Water & Sanitation Africa May/June 2017

Water & Sanitation Africa

Henk Smit

Publisher Elizabeth Shorten

Editor Danielle Petterson

Managing editor Alastair Currie

Head of design Beren Bauermeister

Designer Jaclyn Dollenberg

Chief sub-editor Tristan Snijders

Sub-editor Morgan Carter

Contributors Dhiren Allopi, Siyabulela Fanie, Lester Goldman, Mike Muller, Valerie Naidoo, Farouk Robertson, Kieresh Singh, Dewald van Staden, Paul Viljoen

Client services & production manager

Antois-Leigh Botma

Distribution manager Nomsa Masina

Distribution coordinator Asha Pursotham

Financial manager Andrew Lobban

Printers United Litho Johannesburg

t +27 (0)11 402 0571

Advertising sales Hanlie Fintelman / Jenny Miller

t +27 (0)11 467 6223

h.fintelman@telkomsa.net / jennymiller@lantic.net

Publisher

Physical address:

No 9, 3rd Avenue, Rivonia, 2191

Postal address:

PO Box 92026, Norwood, 2117, South Africa

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ISSN: 1990 - 8857

Annual subscription: R330 (SA rate) subs@3smedia.co.za

Copyright 2018. 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

BRANCHES

eastern cape

chairperson: Selby Thabethe

Tel: +27 (0)41 506 2862 | email: ssthabethe@vodamail.co.za

Secretary: Christopher Maduma

Tel: +27 (0)41 506 7527 | email: cmaduma@mandelametro.gov.za

free State

chairperson: Sabelo Mkhize

Tel: +27 (0)53 830 6681 | email: smkhize@solplaatje.org.za

Secretary: Noeline Basson

cell: +27 (0)71 362 3622 | email: ndb@malachi3.co.za

KwaZulu-Natal

chairperson: Vishnu Mabeer

Tel: +27 (0)31 311 8684 | email: vishnu.mabeer@durban.gov.za

Treasurer: Renelle Pillay

email: PillayR@dws.gov.za

Limpopo chairperson: Paradise Shilowa

cell: +27 (0)79 905 9013 | email: paradises@polokwane.gov.za

Secretary: Salome Sathege

Tel: +27 (0)15 290 2535 | email: salomes@polokwane.gov.za

Mpumalanga

chairperson: Susan van Heerden

cell: +27 (0)82 800 3137 | email: susanvanhd@gmail.com

Secretary: Theo Dormehl

cell: +27 (0)83 294 0745 | email: dormehl@soft.co.za

Namibia

chairperson: Dr Vaino Shivute

Secretary: Kristina Afomso

Tel: +264 61 712080 | email: afomsok@namwater.com.na

Western cape

chairperson: Natasia van Binsbergen

Tel: +27 (0)21 448 6340 | email: natasia@alabbott.co.za

Secretary: Wilma Grebe

Tel: +27 (0)21 887 7161 | email: wgrebe@wamsys.co.za

WISA’s Vision

The promotion of professional excellence in the water sector, through building expertise, sharing knowledge and improving quality of life.

SA paradigm shift

outh Africa is facing a future water crisis. As demand begins to outstrip supply, pollution rises, infrastructure crumbles and drought wreaks havoc, it cannot be business as usual.

The message from the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) is clear: South Africa’s water and sanitation infrastructure needs private sector investment.

And South Africa is not alone in this. A new Global Water Intelligence (GWS) report, titled ‘Financing Water to 2030’, explains that the paradigm for financing water infrastructure is changing. The need for investment globally is becoming more urgent and, with governments under financial strain, private investment in the water infrastructure sector is on the rise.

GWI forecasts that the amount of global private finance used to fund water infrastructure will increase from US$3 billion during 2013–2017 to $35 billion a year in the next 12 years, providing 7.7% of global infrastructure investment needs by 2030.

With South Africa lagging behind in infrastructure construction and maintenance, a great deal of investment will be needed to ensure our long-term water supply. Trevor Balzer, DDG: Strategic and Emergency Projects, DWS has emphasised that South Africa needs a paradigm shift to a ‘new normal’ in which water will become more expensive, consumption will have to be reduced and everyone, except the indigent, will have to pay for services.

Seeking alternatives

With South Africa’s overloaded treatment works and declining wa quality, in addition to having to explore potable water alternatives like desalination, it is clear that water will have to become more expensive.

However, this does open up opportunities for alternative solutions. The UN’s recent World Water Day was held under the theme ‘Nature for Water’ – exploring nature-based solutions to the water challenges we face in the 21st century.

According to the UN’s ‘World Water Development Report 2018’, water management is still largely dominated by human-built (i.e. grey) infrastructure; nature-based solutions (NBS), which hold enormous potential, are underutilised. The goal is to find a better balance between green and grey solutions that improve efficiency while minimising costs.

I recently visited an Organica wastewater treatment plant established alongside Murray & Roberts Water’s Verulam treatment facility in KwaZulu-Natal. This plant harnesses nature to treat wastewater in a botanical garden-like environment. The technology utilises active biofilms on natural (plant) and/or engineered (patented biofibre media) root structures, in a fully-enclosed, odourless facility.

While this is a small step towards NBS, it highlights how innovative technologies and natural solutions can be used to tackle our existing problems. As the water sector gathers at WISA 2018, it is my hope that new, innovative and localised solutions to South Africa’s challenges can be found, ultimately, breaking barriers and connecting ideas.

MACSTEEL

Macsteel Fluid Control handles a comprehensive range of valves, actuators, liquid level gauges, filter systems and valve interlock systems.

AFRICA’S LEADERS IN FLUID CONTROL

Macsteel Fluid Control’s brand offerings include:

• Amiad: Water fi ltration systems

• Amri: Butterfl y valves and actuators

• Armstrong: Steam and condensate products

• Bermad: Control valves

• Cyl: Knife gate valves

• Elfab: Bursting discs

• Galcon: Controllers

• Klinger: Level gauges, valves and cocks

• KSB: Gate valves, globe valves, check valves and diaphragm valves

• Natco: Gate, ball, check, butterfl y valves and actuators

• Schubert & Salzer Control Systems: Control valves

• SRI: API ball valves

• Smith: Interlocks, FlexiDrives and EasiDrives

• Strahman MG: Specialised valves

• Elmac: Flame arrestors

• Motherwell: Tank valves, pressure vacuum valves

• Mueller: Strainers

• Terofox: Cast/forged API valves, gate valves, globe valves and check valves

• Franklin: Double block and bleed expanding plug valves

• Ateco: Tank roofs

Detailed product designs

Reputable branded products

Fully equipped central workshop

Highly skilled technical personnel

Long-term client partnerships

Local valve assembly operation

Diverse markets

providing goodquality employment to our valuable staff members. As such, June 2018 will be a landmark point in our relationship with both Bermad and the local market, as we are proud to announce that Bermad is now local.

MACSTEEL BERMAD GOES LOCAL

Over the past 30 years, Macsteel and its partner Bermad have been major role players in the Southern African water industry, providing solutions in the municipal, irrigation, wastewater and firefighting industries.

The hydraulic control valve market has undergone many changes over the years, with perhaps the most radical change being the recent Department of Trade and Industry initiative around local content requirements.

As a valve importer, Macsteel Fluid Control opted for a measured approach, to add true value to our suppliers and customers, all the while

Not only do we comply with the 70% local content regulation by weight, but we have taken the initiative to introduce Bermad’s latest control valve design – the SIGMA range. This new design optimises and improves the leading flow characteristics already in use with added value to the end user.

The Bermad C70 air valve is also now locally manufactured and adds the powerful Bermad name to this market.

Our local manufacturing programme has resulted in Macsteel Fluid Control collaborating in partnership with local service providers. Stringent criteria were put in place such as BBBEE, local sourcing and ISO certification. In addition, emphasis was placed on partnering with small and emerging suppliers and embarking on enterprise and supplier development plans. Both of these world-class products, combined with the Macsteel reputation for service and dependability, will add huge value to our clients.

Macsteel Fluid Control is a key niche focused business, operating throughout various industry sectors. We supply a comprehensive range of fluid control systems, holding sole agencies in sub-Saharan Africa for a wide range of reputable product brands, including Bermad, Amri and Amiad.

Our highly skilled technical personnel, with expertise and detailed knowledge of product design and specifi cations, are supported by a fully equipped central workshop, to provide long-term partnerships to clients, driving down costs and ensuring global competitiveness.

to facilitate the

design and construction of 1 MLD desalination plants in just 16 weeks. P6

Water security is a top priority, directly impacting on South Africa’s ability to grow its economy and meet infrastructure targets. WASA talks to James Preston, marketing manager, SBS® Tanks, about recent projects and the company’s constant quest for quality. P12

As South Africa’s water challenges grow and water quality deteriorates, there is a much greater need for research and development in the water and wastewater treatment space, says Henk Smit, managing director, Vovani Water Products. P18

WISA YWP

Waste W ate R

Wate R u t I l I t I es Overberg Water: Poised for growth 54

an investable water sector 56

water for all 59 Mastering the art of sourcing, supply and conservation 60

m ete R s, pI pes, p umps & v alves Casting the perfect mould 64 Why is a full smart water solution the right choice for Africa? 66 Powering process performance

– new life for old pumps

savings in pipelines

Indust RI al Wate R

mI ne Wate R

chemical solution

d ams & Wate R s to R age

ops SIGMA

Reducing the Pressure on Drinking Water with Operational Expertise

The capital and operational cost of desalination plants can often be seen as excessive when compared to increasing water storage capacity, and waiting for rainy seasons. With the reality of climate change, we cannot be certain of ‘normal’ rainfall patterns that have been experienced in the past. Desalination takes away this concern, and ensures that when drinking water is required, it is available.

A model that has worked particularly well is when industry utilises desalinated water, which frees up ‘traditional’ potable sources for the local communities. This is the concept on which Aveng Water’s desalination plant in Namibia was developed. It is currently designed to produce 55 million litres of drinking water per day for Areva Resources.

Aveng Water has invested in testing and implementing various cost saving technologies to ensure that the life cycle cost of any treatment plant is as low as possible, as well as bringing funding partners onboard to remove the capital burden from the customer.

Membrane management is often a concern for the customer. After years of operational experience, Aveng Water has developed SIGMA OPS as an inhouse monitoring and control system with a track record which allows them to offer 5 year membrane warranties. If the control and monitoring systems are not sufficient, the plant can very quickly get to a point where the required production is not possible; and in extreme circumstances membranes may become irrecoverable. Aveng Water currently operates four large scale membrane plants, all of which have very different feed waters.

SIGMA OPS has been implemented as a continual improvement and optimisation tool, and can be linked to operator performance contracting to ensure that operational excellence and continual improvement is not only a ’nice-to-have’ discussion topic, but becomes part of the operational teams’ culture and DNA.

Research and Development is critical for technology companies to stay ahead of the competition. Aveng Water push their R&D from two different angles. The first is new product development and testing through the

utilisation of a pilot plant with pre -treatment as well as membrane options, which is used to test new technologies before implementing them on larger plants and new designs. This has enabled the limits of their own technology to be pushed, allowing water to be treated that was originally not thought possible - as well as proving in reality that a brine stream isn't always the result of complex water treatment. This has been implemented on their latest MWRP Mine Water Treatment Plant.

Aveng Water also takes pride in their strong R&D side to Plant Operations. The opportunity to innovate around how to improve controls for the pretreatment and membrane operation has often been missed, but Aveng Water is taking up this challenge. Initial implementation of SIGMA OPS show how these new systems ensure a long life span for the membrane inventory, which boils down to a client cost saving and increases project feasibility.

The operational ecosystem that has been developed at Aveng Water provides immense value for every new plant that gets added to the structure. The operational expertise gets transferred to each new plant through a core operational team, with the remaining personnel contingent being sourced from local communities. Aveng Water then makes use of their internal training programs to continually upskill new employees, and provides them with a well defined career path through the organisation.

This aligns with the Triple -Bottom-Line Profit view that organisations of the future need to prescribe to. Water treatment and Desalination Plants allow organisations to provide Social and Environmental improvements through their business activities, which in turn can provide Financial profits by developing sustainability, and enabling economic growth.

Value added, one drop at a time

While consumers are required to consume no more than 50 ℓ per day, businesses are looking at sustainable solutions that relieve pressure on the system, while ensuring their ongoing commercial viability in a particularly challenging economic climate.

At ImproChem – the business of AECI’s Water & Process pillar – a rapid deployment strategy has been put in place to facilitate the planning, design, construction and commissioning of desalination plants that are capable of producing over 1 MLD of water in just 16 weeks – the same amount of time that it takes to assemble a Boeing 747.

To date, a number of successes have been recorded, such as desalination plants for the Oceana Group, the Sea Harvest Group and Sonnendal Dairies. More plants are in the pipeline, including for healthcare and hospitality organisations.

Products and services

As the largest water treatment company in sub-Saharan Africa, ImproChem offers a comprehensive range of water management products and service, including:

• cooling water management

• membrane treatment

• boiler system management

Water is a hot topic at the moment, largely due to the ongoing water crisis in the Western Cape where businesses and consumers are taking extraordinary measures to keep the taps running.

• industrial influent water, public water and wastewater chemical treatment

• process water treatment

• package plants and standard equipment

• custom-engineered solutions.

The company’s focus areas are chemical processing, engineered solutions, food and beverage, industrial, mining, public water, refining, and upstream oil and gas – and its footprint covers East Africa, West Africa and South Africa, as well as the Indian Ocean Islands. Each focus area and geography receives business support in terms of engineering, digital technology, finance, IT, risk and governance, human resources, marketing, product management, manufacturing, supply chain, process design, research and development, quality, and safety. This is provided from head office.

In Africa, where water scarcity is an ongoing challenge, ImproChem is doing a lot of work in the public water space, where the management and treatment of potable and sewage water lie at its core.

In terms of potable water treatment, ImproChem manufactures and supplies a wide range of coagulants and flocculants for solids separation. This includes its locally produced and NSF-approved Sudfloc range and intercompany-produced Senfloc range of products. Its sales representatives are trained in the art of product selection using ‘jar testing’ procedures and tailor each treatment programme to meet specific water quality needs.

The company also offers free-standing plants, containerised plants and medium-sized engineered plants, as well as

ImproChem MOM

Support vehicle deployed in the Western Cape servicing various desalination plants

Free-standing plants that are small and can be built into an existing plant room or can be skid mounted. They offer flow rates of between 1 m3 per hour and 10 m3 per hour.

Containerised plants are fully automated, tested at ImproChem’s factory and easy to install on-site. They offer flow rates of between 6 m3 per hour and 120 m3 per hour. ImproChem recently manufactured a containerised water treatment plant with a capacity of 1 MLD of water for the eThekwini Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal. In keeping with its rapid deployment strategy, it took just 10 days from start to finish.

Medium-sized engineered plants are designed to specification, usually with flow rates of 10 m3 per hour to 250 m3 per hour.

Potable plant processes

Depending on the raw water composition, potable plants may contain the following unit processes:

• flocculation and sedimentation

• aeration/dissolved air flotation

• filtration (mixed media or activated carbon)

• softening (cold lime softening or ion exchange)

• membrane (ultrafiltration, nanofiltration, reverse osmosis or membrane bio-reactors)

• sterilisation (chlorination, ultraviolet or chlorine dioxide).

ImproChem has in-house capability to design, fabricate and manage plants that cater for the treatment of site-specific raw water composition and treated water quality requirements. Engineered plants

can consist of multiple combinations of various unit processes to address the spectrum of treatment required to produce safe drinking water, process water, ingredient water or wastewater that meets discharge regulations. ImproChem also has a locally produced cationic emulsion called SEP-G36 that will assist in adding value to a number of wastewater applications.

ImproChem’s sewage water treatment solutions include sludge dewatering and containerised sewage plants.

Sludge handling is often the single largest cost in many wastewater plants and the company’s polymer ranges (liquid and powder flocculants) have been developed to optimise sludge dewatering operations.

At the same time, its ‘plug-and-play’ sewage systems are capable of handling and treating sewage generated by up to 400 people at 150 ℓ per capita per day.

To ensure that customers get the maximum return on their investments, ImproChem also offers a manage, operate and maintain (MOM) programme.

Among the many benefits are: Cost reduction

• reduced process downtime, resulting in fewer equipment breakdowns

Risk reduction

• compliance with legislation and regulation

• reduced breakdowns to minimise business risks.

For new plants, the MOM programme is built into the plant from scratch ensuring that all the Ramos (reliability, availability, maintainability, operability and safety) aspects are taken into account throughout the process. Normally it includes maintenance, personnel, chemicals and materials, as well as the management function.

For existing plants, the methodology is different and involves the following steps:

• a site assessment from a process and maintenance approach

• efficiency of the plant operationally and mechanically

• recommendations in terms of MOM personnel, optimal treatment for the plant, maintenance requirements for the plant, logistics and support needed for running the plant such as remote monitoring and alarming and mobile workshops

• training and coaching.

ImproChem continues to work with

Containerised plants are fully automated, tested at ImproChem’s factory and easy to install on-site.

• reduced overtime costs and more economical use of personnel due to working on a scheduled basis instead of a crash basis to repair breakdowns

• reduced cost of repairs by fewer secondary failures – when parts fail in service, they usually damage other parts

• reduced product rejects, rework and scrap due to better overall equipment condition

• minimised unnecessary downtime. Improved asset performance

• increased plant availability

• improved plant reliability (planned versus unplanned work)

• consistent service delivery

• sustainable quality

• maximum asset utilisation and longevity improvement.

various R&D partners on innovation projects. They are currently working on an interesting project around the removal of nitrites and phosphates, as well as bioaugmentation.

Finally, ImproChem is the authorised distributor of Palintest and Wagtech (a division of Phipps & Bird) water testing products in Southern Africa.

You are invited to visit the ImproChem stand at the WISA Conference where a number of technologies will be on display.

Building an improved sector

The WISA 2018 Biennial Conference is upon us, and this year promises to be the biggest and best ever. We have sold out all our exhibition stands, and have a record number of academic submissions, with the most interesting workshops planned.

All the major stakeholders are participating, and we trust that this will be an opportunity to honestly discuss and plan for an improved sector and country. The planning and effort behind the scenes is vast and tiresome, and I want to humbly thank the organising committee and service providers for their efforts.

Please go to the conference website, www.wisa2018.org.za, to peruse the conference programme. It features both local and global water heavyweights, all coming to contribute and learn. The conference theme, ‘Breaking boundaries, connecting ideas’, is reflected in the six sub-themes:

1. Sink or Swim: Preparing our cities for the future

2. Unchartered Waters: Developing solutions through science and technology

3. Waste not Want Not: Optimising processes for treatment and reclamation

4. Under the Microscope: How do we join the dots?

5. Bridging the Gap: Sustainable finance for improved delivery

6. Pooling Together: Enabling participation through good governance

We are all excited by the submissions and workshops and all indications are that this conference will be one to remember.

In light of the ongoing drought, we aim to have a zero water impact on Cape Town – or as close as possible – by having drinking water and water supply to the conference venue provided by non-city sources. If you are joining us at the conference, we ask that you please keep the water restrictions in mind.

The wheels are turning fast – Easter has come and gone, and it feels like just yesterday it was Christmas. We welcome our new Minister of Water and Sanitation Gugile Nkwinti and trust that we will all continue to build and improve the sector, with renewed vigour.

attend, and provide us with your vital inputs.

We will also be having the WISA AGM during the conference and members are invited to attend as we will be presenting some new governance proposals. We have been striving to improve our compliance to King 4 and become a beacon of good governance, and this is an important milestone in this process. We intend to visit our branches ahead of the AGM, to introduce these concepts and obtain feedback.

Please do

I am looking forward to seeing you at the WISA Conference – Cape Town ICC, 24 to 27 June 2018.

WISAisreducingitswaterimpacton CapeTownbyhavingbottlesofdrinking watersuppliedtothevenue fromJohannesburg.

Dr Lester Goldman, CEO, WISA

It is easy to believe, in the current water climate, that there are only ‘zeros’ working in the water sector and no ‘heroes’.

With the constant light being shone by the media – in some instances rightly so – it is easy for us as water sector professionals to become despondent and stop making the extra effort, stop testing new approaches and technologies, or even give up on trying. In a highly regulated environment with complex governance arrangements – unbudgeted for policies, physical constraints like droughts, increasing urbanisation, a public that has lost confidence and the unserved that have lost trust – there have probably been days when it is easier to hide, do nothing and hurl accusations.

Passion for water: Time for action

But is this a real option for us as South Africans? I think not! If we do not try, then who tries on our behalf? If we do not care, then who cares for the environment we live in? Who will care for the person who dies from a preventable disease like cholera or the child whose life was so tragically ended by falling into a toilet? Who will plan, design and build for the future? Who will develop the next technology that gives us climate resilience and saves lives?

As water sector professionals in the public, private and academic spaces, we have a responsibility to the people of our country. Surely, we cannot be happy with the current state of affairs around services, access and equitable allocations.

Being a solutions person, I do not think it is a good use of time to constantly tell everyone what they are doing wrong or, more dangerously, wait for some

mythical leader to make our lives better and create value for us. So here is how I think we can take small steps forward:

1

Find your purpose and passion for water again. Reflect, engage, solicit and find what makes you happy. If it is not a higher calling around people, environment, knowledge and water, then maybe you are in the wrong profession. Get involved with positive people who volunteer or mentor.

