fundamentals have changed with regard to biogas-to-energy in South Africa. We are still faced with ever-increasing energy costs and the compounded requirement to add capacity to our sanitation infrastructure. Often, it’s the lack of power supply that impedes an extension to a sewage treatment facility. Biogas on a sewage treatment plant is an unexploited fuel source; the business case for the municipal client is solid and as a result of this opportunity fuel we can collectively reduce the load we place on a strained Eskom and create enormous savings for utilities that will consequentially purchase less from Eskom.
Process controllers champion World Water Day
The Water Institute of South Africa (WISA) – Process Controllers Division – raises awareness about wastewater management and water-saving ahead of National Water Week 2017.
By farouk Robertson*
Each year, South Africa’s World Water Week coincides with the week of 22 March, the United Nation’s World Water Day celebration. This year, the UN’s theme is: Wastewater.
Globally, the majority of all the wastewater from urban and rural environments flows back to nature without being treated or reused, causing pollution and the loss of valuable nutrients and minerals.
Managing wastewater properly is critical for achieving the target set out in Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6. SDG 6 aims to halve the proportion of untreated wastewater and increase water recycling and safe reuse. Given the extreme drought that has impacted the country over the last few years, which intensified last year, WISA’s Process Controllers Division is lending its voice to the many calls for South Africans to manage their own personal water use more mindfully, looking at wastewater as an important focus for creating sustainable supply security.
Entrusted with the operation of our water and wastewater treatment works, members of WISA’s Process Controllers Division are responsible for producing the drinking water used throughout the country. Our members treat the water to the world-class standards
prescribed in the South African National Standard 241: 2015 for drinking water. They are also participants in the Green Drop Certification for wastewater treatment and the Blue Drop Certification for water treatment of the National Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS). These programmes have been implemented by DWS since 2008. The process controller forms an integral part in the successful achievement of these certifications.
drought and quality
It is not generally recognised that, under drought conditions, the quality of the water in rivers and dams deteriorates. This places an even higher responsibility on the water treatment works process controllers to produce water that meets the required standard. The lower flow in rivers means that there is less dilution of the treated wastewater (final effluent) being discharged into our rivers. This increases the responsibility of process controllers at wastewater treatment works to ensure that the highest possible quality effluent is produced at their facilities.
The vital role played by process controllers in both wastewater treatment and water treatment needs to be recognised by all South Africans. As process controllers, we take immense pride in our work and in the treatment of our life-sustaining drinking water to exceptional worldclass quality standards. We want all water users to have an appreciation for the time, effort and resources that have been spent to produce this top-quality product. This is why WISA’s Process Controllers Division is championing safe wastewater reuse for keeping our precious water sources clean.
Preserving our water resources is paramount if we want to grow and develop as a nation. We need all our water consumers to look at water in a new way – whether in the domestic, business, industry or agriculture sector. South Africa has reached a stage in the management of its water resources where it can no longer continue in the old-fashioned, ‘business-as-usual’ mode. Minimising water pollution is everyone’s responsibility.
Industrial treatment
Once-through processes for industries and businesses using water definitely
FAST FACTS
of the global population experiences water scarcity and this is expected to rise
of wastewater resulting from human activities is discharged into rivers or sea without any treatment
or more children die every day from diarrhoeal diseases linked to poor hygiene
Information era
We are in the information era and it is extremely important that water consumers at all levels start using their smart devices to equip themselves with knowledge regarding water management in and around their environment.
It is not generally recognised that the quality of the water in rivers and dams deteriorates under drought conditions
This can be achieved by either researching or following local authorities, water institutes and associations such as WISA, or any of the many websites and platforms where water-saving tips are made available. Nowadays, information in the form of printed literature or media is also readily and freely available.
needs to become a practice of the past. Innovative and water-efficient practices that involve optimisation and reuse must become the new norm. In this regard, there should be no compromise.
We are seeing many groundbreaking initiatives being implemented to persuade water consumers to save water and we are encouraged by it. Some of the innovative practices involve our process controllers at wastewater treatment plants. Effluents from these plants must no longer be seen as a waste but rather as a water source through the use of direct and indirect reuse. Wastewater doesn’t have to be polished to drinking-water quality prior to reuse using costly technology in every instance. Wastewater can be adequately treated for re-use in a number of agricultural and industrial processes. In fact, dual distribution systems delivering reclaimed water is common practice and is recommended in the UN’s SDGs as one of the most impactful methods of using wastewater wisely while preventing pollution from entering our waterways.
Quality assurance
A process controller’s job requires complex daily interaction with highly specialised equipment and includes observing, recording, monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness and efficiency processes to ensure compliance with the relevant legislation and standards. Most of these wastewater and water treatment facilities operate on a 24/7/365 basis, which implies that most process controllers work shifts, odd hours, over weekends, and on public holidays to keep the country’s plants operating.
As a professional organisation, we are serious about our appeal for South Africa to adopt a water-saving culture. This could be achieved simply through individuals being more mindful of their water-use patterns and measuring how much water is being used. To measure is to know, and knowing how to respond effectively is to manage. Grey water reuse is another underused practice for reducing one’s water-use footprint. Grey water from baths, showers, washing machines and especially business premises can be reused for gardening and irrigation.
Given the wide availability of information and the drought’s high profile in the news, there is no excuse for South Africans to waste water. Moreover, with so many proven, safe methods for reusing wastewater responsibly and lowering the pollution load on our rivers and streams, it’s time we all started thinking more creatively about wastewater recycling.
*Farouk Robertson is the interim national chairperson: Process Controllers Division (WISA) and chairperson: Process Controllers Division (Western Cape).
chemicals
• More effective biofilm and algae control • much stronger free available chlorine residual over time and distance • two to ten times more effective disinfectant
Aqua Resources SA ensures supply sustainability
Aqua Resources SA MD Susan Cole has been a leading light in the South African water industry for more than two decades. In support of National Water Week, she provides her insights on how to improve Southern Africa’s water supply sustainability.
What are the most effective solutions – technological and otherwise – for ensuring that all people have adequate access to clean water sources?
Sc Water is not only vital for our survival as human beings, but is also used in almost all industrial processes. Natural water resources are under constant strain, and population growth and industrialisation are exacerbating the trend. Moreover, these increasingly scarce water resources are becoming more polluted.
Effectively treating our inland water supplies using conventional solutions is becoming more challenging as they are becoming progressively more saline and eutrophic. Greater attention needs to be paid to recycling wastewater from industrial and mining operations. This would reduce the volume of wastewater reaching rivers and dams, and potable water previously consumed by such industries could be used elsewhere –
would become self-sufficient and the environmental impact of waste would be reduced or eliminated.
Water treatment technologies such as ultrafiltration (UF) and reverse osmosis (RO) have demonstrated that they are effective methods of treating and recycling waste and industrial waters. Regional success stories include the Emalahleni Wastewater Reclamation Plant treating acid mine drainage water to potable standards. The Cape-based plant treats final effluent from a municipal sewage treatment works for use as process water at an industrial site, functioning as a direct reuse plant providing a nearby town with potable supply.
If we could replicate these successes elsewhere, we could multiply the positive effects. Recycling and reuse of water needs to be promoted as a viable solution to our region’s water scarcity.
Susan Cole, MD of Aqua Resources SA, has 22 years of experience in the speciality chemical and water treatment sector focusing on potable-, industrial- and wastewater applications. She has been involved in the supply of water treatment components, chemicals and technical back-up to many of the water boards and treatment plants throughout South Africa as well as Namibia, Botswana, Tanzania, Kenya, Mauritius and the Seychelles.
Susan has worked for NCP Chlorchem and SudChemie Water & Process Technologies (currently Improchem).
Prior to founding Aqua Resources SA, Susan worked as the regional commercial manager: sub-Saharan Africa for Dow Water & Process Solutions.
How would you characterise the relationship between governance and technology when it comes to sustaining water supply security?
The World Bank defines governance as including aspects of:
• Participation of citizens in political processes, freedom of expression and association, free media
• Political stability and the absence of violence
• Government effectiveness in the delivery of services
• Regulatory quality, rule of law
• Control of corruption.
Technology is key in developing an economy. The development of new products and services starts with technology. Applying technology meets needs, which, in turn, enable momentum across other sectors of an economy. Most technological innovation comes from the private sector. By combining the efforts of government and the private sector in seeking water supply security, we can ensure we have enough water to sustain economic growth going
LG Chem's thin-film nanocomposite membranes have 50% to 100% increased permeability, using less pressure, resulting in lower energy consumption
Recycling and reuse of water needs to be promoted as a viable solution to our region’s water scarcity
forward. Public-private partnerships are a sound way of ensuring cooperation and water supply security for all.
What are the main sectors that find desalination technologies like U f and R o appropriate for their needs and why?
Sectors that find UF and RO technologies appropriate include the municipal (water and sewage treatment), industrial (including mining), wastewater reuse, food and beverage, and residential point-of-use sectors. As both technologies address the removal of different types of contaminants, they act in conjunction to solve the cleanwater challenge.
What partnerships has Aqua Resources SA developed to supply its clients with a total, affordable water treatment solution?
Aqua Resources SA distributes the trademarked inge GmbH ultrafiltration range & LG Water Solutions’ RO membranes in sub-Saharan Africa.
Both manufacturers supply highquality, cost-effective solutions for various water treatment challenges including wastewater recycling, reuse and desalination.
What are some of the most popular solutions for the South African market and why?
The South African market is transitioning from conventional treatment solutions to more ‘hi-tech’ treatment options.
Hi-tech technologies are sometimes perceived as more expensive but there is ongoing research focusing on finding ways to improve efficiency and reduce energy consumption in these types of treatment plants.
UF removes suspended solids, bacteria and viruses while RO removes dissolved salts. This makes them the ideal technologies for:
• production of potable and process water from surface, well and spring water
• sea water desalination using RO with UF as pretreatment
• treatment and reuse of wastewater
What puts the technologies you supply ahead of similar market offerings?
When it comes to UF, the inge ultrafiltration range with its patented multibore membrane technology combines seven individual capillaries in one highly robust fibre. This significantly increases membrane stability and virtually eliminates the risk of fibre breakage. The membrane provides a secure barrier against suspended solids and microorganisms while delivering a consistently high level of filtrate quality regardless of fluctuations in the quality of the feed water.
inge technology also offers significant advantages over conventional water treatment methods, such as rapid and easy module installation and stable,
aBove left 90 inge modules were installed at this 11.4 Mℓ/day municipal water plant in Würzburg, Germany
aBove Multibore membranes inside the modules boast increased stability, virtually eliminating the risk of breakages
highly resilient membranes. This makes planning a water treatment facility much simpler, enabling customers to achieve low-cost installation and operation along with a guarantee of long-lasting reliability.
As for our RO offering, LG Water Solutions manufactures the range of NanoH20 RO membranes. Encapsulation of benign nanoparticles changes the structure of the thin-film surface of a conventional RO membrane, allowing more water to pass through while rejecting unwanted materials such as salt. It is this thin film that dictates the permeability and salt rejection of the membrane and, therefore, the economics of a desalination plant.
LG Chem's thin-film nanocomposite membranes have demonstrated a 50% to 100% increase in permeability when compared to the installed base of RO membranes.
This increased permeability means less pressure is required to force the migration of fresh water through the membrane, thus lowering a desalination plant’s energy costs.
www.aqua-resources.co.za
Better, together
The Minister of the Department of Water and Sanitation, Nomvula Mokonyane, calls on South Africans to be “selfless water ambassadors” by adhering to restrictions and using water sparingly.
The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) has cautioned that drought is still upon us, noting that recent rains did not make that much of an impact on South Africa’s dams. This was prior to the magnificent rains which restored capacity in Gauteng’s Vaal Dam. Nonetheless, other parts of the country remain affected by scarcity.
Encouraging water users to continue to conserve water and use it sparingly by adhering to water restriction measures imposed by their municipalities, the minister and her department are stressing the role each individual South African has to play in conserving water.
It’s not all about flushing
Bucket Eradication Programme to address the legacy of the hated bucket toilet system. A combination of connecting sewer networks to households, installing household water reticulation and constructing or deploying various
2.4 billion people live without improved sanitation. Diarrhoea caused by poor sanitation and unsafe water kills more than a quarter of a million children each year, with these figures being especially high in developing countries.
The DWS sees partnerships with the community as key to tackling waterrelated issues. Communities need to be involved as they are the most important beneficiaries of water
low- and no-water sanitation solutions are part of the department’s efforts to meet its commitments to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6, which aims to ensure access to water and sanitation for all.
For these reasons, and others, the DWS is committed to reducing the sanitation backlog and further recommitting towards making current sanitation services sustainable as a crucial part of its roll-out of the National Development Plan (NDP) 2030.
Women empowerment
The DWS has handed over hundreds of toilets in the last year as part of its
Some of the issues that need to be addressed in order to meet this commitment include: ageing infrastructure, working in silos by departments with sanitation budgets, vandalism of infrastructure by communities, and lack of dedicated budgets for operation and maintenance of sanitation infrastructure. These will need to be carefully looked at to ensure that the challenges relating to the provision of decent sanitation are holistically addressed.
The DWS has also embarked on a campaign to raise awareness and educate people on how some prevalent diseases can be avoided through hand washing and decent sanitation services. According to the World Health Organization,
An investment in women is one of the most important investments we can make as a nation to address the triple challenge of poverty, inequality and unemployment. In turn, such an investment would bring about the triple benefits of growth, prosperity and international competitiveness.
That being said, the DWS recognises that, over the years, the water and sanitation sector has not transformed as it should have and women have not actively participated or benefited from the sector nearly enough.
The process of beneficiation by the department within the precepts of broad-based black economic empowerment and the Preferential Procurement Regulation has demonstrated a poor showing.
In the financial year 2015/16, the DWS spent a total of R2.2 billion on SMMEs procurement. This translates to 16% of the total procurement for the period. These amounts translate to R1.1 billion being spent on black-owned
Minister of Water and Sanitation
Nomvula Mokonyane
2.4 billion (one third) people lack access to basic sanitation services, such as toilets or latrines of the world is covered in seawater
SA households with access to sanitation facilities increased from 62.3% in 2002 to 80% in 2015
At least 1.8 billion people globally use a source of drinking water that is faecally contaminated
Globally, between 1990 and 2015, people with an improved drinking water source increased from 76% to 91%.
Water scarcity affects more than 40% of the population leaving more than 1.7 billion people without clean water
Domestic (urban and rural) water use accounts for less than a quarter of SA’s water use
The water-food-energy nexus means that rising urbanisation will cause energy demand to go up 50%, causing agriculture and the need for biofuel to rise by 35% and water demand to increase by 40% -- each of these demands impact on the others, causing further demand increases
85.9% of SA households have access to piped water
Less than 3% of the world’s water is fresh water
Globally, 57% of water is used by industry
Globally, 30% of water is used for agriculture
Globally, 11% of water is used for domestic purposes
More than 80% of wastewater is discharged into water bodies without prior treatment of the world’s water is seawater
Water saving initiatives like ‘Zero Liquid Discharge’ and Industrial Symbiosis programmes make a huge difference
In 2016, SA dam levels reached 50-year lows
Provincial dam levels as of 1 February 2017
In SA, 60% of water is used by agriculture, 18% urban domestic, 4% rural, 5% mining, and the rest for power generation and industrial purposes
Water footprint measurement is an important way of tracking real water savings in a globalised economy Dam levels improved marginally in early 2017
companies, which is 50% of the total figure of R2.2 billion. Of the R1.1 billion, R102 million was spent on woman-owned companies and R738 000 on youth – 4.6% and 0.03% of the total figure, respectively. No amount of expenditure on persons with disabilities was incurred.
The remaining R1.1 billion spent during this period was attributed to procurement of goods and services from white-owned SMMEs. Based on the twoyear trend, there was a total average improvement of 12% spent on SMMEs. It is against this backdrop that the DWS has reiterated its commitment to transformation and made procurement
transformation a focus by ensuring that women, youth and persons with disabilities are specifically targeted in the current procurement processes.
To this end, the department has launched its Women in Water Empowerment Programme (W-WEP), aimed at creating a developmental platform for women-owned companies that are at various stages of establishment (emerging, intermediary and established) and that require varying degrees of support.
creating jobs
As part of the department’s War on Leaks campaign, a total of 15 000 young
South Africans will be trained to become plumbers, artisans and water agents. After training, they will be hired to fix leaks and other faulty infrastructure in communities. Besides being given tangible and crucial skills and improving their employability, the candidates will be trained to become water and sanitation ambassadors.
The aim is also to send them into their communities to educate the general public about why and how water should be used sparingly, the cost of leaking taps, and what people should do when they have identified a leak. The DWS sees partnerships with the community as key to tackling water-related issues.
Eastern Cape Western Cape KwaZuluNatal Free State Gauteng
Communities need to be involved as they are the most important beneficiaries of water.
Water-wise communities with adequate access to water and sanitation services are uplifted communities. Loss of productivity due to illnesses caused by lack of sanitation and poor hygiene practices is estimated to cost many countries up to 5% of their GDP. When businesses are sustainable and people have the tools to perform and be competitive, prosperity follows.
Not only will the War on Leaks create employment and entrepreneurial opportunities for the youth, and foster prosperity, it will also address South Africa’s high non-revenue water losses, further improving national supply security, and creating cascading benefits.
SDG Facts
• 2.6 billion people have gained access to improved drinking water sources since 1990, but 663 million people are still without
• At least 1.8 billion people globally use a source of drinking water that is faecally contaminated
• Between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of the global population using an improved drinking water source has increased from 76% to 91%
• Water scarcity affects more than 40% of the global population and is projected to rise. Over 1.7 billion people are currently living in river basins where water use exceeds recharge
• 2.4 billion people lack access to basic sanitation services, such as toilets or latrines
• More than 80% of wastewater resulting from human activities is discharged into rivers or oceans without any pollution removal
• Each day, nearly 1 000 children die because of preventable water and sanitation-related diarrhoeal diseases
• Hydropower is the most important and widely used renewable source of energy, and as of 2011, represented 16% of total electricity production worldwide
• Approximately 70% of all water abstracted from rivers, lakes and aquifers is used for irrigation
• Floods and other water-related disasters account for 70% of all deaths related to natural disasters
Making Waves in Water Treatment
Lonza Water Treatment – a leader in water sanitation serving the Industrial, Commercial, Municipal and Surface Water markets.
Stemming from a water treatment heritage of more than a century, Lonza Water Treatment is one of the leading suppliers of treatment chemicals, disinfectant feeder systems and specialized services to the South African and African markets.
