Complete water resource and wastewater management
supervises US$250 million Zambian water project
N chle SS T ech N ology Key project considerations
Proce SS co NT rol The power of data
“We look forward to growing our market share, enabling us to make a larger difference in the water management industry. ” Sihle Ndlovu and Sbonelo
P10
Unmet efficiency with up to 10%-20% energy cost reduction
Super high flow rate
Designed for superior cavitation resistance
High regulation capabilities
A five-year, US$250 million water services expansion project in the Zambian capital of Lusaka involving Mariswe – a South African project management, infrastructure planning and consulting engineering practice –is nearing completion. P6
Inzalo capital Holdings recently acquired the majority share in leading smart water management company Utility Systems. Shareholders Sihle ndlovu and Sbonelo Mazibuko discuss the acquisition and how it strengthens Utility Systems’ position in market. P10
editor Danielle Petterson
Managing editor Alastair Currie
head of design Beren Bauermeister
Designer Jaclyn Dollenberg
Chief sub-editor Tristan Snijders
Contributors Lester Goldman, Alaster Goyns
Derek Hazelton, Dr Michele Kruger, Ayesha Laher, Dewald van Staden, Achim Wurster
operations & production manager Antois-Leigh Botma
Production coordinator Jacqueline Modise
Distribution manager Nomsa Masina
Distribution coordinator Asha Pursotham
Financial manager Andrew Lobban
Printers Paarl Media KZN
advertising sales Hanlie Fintelman
t +27 (0)11 467 6223 | c +27 (0)82 338 2266 h.fintelman@telkomsa.net
Publisher Jacques Breytenbach
Novus Print (Pty) Ltd t/a 3S Media
46 Milkyway Avenue, Frankenwald, 2090 PO Box 92026, Norwood 2117
Tel: +27 (0)11 233 2600 Fax: +27 (0)11 234 7274/5 www.3smedia.co.za
ISSN: 1990 - 8857
Annual subscription: R330 (SA rate) subs@3smedia.co.za
Copyright 2019. All rights reserved. All articles herein are copyright protected and may not be reproduced either in whole or in part without the prior written permission of the publishers. The views of contributors do not necessarily reflect those of the Water Institute of Southern 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 Website: www.wisa.org.za
BRaNChes
central Branch (Free State, Northern Cape, North West)
chairperson: Dr Leana Esterhuizen company: Central University of Technology
Tel: +27 (0)51 507 3850 email: lesterhu@cut.ac.za
eastern cape: Branch contact: Dan Abrahams company: Aurecon
Tel: +27 (0)41 503 3929 cell: +27 (0) 81 289 1624 email: Dan.Abraham@aurecongroup.com
Gauteng
Branch Lead: Zoe Gebhardt cell: +27 (0)82 3580876 email: zoe.gebhardt@gmail.com
KwaZulu-Natal
chairperson: Lindelani Sibiya company: Umgeni Water cell: +27 (0)82 928 1081 email: lindelani.sibiya@umgeni.co.za
Limpopo chairperson: Mpho Chokolo company: Lepelle Northern Water cell: +27 (0)72 310 7576 email: mphoc@lepelle.co.za
Mpumalanga
Chairperson: Lihle Mbatha (Acting)
Company: Inkomati-Usuthu Catchment Management Agency
Tel: +27 (0)13 753 9000
Email: mbathat@iucma.co.za
Western cape chairperson: Natasia van Binsbergen company: AL Abbott & Associates
Tel: +27 (0)21 448 6340 cell: +27 (0)83 326 3887
email: natasia@alabbott.co.za
Namibia
Please contact the WISA Head Office on admin@wisa.org.za for more information
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The recent Sunfoil oil spillage in the Msunduzi River has shone the spotlight on a problem well known to many South African water sector professionals – the declining state of our dams and rivers.
Noted as a major ecological disaster, the collapse of a tank at Sunfoil resulted in around 1.6 million litres of fatty oils and caustic soda spilling into the river, killing fish and allegedly affecting cattle and other animals downstream. While the matter has received a great deal of media attention, it is worth noting that the declining state of rivers and dams across the country is not getting the attention it deserves.
The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) states in its National Water and Sanitation Master Plan (NW&SMP) that between 1999 and 2011, river health deteriorated across all of South Africa’s nine water management areas. Worse still, the extent of main rivers in a poor ecological condition increased by 500% during the same period, with many pushed beyond the point of recovery. The extent of tributaries in a poor ecological condition increased by 229% and it is estimated that South Africa has lost over 50% of its wetlands.
The plan clearly states: “Deteriorating water quality is putting human and animal health at risk, impacting negatively on aquatic ecosystems, and imposing significant costs on the economy.”
Why then is the problem still so prevalent?
citizens take action
In the absence of government intervention, we’ve seen the rise of citizen science, with numerous groups being formed to protect and restore our natural resources. One such example is FRESH (Fountain River Environmental Sanctuary Hennops), which is fighting to restore the Hennops River in Gauteng. Aside from organising clean-ups and educating communities along the river, the group
has been lobbying municipalities around the state of WWTWs, which they allege release raw or insufficiently treated sewage into the river.
This is not the first we’ve heard of such instances. We are all well aware of the problems with water quality in the Vaal and Hartbeespoort dams, and work is still under way to address the Emfuleni disaster. Recent reports have also highlighted Roodeplaat Dam, which is allegedly in decline as a result of raw or partially treated sewage discharged through WWTWs into the Pienaars River.
There is little doubt that these are the tip of the iceberg. How do we claw our way back from a 500% decline in river quality? And can we afford to write off those rivers considered beyond the point of recovery?
a new way of thinking
Late last year, Sibusiso Mthembu, regional head, DWS, make an interesting comment. Speaking at a SA Human Rights Commission inquiry into the sewage polluting the Vaal River, Mthembu questioned whether water and sanitation infrastructure should be declared a national key point in order to mobilise financial and physical resources to address the challenge of pollution.
Although the vast extent of our water and sanitation infrastructure would be prohibitive in declaring it a national key point, it is an interesting thought. Our water and sanitation infrastructure should be treated with the same level of importance as national key points; after all, water is life. Our natural ecosystems are under threat and if action is not taken soon, our water systems may all be pushed beyond the point of recovery.
In each issue, Water&Sanitation Africa offers companies the opportunity to get to the front of the line by placing a company, product or service on the front cover of the magazine. Buying this position will afford the advertiser the cover story and maximum exposure. For more information, contact Hanlie Fintelman on +27 (0)11 467 6223, or email h.fintelman@telkomsa.net.
A five-year, US$250 million water services expansion project in the Zambian capital of Lusaka involving Mariswe – a South African project management, infrastructure planning and consulting engineering practice – is nearing completion.
The appointment of Mariswe South Africa (formerly UWP Consulting) as the construction supervision engineer against strong international competition was significant as a test case for the South African water and sanitation sector.
The Lusaka Water Supply, Sanitation and Drainage (LWSSD) project was conceived to provide access to clean and safe water supply and adequate sanitation for more than a million residents of the Zambian capital, as well as improve stormwater drainage infrastructure for the city.
Lusaka is a fast-growing city with a population of about 2.5 million, many unplanned settlements and widespread poverty. Inadequate and poorly maintained drainage infrastructure led to extensive flooding during the rainy season.
In 2015, some 70% of residents had access to treated water supply and only 30% to waterborne sanitation. Nonrevenue water stood at an unacceptable 48% of total water delivered to the distribution network, due to leakage, bursting of old pipes, illegal connections, inadequate metering and vandalism.
The LWSSD project was funded by a $355 million grant by the Millennium Challenge Corporation, a US donor funding agency, together with an amount of $57.5 million provided by the government of Zambia. Its primary goals were:
• to recapitalise water supply and sanitation infrastructure in the city and to scale up water provisions in unplanned settlements
• to reduce the effects of flooding during heavy rains, including the disruption of social services, property damage, increased vulnerability to disease, and loss of business and life
• to reduce non-revenue water from 48% to 25%
• to improve health and alleviate poverty by eliminating waterborne diseases.
The Zambian government established Millennium Challenge Account-Zambia
(MCA-Zambia) to procure detail design engineers, resettlement implementation consultants, programme managers and the construction supervision engineer, as well as the contractors required to deliver the LWSSD project goals.
The project was divided into nine construction packages (CPs) for the provision of water supply, sanitation and stormwater management infrastructure in and around Lusaka. MCA-Zambia procured the services of six international contractors, as per Table 1.
1 Rehabilitation of Iolanda Water Treatment Works, as well as primary potable water transmission and distribution centres Denys (Belgium)
2 Lusaka primary potable water distribution backbone strengthening Denys (Belgium)
3 Water and sewer reticulation in the high-density settlements of Kamanga, Mtendere, Kaunda Square and Chelston Elevolution (Portugal)
4 Expansion of Kaunda Square Wastewater Stabilisation Ponds Mota-Engil (Portugal)
5 Water source development, treatment, storage, and reticulation in Ndeke, Kwamwena, SOS Village, Chipata and Ng’ombe Unik (China)
6* Replacement of Lusaka Water and Sewerage Company water supply infrastructure to improve reliability of supply in 14 metering districts of Lusaka Elevolution (Portugal)
7 Improvement of Bombay Drainage System (north) CMC (Italy)
8 Improvement of Bombay Drainage System (south) CMC (Italy)
9 CP 9 not funded
10 Improvement of the Mazyopa Drainage system Gabriel Couto (Portugal)
*CP6 was not part of Mariswe’s scope
Mariswe was appointed by MCA-Zambia as construction supervision engineer (CSE) for eight of the nine construction packages, with an aggregate value of more than $220 million. In broad terms, the scope of works supervised by Mariswe included:
• Water supply infrastructure – bulk supply pipelines, reticulation, refurbishment of abstraction and booster pump stations, water treatment plants, construction of new reservoirs and refurbishment of existing reservoirs at water distribution centres, water reticulation networks, water kiosks in high-density settlements, as well as the drilling and equipping of boreholes.
• Sanitation infrastructure – reticulation networks, pump stations and treatment ponds.
• Stormwater drainage infrastructure – extensive system comprising approximately 30 km of large concretelined stormwater drainage channels, as well as trash traps, culverts and canal crossings.
The fee value of Mariswe’s appointment is currently about $24 million, making this the single largest project undertaken by the firm in its 47-year history. In addition to oversight and verification of the construction work against the plans and specifications, project schedule and budget, Mariswe has supported MCAZambia in managing and implementing the overall project.
In particular, Mariswe has been extensively involved in the determination of about 200 contractual claims and assisted MCA-Zambia in resolving disputes with the works contractors.
Mariswe started work as CSE in July 2015. The appointment was due to end on 15 November 2018 but was extended due to delays on the three larger construction contracts.
According to Rod Stewart, divisional head: Management Services, Mariswe, the firm’s involvement is expected to continue until mid-2021.
Mariswe assembled a 70-strong multinational team in Lusaka, including a strong contingent of Zambians, as well as South Africans, Zimbabweans, Ethiopians, Tanzanians and representatives from England, the DRC and the Philippines. This team includes engineers and engineering
technicians, planners, quantity surveyors, a contract law specialist, health and safety managers and a large team of health and safety officers, an environmental specialist, and a social and gender specialist.
“Construction of large civil infrastructure across a busy African city is very challenging, exacerbated by the discovery of innumerable unmapped and often illegal/informal electrical, communications, water and sewer services,” says Stewart.
“Mariswe has managed the activities of six different international contractors –one Chinese, one Belgian, one Italian and three Portuguese.”
Issues that were faced on an almost daily basis included dealing with numerous contractual claims, satisfying the (sometimes conflicting) requirements of the many parties involved in managing the project, and dealing with challenging logistics and local legislative requirements.
“The management of ‘projectaffected persons’ or PAPs was particularly taxing,” Stewart adds. “Large-scale new construction in densely populated areas unavoidably impacts lives and each PAP necessarily considered their own problem to be the most deserving of (immediate) attention.”
Difficulties during construction include the ribbon development, which results in working in confined corridors through populated areas.
“Sewer trenches up to 5 m deep are being constructed within narrow, 3 m wide corridors through the streets of Mtendere,” says Mariswe’s on-site team leader, Tom Rule.
“The entire annual rainfall of around 900 mm falls between midNovember and the end of March, so the water table is extremely high during, and for some months after, the rainy season.”
“To say that Mariswe has benefitted from its involvement in the Lusaka water project is an understatement,” Stewart concludes. “The project has provided first-hand experience of what is required to undertake a major internationally funded project as lead consultant in a foreign country.”
This was not Mariswe’s first large water services appointment outside
South Africa. The $30 million Lower Ruvu Water Treatment Plant expansion serving Dar es Salaam in Tanzania was successfully commissioned in 2014, with Mariswe as lead consultant. These two projects have illustrated Mariswe’s capabilities in the water segment, putting the company firmly on the African water services map.
www.mariswe.com
Natural resource management – which refers to the management of natural resources like land, water, soil, plants and animals – requires an intensified and renewed focus, as we see how recent ecological disasters affect our rivers, dams and adjacent communities. by
Dr lester Goldman
When it comes to natural resource management, we should focus in particular on how management affects the quality of life for both present and future generations. This water stewardship should bring together land-use planning, water management, biodiversity conservation, and the future sustainability of industries like agriculture, mining, tourism, fisheries and forestry. It must ensure that people and their livelihoods rely on the health and productivity of our environment, and their actions, as stewards of the land, play a critical role in maintaining this health and productivity.
a complex task
We have almost become desensitised to the numerous ecological disasters, like municipal sewage spills, manufacturing toxic spills and other ecologically damaging events, many caused by poor maintenance and operations at our treatment plants.
We understand that natural
resource management issues are inherently complex, as they involve the ecological cycles, hydrological cycles, climate, animals, plants and geography, and so forth. All these are dynamic and inter-related and a change in one of them may have far-reaching, long-term, and potentially irreversible impacts. In addition to the natural systems, natural resource management also has to manage various stakeholders and their interests, policies, politics, geographical boundaries, economic implications and more.