2

If you lack the skills and competencies, then seek mentorship, don’t hide. Sacrifice the time to improve and strengthen your networks. If you have the skills, then share – not only because there is a monetary reward at the end but because the challenges are huge. Mentorship is not only about how to improve your

Dr Valerie Naidoo, president, WISA

Develop the skill sets to motivate for the right budgets, the right training, the right attitudes and the right people

technical skills but also how to navigate this complex ecosystem of water players, to determine what soft skills you need to develop.

3

If you have gaps in your water knowledge, then be persistent about seeking training opportunities and use those opportunities to be the voice that drives best practice and excellence.

4

If you are a strategic and a ‘futures’ thinker, then have conversations not only with the people that think exactly like you but those with differing opinions. It is only through such exercises that you expand your mind and are able to create an innovation culture and approach to the future.

5

Finally, lets be honest. This problem in the water sector is not only about how we have been treated and how people are not listening to us. It is about some seriously wicked problems about people, justice and equity and what ‘we as a sector’ have not been able to do in the last 24 years.

Having said all of this, I want to reiterate that for all the negativity and all the honesty with which I see the sector, there are many heroes. Men and women who tirelessly work in difficult circumstances with, at times, only partial support through their leadership structures to get the work done. Well done to you and I hope that not only do you continue but you take the time to share your experience and expertise with a younger water professional. To those who are in leadership positions: don’t let ego blind you. Instead, develop the skills sets to motivate for the right budgets, the right training, the right attitudes and the right people. Ultimately, people are what effect change. Would it not be nice if every experienced water professional adopted a younger one, mentored that person and opened their knowledge and networks to that up-and-coming professional?

Change starts with the mind, grows with knowledge, is enriched through diversity and openness, and comes to those who are bold enough to take the first small steps forward towards a better world.

Integrated Economic Solution

■ Premium optical system with reference beam ■ Automatic test recognition with internal barcode reader ■ Automatic cuvette detection ■ More than 150 analytical methods included

Bright colour display ■ Interfaces: Ethernet, USB

The water storage leader

Water security is a top priority, directly impacting on South Africa’s ability to maintain and grow its economy and meet infrastructure targets. WASA talks to James Preston, marketing manager, SBS® Tanks, about recent projects and the company’s constant quest for quality.

When it comes to water storage, what are some of the key issues?

JP The present state of South African infrastructure is not keeping pace with urban and industrial expansion, and the recent drought conditions experienced nationally, Cape Town being a case in point, have forced a change in how water supply needs to be managed in the future. That includes a major change in consumer behaviour. However, aside from the drought, there are many interventions required in the municipal space to replace, supplement or install new tank systems alongside conventional concrete reservoirs. Here, we’ve completed a number of projects for local municipalities, some of them in remote rural

SBS’s tank systems at the V&A Waterfront desalination plant project. They are designed to store 436 kℓ of water

areas, and have made a lasting and positive impact for communities in the process.

A past example is a turnkey project in the Eastern Cape for the Joe Qcabi District Municipality. SBS supplied and commissioned 16 reservoir storage tanks for rural villages in Ugie, Maclear and Mount Fletcher. These ST 10/03 tank models have a design capacity of 100 kℓ and each tank serves the requirements of 500 to 1 000 users.

What makes SBS unique?

As a company, SBS Water Systems is a pioneer in developing specialised systems, introducing Zincalume® tanks to the South African market in 1998. Since then, we’ve invested extensively in research and development to roll out new services that include our rainwater harvesting solutions. Recent projects here include installations for schools and hospitals.

We’ve also installed a rainwater system at our Pinetown head office and manufacturing facility, which provides us with the bulk of our water requirements during Durban’s drier months and service interruptions. What really sets the company apart from its peers is the ability to go beyond simply supplying a liquid storage solution. We engage on all project levels and also provide a contracting, as well as a design and build service, to ensure a worldclass installation.

Has SBS been part of Cape Town’s Day Zero interventions?

Yes, we’ve been involved in one of Cape Town’s major drought alleviation projects. SBS Tanks formed an integral partnership with Quality Filtration Systems and Osmoflo for an emergency desalination plant. Initiated by the city, the plant will address the water crisis in the residential

and commercial areas surrounding the V&A Waterfront, which is a popular tourist destination attracting more than 23 million visitors annually.

What’s the scope for the V&A desalination plant?

This landmark project involves a fully containerised seawater reverse osmosis (RO) and multimedia filtration plant. This is made up of seven containers that will be able to deliver 2 MLD of water. With over 20 years’ experience and thousands of tank installations around the world, SBS Tanks was the perfect choice for the high-quality water storage needs of the plant. Three different tanks were required to provide a massive 436 000 ℓ of water for the various stages of the RO and filtration process.

The project is a prime example of swift operations, with the seven containers being shipped from Dubai to Cape Town in less than a month. Thereafter, the

James Preston, marketing manager, SBS® Tanks

Back (left to right):

Heiner Freese (financial director), John Glendon (quality & control coordinator), Brendon Wortmann (draughtsman/CAD operator), Tamlyn McPhail (financial manager), Fabio Grendele (operations manager), Martin Barnard (sales manager), Sanele Cele (draughtsman), Ndumiso Mbambo (fabrications HOD), Julian Moothoo (assistant to Logistics Department), and Yentl Scheffers (draughtswoman)

Front (left to right):

Jashmika Ramnath (SHEQ manager), James Preston (marketing manager), Trevor Van Rooyen (sales consultant), Mark Hawkins (factory manager), Charmaine Israel (human resources director), and Jai Gansen (manager of SABS KZN)

set-up at the V&A was achieved in under eight weeks.

This is a truly unifying venture. Collaboration is the key for a project of this scale to be successfully rolled out. The urgency of the situation in the Cape shows how much can be achieved when powerful companies pull together.

Are there future opportunities in Cape Town?

In April 2018, Cape Town’s overall dam storage levels were sitting at just over 20%. Level 6B restrictions are in place, which means that consumers are limited to 50 ℓ or less per day. These strict measures are

Celebrating achieving OHSAS 18001

intended to avoid Day Zero, when dam levels reach the point where water supply from bulk mains ceases indefinitely. The hope is that Cape Town will have a good winter rainfall season, but the immediate reality is that unless alternative solutions are adopted, like tapping into the region’s aquifers and going the desalination route, the situation will not improve over the medium term. That presents major opportunities for more SBS systems.

SBS has a total commitment to quality. Please expand on recent SABS developments. When it comes to meeting sound occupational health and safety standards, SBS Tanks is ticking all the right boxes and making its mark as an industry leader in water storage. We’ve been SABS ISO 9001: 2015

accredited for the past five years and have now attained OHSAS 18001.

What’s the significance of OHSAS 18001?

OHSAS 18001 is an international standard that indicates a company’s adherence to stringent health and safety procedures. After a four-month audit of SBS Tanks’ entire operation – from steel delivery at the factory to final in-field tank commissioning

SBS’s purpose-built rainwater harvesting tank, which has a gross and effective capacity of 154 kℓ and 141 kℓ, respectively, now makes the company virtually self-sufficient at its Pinetown head office and manufacturing centre

Tanks formed an integral partnership with Quality Filtration Systems and Osmoflo to provide quality water for the V&A emergency plant

– SABS KwaZulu-Natal made the official handover of the OHSAS 18001 certificate and flag on 28 February 2018 at our Pinetown head office.

As testimony to our achievement, Jai Gansan, lead auditor: KZN, SABS, said that we went above and beyond in achieving our 18001 certification. We really appreciate this feedback and accolade. Our OHSAS 18001 certification gives SBS Tanks the competitive edge and is testament to our dedication and commitment in terms of employee health and safety, as well as that of our customers and other stakeholders.

At SBS Tanks, we’re excited about future developments and stand ready to assist the industry and government with their water storage requirements. Quality is guaranteed.

SBS

The current drought in the Western Cape particularly interests many of our members, and holding the event in the Mother City should spark and ignite passion for the sector all round. As part of its programme, YWP-ZA is hosting several workshops that are open to everyone at the conference.

Citizen science in water management

As part of a greater drive to create awareness of the ecosystem in South

Driving the youth programme at WISA 2018

The South African Young Water Professionals (YWP-ZA) are very excited for the WISA 2018 conference. Building on our long-term involvement at the WISA conferences, this is set to be another year of engagement, discussion and networking among YWPs from across the country. By Paul Viljoen*

Africa, YWP-ZA has been part of several citizen science initiatives and we are carrying these over to the WISA Conference. Our Citizen Science workshop at WISA 2018 will promote awareness and highlight any potential applications of citizen science in water management.

The aim of the workshop is to create awareness not only among YWPs but also across the spectrum of water managers present at the conference. The broad group with various levels of experience will also allow inter-age-group

sharing of ideas, ideals and success stories of citizen science from the past.

The workshop will be based on discussion and activities, to include the audience and promote participation. This will help identify any citizen science projects that are already active or even new projects that could form part of existing research or be initiated with future implementation. The need for greater awareness surrounding citizen science was identified during the water drought in Cape Town and the greater Western

Cape, where citizen scientists could have potentially aided authorities in preparation for the drought or earlier identification of the drought conditions. The worldwide movement towards being environmentally conscious is aiding the idea of citizen science with an increasing amount of unqualified people wanting to participate in the movement. Guidance from scientists is, however, required to launch these citizen-science-based projects and to provide the opportunity to participate.

Entrepreneurship for beginners Entrepreneurship has been, and will continue to be, a big focus in South Africa because of the opportunity for employment that it provides and its significant contribution to the economy. In the science space, particularly in water, there is no mainstream concerted effort to grow entrepreneurs in the sector.

YWP-ZA and GreenMatter have successfully organised three full-week boot camps attended by over 110

budding ‘enviropreneurs’ chosen from a pool of almost 2 000 applicants. We are planning to build on our successes and will target business-minded attendees at the conference. During the workshop, we will present on the Business Canvas (a revolutionary one-page business plan) that will help attendees conceptualise their business idea. This will then be followed by a practical session where the attendees will map out their idea and test its viability.

AGM

For those who are more deeply interested in what YWP-ZA does, how much money it spends and who leads it, our annual general meeting (AGM) will provide this opportunity. As part of our efforts in ensuring good governance, YWP-ZA will host its AGM and hand over to the next national committee.

As YWP-ZA, we focus on youth development from an early age, across the spectrum, to foster a love for science

turNING 10!

We are also particularly eager to celebrate YWP’s 10-year anniversary since its establishment in South Africa. Oh, how much we have grown! We are inviting all current and former YWPs to an informal anniversary celebration where we will recap some of our network’s highlights.

and particularly water management, but also include high school learners or even university students who may potentially join YWP-ZA in the future. In the same breath, YWP-ZA aims to have a strong youth presence and offer a youth stream at the WISA conference where senior water managers and role players in the water sector can see the quality of young water professionals currently in South Africa.

*PaulViljoenisthechairpersonofthe WesternCapeYWP-ZA.

YWP

EgYPt

Stepping up water security Egypt has pledged to invest EGP900 billion (R641 billion) in a national water management plan over 20 years.

Water and sanitation in Africa

and taking the country’s total desalination capacity to 250 000 m3/day.

ghAnA

The country faces a 30 billion m3/day water deficit, which is expected to intensify once the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) comes online. Egypt estimates that the dam, built by Ethiopia, will reduce Nile water flowing into the country by 20%.

This follows an announcement by the president of plans to build a mega desalination plant in response to water scarcity concerns. Egypt has 40 desalination plants in operation, and aims to build or upgrade a further 15 facilities by 2021, adding a targeted 700 000 m3/day.

The Al Yusr desalination plant in Hurghada, on Egypt’s Red Sea coast, officially came online in January 2018, adding desalination capacity of 110 000 m3/day

No water, plenty of waste Government leadership for WASH

The Ghanaian government has signed an agreement with IRC, an international thinkand-do tank, to strengthen water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) systems over the next four years.

A Memorandum of Understanding was signed by Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources Joseph Kofi Adda, and Patrick Moriarty, CEO of IRC, which will see IRC provide capacity building and training for various institutions that provide water services at a national and district level.

“We don’t see things moving fast enough in WASH, not just here, but in other countries too. We see that if we continue at the rate we are going, we are not going to reach the Sustainable Development Goals,” said Moriarty.

“The critical element that has been identified globally is leadership, and particularly government leadership and government finance. The most exciting thing I have been hearing in the last year or so in Ghana is the renewed emphasis on government leadership.

The IRC Ghana Strategy 2017-2021 – Building WASH systems to deliver the Sustainable Development Goals – will see Ghana focus on:

• building support to strengthen the country’s WASH systems

• demonstrating proven and promising solutions and models for SDG 6 in focus districts strengthening the capacity of local government to apply the service delivery model

• leveraging partnerships and networks to improve WASH delivery

• building credible and actionable evidence and fostering sector learning and dialogues

• strengthening the capacity of civil society organisations (CSOs) to build popular support and lobby for transparency in WASH service delivery.

KEnYA

Water rationing to stay Residents of Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, will continue to experience water rationing until 2026.

According to Nahashon Muguna, acting managing director, Nairobi Water, the levels of the city’s main water supply, the Ndakaini Dam, has fallen by 49% to 34 million m3. With new dams only expected to be completed in 2026, the city will endure water rationing for the next eight years. Thereafter, Nairobi Water expects to have enough surplus water to carry the city through to 2035.

The utility is currently supplying the city with 525 000 m3/day, far short of the 760 000 m3/day demand, resulting in the water

The levels of the city’s main water supply, the Ndakaini Dam, has fallen by 49% to 34 million m3

rationing, which began in January 2017.

Muguna pointed to the prolonged drought and global warming as the cause for the dropping water levels, but said the government is working to ensure short- and long-term water supply.

Short-term interventions include the construction of the Northern Water Collector Tunnel, expected to bring in an additional 140 000 m3 by 2020. Two dams under construction are also set to boost water supply by 60 000 m3/day by 2020.

nAmibiA

Namibia-Botswana desalination plant

Talks are still under way around the construction of a shared desalination plant by Namibia and Botswana.

The potential project was first discussed in mid-2016 and recently reaffirmed by Botswana’s president, Seretse Khama Ian Khama, on a visit to Namibia.

Khama stated at the signing of a boundary treaty between the two countries: “We are exploring the possibility of a desalination plant. Both Namibia and Botswana are highly challenged when it comes to water resources.”

For example, neither country has experienced good rains over the past year, he added. “There is going to come a time when the rain or rivers coming from the north will not provide sufficient water. So, we are exploring the possibility of setting up a common desalination plant.”

The treaty will jointly govern the use of the shared water resources between Namibia and Botswana along

the Kwando, Linyanti and Chobe rivers.

UgAnDA

Managing faecal sludge

Following public unrest over open defecation, the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) and the National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) are finalising plans to improve the management of faecal sludge in Kampala.

This will see improved latrine facilities in Kampala slums connected to sewer lines, as well as the construction of treatment plants in Kinawataka, Lubigi and Nalukolongo.

Currently, almost half of the faecal sludge in Kampala’s

the high costs of on-site sanitation and emptying services, lack of faecal sludge transfer stations, lack of sufficient decentralised faecal sludge treatment facilities and insufficient resources.

According to Allan Nkurunziza, KCCA project manager, more funding is needed to initiate the project.

mOZAmbiQUE

On the brink of crisis Mozambique’s capital is facing a potential water crisis due to

Plans are being finalised to improve the management of faecal sludge in Kampala

slums is not collected and transported to treatment facilities. The result is human waste overflowing into different drainage channels or being inappropriately dumped. Stakeholders are now devising ways to improve the collection and transportation of faecal sludge to treatment plants with the aid of €20 million in funding, which NWSC has received from Germany to improve sanitation in city slums.

Currently, this city faces challenges associated with

an El Niño-induced drought affecting the region. Although rainfall has been reasonably good in the country, the south-west has suffered and water levels in the Pequenos Libombos Dam, which provides water for Maputo and Matola, have only risen from 19% to 25% of capacity.

The National Meteorological Institute has warned of a possible crisis in Maputo comparable to that in Cape Town, South Africa. However, the available water could

potentially carry the city through to the next rainy season in November if restrictions are implemented.

Two new dams were in the pipeline to increase surface water resources; however, work on the Moamba Maior Dam has been stopped due to a scandal involving the main Brazilian contractor. A dam currently under construction at Corumana should be ready in 2019, but will require a 90 km pipeline to reach Maputo.

ZAmbiA

Clean water for all Zambia has set a goal to provide clean and safe drinking water to all residents.

According to Ministry of Water Development, Sanitation and Environmental Protection permanent secretary Edward Chomba, Zambia’s president, Edgar Lungu, has made provision to ensure this, particularly in rural areas to avert the risk of waterborne diseases.

“President Lungu is eager to ensure safe and clean drinking water is accessed by every citizen in rural parts of our country and as a ministry, our target is to realise this objective without leaving anybody behind,” Chomba told a Parliamentary Committee on parastatal bodies.

The latest in treatment solutions

As South Africa’s water challenges grow and water quality deteriorates, there is a much greater need for research and development in the water and wastewater treatment space, says Henk Smit, managing director, Vovani Water Products.

South Africa’s water availability could deteriorate rapidly as demand escalates due to growth, urbanisation, inefficient use, degradation of wetlands, water losses and the negative impacts of climate change. Given this developing reality, R&D is crucial in order to adapt water treatment processes to the changing chemical compositions of water sources, effluent and wastewater streams.

However, Smit believes Southern Africa is lagging behind in the R&D of current and new water treatment solutions. “While we are seeing some unique solutions coming out of Southern Africa, as a supplier of many technologies that have been developed

internationally, we see that our region needs to do more to develop new products for water treatment that can be supplied to the global water sector,” he says.

R&D is a crucial aspect from Vovani when it comes to selecting international suppliers in order to stay ahead of the challenges as well as competitors, explains Smit. “Continued R&D by both ourselves and our partners gives our customers the knowledge that we are working towards the future of water treatment, and that together we are at the forefront of developing products and solutions that will assist them in their future challenges,” he says.

“If there is no R&D of the current products to improve them where possible,

or investment in new products, we know that we will not be competitive in the future in our market to offer our customers the latest solutions for water treatment.”

New technology

Smit believes this connects well with the theme of the WISA 2018 Conference and Exhibition – ‘Breaking barriers, connecting ideas’ – which seeks to address past, existing and future water resource challenges by promoting collaboration, cooperation and integration within the water sector.

Vovani will be introducing some new developments from three of its suppliers at the WISA exhibition, held in Cape Town in June 2018. These include FRP pressure vessels from ROPV, UF membranes from S UEZ Water Technologies & Solutions, as well as RO membranes from LG Water Solutions.

As larger water treatment projects become more prominent in the Southern African market, Smit believes these technologies offer a more cost-effective solution to the customer, taking into account energy consumption as a factor when designing these water treatment plants.

Energy consumption is very important, particularly when RO is part of that water treatment process. These water treatment plants require a large

Henk Smit, managing director, Vovani Water Products

amount of energy and as the cost of electricity becomes higher, longterm operational costs are affected. With the supply of newly developed products that use less energy but provide the same water quality at a higher yield, we offer customers a solution to these long-term energy concerns.

The new offerings also speak to the popularity of containerised systems for installations in both South Africa and the rest of Africa. These are becoming increasingly attractive to customers given the footprint savings these new containerised solutions offer, along with the ability to retrofit, upgrade, and expand the capacity of old equipment. Even with larger-scale installations, some projects experience a challenge with the space available for the proposed treatment equipment. These new technologies provide a smaller footprint

to achieve the required or even higher flow rate for any specified water treatment plant.

FRP pressure vessels

ROPV is introducing a product solution called MVI (Multi Vessel Integration), which offers customers the opportunity to save on costs as well as on footprint of the RO skids. The new technology circumvents the need to use side ports on the FRP vessels, thereby offering cost savings on ports and couplings. A fibreglass interconnector is used with seals, along with a fibreglass strap to keep the vessels in place.

UF membranes

S UEZ Water Technologies and Solutions has released the Zeeweed 700B RMS Rack system, with integrated headers for the 700B inside-out UF membranes. Each module will have a surface area of 85 m2, which will be the largest in the market and with the smallest footprint per square metre. The RMS 700B can be used for new installations or to replace current installations from competitors, increasing the surface area without changing the process or hardware.

ROPV is introducing a product solution called MVI (Multi Vessel Integration), which offers customers the opportunity to save on costs as well as on footprint of the RO skids

RO membranes

From LG Water Solutions come the new Ultra Low Energy (UES) RO membranes for brackish water applications. The UES membranes allow a higher permeate flow to be achieved at a lower pressure, while still being able to have a minimum 98% salt rejection.

Awarding winning focus

A testament to Vovani’s focus on R&D is the fact that it was recently awarded the innovation award for the Middle East African region at the S UEZ Water Technologies & Solutions Awards Dinner in Lisbon, Portugal. The award was given to Vovani for demonstrating the ability to incorporate S UEZ products into creative solutions for customers.

“Winning this award shows our customers that we work with them to find the best solution possible for their water treatment challenges, with the products we offer from our suppliers. In this way, we can help our customers stay ahead of the challenges in the manner best suited to their individual needs,” explains Smit.

Henk Smit, managing director of Vovani Water Products (middle), with Majdi Al Hjouj, Su EZ sales manager MEA (left), and Mohamed Eltaweel, Su EZ channel partner manager MEA

Tackling a crisis

While Day Zero has been pushed back to 2019, the City of Cape Town continues working to avert a reticulation shutdown and the dire consequences it would bring.

*Figurescorrectatthetimeofgoingtopress.

The drought-stricken Western Cape was declared a national disaster area earlier this year.

If Cape Town’s dam levels reach 13.5%, the city will begin to shut down its reticulation system, except to key commercial areas and institutions such as hospitals. Once this happens, residents will have to collect their daily allotted 25 ℓ of water from collection points across the city.