Water Treatment Specialists in:
Waste Water
Cooling Systems
Hard Surface Disinfection
Drinking Water
Irrigation
Surface Water
Pulp & Paper
Process Water & Mining
Commercial Swimming Pools
Beverage
Poultry – Post-harvest Washing
Premium motors revved for success
An order for 10 of SEW-Eurodrive South Africa’s recently launched DRN-IEC series of International Efficiency class (IE3) rated motors has been successfully delivered for the Meyerton WWTW in the Vaal Triangle. Rudi Swanepoel, head of projects, SEW, explains what sets these motors apart. By frances Ringwood
We launched our IE3IEC motors at Electra Mining last year. So far, the Meyerton WWTW order has been our first major project order. The motors were selected for their adherence to the strict requirements in the mechanical contractor’s specifications,” explains Swanepoel.
Strict specifications were due to the arduous conditions at the works. Additional instrumentation required for the units’ protection are PT100s (to measure temperature) and thermistors (a cut-out failsafe when the motor temperature reaches a set high point). Other accessories included strip heaters for colder conditions, and rain canopies.
The IE3 motors achieve up to 96% efficiency, compared to standard (IE1) motors, which usually reach much lower efficiency percentages. These are among the highest energy efficiencies for motors available in South Africa – qualifying them as premium.
Motor specifics
Of the 10 motors delivered to Meyerton, six have 45 kW motors and four have 55 kW motors. The DRN IE3 motors were delivered as complete units with gearboxes and motors. They will be used for the plant’s aerators.
“With aerator and mixing applications, our projects and engineering teams have to double check all of the loads and bending moments. These loads are supplied
to us by the client, based on their designs. We then have to ensure that the gearboxes that have been selected are suited to the application at hand,” Swanepoel explains.
“Our calculation program has been designed specifically to determine if the gearbox selection is adequate, based on the loads and bending moments. This is particularly important when it comes to aerators and mixers. Thus, these are not offthe-shelf products, but have been selected specifically for the system in question.”
However, the DRN IE3 motors are anticipated to become popular in the local market, given the product’s balance between extremely high levels of efficiency and cost competitiveness. According to Swanepoel, “Municipalities, mining houses and local industry (such as food and beverage) are likely to find the DRN IE3 motors attractive for reducing the total cost of ownership over the long term, which means the payback period is much quicker, and also the return on investment is that much higher.”
eastern cape order
Following this initial order, SEWEurodrive has received a subsequent order for another major WWTW in the Eastern Cape. These two major orders in quick succession represent a foothold for the DRNs in the municipal wastewater treatment space.
One of 10 IE3-compliant DRN motors being delivered to the Meyerton WWTW
Rudi Swanepoel, head of projects, SEW-Eurodrive South Africa
WWTW PROJECT SUMMARY
Funder
Department of Water and Sanitation
Implementing agent
Rand Water
Owner
Midvaal Local Municipality
Project type
Extension of works
Original capacity
Up to 5 Mℓ/day, to which process units were added allowing for an additional 10 Mℓ/day (15 Mℓ/day in total)
New capacity
An additional 15 Mℓ/day, through the construction of a new plant (an additional 6 Mℓ/dsy is planned for a later stage)
Civil contractor
Gibb
Motor supplier
SEW-Eurodrive South Africa
Reason for extension
Population growth in service area
WATER RESTRICTIONS IN JOHANNESBURG
The City of Johannesburg is required by the Department of Water and Sanitation to reduce its water usage by 15% with immediate effect, as water levels at our source (Integrated Vaal River System) have dropped to alarming levels. This mandatory mitigation measure on water usage has been triggered by on-going drought and unusual warmer conditions.
1 2 3
Level-2 water use restrictions according to section 44 (3) of the Water Services By-law states that consumers are compelled:
• Not to water their garden between 06:00 and 18:00;
• Not to use irrigation systems, only a hand held hose or bucke t is permitted during watering times;
• Not to fill swimming pools with municipal water; and
• Not to use hosepipes to wash their cars or to clean paved are as and driveways with water.
Water demand restriction tariffs on domestic users effective on water usage from September 2016. Full tariff schedule: www.johannesburgwater.co.za
Implementation of water supply restrictions through reduction of outflows from our reservoirs will take place during off peak times (20:00 – 04:00) in selected areas daily.
For more information and water saving tips visit www.johannesburgwater.co.za. Please subscribe on our website, to our SMS notification service for planned or unplanned service interruptions.
Provincial focus: KwaZulu-Natal
Serving the people
EThekwini Water and Sanitation, as a unit of the eThekwini Municipality, is responsible for the provision of water and sanitation services to all customers in the municipality. Its core values are customer-centricity, cost-consciousness and ensuring staff well-being.
EThekwini Water and Sanitation is responsible for the provision of water and sanitation services to all customers in the municipality. The unit has a cooperative research agreement with the University of KwaZulu-Natal to further this agenda. The unit has been able to use GIS-based tools, a specifically developed call centre, electronic workflow and document management software to further improve service delivery.
Always looking for new and innovative ways to provide services to its customers, the unit has been recognised through many awards and acknowledgements for exactly that – innovation.
Initiatives such as free basic water, flow limiters, the use of plasticbodied water meters, polypropylene water piping, ground tanks and semi-pressure water service levels, urine diversion toilets, anaerobic baffled reactors, the use of grey water for urban agriculture, customer services agents, condominial sewerage and a customer water debt repayment policy were first introduced to South Africa, in eThekwini.
Key priorities
Eradicating the backlog in the provision of water and sanitation services:
• while the water backlog has been reduced to 15% of what it was in 1996, the sewerage backlog stands at approximately 50% of the 1996 figure
• reducing non-revenue water from the present level of 30%, to 25%, over the next five years
• improving asset management systems and the maintenance of infrastructure
• training young graduates in engineering and retaining skilled staff to respond to the shortage of engineers and professional skills in SA
• improving performance management systems
• improving customer services and services payment levels, which are currently just over 90%.
The biggest challenge for the city of eThekwini is delivering water and sanitation to the more than a million people living in informal settlements. Pursuant to this, and always innovative, the city’s Water and Sanitation Department created the “community ablution block”, which is a public washroom. It’s an ordinary marine cargo container refitted inside with running water in sinks and wash basins, toilets and showers. Durban has 2 500 ablution blocks installed in many of its nearly 500 informal settlements, where homes made of scrap wood and corrugated metal don’t have running water or toilets. There’s sufficient public funding to fabricate and install perhaps 80 more ablution blocks annually.
Winner 2014
Teddy Gounden, project manager for eThekwini Water and Sanitation, says, “Durban is also a test bed for numerous strategies that turn human waste into usable compost or in other ways dispose of urine and faeces without using fresh water to do it. But Durban’s most important innovation is its unwavering commitment to providing water and waste services to the poor. City leaders view providing fresh water, showers and clean toilets to more than a million residents in the city’s informal settlements as a moral responsibility.”
Teddy Gounden, project manager for eThekwini Water and Sanitation
Funding a growing need
The municipality has secured some R793 million to fund its vital aqueduct systems further. R700 million, in the form of loans, as well as a R93 million grant were secured in October last year to enable the projects to be taken through to completion.
“The programme will strengthen the capacity of bulk water supply and meet the needs of the greater eThekwini region,” the eThekwini Municipality said in a statement.
Funding for the projects has come from three sources:
• The Infrastructure Investment Programme of South Africa’s Direct Capital Grant is contributing R93 million, which has been funded by the EU.
• R350 million is being loaned by the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA).
• R350 million is being loaned by the Agence Française de Développement (AFD).
Owing to the injection of funds, the projects’ progress is to be maintained and the municipality has indicated that both Western and Northern projects are expected to be completed by 2019.
Both projects are being undertaken to address water-related challenges owing to the fact that existing bulk water supply infrastructure has reached the limit of its capacity.
Residents have been affected by this as their water supply has been constrained and developments to improve infrastructure have been put on hold.
The projects further seek to address South Africa’s perennial problem of ageing infrastructure, which is another challenge impacting on water quality and provision.
Performance assessment
The eThekwini Municipality recently secured almost R800 million in funding to develop its Northern and Western Aqueduct projects further.
Both projects are being undertaken to address water-related challenges owing to the fact that existing bulk water supply infrastructure has reached the limit of its capacity
An integral part of securing funding, particularly through mechanisms such as loans and grants, is being able to show solid financials. In light of this, the municipality recently underwent an assessment of its performance indicators, including its debtors’ collection rate and the average number of days taken to pay creditors.
City manager Sibusiso Sithole believes this was key in engendering investor confidence in the city. “It is a confirmation that eThekwini Municipality is on sound financial ground, hence development finance institutions like the DBSA and AFD have facilitated this funding, which will contribute to programmes that will ensure water supply for residents and commercial stakeholders,” he said.
In October last year, Martha Stein-Sochas, regional director, AFD, said the organisation was pleased to contribute to such programmes. “We are aware of the situation that South Africa is in, with the water shortages and drought,” she said. “This is why we have decided to come on board and provide funding that will be injected into two major projects that are of benefit to the community.”
Phoenix rises above the rest
The Phoenix WWTW upgrade forms part of a phased approached that will allow for the decommissioning of surrounding sewage treatment facilities. The upgraded regional facility will be the answer to rapid urbanisation.
By lektratek Water technology (lW t)
With this latest extension, the Phoenix WWTW will finally reach its originally intended design capacity of 50 Mℓ/d
The facility is located about 35 km north of Durban, and is bounded by the Ohlanga River and the Cornubia Business Park. The treatment process incorporates nutrient-removal technologies which reduce the high concentrations of nitrogen and phosphates, allowing the treated effluent to be discharged back into the natural environment in accordance with the Department of Water and Sanitation's prescribed standards.
Phoenix background
The original works were designed by the Durban City Engineer’s Department for an
AbOUT LWT
ultimate capacity of 50 Mℓ/d. The first stage was constructed in 1987 with a capacity of 12.5 Mℓ/d and consisted of a single primary treatment train, an activated sludge plant followed by a single train of secondary settling tanks and maturation ponds. The raw sewage is first digested in the primary anaerobic digesters and then the secondary digester prior to dewatering, with the waste activated sludge dewatered directly in the dewatering plant.
The second stage was constructed in 1997 to bring the capacity to 25 Mℓ/d.
extension details
All of the aforementioned existing units and facilities were incorporated into the extension except for the existing second-class water pump station. This ensured that the extension could be implemented without any disruptions to the existing working plant.
LWT was formed during 1988 with the purpose of specialising solely in the supply, installation and commissioning of mechanical, electrical and instrumentation work relating to water, sewage, industrial effluent treatment and similar projects.
One of the reasons for the success has been the decision to commit the company to the design and manufacture of products that are of high quality, operate reliably, are long lasting and require minimal maintenance. This core value has earned an excellent reputation with consulting engineers and end users alike and to this day, this commitment is paramount in all activities.
This current extension will take the dry weather flow capacity to 50 Mℓ/day. Another reason for the augmentation is the possibility that all flow to the Umhlanga WWTW may be diverted to the Phoenix WWTW.
Leading multidisciplinary local engineering company Bosch Stemele was appointed for the planning, design and project management of the
complete plant upgrade on the basis of its vast expertise, innovative insight and proven track record.
The Design Branch of eThekwini Water Services was deeply involved with design guidance and vetting of the works’ design, specifications and documentation.
Commencing in October 2013, the R106 million civil contract was completed during 2016, creating hundreds of local jobs and the transfer of basic skills over the period.
Mechanical and electrical contract
The mechanical and electrical contract WS 6079 was awarded towards the end of 2014 to Lektratek JV consisting of LWT and Automation Specification (a division within EOH Intelligent Infrastructure) on the premise of FIDIC 1999 contract conditions and a contract completion date of 31 May 2017.
A specific requirement of the contract was the achievement of a contract participation goal of at least 5% through BBBEE and priority business enterprises, where 51% or more of the entity must be owned and represented at all levels by Black individuals – this was audited and monitored by the Compliance Department of the eThekwini Municipality. The JV superseded the requirement and as recently announced by President Jacob Zuma, all future government and parastatal tenders will be issued on this basis.
The JV is proud of the achievement of zero injuries, harm or fatalities to any of the employees during the contract period.
final notes
The design of the works include primary and secondary treatment, as well as a new sludge thickening and digestion plant. The extension also includes a new second-class water filtration system together with a new chlorine dosing installation.
The key challenge of this project was to install new equipment into a working plant without any disruptions and careful planning to perform tie-ins into existing services without any delays.
AFRICA
Infrastructure spend drops – Deloitte
Water and sanitation in Africa
Africa's infrastructure investment spending decreased in 2016, compared to 2015, according to a report by finance consultancy Deloitte on African construction trends.
In 2016, 286 projects worth US$50 million and more were being built in Africa, down from 301 in 2015. Falling from a total of $375 billion in 2015 to a total of $324 billion in 2016, the difference in capital value equals $51 billion.
Regarding South Africa, the report indicated 109 projects worth a total of $140 billion in 2015 had dropped to 85, worth $93 billion, in 2016.
According to the Deloitte team, global economic headwinds, low growth and lower commodity prices have all contributed to the downswing.
Projects included water, sewerage, roads, electricity, human settlements’ schools and health infrastructure, as well as large construction works such as power stations, dams, mines, ports, oil wells and gas facilities.
Source: Deloitte
ANGOLA
Drinking water supply extension mapped Angola’s minister of Energy and Waters, João Baptista Borges, has announced the urgent need to expand the drinking water supply to new living areas in Saurimo City, eastern Lunda Sul province. His department also drafted
includes the use of septic tanks for wastewater collection in hotels, which poisons groundand surface water. Some camping facilities don’t even have septic tanks and resort to pit latrines.
the reinforcement of the water supply system of Saurimo City, aiming at improving the quality of life of the citizens.
"We are building a dam in Dala Municipality, Luanda Sul province, which will supply electricity to the region, as from 2017, and the municipalities of Camanongue (Lunda Norte province) and Luena (Moxico province), aimed at improving the well-being of the people" Borges explained.
Saurimo City has been subject to energy shortages in the past and Angola’s government hopes to kill two birds with one stone by investing in both energy production and supporting water infrastructure at the same time.
Source: Angop
BOTSWANA
Biodiversity in the balance Prof Joseph Mbaiwa of the University of Botswana's Okavango Research Institute has warned that if tourism is not properly managed and controlled, it may exacerbate the threat to biodiversity and the sustainable use of resources in the Okavango Delta.
The Okavango Delta is one of Africa's prime wildlife tourism destinations, and the tourism industry’s poor waste disposal is impacting the environment negatively. This
Additionally, improper disposal of petroleum products from vehicle servicing and littering are adding to the pollution load.
The delta is known for being one of the richest sources of biodiversity in sub-Saharan Africa, with one of its key features being the harmony with which crocodiles and hippopotamuses furrow the land in drier seasons, making pathways for water to proliferate across wide plains during the rainy season.
Source: The Patriot
KENYA
US$391 million approved for development
The board of directors of the African Development Bank Group (AfDB) has approved US$391 million to help finance a major water and sanitation programme in Kenya.
The Kenya Towns Sustainable Water Supply and Sanitation Programme is designed to improve access, quality, availability and sustainability of water supply in 19 towns and wastewater management services in 17 towns across the country.
The programme will provide more than 2.1 million people with reliable and sustainable water supply services and more than 1.3 million people with waterborne sewerage systems. In addition, the programme will create more than 15 000 new jobs during and after its implementation. The programme, to be implemented in 54 months,
is estimated to cost $451.66 million. The AfDB’s loans and grants will cover 86.52% of the total programme costs. The government of Kenya will contribute $60.87 million in counterpart funding.
Source: AfDB
NIGERIA
Lagos inefficiencies targeted for change
Children in Africa’s most populous city, Lagos, are exposed to deadly pathogens in their water daily. This plight is highlighted in a report released by the Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria, titled ‘Lagos Water Crisis: Alternative roadmap for public water sector’. Released in October last year (2016), it looks at existing difficulties in the city while charting a way forward towards better water utilities. Lagos is responsible for more than 60% of industrial and commercial activities in Nigeria. The Lagos State Water Supply Masterplan estimates daily water demand in the city at 540 million gallons per day (MGD) and production by the Lagos State Water Corporation at 210 MGD. However, the corporation’s website lists total production capacity at only 163 MGD. By 2020, water demand is expected to reach 733 GMD.
Results of the drastic water and sanitation shortfall are diseases like cholera, dysentery, diarrhoea and salmonellosis, among others. The “alternative roadmap” draws on positive case studies from around the world, which could potentially be implemented to improve the situation.
Source: The Nation Online
Angola’s Minister of Energy and Waters, João Baptista Borges
Africa’s infrastructure spend has been down year-on-year
FAST FACTS
TANzANIA
Chinese investment uplifts industry
Construction of an over TZS600 billion (about US$281 million) water project in support of Tanzania’s Mtwara Region gas and oil boom is scheduled to start this financial year.
On completion, the project will supply the region with 120 million litres daily from Ruvuma River, according to the Permanent Secretary for Tanzania’s Ministry of Water and Irrigation, Mbogo Mfutakamba.
The project comes as the region’s extractive industries enjoy renewed interest and success as a result of the government’s vision towards the industrial-based economy by 2025.
China is implementing the project by means of a soft loan – i.e. with terms highly favourable to the borrower. Dangote Cement will be one of the first project beneficiaries.
Source: Tanzania Daily News
SOUTH AFRICA
Dams could take five years to recover South Africa’s dams could
take up to five years to recover, even if the country experiences normal rainfall following a severe drought, authorities have announced, increasing the prospects of water rationing.
“We predict that it will take anything from two to three year,s and even up to five years, to recover from the drought we have just come through,” said the Department of Water and Sanitations’ deputy-director general, Trevor Blazer.
Blazer said only about 8% of rainfall water is captured in dams, with most of it being lost to evaporation, transpiration and replenishing groundwater. Additionally, meteorologists are predicting a weak La Niña, which is expected to start decaying before it gains any form of momentum. This has prompted uncertainty over whether the summer rainfall will be enough to offset the effects of the drought.
Source: Reuters
ZIMBABWE
Drought cripples industry
Zimbabwe’s major dams in all catchment areas are running dry, with national dam levels
reportedly fast receding to crisis levels.
Statistics reveal that of the 20 000 boreholes in the country, 10 000 have run dry and dams are minimal capacity, such as Upper Ncema at 0.8% and Mzingwane at 2.5%.
The drought has wrought havoc on the country’s fragile economy, after it ruined the agricultural sector and left the country in desperate need of cash for food imports to prevent broad-scale starvation. Not only are Zimbabweans suffering as a result of the drought on a personal level – the more diffuse economic impacts are making themselves felt in numerous and unexpected ways.