It is a very difficult to satisfy all aspects at the same time; however, we cannot afford to lose focus on this. We have to ensure that all stakeholders are involved, but also that they cooperate and collaborate. Unfortunately, we see too often that various government agencies do not cooperate sufficiently, often as a result of operating in silos and a ‘protection of turf’ mentality. When the environment is impacted, this typically results in an enhanced lack of accountability.
WiSa’s role
At WISA, we have been reaching out to many different government agencies and ministries to join our networking sessions. We have been hugely impressed by some of the efforts that have been
Dr lester Goldman, CeO, WISa
shared during these sessions, particularly the common desire for increased collaboration across government departments. We will continue to invite and network with various departments like Environmental Affairs, Mineral Resources, Agriculture, Energy, etc., as we realise that our environment, and our water, cannot be managed through any myopic outlook.
As a WISA member, please invite your colleagues from these other government agencies to WISA’s and other related networking opportunities, so that we may identify opportunities in which we can assist and support each other. Let us improve this cycle of collaboration and cooperation simply by extending the invitation, and through mutual learning.
Lastly, I applaud the efforts that our various divisions put into Women’s Month events as we celebrated and honoured all women during August. We recognise that society must further improve efforts to increase diversity, and we highly admire the strength and leadership the women in our sector portray. To quote Hillary Clinton: “Women are the largest untapped reservoir of talent in the world.”
Our Constitution guarantees access to sufficient water for every person living in South Africa; however, the Constitution cannot make it rain, build and maintain infrastructure, nor run the treatment plants that are required to give effect to this constitutional mandate. So, how do we cost-effectively optimise the value we derive from a limited natural resource while meeting the constitutional mandate?
by achim Wurster
The NationalWater andSanitationMasterPlan (NW&SMP),Volume1:Callto Action , provides a plan to give effect to the constitutional guarantee of access to water for all and makes for very interesting reading. The first page starts off with the sentence, “South Africa is facing a water crisis”. This frank acknowledgement of the reality that many South Africans are already dealing with is welcomed.
Significant progress was made over the past couple of decades to improve waterrelated service delivery. With 3 million people still without access to a basic water supply and 14.1 million people still without access to safe sanitation, progress appears to have stalled, but this is partially due to continuous population growth and urbanisation. An additional factor that has an ever-increasing impact is that the reliable natural yield of most of our catchments is fully utilised and, if no action is taken, a 17% water deficit is projected for the year 2030.
On top of this is the ever-declining water quality in our catchments, due in part to increased diffuse pollution loads and illegal or accidental discharges, but
also due to the 56% of existing wastewater treatment works that are in a poor, critical or completely dysfunctional condition. South Africa has also lost over 50% of its wetlands, with a third of our remaining wetlands in a poor condition.
All of this contributed to the 500% increase in the extent of main rivers in South Africa being classified as having a poor ecological condition between 1999 and 2011. Water resources with degraded water quality, in turn, add significant treatment costs at either the water treatment works or the end-user. With 44% of water treatment works in a poor, critical or dysfunctional condition, negative health and related costs are increasingly impacting on the end-users.
If government fails to provide both a reliable and reasonably priced supply of good-quality water, it will leave the public vulnerable to exploitation, as others use the situation to fill the void.
The NW&SMP offers a comprehensive list of technical, institutional and regulatory interventions that are required to ensure a secure and safe water supply for the period up to 2030. The list includes the Department of Water and Sanitation
(DWS) critically evaluating how it can be restructured to reduce conflict of interest inherent in its current structure and functions, as well as to make it more cost-effective and responsive to ensure improved service delivery. These efforts are strongly supported.
I am reasonably confident that if the NW&SMP is fully implemented, the DWS will be successful in ensuring a reliable and sufficient water supply for the period up to 2030. There are many examples in the rest of the world where similar challenges have been overcome; however, I foresee two major challenges that I urge the DWS and our readers to consider in greater depth.
The first challenge, as stated in the NW&SMP, is: “Without demand management, currently planned infrastructure development and the broadening of the water mix will not be sufficient to balance supply and demand.”
The requirements to effectively implement demand management through interaction with society at large are, in my opinion, being underestimated. If we are to get the public and all other major water users to actively participate in this effort, then a well-planned and wide-reaching public information and participation campaign will be required.
This campaign must openly provide trustworthy facts and compare options and consequences, including costs, providing a factual basis for decision-making.
The concerns of the public must be heard and genuinely taken into account. Only this will build public confidence in the selected options. The alternative is that public and other stakeholders continue with the status quo, do not trust government, and protest when their quality of life inevitably suffers, as either security of supply diminishes or the cost of water increases excessively.
The second challenge stated in the NW&SMP is that, “Water is severely under-priced and cost recovery is not being achieved. To achieve water security, an estimated capital funding gap of around R33 billion per annum for the next 10 years must be closed.” The total required funding is approximately R90 billion per annum.
Given the current state of government finances, we are unlikely to have that full amount available. The public will also resist significant price increases with only moderately above-inflation price increases likely to find public acceptance, given the slow economic growth and high unemployment rate. So, optimising the results with the little funding available will be essential.
Government does not have the capacity to cost-effectively implement all of the required infrastructure on its own and will require private sector assistance. This necessitates wellstructured and fair open-market tendering and contracts, as well as excellence in project planning and execution, in order to achieve the goals of the NW&SMP and gain the lower-cost benefits that can be provided by properly executed competitive private sector projects.
WISA – as an organisation, and together with its members and member companies – is ready to help realise the goals of the NW&SMP. Only teamwork will get us where we want to be as a society, so, borrowing from the WISA 2020 conference theme, I propose that a fair and equitable supply of water of the right quality, at a sustainable cost, for all, as per our Constitution, requires #AllHandsOnDeck!
LONGER SERVICE LIFE crack resistant PE 100-RC
HIGH ECONOMIC EFFICIENCY sandbed-free installation
LASTING CONNECTIONS better welding results
COMPLETE PIPING SYSTEM for gas, water and waste water
Inzalo Capital Holdings recently acquired the majority share in leading smart water management company Utility Systems. Water&Sanitation a frica spoke to shareholders Sihle Ndlovu and Sbonelo Mazibuko about the acquisition and how it strengthens Utility Systems’ position in the market.
What prompted inzalo capital Holdings to acquire Utility Systems?
SN & SM As the shareholders of Inzalo Capital Holdings, we are passionate about the preservation of the world’s most valuable resource, water, and we noted the difference we could make by partnering with Utility Systems, which has managed to change the status quo of the smart water management industry.
Tell us more about inzalo capital Holdings. The two of us lead Inzalo and have substantial experience in the economic development and management of resources, as well as academic accolades to support their strategic leadership of the business. We
have both worked with Utility Systems and Amanzi Meters and saw an opportunity to be more invested and make a greater impact in the water management industry.
How does this acquisition strengthen the position of Utility Systems in the market?
Over the past few years, Utility Systems has come under intense pressure to transform and become more compliant with B-BBEE legislation in order to continue operating at a competitive level within the local economy. This was further reinforced by the Preferential Procurement Regulations released in January 2017, which allow an organ of the state to set prequalification
criteria for any tender released, including a stipulated minimum B-BBEE status.
What are some of Utility Systems’ leading products?
At the heart of the Utility Systems smart metering solution is the water management device. When connected to a water meter, the solution is capable of flow limitation, prepaid metering based on standard transfer specifications, and bulk water management.
South africa’s water systems are facing increasing pressure. How can smart metering systems help to address the challenge?
The richness of these solutions comes from the data they provide. For example, non-revenue water losses have a material impact on municipalities’ electricity consumption, because the cost of potable water (nearly) always includes a power component (pumping, effluent treatment, sewage works, etc.). By better understanding these relationships, municipalities will be better able to manage their assets in a more
integrated, sustainable manner and improve strategic planning.
Where does prepaid metering fit into the picture?
The Utility Systems prepaid water metering solution is an extremely versatile smart metering solution that addresses most metering challenges. It assists with the prevention of water wastage and aids the process of accurate water balancing. Water services providers can expect increased revenue collection with this solution, while consumers enjoy the many benefits associated with having visibility
of their water consumption.
can you provide some examples of where your systems have been successfully implemented?
Utility Systems’ products and solutions have been successfully implemented in various municipalities and cities across the country, such as the City of Johannesburg, eThekwini and Mangaung, to name just a few. However, Utility Systems is especially proud to be a part of the water-saving success of the City of Cape Town, through the implementation of water management devices. We have a long-standing relationship with the municipality through our distribution network and have delivered
over 300 000 devices to the City since inception of the relationship.
What is your vision for the company going forward?
We look forward to growing our market share, enabling us to make a larger difference in the water management industry. We plan to bring the final pieces of our manufacturing process in-house, empowering us to have complete control over the quality of our products.
What new developments can we expect from Utility Systems in the year ahead?
This year, Utility Systems will launch an extended range of bulk water management options in the following sizes: 40 mm, 50 mm, 80 mm,
100 mm, 150 mm and 200 mm. By the end of the year, Utility Systems devices will be able to connect to the world’s largest internet of things networks, including SigFox, LoRa, Wireless M-BUS and NB-IoT. www.utility-systems.co.za
The International Young Water Professionals Conference (IYWPC) took place in Toronto, Canada, from 23 to 27 June 2019. It was organised by the International Water Association (IWA), Canadian Young Water Professionals, Canadian Water and Wastewater Association (CWWA), and the Canadian Water Quality Association (CWQA).
Toronto was the perfect destination for the conference, situated on the shores of Lake Ontario – the largest freshwater resource in the world. It is Canada’s largest city and a hub for business, entertainment, and world-class scientific research. Toronto is highly regarded as one of the most multicultural, diverse, and cosmopolitan cities in the world.
This conference brought together close to 300 water and environment young professionals from across the globe and 11 participants from South Africa. The event showcased how young water professionals are making an impact across the sector as well as offered capacity development and training sessions to further upskill our future water leaders to tackle the demands from the water sector. This conference is one of the vehicles through which IWA supports young water professionals (YWPs) to develop themselves to be at the forefront of decision-making.
Through the offering of technical paper sessions, topical workshops, soft-skill learning sessions, networking opportunities, and a career fair, the IYWPC was a ’must-attend’ event for the global network of YWPs, especially for those wanting to build their network and progress further in the water sector. The main theme for the conference
was empowering future water leaders and focused on topics such as cities of the future, basins of the future, and water and sanitation services. The event was sponsored by a number of local and international companies such as Xylem, Trojan Technologies, Stantec, as well as the University of Toronto, Western Engineering and Ryerson University, where the conference was held.
Lloyd Fisher-Jeffes and Lee-Ann Modley, both from the YWP-ZA national committee, attended and delivered presentations on lessons from the Cape Town water crisis and community engagement perceptions in Tembisa township in South Africa, respectively.
Modley presented in the stakeholder engagement session, which focused mainly on stakeholder engagement challenges, public perceptions and water needs in poverty-stricken areas. This session looked at issues from studies conducted in various countries such as Chile, Germany, Haiti, New Zealand, South Africa and Thailand. It was interesting to see that although we are situated in different parts of the world, the challenges and issues related to water are similar in each country, which again emphasised the importance of learning from the lessons of our global counterparts.
Besides being a must-attend event for network development, there were many opportunities for some lightheartedness,
networking and building long-term connections with like-minded peers in the sector. The opportunity to build and expand one's network is considered the top motivation for YWPs’ participation at the IYWPC. Thus, several networking opportunities were organised for the week in Toronto. A special session was arranged for YWP IWA chapters representing different countries. At this session, 10 countries were represented, which included representatives from Albania, Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, Germany, Ghana, the Netherlands, South Africa and Sweden. Each YWP representative had the opportunity to exchange learnings and share successes from their country’s perspective.
The conference ended on a light note, with a variety of technical tours. This took place on the last day of the conference and, although it was slightly less formal, there was yet again a vast amount of knowledge and insight gained about Toronto and its fascinating history. There was a choice of two technical tours – one being a tour of Toronto's urban ecosystem and the other focusing on wastewater treatment facilities (Oakville Southwest Wastewater Treatment Plant). This technical tour ended with a trip to the Niagara Falls, which allowed delegates to explore the falls, engage in talks with locals about the different features and finally reflect on the complexity of this water resource.
The 9th IYWPC was a great success: it provided a perfect balance between developing new skills, learning from similar projects specifically in terms of community engagement in vulnerable communities and water resource management, creating new networks and opportunities to grow, learn and be creative in an open environment.
The conference delivered a great wealth of knowledge on burning topics such as the role of young professionals in
achieving sustainable development goals, implementing new ways to bridge the gap between industry and research, digital disruption and water services, as well as community mobilisation.
YWPs from South Africa left the conference with not only a different viewpoint on global issues in the water sector but also more diverse perspectives on wastewater treatment advances, urban water resilience, diversity and inclusion fundamentals. These aspects not
only added to the development of YWP delegates but can also now be tailored to fit the South African context. This will also greatly help us, as the YWPs of South Africa, contribute more efficiently to our organisations by implementing our new-found knowledge on conducting more effective stakeholder engagements, improving our water resource management strategies, and finding novel ways to bridge the gaps between industry and academia.
The Water Institute of Southern Africa’s Young Water Professionals hosted a media launch on 25 June 2019 at the Durban ICC. The objective of the media launch was to promote the 6th South African Young Water Professionals Biennial Conference, which will take place from 20 to 23 October. The launch was a success, with 40 media houses present at the event.
The media launch was hosted in partnership with the conference anchor
sponsor, Umgeni Water, represented by CEO Thami Hlongwa, his executive committee, as well as Umgeni Water young professionals. Host city eThekwini was in full support of the launch and was represented by Cllr Thinta Cibane, who was one of the speakers at the event. Among other distinguished guests was the head of eThekwini Water and Sanitation.