Despite Day Zero being pushed out to next year, the city’s emergency preparedness planning continues to ensure its readiness in the event that dams reach critical levels. To this end, Cape Town’s Disaster Risk Management Centre has already begun testing the vehicle drive-through configuration of the planned points of water distribution (PODs).

The aim of the exercise is to test different layouts to determine which configuration is most efficient and safe, to collect data on how long it will take to fill containers, and to assess staffing and other operational requirements. The lessons learnt from the pilot will inform the DRMC’s planning going forward.

Reducing demand

It is evident that failure will occur unless demand is curtailed to meet the overall restrictions. With no way to predict when, or how much, rain is likely to fall in catchment areas, it imperative that residents adhere to restrictions and use even less water.

“We must use only 450 MLD to stretch the available water supplies through the rest of the year, come rain or shine,” says Alderman Ian Neilson, executive deputy mayor, City of Cape Town.

To assist in achieving this, the city has embarked on an advanced pressure reduction programme which is achieving an average savings of 50 MLD.

A major emphasis has been placed on desalination, with three short-term schemes currently under way to add an additional 16 MLD. These are:

1. Strandfontein, 7 MLD – first water in March 2018, reaching full production by May 2018

2. Monwabisi, 7 MLD – first water in April 2018, reaching full production by May 2018

Day Zero

Pushed out to 2019

3. V&A, 2 MLD – first water in March 2018. A pilot project is under way at Koeberg for a permanent desalination plant. Plans are in place for a desalination plant at Cape Town Harbour to be implemented if needed, and long-term desalination projects are under development.

People collecting natural spring water in Newlands, Cape Town

Alderman Ian Neilson, deputy mayor, Cape Town

The city has been expanding its roll-out of pressure testing with the purpose of using the results to implement more automated pressure zones across the metro in an effort to help reduce water usage to 50 litres per person per day. By creating automated pressure zones, the city is able to adjust water pressure remotely and work more efficiently as it implements pressure management. By reducing the pressure, the city is able to reduce water usage as well as bursts and leaks.

Water management devices continue to be installed on the connections of high water users who are in contravention of water restrictions, and additional teams are working around the clock to detect and repair leaks.

Supporting business While pressure mounts for consumers to reduce

consumption, the city remains cognisant of the indirect consequences of the drought on businesses and industries and protecting the local economy. “It is a balancing act: we must secure our residents’ access to potable water, but we also need to be careful not to destroy the very businesses that keep our local economy running and provide job security to our residents,” Neilson explains.

The city is making treated wastewater available to businesses dependent on water and has established several treated water draw-off points. More than 200 businesses are using treated effluent from permanent pipelines, while 150 businesses are collecting treated effluent at wastewater treatment works and draw-off points.

“That said, the industries that are reliant on water must also take responsibility during this crisis and many developers and companies are

Groundwater

Groundwater is expected to peak at 150 MLD. Projects include:

1. Cape Flats aquifer – drilling began in January. It is expected to add 83 MLD (temporary maximum abstraction) into the system ramping up from May/June 2018

2. Atlantis aquifer – 5 MLD has already been brought into the system, with a further 20 MLD to be ramped up from May to October 2018 to serve the Atlantis/Silwerstroom area

3. TMG aquifer – pilot drilling commenced in November and water will enter the system ramping up from February 2018 to June 2019, yielding 50 MLD sustainably

Water restrictions

Level 6B

Water reuse

1. Zandvliet – 10 MLD temporary yield on track for June 2018, increasing to 50 MLD permanent yield in December 2021

2. Cape Flats – 10 MLD by June 2018, 75 MLD by December 2021

3. Macassar – 20 MLD by June 2019

4. Potsdam – 10 MLD by June 2019

5. Athlone – 75 MLD by December 2021

already leading the way by building energy and water efficiencies into their operations,” he continues. “Companies are investing in and using wastewater treatment and purification systems to reduce their demand on the city’s grid. We encourage this approach in our engagements with the business sector.”

Long-term security

The City of Cape Town reports that it has long been working towards a diversified water supply and will have a plan in place by June 2022. This will include desalination,

Reticulation shutdown

13.5% dam levels

450 MLD

Daily water use target

groundwater and reuse, among others.

Other alternatives

Cape Town plans to add all feasible springs into the reticulation system. To date, the following springs have been added:

1. Newlands – Albion spring in operation at ~3 MLD

2. Oranjezicht routed 1 MLD into the system Approximately 10 000 m3 will be transferred from a large, privately owned dam on the Palmiet River over the season. Future transfers will depend on rainfall in respective catchments. Others are under investigation.

Cape Town has earmarked seven projects as part of the first phase of its additional water supply programme. These are the Atlantis and Cape Flats aquifer projects, the Zandvliet water recycling project as well as the Monwabisi, Strandfontein, V&A Waterfront, and Cape Town Harbour desalination plants. Collectively, these will produce an additional 196 MLD between February and July 2018. An additional 12 projects are at the advanced stage of planning and ready to proceed if required.

“We now need to see how low we can go to ensure that we stretch our water supplies as far as possible into the winter months by reaching the 450 MLD collective consumption target, which equates to 50 ℓ per person per day. It is absolutely clear that when we need to pull together in this city, we can do so. If we continue to work as a team to lower our consumption to 450 MLD, as required, we will become known as one of the most resilient cities in the world. We are fast becoming a leading example of a large city that is fundamentally changing its relationship with water,” concludes Neilson.

INFORMATION ACCELERATION

Using water management devices to empower municipalities and consumers in combating water scarcity

Hospital goes off the grid

The water filtration plant comes as a result of the Group’s national water strategy and responsible water management processes and measures to eliminate any impact of Day Zero on patients, doctors and employees as well as to assist in reducing demand.

The plant, which complies with the City of Cape Town’s regulations and by-laws, has been welcomed by Cape Town’s deputy mayor, Ian Neilsen. The hospital is now operating completely off the grid and provides water fit for human consumption in a healthcare environment.

The hospital has an emergency storage supply, which is sufficient for at least 48 hours, should there be any technical glitches with the filtration plant, explains Lourens Bekker, CEO: South Africa, Life Healthcare. In partnership with provincial

In an effort to reduce demand and impact on municipal water supplies, Life Healthcare, one of South Africa’s largest private healthcare groups, has opened its own water filtration plant at Life Vincent Pallotti Hospital.

and local government authorities, special contingency measures will also be in place to allow Life Healthcare, and specifically Life Vincent Pallotti Hospital, to assist in case of emergencies and to mitigate the risk of water resources further plummeting during the current water shortage.

A solution for Life Kingsbury Hospital

The Group has also been granted formal approval by the authorities to sink a borehole at Life Kingsbury Hospital in Claremont, Cape Town, with testing currently taking place before city officials can give the green light for human consumption.

“We hope to open the water filtration plant at Life

Kingsbury Hospital soon and remain committed to implementing additional water-saving measures, including the installation of reduced flow valves on taps and showers, recycling of water for instrument sterilisation and the reuse of grey water,” says Bekker.

“As a Group we continue to implement responsible strategies to limit the harmful impact our South African business activities may have on the environment.”

Project Team:

- City of Cape Town

- Department of Water and Sanitation Western Cape

- Murray & Roberts Water Division

- AHL Water

- AWS Water

- Drillco (boreholes)

- Gottgens Plumbing

- Skylark Electrical

Day Zero has not gone away – its name has just changed

Cape Town’s water crisis continues to be a source of concern and confusion, as demonstrated by the furore over the ‘cancellation’ of Day Zero. But the rest of the country must learn from Cape Town –and the rest of the world – how to manage water in our dry and uncertain climate.

By Mike Muller*

This Water Week, the UN’s High Level Panel on Water provided some key messages. The problem, it explains, is that water management is a particularly complex challenge, involving a wide range of stakeholders. As a result, it says partnerships are key to coordinating planning and mobilisation of resources. South Africa used to be an example of how to do this but our experience is often ignored, even at home. Indeed, despite evidence of growing crises, of

which Cape Town is just one, the planning and management system on which we depend for our water security is being allowed to collapse. That is perhaps the most serious legacy of disgraced former Water and Sanitation Minister Nomvula Mokonyane, even worse than her gross financial recklessness.

Key questions

The problem is aggravated by the failure of stakeholders like business and municipalities to get involved. Business,

in particular, seems to have been captured by environmental agendas instead of focusing on ensuring water security for people and the economy. Why is business not focusing on Decision Day, at the end of the rains in October 2018, when Capetonians will know their fate for the coming year?

Consider three key questions about Day Zero:

1. Was Cape Town ever really in danger of running out of water?

2. Was Day Zero just a publicity ploy?

3. Or was it part of internal DA political squabbles?

The answer to all three questions is an emphatic ‘yes!’

Detailing Day Zero

If Cape Town had not acted to dramatically reduce water consumption, empty dams could have seen normal supplies interrupted. While not a certainty, that was a strong possibility.

Day Zero was also clearly used to frighten people into compliance – and there is evidence that it worked. But it created considerable confusion and has damaged Cape Town’s reputation as a well-run city and its valuable brand as a globally attractive destination.

Finally, internal DA politics obviously affected how the crisis was handled.

The sidelining of Mayor Patricia De Lille was evidence of political tension, as was Premier Helen Zille’s incessant twitter barrage and the invisibility of

crisis management more difficult. What the rest of the country needs to know is whether the city was warned about the risks? Was it really the responsibility of the national government to take action? And must national government pay for the investments that are now being made? If other municipalities don’t want to face similar challenges, they urgently need answers to these questions.

So, yes, Cape Town was warned repeatedly of the need to invest in

increase water supplies. For 30 years, the national Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) has planned the country’s major water supply systems. These include the Western Cape Water Supply System, the dams, pipelines, canals and pumping stations that tap the Berg and Breede rivers and supply Cape Town as well as many smaller towns and very productive agriculture.

System models

Computer models of the system allow the department to predict how much water is likely to be available for different users every year. Although seasonal rainfall cannot accurately be predicted, these models estimate likely worst case droughts based on historic information. These predictions, with estimates of future water demand, are used to make

*MikeMuller

isaprofessional

engineerandvisitingprofessoratWits University’sSchoolofGovernance. HeisaformerDGofWaterAffairs (1997–2005)aswellasNational PlanningCommissioner(2010–2015).

The department recommended, back in 2007, that increased supplies would be needed for Cape Town by 2015

recommendations that aim to ensure enough water in case of drought.

On this basis, the department recommended, back in 2007, that increased supplies would be needed for Cape Town by 2015. These recommendations were reinforced by the National Development Plan which, in 2012, set out a list of major investment projects and targets for completion. On the list were Western Cape water-reuse and groundwater projects, which are to be completed by 2017. These are among the projects that the city is now rushing to build.

So there is no question; the city was warned well in advance.

The next question, ‘was it the responsibility of national government to take

If basic supplies needed to sustain people, their jobs and the economy on which they depend are put at risk, environmental priorities will be sidelined and costs will soar

action?’ is linked to the third question – ‘Who should pay for the investments?’

Policy states that where supply infrastructure is developed outside the municipal area, national government should take the lead. This was done in Cape Town in 2002 when the DWS persuaded Cape Town that it needed a new dam on the Berg River. That dam, completed in 2009, is currently saving Cape Town from a real crisis.

What went wrong?

The DWS needed the city’s agreement to build the dam. Urban water supplies, beyond very basic provision, are supposed to be paid for by their users. But for a rich city like Cape Town, that’s easy. When the city signed the agreement in 2002, banks like the European Investment Bank clamoured to lend to TCTA, the national agency that implemented the project.

So what went wrong this time? In 2013, Cape Town’s delegates to the annual meeting of the planning forum said that no new investments would be needed until 2022 because their demand management programme had been so successful. When the current crisis is over, we should look back and see whether that confidence was justified. There had been two years of good rainfall, which surely dampened demand. The subsequent three-year drought certainly aggravated the situation. But that event was what the planners’ recommendations targeted.

Perhaps it was just bad luck that the drought occurred when the city was at its most vulnerable. But according to Xanthea Limberg, the city’s councillor

responsible for water issues, they knowingly took this risk. In April 2017, she told Business Day that “in our context, it is not practical to ring-fence billions of rands for the possibility of a drought that might not come to pass.”

She has come to regret those words. If Cape Town had invested earlier, it would have paid perhaps R500 million in extra interest costs if no drought had occurred. But that early investment would simply have been insurance against disaster. To date, additional expenditures of over R2.5 billion have been incurred, not counting the indirect cost of job losses and damage to the city’s brand. And it is still growing.

water stewardship initiatives, they should bring their skills and concerns to the table and talk practical management. Where is the planning process? Who is running it? Have the models been updated? What do they say? What needs to be done, by when and who is going to do it? Where will the money come from? Who is operating the systems and are they doing it properly?

Skirting around the issue

R2.5 billion

Despite the Cape Town crisis, none of those hard questions are currently being asked. We don’t even know who will convene October’s Decision Day meeting or whether there is funding to prepare for it.

To date, additional expenditures of over R2.5 billion have been incurred, not counting the indirect cost of job losses and damage to the city’s brand. And it is still growing

What can other cities and towns learn from this experience? Aren’t these problems of climate change? In general, if water managers can manage current climate variability, they will be able to manage climate change impacts. To do that, however, their models need to be regularly updated, if they are to reflect climate change trends. Failure to do this simply increases our vulnerability to climate surprises.

This shows where municipalities and business stakeholders should be getting involved if they want to ensure their water security. Rather than endless ‘touchy-feely’

Cape Town’s focus on managing demand for water and conserving the environment remains important but has been too narrow. If basic supplies needed to sustain people, their jobs and the economy on which they depend are put at risk, environmental priorities will be sidelined and costs will soar. Water security requires a balanced, prioritised and disciplined approach, which tracks the situation, flags the interventions needed and ensures that they are made on time. This is perhaps the most important lesson from Cape Town’s current crisis.

The rest of South Africa should take note.

Getting schools off the grid

A school in droughtstricken Cape Town has reduced its water use by more than 90% to mitigate its reliance on the strained municipal water supply system.

Prior to the programme, the school sourced as much as 1 064 kℓ per month from the municipality, with up to 70% of this water used to flush toilets in the ablution blocks.

According to Benjamin Biggs, civil engineer and urban water management specialist, JG Afrika, the first step in the project was to reduce water use before looking

to supplement municipal supply with alternative sources. About 400 people, including educators, administrative staff and students participated in the initiative, starting with basics such as flushing toilets sparingly and reporting water leakages.

This is important to drive changes in water-use behaviour. JG Afrika was able to save an additional 80% over the already low drought use by focusing on reducing high-use applications at the school.

Water-saving interventions

Interventions were selected based on the findings of a baseline assessment, which combined historical information including utility bills, as well as physical inspections of the plumbing fixtures and equipment.

The outcome was used to model water flows to understand end-use quantities for various applications and determine the site water balance. This allowed JG Afrika to identify high-impact areas to address

All toilet flushing devices were replaced with water-saving mechanisms

and assess possible solutions to reduce municipal water use on campus.

As part of the first phase of the programme, all toilet flushing devices were replaced with water-saving mechanisms. These include the mechanisms that facilitate a quick and cost-effective means of retrofitting existing toilets to provide immediate water savings of up to 60%.

Additionally, aerators have been installed used to limit flows through the taps, reducing water use from 10 ℓ to 15 ℓ per minute to only 1 ℓ/min in bathrooms.

Another technology implemented in many of the initial phases of JG Afrika’s other projects is low-flow showerheads that provide as much as a 50% reduction in water use without foregoing the comfort of conventional fittings.

“We first ensure that we have identified all of the available so-called ‘low-hanging fruit’ available to us. Importantly, many of

“Water is now being treated as a resource, as opposed to only a right, by responsible South Africans.”

these technologies can be installed without having to make any major refurbishments to an existing building and can, therefore, be installed at a minimal cost to the client. This is a major consideration for JG Afrika on all of its water management projects,” Biggs says.

The successful results of the first phase, executed in November and December 2017, have led the school board to begin rolling out similar programmes at its two other learning institutions in Cape Town.

The next phase of the programme will entail installing a rainwater-harvesting system with treatment at the school. Harvested rainwater will be treated and pumped for use in applications such as toilet flushing, irrigation and topping up the swimming pool. Combined with those actions undertaken during the first phase, the system will reduce the school’s reliance on municipal water supplies by up to 95%.

Depending on rainfall levels and irrigation requirements in summer, the school may pursue a third phase to install a borehole

on-site to replenish stores of harvested

water. This will allow for water savings in excess of 95%.

The combined three phases will result in cost savings of R150 000 per year under drought water restrictions and R450 000 per year under pre-drought conditions, allowing the school to recuperate its investment in only three years.

A case for demand-side management

While cost savings have provided a major incentive for pursuing sustainable practices in the past, the severe arid conditions in

The next phase of the programme will entail installing a rainwater-harvesting system

many parts of the country have played a large part in motivating the importance of water management, explains Biggs.

He says demand-side management projects are now being viewed as a necessity, similar to energy-efficiency programmes that were implemented during load-shedding in South Africa. Moreover, it has elevated the importance of water in sustainability programmes. In the past, water, energy and waste management were often undertaken in isolation of one another.

“Water is now being treated as a resource, as opposed to only a right, by responsible South Africans. Policymakers have also realised there is a need to explore solutions that provide the resilience required for drought periods such as these. This is demonstrated by new policies and legislation in Cape Town promoting decentralised alterative supply systems to augment centralised infrastructure that do not have the flexibility to cater to increases in demand, or arid climates.”

Cape drought The good, the bad and the ugly

South Africa has one of the most sophisticated water modelling programmes in the world. But even this couldn’t prevent the crisis in Cape Town.

By Danielle Petterson

Several decades ago, the Department of Water Affairs, together with a number of consultants, developed one of the world’s most sophisticated water modelling methods based on the ARSP model from Canada. According to Dr Ronnie McKenzie, managing director, WRP, this model was and still is one of the most powerful water resource modelling tools available to model and operate large and complex water resource systems. These models are still being used today by the Department of Water and

Sanitation (DWS) to plan and manage water resources for most of the large systems in South Africa, including, among others, the Vaal, Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal systems.

According to McKenzie, the DWS, using this model, typically undertakes predictions of the future dam levels at the end of each wet season. Over 1 000 possible climatic sequences are generated to assess the potential risk of failure of the various demand centres in each system over a 5to 10-year window. By assessing the likely risk of failure in this manner, managers and politicians can be alerted to future water shortages and can hopefully take appropriate action in the form of water restrictions early on in a drought event and, in so doing, avoid a serious water crisis. Using this technology, the department is able to identify possible water problems early on in a drought event and can implement water saving measures before water supplies reach critical levels and intermittent supply needs to be implemented.

What lies ahead can never be predicted with accuracy, but the process of trying to establish the likely risks to water supply through the sophisticated modelling approach has helped to minimise the effects of drought in many parts of South Africa, explains McKenzie.

The Cape situation

These models are still being run regularly, says Mike Muller, visiting professor at Wits University and former DG of Water Affairs. However, with increasing pressure being placed on budgets, data collection and modelling are among the first things to be cut; long-range planning follows soon thereafter.

He has a theory as to why Cape Town ran out of water: people tend to use less water when rainfall has been good and, because this happened in Cape Town, the data showed reduced consumption. But the city attributed this reduced consumption solely to the success of their excellent demand management programme. If this

“By not monitoring, maintaining and developing our infrastructure, we are creating disasters instead of preventing them.”

Mike Muller, former DG of Water Affairs

had been the case, they would not have needed to make new investments until 2022. This shows that models should always be interpreted with care, he cautions, as models are almost always ‘wrong’ but provide very useful information to help guide management.

McKenzie believes that, given the circumstances, Cape Town has done well in managing the drought. The region has had the driest three years back to back in the last 100 years – what McKenzie compares to hitting the gambling jackpot. Out of the 1 000 possible predictions for the Cape Town system, very few predicted anything as severe, which has, to some extent, taken even water resource managers by surprise.

“Cape Town has experienced three particularly severe events back to back, which has created a particularly severe drought and one that appears worse than anything previously experienced,” he says.

In support of the actions taken by the City of Cape Town, McKenzie points out that the city has done extremely well in managing its demand over the past 15 years or so. Between 2000 and 2015, Cape Town maintained its water usage at approximately 1 200 MLD, despite a population increase of around 30%. This has been achieved by considerable effort in reducing losses and improving water-use efficiency throughout the city.

Since restrictions were implemented in response to the current drought, the city has further reduced its demand by more than half, to 500 MLD, without resorting to intermittent supply – something that few, if any, other cities around the world have managed to achieve. This reduction was achieved through a number of different initiatives, both technical and behavioural. The bulk of the reduction was achieved through the residents reducing their daily demand to the bear minimum, which involved a massive public awareness and enforcement campaign. Technical measures such as leak repairs

and pressure management have added to the savings.

However, no waste means nowhere to cut back in a crisis. This is the downside to Cape Town’s impressive leakage reduction – the scope for further reduction is now limited, making it increasingly difficult and costly to achieve further savings. To some extent, Cape Town is now the victim of its own success in driving down leakage and water use over the past 20 years.

Climate change, or variability?

While Cape Town has been identified as an area likely to be affected by climate change, Muller says it is more important to look at climate variability. “If we don’t learn how to manage climate variability, we won’t be able to manage the risks that this climate brings. What we need is more attention to climate variability because we need more data, people who can understand and model the data, and people who can communicate what it means, and ensure that action is taken,” he says.

Worryingly, the amount of water resource monitoring globally is decreasing and South Africa is no exception.