Already, electricity production at the Kariba power plant has been reduced due to receding water levels in Kariba Dam, forcing the country to import power from regional producers, reducing the stock of desperately needed foreign cash in the economy.
Source: Nehanda Radio
Zimbabwe Environment, Water and Climate Minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri
Reshaping Kariba’s plunge pool
The Kariba Dam Rehabilitation Project will ensure that the dam can operate at its full capacity to international standards and that the installed power generation capacity of 1 830 MW will be retained.
By munyaradzi munodawafa, david mazvidza & sithembinkosi mhlanga*
Edited by Frances Ringwood
The Kariba Dam is located at coordinates 16˚31’19”S and 28˚45’42”E on the Zambezi River. One of the dam’s key structural features is the 80 m deep plunge pool located some 100 m from the dam toe. The pool, as anticipated from the original design of the dam, has developed gradually through natural erosion of the bedrock during spilling episodes.
Unforeseen at the design stage, though, is the existence of a highly erodible pegmatite dyke sandwiched in the general gneissic geology of the river bed, and aligned in the direction of the dam foundations. Consequently, this dyke zone is prone to more pronounced erosion, with a tendency of undercutting the dam
foundations; thereby posing a significant risk to the structural safety of the dam.
Excavation of the pool will involve the removal of some 300 000 m3 of rock to achieve the optimum geometry
The Zambezi River Authority (ZRA) has since committed to reshaping the plunge pool, following several studies and investigations into the best solution for improving the dam’s safety. Funding has already been secured from the EU as part of a Zambia-EU strategy for improving access to affordable, clean and reliable energy, with further financial support from the World Bank, the African Development Bank, the Swedish government and the ZRA.
The contract has been valued at €64 million (R877 million), and French construction company Razel-BEC signed on in mid-February this year. Razel-BEC will begin preparations on-site as of
March this year. Its first tasks will be to establish a construction camp site, which will include site offices, accommodation and workshops, construction of access roads to the plunge pool, and the construction of a cofferdam.
dam stats
The Kariba Dam is a 128 m high, double-curvature concrete arch dam on the stretch of the Zambezi River that borders Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The dam has a developed crest length of 617 m. It was constructed over the period 1956 to 1959 as part of the Kariba Hydroelectric Scheme, a scheme ranking second, after the Cahora Bassa, as the largest hydroelectric scheme in the Zambezi River Basin, and has a vital role in supporting the economic development of Zambia and Zimbabwe, ensuring the power supply stability of the Southern African Power Pool
and regulating flows on the Zambezi River. With a reservoir capacity of 181 km3, Lake Kariba is the largest manmade storage reservoir in the world.
The spillway comprises six submerged sluices located in the central part of the dam wall controlled by caterpillar-type floodgates. Each floodgate controls the downstream, 9.1 m high by 8.8 m wide opening of each sluice, with a discharge capacity of 1 500 m3/s.
The Kariba Dam is jointly owned by the governments of Zambia and Zimbabwe, and operated by the ZRA – a special-purpose vehicle formed in 1987 by the two governments to, among other things, operate, monitor and maintain the Kariba Complex, carry out the hydrologic and environmental monitoring of the Zambezi River, as well as initiate the development of new hydropower schemes (on the Zambezi River) on behalf of the two countries.
The primary purpose of the Kariba Dam is the supply of water to two hydropower plants, located on the northern and southern banks, for power generation for Zambia and Zimbabwe respectively. Current generation capacity of the two stations is 1 830 MW, with an additional 300 MW scheduled to online by 2018, following commissioning of the Kariba south bank power station extension works that are in progress.
Long-term solution
Several studies and investigations were conducted over the years, by ZRA and retainer consultant Tractebel Engineering, to define a longer-term solution, apart from the underwater repairs, for reducing the threat to the structural integrity of the dam. In 2011, a hybrid hydraulic modelling approach, involving a physical model paired with a numerical model, was adopted to study the hydraulic response of the plunge pool during spilling. The modelling was done by the Switzerland-based University of Lausanne’s Laboratoire de Constructions Hydrauliques in association with Aquavision Engineering.
The numerical model, based on the Comprehensive Scour Model, was calibrated using data of transient pressures and velocities measured in the modelled plunge pool during spilling operations of the physical model. The calibrated model was thereafter used to verify the effect of varying the shape of the pool to arrive at an optimum shape that would control
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the future development of the pool and avoid the dam toe weakening.
The results of the modelling demonstrated that for the optimum shape of the pool, there is a significant reduction of the spilling-jet power density from 25 kW/m3 to 7.5 kW/m3, which implies:
• improved energy dissipation of the spilling jets in the reshaped pool
• significantly reduced turbulence in the pool as the jet impinges into the water
• reduced risk of upstream retrogressive erosion in the dyke zone.
Reshaping designs
Based on the results of the hybrid hydraulic modelling, designs were carried out to define the optimum plunge geometry. The new geometry will be achieved by reshaping the pool through rock excavation using controlled air blasting, with very close monitoring of peak particle velocities and piezometric levels along the dam foundations.
Excavation of the pool will involve the removal of some 300 000 m3 of rock to achieve the optimum geometry. Pool reshaping will be complemented by protection of the upstream face of the pool profile with a reinforced concrete mattress to prevent any further erosion of the dyke zone of weak rock.
cofferdam
To ensure adequate control of the excavation and concreting works, a
FAST FACTS
cofferdam will be built downstream of the plunge pool in order to facilitate a gradual dewatering of the pool for works to be carried out in dry conditions. The cofferdam is designed as a gated structure comprising concrete piers and sets of moveable stop beams that will allow for the opening of the cofferdam to pass floods during spilling.
Implementation of the project is expected to be over two spilling seasons, with a possibility of being reduced to one, due to low lake levels.
Implementation timeframe
The estimated timeframe for implementation of this project is three years, allowing for two spilling seasons and taking into due consideration the continued operational safety of the dam and associated infrastructure, as well as minimum interruptions to power generation.
In order to manage and minimise the rapid changes to pore water pressures in the rock mass surrounding the plunge pool, it is intended that the volume of water in the pool, estimated at 625 000 m3, be pumped out at three different pumping periods, defined as:
• Period 1: For a duration of one month, starting immediately after commissioning of the cofferdam and ending when the water level is 16 m below the first stage of the excavation works.
• Period 2: For gradual drawing down of the water levels in the plunge pool
during the excavation works, with the rate of pumping corresponding to the work progress and limited to a drawdown of 1 m/day to allow a gradual dissipation of the pore-water pressure so as not to destabilise the surrounding rock slopes.
• Period 3: For keeping the pool dewatered when the water level will be at its lowest, with pumping corresponding to the seepage flows.
conclusion
Limitations posed by the current state of the Kariba Dam plunge pool on the normal operation of the spillway has necessitated reshaping the plunge pool and strengthening the upstream dykezone face. This will contribute towards restoring the spillway to normal operation as well as enhancing the long-term safety and reliability of the Kariba Dam.
Acknowledgement
The original version of the above article was presented as a paper at the International Symposium on ‘Appropriate Technology to Ensure Proper Development, Operation and Maintenance of Dams in Developing Countries’. The event was hosted by the South African National Committee on Large Dams (Sancold). Sancold hosted the event at the Sandton International Convention Centre in May 2016, which was the 84th International Committee on Large Dams (Icold) annual meeting.
*Munyaradzi Munodawafa is the chief executive of the ZRA; David Mazvidza is the director: Projects and Dam Safety, ZRA; and Sithembinkosi Mhlanga is the senior manager: Projects and Dam Safety, ZRA.
For a full list of references, contact frances@3smedia.co.za.
Height of the double-curvature concrete arch of the Kariba Dam
Current discharge capacity of each floodgate to control the downstream
Current generation capacity of the hydropower plants on the northern and southern banks
The reservoir capacity of Lake Kariba is the largest man-made storage reservoir in the world
New scientific laboratory comes on stream
Magalies Water, one of South Africa’s nine water boards, is launching its new scientific laboratory that will give the institution the capacity to perform high-level testing in-house, saving time and money to improve the client experience for its service communities.
Acting CEO Sandile Mkhize has previously spoken to Water&Sanitation Africa about the water board’s latest addition: a brand-new scientific laboratory, established for the purpose of providing fast, accurate, reliable services to the utility’s service community. The new scientific laboratory will not only allow for faster turnaround times but also improve Magalies’ operational expenditure – creating a more efficient, effective service entity.
Magalies Water aims to be a regional water utility covering an extended footprint into Limpopo and consolidating its roles in Bojanala Platinum District Municipality
Magalies Water is committed to providing water compliant with the SANS 241:2015 quality standard. The provision of compliant water is crucial for communities, households,
businesses, industry and mines to thrive. A strong internal scientific knowledge base will streamline the process, assisting the water board to help district and local municipalities meet their Blue and Green Drop quality testing commitments. Mkhize adds: “At our new facility, we have all of the chemical and microbiological analysis tools and expertise necessary for environmental monitoring, water and wastewater quality monitoring and sludge analysis. Our analytical equipment is highly advanced and industry leading.”
Magalies Water emphasises the need to hire talented and committed staff and invest in them as they grow within the organisation. The scientists who will be
operating the new scientific laboratory have the relevant postgraduate qualifications while also possessing crucial longterm work experience necessary for the provision of high-level scientific services as well as business leadership.
Mkhize rates the construction of the technologically advanced scientific laboratory as one of the water board’s highest achievements to date, ranking alongside other fantastic goals achieved in the capital projects arena, including the completion of the Vaalkop and Klipdrift WTWs. Not only will the new facility assist local communities and businesses in maintaining their water quality standards, but the added efficiency it brings will also improve the prospects for eco-tourism in Magalies Water’s service areas. Additionally, while the water board had a high assurance of supply – reaching 95% – improved efficiencies will enable it to hit Sustainable Development Goal 6, promising universal access to improved water and sanitation services by 2030. Realising this goal will maximise the economic and social opportunities afforded by optimal health and hygiene.
environmental performance
This year’s theme for National Water Week is wastewater. Over half of the world’s waterways are polluted with inadequately treated wastewater. In most cases, wastewater is released into waterways without receiving any treatment at all. Compared to global averages, South Africa performs considerably better, with entities such as Magalies Water providing a repertoire of water and wastewater treatment solutions geared to protect the environment within its and its municipal partners’ service areas.
Areas served include favoured tourism nodes in the North West, Limpopo and parts of Gauteng, as well as the platinum belt. Given the environmental and economic importance of these sectors, Magalies Water has developed its services to be able to partner with local entities in ensuring they maintain a keen awareness of the importance of wastewater treatment and responsible use.
Section 30 oversight
“To effectively and efficiently conduct Section 30 business is a critical social imperative and a vehicle that Magalies Water uses to intervene where there are service delivery challenges,” notes Mkhize. This strengthens the presence of Magalies Water in its supply area and extends to oversight of the operations and maintenance of rural infrastructure, plant upgrades, the implementation of rainwater harvesting to augment existing water supplies where needed, groundwater optimisation, and the eradication of the hated bucket system.
future expansion
There’s growth in Magalies Water’s future, with the water board’s trajectory being, “To be a regional water utility covering an extended footprint into Limpopo and consolidating our roles in the Bojanala Platinum District Municipality,” Mkhize concludes.
Customer Care Line: 0860 000 720 www.magalieswater.co.za
Th E Maga L i ES Wa TE r ST ory
The story began back in 1969
The board of Magalies Water was originally established by Government Notice 234 of 1969 to mainly supply the needs of platinum mines in the Rustenburg and Thabazimbi areas. At the time, it was called Vaalkop Water Board.
1983: The year Magalies Water got its name
The utility underwent its name change to Magalies Water and its operational area was extended beyond the then Bophuthatswana homeland.
Bringing water to more mines, communities and industries
Over time, the capacity of Magalies Water was extended to progressively cater for the increased water supply demands of customers.
Supplying retail water services to municipalities
In 1996, Magalies Water extended its water supply services to operate, maintain and supply retail water to the Moses Kotane, Moretele, and parts of the Madibeng and City of Tshwane municipalities.
A key milestone: The right to water
The Water Services Act (No. 108 of 1997) was promulgated to provide for the rights of access to basic water supply and sanitation.
Negotiating for Rustenburg’s needs
In 1999, after negotiations with Rand Water, the company expanded Vaalkop to meet the demands of the rapidly increasing water needs of the Rustenburg region.
Helping municipalities care for communities
In 2003, Magalies Water took a strategic decision to explore retail water operations and maintenance – part of its secondary activities – following the promulgation of the Municipal Structures Act (No. 1 of 2003) and the Municipal Systems Act (No. 32 of 2000). This was undertaken to assist municipalities enhance their water services to communities.
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Supply scheme takes shape
SA's regional bulk water supply scheme to provide safe, reliable, sustainable water to over 1 million people in the rapidly growing Mthatha City and surrounds is taking shape. Amatola Water unpacks the widereaching positive impacts of the project.
The Greater Mthatha Regional Bulk Water Supply Scheme will deliver water along five development corridors radiating out some 30 km to 40 km from Mthatha (these are the so-called Mqanduli, Libode, Ngqeleni, Nqadu and Airport corridors) in the local municipalities of King Sabata Dalindyebo (KSD), Nyandeni and Mhlontlo. The Mqanduli corridor extends as far as KuGxwalibomvu and Mahlathini in the south and QweQwe and Qunu in the west.
Large enough to provide a high level of supply assurance even in times of severe drought, the Mthatha Dam is where the scheme draws its supply. Currently overflowing despite the drought, the dam’s condition contrasts with the many small rural water supply schemes currently supplying the areas around Mthatha, which frequently dry up. It is anticipated that the presence of a reliable water supply will result in accelerated urbanisation and economic activity along the above-mentioned development corridors, which, in turn, will stimulate the development of all other commercial and domestic services in these areas, making them more affordable and accessible to all.
Project specifics
Amatola Water is the implementing agent for the roll-out of the scheme,
which is taking place within the O.R. Tambo District Municipality. This KSD Presidential Intervention mega-project was initiated in 2012 and is due for completion in 2020. The first (primary bulk civils) phase is expected to cost some R3.5 billion and the subsequent phase (to link the primary phase to existing and new reticulation networks) is expected to cost some R1.5 billion. Expenditure to date is R1.1 billion.
The scheme involves a major upgrade of Mthatha’s Thornhill Water Treatment Works (WTW) and the construction of a new WTW in the Highbury Area. Water is pumped from these two works to command reservoirs serving Mthatha and the five development corridors. The primary bulk system includes some 200 km of pipelines, 24 reservoirs and 10 pump stations. The secondary bulk system includes an additional 350 km of small pipelines, 65 small reservoirs and seven pump stations.
The primary bulk civils construction work has been broken up into about 65 contracts (54 contracts are completed or currently underway in the central areas and Mqanduli and Airport corridors, and a further five contracts will be awarded this year for infrastructure in the Libode, Ngqeleni corridors and for the Highbury WTW).
More contracts will be awarded next year to start constructing the secondary bulk infrastructure and complete the scheme overall.
Job creation
Current contracts have provided over 1 200 temporary local jobs and many more indirect jobs. The lead engineering consultant, GIBB, is a South African company with 67% black ownership. 35% of the work is shared with many targeted SMME engineering firms and other local technical service providers, thereby building up the local and national technical skills base.
Once complete, the scheme will provide some 65 additional permanent operation and maintenance jobs. By unlocking the wider economic potential of the area, many more jobs opportunities will be created at all levels of the economy.
www.amatolawater.co.za
MATOLA WATER ’ S ELEP h ANT
The image of the elephant is a symbol of a natural water pump, as well as strength and reliability. Amatola Water is responsible for the provision of safe and reliable bulk water services. Just as the image of the elephant evokes feelings of respect for its strength and longevity, so too does the Amatola Water logo –it is meant to instil a sense of trust in an organisation that is reliable, strong and caring.
A
Sailing smoother seas
Finding project funding may seem daunting at the outset but using a few simple tools and tricks can convert even the most complex funding proposal into a powerful tool for social upliftment.
By frances Ringwood
Given the latest extreme weather conditions, it’s clear that more investment is needed in Southern Africa’s water infrastructure sector.
Engineers will often identify a “soft target” in a system that, when optimised, will lead to greater efficiencies throughout the system. In this case, the soft target for better financial management in the South African water sector is our nine (soon to be eight) water boards.
There are other implementing agents in South Africa where such interventions would be effective, including the TransCaledon Tunnel Authority, various district municipalities, as well as local water user associations (which frequently manage their own infrastructure).
Across all the above-mentioned water services authorities (WSAs), the need for funding applies. Financial assistance is out there for the taking but good
Kim Adonis, economist, Climate Resilient Infrastructure Development Facility
Jaco de Jager, CEO, Association of Certified Fraud Examiners South African Chapter
proposal writing is vital to ensuring the money goes to where it’s most needed.
Over and above efficient WSA management and well-written funding applications, getting project funding right means cutting corruption out of the equation. Clean governance is key
to acquiring funds and effective WSA financial management.
economies of scale
According to Nezar Eldidy, executive director, Sobek Engineering, the most prominent marker of efficiency in utilities is when they operate according to the principles of economies of scale.
“It’s a simple equation really: when you input the exogenic and endogenic factors of utilities, it is possible to rate them on their efficiencies and then compare them.”
fRom left to RIgHt Nezar Eldidy, executive director, Sobek Engineering
Endogenic factors include all factors intrinsic to utilities, such as asset rent rates, labour rent rates, and the cost of raw water. Exogenic factors refer to external factors affecting a utility, such as the market where it operates, the market’s socio-economic characteristics, its culture and governance.
“Talking about big utilities, and I suppose a good example is Rand Water, one might not always associate these with efficiency. However, they are efficient because of the economies of scale they achieve. Look at the parallel example of Pick n Pay. Pick n Pay is efficient because it has many outlets but a relatively small number of staff. In the same way, utilities are efficient when they employ a small number of staff relative to the number of connections overseen by the utility,” Eldidy explains.
Economist Kim adonis stresses the need to tap into economies of scale as one of the crucial lessons the Climate resilient infrastructure Development Facility has learned on its financing journey
all of which are multidisciplinary in nature and drawn from SADC’s priority lists. Most of the projects are drawn from the SADC Regional Infrastructure Development Master Plan projects, and that amounts to about $15 billion for 24 projects. CRIDF has been operational for nearly four years and, in assessing these different projects, there have been a range of lessons learned,” Adonis explains. Adonis stresses the need to tap into economies of scale as one of the crucial lessons CRIDF has learned on its financing journey.