Preyan Arumugam-Nanoolal, a member of the YWP local organising committee, directed the programme. During his speech, opening speaker and YWP conference chair Lindelani Sibiya gave insight into the conference as well as who we are as the YWP-ZA. He also extended his gratitude to the Umgeni Water executive team for its support in investing in young professionals in the water sector through its conference sponsorship.
Hlongwa emphasised Umgeni Water’s commitment to the conference and, in doing so, nurturing young talent, while Cllr Cibane brought to our attention eThekwini’s challenges with various water leakages and the need to educate the public about water conservation. It was clear that through empowering young water professionals, this, in turn, results
in the transfer of skills, which is beneficial to the public. The event ended with a Q&A session, providing an opportunity for comments and questions to the speakers. There was a general concern about skills transfer from the audience.
Some of the questions that were raised included how organisations are ensuring that skills are transferred from the older generation to young water professionals to preserve the wealth of knowledge and experience of the older employees; and what plans are in place to address and educate communities on water conservation, while also instilling the culture of paying for water.
The overall response to these questions was that, strategies are being put in place, such as the young professionals initiative at Umgeni Water, which is aimed at empowering and mentoring young professionals in the organisation. However, it was noted that more work is needed to educate the public on water preservation. The discussions and interactions between young water professionals, the media and the distinguished guests continued right through the breakfast, which was served at the end of the launch.
37%
Bringing water to Luanda Angola has received a package worth US$1.32 billion (R20.32 billion) from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development to support its efforts to promote more inclusive growth, improve water services, and strengthen the national social protection system.
Among the projects that will receive financing is the Luanda Bita Water Supply Project, which will improve access to clean water service in selected areas of Luanda.
Grand Eweng project to go ahead
The Republic of Cameroon, Hydromine and Eneo Cameroon recently signed a letter of intent for the Grand Eweng hydropower project in Cameroon.
Grand Eweng is under development by Hydromine as an independent power producer (IPP) in cooperation with the Government of Cameroon. It is one of sub-Saharan Africa’s largest private-sector-led power projects.
The Grand Eweng project includes the development, design, financing, construction and operation of a hydropower plant on the Sanaga River, between Yaoundé and Douala in
Only 37% of Luanda’s population benefits from connected water services
The $500 million (R7.96 billion) Bita Water Supply Project Guarantee will improve access to clean water service by mobilising commercial financing for the government. The first phase consists of investments in water production, transmission, storage and distribution, including a water treatment plant with a production capacity of 3 m3/s, 72 km of gravity transmission pipelines towards Luanda, and storage and distribution systems in the suburban districts of Bita, Cabolombo, Mundial and Ramiros.
The Bita Project will initially
bring new or improved piped water service to an estimated 1 million people in the fast-growing, unserved urban and peri-urban belts of south Luanda, with capacity to serve up to two million people in the coming years.
Only about 37% of Luanda’s seven million people currently benefit from connected service from the network, while another 22% get water from public standpipes. The rest rely on unregulated and extremely costly private tanker truck services (25%), or consume water drawn from illegal connections or from untreated river sources (16%).
A first for Kenya’s water sector
Kenya’s longest water tunnel will soon to be completed, boosting water levels at the Ndakaini Dam and increasing water supply to Nairobi by 140 million litres per day.
The Northern Water Collector Tunnel, set for completion in March 2020, comprises an 11.8 km water diversion tunnel from Maragua River to Ndakaini Dam. Hailed as the first of its kind, the tunnel means that water will be transported underground, without interfering with the general environment, for the first time in Kenya.
140 million
ℓ/day
the eastern Littoral Region.
The project consists of a dam and reservoir with a hydroelectric facility, and will be financed and commissioned in phases. The first phase is expected to add up to approximately 1 000 MW of installed capacity producing over 7 000 GWh average annual energy generation. The full future potential installed capacity of the site will be up to 1 800 MW producing 9 000 GWh average annual energy generation useful for clean peaking power. This power will contribute to meeting Cameroon’s national electricity demand, which is expected to be more than 3 300 MW by 2030 and may reach 4 000 MW with high growth.
The development of hydroelectric infrastructure and the increase in electrical supply is central to Cameroon’s goal of becoming an emerging country by 2035 and fostering growth in employment and living standards.
Grand Eweng builds on Cameroon’s successful 20-year track record of private power infrastructure investment. The Grand Eweng project will benefit Cameroonians by lowering the cost and increasing the reliability of electricity, enabling industrialisation and economic growth. Grand Eweng could also eliminate polluting oil-based power generation and optimise the management of the country’s water resources.
Supporting agriculture through water
The government of Senegal has been granted a €87 million (R1.485 billion) loan by the African Development Bank (AfDB) to implement its Project to Improve the Water Supply for the Development of Value Chains (Provale-CV). The project, which is valued at an estimated
Waterborne disease runs rampant
Harare is battling an outbreak of waterborne disease, with 858 new cases of typhoid recorded between January and June 2019, together with a surge in diarrhoea cases. The local authority has acknowledged that the outbreak is due to its failure to constantly supply clean water and delays in attending
858 cases
€122 million (R2.082 billion), aims to sustainably increase agricultural production, employment and incomes in rural areas through the use of surface and underground water. It comprises the management of 12 730 ha, including 7 950 ha fed by retention dams, 3 980 recovered hectares, 800 ha of borehole-fed market gardens, production roadways, warehouses and
pastoral infrastructure. This project will have a direct impact on 38 000 households, or about 300 000 people. The actions planned for the project will help to create 28 000 decent jobs, 30% of which will be for women and 40% for young people, together with an average increase in earnings from agricultural production of around €1 520 (R26 950) per beneficiary.
Developed with the support of the AfDB, Provale-CV is the first project under Senegal’s small-scale Local Irrigation National Development Programme. It operates in three agro-ecological areas in the country – Les Niayes, the groundnut basin and Casamance – and covers eight administrative regions: Kaolack, Fatick, Kaffrine, Diourbel, Thiès, Ziguinchor, Sédhiou and Kolda.
to sewer bursts or leakages. Other drivers include the use of shallow wells, illegal vending of cooked food, attending gatherings during an outbreak, poor hygiene practices and household contact.
It was noted that the usual drivers of waterborne diseases were still present in Glen View, Budiriro and other suburbs. Glen View and Budiriro are considered the
hardest-hit areas, and water samples from wells showed water was contaminated with faecal matter.
Other hotspots include Mabvuku, Tafara, Glen Norah, Mufakose, Hatcliffe and Dzivarasekwa, where residents are resorting to using water from unsafe boreholes and shallow wells. Rapid response teams have been active to attend to diarrhoeal diseases in the city.
Nigeria needs over R38 billion to end open defecation by 2025
A quest to end open defecation
Some 47 million Nigerians – roughly a quarter of the population – still practise open defecation. The Nigerian government reports that it will take N900 billion (R38.18 billion) to put an end to this trend by 2025.
Yemisi Akpa, chief scientific officer, Federal Ministry of Water Resources, recently announced that mechanisms have been put in place to make N10 billion (R420 million) available annually until 2025 with a view to end open defecation. “If India can take over
Wastewater treatment plants are typically seen as a way to treat and dispose of unwanted waste. However, the opportunity exists to transform these plants into resource factories that generate an income while promoting a circular economy approach.
by Danielle Petterson
The sludge produced from the wastewater treatment process is considered a problem for most utilities. Many only partially treat their sludge due to ailing infrastructure, limited budgets, and poor operations and processes. As a result, sludge does not always conform to the sludge guidelines and water-use licence requirements, and utilities pay for it to be transported and disposed of at landfills or on agricultural land, at significant cost.
The costs of disposing of this unwanted sludge can amount to tens of millions of rand every year, says Karl Juncker, owner, WEC Projects. However, if process controllers can ensure a well-performing sludge process using anaerobic digestion and the resulting benefits thereof, wastewater treatment works (WWTWs) can transform into resource recovery plants that create valuable by-products from their sludge and nutrient-rich final water.
enhanced sludge process
In order to transform WWTWs into resource recovery centres, all aspects of good sludge
treatment must be considered to achieve optimal resource beneficiation and nutrient recovery. These include:
• adequate upstream sludge treatment
• good sludge conditioning
• maximising gas production for combined heat and power (CHP)
• nutrient recovery
• biosolids production.
“It’s not about treating water; it’s really about treating sludge. Sludge should be a valuable source of revenue, not a cost,” says Juncker.
The aim is to stabilise and disinfect the sludge to A1a requirements (as per Volume 2oftheGuidelinesfortheUtilisationand DisposalofWastewaterSludge), so that it becomes a biosolid suitable for agricultural use. According to Juncker, the best way to achieve this in large-volume WWTWs is through optimised anaerobic digestion, which will result in the production of methane gas and stable sludge.
Sludge conditioning
The first step is to optimally pre-treat your sludge prior to anaerobic digestion. This can be done via thickening, process optimisation and hydrolysis.
Juncker advocates for thermal hydrolysis due to the many benefits it offers, namely:
• increased sludge bio-degradability and digestibility
• increased gas production
• kills pathogens (class A sludge) using heat
• results in drier sludge and therefore reduced volumes and lower handling costs.
Biogas-to-energy or cHP
A well-operated anaerobic digestion process produces large quantities of methane-rich biogas. Unfortunately, this methane is often released straight into the atmosphere, where it is 21 times more harmful than CO2. Many WWTWs flare off their methane, converting it to CO2, without using the energy potential of the gas. Although less harmful, this still poses environmental problems and the gas could be utilised to benefit the municipality, given the new Carbon Tax Act (No. 15 of 2019).
Ideally, WWTWs should be harnessing this biogas for CHP. The heat can be returned to the anaerobic digesters, while the electricity can be used as an energy source to run the plant. This process is optimised by implementing thermal hydrolysis pre-treatment, which will produce more methane-rich biogas and, therefore, more energy. Typical municipal WWTWs (activated sludge) are extremely energy intensive to run, requiring around 1.3 MW per 100 MLD. Juncker argues that, with good processes in place, plants can produce 60% to 80% of their energy requirements via CHP from the sludge treatment process at the plant. This will result in significant cost savings, together with reducing reliance on Eskom and mitigating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. When taking into account offsetting the GHG emissions from the treatment process and dependency from Eskom’s electricity production, CHP could generate hundreds of millions of rand per year in carbon credits for the utilities.
If performed correctly, enhanced anaerobic digestion should produce an A1a class sludge, or biosolids. These biosolids contain residual nitrates and phosphates, making excellent fertilisers that can be sold for over R300 per tonne to the agricultural industry, says Juncker. Unfortunately, many utilities are currently sending non-compliant sludge to farmers for agricultural purposes, while others send their sludge to landfill. “Instead of being a problem, sludge can be a resource. Right now, utilities are paying transportation costs to give their sludge away. Instead, they could be selling biosolids and making an income to supplement operating costs,” he says.
Nutrient recovery can be undertaken via controlled struvite precipitation. The resultant struvite is a valuable fertiliser that can be sold at around R3 000 to R5 000 per tonne. By removing nutrients,
you also prevent the formation of struvite in downstream pipes, where it can cause blockages and increase maintenance costs.
Digester operation and optimisation remain critical to the process, cautions Juncker. Digesters need to be regularly checked, cleaned and maintained, and a process control regime put in place. The efficiency of digesters can be evaluated by monitoring the biogas production. Additional gas (and power) production can be achieved by co-digestion, namely adding an additional external carbon source (high-organic matter) to the digesters.
Unfortunately, inadequate infrastructure and the poor operation and monitoring of WWTWs, especially anaerobic digesters, is a prohibiting factor preventing the uptake of these processes in South Africa. According to Marlene van der Merwe-Botha, director, WaterGroup, this is coupled with a lack of expertise and finance. There is also an absence of incentives and pricing structures that promote electricity production from biogas and the reuse of nutrients and biosolids, as well as an absence of a conducive legislative and procurement framework.
However, the potential is huge. There are currently 108 verified active anaerobic digesters in South Africa at municipal WWTWs, and even more at works owned by the Department of Public Works. The South African-German Energy Programme (Sagen) has funded the development of a decision-making tool by WEC Projects in cooperation with Salga and GiZ to assist municipalities in assessing the potential of their WWTWs.
GiZ-Sagen has also supported the development of a practical guideline called AnaerobicDigestionofMunicipal WastewaterSludge , compiled by Van der Merwe-Botha, which demonstrates the relationship between maintenance, design, operation and business processes, and how they should work together to ensure that an anaerobic digester is capable of producing biogas and biosolids of the highest quality. Van der Merwe-Botha notes that not all plants are financially feasible for co-generation, but that options of codigestion and reducing the impact of GHGs offer significant benefits to WWTW owners. Although the initial investment costs for establishing a resource recovery plant are high, Juncker argues that the payback period can be less than seven years in
The City of Cape Town will soon be implementing a biosolids beneficiation facility (BBF) at its Cape Flats WWTW.
This will be one of two centralised BBFs already approved by the municipality, with the aim to establish a third facility in the future.
Establishing centralised anaerobic digestion facilities rather than installing digesters at individual treatment plants will allow the city to harness economies of scale at both capital and operational levels, explains Sven Sötemann, head: Development and Infrastructure Planning for the Wastewater Branch, City of Cape Town.
The centralised facilities are being designed to accommodate the ultimate sludge production capacities of the surrounding WWTWs, and have been positioned to minimise travelling distance from the donor plants.
The municipality currently disposes of its dewatered primary sludge at a hazardous landfill, while dewatered waste-activated (secondary) sludge is applied to ‘sacrificial’ farmland –agricultural land that is used to grow animal feed.
The Southern BBF, located at the Cape Flats WWTW, will be constructed on a brownfield site, making use of the three existing 1 800 m3 anaerobic digesters. At an estimated project cost of R650 million, this facility is expected to be completed by 2023.
certain cases. “There is a very strong business case. If we treat sludge as a resource, plants can potentially make or save enough money to run the entire sludge process and still have some change. Moreover, by getting the sludge treatment process optimised, the water treatment process will inherently operate well,” says Juncker.