“As we talk more about climate change and the threat it brings, the work we are doing to monitor climate is decreasing. While rainfall monitoring is still reasonably good, we need to monitor flow in rivers and groundwater because that is most important in understanding what is happening. It is this that is declining most,” adds Muller.

“The intensity and frequency of natural disasters will only increase and be exacerbated by climate change.”

Ronnie McKenzie, managing director, WRP

rising population will continue to place more pressure on the available resources. The intensity and frequency of natural disasters will only increase and be exacerbated by climate change and will have to be managed through proper planning and operation of the large water supply systems. The Cape Town situation should, therefore, not be seen as a unique event, as similar events can happen elsewhere in the future,” says McKenzie.

A challenged sector

While Muller agrees that the City of Cape Town has done well in managing the drought crisis, he argues that it is better to avoid a disaster in the first place. If they had invested in additional supplies, as recommended by the DWS and National Planning Commission in 2012, it would have been valuable insurance that would have reduced the impact of the current drought.

This is now a general problem, he says. “By not monitoring, maintaining and developing our infrastructure, we are creating disasters instead of preventing them, especially in smaller municipalities.”

The region has had the driest three years back to back in the last 100 years

McKenzie agrees that smaller systems don’t have the resilience to carry them through severe droughts and often do not have the benefit of the planning models that have been used to develop operating rules for the larger integrated water resource systems.

McKenzie asserts that the current drought will end at some point, most likely with a large flood event. “Droughts and floods are part and parcel of life in most parts of the world, and we will have to accept that

Having presented these views to a group of water professionals, the consensus was this: there is a major capacity and skills issue inhibiting good management and planning in the water sector. South Africa has world-class systems and world-class people are needed to manage them.

pure?

Just because you can’t see it, doesn’t mean there isn’t something there.

As an independent accredited laboratory, our mission is to diligently seek out and uncover that which hides in plain sight. It’s just what we do.

Finding a solution to pollution

Amid changing climates, burgeoning cities and increasing levels and sources of pollution, water quality is becoming a growing concern for South Africa.

By Danielle Petterson

Exacerbated by the recent drought, growing demand for clean water resources has put strain on available bulk water supplies in a country that receives an average rainfall of only 470 mm per annum. Compared to a world average of 860 mm, it is clear that South Africa cannot afford to lose any of its precious resources to pollution.

While much focus has been placed on the effect of climate change on water quantity, Marius Claassen, principal researcher, CSIR, warns of the significant dangers it can pose to water quality. As it becomes hotter and evaporation increases, pollutants in our water systems become more concentrated, while floods carry more pollutants into catchments. A hotter climate also means the natural distribution of waterborne diseases will expand significantly.

Moreover, South Africa’s water infrastructure appears to be in a dismal state.

According to SAICE’s 2017 Infrastructure Report Card, the country’s bulk water

infrastructure is at risk of failure. Supply to major urban areas is considered satisfactory for now, but supply to other areas is also considered at risk of failure.

With this in mind, the 2014 Green Drop report shows a worrying trend – risk profiles as high as 86.1% in the North West and only as low as 57.7% in the Western Cape. The findings also indicate that 30% of large wastewater treatment works (WWTWs) are in a critical condition, while 66% of all WWTWs require short- to medium-term intervention, 35% require capacity upgrades and 56% require additional skilled operating and maintenance staff.

South Africa has seen rapid urbanisation, but WWTWs have not been upgraded accordingly, leading to overextended plants polluting the environment. This is especially the case in smaller municipalities, which often have minimal skills capacity, frequently leading to a lack of maintenance, says Claassen.

“Municipalities with limited resources don’t often see wastewater treatment as a priority,” he says, adding that the norm in most parts of South Africa is for WWTWs to receive two to three times the wastewater volumes that they were designed for. The result is millions of litres of untreated or inadequately treated sewage flowing into rivers and streams, leading to increasingly poor-quality water resources. According to Claassen, tests show that in 88% of instances, orthophosphate levels in our water sources are considered unacceptable. In addition, electrical conductivity is unacceptably high in 29% of cases.

Worryingly, treatment plants are not designed to treat the increasing number of pollutants affecting water resources. This is the case with pharmaceuticals, which Claassen says are becoming an increasing concern, especially if we want to recycle urban water. Furthermore, emerging pollutants like organics and pharmaceuticals, together with pollutants like metals and

pesticides, are not monitored extensively enough to fully appreciate the scale of the threat.

“Municipalities with limited resources don’t often see wastewater treatment as a priority.”

Monitoring for compliance

The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) runs the national chemistry monitoring programme. However, Claassen explains that of the 1 400 surface water-quality monitoring points, chemical elements are only routinely assessed at 337 points, with infrequent assessments at a further 563 sites. Microbial quality is measured at 180 sites and eutrophication at 112 sites. Worryingly, radioactivity is only assessed at 18 sites and toxicity only at 3 sites. Polluters are also required by law to monitor their own effluent for compliance; however, the DWS does not have the capacity to monitor effluent sites and ensure that auditing is performed.

Claassen believes that, over time, a culture of non-compliance has been allowed to develop where users operate in contravention of their licence conditions. “We are not building a society that takes ownership of these issues. We need central government to take responsibility and establish partnerships to solve these challenges together,” he says.

He believes this is an area of opportunity for the establishment of public-private partnerships, which include monitoring and management programmes. There are also opportunities for various sectors, such as farmers, to take a self-governance approach and take ownership of water quality for their own purposes. However, despite its interest, the private sector appears to have found it difficult to establish partnerships with different levels of

government due to capacity and legislative challenges.

Use less, treat less, invest more Given the state of South Africa’s declining water quality and WWTW infrastructure, it is clear something must be done to address the challenges.

The recent drought has brought a huge focus on demand management, with Cape Town managing to reduce its demand to just over 500 MLD. The flipside of reduced water consumption is reduced effluent that needs treating. While this will alleviate the pressure on many of the country’s WWTWs, it also means reduced costs for wastewater treatment – money that could be used to maintain and upgrade.

In order to adequately address the shortfalls, South Africa needs to invest billions into water treatment infrastructure. But Claassen believes that in doing this, government should explore new

30% of large WWTWs are in a critical condition

think this means irrigated gardens and waterborne sewage. However, this may not be the best option. We need to educate the public,” he says, adding that in an ideal world, sewage should be kept separate from water, necessitating far less treatment. And the technology is available.

The time is now

Although government has succeeded in significantly expanding water infrastructure since 1994, this infrastructure has not always been maintained. As infrastructure

technologies and environmentally friendly options. For example, pond systems using algae – a simple, natural solution – have been successfully used to treat effluent in rural areas. Wetlands are also well proven as part of wastewater treatment systems.

“These solutions are much more elegant for our conditions because we have lots of space. We need to use combinations and think smartly, rather than just plug in first-world solutions. There are more appropriate solutions for us,” says Claassen.

However, government needs to start with changing public perception around water use and infrastructure. “What does it mean to have an advanced development state and higher quality of life? People

becomes more unreliable and failures increase, people revert to extracting water directly from rivers and streams, which may be unsafe for consumption. However, Claassen believes that society is becoming impatient for an improvement in their quality of life, thus increasing the pressure on government to address these challenges.

“This is not an unsolvable issue. We have good solutions and strategies, but the execution is poor. Government is too reactive and society is not sufficiently involved. We need to adopt more appropriate technologies and be more efficient in our maintenance if we are to protect our water resources,” he concludes.

FIGurE 1 Green Drop national performance log 2014

A pump for every application

Grundfos has recently been involved in several expansion projects to increase the drinking water capacity in and around some of South Africa’s major cities.

grundfos offers a wide range of products and solutions for each stage of the water treatment process.

Its product portfolio ranges from borehole-type submersible pumps to end-suction surface pumps available in high-grade stainless steel, chemical dosing pumps and polymer make-up units for pretreatment processes, high-pressure pumps for particle removal, and booster pumpsets for final distribution.

This diverse selection means the company is also able to offer pumps for auxiliary processes in water treatment and other products for control, measurement and monitoring, says Dean Naidoo, segment manager: Industry, Grundfos.

Grundfos has recently been involved in the installation of highpressure and energyrecovery systems for desalination projects for the private sector, as well as projects into Africa for drinking water capacity increase and water treatment plants at mines.

in high-grade duplex

stainless steel coupled with energy-recovery technology, enabling a smaller footprint and higher energy efficiency – meaning smarter solutions that provide sustainability and longevity.

World-class energy efficiency

“Energy efficiency provides the platform for all of our solutions. It is the Grundfos ethos and present in all that we do,” says Naidoo. In line with the company’s sustainability commitment, all new products must feature world-class energy efficiency. Accordingly, all newly launched products now feature a ‘touch of red’ – a red colour somewhere in the product housing – to indicate their leading energy rating.

ensuring that sales engineers are trained to offer an optimum solution for each and every application. This means fully understanding the application, considering the water quality and composition, geographical location, climate conditions, water temperature, as well as the flow rate and pressure required from the pump. Energy efficiency also remains a key consideration.

Grundfos’ ongoing R&D allows the company to offer products specifically suited and designed for non-traditional water treatment. These include high-pressure pumps manufactured

“The importance of energy efficiency and automation is crystal clear; it is paramount to our planet’s longevity and, therefore, mankind’s future. Its prioritisation is slower in Africa, but the seeds are there and are beginning to break ground,” says Naidoo.

Making the right selection

Grundfos has a global network of experts and places great focus on continuous training and development,

“We have quality and reliable products that our clients can trust and depend upon. Grundfos is a pump manufacturer and brand with a proven track record and a long history of reliability. We have built partnerships and relationships over the years with the strongest and biggest players in the region, meaning we have a strong network of expertise and support. We are committed to our purpose and I believe our customers can see this making us a brand that can be trusted and depended upon,” concludes Naidoo.

V EOLIA WAt E r tEC h NOLOGIES S O uth A F r ICA

Veolia has 160 years of experience in treating water. Tell us a bit more about the company’s history.

CB Veolia’s R&D Department in France is continually producing new technologies and we are proud to have several world firsts, like the first multi-stage flash distillation plant, which was built in Kuwait as far back as 1959.

From its establishment in 1953 up until the 1970s, Veolia pioneered the Lamella settling processes and introduced the Multiflo process, which offered rise rates of up to 10 m/h, over the conventional 2 m/h.

the softening and removal of manganese, pesticides and metals, as well as a drive for faster, more efficient clarification, filtration and membrane technology. Our Actiflo came online in the early 1990s to handle rise rates of 100 m/h and in 1995, we became a pioneer in nanofiltration technology.

In 2008, we introduced specific treatments for the removal of arsenic, manganese, ammonia, pesticides and radioactive compounds. We also had a breakthrough in seawater desalination, introducing the first multiple-effect desalination combined with seawater reverse osmosis plant.

Moving into the 1980s there was a challenge around the removal of nitrates, pesticides and algae toxins which were beyond normal clarification processes. Veolia developed nitrate removal by selected ion exchange, biological plants for nitrate removal, and oxidation and flotation for algae removal.

The 1990s saw a worldwide call for specific treatments for

Since then, we have focused on natural organic material removal, the optimisation of desalination technology and increasing our range of patented Hydrex chemicals, and we continue to develop new technologies as the need arises.

In the past decade, the circular economy has come to the fore, with resources becoming scarcer and green technologies becoming more prevalent.

Where do you see non-conventional water sources playing a role in our future potable supply?

Rising surface water scarcity means South Africa will be forced to turn to alternative means of

potable water production. For our coastal regions, desalination will have to form part of future supply. Although this may be costly, when you look at the rising costs of water treatment owing to polluted surface water, desalination costs will begin to fall more in line with conventional treatment.

Reuse is also a proven method that has seen slow uptake.

Since 2001, both the Durban Water Recycling plant and the Goreangab plant in Namibia have been producing 47 MLD and 21 MLD of treated wastewater, respectively, without incident. It is encouraging to see that Cape Town has included limited reuse in its long-term water strategy. This will hopefully pave the way for South Africans to overcome the ‘yuck factor’ associated with reuse.

What is the impact of declining water quality on treatment processes?

New pollutants are emerging in our surface water, including new pesticides and by-products from the pharmaceuticals we consume. These, coupled with a lack of maintenance of treatment plants, means that conventional methods of water treatment will soon no longer be suitable. Specific treatments will have to be implemented to target particular pollutants, which will push up the cost of potable water.

Given rising pollution and failing treatment plants, what needs to be done at municipal level?

Tenders mainly call for older, conventional technology. We need a drive from government and consultants to endorse newer technologies. Veolia is proud to have over 350 proprietary technologies, but the industry needs to be aware of what is available and the benefits each technology offers. These include smaller plant footprints, higher

Chris Braybrooke General Manager: Marketing

quality output, as well as reduced operating and capital costs.

Newer technology does however require higher skill levels for operators, and Veolia takes this very seriously. Our well-trained experts in the field can help ensure consistent quality and maintenance of plants. We were recently awarded the concession to operate all of Overstrand Municipality’s treatment plants. This will see us conduct a full audit of the plants in order to optimise and improve their condition, ensure they are operating to

their design specification, and continually upskill the existing operators.

What about unserviced rural areas?

In rural areas without formal treatment works, our modular, mobile plants offer a solution without the costs associated with large, centralised plants. Built locally for African conditions, these plants can be installed where needed and are backed by our full technical support and service offering.

We supply a full range of services from design and build projects, to modular solutions, chemicals, spares and consumables, and extensive technical support, operation and training. We are here to work with the engineers to identify the best solutions and apply their benefits to local conditions.

Ndlovu Director, QFS

Having successfully installed a 2 MLD desalination plant for the City of Cape Town, can QFS be seen as a company that does both implementation and technology supply?

MN With the company growing exponentially and having had decades of experience in the supply of water treatment equipment, QFS has evolved to do both implementation and technology supply. QFS has been a technology supplier for ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis skids for over two

decades and has the capability to provide turnkey solutions for our technology.

What benefits does this positive expansion of services bring to your customers?

A technology supplier plays a pivotal role in ensuring that any project runs effectively with well-maintained equipment. QFS offers a full package: we are able to supply, install, maintain and service our technologies. This reduces third-party expenses and increases the lifespan of our plants.

One of your strengths as a company is delivering works timeously. With the expansion of your scope of services, what strategy has QFS adopted in ensuring this continued positive feedback? With its expansion of services, QFS has invested in ensuring that strategic project planning and project management are in place for works to be executed timeously while still maintaining quality. Being masters of our own technologies, most fabrication is

done at our workshop in Strand, Cape Town, in order to reduce on-site installation time. Adopting this method also ensures that errors are addressed at the workshop, thereby eliminating any on-site installation delays.

We have had a great deal of positive feedback from our customers, which gives us the confidence to continue delivering quality work. QFS being awarded the City of Cape Town’s 2 MLD Waterfront Desalination Plant project provides a prime example of our implementation capabilities.

Musawenkosi

meeting the testing challenge

The drought crisis in the Western Cape has raised a number of concerns around water quality. Water&Sanitation Africa speaks to Neil van Kooten, managing director, Integral Laboratory, about how the sector has been handling the challenge.

Has the ongoing water crisis in the Western Cape had an impact on the analytical requirements of laboratories?

NvK Absolutely. With the residents looking to drill boreholes and find alternate water sources in the hopes of being less reliant on municipal supply, the workload placed on the laboratories across the industry has been significant. In addition, many of the individuals submitting samples have had little experience with water testing previously. While they are aware of the catch phrases, the actual meaning of these terms and the implications, as well as potential legal requirements, were foreign concepts. It was an interesting period as it incorporated the need to increase awareness and provide guidance to clients in a responsible manner. I believe the need for increased transparency and clearer guidelines, in easyto-understand terminology, is still lacking and a gap in the current marketplace and information sources.

Has there been a noticeable change in the water quality during the crisis?

Within the potable water sector, the change has not really been

more evident than the usual changes experienced over an annual cycle. The requirements and legislation that the municipalities need to abide by do not change as a result of the environmental conditions and are not season dependent. During this period and the peak of summer, their jobs were significantly more difficult, but from what I witnessed, they did an outstanding job.

Within the wastewater sector, significant changes could be seen, as less water was discharging into the wastewater networks and ultimately entering into the treatment plants. As a result, what was being discharged was significantly more concentrated than normally expected. The fact that many institutions undertook water reuse policies – and that in many instances the water use cycle was amended to accommodate the use thereof in multiple locations prior to discharge – played a large role in this reality. Many people tend to forget that the water cycle is, to a large extent, a closed system, so what happens in one sphere impacts on the next.

Have the testing needs changed as a result of any of

the practical changes?

In some instances, the standard testing requirements remained consistent, albeit with some changes to the expected values one would normally associate to certain water types or from specific sectors. The implementation of water reuse and the use of alternative water sources has instigated an urgent need for a whole new sphere of analytical requirements and analyses. The analysis of CECs (critical emerging contaminants), also known as emerging pollutants, is now crucial and a pivotal focus point.

What exactly are CECs and what is the concern?

CEC is the terminology applied to an extensive list of compounds and/or their derivatives. This includes, but is not limited to, pesticides and herbicides, pharmaceuticals, and recreational drugs from wastewater effluent as well as industrial waste products.

If we consider the water cycle as a closed system, what we put into the water through discharge, river run-off, wastewater discharge, illegal dumping, and so forth, will then eventually be in the water that we take out. While this is not a new concern, the need to

analyse for these components is now a lot more in the spotlight than previously.

Internationally, this is still a developing field and there are currently no legal compliance limits. Encouragingly, while there are no defined compliance requirements, many institutions are being responsible and paying a lot of attention to this to ensure that risks can be averted and the best possible solutions implemented.

We have invested a significant amount of time and resources into the implementation and improvement of our ability to ensure service provision to clients. This is an incredibly interesting and challenging testing field, and we are proud to be able to commercially offer this service at a level that rivals the few international facilities that have this capability.

Neil van Kooten Managing Director

Turbidity technology under the microscope

A new benchmark in the evolution of turbidity testing that enhances accuracy and reliability is now available in South Africa.

Hach’s TU5 series turbidimeters use groundbreaking 360˚ x 90˚ detection technology to achieve a new standard in accuracy and reliability, while going a step further to ensure a better match between lab and online test results.

Hach is part of the Danaher Group. Local distributor for Hach’s online instrumentation, Steve Herbst of Prei Instrumentation, discusses the technology: “Hach’s patented 360˚ x 90˚ detection technology uses a whole new methodology for measuring turbidity, which conforms to the highest Environmental Protection Agency standards. These standards have been adopted by South Africa’s biggest water service providers, including the likes of Rand Water,” says Herbst.

Importance of turbidity

Turbidity is important because it represents the ‘report card’ by which water quality can be measured. The amount of insoluble matter present in drinking water is an essential quality indicator. Silt, sand, bacteria, spores and chemical precipitates all contribute to the cloudiness or turbidity of water. Drinking highly turbid water can be unpalatable and unsafe. Consumption of even low concentrations of certain bacteria and other microorganisms can cause serious health effects.

“The relevant local and international standards call for tubidimeters where raw water enters water treatment plants, in the settling tanks, the filters, and ideally also the backwash filters. They can also be installed at the outfall of wastewater

treatment plant but because of the generally poor performance of the majority of the country’s wastewater treatment plants, the technology is only used at flagship wastewater facilities,” explains Herbst.

“Moreover, the TU5 series solves persistent market challenges. For example, there is a problem getting the online results from field instrumentation to match with the lab equipment. The reason for this is that lab conditions do not simulate the natural environment, lab technicians can get tired and make errors, or they might get up and go for lunch or a comfort break, allowing sediment in a lab sample to settle. Further, glass vials used in the lab can get scratched from frequent use – this throws off test results,” adds Herbst.

What sets the TU5 series apart is that it makes calibration much easier and more accurate. Using a new, more accurate and affordable methodology, calibrations are performed automatically, negating the margin for error introduced through human intervention.

The technology goes a step further, by incorporating radio frequency

identification (RFID). “Samples that go to the lab have a magnetic band attached – when you touch samples to the unit, it downloads all the information on that RFID tag, doing away with handwritten labels and allowing the lab to handle large volumes of samples without mix-ups,” says Herbst.

Groundbreaking methodology

Both lab and online units utilise 360˚ x 90˚ detection technology – a new standard in turbidity testing.

“The first turbidimeters consisted of a candle under a jar. Divers would peer through cloudy water and judge how far away they had to be before they could no longer see the light from the candle. The next step in turbidity testing used nephelometric readings (light refracting at 90 degrees, followed by measuring the amount of light bounced back by particles). Thereafter, infrared laser technology was developed in Europe. This was highly accurate but incredibly expensive,” says Herbst.

“What makes the TU5 series revolutionary is that it directs a laser into a sample to scatter light off suspended particles. The light scattered at a 90-degree angle from the incident beam is reflected through a conical mirror in a 360-degree ring around the sample before it is captured by a detector,” he explains.

The outcome is that the unit’s optical design sees more of your sample than any other turbidimeter, delivering the best low-level precision and sensitivity while minimising variability from test to test.

Graphic representation of Hack’s patented turbidimeter technology

Cuvette Adapters

Online monitoring for process transparency

As water-quality monitoring becomes increasingly important, it is essential for good analysis to allow for informed decision-making.

Many countries and international organisations have created water-quality guidelines for potable water supplies. Yet, the almost continuous identification of emerging contaminants in our fresh-water supplies results in ever-tightening water-quality requirements that go beyond the presence of dissolved salts in the raw water.

Microorganism contamination, for example, will be identified or detected in an early stage, creating a path to more efficient disinfection processes.