He cautions that subsidies and grants make it difficult to measure utilities’ efficiency because a company or organisation, according to textbook definitions, needs to be able to manage its own finances in order to approach a state of efficiency.
Eldidy also points out that the aforementioned endogenic factors of labour and assets impact on one another, which is why record keeping becomes so important for measuring labour rate ratios compared to asset characteristics. Keeping track prevents the cost of one overtaking the other, a state that brought South African utilities to the brink of financial failure in the past (back when there were 16 utilities).
No really, economies of scale!
Kim Adonis, economist, Climate Resilient Infrastructure Development Facility (CRIDF), remarks that funding organisations such as the one she represents make finance available, but when funding proposals are too narrow in scope they miss out on funding earmarked for large-scale projects.
“CRIDF has a project pipeline of about 25 different infrastructure projects,
“Implementing agents need to package projects so they can be scaled up and replicated. This is something we learned relatively late in the life cycle of CRIDF but it is so crucial to tap into these economies of scale. The example that we have at CRIDF is a trans-frontier conservation area called the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area. It’s the world’s largest conservation area, with 36 national parks, game reserves, game management areas and community conservancies. It spans five different SADC countries and CRIDF initially started off with three to five pilot projects in the area. Essentially, the intervention was structured around ‘livelihoods’ funding, because it provides water supply to rural communities. What we discovered is, if you look at these projects in and of themselves, there is limited ability to tap into alternative types of finance to move beyond purely grant-based finance as there is very little return on an individual-project basis,” explains Adonis.
“However, when we scaled up our approach to incorporate all five countries and implement a much larger and more holistic project, we were suddenly able to unlock different types of finance – for example, climate funds. These require projects to be of a certain magnitude
Approximate amount per year
South Africa loses from its economy due to fraud
FAST FACTS
Fraud is a major source from which criminal syndicates get their funding for drugs, human trafficking and money laundering
Amount we lose globally due to fraud –about 3.7 rugby fields full of stacked bills
and economies of scale need to be achieved in order to tap into these funds. Additionally, project implementers are now able to approach potential commercial investors and private equity funds that have a focus on, for example, livelihoods projects,” she adds.
Other lessons learned include the need to build relationships with financiers in order to understand what their criteria for project funding actually are. Also important is starting to work with potential funders from the outset of a project rather than only after the scope has been established.
Routing
out corruption
Finally, and most importantly, getting rid of corrupt individuals who deprive communities of efficient, sustainable water supply is critical.
Jaco de Jager, CEO, Association of Certified Fraud Examiners South African Chapter, notes that tip-off lines from inside organisations are typically the most effective way to identify fraudsters and ensure they face penalties. This is imperative owing to the scale of the problem.
“The average organisation loses up to 5% of its revenue due to fraud and corruption. in government, that amount can be quite staggering.”
Jaco de Jager, CEO, Association of Certified Fraud South African Chapter
What does that look like? That’s about 2.4 million houses that could have been built. People forget that fraud is the source from which syndicates get their funding. Drugs, human trafficking and money laundering – any of those illegal activities is funded through fraud and, globally, we lose US$3.7 trillion due to fraud and corruption. About 3.7 rugby fields full of stacked bills – that’s how much money is lost,” he explains.
“Internationally, the best way of catching fraudsters is through tip-offs. So, I ask you, if you are in the water industry, do you have an internal tip-off hotline for your organisation? Internal auditors are the second most likely means of catching fraudsters, followed by management reviews and external auditors,” says De Jager.
Up to 64% of fraud happens with internal assistance, and De Jager’s research indicates that as many as one in three professionals could potentially commit fraud.
c onclusion
“The average organisation loses up to 5% of its revenue due to fraud and corruption. In government, that amount can be quite staggering. If we apply ratios from international case studies, that means South Africa loses approximately R160 billion per year from our economy due to fraud and corruption.
When water is financed inefficiently, it is the communities left without water who suffer. As each month clocks in as “the hottest month in living memory”, it is time to get serious about funding water projects before there isn’t enough to go around.
An important fact about water project funding is that fraud is not only being committed in government. There are many guilty parties who are taking water that does not belong to them. Farmers are over-abstracting water, for example. And 10% of non-revenue water is lost through illegal connections. It’s time that South Africans collectively start protecting water as a precious commodity – before it’s too late.
WATER QUALITY
Promoting prosperity through backlog eradication
The Lusushwane Regional Water Supply Scheme will improve access to quality water supplies, boosting the health and quality of life for recipient communities through upgrading and maintaining existing infrastructure, as well as providing a new pump station and packaged WTW.
By ad Watts, krynauw Coomans & Jon lijnes*
Lusushwane and its surrounding communities are in the Gert Sibande District of Mpumalanga in the Chief Albert Luthuli Local Municipality. The area is south of the small town of Lochiel, close to the Swaziland border post Oshoek. The highveld grasslands have an undulating topography, becoming hilly as they move towards the mountainous portion of Swaziland.
The community is mainly rural, existing on subsistence farming with a local economy driven by agriculture, forestry and mining. While rudimentary, the area is tranquil and restful.
A population of some 16 300 (expected to increase to 21 900 by 2033) makes up the local communities of Robinsdale, Bettysgoed, Smithfield, Aankomst, Pampoen, Lochiel, Hartbeeskop, Houtbosch and Oshoek.
Within these towns, the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS), the Department of Cooperate Governance and Traditional Affairs and the Gert Sibande District Municipality are undertaking the Lusushwane Regional Water Supply Scheme.
Project objectives
The main objective of this project is to eradicate service backlogs and provide potable water as well as improved infrastructure that is sustainable and that can be easily operated and maintained by local communities.
In addition, it will ensure improved water services through improved drinking water quality, supply reliability and cost optimisation by using appropriate technology.
The upgraded scheme will support integrated resource planning and management, and promote cooperation between authorities in terms of sharing resource, responsibilities and risks. It will also stimulate economic growth and development.
feasibility
Feasibility stage planning considered technical
objectives and socio-economic advantages in tandem. These included health and hygiene promotion, training, facilitation and capacity building as well as economic considerations such as capital cost, long-term operation and maintenance, replacement and refurbishment.
Site investigations indicated that it would be most viable to retain the scheme’s current operation as a standalone scheme based on topography, location, a sustainable raw water source and the suitability of the existing infrastructure to upgrade.
Additional studies
A detailed hydrological study of the catchment was conducted to determine the minimum assured yield of the Lusushwane River as well as the likelihood and frequency of extreme flood events. Geotechnical investigations were carried out on the various reservoir
fRom left to RIgHt AD Watts, project manager, Afri-Infra Group
Krynauw Coomans, design technologist, Afri-Infra Group
Jon Lijnes, design review engineer, Afri-Infra Group
Coal mining in the Upper Inkomati River catchment greatly influences water quality in the project area
sites, the weir and the WTW site, which informed the site geology and facilitated the design of foundations and structural components.
A basic environmental impact assessment, specialist studies (aquatic faunal assessment, wetland study and reserve determination) and a water-use licence application were performed to address environmental requirements.
Project description
The scheme will comprise the upgrading and refurbishment of all the existing bulk water infrastructure and includes raw- and clear-water pump stations, rising mains, gravity mains, storage reservoirs, the WTW as well as the upgrading of active boreholes located in the project area. The entire project entails the following scope:
• Modifications to the inlet works at the existing raw water pump station
• Upgrade of the raw water pump station to 2033 demand requirements
• Installation of a new 4 Mℓ/day packaged WTW
• Construction of a new clear water pump station to Bettysgoed and Robinsdale
• Upgrading all bulk pipelines and booster pump stations to 2033 demand requirements
• Upgrading of all storage facilities to 2033 demand requirements.
Project challenges
The project challenges relate to abstraction, water quality and treatment, location, and distribution and storage. These will be addressed in the following ways.
Raw water abstraction will remain from the existing abstraction facility at the Lusushwane weir, which will be upgraded to the required 2033 demand. Alterations will be made to the inlet of the raw water pump station to ensure that water can reach the intake and that the flow velocity on the approach to the intake is greater than 0.7 m/s during low flows. This will be by means of an approach channel with a flared opening fixed to the weir and fish ladder, extending to the pump station inlet weir of the pump station.
Regarding water quality and treatment, coal mining in the Upper Inkomati River catchment greatly influences the quality of the water in the project sub-area. Raw water analysis from the Lusushwane River
indicated that the water is extremely soft and contains iron and aluminium and has a low Langelier index, indicating that the water is aggressive. The final water would require lime-conditioning, and settling or clarification (or both).
To comply with SANS 241 Class 1 requirements for potable water, the treatment protocol will be changed from filtration and disinfection only to include oxidation, rapid mixing for chemical dozing, chemical dozing, coagulation, flocculation, clarification, filtration, and disinfection.
Located within the 1:100-year flood line, the existing treatment works is susceptible to flood damages. The new treatment facilities will comprise a package treatment plant at a suitable location and will have operator facilities, water storage and a new clear water pump station.
With regard to distribution and storage, the raw water supply will be by rising main from the abstraction works
to the treatment works. Clear water will be distributed from the treatment works to the communities of Robinsdale and Bettysgoed. A booster pump station will lift water from Bettysgoed to a storage facility in Smithfield from where it will be distributed to the communities of Aankomst, Pampoen, Lochiel, Hartbeeskop, Houtbosch and Oshoek through a rising main and gravity pipelines. All storage facilities will be upgraded to 2033 demand requirements.
Sources of capital
The project is funded by the DWS through application of the Regional Bulk Infrastructure Grant, the Department of Cooperate Governance and Traditional Affairs through application of the Municipal Infrastructure Grant as well as by the Gert Sibande District Municipality through application of its capital budget. Additional funding applications will be submitted to the Infrastructure Investment Programme for South Africa,
implemented by the Development Bank of Southern Africa on behalf of the EU.
Project status
Phase 1 is under construction and set for completion at the end of June 2017. Phases 2 and 3 have been designed and documented and are ready for implementation during FY 2017/18 and 2018/19.
conclusion
The Lusushwane Water Supply Scheme will provide much-improved potable water to the recipient communities with a resulting increase in their quality of life. Establishing and maintaining this infrastructure will enable the communities to improve their standard of living and health, assisting them to unlock development potential in the area.
*AD Watts is a project manager, Krynauw Coomans a design technologist and Jon Lijnes a design review engineer at Afri-Infra Group.
PIPE MANUFACTURING PLANT FOR SALE
GRP pipe manufacturing plant based in Johannesburg, South Africa. Piping manufactured in accordance with SANS1748 for GRP piping used in water supply, sewerage and drainage. The plant uses a discontinuous helical filament winding process, enabling piping to be manufactured as either bell and spigot or as plain ended. Piping can be manufactured in a variety of diameters as well as various pressure and stiffness classes.
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HIGH-TECH FILTRATION, SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION
LEADING DEVELOPMENT OF WATER TREATMENT SOLUTIONS USING UV LIGHT FOR INDUSTRIAL AND MUNICIPAL NEEDS
With headquarters in Washington, DC, Danaher is a group of companies that produce instrumentation and solutions for a broad range of end markets, including healthcare diagnostics, life science research, industrial manufacturing, maintenance, and service.
Realising life’s potential
Danaher’s Water Quality Group (WQG) of companies reflects many years of strategic acquisitions aimed at realising water’s full potential at every stage of the water cycle. Through strategic acquisitions, the Danaher Group has formed a diverse portfolio of water quality optimisation companies. These include OTT Hydromet, Hach, Pall Corporation, Trojan Technologies and McCrometer. Each one serves a niche within the corporation’s water quality platform.
“Through strong customer relationships, the group advances the quality and delivery of water. In essence, each individual company offers something different to enhance the water cycle. Our commitment is to deliver efficiency, quality, environmental sustainability and risk management,” explains Robert Bollea, managing director, Hach South Africa.
Danaher’s acquisitions are part of the group’s ultimate strategy for growth and expansion. Increased size and diversity have allowed for further investment in research and development, product expansions, and product quality – providing the WQG with a significant competitive edge.
Water-cycle optimisation
The WQG optimises the water cycle throughout every stage. For example, OTT Hydromet is associated with water at the beginning of the cycle, providing instrumentation for monitoring rainfall, humidity, wind, snow depth and so forth. It also offers equipment for monitoring dam levels and how rivers are defined by their flow. “For example, OTT
provides early warning systems used by South Africa’s Department of Water and Sanitation to assess the potential of floods to keep communities safe,” explains Bollea.
McCrometer measures flow through large pipes, providing a non-evasive measurement technology for efficient flow measurement and management, allowing for better control of our natural resources. Trojan supplies ultraviolet (UV) disinfection. “UV is an underutilised and underestimated method of disinfection,” says Bollea. “Countrywide, we tend to rely heavily on chlorine but it is not 100% effective when it comes to killing all potentially harmful bacteria. UV is more reliable at neutralising all potential harmful microorganisms. Additionally, UV is non-carcinogenic and does not change the chemical make-up of water – as is the case with large doses of chlorine,” he adds.
Hach is the liquid analytics component of the WQG. Whether it’s at the beginning or the end of the water cycle, or anywhere in-between, Hach’s wide range of tools and equipment can be used to assist in monitoring water quality. “From heavy metals through to corrosive compounds, Hach’s products are used around the world to protect people and the environment,” explains Bollea.
Hach manufactures and distributes analytical instruments and reagents used to test the quality of water and other liquid solutions. Hach systems are designed to simplify analysis by offering online instrumentation, portable laboratory equipment, prepared reagents and easyto-follow methods.
Pall’s plants can be used for the treatment of ground-, sea- or surface water and its range of wastewater treatment plants cover the full spectrum, including municipal wastewater, industrial effluent and mine water
OTT Hydromet is a 144-year-old business dedicated to helping water professionals understand and preserve our natural water resources. It consists of entities specialising in the development and manufacturing of products and systems for the measurement of natural water in the form of rivers, lakes, estuaries, deep ocean and weather.
The most recent addition to the WQG is Pall. “Pall provides a wide array of membranes, that answer the question: how do you clean water better?” says Bollea. Its offerings include filtration, separation and purification solutions for all its clients’ water management needs. “With Pall’s technology, you need no longer use conventional sand filtration. Instead, water can be cleaned more effectively through a membrane system. Pall also offers plants that are mobile and easy to install, for fast relief from water shortages,” he adds.
Life’s potential
The thinking behind Danaher’s acquisitions is to create a platform that successfully facilitates client productivity, while at the same time complying with all relevant local norms and standards, keeping the environment and people safe. It is for this reason that the WQG’s slogan is “Helping realise life’s potential”.
Harnessing the future
The Thermo Scientific iCAP TQ ICP-MS is a breakthrough solution to futureproofing laboratories, allowing clients to explore developing markets, push the boundaries of research and meet the requirements of evolving legislation.
Triple quadrupole (TQ) technology enables laboratories to expand their applications and enhance their efficiency, while being user-friendly and accessible to any analyst. It offers incredible accuracy and detection limits for the most challenging applications, as well as improved interference removal that allows laboratories to tackle complex samples with ease and deliver data with complete confidence.
The ease of use is the core concept behind the Thermo Scientific iCAP TQ ICP-MS, which has been designed for laboratories working in both routine and research applications. The system is based on a platform with an intuitive hardware design that simplifies the user experience. The operator-focused software streamlines workflows and integrates the control of peripherals, to automate sample handling.
Analytical technology provider Anatech –as a leader in mass spectrometry solutions –has brought the Thermo Scientific iCAP TQ ICP-MS to South African shores, enabling local companies to take full advantage of the various benefits offered by these systems.
Qualities
This advanced instrumentation offers a number of benefits, which include ultra-low limits of detection – even for the most challenging analytical applications – and highly
effective interference removal for accurate and reliable results. The surprisingly easyto-use system optimises user-friendliness through its Qtegra Intelligent Scientific Data Solution (ISDS) interface.
The system meets the most demanding challenges in protecting our future, through considering and/or ensuring clinical accuracy, pharmaceutical compliance, geoscience, environmental health and food safety.
It will also further aid in the advancement of developments in metals, materials and chemicals in the fields of metallurgy, material science, chemicals, nano science and energy production.
The safe use of reactive gases
The Thermo Scientific iCAP TQ ICP-MS delivers enhanced performance and ease of use for demanding routine analysis and challenging research applications. The design of the collision/reaction cell system enables the use of both inert collision gases and pure reactive gases – such as hydrogen, oxygen and ammonia – without concerns about laboratory safety.
Simple and robust method development
The system’s Qtegra ISDS software includes a powerful tool called Reaction Finder. This automatically selects the optimum collision/reaction gas and final analyser mass to reduce interferences for the best quality
data with minimal user effort. Accurate elemental mass spectrometry is hindered by isobaric interferences coming from either isotopic, polyatomic or doubly charged species. This means that the results of a particular analysis, especially in regulated environments, are subject to more uncertainty than is desirable. The use of TQ technology allows the analyte signal to be isolated from interferences; however, the number of parameters needed to achieve an effective and sensitive determination means method development can be complex.
With its unique Reaction Finder for simpler method development, easy-access sample introduction system and low-maintenance operation, the Thermo Scientific iCAP TQ ICP-MS provides the simplest route to highaccuracy trace element analysis.
Summing up
The Thermo Scientific iCAP TQ ICP-MS helps laboratories to maximise their ICP-MS capability and achieve a number of outcomes. These include: enhanced interference removal capability with triple quadrupole technology; high-accuracy analysis that delivers “right first-time” results; improved limits of detection, compared to SQ-ICP-MS analysis, even in challenging matrices; and simple instrument operation and error-free analysis with Reaction Finder.
Handling chlorine the right way
With a strong focus on enhancing awareness, improving safety and instilling confidence in the handling of chlorine, NCP Chlorchem provides chlorine-handling training, at no cost, to its end-user customer base as well as fire and rescue services based in areas where NCP chlorine is supplied to water boards, municipalities and industrial clients.
Metro training
In January this year, NCP Chlorchem completed training of eThekwini Metro Fire & Emergency staff. The training encompassed the handling and management of chlorine emergencies, thus embracing the company philosophy of cradle-to-grave, customer care and professionalism. This continual investment demonstrates a commitment to customers and the public. The training was coordinated by Alex Gloster, training manager at eThekwini Fire &
Emergency Services, and Kevin Lerwick, divisional manager at NCP Chlorchem. Executed by NCP Chlorchem chlorine emergency specialist Danie Marais, the training was received by 235 eThekwini Metro Fire staff members from stations across the eThekwini area. This product- and risk-specific training significantly adds to the chemical emergency training that the brigade personnel regularly receive.