“In this way, we can adopt a circular approach in which our WWTWs become resource recovery centres that provide valuable resources, which create worth instead of waste.”
Van der Merwe-Botha confirms that South Africa will, in future, refer to wastewater treatment plants as resource recovery plants, noting the commercial value of finite resources such as nutrients, organics, energy and first-to-secondgrade water from WWTWs. She stresses
AGuidelineforAnaerobic DigestionofMunicipal WastewaterSludge(Van derMerwe-Bothaetal., 2019),adaptedfrom TheCapablePlant Model(AWWA)
that public-private partnerships and a conducive, incentivised, regulatory environment would be the most beneficial way to unlock resources, stimulate investment and propel South Africa forward towards achieving its SDG Goal 6.3 objectives.
The City of Tshwane will soon be implementing a small-scale CHP system at its Zeekoegat WWTW to transform the biogas produced via anaerobic digestion into energy.
According to Kerneels Esterhuyse, acting deputy director: Technical Support and Compliance Management, City of Tshwane, the Zeekoegat WWTW was identified as a highly favourable and suitable plant for CHP because it is relatively new and has good infrastructure and processes in place. Having been commissioned as recently as 2016, the plant doesn’t require any civils upgrades, making the capital requirements for CHP much lower.
The aim is to install a small-scale, modular CHP plant at Zeekoegat that can be scaled up and replicated where needed. “This is a learning curve for us. We have no in-house knowledge on the running of CHP plants, so we want to build capacity and then explore expansion possibilities once we have a successful plant in place,” explains Esterhuyse.
With this in mind, Tshwane plans to enter into a three-year build, operate and transfer contract to ensure skills and knowledge transfer.
The project is expected to produce enough energy to cover roughly 20% of the plant’s energy needs.
Construction is expected to begin by January 2020, with the CHP plant up and running by the end of the city’s financial year.
The Malukazi Bulk Sewer Infrastructure Scheme (a subproject of the Provision of Water and Sanitation Services to Human Settlements – Sanitation Phase 3) included the construction of bulk sewer gravity mains, a sewer pump station, sewer rising main and 20 communal ablution facilities, with associated water and sewer reticulation, connecting into the adjacent Lower Malukazi Phase 1 catchment.
Bosch Projects was appointed to carry out multidisciplinary designs, implementation and construction management for the project.
“Apart from the civil design and electrical and mechanical components, Bosch
Projects was also responsible for the important coordination management of subspecialists, including mechanical, ventilation, fire, geotechnical, electrical, roads and earthing contractors,” says Manditha Jamuna, project manager, Bosch Projects.
The project, which commenced in August 2016, created employment within the community and now provides a basic level of service of sanitation and water to the previously unserviced community.
“Despite numerous challenges affecting the continuity of work, including business forums, community unrest and political pressure in the area, the project was completed within budget and to the highest-quality standards,” continues Jamuna.
Civil design for this project encompassed the pump station design review, the design of a temporary pump station, bulk and reticulation sewer infrastructure, roads and stormwater rehabilitation, and the environmental management of the water course. Electrical and mechanical components included pump and associated pipework design, ventilation design,
The eThekwini Water and Sanitation Division recently oversaw the completion of a R32 million bulk sewer infrastructure project south of Durban.
lighting and electrical supply, lightning protection and telemetry.
Another challenge of this project included the construction of the pump station, in excessive groundwater conditions. The base of the concrete superstructure of the pump station was partially completed in a previous phase of the sanitation project. Excessive groundwater ingress needed to be controlled and managed by continuous pumping out of the 18 m deep excavation during construction. Geotechnical intervention was required, to ensure stability of the excavated area.
The complexity of the project was increased, as a temporary pump station – designed to service communal ablution facilities in the interim – was operational during the construction of the main pump station. The temporary pump station was then converted into the overflow chamber of the pump station.
The Trans-Caledon Tunnel Authority (TCTA) has commenced with Phase 2A of the MokoloCrocodile Water Augmentation Project (MCWAP-2A) to increase water supply to the Lephalale area of Limpopo.
MCWAP-2A follows the successful implementation of the first phase of the project (MCWAP-1), which became operational in June 2015. Phase 2A is aimed at significantly increasing the supply of water to the Lephalale area in the Limpopo province, an area that is currently experiencing developmental pressure due to an increase in population and economic activity, in a region known to be water-scarce.
The project will augment water supplies to the Lephalale Municipality, Eskom’s Matimba and Medupi power stations, and Exxaro’s Grootegeluk mine. The project is also essential for Eskom to implement the flue gas desulfurisation system to reduce the emissions of the new Medupi power station, which is a precondition of the World Bank financing for the project. The increased supply will also enable the further development of mineral resources and power generation in the Waterberg region.
Targeted for completion in May 2026, the total estimated capital cost of implementation for MCWAP-2A amounts to R12.3 billion. TCTA is responsible for securing the funding for the commercial portion of the project, totalling 88.1% of the costs, while the remaining 11.9% – the social
portion that is allocated to domestic and general urban requirements – is to be funded from the fiscus, specifically through anticipated annual transfers from the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS).
a crucial project
MCWAP is a vital project for the region and forms part of the Strategic Integration Project 1 (SIP-1) of government’s National Infrastructure Plan of 2012. SIP-1 is aimed at unlocking the economic potential of the northern mineral belt, located in the Waterberg area of Limpopo. Due to the limited availability of water in the area, the augmentation of water supply forms a key element of the infrastructure framework.
The GBN Joint Venture – comprising Gibb, Bigen Africa Services and Nyeleti Consulting – will be responsible for the design and construction supervision of the project.
creating opportunities
It is estimated that the project will employ at least 1 000 people during its implementation, with 50% of the engineers on the project expected to be from previously disadvantaged backgrounds.
Learnerships and bursaries will also be offered to members of the local community, most of which will be previously disadvantaged.
In line with prescribed legislation, 70% of all procurement on the consultancy contract is expected to be allocated to 51% black-owned SMEs, and 30% of all procurement spend will be to black woman-owned small development businesses. The consultant is also expected to spend 10% of consultants’ fees to develop small engineering entities, and 5% of the spend must be on goods and services from small development beneficiaries.
TCTA, through its corporate social investment initiatives, will also identify key community projects aimed at improving the socio-economic conditions of communities affected by project implementation, in line with its corporate responsibility commitments.
As the ultimate owner of the developed infrastructure, the DWS will have overall responsibility for the operation and maintenance of the scheme. Although it retains the direct responsibility for the water resources system, part or all of this responsibility may in future be assigned to a regional water utility or another appropriate institution.
Asuspected burst valve is believed to have caused storage tanks at Willowton Oil Mills to collapse and discharge their contents into the Baynespruit tributary of the Msunduzi, which forms part of the uMngeni river system. The contamination has already caused the death of thousands of fish and livestock, and communities downstream have been advised not to use water from the river for any purpose until it is declared safe.
“It is essential that companies plan for worst-case scenarios and implement controls that will prevent the contamination of our water courses. Water is essential to all life and, as South Africa is an arid country, we must protect it and use it wisely at all times,” says Karin Ireton, chair: Sustainable Development Forum, Institute of Directors in Southern Africa (IoDSA).
“Pollution such as has been seen in the Pietermaritzburg area is not only a breach of regulation but has a long-term and highly significant impact on aquatic life and surrounding communities. It is time for companies to integrate fully the costs of their operations on natural capital, such as water, wetlands and biodiversity, as well as the social impact on the impacted communities.
“Sadly, this incident is not unique. Other river systems in the country are in crisis and ongoing pollution of the Hennops River, the Vaal River and several others poses major long-term risks for the
citizens of this country, exacerbated by failing municipal wastewater treatment facilities and poor waste management practices by citizens and municipalities.”
King iV – taking responsibility Parmi Natesan, CEO, IoDSA, says that this incident once again highlights the fact that all organisations are dependent on the broader context in which they operate.
The international integrated reporting framework lists six capitals on which businesses rely: human, social and relational, manufactured, intellectual, environmental, and financial. The important concept that business exists within, and depends on, a supporting environment is described as the ‘triple context’ of the economy, society and environment in the King Reports on Corporate Governance. King IV indicates that these should not be seen – and reported on – as a whole.
“The old view that companies use only financial capital has been superseded by the understanding that all organisations also utilise a range of common resources to deliver value for their shareholders,” says Natesan.
“This is why King IV requires members of the governing body to ‘take responsibility for anticipating, preventing or otherwise ameliorating the negative outcomes of the organisation’s activities and outputs on the triple context in which it operates, and the capitals that it uses and affects’,” she adds.
The recent accidental release of 240 tonnes of toxic effluent into the Msunduzi River in Pietermaritzburg should alert governing bodies to the importance of identifying and addressing environmental and social risks in all their activities.
Because of an organisation’s intimate interrelationship with society and the environment, King IV advocates the concept of corporate citizenship. This means that organisations have both rights and responsibilities as regards society and the natural environment on which both depend. To give effect to these rights and responsibilities, the Companies Act (No. 71 of 2008) makes it mandatory for certain organisations to form social and ethics committees.
King IV further recommends that even organisations that are not obligated to form such committees should put in place a formal mechanism for overseeing and reporting on ‘organisational ethics, responsible corporate citizenship, sustainable development and stakeholder relationships’.
“A key insight of King IV is that risk and opportunity are two sides of the same coin. It’s thus critical that governing bodies understand how the organisation creates value, but also the potential negative impacts it might have on the various capitals on which it relies,” explains Natesan.
“The governing body bears ultimate responsibility for ensuring that effective plans are in place to mitigate risk and, if it materialises, to minimise its effects. Organisations without such plans risk regulatory sanction and a potential fine, but the longer-term risk of a weakened social licence to operate could be even more harmful,” she concludes.
The water sector has lamented the halt in the Blue Drop programme, which monitored water safety planning and actual water quality compliance in line with SANS 241. However, information is still available for the public and professionals to monitor the compliance of drinking water. by ayesha laher*
Access to safe drinking water is a human right recognised by the United Nations and enshrined in South Africa’s Constitution. The definition of ‘safe’ as per the UN is water free from substances that constitute a threat to a person’s health. The measurement of drinking-water safety is usually defined by national and/or local standards for water quality.
In 2004, the World Health Organization introduced the Water Safety Plan, which states: “The most effective means of consistently ensuring the safety of a drinking-water supply is through the use of a comprehensive risk assessment and risk management approach that encompasses all steps in the water supply from catchment of consumer.”
Since then, water safety plans (WSPs) have been implemented in 90 countries and nearly 70 countries have policies or regulations pertaining to WSPs in place or under development, including South Africa, which has incorporated WSPs into the National Drinking Water Standards SANS 241:2015 and Blue Drop Certification Programme. Our drinking water standard is therefore aligned with international best practice principles to ensure continuous monitoring of both current and future potential water quality risks.
As per Section 62 of the Water Services Act (No. 108 of 1997), all water services institutions (WSIs) are required to
provide the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) with information to undertake a proper analysis of water quality performance as per its mandate to regulate water services in the country.
The DWS developed an electronic information management system called the Blue Drop System (BDS) for this function of monitoring water quality compliance and performance. WSIs capture certified data on the BDS and the DWS utilises this data for regulatory performance, including water quality compliance against SANS 241. Although the formal Blue Drop audits have not taken place since 2013, WSIs are still required to provide monthly water quality data against SANS 241 limits on the BDS, as is it an offence to refuse, withhold or
provide false water quality information to the DWS, as per Section 82 of the Water Services Act.
In the past two years, the BDS has been replaced by the Integrated Regulatory Information System (IRIS). Unlike the BDS system, which provided public viewing of the annual drinking water and effluent quality compliance, IRIS provides monthly compliance data. IRIS remains a useful resource with a user-friendly dashboard that reports on the following various water and effluent quality indices:
FIGure 1 Screenshot of IRIS showing water quality in Centurion, Tshwane – 19 August 2019
• http://ws.dwa.gov.za/IRIS/dashboard_ status.aspx – overview of monthly drinking water quality compliance results per province, municipality, and system.
• http://ws.dwa.gov.za/IRIS/dashboard_ waste.aspx – overview of monthly effluent quality compliance results per
province, municipality, and system.
• http://ws.dwa.gov.za/IRIS/mywater. aspx – allows you to search for the latest water quality results per area: type in the name of the city, town or suburb and it will provide an overview of the latest water quality results in that area. It will also indicate the sample point, date of the latest sample, and number of sample sites per system.
• http://ws.dwa.gov.za/IRIS/myriver. aspx – allows you to search for effluent discharges to specific rivers in the country.
If there is no monitoring data on IRIS or if the sampling point is not close to your home/business, the water quality in that area cannot be verified and may pose a risk (health or aesthetic). The risk increases in facilities with on-site storage, as this will decrease disinfections residual leading to potential for bacterial growth. In addition, storage tanks may serve to accumulate dissolved particles, which may negatively impact on water quality after storage. Old buildings pose additional risks due to the presence of
NOSA Testing’s ISO 17025 accredited laboratory service has increased its scope of accreditation to render the following water analysis capabilities.
What does an ISO 17025 accreditation mean for NOSA Testing?
Accreditation to this standard means that NOSA Testing can demonstrate that it operates competently and can generate valid results, which promotes confidence in its work, both nationally and globally. This enables NOSA Testing to facilitate co-operation between laboratories and other bodies by generating wider acceptance of results between countries. Test reports and certificates are accepted from one country to another, without the need for any further testing.
Whether your company utilises water in its process, or provides water solutions, and you require further technical information on our water analysis capabilities, please contact:
Keshav Beachen
NOSA Testing National Sales Manager
keshav.beachen@nosa.co.za
+27 (0) 71 442 9418
NOSA Testing Laboratory Manager collin.naidu@nosa.co.za +27 (0) 71 370 8680
iron, copper and lead from old pipes. Although there is no regulation around the verification of water quality at source, there is ongoing work on developing water safety plans for buildings and hospitals. It is in the best interest of the property owners, in particular, to conduct regular risk assessments of their supply system and verify water quality throughout their internal reticulation network by conducting water quality analysis at key control points.