Water-quality data is undoubtedly influenced by analysis frequency, sampling location, analytical methods and, last but not least, maximum contaminant levels. Online monitoring is a piece of the technology puzzle and key to providing process transparency.

Hach’s extended range of water analysers allows for informed decision-making based on continuous data.

Effective microbiology testing

One such example of this is the EZ 7300 On-line Microbiology Analyzer, a unique alternative to current manual analysis methods for assessing microbiology in water, providing timely and accurate data.

process transparency and is ineffective for the protection of consumers’ health.

Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) testing has become a popular alternative to these time-consuming lab methods. ATP testing is important in the food and beverage industry as it helps to assess the quality and hygiene of the water used in food processing. For drinking water production, ATP testing provides an objective basis for actions against sudden changes in bacterial load.

The newly developed EZ 7300 Series models are designed as automatic online analysers to assess microbial contamination in a production area or treatment facility where the sample is presented to the analyser from a pressurised line. In addition, the grab sample option allows laboratory staff to use the analyser as a benchtop instrument and run samples manually. With a LOD of 0.05 pg/mℓ ATP, the online analyser is capable of detecting very low levels of bacteria (0.05 pg ~50 E. coli-sized bacteria).

The traditional heterotrophic plate count (HPC) for the evaluation of the total number of bacteria in a sample of drinking water takes days of incubation. By the time the analysis results are known, the water is already consumed or on its way through the distribution network. Clearly, traditional lab testing does not provide

The quantification of the different ATP portions – total, intracellular and free ATP – allows for the close following of abnormalities in microbial levels and biocide dosing.

The EZ 7300 uses proprietary enzymatic reagents, from ATP expert Promega, that show superior stability even in the presence of free chlorine levels up to 2 mg/ℓ.

Emerging pollutants

Another threat to water quality is emerging pollutants, which include heavy metals such as mercury, cadmium, arsenic, chromium, thallium and lead. Excessive concentrations of these in surface- or groundwater can

ABOVE Hach’s extended range of water analysers in the EZ Series make on-line water analysis easy

BELOW The EZ 5000 Series are multiparameter titrators for water applications

carry over to the water treatment stage if not removed.

The analytical technology behind Hach’s EZ 6000 Series is a sensitive electrochemical technique called anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV). It involves a pre-concentration of the analyte of interest – the metal – to the surface of an electrode, followed by a selective oxidation from the same electrode during the stripping phase.

The proper measurement of some metals may be challenging, given the presence of various chemical states and forms in natural water or wastewater. This is especially true for arsenic and mercury.

The EZ 6000 add-on digestion unit has been designed specifically for samples with higher organic contents, suspended particles and changing composition. The sample is mixed with concentrated acid and heated in a compact, built-in oven, turning all dissolved, complexed and adsorbed metal forms to free ions. This design principle adds to analytical performance and trouble-free operation of the online analyser.

Hach’s extended range of water analysers in the EZ Series also offers options for the determination of organic carbon content in surface water intake, as well as for online monitoring of multiple critical parameters in the water treatment and pre-treatment space.

A truly decentralised solution

A new South African-developed membrane-based water filter may be a game changer in the provision of water to rural areas.

Many of South Africa’s rural and peri-urban areas lack formal water infrastructure and the topography and wide spatial distribution of houses in these areas make it extremely difficult to pipe treated water to these households. The result is people consuming pathogen-contaminated water directly from rivers and dams, resulting in health complications.

In response to this, a group of South African scientists have developed a membrane-based point-of-use (POU) household water treatment unit aimed at providing safe drinking water to off-grid rural communities.

The resulting VulAmanz Rural Water Filter (VA-RWF) is a membrane filtration unit with a disinfection step, containing a bucket-like container that can easily be stored. The system works as follows:

1. 25 ℓ of raw water is collected from a local source.

2. User adds three drops of hypochlorite solution (Jik) to a 5 ℓ product vessel.

3. The raw water is poured into the raw water tank. The product tap is opened, and clean water is collected.

The RWF, which complies with WHO standards, will produce 20 ℓ in an hour on a clean membrane, decreasing to 15 ℓ in an hour after two weeks. The RWF, which complies with WHO standards, will

R&D TEAM:

• Department of Process Engineering, Stellenbosch University

• Department of Chemical Engineering, Durban University of Technology

• Department of Polymer Science, Stellenbosch University

• Centre of Excellence in Water and Energy, Savannah State University, US

• Department of Environmental Engineering, Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand

• Gelvenor

SPONSORS:

• Water Research Commission of SA

• Umgeni Water

• Department of Science and Technology (Innovation for Rural Development Programme)

DESIGNERS AND FABRICATORS:

• SKEG

• DDDXYZ

VA-RWF filtration units

produce 20 ℓ/hour around 100 ℓ/hour on a clean membrane, decreasing to around 50 ℓ/hour after two weeks of operation without any cleaning, depending on the raw water quality.

The basis of the VA-RWF is a unique woven polyester microfiltration membrane, developed and produced in South Africa, which removes all suspended solids, colloids and most of the pathogenic bacteria. The disinfectant in the product vessel polishes the water and provides a residual disinfection capability. The apparent pore size of clean membranes is 1 μm to 3 μm.

However, once filtration commences, the fouling layer removes particles < 1 μm.

The membrane has a lifespan of three to four years and is extremely robust. It is not destroyed by mechanical stresses or drying, is inexpensive, and can be easily cleaned without exotic chemicals.

Ensuring social

acceptance

There are a various POU water treatment technologies available internationally. However, these technologies have only been successfully implemented in very limited circumstances, and their penetration into sub-Saharan Africa, and particularly South Africa, remains small.

Social acceptance and user uptake are critical aspects of developmental interventions and a big reason why POU water treatment systems have failed internationally, explains Professor Lingam Pillay of Stellenbosch University.

The response to the VA-RWF product has been phenomenally positive; 500 units have been rolled out in Limpopo and the Eastern Cape, where various users have reported improved health.

According to Pillay, this positive response is largely due to the fact that this technology was developed from the ground

up. Traditional leaders in rural areas were consulted to establish their needs, rather than developing a technology based on perceptions and imposing this on rural dwellers. An important aspect of the R&D was that students from rural areas were involved in the project. This enabled the technology to be developed from a user perspective, eventually leading to extremely high social acceptance and user uptake. Importantly, the roll-out of VA-RWF units also involved training for the communities on how to operate them.

User perception surveys show that >95% of the units are still in use and >95 % of users perceive the filter as beneficial.

Uplifting rural communities

While there are clear indirect economic impacts associated with providing safe drinking water to currently unserviced rural areas, the VA-RWF project offers some direct economic impacts, Pillay explains. Where there is a strong, functional municipality, the training, implementation, troubleshooting and maintenance of units can be performed by the municipality. However, where the local municipality lacks capacity, the tasks of training, implementation, troubleshooting and maintenance

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The topography and spatial distribution of houses in many rural areas make it extremely difficult to install formal infrastructure

M EMB r ANES FO r LA rGESCALE tr EAt MEN t

On a larger scale, membrane technology has the potential to majorly impact drinking water provision in sub-Saharan Africa.

Membranes can offer many benefits and Pillay reports a strong swing globally towards micro- and ultrafiltration for potable water production.

In developing countries like South Africa, membranes offer several major advantages over conventional water treatment systems:

• very high and consistent product quality

• product quality independent of feed quality

• product quality independent of skills of operator

• small footprint

• modular (can be easily expanded)

• ideal for decentralised potable water provision.

“Membrane systems are significantly less complex and significantly easier to operate,” says Pillay. He adds that membrane prices have nosedived in the last 10 years, making them comparable to, or possibly even better than, conventional systems, particularly because of the high civil costs associated with traditional treatment plants.

“Our problem primarily comes down to a lack of knowledge and a lack of local experience. There are very few membrane scientists in South Africa or people who have been exposed to membranes. We need a mind shift,” Pillay concludes.

Many South Africans still consume pathogen-contaminated water directly from rivers and dams

can be given to regional franchisees. This would provide an opportunity for local unemployed youth to increase their technical skills, provide a regular income for at least four years, and directly benefit their communities.

In addition, the specialist fabric for the units is produced locally, providing employment opportunities.

A financially viable alternative

The capital cost of a VA-RWF unit (treatment unit and steel stand) is currently R2 000, although this is expected to drop by 20% to 30% based on scale of production. With an estimated maintenance cost of R250 per year, the life cost over four years to provide a family with 40 ℓ to 80 ℓ of water per day will be R3 000. This is significantly less costly than two currently available alternatives for clean water provision in the target areas , namely bottled water (R15 per 5 ℓ) and water from a water kiosk (R1 per 1 ℓ).

Given the benefits of the VA-RWF system to provide safe drinking water to currently unserviced rural areas, reducing health risks and breaking the downward spiral of poor health, poor education and poverty, VulAmanz is seeking partners to implement this technology in order to make a positive impact on the development of society.

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Water is essential to life but, as temperatures rise year after year, climate change threatens water availability and quality.

By Siyabulela Fanie*

A breakthrough in wastewater treatment technology

As water becomes a scarce commodity in some regions, developing economies could face economic challenges to supply this basic resource. Alternatives to the traditional use of surface water must be sought.

Water reuse is thus becoming an important component of water provisioning. As renowned water specialist Dr Audrey Levine has said, “Society no longer has the luxury of using water only once.”

However, for the sustained provision of water through recycling treated water, it is important to adopt a treatment process that is able to provide quality effluent that is consistent with set standards. This provides its own set of challenges. Due to the high use of chemicals for both industrial and domestic purposes, the wastewater generated requires more intense treatment for it to be reusable, either for indirect potable or nonpotable applications.

In addition, for treated wastewater to be sustainably reusable, it must also be in close proximity to where it is required in order to minimise capital expenditure costs relating to pipelines. This builds a case for decentralised wastewater treatment systems.

Introducing Spras technology

Spras (sludge process reduction activated sludge) is a variation of the activated sludge process. It incorporates biological nutrient removal and uses a patented inbuilt sludge-liquid separation technology that leads to high concentrations of activated sludge and infinite sludge retention time in the bioreactor. The patented clarification technology produces effluent of a very high clarity, with a final suspended solids concentration of less than 10 mg/ ℓ

The sludge reduction is achieved through the extended sludge retention time (SRT) calculated to be 600 days, which significantly advances

Three JM100 bioreactors with a total capacity of 450m3/day were installed in parallel at Glen Agricultural College, Free State

endogenous metabolism of microorganism and cell lysis.

Organic waste sludge is reduced by more than 95%, so there is no need to install conventional sludge treatment devices. The technology reduces waste organic sludge at source and prevents secondary pollution arising from sludge disposal.

The key characteristics of the Spras technology include a high concentration of activated sludge in the bioreactor, no sludge bulking problems, and no sludge discharge (infinite SRT). The nitrifying bacteria are completely retained in the bioreactor, leading to an effective removal of ammonia nitrogen through nitrification.

Numerous solutions and advantages

An invention by Jinluo Water, this technology has a suite of decentralised wastewater treatment products, which are suited for different environments, and can be seen in Table 1.

table 1 Available Spras technology products

two 150 m3/day package plants to increase the capacity of the existing wastewater plant decommissioned pilot period ended

Cradock (Chris h ani District m unicipality)

g len Agricultural College

Spras offers a number of advantages, such as:

• After disinfection, the water can be used for residential green irrigation, road cleaning, car washing, construction, fire, flushing, etc.

• It can be directly connected to the existing sewerage pipe network.

• No residual organic sludge is produced.

• The system uses carbon and stainless steel material that has a minimum service lifespan of 30 years.

• Equipment components are concentrated in the interior equipment, reducing the footprint and installation costs.

300 m 3/day package plant deployed as a backup to the existing wastewater treatment plant decommissioned pilot period ended

450 m3/day package plant as a complete replacement of the old wastewater treatment plant operational

• Because no organic sludge is discharged, there is no risk of secondary pollution.

• No chemicals, media or membranes are used in treating domestic raw sewage.

• A remote monitoring Scada system is used for effective maintenance.

Proven in SA

Spras technology has been deployed at several test sites in South Africa. A 450 m3/day package plant is currently in operation at Glen Agricultural College, under the management of the Free State Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. The Spras plant was deployed to replace the existing wastewater treatment plant.

*Siyabulela Fanie is the group CEO of OPECS (Pty) Ltd.

table 2 Spras technology sites in South Africa

Kirkwood (Sundays River Valley m unicipality)

table 3

Figure 1 The sludge reduction mechanism showing endogenous metabolism of microorganisms

New aerators for Vredenburg WWTW

As aeration was the biggest concern at the plant, this comprised the first phase of the project.

According to Ryan Beswick, managing director, Circuit Water Engineering Equipment, an increase in organic load and ageing equipment resulted in the existing aerators not supplying sufficient air. While there had been attempts in the past to increase the size of the aerators, the concrete structures had become unstable due to years of vibration. The civil engineers deemed the platforms unsafe and in need of replacement.

Because the flow to the plant could not be disrupted during work on the platforms, the decision was taken to build an identical basin adjacent to the plant and install new aeration equipment.

Circuit Water was appointed to install five 45 kW Triton aerators. These aerators have been successfully installed and operated in some of Saldanha Bay Municipality’s other WWTWs, namely Langebaan and Laingville, as well as in

several plants in surrounding municipalities, reports Beswick.

The Tritons replace splash aerators, offering many benefits over the old equipment. According to Beswick, there are many downsides to splash aerators despite the fact that they are among the most popular in South Africa. The main problem with these is that the water level is critical. As soon as the level rises above the optimal installation level, the electrical consumption increases up to the point where it could trip all the aerators and thus affect the treatment process. If the water level is below the optimal design, then the aeration is reduced, again affecting the treatment process.

With the Triton, aeration takes place below the surface and the units have a level change tolerance of 300 mm. In a mass balanced concrete structure, the level variance is not more than this in normal operating conditions, translating to stable power consumption. During low-flow periods, three of the five aerators can be turned off completely, and the two

The

Vredenburg Wastewater Treatment Works (WWTW) in the Saldanha Bay Municipality is

undergoing a full upgrade, with Phase 1 successfully completed.

units in operation will provide sufficient aeration for the treatment process required, while sufficiently mixing to maintain suspension of biomass.

Each Triton unit is equipped with its own blower, which provides a stream of air down a hollow shaft to a propeller diffuser system. This is key to fine bubble aeration, explains Beswick. “Aerating is simple, but normally it provides coarse bubble aeration. It is very tricky to control your bubble size, but it is possible with these units, which is what makes them so special.”

He adds: “The major benefit the Tritons offer is that you are providing the electrical efficiency of fine bubble aeration with a surface-mounted machine. Furthermore, these aerators can be pivoted out of the water for maintenance and inspection, and you do not need cranes to remove the units for normal maintenance purposes.”

The five Triton aerators were commissioned in June 2017 and have successfully been providing fine bubble aeration for the Vredenburg WWTW for almost a year.

The Overberg Water Board, strategically located in the drought-stricken Western Cape, strives to ensure ongoing service delivery through providing access to quality drinking water and sanitation services.

Overberg Water was established in 1993 and serves as a water board providing bulk water services to the Overberg region in the south-western Cape. The utility supplies approximately 4 million m3 of water per annum, through a 1 450 km pipeline network, to a region covering 6 000 km2

With its head office located in Somerset West, approximately 40 km from the Cape Town CDB, the utility is poised to become the water board for the whole

Overberg Water: Poised for growth

Western Cape region, believes Phakamani Buthelezi, CEO, Overberg Water.

Buthelezi was initially seconded as acting CEO to Overberg Water in July 2017 by former Minister of Water and Sanitation Nomvula Mokonyane, after the existing board was dismissed due to a few governance issues. Buthelezi’s appointment was later confirmed by cabinet in December 2017 as CEO of Overberg Water. Buthelezi brings with him a wealth of experience, after serving as founding CEO of the Western Cape’s very first catchment management agency, the Breede-Gouritz Catchment Management Agency.

He believes the utility is now functioning well and ready to face any challenge – including those that would come with Overberg Water supplying and treating water for the province, including for municipalities and government departments. “The main interest is to increase the footprint covering the entire Western Cape and we are well positioned to achieve this. We are on a growth path,” he says.

Expand and invest

drought and the expected impacts of climate change.

“Equal to our interest to increase the footprint is to ensure the entity is geared towards meeting the challenges of climate change and that it grows in terms of increasing its water volumes. But relying solely on this growth without enhancing the entity’s internal control and adapting to the ever-changing business environment will be futile,” says Buthelezi.

6 000 km2

The utility supplies approximately 4 million m3 of water per annum, through a 1 450 km pipeline network, to a region covering 6 000 km2

Although the Overberg region was not as hard hit by the drought as Cape Town, the whole Western Cape has been declared a disaster area, and water conservation and demand management has had to become a priority considering the state of the major dams supplying Overberg Water’s schemes. “We have done a lot to ensure that we haven’t run out of water, including continuously updating and engaging with our customers and the general public,” says Buthelezi.

To achieve this, Buthelezi says the utility must expand into other areas, which will allow it to increase water volumes and invest more in water infrastructure. This aligns with the need to ensure water supply going forward, given the recent

“Drought requires collaborative efforts to plan for and ensure continued water supply. Moving forward, we will need to find new sources of water. This includes alternatives like water reuse and groundwater. We are already engaging with partners to invest in groundwater as an option to boost our water supply.”

The biggest challenge at present is funding. According to Buthelezi, the water board has been engaging with the private

Phakamani Buthelezi, CEO, Overberg Water

infrastructure projects in the future. He echoes the call issued by Mokonyane late last year for the private sector to invest in South Africa’s water and sanitation, while acknowledging the challenges that go along with this. “We need to consider how we can demonstrate that water is important to invest in and investor-friendly. This means engaging with National Treasury and simplifying procurement processes so that it is more attractive for the private sector to invest in water,” he says.

Train and develop

Together with this, Buthelezi sees a great need for new technology and skills development in the sector. “One of the challenges facing South Africa is the shortage of skills, including appropriate training, and Overberg Water has provided training opportunities in

Buthelezi would like to see the utility become more involved in skills development, assisting local municipalities with training, to ensure that they are well positioned to deliver services. This includes placing a greater focus on promoting careers in the water sector among the youth, as well as involving the informal sector in the business of water for a truly bottom-up approach.

solutions and customising international concepts for local conditions.

“Drought requires collaborative efforts to plan for and ensure continued water

In line with this, he believes there needs to be a drive to develop and adopt new technologies to address the water-scarcity challenges facing South Africa. “In this way, we could perhaps move from being water-scarce to having a surplus, through innovative technologies and systems,” he

supply.”

“We would like to see water as a national asset. We need a central point that controls the distribution, usage and management of water. Municipalities often don’t communicate, due to a number of reasons, and the sector as a whole needs to engage and share knowledge. Overberg is both ready and willing to step in and assist in this regard,” he adds. “We need to understand that water is a complex system and, for us to be effective and efficient, we need to understand the demands on water and its role in the economy. We need to invest in water to invest in economic and socioeconomic growth and create a balance between everyone’s needs.”

In light of this, Buthelezi believes Overberg Water’s role needs to grow. He wants to see the utility becoming more involved in water resource management and wastewater treatment to realise his vision of turning Overberg Water into a utility capable of meeting the water needs for the entire Western Cape region. “I am very optimistic about our future and the future of water in our country,” concludes Buthelezi.

Last year, former Minister of Water and Sanitation

Nomvula Mokonyane issued a call for investment in South Africa’s water and sanitation infrastructure

Building an investable water sector

The Department of Water and Sanitation, together with the sector at large, has taken steps to address the challenges inhibiting investment in South Africa’s water and sanitation infrastructure at a time when the country could be on the brink of a crisis. By Danielle Petterson

late last year, former Minister of Water and Sanitation Nomvula Mokonyane called for investment in South Africa’s water and sanitation infrastructure. Jointly hosted by the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) and the Water Research Commission, the Water Infrastructure Investment Summit brought together investors, funders, project developers, policymakers, regulators and local government partners to engage in an effort to shift the water and sanitation sector investment landscape to a space that is open and enabling for investment and inclusive growth opportunities. Several months on, the Embassy of Denmark gathered critical sector role players to discuss ways of bridging the gap between technology, expertise and funding. Trevor Balzer, DDG: Strategic and Emergency Projects, DWS, paints a bleak picture of why this is so desperately needed: deteriorating water quality, insufficient water infrastructure maintenance and investment, recurrent droughts, inequities in access to water and sanitation, and a lack of skilled water engineers. These factors are all contributing to a water crisis, which is already having significant impacts on economic growth and the well-being of residents.

In South Africa, 5.3 million households (35%) do not have access to reliable drinking water, while 14.1 million people do not have access to safe sanitation. However, Balzer says the problem is much broader than this.

The constitutional responsibility to supply water and sanitation lies with 144 municipalities that are water services authorities. However, at least 33% of these

South Africa is facing a projected 17% water deficit by 2030 17%

municipalities are regarded as dysfunctional and more than 50% have no or very limited technical staff.

Municipal non-revenue water is currently at a high of 41%, which equates to a loss of roughly 1 660 million m³ of water per year amounting to R9.9 billion. Moreover, 11% of water supply schemes are fully dysfunctional, while approximately 56% of wastewater treatment works and 44% of water treatment works are in poor or critical condition and in need of urgent rehabilitation.

Balzer believes that in order to combat this and achieve water security in South Africa, a ‘new normal’ is needed. This significant paradigm shift means that water will become more expensive, consumption will have to be reduced and everyone, except the indigent, must pay for services.