Training academy
eThekwini Fire & Emergency Services and NCP Chlorchem are in the initial
stages of discussions concerning the deployment of chlorine training aids located at the Illovo Fire Training Academy. This would facilitate regular training and assessment of eThekwini Fire & Emergency Services operational staff, and would have the added benefit of NCP Chlorchem training its customers in simulated situations, adding a degree of realism for the trainees. Handling
The people of South Africa deserve better
The perfect balance
The Eaziflush™ sanitation solution could easily be one of the most important innovations in toilet design in recent history. Balancing the need for low water use and affordability with the need for dignity, the Eaziflush™ now provides even more flexibility.
By Jacques Rust*
As a major player within the sanitation industry for the past 10 years, Envirosan Sanitation Solutions has always been committed to supplying sanitation technologies that not only meet but also exceed the needs of all stakeholders, communities, municipalities and parastatal departments alike. Our range of solutions is used extensively throughout Africa to eradicate sanitation backlogs in a cost-effective manner while simultaneously providing users with access to a dignified toilet. A further advantage is that these sanitation solutions do not place any additional strain on the world’s scarce natural resources.
VIP toilet issues
*Jacques Rust manager for Envirosan Sanitation Solutions.
When properly designed, built and maintained, the ventilated improved pit (VIP) toilet can provide a decent basic level of sanitation. However, most people prefer a higher level of sanitation with flushing toilets being the yard stick. The problem with conventional flushing toilets is that they require large amounts of water, which is not always available or affordable. Coupled with the excessive amount of water used by flush toilets is ongoing cistern leaks, which places unnecessary pressure on our already water-scarce country. VIP toilets, while not requiring water to operate, have inherent problems as they do not have a water seal, can smell extremely bad and also attract flies. It is owing to these disadvantages of dry toilets that most people have their VIP toilets constructed a significant distance away from the homestead. This, in turn, creates a safety issue for women, children and the elderly wanting to make use of the toilets, especially when it is dark.
For readers who are unfamiliar with the structural properties
ADvANTAGES OF ThE EAzIFLUSh™ SANITATION SYSTEM
• Grey water can be used to flush the toilet when used as a pour flush system
• No smell and no access for flies owing to the water seal
• It is a dignified and sustainable solution
• There is no open pit, making the unit very safe with no potential risk for children to fall into the system
• Sludge accumulation is a third of a conventional VIP pit thus lengthening the lifespan of the toilet
• Sludge is predominantly free of any rubbish, making the emptying process much easier
• Looks and operates similar to a conventional flush toilet
• Potential water saving of 100 000 ℓ per household per year compared to conventional flushing toilets
of VIP dry toilets, they are constructed with a pit directly below the toilet bowl, resulting in community members using the pit as a solid waste disposal site. This practice ultimately results in the pits not performing as they should, filling up more rapidly, causing flies to breed while also generating foul odours.
Low-water solution
It is for these many reasons that Envirosan, in conjunction with the Water Research Commission and Partners in Development, developed the Eaziflush™ toilet after five years of extensive testing and research, taking into account the unique challenges from an African and, more specifically, a South African perspective.
1 Eaziflush™ unit without cistern (pour flush application) installed in new housing development in KZN by eThekwini Municipality
2 Eaziflush™ unit with patented leak-free cistern retrofitted into an existing household in Mtubatuba
3 Precast concrete unit fixed to existing household. Access to the toilet from inside the household (safe, dignified and private)
4 Rainwater harvesting tank and 50 ℓ flush tank
The Eaziflush™ system requires no mains water connection as it can be manually flushed by pouring as little as 2 ℓ of grey water (i.e. not potable or drinking water) into the bowl in order to clear it. The unit can also be upgraded and fitted with our new innovative leak-free cistern where a water mains is available. This maintains the added benefit of using only 2 ℓ of water to flush, compared to the conventional 6 ℓ to 9 ℓ used by current systems available on the market.
Effectively, the Eaziflush™ solution can assist with the hygienic disposal of grey water when used as a pour-flush solution and, on a wider scale, has the potential to reduce the demand for potable water. Therefore, it is a solution with tremendous potential for alleviating pressure on over-stressed sewer networks.
flexibility innovations
The Eaziflush™ Sanitation System is an integrated on- and off-grid sanitation solution. The Eaziflush’s front-end solution can connect to all existing back-end waste treatment and collection options, including septic tanks, biodigestors, conventional sewers, solids-free sewers and leach pits, to name a few.
The Eaziflush™ unit can now easily be installed into any new or existing
household. This is made possible as a result of the water seal not allowing any smells coming back through the pedestal opening.
In addition, by adding a precast concrete top structure to any existing household, these toilets become part of the homestead, giving people security, dignity and privacy. The commode is not a separate free-standing toilet set at a distance anymore but part of the household.
Further, by including a rainwater harvesting tank and a 50 ℓ flush tank outside the toilet facility, this sanitation system is a completely off-grid solution, while functioning similarly to a conventional flushing unit – without wasting any potable water.
Be part of the solution Envirosan Sanitation Solutions is extremely proud of the 25 000+ units that have been rolled out throughout Southern Africa to date. Many of these have been used in new housing schemes, eliminating reverse backlogs (when VIP pits are full or no longer meet a required standard) as well as numerous bucket eradication programmes. It is our goal to deliver sanitation solutions that restore dignity to the end user, while simultaneously ensuring the sustainability of the model from start to finish for all stakeholders. We place a great deal of value on opportunities to partner with like-minded organisations and individuals with a view to establishing a new benchmark for dignified and sustainable sanitation solutions throughout Africa.
www.envirosan.co.za
Breaking barriers
Research conducted at the University of Edinburgh indicates cost and a lack of skills as major barriers to combatting open defecation in sub-Saharan Africa. Researcher lucinda Barry* also draws revealing conclusions about countries’ abilities to set and meet goals.
Open defecation (OD) is practised by almost a billion people globally. OD is defined as using a natural space such as fields, bushes, water or forests instead of a toilet. Practising OD exposes people, especially children, to faecal pathogens that can cause diarrhoea and other potentially fatal diseases. Reducing OD is critical for improving sanitation, but changing such a widely accepted practice is complex.
Six major barriers to using dignified sanitation are cost, the fact that it is culturally a low priority, unpleasant experience, preference for OD, embarrassment and safety. A meta-study indicated that cost was perhaps the biggest barrier, although for behavioural challenges, community-led approaches yield the biggest positive impact.
Goal-setting
In 2000, there was a significant policy development to raise the profile of sanitation through the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Target 7.C was to “halve, by 2015, the proportion of the population without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation”.
In 2008, the World Health Organization hosted the International Year of Sanitation (IYS), to raise the profile of sanitation as an important global health issue. From the IYS, the eThekwini Declaration was formed in South Africa, in which 32 African countries committed themselves to try to improve sanitation. Both the MDGs and the IYS aim to provide people with improved sanitation, which has been defined as “one that hygienically separates human excreta from human contact”. Examples of
improved sanitation facilities are: flush or pour-flush toilets connected to a sewage system or septic tank, ventilated improved pit latrines, or composting toilets. Although OD is not specifically mentioned in the agreement, its reduction is implicit.
Those who pledged the eThekwini Declaration promised that their country would spend 0.5% of their GDP on sanitation. Disappointingly, since the IYS, the progress has still not improved and the various African governments have failed to meet their spending commitments.
Also worrying is that, although the proportion of people in sub-Saharan Africa practising OD has been reducing slightly, the rapidly increasing population has meant that the actual number of people practising OD actually increased between 2005 and 2015.
FAST FACTS
children under five die from diarrhoea each year
The world has managed to meet the MDGs target regarding safe drinking water five years early, but the sanitation target has been missed by almost 700 million people
children who would succumb to diarrhoeal diseases every year could be saved by improved sanitation of these diarrhoeal deaths are due to unsafe water and poor sanitation
cost impacts
Cost emerged as a major barrier to latrine construction, as people cannot afford the necessary materials. Also, locals may not be able to afford to hire a suitably skilled individual to carry out the work. However, even if individuals can afford to hire someone, cultural expectations that husbands, as the traditional head of the family, take control of sanitation provision, prevent the construction of toilets for woman-headed households.
Additionally, regarding cost, if a successfully installed shared latrine is managed by the owner who then charges for its use, people are deterred from using the latrine, as they can resort to OD for free.
Unpleasant experience
Multiple reports discussed the unpleasant experience of using a latrine due to poor maintenance, referencing construction problems, cleanliness issues and restricted access.
Another issue that complicates latrine access is that they are busy at certain times of day, and some are locked at
night. Locked facilities often suffer an environmental cost, as it results in people practicing OD nearby, consequently making the latrines unpleasant for use the following day.
Preference for od
In some cases, individuals reported a preference for OD because it is tradition and familiar. In these cases, this theme ties in with the second theme of low priority, because it likely reflects a lack of knowledge or appreciation of the health risks from OD.
Other cultural beliefs include fears related to supernatural beliefs and fear of becoming cursed; for example, here in South Africa, “sharing latrines is believed to put you at risk of being bewitched”.
Low priority
Many families in sub-Saharan Africa are living below the poverty line and struggle to keep surviving; therefore, for some, improving sanitation is not a priority. If practising OD can save either time or money, then they will practise it. A lack of
education is relevant to this, as sanitation is considered less important by those individuals who do not understand the significant health risks poor sanitation poses.
Safety
Three main safety dilemmas regarding latrine use in sub-Saharan communities are practical safety, health and hygiene, and sexual harassment. The first has a particular focus on children. The main concern is that poor construction and maintenance
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results in large, uncovered holes where children can fall in and drown.
The second concerns health, as the unhygienic state of many of the latrines put users, particularly women, at risk of catching an infection.
The third safety concern was the risk of sexual harassment or rape for girls and women when venturing outside to latrines.
embarrassment
This is mostly a problem for communities using shared latrines. With many individuals using the same latrines, significant queues could develop – especially at popular times of day. Many people reported the embarrassment they felt in walking to or from the latrines, for fear of being seen or coming across someone they knew; queues intensified this fear.
Rising urban problem
Although there are currently more people practising OD in rural areas – 9 out of 10 people – rapid population growth and urbanisation are leading to a gradual increase in the prevalence of urban OD. The population density in these areas means that this poor sanitation is a serious concern, as infectious diseases like diarrhoea can
spread very rapidly. This was displayed in one of the studies, which stated that the chance of urban children contracting diarrhoea was three-and-a-half times that of rural children.
To achieve a reduction of OD, these African countries need a massive change in the infrastructure available to communities, as well as a significant shift in the cultural views of many. The introduction of sanitation policies and programmes will be required for this to occur and these have been receiving increasing focus since the IYS in 2008.
Prior to this IYS, there was very little interest in reducing OD and it was not prioritised by governments – and is still not, in some cases. This is largely as a result of the way governments prioritise sanitation or relegate it to a non-issue, depending on what their need to retain power demands.
was at 0.4% per year; this rose to 0.7% after 2000. This increased rate of reduction is likely to have occurred in response to the heightened publicity surrounding the issue, placing pressure on governments to sharpen their focus.
Before 2000 –when the MDgs were set – the rate of open defecation decline was at 0.4% per year; however, after 2000, the rate then rose to 0.7%
A working theory as to why sanitation has fallen off the sub-Saharan African agenda is the decline of publicity and political pressure around this issue.
Backing this claim is the fact that since the MDGs were set in 2000, the region has seen a higher rate of reduction of OD. Before 2000, the rate of OD decline
The signing of the eThekwini Declaration was a symbol that African governments were recognising the importance of sanitation and deciding to focus somewhat more on it. However, a World Bank survey showed that “almost no sub-Saharan African country has met the eThekwini commitment of public spending of ‘0.5% GDP on sanitation and hygiene’”, and that most were not even in that vicinity –many of the countries in the survey had invested less than 0.1% of GDP in sanitation. Considering that cost is the most frequent barrier to adoption, this is of significant concern.
community-led solutions
Community-led total sanitation (CLTS) has consistently been demonstrated as one of the most powerful ways to bring about behavioural changes towards eliminating OD. CLTS also reduces reliance on outside aid. When communities have been involved in sanitation projects from the start, the results have consistently yielded better results compared to top-down, government-led behavioural change initiatives – many of which have been ineffective.
*Lucinda Barry is a medical science student at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, specialising in international public health policy.
Major wastewater upgrade for Mthatha
The East London office of UWP Consulting has delivered one of its largest ever bulk sewerage projects as part of a presidential intervention to rejuvenate the city of Mthatha.
UWP was appointed by the OR Tambo District Municipality in October 2012 to design and monitor construction of the first phase of bulk sewerage infrastructure for some 17 000 mainly low-income houses. UWP worked closely with Amatola Water as the implementing agent. The value of the entire project is expected to be around R450 million.
The first phase works involved doubling the treatment capacity of the existing wastewater treatment works (WWTW) through the construction of a new 12 Mℓ/day biofilter treatment module, the installation of some 20 km of outfall sewer, and construction of three new sewage pump stations varying in size up to 240 kW. Significant existing infrastructure
was also refurbished and upgraded. The construction project was completed in late 2016 and the mechanical and electrical works were commissioned in February 2017. The project included training and mentoring of staff of the district municipality, while UWP will also provide operation and maintenance support for the WWTW over the next year.
Another aspect of the WWTW project contributing to its sustainability is the use of a biofilter treatment process – the first implemented in South Africa in several years. “This technology was selected as it is simple, easy to operate and maintain, and has a low energy requirement,”
Wayne Ketteringham, technical director, UWP, explains.
The upgraded WWTW will meet Mthatha’s current requirements and provide for some 6 500 new houses under construction. Further upgrades are needed to meet future requirements, including plans to provide services to large informal settlements in the city. Work is expected to start soon on the design of the next phases.
The new biofilter treatment system, designed by UWP Consulting for simple operation and maintenance, and built by Civils 2000
Panel Discussion:
INDUSTRIAL EFFLUENT & MINEWATER TREATMENT
I M pro c he M p67
Tecroveer
Th A nd A M A nz I p68
Qu A l IT y F I lT r ATI on Sy ST e MS p70
Why is water likely to be the biggest risk for sub-Saharan African businesses over the next decade?
GS Drinking water remains a major concern in Africa. Millions of people are without access to improved, reliable drinking water sources. With sub-Saharan Africa being among those regions with the greatest drinking-water spending need, there are still people using surface water. Businesses are at risk with legislation becoming stricter around water usage and water discharge limits.
What is the best approach for managing these risks?
A very important part of the AECI business expansion strategy is to provide safe drinking water through reuse and recycling initiatives for Africa. ImproChem, as the AECI water pillar, focuses on just that, resulting in the slogan: “Making water work for Africa”.
What are Improchem’s specialist applications and technologies for managing these risks?
ImproChem is a water management company providing various equipment and chemicals for the potable water market, as well as for industrial applications. ImproChem offers stateof-the-art technology that includes reverse osmosis (RO) plants, filtration equipment, customised pretreatment, effluent plants and much more. ImproChem builds, owns and operates some of these treatment plants and also has the in-house capabilities to design, build and assemble many of them. ImproChem focuses on water management and the possible treatment of water sources –
ImPRoCHem
such as borehole water, river water and even sea water – to potable water standards, as well as the treatment of effluent and looking at reuse and recycling opportunities.
What do clients need to know before choosing a service provider to assist them with managing their boiler and cooling water?
ImproChem partners with its customers, working to add value to the operation. Before choosing a service provider, be clear and differentiate between just dosing a chemical and having a service provider that will manage your water treatment through total cooling tower or boiler water management.
How do your products and services translate into client savings?
ImproChem uses its well-researched products and services to work with customers to add value to their operations. We offer a result. We use our VGP (Value Generation Plan) to work with our customers to see how we can optimise their processes and save money. We record the value and potential savings
and get these VGPs signed off by our customers. There are many examples of ImproChem doing this throughout the industries we serve.
d oes your organisation offer other specialist or assessment services for industrial effluent and mine water management/ treatment?
ImproChem offers a wide range of services, including the assessment of membrane filtration for wastewater treatment, specialist chemical products for industrial waste remediation, specialised products for highly scaling waters in cooling systems, as well as the ability to improve operation by preventing scale in the pipelines. Its technology is very effective in a number of mining applications. ImproChem offers solid separation hydraulic studies and optimisation for the mining industry, as well as RO and membrane bioreactors for mine water rehabilitation. Other technologies include electro deionisation and electrodialysis reversal, both used for polishing RO permeate to a higher final water quality.
graham Sanders Managing Director
rob holmes Technical Director
What services does your company provide to meet the need for effective industrial effluent treatment?
RH Tecroveer Thanda Manzi is the Industrial and Large Project Division of the Tecroveer group of companies. We have focused our business on developing and executing complex water and wastewater treatment projects, mainly in the industrial space. We have created a dedicated engineering and construction team that has recently successfully completed a large acid mine drainage project in Gauteng.
We are now expanding into other areas of industrial effluent. Tecroveer has a long history of biological treatment processes, and we are building on this by partnering with leading
teCRoveeR tHanda manzI
global technology providers. In particular, we are excited to bring a new generation of anaerobic treatment technology to South Africa.
What is the new technology and how does it differ from conventional offerings?
The technology is called DACS – short for downflow anaerobic carrier system – from the Dutch company, Aqana. It is a novel approach to the treatment of high-strength organic wastewaters and differs from conventional processes in two main ways.
First, the biomass is “captured” within a proprietary carrier system. This ensures retention of the biomass in the reactor. Unlike conventional granular or flocculated sludge systems, there is no requirement for complex solid and liquid separation to retain the biomass in the reactor. The biomass remains on the carriers inside the reactor.
Second, DACS is a downflow process, which results in simple reactor designs, and provides some highly interesting process benefits. DACS is a high-rate
“Tecroveer will be constructing at least two plants using this technology this year. One is a beverage site and one is a recycled paper mill.”
process and, with the flexibility in the design, can be applied with a small footprint where space is at a premium. All this translates into capital and operating cost savings.
Specifically which industries can benefit from the technology?
Any industry that generates an effluent with high levels of organic contamination or chemical oxygen demand. Industries like food processing, beverages and breweries, pulp and paper, and petrochemical all have challenging effluents. If these industries are discharging into the environment, they will be
Standard Becon Bio-Filter Rotating Biological Contractor Wastewater Treatment Plants are available in conventional, packaged, and prefabricated containerised configurations for populations of 50 to 2 000 persons. These RBC plants are self-compensating to load variations and can be used for water recycling systems where required.
o ver 45 years of servicing Africa and the Indian o cean Islands
Repair, reconditioning, monitoring, training, upgrading of existing plants and construction of new plants
Project engineers and manufacturers of water and wastewater treatment plants for smaller communities since 1975
BECON SEwagE TrEaTmENT
“Like all anaerobic processes, the by-product of the DACS process is an energy-rich biogas. Unique to DACS is the potential for creating a higher-calorific-value biogas, with lower levels of contaminants.”
