Wat e r & Sanitation
Complete water resource and wastewater management
AquaPlan
Save on mine water treatment costs
Mint water costs mines
Water boards
Investing in liveable cities
Industry 4.0 In-depth defence
skIlls & traInIng When the levy is dry
IT ’ S OU R PA RTNE R SH I P S
TH AT M ATTE R !
EWSETA believes that skills development and training is a collective responsibility. Together with our Board, our and most importantly, our strategic partners, we are contributing towards the skills drive in the energy and water sector.
This is your opportunity to work with us and put your mark on the skills landscape in the country.
C O N TACT US TOD AY !
Contact Details
Physical Address: Sunnyside Park Sentinel House, 2nd & 3rd 32 Princess of Wales Terrace Parktown, Johannesburg
Postal Address: PO Box 1273 Houghton 2041
Tel: (011) 274 4700
Fax: (011) 484 8953 / (011) 484 1078
info@eseta.org.za
www.ewseta.org.za
Publisher Elizabeth Shorten
Managing editor Alastair Currie
Editor Frances Ringwood
Head of design Beren Bauermeister
Designer Ramon Chinian
Chief sub-editor Tristan Snijders
Sub-editor Morgan Carter
Contributors Malcolm Hall, Nora Hanke-Louw, Valerie Naidoo, Danielle Petterson, Alex Visser
Client services & production manager
Antois-Leigh Botma
Production coordinator Zenobia Daniels
Distribution manager Nomsa Masina
Distribution coordinator Asha Pursotham
Financial manager Andrew Lobban
Printers United Litho Johannesburg
t +27 (0)11 402 0571
Advertising sales Hanlie Fintelman / Jenny Miller
t +27 (0)11 467 6223 h.fintelman@telkomsa.net / jennymiller@lantic.net
Publisher
Physical address:
No 9, 3rd Avenue, Rivonia, 2191
Postal address: PO Box 92026, Norwood, 2117, South Africa
t +27 (0)11 233 2600 • f +27 (0)11 234 7274/5 frances@3smedia.co.za
ISSN: 1990 - 8857
Annual subscription: R300 (SA rate) subs@3smedia.co.za
Copyright 2017. All rights reserved. All articles herein are copyright protected and may not be reproduced either in whole or in part without the prior written permission of the publishers. The views of contributors do not necessarily reflect those of the Water Institute of Southern Africa or the publishers.
WISA Contacts:
Head offiCe
Tel: 086 111 9472(WISA)
Fax: +27 (0)11 315 1258
Physical address: 1st Floor, Building 5, Constantia Park, 546 16th Road, Randjiespark Ext 7, Midrand
BRANCHES
eastern Cape
Chairperson: Selby Thabethe
Tel: +27 (0)41 506 2862 | email: ssthabethe@vodamail.co.za
Secretary: Christopher Maduma
Tel: +27 (0)41 506 7527 | email: cmaduma@mandelametro.gov.za
free State
Chairperson: Sabelo Mkhize
Tel: +27 (0)53 830 6681 | email: smkhize@solplaatje.org.za
Secretary: Noeline Basson
Cell: +27 (0)71 362 3622 | email: ndb@malachi3.co.za
KwaZulu-Natal
Chairperson: Vishnu Mabeer
Tel: +27 (0)31 311 8684 | email: vishnu.mabeer@durban.gov.za
Treasurer: Renelle Pillay
email: PillayR@dws.gov.za
Limpopo
Chairperson: Paradise Shilowa
Cell: +27 (0)79 905 9013 | email: paradises@polokwane.gov.za
Secretary: Salome Sathege
Tel: +27 (0)15 290 2535 | email: salomes@polokwane.gov.za
Mpumalanga
Chairperson: Susan van Heerden
Cell: +27 (0)82 800 3137 | email: susanvanhd@gmail.com
Secretary: Theo Dormehl
Cell: +27 (0)83 294 0745 | email: dormehl@soft.co.za
Namibia
Chairperson: Dr Vaino Shivute
Secretary: Kristina Afomso
Tel: +264 61 712080 | email: afomsok@namwater.com.na
Western Cape
Chairperson: Natasia van Binsbergen
Tel: +27 (0)21 448 6340 | email: natasia@alabbott.co.za
Secretary: Wilma Grebe
Tel: +27 (0)21 887 7161 | email: wgrebe@wamsys.co.za
Invest in positivity
This year has been a tough one for the South African water sector and it’s easy to dwell on local woes. However, now is not the time to lose faith in the country or its competitiveness. With comparatively low corruption levels and solid performance on key water and sanitation access metrics, South Africa still has a good story to tell investors.
Corruption indexed
The latest Transparency Index report rates different countries from around the world on a points system based on the rigour of their anti-corruption oversight mechanisms. South Africa may not compete with the likes of Denmark and New Zealand (who tied for the cleanest administrations) but, looking at the results in context, the country is not performing badly at all.
Coming in at 64 out of 176 index positions means South Africa is well out of range of the 100 most corrupt countries in the world. Of our fellow BRICs members, South Africa comes out tops, with Brazil, India and China sharing the 79th spot, and Russia ranked at 131. We are also one of the top-performing countries in Africa, outdone only by Botswana, Cape Verde, Rwanda, Namibia, São Tomé and Príncipe. For context, South Africa’s economy dwarfs the rest of those countries combined and a bigger economy does make policing transparency more complex.
Yes, we still need to fight corruption and there is a long way to go yet, but
our internal issues are not insurmountable.