A national plan

In response to these challenges, the DWS is developing the National Water and Sanitation Master Plan (NW&SMP). A call to action, the plan seeks to rally all water sector stakeholders in South Africa to work together to ensure that the country has a sufficient reserve of supply to meet Sustainable Development Goal 6 – access to water and sanitation for all – by 2030.

According to Balzer, the plan sets out prioritised actions and investments that the country must implement between now and 2030 to overcome these challenges and ensure a water-secure future supporting inclusive development across the country. These are accompanied by roles and responsibilities, targets and time frames against which relevant players in the sector can be held accountable by cabinet, Parliament and the public.

The NW&SMP is based on five key objectives:

1. Resilient and fit-for-use water supply

“Our water availability could deteriorate rapidly as our supply contracts and demand escalates.” Trevor Balzer, DDG: Strategic and Emergency Projects, DWS

2. Universal water and sanitation provision

3. Equitable sharing and allocation of water resources

4. Effective infrastructure management, operation and maintenance

5. Reduction in future water demand.

Water supply challenges

“Our water availability could deteriorate rapidly as our supply contracts and demand escalates due to growth, urbanisation, inefficient use, degradation of wetlands, water losses and the negative impacts of climate change,” says Balzer.

Based on projections, the water deficit could be between

2 700 million m3 and 3 800 million m3 per annum by 2030 – a gap of about 17% of available surface- and groundwater. This will require serious interventions to reduce demand and losses, especially in the agriculture and municipal sectors, by improving efficiency,

adopting new technologies, and reducing losses through water awareness, and strict regulation and incentives, explains Balzer.

One of the first interventions is to reduce consumer demand. Average municipal water use in South Africa is around 237 ℓ per person per day, compared to the world average of 173 ℓ per person per day. “Since large numbers of South Africans use very small amounts of water per day, this average masks the high wateruse by privileged sectors of the population,” says Balzer. Average domestic consumption must, therefore, be reduced to 175 ℓ per person per day by 2025.

There are also significant opportunities to reduce water demand in the irrigation sector. Currently, agricultural consumption is largely unmetered, and there are concerns about unauthorised abstraction and water wastage in the sector. Agricultural users also pay a much lower tariff than other users of untreated water, which has not incentivised the adoption of water-efficient irrigation practices.

Towards a diversified supply

The NW&SMP seeks to diversify South Africa’s water supply, moving away from the current water mix, which is strongly dominated by surface water, to a water mix that includes increased groundwater use, reuse of effluent from wastewater treatment plants, water reclamation, as well as desalination and treated acid mine drainage (AMD). By 2040, the DWS aims to have 60% surface water contribution, 20% groundwater, 14% reuse, 4% desalination, and 2% treated AMD.

However, a diversified supply alone will still result in a 5% water deficit by 2030. If, on top of this, urban losses are reduced from 35% to 15%, water supply and demand will balance out. However, it is only by reducing domestic demand to 175 ℓ per person per day that South Africa will have an 8% surplus by 2030 – what Balzer refers to as a “comfort zone”.

Budget deficit

The DWS estimates that it should be investing R90 billion per annum into water for the next 10 years; however, the sector is facing a R33 billion funding gap each year, which must be urgently addressed. This funding is needed for critical refurbishments, water supply and infrastructure renewals.

R33 billion

South Africa is facing a R33 billion funding gap each year for the next 10 years

of the major water boards are stable enough to go into the market and raise funding for water and sanitation infrastructure.

If nothing is done, South Africa’s water and sanitation sector faces a glaring financial deficit, which will inhibit the country’s ability to provide essential services.

A call for investment

With this in mind, the group gathered by the Danish embassy sought to identify key areas that present opportunities and stumbling blocks to investment in the sector. Agreed-upon areas that require action include:

1. Understanding what a good water project constitutes

2. Ensuring projects are not only feasible but bankable

3. Developing models for project bundling

4. Structuring risk and risk sharing

5. Finding alternative funding opportunities

6. Developing the right kind of technical skills

7. Technical standardisation

8. Improving coordination between partners

To address this deficit, the sector needs to look at financial leakage, improving cost recovery, increasing tariffs, private investments, PPPs, loan funding and bonds, says Balzer. However, only the metros and three

9. Understanding when PPPs are appropriate and how to structure them

10. Incorporating innovation and new solutions, particularly localised solutions

An urgent intervention

Speaking at the investment summit last year, Mokonyane stated that a water and sanitation master plan for South Africa, with an implementable action plan, is a critical area where the DWS needs to invest resources together with its international partners, institutions and SOEs. “Until such a time as South Africa has an integrated water and sanitation master plan, we will always be operating and planning in silos,” she said.

Work on the NW&SMP is still in progress to develop the multiyear, detailed schedule of actions for implementation

and 44%

56% of WWTWs and 44% of WTWs are in a poor or critical condition

between 2018 and 2030. This schedule of actions will be prioritised and refined in consultation with all stakeholders during a proposed mini-phakisa scheduled to take place towards the end of August 2018.

Ultimately, if South Africa doesn’t adopt a ‘new normal’, it could be facing a 17% water deficit by 2030.

CClean water for all

In line with delivering on the Constitution’s promise to provide clean and adequate water to all, Magalies Water is forging ahead with infrastructure projects aimed at improving lives and the economy.

all-inclusive suite of services to test water samples for an extensive set of quality parameters. The Scientific Services Department is the best in microbiological and chemical analysis, constitutes a SANAS-accredited laboratory (T0625), and offers a range of services to water and related industries.

In the compliance space, Magalies Water’s laboratory has achieved:

urrently, Magalies Water services a total area of 42 000 km² in the cross-border provinces of North West, Gauteng and Limpopo. Serviced through the major Crocodile and Pienaars rivers, the utility supplies water and sanitation services to six municipalities, including one of the largest metropolitan municipalities in Africa – the City of Tshwane – as well as hundreds of industries, including six mining establishments in the copper belt and key tourism industries.

Infrastructure expansion

Through its commercially sustainable business, Magalies Water has been able to service and contribute to the economic development and support of local municipalities through the expansion of bulk infrastructure projects in line with its 2013 Master Plan.

Infrastructure upgrades, extensions and refurbishment projects implemented in line with this plan include the Pilanesberg Bulk Water Supply Scheme (BWSS) phases 1, 2 and 3; Moretele South BWSS; Moretele North BWSS (Klipvoor Scheme); Wallmansthal Water Treatment Works (WTW); and Cullinan WTW.

The Vaalkop System has been upgraded, which comprised additional treatment capacity of 60 MLD, as well as the construction of the La Patrie Reservoir, which will alleviate water shortages in the Moses Kotane and Rustenburg local municipalities. The completion of a 31 km pipeline and a 35 MLD reservoir in Pilanesberg North has improved the lives of communities in several surrounding villages. In addition, the upgrading of the Klipdrift WTW from 18 MLD to 42 MLD has accommodated the increasing demand from the Moretele, Bela-Bela and Modimolle local municipalities.

The recently installed pipeline that conveys water to the Mafenya Reservoir will increase the reservoir capacity to 109 MLD after completion of the second phase of the Pilanesberg BWSS. The 50 MLD Mafenya Reservoir currently supplies water to the Maseve and Bakubung mines. Full benefits of the plant extension will be realised on completion of the Pilanesberg phase 2 and 3 projects.

All Magalies Water projects are geared towards the improvement of the local economy by ensuring the engagement of small, medium and micro enterprises as well as creating employment opportunities for communities.

Ensuring clean water

Magalies Water complies with or exceeds the minimum requirements of SANS 241:2011, ensuring the highest-quality water that poses no health risks to consumers.

The utility’s laboratory fuses the specialist knowledge of licensed professionals with state-of-the-art testing technology, equipment and instruments, providing an

1. SANAS (ISO 17025:2015) accreditation for the first time in October 2014. The laboratory achieved continual maintenance of accreditation and had zero non-conformances on system audits in 2016.

2. Accreditation for cryptosporidium and giardia methods in 2017.

3. Accreditation for real-time PCR-based methods for detection of E. coli, Citrobacter freundii and Enterococcus faecalis in 2017.

4. Accreditation for trace metals (12 elements), hexavalent chromium and trihalomethanes in 2017.

5. Accreditation for 14 methods from the Chemistry section, 5 from the Microbiology section and 3 in the Hydrobiology section.

6. The acquisition of 40 new customers, conducting 66 614 analyses in F1617 method for 28 customers as well as the 29 338 YTD (F1718) method for the remaining 12. Magalies Water has also embarked on a War on Leaks project to support the Rustenburg and Thabazimbi local municipalities’ programmes to reduce non-revenue water. Constant assessment of the status of Magalies Water’s assets is vital and the utility is committed to continually supplying clean water to targeted municipalities and upholding and maintaining the dignity of communities in line with the constitutional requirements of providing basic services to all citizens.

www.magalieswater.co.za

Mastering the art of sourcing, supply and conservation

On a planet covered with oceans, the concept of water scarcity for human consumption, agricultural use and industrial needs may seem strange. It is, however, a harsh reality.

Mhlathuze Water is faced with combatting these challenges. The state-owned entity was established in 1980 and is one of South Africa’s leading water utilities.

Mhlathuze Water’s area of supply spans the entire KwaZulu-Natal province.

The utility has succeeded in continually fulfilling its mandate of supplying water to its constituents through the ongoing development and refurbishment of infrastructure and numerous interventions during the recent drought.

World-class specialists work together on a daily basis to ensure that all parts of the water supply chain – from bulk sourcing to treatment and disposal –are always working, to make sure that every drop counts.

As such, the organisation has mastered the art of balancing the diverse needs of its wide variety of customers to consistently deliver a water service that is dependable. The utility meets the highest international standards and maximises every drop of the precious resource entrusted to its care.

Mhlathuze Water operates an interbasin transfer scheme, a major water treatment plant, an offshore waste and water disposal system, as well as manages water treatment and sewage plants on an agency basis for industry and municipalities.

The utility’s services include:

• bulk water provision: raw, clarified, and purified

• bulk wastewater disposal

• provision of water and water services authorities

• implementing agent for schools' water and sanitation infrastructure, as well as working for water programmes.

Infrastructure development

As an implementing agent, Mhlathuze Water is mandated to provide sustainable water supplies while being mindful of the need to create new jobs wherever possible. In line with this, the utility is responsible for supporting the development of infrastructure to assist in the delivery of basic services, thereby fulfilling its primary mission, but also playing an important role in the socioeconomic development and growth of the country.

Under Mhlathuze Water’s supervision, several infrastructure projects have been implemented, including:

Tronox Pump Station

The Tronox Pump Station was upgraded to meet the future supply demands for the Fairbreeze Tronox Mine. Construction was completed in the beginning of the 2017/18 financial year at a cost of R19 million. The pump station now has capacity to meet the demands of the Fairbreeze Mine, as well as Port Dunford Mining operations planned to commence in 2018, for the next 10 years.

Jozini Regional Water Supply Project

Mhlathuze Water has successfully

commissioned a 40 M ℓ/ day water treatment plant with associated bulk infrastructure at a total cost of R1.15 billion to date. Launched by former Minister of Water and Sanitation Nomvula Mokonyane, this project is aimed at servicing rural areas in Jozini previously without potable water except for limited streams and boreholes. The utility is also responsible for the ongoing operations and maintenance of the plant.

Ingwavuma Wastewater Treatment Works

Mhlathuze Water was appointed by the Department of Water and Sanitation to implement the refurbishment of the Ingwavuma Wastewater Treatment Works, through the Accelerated Infrastructure Programme. The objective of the project was to ensure that the plant’s final effluent complies with Green Drop standard requirements. The completed refurbishment project – worth R12 million – has been handed over to the uMkhayakude District Municipality.

Drought Interventions

Many parts of KwaZulu-Natal have experienced devastating drought, which has harshly affected numerous communities. To address this, Mhlathuze Water has worked closely with provincial government on a number of drought alleviation

initiatives. These include:

• supplying and installing 800 emergency static tanks on brickconstructed stands

• siting, drilling, testing, equipping and energising in excess of 110 boreholes

• designing, supplying, installing and commissioning 21 water storage facilities

• designing, supplying, installing and commissioning three water treatment package plants

• pre-feasibility planning studies investigating potential sites for desalination plants along the KwaZulu-Natal coast

• viability investigation of implementing wastewater recycling at four wastewater treatment works

• procuring and supplying nine water tankers.

As an organisation, Mhlathuze Water continues to partner with the private and public sectors on initiatives and programmes such as these, to the benefit of the people of not only the northern KwaZulu-Natal region but of the province as a whole.

www.mhlathuze.co.za | communication@mhlathuze.co.za

40 Mℓ/day

Mhlathuze Water has successfully commissioned a 40 Mℓ/day water treatment plant with associated bulk infrastructure at Jozini Regional Water Supply Project

R19 million R12 million

The completed refurbishment project on

The upgrade of the Tronox Pump Station was completed in the beginning of the 2017/18 financial year at a cost of R19 million

Ingwavuma Wastewater Treatment Works is worth R12 million

We understand the challenge of finding the right balance between plant e�ciency and compliance with industry standards and legal requirements.

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Casting the perfect mould

When pumps are cast at the foundry, the precise tolerances that need to be achieved can be as exact as 1/1 000 mm, but before this process, work first begins in the pattern shop. This is where the casting models are handmade to technical specifications. In most instances, they are crafted in wood in a time-honoured tradition carried down over the centuries. Metal castings are still common, but more suited to mass production applications, whereas the wooden versions are intended for lower product volumes and unique, custom-built requirements.

Within South Africa, APE Pumps and its sister company, Mather+Platt, are among the few OEMs specialising in pattern making, which is becoming an increasingly scarce skill outside the foundry industry.

“The advancement of 3D technology has its advantages when it comes to design and performance simulation,” explains Hennie Griessel, pattern workshop manager, APE. “We are also experimenting with the latest 3D printing technology, using plastic composite materials. This is an excellent way of enabling our engineers to walk through the final prototype with our customers. But this always translates into the building of the pattern that will form the end result. Perhaps, in the future, 3D printing could replace wood once the technology becomes more advanced and the costs come down, but certainly not in the foreseeable future.”

Established in 1952, APE Pumps has retained its leadership position thanks to its 66 years of innovation in pump engineering. A prime example is its ongoing investment in the art of pattern making.

Currently, Griessel has three apprentices studying under him. Once they’ve passed their trade test, they will join an elite group of highly skilled artisans in South Africa.

Modifications and retrofits

APE has the expertise to make a pattern for any application, and frequently devises replacement solutions for customers with older pump models where the original technical drawings have been lost or the OEM is no longer in business. At other times, patterns are made where clients request alternations to existing APE or Mather+Platt OEM designs to achieve the right flows and pressures for their individual application.

marketing business development manager at APE. “It’s an intricate process, with no margin for error.” The work involved applies to any sized pump, extending locally up to units that can weigh around 4 tonnes.

“These patterns are so well made that they last

“That really puts our skills to the test,” points our Richard Harper,

for up to 20 years of productive use. A recent example is a 10x12 split-casing pattern for a major petrochemical client that took up to six months to complete,” he adds.

Standardisation

Traditionally, three individual patterns were designed for stainless steel, bronze and cast iron. APE has introduced one pattern format for all metallurgical compositions. Once the casting comes back from the foundry, the pumps are then machined and finished according to their specific model type. All pumps are rigorously tested in terms of the company’s stringent quality control process to ensure that the highest standards are adhered to and maintained.

“What really sets us apart in South Africa is our pattern making capabilities and many of our orders are for custom builds. Our team works with consulting engineers and clients to create the perfect fit.”

“We form part of WPIL Limited, a multinational that owns leading OEM brands with manufacturing centres based in Asia, Africa, Europe and Australia,” says Harper. “That means we have access to the best off-the-shelf pump solutions for all industry sectors. These are backed by a suite of turnkey solutions with the in-house capability to supply all the electromechanical systems needed. Through the group, we also provide turnkey services for Southern Africa, including build, operate and maintain projects.”

“But what really sets us apart in South Africa is our pattern making capabilities and many of our orders are for custom builds. Our team works with consulting engineers and clients to create the perfect fit,” Harper concludes.

A strong foundation for infrastructure success

ROCLA is South Africa’s leading manufacturer of pre-cast concrete products. Surpassing 100 years of product excellence, including pipes, culverts, manholes, poles, retaining walls, roadside furniture, sanitation and other related products within infrastructure development and related industries.

Why is a full smart water solution the right choice for Africa?

Smart technology and the Internet of Things (IoT) are taking the world by storm. In order to ensure the success of smart water initiatives and solve the water challenges in Africa, it is crucial for smart utilities to choose the right technology and equipment.

The recent drought has placed South Africa’s water situation squarely in the spotlight.

Gerardt Viljoen, managing director, Sensus, believes South Africa needs to take a more holistic approach to the water cycle. “Not many people look at the big picture, which means looking at everything over time. National government needs to take this approach when dealing with our water resources and infrastructure,” says Viljoen. This entails monitoring the entire value chain.

Being a brand of leading global water firm Xylem, Sensus is able to provide end-to-end solutions for utilities using industry-leading technology across the full water cycle. Xylem’s well-known

global brands have served the water market in over 150 countries for decades, producing highly efficient water technologies that use less energy, reduce asset life-cycle costs and provide environmental benefits to users and the communities in which they operate.

Secure connection

As connectedness becomes the norm, it is vital that critical national infrastructure has a safe platform for connection. The FlexNet communication network is a powerful long-range radio system at the heart of Sensus’ advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) solutions.

Unlike other IoT utility networks, FlexNet offers a dedicated radio spectrum that is protected by law from

interference, thus ensuring reliability and protecting critical infrastructure from infiltration.

As part of a full smart water solution, the FlexNet system enables smart meters and sensors to securely and confidently transmit and receive near real-time customer usage and infrastructure data. This improves business intelligence by allowing utilities to proactively manage their smart water networks. The system is also built on open standards and APIs for easy interface with third-party applications and platforms.

Importantly, a full smart water solution – which combines technologies to monitor customer usage, improve asset management and reduce leakage

in order to increase efficiencies within the utility – also allows users to plot and monitor their network efficiencies. “As soon as you know your network efficiencies you know where you should focus your capital investment for infrastructure improvement,” says Viljoen. Using infrastructure condition management technology, Rand Water was able to save 90% on capital expenditure by conducting pipeline assessments. “On 100 km of pipeline only 10 km needed to be replaced, saving Rand Water from having to replace a significant amount of infrastructure.”

Predictive technology

A full smart water solution is able to supply equipment to effectively identify leaks and even predict where they will occur.

South Africa’s non-revenue water sits at 41%, of which 35% is lost through leakage. With municipalities losing about 1 660 million m³ per year as a result, the applications for this technology are extensive.

Multiple pipe leakage indicators such as high-rate pressure sensors, hydrophones and flow meters installed at optimal locations, coupled with minute-by-minute data analytics can be used to predict pipes that are likely to fail in the near future before bursts and further damages occur.

Measure to manage

Vital to effective water management are accurate meter readings. Notably, Sensus’ iPERL water meters have no moving parts, giving them up to three times the lifespan of conventional mechanical meters. These solid-state mechanical meters work on the electromagnetic principle and are currently the most accurate domestic meters in the world, reports Viljoen. The iPERL meters are exceptionally popular in Saudi Arabia and Namibia where fine sand particles create friction that wears down conventional meters. This does not affect iPERL meters, making them perfect for African countries with high sediment content in their water supplies. While mechanical meters lose roughly 1% accuracy per annum, the iPERL will never lose its accuracy and is capable of detecting leaks down to 1 ℓ/h – a dripping tap. The smart water meter comes equipped with smart alarms such as tamper alerts and can help assist in driving additional revenue from residential accounts, as well as ensuring customer trust through increased accuracy.

While metering is by no means a new concept, South Africa still sits with a high percentage of unmetered environments, says Viljoen. “Water is a scarce and finite resource, and it is our reasonability to be good custodians. The best way do to this is by measuring so that we ensure we don’t waste it,” he concludes.

Solve water the smart way

Water loss can be prevented with a fully integrated, end-to-end smart water solution, along with numerous other benefits:

Reducing leaks by 5% and pipe bursts by 10% can save utilities up to $4.6 billion annually

Use combined data analytics to identify and pinpoint the exact location of a leak

Know your asset life - predict when a pipe will burst or a pump will fail

Highly accurate demand forecasting

Continuous, around-the-clock information about the health of your network

How smart is that?

With its acquisition of Sensus and Visenti, Xylem brings you best-in-class technology to create a full end-to-end smart water solution, delivering an unmatched offering with innovation in communications technologies, advanced metrology, sensors, data analytics and services.

To find out how Sensus can help you to operate more efficiently, deliver high levels of customer service and conserve valuable resources, contactEMEA@xyleminc.com Visit www.sensus.com for more information.

Powering process performance

At

SEW-Eurodrive,

more than 500 researchers are tasked with perfecting solutions that drive all industries. This includes the water sector, where there’s a major focus on product selection and customer training.

As South Africa’s rate of urbanisation accelerates, current water and wastewater plants will struggle to keep pace. That puts major pressure on the existing network and its associated infrastructure. Routine condition monitoring and maintenance become even more of a priority, as does the selection of the right technologies.

“As running costs escalate, water and wastewater utilities are now searching for more energy-efficient alternatives,” comments Andreas Meid, head: Projects, SEW-Eurodrive South Africa – a global leader in motors, gear units, gear motors, and corresponding automation technology.

“SEW is dealing directly with OEMs and end users so that we can assist them with solutions to their application requirements.

SEW also offers locally assembled gearboxes, which allows for a fast turnaround time, whether for new or retrofit projects,” he explains.