DACS characteristics
• Unique plastic carrier does not need replacing and allows effective mass transfer
• This robust design makes the technology simple to implement and operate
• DACS enables the clients to produce energy out of their wastewater
• The technology treats many challenging organic polluted wastewaters
• DACS is particularly effective where space is limited or granular sludge stability is a challenge
required to meet the discharge standards set out in their permits. If they are discharging into a municipal sewer, the associated costs are increasing. In either case, this technology can be applied in a way that provides an attractive return on investment. Like all anaerobic processes, the by-product of the DACS process is an energy-rich biogas. Unique to DACS is the potential for creating a higher-calorificvalue biogas, with lower levels of contaminants. This can be beneficiated in various ways, offering industrial clients an opportunity to convert their effluent to renewable energy.
How does your technology save industry money while meeting an urgent national need?
DACS can also be combined with other treatment steps to allow for water reuse. By combining anaerobic treatment, aerobic treatment and, for example, membrane processes like ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis, these effluents can be upgraded for reuse in manufacturing. The technology enables water and energy savings that not only have environmental benefits but also provide industries with security and sustainability.
can you describe specific applications where your solution provides benefits?
The technology has been applied in several paper mills where calcium scaling is a known challenge. DACS can operate with low risk of scaling and this has allowed simplified treatment solutions in recycled paper mills. Papermaking is a water-intensive operation, and this technology can provide clients with a cost-effective way to reduce their water and energy footprint. The technology is also applied where granular sludge stability
is a known challenge, such as low mineral content wastewater (beverages or contaminated condensate), or very high COD applications.
At one of the largest orange processing plants in Spain, the simplicity of DACS allowed a retrofit of an existing tank to enable a significant increase in treatment capacity, without adding more reactor volume.
In cases where space is limited, such as a potato starch processor in Germany, DACS-DANA can be applied. This is a highly unique design, where a moving-bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) is integrated with the anaerobic reactor, and can be applied as a modular, pre-engineered solution.
How are you planning to roll out the technology in South Africa?
Tecroveer will be constructing at least two plants using this technology this year. One is a beverage site and one is a recycled paper mill. In both projects, the client will have a positive return on investment, with significant savings in discharge costs, fresh water and energy. Our focus is currently on the food, beverage and paper sectors, where we believe the benefits of water and energy savings can best be realised.
Together with Aqana, we are evaluating a number of projects where DACS provides unique benefits. We are taking the knowledge gained from European successes and applying it locally.
qualIty fIltRatIon systems (qfs)
herman Smit Managing Director
How does pretreatment assist businesses to manage their water-related business risk?
HS Pretreatment, as referenced here, is based on protecting reverse osmosis (RO) components or components used in other final treatment processes –with the understanding that it can also mean filtration down to a micron level. Microbiological contamination, biofilm growth and solids accumulation cause excessive maintenance issues. Equipment is usually not designed to handle suspended solids and operates far more effectively without this contamination. Incoming water (process water) or wastewater (effluent) treatment with suitable pretreatment reduces business risks associated with the breakdown or maintenance of downstream equipment.
What are the benefits of QfS’s Memcor ultrafiltration (Uf) system?
Memcor CPII systems use an innovative assembly that combines the feed, filtrate, air, and waste headers with the membrane housings to form the Memrack array. The integral headers within the Memrack array are designed to optimise flow distribution within the system, delivering greater long-term process stability. Self-supporting Memrack arrays reduce the membrane array footprint by up to 50% compared to previous Memcor system offerings. Memrack arrays also fit inside standard shipping containers, allowing for fast delivery and deployment to virtually any site around the globe.
What other applications, besides Ro, is the Memcor Uf system used for?
Memcor membranes are offered in pressurised, submerged and membrane bioreactor configurations. Each of these configurations offers an opportunity for a unique application. For example, submerged Memcor CSII modules are ideal for gravity sand filter retrofits, capable of improving the final water quality with a 75% reduced footprint. Memcor CPII is ideal for emergency implementation for replacing conventional clarification and filtration in potable water treatment. Memcor MBR B40N modules are used in biological wastewater plants to reduce the biological basins by more than 50% and in the replacement of the settling clarifier.
Memcor membranes are offered in pressurised, submerged and membrane bioreactor configurations
Satellite-based leak detection
Using satellite scanning technology created to find water on other planets, InaSat offers you pinpoint leak detection of your entire pipeline network in just six weeks. You can now identify your water loss and reduce non-revenue water cost-effectively and without the need to shut down your pipeline.
Technology company InaSat brings leading-edge solutions to the African continent through its partnerships with global experts.
At present, it is the sole and exclusive partner for supplying two innovative technologies viz. leak detection on drinking water pipelines using satellite technology through Utilis, and the on-site generation of chlorine gas and sodium hypochlorite through Electrolytic Technologies.
Leak detection
“Our solution does not result in service interruptions and offers a non-invasive method for detecting leaks in drinking water pipelines using satellite technology,” explains Viloshnee Naicker, MD at InaSat. An entire water distribution network can be scanned and assessed at once, with the ability to identify a leak to within a radius of a few metres. In addition, leaks are prioritised according to size, giving utilities an opportunity to reduce water loss efficiently. “No prior investment in hardware and software or adaptation is required, making it cost-effective in reducing non-revenue water,” she adds.
How it works
“Based on technology used to look for water on other planets, Utilis has developed
an innovative algorithm-based solution for detecting leaks in underground urban potable water networks. Utilising a novel remote sensing technology from 637 km above earth, Utilis is able to scan and capture an entire pipeline network at once, thus providing information on potentially hundreds of leaks within a 6 week period,” says Naicker.
Traditional acoustic and other smart water technologies used in leak detection are expensive and require long implementation processes, while InaSat’s solution is easy to use and can complement other leak detection methods used by utilities.
“The technology geo-references suspected leaks to correlate with the utilities’ GIS system and delivers the data in a user-friendly interface, allowing for more efficient and quick field verification and repair. Through the application of satellite spectral image acquisition together with radiometric corrections and the application of a patented algorithm, we are able to deliver leak reports for each leak.
“Additionally, due to the size of the network and lack of manpower, most utilities cannot cover the entire network in one year using traditional leak detection, leaving many areas unsurveyed for up to five years. By contrast, Utilis can supply a leak report for the entire network two to
Satellite spectral image acquisition
Raw images of the area taken by a SAR based on AOI received from client
Using Utilis’ advanced algorithmic analysis to track the spectral “signature” of treated water and its interaction with the soil Delivery Leaks are displayed on several user-friendly GIS interfaces 1 2 3 4
MELbOURNE PILOT
Melbourne, together with Utilis, undertook a pilot programme in December 2015 to pinpoint water-loss areas, detecting 18 leaks in the pilot region and providing the client with timely information in GIS form as well as a detailed Leak Sheet Report for every suspected leak. “Eighteen leaks in four days is unheard of,” said Melbourne’s Water Authority director. “Based on Utilis’ assessment from the aerial scans, we estimate this remote sensing technology will substantially improve our leak-detection process, saving us time and resources, which we are now able to use to repair leaks,” he added.
six times per year. Repeated scans paired with the efficiency of reporting produces what we believe to be a unique and highly affordable tool in the war against water loss and can realise a reduction in water loss of up to 95%,” Naicker adds.
on-site chemical generation
Radiometric corrections
Utilis takes the raw data and prepares it for analysis, by filtering bounces from buildings and other man-made objects, vegetation, hydrologic objects and more
Algorithmic analysis
InaSat also provides on-site generation of chlorine gas and sodium hypochlorite at very competitive pricing. This improves safety and reliability, reduces transportation costs and is easily deployable to remote areas, making this solution cost-effective.
“We are also able to provide other infrastructure and asset condition assessment services,” concludes Naicker.
www.inasat.net sales@inasat.net
Viloshnee Naicker, Managing Director, InaSat
Boxed brain breakthroughs
VSDs, processors and controllers have been common fare in the South African water sector for at least the last decade. These technologies are continually being improved to meet a wide range of needs across different applications.
By frances Ringwood
Smart technology, as applied to pumps and motors, refers to a small but powerful computer that calculates pumps’ optimum efficiencies and best efficiency point (BEP) to ensure longer pump life, lowered operational costs and a much lower electricity bill (among other benefits, which differ from brand to brand).
These complex units almost act like a small ‘brain’ and their cost-benefits ratio means the technology pays for itself over the medium-term of product operation.
driving innovation
Probably the best known variable-speed drive (VSD) technology developer in the world is Danfoss, a global company specialising in drives and efficiency technologies. Ferdie Fortuin, sales engineer: Food and Beverage, and Vincent Breittink, sales engineer: Industrial Automation, both at Danfoss, explain how the technology is applied in the local water sector.
“Our drives can be fitted to almost any motor – for example, we’ve done an installation on a 1.2 MW pump for water supply. These products apply to all the various divisions in the water sector,
including water treatment, wastewater treatment, reticulation and the industrial sector,” explains Breittink.
Some pump companies also supply their own proprietary VSD technology and, in fact, VSDs are a type of controller. Danfoss’ offering of separated VSDs is ideal for older systems that have no VSDs. They can also be sold directly to pump and motor manufacturers wanting to enhance their product offering or they can be used as part of a larger operational upgrade aimed at effecting resource savings, including cost recovery.
VSDs’ main cost-saving comes from a reduction in energy use. “It’s difficult to say exactly how much energy is saved when installing a VSD, as it differs from one application to another. Normally, we advertise the benefit as being about a 50% energy saving when using Danfoss – that’s just running a pump and a VSD,” says Fotuin.
“However, if one is looking at a whole process, then that could elevate the energy saving to as much as 95%, depending on the process. Basically, you have a motor and a pump and you plug them in to a wall socket which will pull current. In this process, the starting current is very high. The reason one would use a VSD in that process is to control the way current is drawn. By controlling the process, instead of ramping up to 50 Hz immediately, there’s a slow ramp up, extending the equipment’s efficiency curve,” explains Fortuin.
By using a soft-starter one is able to extend the useful life of pumps, preventing damaging starts and stops and allowing for smoother operation during brownouts and blackouts.
“In the event of stress on the grid, an event like water hammer can occur, which can destroy pumps and other mechanical equipment,” adds Fortuin.
Built-in brains
One of the major pump manufacturers serving the local market is Xylem Water Solutions South Africa. The company’s
latest smart technology offering is its trademarked Flygt Experior solution, which can be used in a variety of pumping applications, although it was specifically designed for wastewater treatment.
Xylem’s applications engineer for monitoring and control, Jonathan Kuppan, explains, “Most of your readers familiar with the market will be aware of Xylem’s N-series technology. Our VSD is part of a complete solution that we offer, where the controller technology is coupled with the N-series impeller. For this purpose, we created a proprietary algorithm that pushes our ‘no-clog’ technology even further, enabling it to handle the toughest slurries without systems failure and massively reducing the need for regular maintenance.” The system, therefore, involves no programming and is a completely ‘plugand-play’ solution.
The need to reduce maintenance was top of mind for Flygt designers and, so, the Experior features ingenious SmartRun technology, which makes the unit self-maintaining. “The units utilises a self-cleaning function in a special sequence, which causes the pump to override the stop level to pump down to snoring level for the purpose of removing oil, grease and other floating pollution from the water’s surface. This results in a cleaner sump with less odour and lower maintenance costs since there is no longer any need to clean the pump manually.
“Additionally, SmartRun’s pump cleaning sequence detects any abnormal blockage of the impeller and initiates an automatic cleaning sequence which involves reverse and forward operation, with high torque, to get the blockage out of the pump. This also translates to cost savings through resolved clogging,” explains Kuppan.
The Experior’s energy reduction is estimated to be about 50% but, like the separate VSDs, this is highly dependent on the environment in which it’s used.
Building brains
Another offering with built-in smart functionality comes from the Grundfos
range. Andrew Brunette, team leader: Wastewater Utilities, explains how the technology is applied, “Grundfos is one of the world-leaders in smart pump solutions, particularly within our Building Services Division. This division incorporates our controllers, motors and VSDs all in one. This is actually where the term ‘smart pumps’ comes from, because the motor and VSD ‘speak’ to the pump, which, in turn, results in higher efficiencies, and low power consumption.
“In our wastewater application, among others, we have the CU352 and CU36 controllers, which function as the pump’s mind, keeping the pump at BEP.
“For wastewater applications we also offer a Grundfos Dedicated Controls system that also allows sewage handling to be integrated in the building management system. And the Dedicated Controls remote-access feature ensures that users will never be caught off guard. Our AUTOADAPT3 function means that submersible wastewater pumps become a self-controlled unit with pressure sensors that control the pump’s start and stop functions. AUTOADAPT3 also ensures easy installation, intelligent monitoring and much more.”
“But our solutions – as I’ve said – are not just for the municipal sector. Building services is one of the biggest market
aBove The Flygt Experior features its own proprietary algorithm, making it a plug-and-play solution
BeloW Smart pumps are one of the essential components in truly green buildings
segments where smart pumps are frequently used because of the rises and drops of pressure in high-rise buildings.
“We don’t sell directly to building managers; rather, we aim the offering at building contractors who then pitch their total solution as being part of a green building or an energy-efficient building. Moreover, our solutions contribute towards creating smart buildings and, if more smart functionality is added through the construction of that building, they will even further enhance energy saving,” adds Brunette.
Uptake
Although implementing smart technology for pumps and motors results in uncontroversial cost savings in the medium-to-long term, some municipalities and potential private-sector buyers continue to go without.
This, however, is a false economy. As South African consumers become more tuned in to the need for resource saving solutions, VSDs and their related technologies are going to continue to grow in scope and popularity in the local market.
A water supply from roads?
Research being conducted at the University of Cape Town indicates how using permeable pavement systems for stormwater drainage could alleviate potable water shortages. By Benjamin Biggs*
Previous studies conducted under the auspices of the Water Research Commission (WRC) reveal that stormwater is an underexploited resource in South Africa. The bulk of the research indicates that conjunctive approaches to water management (i.e. holistic approaches integrating a number of different sources and strategies) will be the best way to mitigate future shortages. One such method is the integration of permeable pavement systems (PPS) within and near our country’s roads. If used in fit-for-purpose applications, such an approach would lessen the pressure on municipalities by freeing up potable reserves.
In light of recent flooding in Johannesburg, such systems could be vital for both the attenuation of flood waters as well as minimising groundand surface-water pollution loads.
Unwashed stone
In South Africa, it is common practice for base layers of PPS to be constructed with unwashed crushed stone, which – although appearing superficially ‘clean’ – can nevertheless be significantly polluted with fine particulates that adhere to stones’ surfaces. The results of my study (detailed below) have confirmed that, in this case, the failure to adhere to accepted international practice with respect to aggregate washing prior to construction – and the prevention of the ingress of dirt into the pavement layers during construction – has an adverse effect on the treatment performance of PPSs.
e xperiment design
*This paper is based on research by MSc (Eng) candidate Benjamin Biggs . Other contributors include: Dr Kirsty Carden, Professor Neil Armitage, Dr Lloyd Fisher-Jeffes and Dr Kevin Winter. The research is being conducted at the University of Cape Town’s Engineering Faculty. The full article, with information on the different parameter results for each unit, is being published in the academic journal WaterSA .
The PPS laboratory apparatus comprised four separate units: A, B, C and D. Each unit consisted of a container
housing a different permeable pavement layer configuration. Each container was fitted with a perforated under-drain that was deliberately not wrapped with a geotextile – a common practice in PPS construction – so as to ensure that the test results reflected the impact of the PPS
unaffected by the under-drain design. The outflow from the PPS could be controlled via the installation of a valve on the outlet.
Aquaflow blocks, comprising slotted permeable paving blocks manufactured by INCA Concrete Products, were selected as the representative surface in each design. These pavers are generally placed on 2 mm – 6 mm grit (‘pea-sized’) bedding gravel with additional gravel placed between the blocks that lock them together while allowing a high infiltration rate. In order to mimic local construction practices, unwashed crushed stone, taken directly from the stockpiles for a nearby PPS parking area construction site at UCT was used both for the bedding gravel as well as the various layers of 19 mm and 50 mm –60 mm aggregates.
Four different pavement designs were selected for the laboratory simulation. Various studies have shown that the design and condition of the pavement materials impact on the quality of the drainage from PPS – for example: conductivity, alkalinity and pH of stored stormwater.
In particular, the total suspended solids (TSS) exiting the structure can show considerable variability deriving from the condition of the internal construction materials themselves.
Aggregate type
It is important to note that the aggregate taken from the New Engineering Building (NEB) parking structure site was transported from a nearby Lafarge quarry. It was mined
from natural Hornfel deposits, locally termed ‘Hornfel Malmesbury Shale’.
Unwashed crushed stone – ‘Hornfel Malmesbury Shale’ – taken directly from the NEB parking area construction site stockpiles was used both for the bedding gravel as well as the various layers of 19 mm and 50 mm –60 mm aggregates.
f lushing regime
Representative rainfall, typical of the City of Cape Town, was required to test the four PPS designs. After establishing the right volume and interval for these rainfall events, potable ‘tap’ water was applied to the surface of the PPS via a 10 ℓ garden watering can. To simplify the rainfall simulation process – and in appreciation of the
essential random nature of rainfall –the water was simply sprinkled over the surface in units of 5 ℓ (or parts thereof) with an interval of around nine minutes between applications at more-or-less the same rate, regardless of the rainfall depth being applied. In general, the effective storm intensity was in the order of that typical of a 10-year recurrence interval storm for the City of Cape Town (31 mm/hr), a reasonably high intensity.
Sampling and monitoring of pavement flushing
Manual grab samples were taken at regular intervals and analysed to determine the concentration of selected pollutants being flushed from the system throughout the simulated ‘rainy season’.
These samples were analysed individually to determine changes in pollutant concentration and to identify peak concentrations of pollutants. Samples were initially taken at 5 ℓ (3.8 mm of rainfall) intervals of drained effluent. Thereafter, the drainage volume interval between
fIguRe 1 Four pavement designs with varying base layers
taBle 1 Laboratory rainfall schedule for ‘flushing’ the system
temperature were tested for each pavement unit and each sample.
period of the selected pollutants. The primary factors affecting these two elements were each pavement’s design and the flushing rainfall depths applied.
c onclusions
The inclusion of a geotextile below the bedding layer has the potential to reduce the amount of rainfall required to flush the system for TSS and NH3. Additionally, the inclusion of 19 mm – 25 mm aggregate in the storage layer may increase the flushing requirements for TSS.