SANS 241 outlines the basic requirements for monitoring within a distribution network and the water safety planning portal of the World Health Organization provides guidelines on conducting risk assessments of water supply systems. For mature consumers who are aware of emerging contaminants that may not be covered by the current standard, the water safety plan provides a mechanism for continuous monitoring and review to ensure the effective management of their supply system.
Water is life and key to good health. Although the information on IRIS is limited, it provides a valuable baseline
https://waterinstitute.unc.edu/files/2018/11/01_SE01_Water_Safety_Plans.pdf
of water and effluent quality in the country, thereby allowing us to introspect and implement corrective actions that will ensure safe drinking water for the people of South Africa. Please share links to IRIS. In the words of Robert Boyce:
“Knowledge is power, knowledge shared is power multiplied.”
*ayeshaLaheristhedirectorofAHL Waterandanexpertconsultantonwater andwastewatermanagement.
among the impacts of climate change will be an aggravation of water quality in South Africa’s rivers and dams; this may in turn lead water authorities to raise the bar for water discharged by industry and mines.
“Variable rainfall patterns occasioned by climate change are already being seen in more frequent high-intensity downpours in parts of the country,” says Manda Hinsch, partner and principal water and environmental scientist, SRK Consulting.
Global research confirms that more intense precipitation and increased run-off result in increased levels of pollution entering waterways in the form of sediments, nitrogen from agriculture, disease pathogens, pesticides and herbicides. One of the more dramatic consequences can be blooms of harmful algae and bacteria.
“The steady and ongoing enrichment of water with nutrients gradually reduces
More attention needs to be paid to the causes and responses to declining water quality and its management.
its quality, with significant implications for the environment and downstream use,” Hinsch explains. Where these heavy rainfall events are interspersed with hot, dry periods, high levels of evaporation could further increase the concentration of nutrients.
On the other hand, water quality is also likely to be compromised in areas where climate change is leading to less rainfall. These negative impacts on water quality will exacerbate an already problematic situation, where the widespread malfunctioning of municipal wastewater treatment works is contributing to lowquality discharge into rivers and dams.
Hinsch points out that many of the concerns expressed by government and industry about climate change relate to the future changes in our water quantities, with insufficient attention paid to how the quality will change.
“In response to the declining quality of water, the relevant authorities may well have to take further policy and regulatory steps,” she stresses. “Water legislation already governs the acceptable or target levels of contaminants the receiving water environment can sustain in order to be suitable for downstream water users. Mines and industry should not be
caught unaware if water quality standards become more stringent in future.”
Hinsch emphasises the integral connection between water quantity and quality when developing water management plans, be they for local
Widespread malfunctioning of municipal wastewater treatment works is contributing to low-quality discharge into rivers and dams
government or private enterprises. While these plans need to be multifaceted and focused on local conditions, there is growing appreciation of the role of wetlands in water management. They play a vital role in controlling the flow of surface water and reducing run-off, while also trapping sediments and removing pollutants to help purify water.
“We will hopefully see greater use of attenuation ponds and constructed wetlands as part of our national response to climate change and more variable rainfall patterns. The strategy can also be applied by mines and even certain industries,” she concludes.
As the rate of urbanisation intensifies, traditional stormwater networks are coming under increasing pressure. Among the proven responses are sustainable urban drainage systems (SUDS), which help to capture water run-off and present opportunities for reuse.
SUDS and their subsequent engineering design start with the intention of creating newly developed sites that mimic their pre-development state. Their purpose is to ensure that most of the in situ stormwater flows infiltrate into the ground, thereby replenishing critical below-grade water tables and aquifers. The goal is to manage stormwater on-site and have as little as possible passing into municipal systems.
Technicrete’s range of Aqua blocks, manufactured to SANS 1058-2012, subscribe to a form of SUDS known as permeable paving, whereby vertical ‘slots’ between adjacent pavers provide drainage channels. They allow stormwater to flow from the surface, through the paving layer, into suitably designed layer works below. The premise behind a permeable paving system is such that voids, inherently present between stones (19 mm to 63 mm) making up the structural layer works of the pavement, can accommodate water capacity up to 25% of the volume of these layers.
design considerations
A general design consideration for
the paving block is to allow water to flow through this layer at a rate of approximately 9 000 ℓ /m 2/h. A geotextile placed between the bedding and storage layers will have the effect of throttling this flow-through rate to approximately half, or 4 500 ℓ /m 2/h. However, at the design stage of the overall system, one generally uses a rate of 10% of the maximum, namely 900 ℓ /m 2/h, as this allows for up to 90% potential blocking up of the system over time. Accordingly, a heavy rainfall event can be managed such that the entire volume of water is maintained and managed within the site boundaries.
A secondary consideration at this stage of design is whether to capture this water only for attenuation (slow release) or retention and reuse, both of which offer a myriad of further options. As such, three basic design philosophies prevail, namely a full-infiltration system, a partial-infiltration/partial-discharge system, or a tanked storage system.
A full-infiltration system is underlaid with a pervious geotextile and is suitable for use where it is feasible to infiltrate stormwater directly into a suitable subgrade. A partial-infiltration/partial
discharge system enables attenuation into the municipal network at the rate prescribed for the site, as well as infiltration into the ground below.
The third option, the tanked system, is lined with impervious LDPE or HDPE membranes to create a ‘tank’ and thereby capture and store the water for reuse in grey water and irrigation systems. With additional treatment, this stored water could be made available for potable use. In some instances, the impervious membrane is required to restrict water from entering the subgrade, thereby preserving the structural integrity of this layer. This could be an important factor where clay subgrades are encountered, in dolomitic areas, or where soils/stormwater are expected to be contaminated.
Permeable paving advantages
An additional advantage of permeable pavement design is the element of contaminant treatment. Studies have shown that heavy metals – including but not limited to cadmium, copper, lead, nickel and zinc – are partly removed from the water through percolation in the stone layer works, such that water flowing out of these systems is within potable requirements for these metals. Hydrocarbons have also been seen to be broken down by microorganisms that grow in the geofabric and other layers that are generally kept moist.
Technicrete’s permeable paving systems can be installed on almost any installation where traditional segmental concrete block paving has been specified. Applications include industrial complexes, car parks, residential estates, truck stops and container terminals.
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• Pipes
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ThisisthefinalarticleinaseriesofeightbyDerekHazeltononWC/WDM.Theearlierarticlesappearedin Water&Sanitationafrica(Vol.13Nos.4,5&6andVol.14Nos.1,2,3&4).
This is the last article in this series, aimed at overcoming the current crisis in the water sector, where only 64% of customers receive a reliable supply, and where many water services authorities are close to financial collapse.
by Derek G Hazelton
The article begins by describing how to develop an adequate budget. This is only a guide, and WSAs must examine their reasonable costs to build their own required budget. The design of equitable tariffs to recover these costs is covered next. Lastly, the tasks of reading meters, billing, and credit control are tackled.
It is essential that all these aspects of delivering water are jointly discussed, negotiated and agreed upon by the water services manager and the appropriate member of the CFO’s department. Finally, these staff members must support each other in implementing the agreed-upon plan.
operating budgets
The first article affirmed that an adequate budget is the foundation for building a WSA that achieves Blue Drop
and No Drop status consistently. The budget norms that follow are roughly based on the 1998 Palmer Development Group (PMG) Managementguidelines for water service institutions . Loan repayments are omitted; the WSA can
Corresponding costs
either add such repayments, or consider reducing the depreciation charges, which is not recommended as it will result in higher loans and tariffs in the long term.
a WSa’s operating budget: Figure 1 is a guide to water distribution costs. All the costs assume that the water is delivered to a yard tap or an in-house connection. The cost of the bulk water, including the distribution losses, is omitted. This cost must be added to obtain the WSA’s total operating budget.
How the budget will be spent: Based on the same figures that were used to calculate Figure 1, Figure 2 is a guide to the split in distribution costs. In Figure 2, no assumptions are made with respect to who carries out the work. It just means that when community entrepreneurs, PSPs or contractors carry out work, if the WSA wishes to monitor the split in costs, it must
get a breakdown from each external organisation responsible for work. But of more importance is the question of whether all the necessary work to achieve excellent service delivery has been done timeously, effectively, and at a cost that reflects value for money.
National Treasury has stated that about 30% of a municipality’s operating budgets should be spent on human resources. While this is realistic for non-rural municipalities, when water supplies are being considered and the cost of bulk water has been excluded, the generally higher percentages recorded in Figure 2 are believed to be reasonable.
Underfunding of maintenance:
National Treasury has also stated that the most serious misalignment in municipal budgets probably involves the underfunding of repairs and maintenance. This must be avoided at all costs because, apart from the resulting unreliable service delivery, the additional funds required for emergency measures during breakdowns and for the ensuing turnaround projects far exceed the earlier maintenance underfunding. Thus, as a first priority, in all municipalities, the funds allocated to O&M must be enough to allow staff members to work effectively. Too little money for spares, tools, training, etc. results in ineffective, costly work and demotivated staff.
design
Providing value for money: The Municipal Systems Act (No. 44 of 2003) declares that municipalities must provide value for money when delivering services. This means that tariffs cannot be levied to fund inefficiencies like paying for excessive water losses or to compensate for a lack of credit control. Tariffs set may only recover the costs of delivering efficient services. The tariffs proposed in this section of the article are, therefore, designed to recover costs related to efficient service delivery. Thus, until a WSA is implementing effective WC/WDM, it will incur operating deficits, which the MFMA classifies as a serious financial problem if the deficit is in excess of 5% of revenue for a single year.
FIGure 3 2019-2020 case study and CoJ tariffs compared
Comparison between 2019-2020 domestic tariffs for the City of Johannesburg and those designed to achieve full cost + a surplus of 5% for a well managed typical RSA WSA
NOTE: It has been assumed that both WSAs buy their bulk water from Rand Water
City of Jo'burg tariffs
Typical RSA WSA tariffs
Designed tariffs trendline
Usage per Customer Unit (kl/30 days)
Non-domestic tariffs: Non-domestic tariffs should be set to cover the full operating costs but, to support local economic development, should not cross-subsidise domestic customers. It is still sound practice to encourage non-domestic water users to use water efficiently. One possible way of doing this is to use the domestic tariffs for all customers. Then, to prevent nondomestic customers paying too much for water, each customer is allocated a customer units equivalence number (CUsEN). To calculate the water charges, the start and end of each block is multiplied by the CUsEN, to indicate a new block tariff range for that nondomestic customer.
domestic tariffs: In the past, the author has advocated block tariffs increasing linearly and the trendline passing through zero. With such a design, customers who are allocated FBW (free basic water) and subsequently use more water receive a larger subsidy than those poor customers that only use their allocated FBW. Provided all poor customers receive an FBW allocation that covers their true basic needs, as set out in article six, such additional usage is unnecessary. Consequently, it is more equitable to begin charging higher tariffs from the second step. Such a design also makes it easier for the WSA to achieve full cost recovery. Thereafter, the steps should still follow a linear trendline. If the current WSA budget and/or tariffs vary considerably from those required, a gradual change-over plan, of up to five years in duration, needs to be devised.
a case study e xamining a typical S a WS a : The author has used his estimates of the true water demands for each WSA in South Africa to look at the reality of a well-managed typical/average WSA. Then using the adequate operating budget framework described in the beginning of this article, the domestic tariffs required to achieve a 5% surplus have been calculated. Additional assumptions made are as follows. The bulk water has been purchased from Rand Water. Every household has a yard tap or an in-house connection. The full water component of the LGES (local government equitable share) has been allocated to the water budget. National Treasury has calculated this component, having estimated that 60% of South Africa’s households are poor. In this case study, FBW has been allocated as follows: 50 ℓ /day to 35% of the population, assumed to have dry sanitation; and 75 ℓ /day to 25% of the population assumed to have waterborne sanitation.
Step tariffs: The resultant required step tariffs are shown in Figure 3. For comparison purposes, the City of Johannesburg’s tariffs are also shown. In many ways, the tariffs are similar. However, in the author’s case study, the first block is considerably lower. The second block is slightly higher, having been set in accordance with the previously recommended norms. Having set step two high, the increases for steps three and four are less than in Johannesburg’s case, because of the linear trendline being strictly followed.
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Water delivered, costs incurred and recovering those costs: Figure 4 shows the domestic water delivered and the 2019 costs incurred to deliver that water for the typical WSA. Revenue is then generated to cover the costs incurred using the LGES and the designed tariffs shown in Figure 3. Figure 5 shows how the costs are recovered.
To enable the WSA to monitor its water balances, to check for tampering, and to send accurate bills to its customers, all bulk and customer meters should be read once a month. To read the meters, the meter reader can be given a group of sheets stapled together, containing the list of meters to be read, the meter numbers, and the addresses at which they are located. The order in which the meters are listed must specify the shortest reading route. As the meters are read, the reading date needs to be recorded. The meter readings are then submitted to the WSA’s office to be transcribed manually into the WSA’s billing system.
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Because the transcribing of those readings gives two possibilities of incorrect readings being recorded, it is common practice for WSAs to purchase special hand-held computers for the meter readers to enter the readings, which are recorded and downloaded from the device on to the WSA’s billing system database. Such hand-held computers are available with numerous enhancements. Hand-held computers can be purchased to pick up signals from alarm-enhanced meters and for walk-/drive-by meter reading when all meters on the route are fitted with pulse outputs or loggers. The author does not encourage the latter, because pulse outputs can introduce errors and a well-trained, conscientious meter reader can detect tampering more reliably.
The billing system should contain a record of the details of each meter in an asset register as shown in Table 1. Meter readings should be entered into the billing system monthly, with the date of the reading recorded.