When it comes to energy efficiency, electric motor performance is a major contributing factor. “In fact, some of the biggest gains are due to the motor set-up. This is where SEW is investing resources to improve operating throughputs.”

SEW’s range covers IE1, IE2, IE3 and IE4 three-phase AC motor requirements worldwide. Effective from January 2015, all two-, four-, and six-pole asynchronous motors with 7.5 kW or higher sold in the EU, Switzerland or Turkey had to meet the requirements of energy efficiency class IE3. Then from January 2017, this IE3 stipulation was expanded to include motors within a power range of between 0.75 kW and 375 kW.

“In South Africa, the regulations are not that strict yet, but SEW believes in sustainability and has made IE3 motors our standard offering,” Meid continues. SEW’s research and development efforts are focused on producing compact designs that exceed industry benchmarks.

Recent projects include the installation of IE3-compliant DRN motors for a wastewater treatment works in the Eastern Cape. The units are IP 65 rated and used for aerator and mixing applications. To assist in the commissioning process, SEW’s engineers selected the optimum gearbox match for the plant load.

After-market strategy

To help customers obtain the best life-cycle costs, SEW recently expanded its Field Service Department along with the addition of new offerings like vibration and oil

“SEW is dealing directly with OEMs and end users so that we can assist them with solutions to their application requirements.”

Andreas Meid, head: Projects, SEW-Eurodrive South Africa

analysis for its geared motor and industrial gear ranges.

“We can pinpoint a specific bearing or gear component within the unit that is starting to fail and, in addition, identify whether or not the oil is in a usable condition,” says Meid. “Customers can then plan corrective actions around their normal shutdown periods.” Comprehensive stockholdings ensure that components are available at short notice if an emergency repair is needed.

“In addition, SEW is in the process of incorporating these value-added services into formal service contracts for customers,” adds Meid. “We are also able to assist customers with field service on non-SEW geared units and the replacement of nonSEW control systems.

Predictive maintenance

Future solutions include off-site monitoring using cellular networks to transmit data and alert reports in near real time. This will have significant benefits for clients in terms of predictive and preventative maintenance.” SEW’s Field Service Department is available 24/7, and provides support in 23 African countries.

“The SEW Drive Academy also offers training on all SEW products, covering maintenance, operation and product knowledge. This ensures that our clients have the know-how to maintain our products and achieve the best return on investment. That’s vital for maintenance planners and plant engineers,” Meid concludes.

Retrofitting

new life for old pumps

Retrofitting offers an excellent alternative to prolong the life of existing pumps or change pumping requirements.

retrofitting can be performed on pumps regardless of their intended use, be it for industrial, water supply and wastewater disposal applications or for the power supply industry.

“Changing circumstances often require a new approach. This also applies to pumps that are used in fluid transfer systems where increased energy efficiency is

required – to meet new legal requirements, to extend the service life or adapt technology to new operating data – as this does not always necessitate a new pump,” says David Jones, regional sales manager: sub-Saharan Africa, KSB Pumps and Valves.

“The areas of use for retrofit solutions are as diverse as the requirements to be met by the pump systems in question. As a result, retrofit solutions go together

with hydraulic and mechanical modifications as well as with changes to the materials.”

Retrofitting allows users to apply a number of benefits to their pumps, including lower maintenance costs, reduced power consumption, longer service life, and increased system availability or compliance with legal requirements.

Practical examples of successful pump retrofits abound, says Jones. In some cases, simple modifications in residential pump stations have greatly reduced noise emissions. In others, because of changing materials or chemicals, retrofits can solve premature wear or chemical corrosion, while pumps in power stations may be critical and require retrofits to prolong their lives without the need to manufacture purpose-built pumps with potentially long lead times.

Advanced process automation and quality monitoring in drinking or sewage water facilities

Process analysis for the water and wastewater industry –technology driven by KROHNE

• Extensive portfolio of analytic sensors, also with integrated transmitter technology, and complete measuring systems

• Reliable analysis of parameters directly in the process, e. g.:

– pH, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, temperature

– sedimentation monitoring, sludge zone tracking

• Mounting assemblies and accessories, approvals from drinking water to Ex

• Wide range of mounting assemblies and accessories

KROHNE South Africa

8 Bushbuck Close, Corporate Park South Randjiespark, Midrand, Tel.: +27 113141391

Fax: +27 113141681, Nirisha Harinarain, n.harinarain@krohne.com, www.za.krohne.com

With expertise available to retrofit almost any pump, manufacture and optimise designs and materials, and carry out hydraulic performance tests, it makes sense to consider retrofitting rather than replacing pumps.

“We suggest that engineers, contractors and users always weigh up the benefits of retrofits in collaboration with us. As an OEM, we will be able to give them real expert advice and provide services in accordance with global standards requirements,” adds Jones.

O P t IMISED SYS t EMS

Pump optimisation across a number of areas can be achieved with retrofitting, including:

1. Hydraulic modifications

• Re-machining of existing impellers

• Installation of new impellers for off-design conditions

• Reduction of NPSH-required value through the installation of an inducer or suction impeller

• Optimisation of volute casing for off-design conditions

• Adjustment of the number of stages (on multistage pumps).

2. Mechanical adjustments

• Closed bearing brackets improve the smoothness of operation and extend the bearing life

• Installation of mechanical seal systems

• Employment of cellular surface wear rings to improve efficiency, rotor dynamics and dry running properties.

3. Use of optimised material

• Super duplex stainless steel grades or nickel alloys

• Ceramic mineral castings for impellers, wear plates, cover and casing – for use with finely dispersed, highly abrasive solutions

• Non-metallic rings and bushes

• Ceramic plain bearings

• Surface coatings.

Water-loss savings in pipelines

New technologies from ultra Control Valves provide proven results for utilities.

With water scarcity facing users worldwide, water utilities should be proactive in ensuring that pipe leaks are reduced and kept to an absolute minimum.

One of the ‘fast return’ innovations that has been implemented by some municipalities and water boards is pressure management.

This entails reducing pressures in networks during low demand periods (to reduce losses from leaks). The process involves electronic equipment connected to pilot operated pressure reducing valves (POPRVs), which ‘reset’ pressures to different levels for different flow rates.

The problem with this strategy in the South African context is that POPRVs are complicated and little understood (or maintained) by operators. The addition of electronic controllers makes these valves even more complicated and less user-friendly.

Simple and effective alternative Ultra Control Valves has entered the market with some very new and simple

innovations, which are starting to capture the imagination of users as tremen dous water saving devices.

“These valves reduce pressures in a ratio (2:1, 3:1, 4:1, 5:1) and have no adjustments that can easily be tampered with,” explains Peter Telle, head, Ultra Control Valves.

“They are also much easier to apply in the field, as they do not suffer from delayed reaction times, low flow instability or vulnerability to dirt: just a simple piston activated by line pressure, which will always keep the ratio between inlet and outlet pressure at a constant value.”

Telle says that, with POPRVs, one has to be very careful that the valve is sized correctly to handle low flows, or install valves in series to overcome cavitation damage, all increasing the complexity of the installation and the chances of malfunction.

have been used to control flow in many applications over the past 40 years.

“This valve is completely tamperproof and absolutely ideal for African conditions, where simplicity and robustness are key and maintenance is seldom done,” Telle points out.

In the right applications, such as consumer end-points like taps, showers, and standpipes in rural water areas, this valve will ensure tremendous water consumption savings, as is the case for all water supply networks.

In a lot of POPRV installations, valves become unstable at low flows (at night), causing pipe breaks and leading to huge water losses – exactly the opposite result to what the valve is intended for. The installation of ratio reducing pressure reducing valves (RRPRVs) is a lot simpler and does not require much engineering or maintenance – truly, an African solution to keeping pressures low without the accompanying complexities.

Ultra Control Valves also represents Australian valve specialist, Maric, whose products control flow in a very simple manner. Since their development, these innovative products

By placing Maric flow controllers in strategic positions, flows are limited to what is the norm for such a network. If this causes pressure drops to the extent where users complain, it indicates that consumption is too high due to pipe leaks, which then need to be repaired.

The above products provide pressure and flow control with absolute simplicity, which plays an important role in ensuring correct operation. The end result is hugely reduced water loss.

Maric flow control valves

New life for PE sewer

Phase one of this four-phase project included the construction of a 1 850 m long 1 400 mm concrete HDPE-lined sewer from the Driftsands Wastewater Treatment Works to the ACSA boundary. The R52.8 million phase also includes 26 manhole structures, a diversion chamber and bulk earthworks.

The existing gravity sewer was constructed in 1983, and is not able to be upgraded from a technical perspective, necessitating a realignment of the line route. The first 1 460 m runs parallel to the existing Driftsands sewer and then branches off to bypass the planned ACSA extension of the Port Elizabeth International Airport runway.

Rocla was selected to supply Class 75D HDPE-lined pipes and manhole access pipes for the project. “We started

Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality has undertaken a project to increase the capacity of the Driftsands Collective Sewer Augmentation in response to increasing developments in the Walmer area of Port Elizabeth and the estimated increased requirement by 2020.

manufacturing the 780 lengths of 1 400 mm diameter Class 75D HDPElined pipes in May 2017 at an average rate of eight pipes per day. We achieved this by double stripping our four available moulds, and we delivered the first pipes to site in July 2017,” says Graham Howell, sales consultant, Rocla.

“We made minor improvements to the product after numerous on-site visits and we continued with production for the remainder of the year. Ten manhole access pipes were also ordered and these were cut to specification in the Rocla yard, which allowed the laying of pipes to continue uninterrupted, thus giving the contractor the opportunity to achieve good production on-site.”

Rocla made further design changes during the manufacture of the manhole rings

and offered rings and cover slabs with internal HDPE liners, which could become the accepted and required standard for all future outfall sewer projects.

With phase one completed, the second phase is due to start during 2018. Howell believes this will present Rocla with new and interesting challenges as the conditions include rock and very deep trenches.

On completion, the 4.2 km four-phase project will have addressed the sewerage requirements for existing and future developments for the western suburbs of the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality.

KELLER extended!

ARC-1 Autonomous Remote Data Collector

Autonomous data logger with remote data Internet of Things

• A choice of wireless network – 2G / 3G / 4G / LoRa

• Long life cycle – battery-operated for up to 10 years

• High data security – integrated memory, TLS encryption

• Maximal compatibility – with all level probes and pressure transmitters

• Status monitoring – sensors and real time clock (RTC)

• Licence-free software – data manager and KELLER-Cloud

• Upgrade possible – Upgrade from previous model GSM-2 to ARC-1

ARC-1 with series 36 XiW level sensor

ARC-1 Box with series 23 SY pressure transmitter

LEO 5 manometer with LoRaWAN

ISM Band

LOW POWER PRESSURE SENSORS OPTIMISED FOR THE INTERNET OF THINGS

Wireless manometer transmitter and remote display

RFID data loggger from the 21 DC series

RFID pressure transponder from the 21 D series

K-114 BT interface converter for digital + analogue pressure gauges

LEO 5 manometer with Bluetooth Classic

Wireless pressure transmitters with Bluetooth Smart

in monitoring technology The latest

The Autonomous Remote Data Collector (ARC-1) replaces Keller’s GSM-2, with the same functions and appearance, but also some new features.

It now communicates via the 3G mobile network, or 4G if required, and can be located via the mobile network. The mini SIM card has given way to a micro SIM card, and the system status information, including battery status and signal strength, has been supplemented by a moisture sensor. A real-time clock has

Remote tracking of pressure measurements, fill and water levels, and monitoring limit values is now made easier with Keller’s new ARC-1.

been integrated, which is more accurate and continues running autonomously when the battery is changed.

Preserving proven features

The housing is designed to withstand condensation and temporary flooding and the sealed antenna is covered by a lockable protective cap made of robust plastic, protecting the data logger against theft and damage.

Complete with energy-efficient electronics and a premium-quality lithium battery, the logger can transmit the results of 24 measurements every day by email, SMS or FTP for up to 10 years at a rate of one measurement per minute. It also features two input voltages, two digital inputs, one bus interface to operate up to five level sensors and an optional SDI12 interface for water analysis devices.

The open-source DataManager software collects the measurement data, assigns it, puts it in charts and reports any limits that have been exceeded. This enables users to fully parameterise and monitor each individual ARC-1 data logger and provides third-party access.

In addition to this, the Kolibri Cloud offers users simple and convenient access to measurement data with their own personal login and SSL encryption, without the need to set up and maintain a database, FTP or mail server.

The ARC-1 is available as a tube or box and all designs can be ordered as 3G, 4G, or LoRa versions. An intrinsically safe version of the box can also be supplied upon request. Existing GSM-2 data loggers can also be easily upgraded to ARC-1 data loggers if the existing 2G network at the measuring point is no longer available.

Driving efficiency

unlike agriculture which uses 60% of South Africa’s water, industrial users comprise a much smaller, often forgotten segment, making it difficult to ascertain the impact of the sector on water use.

By Danielle Petterson

According to Kevin Cilliers, regional manager: KwaZuluNatal and leader: Industrial Water Efficiency Project, bulk industrial water users account for approximately 3% of the total water usage in South Africa, while the remainder of the small to large industrial users are incorporated in the 27% allocation linked to domestic, rural and urban use. The result is that many significant industrial water users slip under the radar and go unchecked. He explains that although the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) is working to achieve a better understanding of who the big water users are, at the moment, it is largely left to municipalities to monitor this. However, the financial and human resource constraints experienced by many municipalities means that proper monitoring is often not done, despite industry making a significant contribution to the deteriorating

quality of South Africa's available surface water sources.

Adopting efficiency

Given South Africa’s water-scarce status, the NCPC-SA launched its Industrial Water Efficiency (IWE) Project last year to assist industry in responding to the call for reduced and better managed water consumption. The project also aims to improve industrial water effluent quality and demonstrate the economic and environmental benefits of water-efficiency practices.

“unlike the load-shedding situation, we don’t experience watershedding to a large extent. This means people often take water for granted and even after a drought, we tend to revert back to old ways.”

According to Cilliers, there are a number of factors that have inhibited the adoption of water efficient processes and technologies in the sector. The most concerning is that water is not often seen as a scare commodity to be protected and saved. “Unlike the load-shedding situation, we don’t experience water-shedding to a large extent. This means people often take water for granted and even after a drought, we tend to revert back to old ways,” says Cilliers.

There has also been no strong financial incentive to drive the adoption

of water saving technologies; the cost of which is often seen as a stumbling block.

“With the current pricing strategies, it remains difficult to develop a business case that satisfies the required payback period of one to three years. While we are seeing a gradual increase in water tariffs, especially in drought-stricken areas, water costs in South Africa are still considered too low to drive the required behaviour,” he explains.

The IWE project provides an immediate interim solution to industry to start tackling water efficiency and management.

Through funding from the Department of Trade and Industry, the project currently provides industrial companies with an opportunity to have a free assessment undertaken of their production facilities, starting with mapping of the in-process water usage and development of a water balance.

“Many industrial sites rely on their incoming water meters as their sole indicator of usage but have little knowledge of exactly where the water is being used or how much. The assessment gives the company insight into its usage and allows them to start interrogating all water outlet streams not going to product,” says Cilliers.

Solid progress

A year on from its inception, 10 assessments have been completed under the IWE project, with a further nine under way. Implementation has already commenced at six sites.

While the outcomes of these projects are still being verified, preliminary results from the completed assessments indicate water-saving opportunities of approximately 1 725 000 kℓ, translating to a financial saving of roughly R10.9 million. This in turn translates into a saving on the associated effluent generated, which suggests a projected reduction of 567 307 kℓ, or an additional saving of approximately R7 460 000.

inform applicability to the South African context, reports Cilliers.

“Water will remain a concern for South Africa and we need to be doing everything we can to ensure we are efficient.”

The NCPC-SA has also made steady progress on other components of the IWE project. This includes engaging with the DWS and the completion of a review of international best practices regarding water efficiency and water management systems. The review will

The NCPC-SA also hosted a workshop in February this year to identify skills sets that are lacking or underdeveloped in the sector. This brought together selected participants from industry, the NCPC-SA, the consulting services sector, the DWS and the Water Research Commission to unpack what skills could be supplemented through the NCPC-SA's skills development programme. These gaps have been recorded and are to be included as part of the terms of reference for the development of relevant training modules during the coming year.

Looking forward, Cilliers says the NCPC-SA aims to provide more guidance to industry on new technologies that can be employed to reduce water use. “There is limited capability in South Africa around water efficiency technology and

we need to step up knowledge and provide more support to industry and make them aware of what is available and appropriate applications.”

After managing and handling water losses, efficiency and optimisation is the next best defence to managing water usage. “The NCPC-SA through its IWE project, can help industry to achieve immediate reductions in usage and wastage,” says Cilliers.

He adds: “Water will remain a concern for South Africa and we need to be doing everything we can to ensure we are efficient and optimal.” Key here is a shared responsibility by government, industry and the consumer. “More open dialogue also needs to take place between industry and the authorities to leverage the win-win approaches to jointly come up with solutions to the current supply and discharge challenges.”

“The NCPC-SA is well positioned to play a facilitating and capacity-building role between industry and the authorities to create better awareness of the

WAt E r u SE EFFICIENCY CASE S tu DY

UNDER THE NCPC-SA’S IWE project, one of South Africa’s large poultry processing plants has achieved significant savings over just one year.

The plant is a significant water user, consuming over 1 million kℓ of water annually, equating to around 2% of the total local municipal potable water supply. With the increasing demands being placed on the supply of fresh water, a drive was instituted to assess what could be done by the company to reduce water usage and ease its burden on the municipal supply.

A detailed water assessment was undertaken interrogating the various water-intensive unit operations such as bird crate washing, scalding, de-feathering, evisceration, chilling, cleaning, as well as steam generation and cooling. A number of measures were identified and have since been implemented, resulting in an annual saving of approximately 89 600 kℓ of water that translated to a cost saving of approximately R1.78 million for the company. These interventions implemented included:

• the installation of automatic water shut-off valves to stop the rinsing and flushing water flow at the cutting tables when no production was taking place during tea or lunch breaks, shift changes or stoppages

• implementation of a leak

SUMMARY OF SAVINGS

al Water e ff I c I ency Project object I ves

The project focuses on six key components. It will:

Facilitate an enabling policy environment for the implementation of water efficiency by industry

Establish and promote industry adoption of national and international standards for water management

Develop the relevant skills to support industrial water efficiency through training and equipping field experts

Support industrial plants to implement water efficiency and act as demonstration sites to showcase benefits

Deliver focused advocacy and awareness campaigns to promote the adoption of water efficiency by industry

Monitor and evaluate impact of the project

management programme to ensure the timely repair of any water leaks as soon as they occur; this initiative incurred an annual saving of 7 000 kℓ totalling R169 729

• cleaning equipment was upgraded; this included installing new more efficient pumps and spray-hose nozzles as well a replacement of leaking hoses and connection points.

Other initiatives have also been implemented to foster a culture of water management in the organisation.

These include:

• installation of measurement and monitoring equipment especially on the steam system; this has provided the company with real-time data to monitor and manage the steam production and specifically condensate recovery rate

• water use efficiency awareness is now incorporated into daily meetings at the plant, ensuring that awareness levels are maintained and water saving projects are driven by management. Overall, the plant achieved a 7.96% reduction on their water intensity, amounting to an actual annual volume reduction of 89 607 kℓ. Correspondingly the resultant effluent discharge reduced by 89 600 kℓ amounting to a further saving totalling R419 000. Jointly, the savings associated with the water use and effluent volume reductions translated into an annual financial saving totalling R2.2 million.

The NCPC-SA is a resource efficiency project of the Department of Trade and Industry. The organisation drives the transition of South African industry towards a low-carbon economy and helps industry to implement resource efficiency and cleaner production methodologies – enabling companies to save through reduced energy, water and materials usage, and improved waste management.

New tech for Tanzanian mine

Shanta Gold has undertaken a triple water treatment plant project at its gold mine in the Lupa Gold Field of southwest Tanzania.

The three-part project for New Luika Gold Mine, undertaken by Veolia Water Technologies South Africa, included the fabrication, installation and commissioning of a river water treatment package plant and skid-mounted borehole water treatment plant, as well as the supply of equipment for refurbishing and commissioning the existing sewage treatment plant.

River water treatment plant

This 30 m³/h package plant treats water extracted from the nearby Luika River for use as process water. The plant uses clarification with appropriate chemical dosing to ensure the clarifier operates efficiently, as well as multimedia filtration, activated carbon filtration and pre- and post-chlorination. The water passes through a lamella clarifier as well as three multimedia filters, which operate in parallel for iron removal, before passing through the two carbon filters, also operating in parallel.

All filters and dosing equipment are housed in a 12 m long container with the external clarifier positioned nearby.

Borehole water treatment plant

A 5 m³/h skid-mounted borehole water treatment plant is used as post-treatment for an existing water treatment plant, to treat water to potable standards. Veolia’s engineered skid uses a chlorine dosing unit, carbon filter and softener to treat the water for the mine camp’s potable water needs.

Sewage treatment plant

The refurbishment of the existing sewage treatment plant involved replacing equipment originally installed in 2011, greatly increasing the plant’s efficiency and functionality. This included installing new submersible trickling filter feed pumps and a new chlorine dosing system, as well as replacing the old trickling filter header and distribution nozzles, associated piping and valves.

“As most of the plants are automated, operator training was minimal and took place simultaneously to commissioning,” explains Sean Momberg, project engineer: Engineered Systems, Veolia. All equipment was manufactured on time and to spec, against a short lead time. However, the rugged and isolated area in which the New Luika Gold Mine is situated meant that it took a bit longer to install the plants on-site than initially expected. Despite this, Momberg says the Shanta Gold and Veolia site teams worked together admirably to get the plants up and running in the shortest possible time.