Including sand as a bedding layer as opposed to gravel may increase the leaching of ammonia into the receiving waters. The most favourable design with regard to minimising the flushing requirements was Pavement C. The inclusion of a geotextile below the bedding layer appears to limit the number of rainfall events that are required in order to flush the system for TSS and NH3. Additionally, it appears that replacement of the 19 mm – 25 mm ‘Hornfel Malmesbury Shale’ aggregate with 50 mm – 63 mm ‘Hornfel Malmesbury Shale’ aggregate in the storage layer may decrease the flushing rainfall volumes required to stabilise the system. This reduction in required flushing volumes could be due to the reduction in aggregate surface area and, therefore, less sediment attachment is possible.
samples was increased to 10 ℓ, then increased to every 20 ℓ as changes in sample turbidity became less observable.
The sampling schedule for the sampling of TSS is illustrated in Figure 2. Hydraulic monitoring was carried out manually with the use of measuring cylinders and a stopwatch. Flows were estimated by timing how long the drainage flow took to fill a specified volume. ‘Effective rainfall drained through the pavements’ was used to represent the flushing process.
Pollutant selection
The presence of a number of pollutants – including TSS, ammonia nitrogen (NH3), orthophosphate (PO43-) – pH, conductivity and
Stormwater quality is difficult to characterise due to its complex, highly variable nature – not only within storms, but among different storms at one site, as well as among sites. In order to categorise and understand the quality of flushed effluent exiting the laboratory pavement, ‘typical’ or ‘design’ stormwater quality event mean concentration (EMC) values for relevant pollutants were derived from literature as shown in Table 2. Pollutant effluent concentrations from each unit were then compared with the typical upper bound figures.
Results and discussion
Pollutant concentrations exiting each test unit were recorded and analysed. Of primary concern to the health of the river system were leaching concentrations and the effective leaching
One of the most important findings from this research relates to the use and impact of unwashed stone ‘Hornfel Malmesbury Shale’ aggregate in the base layers of PPS. While local standard specifications typically refer to the use of ‘clean’ stone in PPS construction, this is more to do with detritus and other contamination rather than ‘washing’ the stone; and, generally, the stone used is received directly from the quarry and placed immediately in the base layer. This leads to the dust or small particulates that are coating the stone being flushed from the system during rainfall events. The extent and characterisation of this pollution, and the length of time it takes to ‘adequately’ flush out a PPS after construction, therefore, became a major focus of this research.
fIguRe 2 Sample collection intervals throughout the flushing process
Traditional concrete is actually quite bad for the environment, forcing stormwater into unnatural channels and increasing the chances for contamination from pollutants like oil and E. Coli
Using unwashed stone in the construction of PPS appears to contribute to the amount of pollution exiting the pavement system. In PPS construction it is common to assume that the pollutants being flushed from the unwashed pavement materials are negligible; however, the release of PO43-, NH3 and TSS in this study was unexpectedly high in many samples. Furthermore, the concentrations of pollutants leaching from each pavement remained high for a considerable flushing duration.
The flushing rainfall volumes required to stabilise the system were reduced by the inclusion of Inbitex geotextile, the replacement of the 19 mm – 25 mm aggregate storage layer with 50 mm – 63 mm aggregate and the use of a gravel bedding layer as opposed to a sand bedding layer. The presence of the pollutants in the leachate is likely due to the amount of ‘dust’ in the system prior to stabilisation.
Exacerbating the presence of pollutants leaching from the base materials was an increase in rainfall depth applied to the system (not rainfall intensity, as the application intensity was kept constant for each pavement).
However, the inclusion of the Inbitex geotextile seemed to reduce the severity of the pollutant ‘spikes’, most likely due to the reduced infiltration rate through the pavement and the additional physical filtration layer.
Overall, it can be concluded that the use of unwashed stone in the construction of PPS should be avoided as this is likely to result in considerably polluted leachate for some time after construction.
For a full reference list, please contact the editor at frances@3smedia.co.za.
G EOTE x TILE INCLUSION ?
There are two main schools of thought regarding the inclusion of geotextiles in PPS design. One is that they are necessary for the effective capture of stormwater pollutants as they facilitate the development of a microbial slime layer, allowing biological treatment to occur.
The other is that geotextiles can easily block and will therefore cause accelerated failure of the PPS. Blocking is largely caused by the settling of solids due to laminar flow through the PPS, which negatively impacts the hydraulic performance of the system, a major obstacle hindering the widespread acceptance of PPS.
Clogging of the pavement often occurs on the geotextile surface and the channels located at the ends of the pavers. The use of geotextile, therefore, has its advantages and disadvantages. The decision to incorporate a geo textile layer in installations should be based on a careful consideration of balancing the life expectancy and pollutant removal performance of the system, without compromising one or the other.
To better understand the influence that geotextiles have on the treatment efficacy of PPS, pavements B, C and D in Biggs’ experiment included geot extiles while pavement A did not.
taBle 2 Pollutant EMC values for stormwater from various land uses
urban hydrology challenges
Wetland conservation integrated with stormwater management is essential for floodwater attenuation. The following technical paper looks at challenges regarding the integration of wetland
Wetlands are under threat in urban areas due to the extensive, and intensive, development of their catchments, water supply areas and their occurrence on high-value land. Part 1 of this article provided a thorough account of the ecosystem drivers and responses that are of value, including a discussion of how the water movement processes in the Halfway House Granite Dome (HHGD) landscape are impacted upon by urban development. Part II looks at how specific urban impacts alter the ecosystem drivers. These drivers include flow regime, water quality and geomorphology.
management and urban hydrology. By Johan van der Waals*
Through the excavation of pits (Figure 2) for the construction of foundations for infrastructure or basements for buildings, the shallow lateral flow paths in the landscape are severed. These severed flow paths often lead to water ponding upslope from the structure with a subsequent damp problem developing in buildings. A different impact is experienced once the surface of the land is sealed through paving (roads and parking areas) and the construction of buildings (in this case, the roof provides the seal) (Figure 3). In this case, naturally occurring water recharges into soil and weathered rock is altered to an accumulation and concentration of water on the surface with a subsequent rapid flow downslope. The current approach is to channel this water into stormwater structures and release it to the nearest low-lying position in the landscape. These positions invariably correlate with drainage features and the result is accelerated erosion of such features due to a drastically altered peak-flow regime.
Implications
for urban wetland
Whether an area is designated a wetland or not loses some of its relevance once drastic influences on landscape hydrology are considered. If wetlands are merely the expression of water in a landscape due to proximity to the land surface (viz. the 50 cm mottle criterion in the delineation guidelines), it follows that potentially large proportions of the water moving in the landscape in strata beneath the 50 cm depth could fall outside of this sphere. Figures 2 and 3 provide schematic representations (as contrasted with Figure 1) of water dynamics in urban environments with distinct excavations and surface sealing activities, respectively.
The result of the above changes in landscape hydrology is the drastic alteration of flow dynamics and water volume spikes through wetlands and downstream watercourses. This leads to wetlands and watercourses that become wetter, vastly increasing erosion pressures. It is important to note that there is a distinct correlation between increasing wetness, water perching and the erodibility of soils on the HHGD.
Sustainable drainage system considerations
A relatively new approach to the management of urban water is known as sustainable drainage systems (SuDS). The SuDS philosophy states that there are three options, namely:
1. Source controls: management of stormwater as close as possible to the property (green roofs, rainwater harvesting, soakaways, permeable pavements).
1 Different flow paths of water through a landscape (a) and typical wetland types associated with the water regime (b)
2. Local controls: management of stormwater as a “second line of defence” in public areas such as roadway reserves and parks (filter strips, swales, infiltration trenches, bio-retention areas, sand filters).
3. Regional controls: management of stormwater as a “last line of defence” in the form of large-scale interventions constructed on municipal land (detention ponds, retention ponds, constructed wetlands).
These options are not prescriptive but provide an indication of the variation in stormwater management approaches that can be considered on specific sites and, as such, constructively and practically address the ecosystem drivers that undergo alteration in urban environments.
However, the SuDS philosophy has to be adapted to the specific conditions
fIguRe 2 Different flow paths of water through a landscape with an excavated foundation (a) and typical wetland types associated with the altered water regime (b)
Environmental Impact Assessments
Wetland Delineation
Agricultural Potential Studies
Soil Pollution Assessment, Mitigation and Remediation
Rehabilitation Plans
Integrated Land Use Planning
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encountered in areas such as the HHGD. It also does not guarantee a mimicking of the original hydrological functioning of the landscape. Examples include:
1. Use of permeable paving in areas where shallow water tables already exist and where paving integrity is compromised by water ingress from below.
2. Forced and augmented infiltration leads to an increase in lateral water flow volumes with an increased risk of interception by structures excavated into the soil profile (Figure 4). The result is damp problems in foundations, walls and basements
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fIguRe
flow paths of water through a landscape with surfaces sealing (a) and typical wetland types associated with altered water regime (b)
occurring more frequently downslope with increased damage if the structures are not protected.
3. The construction of pipelines leads to the “breaking” of the hard plinthite aquiclude that keeps most of the water close to the soil surface. The fill material has a significantly higher bulk density and lower hydraulic conductivity than the surrounding soil. With the lateral drainage of water through the landscape’s soils this leads to a ponding effect immediately upslope of the fill in the trench (Figure 6). Water accumulation and ponding leads to newly established artificial ecosystem responses in the form of new wetland vegetation signatures – similar to such signatures at the outflow of culverts.
c onclusions
The alteration of natural landscapes through urban development leads to a complete alteration of the hydrology and, therefore, ecosystem drivers. The main impact of urban development, especially relevant in the HHGD area, is the sealing and paving of infiltration (recharge) zones that feed subsoil lateral flow paths of water that, in turn, feed downslope seepage and valley-bottom wetlands. The result is, therefore, 1) accelerated run-off, increased energy and erosion in wetlands and watercourses and 2) severing of flow paths leading to the drying out of midslope seepage wetlands. These impacts are largely inevitable in urban environments. Consideration is given to SuDS options for maintaining existing or establish new ecosystem responses. The overarching aim of SuDS in urban environments has to be the mitigation and control of flooding caused by poorly planned source control and local control characteristics on sites. In this regard, it is important that wetland specialists, engineers and regulators work towards the common goal of integrating urban drainage parameters to address the drivers and responses of the ecosystem.
*Johan van der Waals (PhD Soil Science, Pr.Sci.Nat.) is the owner of Terra Soil Science in Pretoria. For a full list of references, contact the editor at frances@3smedia.co.za.
fIguRe 5 Challenges regarding SuDS approaches and pipeline construction on the HHGD with its shallow lateral water flow zones and areas of water ponding
fIguRe 3 Different flow paths of water through a landscape with surface sealing (buildings and paving) (a) and typical wetland types associated with the altered water regime (b)
fIguRe 4 Different
What is a sustainable drainage system?
A sustainable drainage system (SuDS) ameliorates the potential consequences of new and existing construction developments so as to allow for sustainable surface- and groundwater discharges. Formerly SUDS, the capital U used to stand for urban; however, that has changed, accepting that rural drainage needs are as important.
Building, construction and development have led to higher instances of
flooding – particularly flash flooding, which is difficult for municipal disaster management departments to detect and respond to proactively. Where wetlands and other areas of vegetation once acted like a sponge, dampening the effects of rainwater, water now falls on hard, man-made surfaces. Having nowhere to else to go, the water gathers together, forming powerful and unpredictable flow paths. SuDS are designed to mimic nature’s
absorbency in a manner that is cost-effective while also providing an opportunity to clean, store and collect water, augmenting localised water supply systems. Systems such as this also prevent water pollution, creating an easier way to manage water sustainably.
The positive effect of SuDS are not localised to the area where these systems are installed but tend to have a more widespread net-positive effect over an expanded geography.
Photo courtesy of Murray & Roberts
Aquifer management: an impossibility?
Can groundwater be managed? This question cannot be answered before the terms “governance” and “management”, which are oftentimes used interchangeably, are clearly defined and universally understood.
By ernst Bertram*
Googling groundwater management will turn up umpteen hits; however, the material presented is all about governance and not management per se. This leaves groundwater users in the dark as to their role and responsibilities in terms of aquifer management. The Water Research Commission (WRC) recognised this lack of direction with regard to groundwater users and financed a project to develop a groundwater (aquifer) management framework. The framework was developed based on time-honoured human management functions, namely: planning, organising, directing and control.
Aquifer management
According to the International Groundwater Research Assessment Centre’s Groundwater Glossary, an aquifer is “a hydraulically continuous body of relatively permeable unconsolidated porous sediments, or porous or fissured (hard) rocks containing groundwater. It is capable of yielding exploitable quantities of groundwater. Synonym: water-bearing formation”.
There is a problem with the above definition in terms of aquifer management, as it is impossible to manage a hydraulically
continuous body as much as it is impossible to manage groundwater. Managing an aquifer would require it to be delineated and characterised. The final answer to this characterisation process is the volume of water available for abstraction per time period – i.e. a hydrological year. As this characterisation process is complex – and the answers can only be a first approximation – the monitoring of abstraction, water level fluctuations and rainfall is indispensable. The term “containing groundwater” is also problematic if one accepts the concept that the hydrological cycle includes groundwater. The unity of the hydrological cycle is a strong element underlying the National Water Act (No. 36 on 1998).
To date, the South African groundwater community has failed to identify, delineate and characterise aquifers. Because it is difficult to identify and delineate aquifers in a fissured hard rock environment, the box at the end of this article contains working definitions for the terms aquifer, aquifer systems and regional-scale aquifer.
future of aquifer management
In 2011 in South Africa, the concept of an Aquifer Management Plan came to be applied – a useful tool for municipalities. Adopting this plan will require the
groundwater community of South Africa to make a mindset change from a borehole paradigm to an aquifer paradigm. This borehole paradigm is exemplified in many reports where the tested yield of a borehole is used to determine total abstraction. As the borehole is only the mechanism to access the water contained in an aquifer, the borehole yield is not, and cannot represent, the total volume of water in the aquifer. The case of the Brandwacht Aquifer mentioned later is a case in point.
Two case studies, namely Atlantis and Beaufort West, will be discussed as test cases, demonstrating how well the country’s aquifer management is progressing.
Atlantis aquifer
A report published last year, titled ‘Four decades of water recycling in Atlantis’, calls the Witzand and Silwerstroom Aquifers the Witzand and Silwerstroom Wellfields, implying that they tap the same aquifer. In the early 1980s, Marc van Doolaeghe and I proved the opposite. The authors of the 2016 paper also make no mention of iron bacteria clogging in the boreholes. It is significant that the authors mention that the “poor consistency in terms of the monthly production volumes, observed at both the Witzand and
Silwerstroom Wellfields, may be attributed to a preference to use surface water via the pipeline from Melkbosstrand rather than groundwater”. This reflects a noteworthy national trend towards wanting to use groundwater more. The many gaps in the monitoring data (water levels as well as abstraction figures) further strengthen this statement.
Should an aquifer management plan be developed for Atlantis, the following should be addressed:
i) Abstraction volume monitoring – flow meters could be read on a weekly basis
ii) Pumping hours on a weekly basis –plotting the volume against the pump hours will quickly show a decline in the pumping rate and can be used as an indicator for rehabilitation
iii) Water level measurements in the production borehole serve the same purpose but are more difficult and expensive to monitor
iv) Pumping rates at a particular rate for a limited time per day (16 ℓ/s for 8 h/day = 460 m3/day) should be discontinued. A lower pumping rate of 5ℓ/s 24h/ day will provide the same volume. This lower pumping rate will prevent, to an extent, iron bacteria clogging.
Under these circumstances, Atlantis should be using groundwater for a long time. In 1982, Van Doolaeghe evaluated
the assured yield of the Atlantis aquifers and these calculations should be used in determining the total abstraction rate from the two aquifers. As monitoring data (especially abstractions and water level fluctuation) becomes available the assured yield can be more finely tuned.
Beaufort West
In 2011, seven wellfields were delineated, from which the Beaufort West Municipality abstract its water supplies. This implies that the whole area is one large aquifer. Only proposed pumping rates for boreholes are mentioned in the available data on the site, limiting the potential for managing separate aquifers.
The importance of monitoring and evaluating data effectively for fine-tuning of the assured yield of any aquifer is exemplified by the Brandwacht Aquifer. In 1985, Van Doolaeghe calculated the assured yield at one million cubic metres per annum. A later estimate published in 2000 estimated that the assured yield is only half a million cubic metres.
Although the Beaufort West Municipality installed a remote sensing and control system that rigorously monitors the necessary parameters on a second-by-second basis, no long-term history is readily available. The Beaufort West Municipality sends this monitoring data to the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) very regularly but there is no indication that the data is actively used to manage the different aquifers.
De Aar is in the same position as Beaufort West in terms of groundwater use and monitoring. Again, there are no publically available aquifer management plans.
A new term that is popping up in the DWS is “borehole operating rules” – the term is based on the well understood dam operating rules but misses the point totally. A borehole is only the mechanism to abstract water from an aquifer, but the aquifer must still be managed.
conclusion
At first sight, the above discussion appears most useful in a geohydrological context, and the reader might ask: “How will I, as a civil engineer, benefit from an apparent highly technical discussion on groundwater and aquifers?” However, since the civil engineering community
is at the forefront of water management, and considering the imperative of the National Water Act that the unity of the hydrological cycle include the water contained underground in aquifers, it is time to more holistically embrace groundwater as a valuable source and learn how to manage it.
Nevertheless, South Africa’s groundwater community is not exonerated from its responsibility to be more active. This will involve shifting perceptions that groundwater equates to boreholes to a broader aquifer paradigm. The fact that, to date, there is no aquifer map for South Africa (as there is a drainage map, which has been available for a long time) proves as much. Australia and France, for example, are two countries that have already tackled the problem and produced such maps.
*Ernst Bertram is a groundwater practitioner that has worked for the Department of Water and Sanitation in the Directorate of Geohydrology, initially, and later in the Directorate of Surface and Groundwater Information.
For a full list of references, contact the editor on frances@3smedia.co.za.
WOR k ING DEFINITIONS
Aquifer: Well-delineated hydraulically continuous body of relatively porous or fissured (hard) rocks containing groundwater – having definitive and identifiable no-flow boundaries.
Virtually the only examples in South Africa will be the dolomitic compartments. No negative impacts, i.e. pollution or over-abstraction, will transmit to adjacent aquifers. Where water emanates as springs from such an aquifer, i.e. the Steenkoppies Dolomitic Aquifer feeding Maloney’s Eye, negative impacts will manifest on another water system, i.e. the Magalie s River. Aquifer system: Overlying or adjacent aquifers that have geologically defined boundaries but the geohydrological (flow) boundaries are less well defined – low-flow boundaries.