The system needs to be able to handle clock-overs and meters being replaced during the month. It needs to be able to check for reading errors. A common meter reading error is entering a ‘1’ when the actual figure is a ‘7’. Having recorded an expected meter reading error, the system
Table 1 WSa water meter asset register
Table 2 Water meter readings monthly report
Description No of Domestic meters Non-domestic meters Total numbers
Unmetered delivery points
Readings accepted as valid
Readings registering zero water usage
Single reading errors: estimate created
Unsolved group errors: estimates created
No reading available: estimate created
Sub-totals zeros and estimates
Date
Address where installed
Location: accurate longitude and and latitude
Totals
Delivery points
Check: Delivery points less totals
without noticing the wrong meter numbers can cause such a ‘group’ error.
No of Customer Units: 100 000
Avg water delivered/CU: 18,5kl/mth
Avg delivery cost: R17,19/kl
Poor population = 60%. Water delivered to this 60% = 34,6% of the total
Distribution costs
Bulk water costs
needs to have a way of calculating the estimated water delivered to the customer, and flag it as an estimate. It should be able to manage missing readings in a similar way. Thereafter, when a correct reading is detected, it needs to be able to adjust the billed amount. Because step tariffs are used, when the time between reading is not
30 days, the system needs to be able to adjust the steps pro rata and bill the correct adjusted amount. It also needs to be able to cope with debt repayment agreements. If the system picks up a group of reading errors, it needs to flag the group for immediate investigation. The meter reader omitting a meter and continuing to complete the schedule
The WSA Treasury Department should produce a monthly management report as shown in Table 2. A longer report reflecting the address of each ‘invalid’ reading should also be produced for site investigations.
WSAs should consider the question of deposits seriously. If they raise deposits from customers, to cover three months’ charges, it gives them time to take action when customers fail to pay their bills. Once a WSA decides to raise increased deposits, it should do so slowly by adding 5% to bills, until the full deposit has been raised. It will then take five years to increase customers’ deposits from zero to three months. Ideally, when a property is sold, the deposit should be transferred to the new owner.
Among other requirements, WSAs must issue bills monthly; the bills must be accurate, comprehensive, and in concise, plain and clear language. Where practical, they should be in the home language of the customer. Including a chart, with an added trendline – showing the customer’s water usage for the last 12 months – can encourage a customer to save water. As many payment options as viable should be made available to customers. Bills should be delivered without delay in a manner convenient to the customer. Where postal services are unreliable, the WSA should consider using the meter reader to deliver the WSA’s monthly bills a month late. Some hand-held meter reading computers, like the one shown on the right in Figure 6, can print on-the-spot bills. However, this is not ideal because ensuring that
Reading period:
From 16 February 2019
To 12 March 2019
Time between readings 25 days
Reading
Reading at end of period: 2 045 k l
Water
such bills include details of overdue amounts, etc. is often not possible.
Non-recovered revenue reduction
Credit control that ensures that non-recovered revenue (NRR) is less
than 5% is an essential component of WC/WDM. Education, motivation and a well-managed FBW system, as recommended in the author’s sixth article on WC/WDM (in the May/ June 2019 issue of Water&Sanitation
Africa ) are the most cost-effective and equitable ways to achieve this. However, where necessary, water management devices (WMDs) or prepaid meters need to be fitted to limit domestic customers’ water usage. Schools are about the only nondomestic water user where the quantity of water may be safely limited to a basic needs amount. In fact, allocating FBW to all schools is recommended, as it can be used as an educational and water management tool.
For all other non-domestic customers, externally limiting the water supply can often have serious consequences, like health hazards in medical facilities and increased unemployment in industries. Nevertheless, if payments are not made promptly within 30 days, the customer needs to be personally contacted by a well-trained professional debt manager. The debt manager’s task is to help the customer reduce their water demand, and to negotiate the repayment of any outstanding debt.
Water and wastewater utilities need to make every effort to optimise their operations, as ageing assets present a major threat to organisations that treat and deliver water.
Enhancing asset performance is one of the most effective strategies a water and wastewater plant or network can take to reduce costs and protect quality. Water utility suppliers need to up efficiency, use less energy, avoid leakage and breakdowns, and supply and treat the ever-increasing amounts of water needed to keep up with the trend in population growth.
Unfortunately, the vastly varying types of assets needed to produce clean water, which are often distributed over a wide area through a large network infrastructure, make this process a complex one.
Added to this, high-powered pumps are often set to operate at greater speeds than needed to ensure consistent water delivery. This is often viewed as a conservative approach that may use more energy and increases the stress to pipelines, but beats the alternative of failure to supply water at pressures needed for urban requirements. However, this affects maintenance, as parts are replaced largely through a manual process either before they need to be or, in the worst-case scenario, after a breakdown.
One of the solutions to these challenges is the industrial internet of things (IIoT), which means that the control systems, sensors, etc. behind all assets can be accessed and connected, securely, anytime and anywhere. For most of the water industry, this could be a place to
start looking for new ways to improve operations. Buried inside all the data, accessible because of this trend, it is very possible we can find some of the answers we need.
Digital transformation enables asset performance management by automating and integrating information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT). Collecting operational data from connected assets such as pumps and sharing it with real-time decision support applications – in the cloud or on premises – is how digitisation improves asset performance, which, as mentioned, is one of the most effective strategies a water and wastewater plant or network can take to reduce costs and protect quality.
The first step is to ensure that data is accessible. There is usually a great deal of data, which, in its raw form, could be an information overload. However, when using the right tools and analytics, this ocean of data can be turned into actions to take and provide helpful and new insights into current operations. The tools able to deliver this are referred to as ‘advisors’; they distil business value from data and put IIoT technology to practical use in improving efficiency and reliability.
These can also deliver insights to those who can make a difference, when and where they need them. For example, today’s mobile and augmented reality technologies allow a worker in the field to simply point a tablet towards a pump
to determine if there are any developing problems based on how it is currently operating versus what is normal or optimal. Maintenance then takes place only when it is needed but always before a breakdown occurs.
Additionally, it is possible to set pumps to run at outputs that closely match actual demand, and even to compare smart meter data with flow rates across the water network to diagnose leaks.
Ultimately, these measures can help businesses improve asset performance through insight-driven prescriptive maintenance programmes that have the potential to reduce unplanned downtime to almost zero. Companies are also able to make better use of maintenance resources by performing only needed maintenance, and avoiding unplanned downtime can reduce maintenance, repairs, operations and labour costs by 50%.
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The Prasa Park Station
Sewer and Stormwater
Upgrade is a perfect example of how trenchless technology can be used to rehabilitate old, dilapidated infrastructure in an area that cannot be shut down to accommodate open trenching.
The existing infrastructure beneath the commuter station had deteriorated significantly, and constant blockages required daily over-pumping from manhole to manhole to maintain sewer flows. At platform level, there were constant sewer overflows.
The existing 150 mm diameter clay sewer outfall had become severely overloaded and was also positioned below a superimposed stormwater system located in a largely inaccessible position between busy railway tracks, making it extremely difficult to inspect, clean and maintain.
Servicing over 180 000 passengers daily, Johannesburg’s Park Station could not be shut down to accommodate repairs.
a trenchless solution
Consultant SMEC South Africa, together with contractor Trenchless Technologies, undertook investigations and developed a trenchless solution for the rehabilitation of the main sewer pipeline and stormwater reticulation system.
CCTV pipeline investigations together with ground-penetrating radar surveys were used to establish the location and condition of existing infrastructure in relation to the site. Investigations
Many of South Africa’s municipalities engage in ongoing pipe replacement and rehabilitation based on their asset management programmes. These often provide ideal opportunities to employ trenchless technologies.
confirmed that ground conditions were soft and homogeneous, free of rock and boulders, and therefore suitable for the use of horizontal directional drilling (HDD) to install a new 250 mm diameter sewer pipeline.
by Danielle Petterson
underneath the railway tracks, to connect to the new outfall pipeline.
These were also essential to locating a feasible drill path through the maze of old buried infrastructure, which included many obstructions such as obsolete post office tunnels, concrete beams and slabs, various unknown old structures, cables and old pipes.
Drilling was successfully undertaken at minimum falls of 1%, from 14 access pits up to 6 m deep. The access pits required very small footprints to fit within extremely contested platforms and rail areas, and in some cases no access was available on the surface to allow for surface-mounted drilling. Instead, HDD rigs crawled down constructed ramps or were lowered into the access pits to drill from within the access pits.
Using HDD, Trenchless Technologies successfully installed the following:
• 300 m of 250 mm Ø HDPE pipeline installed beneath operational railway tracks to create a new outfall pipeline
• 47 m of 250 mm Ø HDPE connecting pipeline installed underneath the railway tracks
• 132 m of 250 mm Ø HDPE pipeline installed diagonally,
According to Meghan Brinkley, section manager: Management Services, SMEC South Africa, the project highlights the ability of trenchless technology to solve many urban infrastructure challenges, even in extremely congested and populated areas.
SMEC South Africa has been involved in a broad range of trenchless projects, particularly ongoing sewer rehabilitation projects for some of the large metros.
According to Rowan Griffioen, function manager: Management Services, SMEC South Africa, trenchless technology is well suited to sewer rehabilitation, particularly in old installations that combine sewerage and stormwater. The combination and age of the installation often result in pipes being undersized for current needs and trenchless technology provides an opportunity to split these services and increase capacity.
The pipe materials best suited to trenchless applications are also more acceptable to sewers than water reticulation pipes. Griffioen explains that projects are often advertised as rehabilitation projects and not specifically trenchless projects; however, contractors can still employ trenchless techniques for rehabilitation where appropriate. “We often have no choice in Johannesburg because it is too densely populated,” adds Brinkley.
Most large municipalities have asset replacement programmes in place, prioritising sewers that are over capacity.
As part of these programmes, SMEC is currently involved in several rehabilitation projects. “Many of these areas are densely populated, so we have to go with a trenchless solution or roads
and driveways will have to be dug up and people would not be able to access their properties,” says Brinkley.
The decision of open cut versus trenchless is often a question of economics. Sometimes, it is cheaper to dig, but open trenching proves too disruptive or costly in many cases.
According to Brinkley, resurfacing roads is a major cost factor and trenchless solutions will almost always be more cost-effective than digging up a road when this aspect is taken into consideration.
“The client is always looking for the most cost-effective solution, but we
must take job creation and SMME employment into account,” she adds. SMME inclusion can make employing trenchless technologies more challenging because it requires specialised equipment. Open cut is therefore easier when promoting SMME inclusion and labour-based construction, although limitations on the depth to which you are allowed to trench by hand can make this a
challenge, she explains. Finding contractors who are comfortable with trenchless technology is another challenge. When opting for trenchless, it is also important to select the most appropriate technique. Brinkley and Griffioen agree that pipe bursting is often the best method when rehabilitating or replacing sewer pipelines, as it allows you to upsize by replacing the pipe while following the original gradient. If the pipe is encased in concrete, pipe bursting becomes problematic and HDD is preferable.
“CIPP (cured-in-place pipe) is not the ideal choice for rehabilitating smallerdiameter domestic connections, as it will reduce the capacity; however, it is a good option or solution for bulk pipelines of 250 mm Ø and up because the reduction in diameter has a lesser effect on capacity,” says Griffioen.
“Trenchless and open cut both have their place. It is important to take each project on a case by case basis and ensure that the right method is used for the job at hand,” concludes Brinkley.
When it comes to the rehabilitation and installation of water pipelines, there are a number of trenchless technologies available. However, it is crucial to understand the system in order to make the best choice for a particular pipeline.
by alaster Goyns*
Although the same basic principles are used when designing pipelines, there are significant differences between the requirements of pressure and gravity systems, which need consideration when using trenchless methodologies.
With pressure pipelines, the energy needed to move the water through the pipeline is provided by the head difference between the inlet and outlet. As these pipelines generally follow the ground line, they are placed as close as possible to the surface and can go uphill and downhill, provided there is sufficient pressure in the system. So long as the pipeline diameter remains constant throughout the system, the velocity for a given discharge will also be constant. Coping with the internal pressure is the dominant structural requirement.
On the other hand, the energy needed to move water through gravity pipelines is provided by the invert gradient. Any changes in invert
gradient will influence the velocity and discharge. This means that the pipeline may not follow the ground line, resulting in fill heights along its length being variable and frequently at great depths. Having sufficient strength to handle the external loads is the dominant structural requirement.
This difference in the hydraulic and structural requirements between pressure and gravity pipelines has a significant influence on any trenchless work required.
Trenchless technology (TT) can be grouped into four broad categories, namely: relining; on-line replacement; new installations; and support services such as inspections, pipe cleaning and over-pumping.
The simplest of all the lining systems is slip lining, which can be used for both pressure and gravity pipelines. It consists of pulling a long section of new pipe through the existing pipeline, resulting in a reduction in the internal
diameter, which in turn reduces the capacity and creates a void between the liner and host pipe. This system is effective if hydraulic capacity is not an issue and, in the case of gravity systems, there is no problem with the vertical alignment.
For pressure pipelines that are rehabilitated, all the primary (conveying the required quantity of water) and secondary (strength, watertightness and durability) requirements can be adequately met by using curedin-place pipe (CIPP), fold-and-form and other close-fit lining solutions. These will cause a slight reduction in flow area, but this is countered by the smooth continuous liner with no joints, resulting in little or no reduction in flow capacity.
These close-fit lining techniques are also effective for the rehabilitation of gravity systems where the primary and secondary requirements can be met, provided there is not a problem with the invert gradient. However, if there are problems with the vertical
alignment, these will act as a control on the pipeline capacity and a check needs to be done to ensure that the required hydraulic performance is not compromised. It is important to note that rehabilitation in the form of lining or on-line replacement will follow the existing pipeline alignment and cannot be expected to rectify a problem built into the system.
In South Africa’s established urban areas, much of the ageing water infrastructure has reached the end of its design life, resulting in frequent breakages. In many areas, this is exacerbated by urban densification, for which the pipelines do not have adequate capacity. Relining them addresses the secondary problems; however, it does not address the primary issue of capacity.