“The phenomenal teamwork between the two companies not only ensured the project was completed on time, but also contributed to the success of the plant,” he concludes.

LEFt

Clarifier, pump and dosing skid for the river water treatment plant

rIGht Filter and softener skid for the potable water treatment plant

A chemical solution

South Africa’s mining sector is a pillar of the economy, but it has left a legacy of pollution that threatens Gauteng’s water resources. A new treatment method may provide an answer to a growing acid mine drainage (AMD) challenge in a sustainable manner.

Set up alongside Sibanye-Stillwater’s operations in Randfontein, Mintek has established a technology demonstration site to develop and test technologies to treat toxic mine effluent. Most notable is the SAVMIN® treatment plant, which is capable of producing potable quality water.

The SAVMIN pilot plant, located opposite the Sibanye-Stillwater Western Basin Acid Mine Drainage Treatment Plant, has the capacity to treat around 2 m3/h of AMD. The technology follows a precipitation-based treatment process developed by Mintek specifically for the treatment of AMD and other mining-impacted water

Mintek’s SAVMIN treatment plant in Randfontein, Gauteng

Sietse van der Woude, senior executive, Chamber of Mines, drinks the clean water produced by Mintek’s SAVMIN plant

The shaft drawing up the AMD treated by Mintek

Alan McKenzie, general manager: Technology, Mintek, beside a SAVMIN plant

1

StAGE 1: hEAVY ME tAL P r ECIPI tAt ION

Calcium hydroxide is added to the incoming AmD to neutralise the ph (which can be as low as 2) and remove most of the dissolved metals in the water. gypsum and metal hydroxides are discharged during this process and the resulting water is fairly clean of dissolved metals, but sulfate concentrations are still at saturation levels of around 1 500 mg/ℓ. At this stage, the water is not safe for drinking or to be discharged into the environment.

According to Van Rooyen, the Western, Eastern and Central basin AmD treatment plants in gauteng follow only this process in their treatment of AmD. however SAVmin goes several steps further.

with sulfate concentrations too high for discharge into the environment.

According to Alan McKenzie, GM: Technology, Mintek, there are three or four treatment options available for AMD globally, with reverse osmosis (RO) being the only one that is currently commercially operational. However, RO operates at elevated pressures, which require the use of a vast amount of electricity, which is costly, and produces effluents like brine that cannot be disposed of easily in a safe

manner. “What we decided to go for was a chemical process rather than one that is based on electricity usage and operation at elevated pressure,” he says.

SAVMIN follows an ettringite precipitation process and is the only one of its kind that recycles a key reagent, aluminium hydroxide, within the process. “We believe the breakthrough we came up with is in the recycling and, in fact, we can recycle between 80% and 90% of the aluminium hydroxide, which not only reduces the costs significantly but is also much more sustainable,” says McKenzie.

While developed for the legacy AMD problem that plagues Johannesburg, McKenzie believes there are a number of other opportunities for this technology, specifically at operational coal mines.

The technology

SAVMIN follows a four-stage process, explains Michelle van Rooyen, head: Technology Metals, Mintek (see pp 82–83).

The cost challenges

The AMD problem in South Africa is significant. According to McKenzie, roughly 200 Mℓ of AMD is extracted and treated

2

StAGE 2: Ettr INGI t E P r ECIPI tAt ION

Further lime and aluminium hydroxide is added which facilitates the precipitation of ettringite. this enables far more sulfate to be removed from the water than would be possible with gypsum. this ettringite sludge catches most of the sulfate, reducing sulfate concentrations from 1 500 mg/ℓ to as low as 100 mg/ℓ to 200 mg/ℓ –lower than the South African national standards for drinking water, which require sulfate levels be no higher than 250 mg/ℓ the ettringite sludge is then removed and added to Stage 4 of the process.

3

StAGE 3: C A r BONAt ION

Carbon dioxide is added to remove further dissolved calcium from the water and lowers the ph, which can be as high as 12, and unsafe for discharge. the result is water that can be of drinking standards if there is no high concentration of chlorides within the incoming AmD feed. Drinking quality water is produced at the test site.

the opportunity exists for the recycling of carbon dioxide to stage 3 by the addition of a CaCO3 decomposition stage to the process. the inclusion of this step would enhance the economic viability of the SAVmin process when carbonation is required.

around Gauteng daily. The SAVMIN test plant can only treat around 50 m3/day and would need to be several thousand times larger to address the overall AMD problem. However, the Trans Caledon Tunnel Authority is in the process of exploring technologies that can be implemented to tackle this very serious problem.

However, the cost of treating the problem is probably the biggest stumbling block at the moment. According to McKenzie, a large portion of the AMD

problem on a national scale is not caused by existing operators, but by mines that are long closed. Although numerous funding models have been suggested, this means that a fairly large proportion of the cost for treating AMD will probably have to be borne by government, which is currently experiencing a constrained fiscal environment.

As McKenzie points out, running an AMD plant is not a cheap exercise. When Mintek’s plant was first established back in 2014, the cost of treatment was roughly R25/m3. This has now been reduced to around R10/m3 through chemical recycling and optimisation, which is more on par with some of the bulk water

4

suppliers. However, it still costs R1 million to R1.5 million per month to run the plant on top of the roughly R25 million cost of developing the plant. However, the cost of leaving the AMD problem untreated is far greater. The Department of Water and Sanitation has already warned that if the country doesn’t adopt a ‘new normal’, it faces the prospect of a 17% water deficit by 2030. If AMD is left to pollute South Africa’s water resources, this number could be far greater.

StAGE 4: Ettr INGI t E DES tru C t ION

because cost is a big factor in water treatment, SAVmin breaks down the ettringite sludge produced in stage 2 by introducing concentrated sulfuric acid. this breaks the ettringite molecules into gypsum and aluminium hydroxide, which are separated using a physical separation process. the gypsum, which is fairly pure, is removed and can be sold. the aluminium hydroxide is recycled back into the process, to stage 2, thereby reducing reagent costs.

South Africa

DAMS RiSe of The

Past experience, locally and globally, proves that ground anchor solutions are a safe and effective response for increasing a dam’s capacity, and the relatively short construction timeframe for the raising of the wall is a major boon for drought-stricken regions.

By Kieresh Singh and Dhiren Allopi

South Africa is facing a water shortage crisis that has led to the implementation of restrictions across many parts of the country, including KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape. The latter are some of the most severely affected drought regions. For example, the City of Cape Town has placed Level 6B restrictions on its citizens in order to prevent its dams from drying out completely.

The South African government is searching for ways of increasing the volume of its stored water and the way it’s presently supplied to its citizens. Currently, South Africa stores 70% of its run-off water in dams, which is a large percentage, and indicates that most major catchment areas across the country have already been identified. However, we are one of the 30 driest countries in the world, and with high water demands from a growing economy and population, this water storage capacity could be used up quickly. Given

this scenario, building new water retaining structures such as dams may not be the fastest and most effective solution to the crisis at hand.

Many existing dam structures in South Africa were built in the early 1900s and are inspected by the Department of Water and Sanitation’s dam safety office on a regular basis. These inspections ensure that the dams are performing and conforming to the requirements of dam safety. The stipulations have become more stringent in recent years. This means that dams that do not meet the requirements will have to be thoroughly assessed and modified if required.

In South Africa and other countries around the world, one of the safe modification options for structures is the raising of the dam wall to increase its storage capacity, subsequently extending its lifespan.

Rock anchor response

A prime example in meeting modern upgrade requirements is to increase the

dam’s resistance to overturning and sliding by installing post-tensioned rock anchors. Installing anchors will also allow the dam owner to increase the height of the dam wall. This may be one of the quickest longterm solutions to the drought experienced, as building new walls would take many years to construct due to planning and the lack of suitable locations.

Over the years in South Africa, many dams have been fitted with ground anchors, the first being Steenbras Dam in 1952 to 1954. Other early local dams that received anchors in order to raise the wall heights and stabilise them were the Henley Dam for the Pietermaritzburg Municipality (raised by 5.5 m), Groot Doornpoort Dam for the Witbank Municipality (raised by 4 m), Lower Compies Dam for the Zebediela Citrus Estate (raised by 1.5 m), Plat River Dam for the Warmbaths Municipality (raised by 2 m) and the Amanzimtoti Dam in KwaZulu-Natal. These anchors can lower the centre of gravity of

the wall below the underside of the structure, which increases the dam’s resistance to overturning and sliding forces.

Ground anchors have proven to be a quicker and cost-efficient way of increasing dam capacities. However, as with everything, there are advantages and disadvantages, especially with complex systems such as these. One of the major advantages is that the costs are relatively low compared to building new dams and it is relatively fast to construct and install, depending on the location and type of dam. The disadvantages are that these anchors require a lot of supervision to ensure that they are not compromised in any way during and post construction.

South Africa does not have a lot of engineering professionals that are experienced in retrofitting large rock anchors into dams. Therefore, specialists still need to be brought in from other countries. But that’s a great learning experience.

Another disadvantage is that the construction industry has become extremely fast-paced due to the smaller profit margins during the tender stage and the ensuing focus on shorter project durations. Despite this, contractors need to ensure that works are completed at the highest level of quality.

Correct installation is critical

It is of the utmost importance that quality control measures are taken during the construction phase and that proper records are kept to ensure the lifespan of the anchors. There have been cases where dam anchors have failed in the past years due to poor workmanship and quality control on-site. It is essential that the projects are supervised by experienced professionals at every step and that the anchors are inspected and monitored in the following years.

The raising of dam walls could provide added relief to the water shortages in the country. However, it is important to note that not all dams can be raised. In this specific situation, the increased water storage could result in new water lines and many built-up areas around the dam being affected. Therefore, feasibility and cost studies need to be done to assess dams that can be raised to ensure that this can be done without compromising the safety and the livelihood of surrounding areas.

History of the Hazelmere Dam

The dam was built in 1975, with provisions to increase reservoir storage capacity in the future. The initial design provided provisions for radial sluice gates. The need for the increase came about after drought conditions were forecast in various regions of South Africa. However, after inspection and analysis of the existing structure, it was concluded that the dam would not be able to resist the forces of the planned new water level and storage, which was planned to increase from 18 000 million m3 to 36 000 million m3

In order for the wall to resist overturning and sliding forces, the design engineers decided to install post-tensioned ground anchors, which allowed the dam to be raised and the capacity-increase goal reached. The dam is currently being raised by 7 m and has been retrofitted with the current highest-capacity anchors in the world (91 strand – 14 802 kN), resulting in a doubling of the storage capacity.

However, regardless of the many initiatives by government, it is still up to the people of this beautiful country to ensure that we save as much of this precious natural resource as we can. Engineering innovation can only do so much.

A BO ut th E Auth O r S

Kieresh Singh from group Five Coastal (Civil Engineering Division) is an engineer employed on the hazelmere Dam raising project and currently registered for a master’s programme at the Durban University of technology.

Professor Dhiren Allopi from the Durban University of technology’s Civil Engineering Department is Singh’s master’s supervisor.

BULK WATER S TORAGE SOLUTIONS

New standard

guarantee for tanks

A new standard for polyethylene water storage tanks promises new levels of quality guarantees to the industry.

South African National Standard 1731:2017 for polyethylene chemical and water storage tanks, developed by the Association of Rotational Moulders of Southern Africa (Armsa) and the South African Bureau of Standard (SABS), has been published.

The SANS 1731:2017 tank standard is proof that a polyethylene tank has been properly designed and manufactured to be fit for purpose for the length of its warranty life. “It compels tank manufacturers to conform to world best practice, and it protects members of the broader construction, architecture, plumbing, landscaping and built industries as well as consumers against tanks of lesser quality,”

range of different sizes

2. Ensures that the production methods used to manufacture the tanks comply with best practice

3. Requires that traceability is built into the manufacturer’s control systems

4. Includes an audit check for actual storage volumes vs stated volumes

5. Evaluates the overall appearance of the finished tanks

6. Certifies the requisite number and type of fittings and the date of manufacture.

Productivity Engineering and Services Consultants (PESC), an independent third-party auditing company appointed by Armsa, will regularly audit tank manufacturers who choose to comply.

If compliant, PESC will issue a certificate giving independent assurance of a

manufacturer's claim that their products meet the SANS 1731:2017 criteria. Compliant tank manufacturers will be able to market their compliance with an Armsa-/ SANS-approved sticker on their tanks as well as using the certificate and sticker in their general marketing programmes. Wiid offers a word of warning: “Any tank manufacturer can claim to meet SANS 1731:2017 but there is no guarantee without formal certification. We, therefore, urge all stakeholders and homeowners to request the PESC certificate from the manufacturer prior to purchase for peace of mind that tanks delivered to sites or homes have been thoroughly tested and certified.”

Professionalising an industry

The Water Institute of Southern Africa’s Process Controller Division (PCD) remains one of the most dynamic divisions within the organisation. One of the reasons for this is that the status of process controllers has changed dramatically over the last decade, largely due to the joint and persistent efforts of WISA and its PCD.

The origins

The PCD of WISA started off nationally as the Association of Water Treatment Personnel (AWTP) in 1985, with Hennie Basson snr, a very dynamic leader from the former Transvaal at the helm. Its aims and objectives were to promote the plight of the thousands of unsung heroes who work tirelessly and thanklessly around the clock to ensure that South Africans are provided with safe, clean drinking water and that the effluent they generate in their interaction with this water does not have any detrimental effect on the receiving

environment.

This also coincided with the introduction of the grading and classification system of water and wastewater facilities and its personnel by the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry at the time. The designation of ‘operator’ was given to process controllers at the time and new National Technical Certificate courses in Water Care were developed for us to ensure compliance with the new legislation.

WISA

incorporation

The professionalisation of processes controllers in South Africa has not been an easy task. WISA has played in integral role in improving the status, capacity and classification of these professionals.

grades were made available to this new Process Controller Division, whose members did not have tertiary-level qualifications similar to the other professional members in WISA.

By Farouk robertson and Dewald van Staden*

The AWTP, after protracted negotiations, was eventually incorporated in 1990 into WISA – a professional body consisting mostly of engineers and senior water sector professionals. Various membership

This is where our journey to have operators of water and wastewater facilities redesignated as process controllers started because the term operator was so generic that it referred to anyone performing menial tasks without qualifications, and that was definitely not us. The road ahead was strewn with thorns, but through the perseverance, dedication and commitment of championing members such as Tony Bowers and Danie Klopper – who also became presidents of WISA, and who, during their tenures, advocated the name change vehemently – the designation of process controller became gradually accepted throughout the water and municipal sectors. However, our quest for recognition and claiming our rightful place in these sectors didn’t stop

there. Even though there have been many advances in the recognition that process controllers now receive, one of the biggest achievements to date would have to be the professionalisation of process controllers. This process aims to:

• promote the image and recognition of process controllers and place them on par with other recognised professionals

• improve accountability

• establish a coherent training, accreditation and certification system based on continuous development

• provide a model for the professionalisation of future water sector careers.

Ensuring professionalisation

Professionalisation, however, did not come easily. WISA first needed to apply to the South African Qualifications Authority to become recognised as a professional body – a status that was awarded to WISA in 2013. Given the need to improve their status and the process of capacity building and classification, process controllers were identified as the first designation to be professionalised by WISA – the ‘Pr. PC Water’ designation. This task required a

technical task team to be established to provide inputs into the awarding criteria, the development of new qualifications, and alignment of the classification and registration processes to these.

As it currently stands, the Pr. PC Water designation is awarded to anyone who: is involved in process management, operations and control (chemical, biological or physical processes), process consultancy and/or advisory activities, process engineering design (civil/mechanical/chemical), process monitoring and/or analysis (physical, chemical and microbiological properties), site-specific process training, mentoring and/or coaching, or research and development of new technology; who holds an NQF 6 qualification; and who has a minimum of eight years’ postqualification experience in the field of process control.

Ongoing development

As with all professional designations, continuing professional development (CPD) plays a key role in ensuring that professional members keep on improving their skills and stay up to date with the

*Farouk Robertson is interim national chairperson of WISA’s Process Controller division and chairperson of the Western Cape Process Controller division. Dewald van Staden is WISA’s national process controller training coordinator.

latest technologies. As such, the division’s focus is now shifting from the criteria used to award the Pr. PC Water designation to the development of relevant CPD courses and programmes.

Another interesting initiative in the Pr. PC Water space is linked to WISA’s intention to promote the dissemination of knowledge. With this in mind, registered professionals are encouraged to be actively involved in the writing and submission of articles or opinion pieces that could be used in WISAendorsed publications or in the mentoring and coaching of other process controllers. This is aimed at ensuring our professionals give back to the sector, give back to other process controllers and, overall, improve the way in which we exercise control over this precious resource we have the responsibility of caring for.

The process for water-use licence applications (WuLAs) is improving, with an online system being put in place by the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS).

EWULAAS for the win

Water is a complex field and everyone involved is on a steep learning curve with the stringent new licensing system,” says Jacky Burke, SRK Consulting’s principal environmental scientist and leader of SRK’s WULA Group in Johannesburg.

However, Burke and her team say the new Electronic Water Use Licence Application and Authorisation System (Ewulaas) promises to be a great improvement on the original paper-based system.

Although the system has experienced teething problems while the DWS works to iron out challenges, it offers a more streamlined and manageable process.

The web-based Ewulaas system follows a logical, three-step process flow, explains Avril Owens, senior environmental scientist, SRK:

1. Pre-application

2. Supporting documents and water-use forms

3. Technical report and additional specialist information for DWS decision-making.

The emphasis with this process is on making the financial and time investment early in the application process.

“Among the advantages is the ability to generate a summary of water uses per farm prior to phase one submission, which provides a check and highlights gaps in the application; also, the submission can be tracked online, providing more transparency on its progress,” says Owens.

As with any new system, there were bound to be teething issues, but SRK maintained close working links with the DWS to help ensure the system works optimally.

“There is no doubt that this is a better way to go – with applicants knowing that all the information is there, that nothing can get lost, and that the process can be tracked,” says Owens. “There is obviously also a human element to the system and, as users, we also have to play a constructive role in keeping everyone to the deadlines.”

Right from the start Owens emphasises the importance of the pre-application phase, in which applicants meet with the DWS to clarify their way forward. In fact, most of the preparation work is required to be completed before the online submission process can begin.

SRK’s water-use licence

It is important for applicants to be aware that site-specific environmental impact assessments and specialist studies may need to be conducted, says Didi Masoabi, principal environmental scientist, SRK.

“Public participation is also an important element of a WULA, as interested and affected parties need to be informed about what you plan to do and how it may impact them,” says Masoabi. “Depending on the size of your project, the DWS may need more information on how you intend to communicate with the public about your project.”

Burke adds that it is vital for WUL applicants to have the findings of their studies thoroughly reviewed by experienced experts to minimise the potential for unreasonable conditions in the WUL, based on specific specialist findings.

Ultimately, Ewulaas promises many benefits over the old system, and Burke and her team believe the industry should get on board with the new WUL system.

experts (left to right): Megan Govender, Jacky Burke, Bjorn Schroder, Avril Owens, Didi Masoabi, Giulia Barr and Angelika Mohr

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WISA 2018 a great future for the water sector

When Cape Town was chosen as the venue for the 2018 conference, the region had already begun to show signs of the drought, but in the two years since the last event, this has intensified. For the WISA 2018 organising team, this has been an opportunity, rather than a challenge.

“We believe that a good crisis should never be wasted,” says Jason Mingo, chair of the Technical Committee. “The central theme of the conference – ‘Breaking barriers, Connecting ideas’ – is all about addressing past, existing and future water resource challenges and it is particularly relevant as we are seeing the increasing impact of climate change and its associated extreme weather events.”

A record number of abstracts were submitted for consideration, and the final programme includes a stellar line-up of 170 speakers who have been chosen for their innovative ideas and approaches. Keynote speakers include:

• Professor Tony Wong, chief executive of the Cooperative Research Centre for Water Sensitive Cities, with research hubs in Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Singapore

• Samantha Yates, secretary general of the Global Water Leaders Group, which

spearheads initiatives for, and research about, water utility performance and innovation amongst the Group’s network of utility CEOs and water ministers from around one hundred countries

• Dr Silver Mugisha, managing director of National Water and Sewerage Corporation, Uganda. He has over 20 years’ experience in water utility operations, international policy, research and advisory services.

in discussion with the health and safety representatives to allow for the inclusion of an extra 20 stands.

Rainfall in April is a key indicator of the expected winter rainfall, but even if it is higher than average, Cape Town still faces a severely water-challenged future. WISA 2018 is ensuring that the impact of the conference will be minimal.

Local, regional and global challenges to our water supply mean that there has never been a more exciting and challenging time to be involved in the water sector, or a better time to hold the WISA Biennial Conference.

“I believe that we will look back at WISA 2018 and see it as the beginning of a new approach to the management of water in South Africa and beyond our borders,” says Mingo.

An indication of the relevance of the conference to the industry as a whole has been the huge demand for exhibition space. By the beginning of April, three months before the event, all the exhibition space was sold out, and the organisers were

Rand Water is sponsoring 15 000 bottles of water and the Water Research Commission is sponsoring water coolers. In both cases, the water will be sourced from outside the Western Cape. The plastic from the bottles will go into the CTICC’s recycling system. Other impact-reduction initiatives should be finalised before the conference starts on June 24.

Register for the conference at www.wisa2018.org.za/register if you haven’t done so already. Standard booking rates are available until the end of May.

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