The Springbok Flats is an example of an aquifer system, where the top aquifer consists of basalts (Letaba Formation) and the underlying aquifer consists of sandstone (Clarens Formation).
In the Dendron-Vivo area (Doornlaagte Catchment), the no-flow boundaries (two large dolerite dykes) only become visible once the water levels are drawn down more than 30 m. The eastern and western boundaries, as defined by the dolerite dykes, are vague
Regional-scale aquifer: On a regional scale, low- or no-flow boundaries can be identified but due to lack of data or an intensive study, it is not realistically possible to identify any internal boundaries.
The Beaufort West case, where seven wellfields have been delineated, is an example of a regional-scale aquifer.
Wellfield: A cluster of boreholes producing abstracting water from the same aquifer, aquifer system or regional-scale aquifer. Whether one production borehole constitutes a wellfield is open for discussion. Several wellfields may be present on one aquifer.
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JG Afrika has grown its Groundwater Division by acquiring Geowater IQ, a 100% black-owned company specialising in geohydrology, water-resource management, research and other related disciplines. Paul Olivier, managing director of JG Afrika, says the acquisition comes at a time when the management of South Africa’s scarce water resources and the upgrading of related infrastructure have been placed at the top of the agenda.
KwaZulu-Natal contract
This intense focus on water infrastructure is mirrored by the recent appointment of JG Afrika as the geohydrologist professional for the large water and sanitation project for schools in rural areas, driven by the KZN Department of Public Works.
This contract, awarded to JG Afrika by independent project and construction consultancy Ramgoolam (formerly B Ramgoolam and Associates), complements the company’s already extensive portfolio of successful water-related initiatives. Regan Rose, the founder of Geowater IQ, will lead JG Afrika’s existing team of six geohydrological specialists deployed on the water and sanitation upgrade, while managing the entire project, including coordinating the activities of the drilling, sustainable-yield testing and borehole-equipping subcontractors.
“I am extremely pleased to have merged Geowater IQ with such a reputable firm of engineers,” he says, adding that it has also been gratifying to immediately start working on this important but challenging project that forms part of the ongoing second phase of the Department of Education’s Water Supply and Sanitation Programme.
Market demand
As Rose notes, there is ample opportunity to deploy these specialist solutions, especially in KwaZulu-Natal, where site assessments undertaken in the Midlands Region in late 2016 confirmed that 88 schools require new groundwater resources, and a further 30 require a review and refurbishment of their existing infrastructure, where possible, or new groundwater resources will need to be found to supply their needs.
regan rose Founder, Geowater IQ
Genius of SPACE
One of the site visits at this year’s African Utility Week will be the Biomimicry Genius of SPACE project – a wastewater treatment system designed to find an innovative solution to water pollution in the Berg River. Here is a joint interview* with some of the key role players.
Tell us more about the Genius of SPAce project? What does the name refer to?
The Genius of SPACE (Systems for People’s Access to a Clean Environment) project is intended as a medium-term intervention, amongst other longer-term sanitation and infrastructure interventions, to reduce pollution loads into the Berg River. It is aimed at improving human and ecological health, economic development and quality of life for residents in the area. The prototypes work on addressing the principles of the green, circular and well-being economies – through addressing stormwater, grey water and solid waste challenges in the Langrug informal settlement near Franschhoek.
The Genius of SPACE project is a result of the merging of the Berg River Bioremediation and the Genius of Place projects. This happened in June 2015 in a new tender that was submitted by the project team. The Bioremediation project was initiated by the Western Cape Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning. The Genius of Place project was run by the Western Cape Government Department of Economic Development and Tourism. These two projects started in 2012/2013.
The name of the project fulfils two important functions. First, the full name of the project sets out its direct
Tree planting in Langrug near Franschhoek
objective. Second, the project aims to demonstrate novel approaches and innovative systems when it comes to using the space available to address socio-environmental issues within an informal settlement. These issues are mainly focused on addressing waste flows, including solid waste and polluted stormwater.
In incorporating the principles of water-sensitive design, the project is one of the first of its kind internationally to adopt a systems approach to tackling such issues in a way that provides and stimulates economic opportunities. This is achieved at the community level through effective participation (co-design), capacity development and embedding ownership of interventions and solutions together with private partnership development. The integration of green infrastructure solutions with novel service delivery systems seeks to shift current paradigms in community upliftment and environmental protection.
How is the project changing the way the local community uses its resources?
The project seeks to enhance efficiency in the way resources are used from one stage to the next. Rather than contributing to environmental degradation, the project has delivered opportunities
“The genius of SPaCE project is one of the first of its kind internationally to adopt a systems approach to tackling such issues in a way that provides and stimulates economic opportunities.”
Focussing on community scale power generation and microgrids for the public and private sector, Energy Revolution Africa will connect solution providers with the heads of community scale energy projects – IPPs, rural electrification project developers, cities and large power users.
to reuse, recycle and create value from water and solid waste. In so doing, the local community is better capacitated and enabled to drive change and socioenvironmental improvement, which may lead to economic upliftment.
Are there plans to extend this project?
The project is set to undergo an extensive monitoring and evaluation process to deliver a model and methodology for further replication and extension. It is important to note that such a process is reliant on the need to effectively address a multitude of mandates and objectives that cut across the various roles of different government departments and levels, with the inclusion of the opportunity of the private sector to play a role. The advocacy of adopting a new paradigm, approach or methodology needs to highlight the efficiencies and cost-benefit opportunities, without which the support for extension and replication will not be provided. This represents the next, final and crucial stage of the project: to adopt lessons learnt and package the process in a way that’s financially feasible.
What have been some of the challenges in implementing the project?
Construction of the grey-water prototype (originally part of the Genius of Place project) only started in January last year. Before then, there was definitely a sense of frustration and distrust among community members that we had been working with – because there was nothing physical to show for the work done between 2013 and 2015. Therefore, building trust among community leaders was the result of working for a long time and being patient. During the construction, operation and maintenance, we have been hit by a number of incidences of theft – mostly of tools and office equipment. The project has a strict timeline. However, the paperwork required for getting permits from the municipality’s departments does not necessarily follow these timelines, and can sometimes cause delays in implementation
Greening Langrug informal settlement through planting trees and adding pipe work has created jobs in the local community
or construction that relies on authorisations. Essentially, it has taken time to get through the red tape and assist municipalities and government to think outside the box. However, overall, the municipality has been supportive of our work.
What will African Utility Week delegates see on their site visit to the Genius of SPA ce project in May?
The visitors will be welcomed to our site office by our community liaison officer for the project. He will give visitors a health and safety induction. Then, he and a community leader from the forum of community leaders and residents that we have created on the project will lead visitors up the hill on the tour. They will see the existing conditions of wastewater, stormwater and solid waste management challenges that are typical in many informal settlements in South Africa. They will chat about the different work and history of projects that the community leaders have been involved in and what their challenges have been. They will then walk up to our prototype area and see the constructed grey water prototype and the maintenance staff (flow agents) in action. Visitors will be able to compare what the previous conditions were like to the conditions in the prototype area.
*Joint interview with Jason Mingo, task manager: Berg River, Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning; Jonny Harris, founder and director, Isidima; Claire Mollatt, project coordinator and solid waste lead for Genius of SPACE at Greenhouse Systems Development (GSD), and Justin Friedman of GSD.
DETECTING PRESSURE PEAKS MADE EASY
Manometer LEO 5 with Peak and Record function
Pressure peaks with 5 kHz sampling frequency
Records pressure, pressure peaks & temperature
Rugged waterproof stainless steel housing
Easy operation via touch keys
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Protecting against pressure peaks
Pressure surges in water or wastewater pipes are unavoidable. The damage they cause, however, can be avoided if pressure peaks are detected early and the necessary precautions are taken.
Pressure surges have been occurring for as long as liquid-filled pipes have been around. Roman architect Marcus Vitruvius Pollio complained about this phenomenon way back in the first century BC. In the lead and stone pipes of the Roman water supply, such severe pressure surges could build up that even stone blocks crumbled. To prevent this, Pollio recommended introducing the water slowly, avoiding very large quantities and holding the pipeline together at the elbows or bends using ties or sand ballasts. More recently, the consequences of such pressure surges have become more severe in line with the increased capacities of pipelines. For example, on 4 July 2009, 14 waterworks broke down throughout the city of Hamburg in Germany after a voltage dip. The abrupt failure of the pumps in the waterworks caused a pressure surge that spread through the water system like a shockwave and pushed the pipelines to their limit. When power returned and the waterworks began to operate again, the pressure built up destroyed many damaged pipes. A good 100 000 people living in Hamburg had no water for hours.
The extent of damage caused to a company’s system can hardly compare to that of
Hamburg, but the impact of pressure surges is just as severe here: pipelines can burst, supports and other system components can be damaged, and fittings, pumps and foundations can suffer too. The unpleasant consequences are expensive repairs and machine downtime.
There are also hidden hazards, because damage to pipelines is not always visible straight away. This is why such systems are fitted with pressure dampers and sensors. However, this combination alone is not suitable for detecting and recording extreme pressure peaks.
Pressure surge causes
The cause of pressure surges lies in the pressure of moving liquids in pipelines rising sharply due to the effects of inertia. As water is practically impossible to compress, its pressure increases particularly rapidly. The effect is similar to that of a solid object hitting a wall with full force.
In general, pressure surg es cannot be avoided,
whether in liquid- or gas-filled pipe systems, because valves cannot close infinitely slowly. So all that remains is to minimise the severe impact of this type of pressure surge, which is why pressure dampers are installed in pipe systems.
Unpredictable peaks
Pressure dampers alone are not enough to protect systems from damage. Although the overpressure valves in pressure dampers respond when a certain pressure limit is exceeded, they are too slow for overpressure peaks, which can arise in milliseconds. It is, therefore, sensible to install a special manometer like the LEO 5, from Swiss manufacturer Keller AG für Druckmesstechnik, to monitor the system.
The LEO 5 measures pressure trends up to 5 000 times a second, detecting any extreme pressure with a high temporal resolution. As the analysis shows the exact pressure trend over days, hours, minutes and seconds, it is easy to investigate the causes of pressure peaks.
Coming from Keller’s latest generation of manometers, the LEO 5 combines accurate sensors with rapid, high-resolution signal processing, peak recording and a memory with a time stamp. Additionally, the device can be connected to a computer via the USB interface and configured and read out using free Logger 5 software.
MEASUREMENT SOFTWARE
The LEO 5 manometer samples the pressure trend at 5 kHz and displays the extreme values at intervals chosen by the customer – example:
• Every second reading capacity: 15 hours
• Every minute reading capacity: 28 days
• Every 10 minutes reading capacity: 9 months
The Logger 5 software displays the measurements in a graph each day and, if there are pressure peaks, the user can zoom in to see their chosen interval. In this example, the pressure peak was measured at the five-minute interval. Using this exact time, it was possible to identify the cause of the sharp increase in pressure to a high level of accuracy.
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New head for industrial titan
Mats Rahmström has been appointed as the new president and CEO of Swedish industrial solutions giant Atlas Copco. Effective from 27 April 2017, he will replace Ronnie Leten who has requested to leave his position after having managed Atlas Copco successfully for the past eight years.
“Mats has a strong business focus and is an appreciated leader who is living and breathing the Atlas Copco values,” says Hans Stråberg, chair of Atlas Copco’s board of directors. “During his time as head of Industrial Technique, he has transformed the business, which has led to a strong profitable growth. I am convinced that we have found a new
solid leader inside the company who can further develop Atlas Copco.”
experience
Rahmström, currently senior executive vice-president and president of the Industrial Technique business area, began his Atlas Copco career in 1988. He held positions in sales, service, marketing and general management within Industrial Technique during the first 10 years. Between 1998 and 2006, he held the position of general manager for customer centres in Sweden, Canada, and then in the United Kingdom. Before he took on his current position in 2008, he was president of the Tools and Assembly Systems General Industry Division within Atlas Copco’s Industrial Technique.
Atlas Copco’s next president and CEO
He is a board member of Permobil Holding and CIBE Lifts. He has an MBA from the Henley Management College, United Kingdom. Rahmström will be the 12th president and CEO since the company was established in 1873.
Proud legacy
“I would like to thank Ronnie for the fantastic development of Atlas Copco during his years as the CEO,” says Stråberg. “The group is now stronger than ever with an enhanced customer focus and a solid service business in each business area,” he concludes.
Mats rahmström
Tackling groundwater at Loftus
Without state-of-the-art geotextiles and drainage systems, construction costs for a massive new parking area – of 30 000 m2 and three levels – at Pretoria’s Loftus Versveld Stadium would have soared dramatically.
Over the past 80-plus years, as the popularity of rugby grew, Loftus Versveld evolved into the famous venue it is today, hosting not only international rugby and soccer matches, but also huge music festivals attracting up to 80 000 people. Unfortunately, this phenomenal growth in spectatorship resulted in a dearth of parking space.
effective drainage
To alleviate the problem, Abland Property Developers conceived the idea of an extensive, multilevel underground parking facility for about 1 600 vehicles. Upon inspection of the site, however, consultants from Aurecon discovered an excessively high groundwater table that would require effective drainage. The proposed solution was to install a blanket drain consisting of two different grades of bidim geotextile in conjunction with multiple, deep subsoil drains using Flo-Pipe.
Recycled materials
A-grade bidim is manufactured at Kaytech’s ISO 9001-registered production facility in Atlantis, Cape Town, where high-grade polyester from discarded plastic cooldrink bottles is converted into eco-friendly, polyester geotextiles that meet the most stringent civil engineering and industrial specifications. As such, bidim offers distinct advantages over other man-made fibres, including better modulus of deformation, better plastic yield
stability and a higher breaking strength, to name a few.
Kaytech’s technical consultant for the project, Danie Herbst, pointed out, “For this project alone, where over 40 000 m2 of bidim was installed, about 112 000 PET cooldrink bottles were processed. The needlepunching method in the manufacture of nonwoven bidim provides further advantages, including appreciable thickness, high porosity and a high drainage capacity.”
Liner installation
Installed by Pentagon Civils, the drainage system design comprised drainage trenches filled with a layer of G7 natural gravel compacted to 93% modified AASHTO density. The G7 was subsequently covered with 35 000 m2 of bidim A3 to act as filtration between a 150 mm top layer of washed stone (19 mm), into which 1 348 m of Flo-Pipe was embedded.
Kaytech’s Flo-Pipe, manufactured from high-density polyethylene, is optimally slotted to provide maximum infiltration with minimal blockage. The smooth inner wall ensures high flow velocity while the corrugated outer wall is capable of withstanding massive confining pressures. The twin-wall sandwich design of Flo-Pipe provides strength and flexibility, which, combined with its convenient length and lightweight construction, greatly facilitates transportation and installation.
P ROJECT SUMMARY
Developer
Abland Property Developers
Engineering consultant
Aurecon
Installation contractor
Pentagon Civils
Geotextile supplier
Kaytech
Each subsoil drain was subsequently covered with a slipsheet and a 125 mm surface bed separated by a layer of bidim A2 (5 400 m2 in total). Experiments have shown that up to 50% less fill material is required when using bidim as a separation layer. Compared to using the conventional method of installing huge layers of rock for drainage in this project, the quick and easy installation of bidim allowed for substantial cost savings and will guarantee a flood-free basement.
Parking pleasure
The convenience of having such a vast parking facility will not only please many thousands of previously frustrated fans visiting Loftus Versveld, but will also alleviate the inconvenience suffered by residents in the surrounding area.
Ave Delport, Wasa’s head of sales, is retiring after 40 years in the industry. Her colleagues at 3S Media wish her well and provided this small space for Ave to say her ‘goodbyes’ to the clients and friends she has so enjoyed working with over the years.
Farewell after years G
osh, what an incredible journey this has been.
I have finally, at the ripe age of 21 decided to retire and would like to thank each and every one of you for all the wonderful memories that will last a lifetime.
To all at the Water Institute of Southern Africa (WISA) – over the years, it has been my honour to work with you and catch up at the WISA biennial conferences.
My years in this industry have been filled with laughter and great happiness and I have had so much fun. The long lunches and discussions shared over a good glass of red will be sorely missed.
To my colleagues
To all at 3S Media – headed by that dynamic and inspiring leader, Elizabeth Shorten – what an awesome team we all made together.
I could never have achieved what I have without you all.
To Jenny Miller and the rest of the staff in the sales office – what can I say? It is with a heavy heart that I write this because we have shared so much.
To my editor: dear Frances Ringwood, always wearing that beautiful smile of yours, fitting in “last-minute” editorials and working miracles. I know you will always fly the WASA flag high with pride and joy, as you have always done. Thank you.
To Hanlie Fintelman (Honey-B) – you’re a new face to WASA but no stranger to the industry. The magazine is now yours as the new main salesperson on the brand. I hope you have fun and enjoy it as much as I have.
To my clients
And, finally, to the clients – over the years, our relationships have matured into valued friendships. To all who walked this path with me – a huge, big thank you! All the best,
The majority of local governments in Africa are under severe strain to deliver basic services to their communities.
This is as a result of many factors such as population growth, insuf fi cient capacity, limited budgets, lack of maintenance and, in the case of water and sanitation, severe water scarcity due to drought.
The advantages of the NuWater solution:
• NuWater partners with municipalities by providing affordable, easily financed, rapidly implementable solutions to assist the municipalities in their endeavours to provide quality basic water and sanitation services to it’s communities.
• NuWater can tailor the commercial offer to suit the cashflow restrictions experienced by the municipalities and operate on the Build-Own-Operate (BOO), Build-Own-Operate-Transfer (BOOT), or Rental business model.
• The existing water treatment works can be run at design capacity while the NuWater plant delivers the balance of the total volumes required by the municipality, thereby ensuring volumes and quality standards are met.
• The “Modular & Mobile” nature of our technology allows for the flexibility and easy deployment / redeployment as and when required.
Serving both the public and private sectors, ERWAT promotes a healthy environment by providing cost-effective wastewater treatment solutions through innovative technologies. It specialises in sustainable, quality wastewater services, backed by focused technical, maintenance and engineering services. An ISO/IEC 17025 accredited laboratory renders a wide variety of specialised analyses, while industrial wastewater quality management assessments and advice are also offered.
East Rand Water Reg. No. 1992/005753/08 (Association incorporated in terms of section 21)
GPS Co-ordinates:
Address: Hartebeestfontein Office Park, R25, Bapsfontein/Bronkhorstspruit, Kempton Park.