Replacing these services by digging trenches where there is little or no space causes significant social and business disruption, as well as pollution from construction vehicles and potential damage to other buried
services. Under these conditions, on-line replacement techniques such as pipe bursting, splitting or reaming can be used – they follow the route of the old pipeline, break it and simultaneously upsize and replace it with a new pipeline, which is generally joint-free.
A small increase in diameter makes a big difference, and doubling the diameter means an increase in capacity of 6.35 times.
Before any decisions are made about remedial work on a pipeline, its condition should be assessed. In many situations, the reported defects are symptoms of problems that are buried and may only occur at isolated sections of the pipeline. By doing an internal CCTV inspection, a visual representation along the whole pipeline is provided from which the defects can be identified and their location and extent determined.
This inspection may not, however, show the severity and cause of the problems. With certain problems –such as the corrosion of cementitious sewers, pipeline settlement or siltation – a more detailed, multisensor inspection with laser and sonar profilers should be performed.
Importantly, these inspections only assess the internal surface of the pipe and should be supplemented by excavating test pits along the pipeline to determine the pipes’ external condition.
Doing a thorough condition assessment of a pipeline includes a structural and hydraulic analysis based on its long section to identify critical sections where hydraulic, structural and durability problems can be expected. These must then be checked against those identified by the physical inspections.
Structural, hydraulic and leakage problems may frequently be isolated to short sections of a gravity pipeline, such as in a sewer, and it may be possible to rectify them using either internal TT point repair techniques or, if necessary, repairs from the surface. That said, durability problems are seldom isolated and it is usually necessary to rehabilitate several reaches (sections from manhole to manhole) of the sewer.
New installations
When new pipelines are required in congested urban areas, or where transportation routes or waterways have to be crossed, there are several appropriate approaches. For distances greater than 100 m, there are two effective techniques, namely horizontal directional drilling (HDD) and microtunnelling. HDD is very effective for long crossings (internationally up to several thousand metres) where the route has to negotiate surface features and subsurface obstacles. It is suitable for pressures pipelines, but the gradient control makes it generally unsuitable for gravity pipelines on flatter grades. Microtunnelling and other variations of pipe jacking, on the other hand, need access shafts at about 300 m
centres, but are generally very effective at maintaining accurate alignment, making them suitable for installing gravity systems.
Using TT instead of the traditional open trenching approach for the rehabilitation and installation of pipelines offers significant technical, social and environmental advantages. The amount of excavated material is usually less than 10% of that for open trench installations, and considerably less for relining and on-line replacement projects. In fact, some techniques offer zero excavated spoil. The other advantages relate to the minimum social, commercial and environmental disruption and significantly reduced air pollution as a result of fewer construction vehicles on-site.
From a technical perspective, the imposed vertical earth loading on the pipeline when using TT is significantly less because the rehabilitated or
new pipeline is pulled or pushed through the soil or expanded into it. The pipeline is surrounded by soil that has already been compacted and consolidated as distinct from being placed in a trench and then back-filled with soil that is compacted and then consolidates with time.
Because these techniques are not reliant on finding open space along a pipeline route, the restrictions on the depth of placement, and their ability to avoid foundations and other buried services, they make very effective use of the three-dimensional space below the congested surfaces of our cities. In doing so, they provide us with essential water services without disrupting our lives during their installation or rehabilitation.
*alasterGoyns is the owner of PIPES cc.
Using TT instead of the traditional open trenching approach for the rehabilitation and installation of pipelines offers significant technical, social and environmental advantages
Atlas Copco’s re-introduction of the ZL lobe blower to its low-pressure portfolio positions the company as a total solutions supplier of highly cost-effective and reliable low-pressure compressed air.
Standing the test of time, the positive displacement principle of the ZL tri-lobe blower has proven itself as a very reliable and stable technology. It excels in round-the-clock operation in the harshest environments and within a multitude of low-pressure applications, such as chemical processes, pneumatic transport and wastewater treatment.
Thanks to its small footprint and compact design, the ZL lobe blower saves time and money by ensuring a
flexible plug-and-play installation with easy integration into any existing compressed-air system.
“Due to an enhanced package, the ZL VSD is now available in a variety of configurable models,” confirms JC Lombard, business line manager: Oilfree Air, Atlas Copco. “Customers now have the choice between a purely mechanical unit using dial gauges for pressure reading or a high-end solution with an integrated VSD inverter and Elektronikon® controller.”
With the introduction of the ZL VSD lobe blower, Atlas Copco is now able to offer customers not only what they want but also what they have been using for years – a reliable machine at a costcompetitive price. Owing to the enlarged dual offer, Atlas Copco can further differentiate the lobe blower range and assist in fulfilling the specific needs of all its valued customers.
Deciding on either a vertical or horizontal pump arrangement requires an in-depth understanding of the current and future fluid transfer set-up.
Vertical turbine pumps can be used in any industrial application across sectors that include the steel, power, petrochemical, agricultural and municipal markets. They are especially well suited for installation within smaller footprints like pump stations, saving on construction costs, or where space is too restricted for a multistage pump set-up. Another major advantage of vertical pump systems is that they are relatively simple to strip
and maintain. Within the water utilities and allied municipal markets, a common application for vertical turbine pumps is the abstraction of water from rivers to feed through to treatment plants.
“Our pump designs are developed for fit-for-purpose roles: it’s always important to install the right pump for the right application. The pump doesn’t drive the system; the system drives the pump. So, from the onset, it’s essential to study the operating environment and then
26 Nagington Road, Wadeville, Germiston 1400, South Africa
Tel +27 11 824 4810 / Fax +27 11 824 2770
26 Nagington Road, Wadeville, Germiston 1400, South Africa
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devise the best solution,” explains John Montgomery, general manager, APE Pumps and Mather+Platt. The Group has been designing, manufacturing, commissioning and maintaining its OEM solutions in South Africa since 1952.
“In the case of vertical pumps, these roles include cooling tower recirculation, raw water pumping, primary fuelling services (where volatile fluids require submerged pump units), and fluid transfer services where these self-contained units
Tel +27 11 824 4810 / Fax +27 11 824 2770
Website www.apepumps.co.za / www.matherandplatt.com
26 Nagington Road, Wadeville, Germiston 1400, South Africa
E-mail info@apepumps.co.za / info@matherandplatt.com
Tel +27 11 824 4810 / Fax +27 11 824 2770
Website www.apepumps.co.za / www.matherandplatt.com
E-mail info@apepumps.co.za / info@matherandplatt.com
Website www.apepumps.co.za / www.matherandplatt.com
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are ideal for LP gas transfer,” he continues.“Essentially, it’s a multistage pump set-up in a vertical arrangement.”
Models offered by the Group include cover tube arrangements. These vertical pump configurations are ideal for dirty water tasks. Their design protects the bearings and shafts with either a clean layer of water or oil. This prevents any impurities from running through the bushings, while minimising excessive vibrations that could otherwise lead to premature wear. Pump options here range from a 6 LC to a 42 LC (6 to 42 inch), all of which aremanufactured locally. These are all low-head units.
The Group has supplied vertical pump columns to a depth of around 108 m. “The
deeper the design, the lower the chance of cavitation, assuming the water level is constant; however, there’s also a head loss factor that needs to be taken into account the deeper you go,” says Montgomery. The Group’s ‘pot’ pump is particularly useful for inline boosting on raw water intake systems.
It requires no priming, as it is self-priming to a limited extent.
If the head increases on the system, designers can make the column shorter and add another stage, as long as the appropriate power is available. A variablespeed-drive motor will speed the pump up or slow it down to maximise efficiencies. The Group fits IE3 motors, with the option of an IE5 specification.
To ensure optimal performance, all pumps need to be regularly monitored and serviced as part of a preventative maintenance programme. Service intervals will depend on the nature of the fluid being pumped. APE Pumps and Mather+Platt work with third-party specialists to devise the best customer solution. These include telemetry-linked
conditioning monitoring systems, where mechanical health is monitored remotely in near-real time. Pressure gauges and flow meters measure efficient or inefficient pump curve performance, while temperature gauges track bearing health. “Vibration probes should also be installed to monitor set operating pump parameters,” says Montgomery.
If well maintained, the pumps provided by APE and Mather+Platt will last a lifetime – across Southern Africa, there are hundreds of working examples.
“In addition to providing custom build and retrofit solutions, the Group has never discontinued a pump model since inception in 1952, so parts are always available,” Montgomery concludes.
The South African Bureau of Standards’ pump test facility offers independent test facilities for the benefit of local pump manufacturers and importers.
The SABS pump test facility, located in Pretoria, is able to test a number of rotodynamic pumps, including centrifugal, mixed-flow and axial pumps in accordance with SANS 9906-2016.
The facility recently conducted a successful four-hour demonstration test on one of the country’s largest centrifugal diesel pump systems. The pump weighs 32 000 kg, has the ability to pump water at a rate of 2 800 m3/h and is used under emergency conditions for the suppression of hydrofluoric acid vapour.
The performance test forms part of a customer process to demonstrate the functional capability of a diesel and pump combination to its end-user.
“These large pumps with their huge capacity are required in the mining, petrochemical and power sectors when large volumes of water are needed to be pumped. Using a diesel engine ensures that they can be used when an emergency situation occurs, such as fire or vapour release. The SABS has conducted many tests at this facility since 1978 and this is the largest system
in recent years,” explains Johan Louw, executive, SABS Laboratory Services.
capabilities
The SABS test facility has a water tank and sump that is 5 m deep and contains 735 000 ℓ of water.
“The SABS is the ideal choice for the testing and certifying of rotodynamic pumps. Our test equipment allows us to test submersible pump systems as well. Some of the regular tests we conduct include pressure, flow and torque tests against SANS 9906: 2016,” says Erich Seeger, senior manager, SABS Laboratory Services.
SABS has a large 300 m2 laboratory, which is capable of configuring various sizes of equipment and pipe systems. Line limits on the water flow include:
• 80 mm line up to 114 m³/h
• 150 mm line up to 350 m³/h
• 250 mm line up to 850 m³/h
• 400 mm line up to 2 000 m³/h
• 700 mm line up to 8 000 m³/h.
The test facility also has the following valves available:
• 150 mm actuated valve
• 200 mm manual valve
• 250 mm actuated valve
• 300 mm manual valve
• 400 mm butterfly manual/actuated valve.
According to Seeger, having a local, independent test facility is beneficial to both local manufacturers and importers, since most of South Africa’s high-volume pumps are manufactured internationally and assembled locally.
“Since November 2018, the SABS has enabled customer-specificrequirements testing, which will also support local manufacturers’ development and export objectives.
The SABS is recognised for its independent and reputable test facility and has plans for further enhancing its capabilities.”
erich
With the ever-increasing focus on the sustainable use of our most precious resource, we have to look at those functions that act as the frontline defence in this ongoing challenge – effective and efficient control of the water and wastewater treatment processes.
by Dewald van Staden & Dr Michele Kruger*
As the focus increasingly shifts to new technologies, the ‘information revolution’ taking place means that we cannot ignore these opportunities as they relate to the water industry.
But how do we merge these? How do we best utilise the technology and resources at our disposal to ensure we control our water and wastewater processes in the most efficient way? We can start by ensuring we get the basics right, collecting the available data and interpreting it to take control of the process you are dealing with.
We are all familiar with the sources of data – anything from flow measurements to electrical records such as hour meters and ammeters, to data gathered during operational testing or received from a
laboratory. But why are we interested in this data and are we actually converting this into usable information? To answer these questions, we need to return to some of the basic concepts applicable to the process control function.
Flow is of course linked to the load on the plant and how this compares to the design capacity, both from a hydraulic and organic point of view. It relates to periods of peak flow and, of course, to water losses through the process train.
The usefulness of a simple ammeter reading is quite often overlooked. This parameter could very easily be used as a possible early warning system – should the amperage on a piece of equipment start to increase, it could indicate that there is undue wear on that piece of equipment or, in the case of a pump, that it is not working as efficiently as before. These indicators should trigger
a preventative maintenance action to rectify the situation before that piece of equipment fails. This should minimise downtime and keep the plant operating in a more sustainable manner for longer. Similarly, the operating hours on a piece of equipment could be used to tell a story as to its operation – whether there were times of reduced treatment on a specific process unit, or times when the piece of equipment could have been working in less-than-ideal circumstances; i.e. a submersible pump running dry or a centrifugal pump experiencing cavitation.
When it comes to optimising the control of a specific process unit, we have to look to the operational monitoring data. In addition to simply looking at compliance, this allows us to look at how a process unit is performing. Are the changes in the concentrations of key parameters in line with expectations and/or best practice? Is there room for improvement? Without proper monitoring of the key parameters throughout the process
train, these questions will remain unanswered.
All of these are aspects that process controllers and plant managers need to be acutely aware of. The unfortunate reality, however, is that due to the busyness of our daily lives, it becomes difficult to sit down and convert the data collected on the water services works into usable information.
This is where a well-designed monitoring system could prove to make all the difference. Instead of someone having to manually calculate, compare and analyse the data, these systems can be pre-programmed to provide immediate output as to parameters that are out of specification, provide advice on operational changes that can be made on-site and/or provide information on trends that could point toward an impending process failure – the sky truly is the limit.
These systems can take on many forms – anything from a local spreadsheetbased system to a system that utilises the new digital age of Industry 4.0, artificial intelligence (AI) and big data. With the use of business analytics and dashboarding, all of the information discussed above can even be made readily available on a smart device.
The bigger picture
Any type and amount of information can be fed into a ‘big brain’ and, depending on what you want to see, a dashboard can be put together to present this information in a user-friendly way.
Dashboarding a unit process can reveal its performance, as-built drawings, asset register identification and status, O&M manual references (including warrantee requirements and trouble-shooting), structural integrity inspection sheets, and any other reports referring to the unit.
Through the use of asset register programs, AI and online monitoring, the system can even come close to eliminating ‘run to failure’ maintenance by predicting maintenance and replacement requirements. Combining this with the aspects related to the operation of a works truly takes the perceptions related to plant management and process control to a new level.
Dashboarding the plant in a ‘bigger picture’ approach allows for yet another level of sophistication to be added. This could allow for information on current and future expansion plans, Blue and Green Drop scores, etc. to be presented. Even human capital and finance functions could be included to accommodate personnel requirements as well as the implementation of maintenance programmes and strategic
planning of infrastructure.
When it comes to the output of these systems, each dashboard can be customised to present data based on the seniority of a user, such as specific data for the process controller while the municipal manager receives another set of custom-made information.
This can be taken even further. Anything that has been connected to Scada can be viewed and, should the system allow, be controlled. This implies the optimised usage of chemicals in real time and even the optimised use of energy by ensuring that energy-intensive tasks, such as the filling of reservoirs, take place during the time of day when rates are reduced.
In closing, it is important to point out that these systems do not replace the need for the human factor; it simply reflects real-time accurate data and stores an unlimited amount of information off-site. All of these amazing systems are just another set of tools that could assist all levels of staff in making informed decisions.
The power is in knowing.
*dewaldvanStadenisawaterand wastewaterprocesscontrolspecialist atEnviroMetsiandtheWesternCape ProcessControllerlead forWISA.dr Michele Krugerisawaterand wastewaterspecialist atCSVWater.
The Process Controller Division of WISA recently held a woman process controllers event titled ‘The Future Process Controller’. The aim of the event was to empower interactions among woman water professionals on their experiences in the operations and management of water care facilities and the future of process controllers.
Woman process controllers gathered in Johannesburg on 15 August to learn more about the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) and the future process controller. The event served as a platform for those present to share knowledge on best practice, latest technologies and future considerations.
The event also offered the opportunity for women to share their experiences and struggles in a maledominated field, as well as reflect on the unique contributions they have to offer. Currently, only 35.5% of WISA’s 138 registered professional controllers are women, and more than 50% of these women are based in Gauteng. WISA aims to increase the number of registered professionals, and hopes to bring more women on board.
The future process controller Today’s process controllers face an array of challenges, including optimising energy and chemical consumption, improving operating efficiency and stability, preventing downtime, and reducing noncompliance. The future of process
control is digital and internet-based, bringing with it the expectation of improved reliability, efficiencies and overall asset management. The coming disruption will affect all sectors, and governance is central to enable the transition, noted Moshabi Shongoane, compliance manager, ERWAT. Unfortunately, as governance increases, bringing with it more red tape, performance often decreases.
“This is your time, and you are ready for it.”
“To embrace the future, governance should be agile to innovation,” said Shongoane. This means using the new tools available for things like real-time information sharing, online optimisation and forecasting, document management, compliance monitoring and data submission to the regulator.
However, with change happening faster than ever before, Dr Valerie Naidoo, executive manager, Water Research Commission, cautioned that South Africa may become an ‘import
country’ when it comes to 4IR. She argued that, from a water process optimisation perspective, South Africa is way behind the curve.
The opportunities exist to make the water sector ‘smart’ by creating smart water and sanitation grids, smart plants, smart water security, smart workforces, smart connections, smart transactions and digital operations. But to embrace this trend, Naidoo argued the importance of improved self, organisational and social awareness.
technologies
Ayesha Laher, director, AHL Water, noted a number of technologies ushered in by 4IR, which can be directly applied to the water sector. While these technologies are already being used to some degree in the water and other sectors, they have the potential to revolutionise the way in which we operate.
• 3D printing – offers the ability to print spare parts on-site.
• Nanotechnology – nanomembranes are used for the removal of physical, biological and chemical contaminants. Nanomaterials have a high surface area, are chemically inert, and are
Thembisa Zimela’s story
stronger and more durable than other materials.
• Drones – can be used to monitor construction, conduct conditional assessments and inspect assets that are often expensive and hazardous to access using traditional techniques.
• Advanced sensors – remote sensing can be used to monitor surface water quantity and quality, groundwater water quantity, as well as for catchment management.
• Automation – modern Scada systems allow for real-time data from the plant floor to be accessed from anywhere in the world. In future, Scada will be linked with building information modelling systems.
• Blockchain – offers potential opportunities for municipalities to record information in a transparent and openly accessible manner that is protected from third-party tampering. Examples include transparency in supply chains, offering the potential for full traceability of products from source to store and blockchain-based smart contracts that could automatically trigger repairs and payments.
But with all these new technologies, how are process controllers to survive the change? Laher’s answer is threefold: anticipate change, embrace change, and learn constantly. “This is your time, and you are ready for it,” she said.
On 15 August, woman process controllers from all over the Western Cape came together to attend an event specifically aimed at celebrating them and the hard work they do on a daily basis. The event was hosted at the City of Cape Town’s Scientific Services in Athlone, Cape Town, by the Process Controller Division of WISA. The day comprised numerous presentations, various group discussions and interactive learning experiences, and networking opportunities. The aim was to create a platform for the ladies to learn from one another, share their experiences and ultimately send them away motivated to make a difference in their respective workplaces.
By the end of the day, there was a strong sense of unity in the room. The ladies went back to their respective water services works determined to take up their rightful place in the water sector, determined to bring their own unique flavour to those works, and to ultimately ensure we all step up our game when it comes to the business of water care.
- By Dewald van Staden, lead: Process Controller
Division Western Cape, WISA
I got involved in this amazing field of water care due to my childhood desire to help those around me. I grew up in a neglected part of the Eastern Cape in Keiskammahoek. My interests shifted between social work, nursing, agriculture and teaching, never really even thinking about a career in water care – never really thinking about where the water came from. It was only after getting involved in teaching that I learned about and applied for a learnership at Amatola Water. This eventually led me to doing my practical at the Sandile Water Works at Burnshill, Keiskammahoek – the very plant that treated the water that sustained me during those early childhood years.
During my time there, I learned about the fascinating water treatment processes and what water purification entails. My journey continued as I slowly but surely gained experience and kept on climbing the ranks.
Today, I help people, just as I wanted to as a little girl. I am, however, doing it in a way I could have never imagined. Today, I work as plant superintendent at Nahoon Water Treatment Works – a position I use to help people by ensuring they have potable water to drink, a position I use to educate the community about water-related issues. I could not ask for a better job. Water is life.
Tshepiso Maja’s story
My choice of studying a course in the field of water management was so random and little did I know it would get me this far. I wanted to apply for a bursary to further my tertiary studies and on the list of career choices there was water care – a choice that sounded quite interesting My first job was at ERWAT. I can still recall how quickly I gained a vast amount of experience in this position and still remember how nervous I was when I needed to operate the plant on my own of the first time. This, however, prepared me for the next phase in my career – an opportunity that arose as I joined the Rand Water Academy. Here, I received soft skills training and gained experience in the operation of water and wastewater treatment works at different municipalities. The most challenging period was when I was placed at a municipality that had minimal financial resources and a treatment plant that was completely overloaded and incapable of producing compliant effluent. This was a very demoralising working environment because, as an emerging process controller, I had minimal capability to change the situation. However, the experience acquired at the other wastewater treatment works kept me going. I later moved to the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure as a water care technologist – a true roller coaster ride. When I started there, I spent a lot of time with my former superior (now my mentor). Unknowingly, this set me up to take over and manage two of the projects we initiated a few months before he resigned and left the department. Managing these projects with very little support from other colleagues was really tough and the workload and unhealthy working environment started to take its toll.
Throughout it all, I can, however, proudly say that my journey in the water sector has been truly amazing and has taught me that as long as you remain passionate about learning and making an impact, you will be able to reach great heights.
Yolanda Hess’s story
Moving from the private sector into the realm of municipal water and wastewater services was initially quite confusing. I was used to giving more than required and getting to grips with a mentality where discipline and
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passion were essentially lacking was quite a shocker. I was also caught off guard by the lack of safety on-site – certain procedures were mere guidelines, as opposed to being imprinted and enforced. However, I also remembered those days as the first time I really felt at home in my workplace – that feeling of getting goose bumps at the smell of water reacting with chemicals, getting excited at the smell of healthy sludge.
I was introduced to the water care field by a coach that had a passion for his work – someone who was contagious in allowing me to discover water on a level most people never experience. I remember my interaction with him leaving me feeling like a child opening a new lucky packet – the type of excitement that could not be hampered by the limitations and restrictions I faced.
As most of the senior positions in the organisation I worked for were filled by men, I was regularly reminded that I should focus on being a process assistant and leave the process controller functions to them. The biggest frustration in all of this was not being allowed to rectify problems that I noticed, not being allowed to contribute to solutions for the problems we were facing.
Through all of this, however, I kept on trying to climb out of the ‘thinking box’ – I kept on asking questions and remained teachable. This ultimately helped me to connect to those people who were willing to coach me, who were willing to answer my ‘silly’ questions and give me new opportunities.
Through the years, I have discovered myself through water. Through these tough times, I have learned that you need to have certain traits to be a process controller. Through it all, I have learned that the most precious gift you can give someone is to believe in them and help them break through the proverbial glass ceiling.
Without water, there is no life. And without a process controller, there is no life for the millions of consumers working in our industries, factories and offices. Yet, this profession is not recognised for what it is worth. We have the best engineers designing potable water, wastewater and industrial water treatment plants; but without a qualified process controller, all this is in vain.
I entered this sector without knowing its importance – all I needed was a job. However, what I did not know was that the sector would swallow me whole!
It is a man’s world in this field but we (women) should make our presence felt. Sometimes, we enter this sector to fill the ‘equity quota’ within the various organisations; but the truth is that we have arrived (with the knowledge and skills we have gained) and we can and do make the water sector work.
I started off as a process quality advisor. It was not easy at first, dealing with men as old as my dad, with 15 to 30 years’ experience under their belt. But respect and humility go a long way in breaking communication, gender and age barriers.
As they say, time flies when you are having fun. I find myself in the training and development space, training the new generation of process controllers – the source of life.
Southern Africa is facing increasing water demands to meet the needs of a rapidly growing and urbanising population, changing lifestyles, and economic growth. We need #AllHandsOnDeck to address the water crisis caused by insufficient water infrastructure maintenance and investment, recurrent droughts and floods driven by climatic variation, inequities in access to services, deteriorating raw water quality, and a lack of skilled water practitioners.
#allHandsondeck
The WISA 2020 conference theme underpins the fact that all actors in the water and related sectors need to work across regional and subject boundaries and in a connected space, and realise that water is life and, therefore, central to all work and well-being.
The conference will set the tone to move the sector forward into implementation, with emphasis on urgency, commitment and
accountability. For this reason, the conference sub-themes will read as a to-do list, carrying a call to action. Taking a cue from the Department of Water and Sanitation’s National Water and Sanitation Masterplan and National Water Resource Strategy (NWRS-2), it will feature a six point to-do list:
1. Reduce water demand and increase supply
South Africa's water demand continues to grow, with an estimated deficit of 2.7 to 3.8 billion m3 per annum by 2030 – a gap of about 17% of available surface water and groundwater. The key opportunities require #AllHandsOnDeck to address non-revenue water by municipalities, agricultural use, water-use efficiencies by industrial and domestic consumers, optimising the water mix, revenue management and partnerships.
The 2020 WISA Biennial Conference and Exhibition will be held under the theme #allHandsOnDeck, effectively representing the state of the Southern African water sector and the urgent action that is needed to address the challenges.
2. Manage resources for a capable ecology
South Africa is known for its rich diversity of aquatic ecosystems, which include freshwater ecoregions, rivers, wetlands and estuaries within their catchments. Unfortunately, most of the highvalue aquatic ecological assets are poorly protected, as evidenced by reports in deteriorating river systems, tributaries and wetlands. #AllHandsOnDeck are needed to address strategies, programmes, and the capacity to restore these hard-working, severely pressured ecosystems, to sustain and harness their worth in the water value chain.
The water and sanitation sector is currently not financially sustainable. The sector sees ageing infrastructure, with new infrastructure continually being constructed, highly vulnerable municipalities, increased customer dissatisfaction, and an inability to cover costs. A significant gap exists between funding needed versus funding available, from both fiscal transfers and revenue. It is critically important that all sectors have #AllHandsOnDeck to address maintenance, operation, optimisation, cost reflection and investment in infrastructure, skills, partnerships and models to improve and sustain water, wastewater and biosolids within the concept of a circular economy.
The roles of sector leaders are crucial in having #AllHandsOnDeck for an integrated approach towards a secure-water future in South Africa. The Department of Water and Sanitation is responsible for the setting of standards and regulation of water use and effluent discharge across the country. Municipalities are responsible for developing by-laws that enable the regulation of water services provision and use. This session will explore how the key actors need to work across boundaries, with other institutions and state departments, to place water at the centre of the future growth and well-being of South Africa.
The chemical, physical and biological deterioration of water bodies (rivers, dams, lakes, wetlands, estuaries and groundwater) poses a threat to economic growth, social development and aquatic ecological functioning. This facet of the water crisis requires #AllHandsOnDeck to address point source and diffuse pollution, technologies, financial flow and functionality of systems and people to ensure that raw water quality is protected.
Skills to develop, implement and monitor innovative solutions and disruptive technologies are at the core of a water-secure future for South Africa. The country’s ability to educate and grow the required skills base, transfer new knowledge and shift technology into practice is crucial in ensuring that a competent and experienced workforce with #AllHandsOnDeck is in place to address the current challenges and ensure optimised futures.
Opportunities can be realised towards positive impacts on economic growth, and improvements in environmental, human and animal health. WISA 2020 will provide a platform for these issues to be discussed, solutions shared and decisions taken in a pledge to action for #AllHandsOnDeck, which calls for local and regional players to work together towards a sustainable water future.
WISA 2020 aims to speed up delivery and bring purposeful feedback to the leadership of South Africa. Join the movement by attending the event from 31 May to 4 June 2020 at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg, Gauteng.
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