In fact, we are a leader among developing nations: something to be proud of.
Water access
Looking at the water quality of strategically and economically key metros and towns in South Africa, it’s apparent that we are doing something right. Again, the figures need to be looked at in context. South Africa is a highly water-stressed country, yet we manage to provide water for 92.5% of households and households with access to a toilet facility within 200 m is 94%.
Sanitation
The goal is 100% access but South Africa stands proudly among countries like China, India, Chile, Mexico and Australia, all of which have been rated by the World Resources Institute as similarly water-stressed. These countries, including South Africa, all score over the 90% water-access mark.
When it comes to sanitation, the picture looks brighter still. South Africa ranks in the top three among countries in the similarly water-stressed band. Australia provides 100% and Chile 99%. India’s figures are lower, providing only 40% of the population with sanitation, China 77% and Mexico 85%.
The past year may have seen some setbacks but, overall, there is still a lot to build on and feel positive about.
costs mines Mint water
Mine process water doesn’t always need to be treated to mint condition. Daniel Basson, process engineer, AquaPlan
Watertreatment Engineering, explains how treating recycled water to different qualities for different uses saves money, water, energy and the environment.
Basson says that treating mines’ wastewater so that it’s fit for purpose is more affordable than treating it to potable standards because the technology involved is more cost-effective and robust. With new mines being established north of the SADC region, he notes that the greatest savings can be achieved when fit-for-purpose treatment plants are built right from the start. “In cases where excess tailings water is created, some mines will opt to aerosolise it using evaporators. This is extremely wasteful of electricity and also water.”
Evaporation is sometimes used as an interim solution when excess wastewater is produced. The practice is largely frowned upon, given the region’s extreme water scarcity, combined with power-supply uncertainties. Building a permanent treatment plant is a far better option, providing a long-term solution that uses far less electricity, cuts down on water utility bills and has a far smaller
environmental footprint. “Capital costs are always an issue, especially in the current market where a number of mines have unfortunately experienced layoffs,” says Basson. “Although investing in mine wastewater recycling can potentially repay itself in about 18 months – with the client’s savings continuing well after that – the current financial climate means that mines don’t want to be seen laying out capital expenditure – even if it does ultimately save them money.”
This is another reason why new mines need to consider implementing wastewater recycling systems from the start. It overcomes the negative perceptions associated with capital expenditure while compounding savings over a mine’s entire life cycle.
By recycling its own wastewater, BRPM’s monthly cash savings on its water utility bill have been astounding
Platinum case study
In implementing any wastewater recycling system, mines can look forward to considerable savings. Basson recalls a project he was involved in for the Bafokeng Rasimone Platinum Mine (BRPM) in Boshoek, 30 minutes northwest of Rustenberg. “The engineering consultant performed a preliminary
feasibility study and then the project was put out to tender as an International Federation of Consulting Engineers Yellow Book design-and-build contract.” AquaPlan was awarded the tender to execute the full design, build, civils, mechanical, process and electrical work. Construction began in 2014, and in 2015, the plant began operation for an initial three-month trial period.
“We were initially contracted to train some of the mine’s own operators. BRPM’s engineering manager, Grant Magano, then asked us to train some of the local community members who were employed during construction. So we took four local people and trained them up to the point where they could operate the plant. Based on that, the mine awarded AquaPlan a two-year operational contract. We now operate the plant in its entirety for the client,” he explains.
Rustenburg is a particularly dry part of the country, so the mine wanted to be able to reuse water from its tailings facility as gland service water.
“The new plant treats water pumped from the tailings dam using dissolved air flotation (DAF) technology to remove all the suspended solids and other similar contaminants. From there, it’s transferred to the concentrator plant
where it’s used as gland service water,” says Basson. “Previously, the mine had used potable water from Magalies Water for this purpose. By recycling its own wastewater, BRPM’s monthly cash savings on its water utility bill have been astounding. An added benefit is that there is now more potable water available to surrounding communities and industry. There are obviously environmental advantages as well, because the mine is reusing water,” he adds.
Site specifics
The BRPM plant has a treatment capacity of up to 4 Mℓ/day. “Currently, we’re running at about 3.2 Mℓ/day or 3.3 Mℓ/day. That’s limited by the existing
By combining key project delivery services with manufacturing capabilities, the company is able to provide a cost-effective, quick, accurate and professional offering to its clients
pipeline only. The plant was built 6.5 km from the tailings plant and uses the existing pipe network. We upgraded the pump station and installed new pumps,” explains Basson.
Although the plant is operating below its original design capacity, the limitation arises from site conditions. The mine is looking at installing a new pipeline shortly. “For the plant’s electricity supply, we had to tie in to BRPM’s existing reticulation links. So, we installed an overhead line that linked to its systems,” he adds.
Multidisciplinary approach
AquaPlan is a multidisciplinary engineering firm with more than 100 years’ combined practical experience. By combining key project delivery services with manufacturing capabilities, the company is able to provide a costeffective, quick, accurate and professional offering to its clients.
In the case of the BRPM plant, everything was manufactured in-house, with the exception of the air compressors, which were purchased from Kaeser. “We fabricated everything else, including the saturators and pressure vessels,” says Basson. AquaPlan also has
extensive experience and capabilities in fabricating medium-term packaged treatment plants. Although mainly rolled out to the municipal market for raw water treatment, these plants can also be configured for mine water treatment, as well as other industrial applications. These plants boast a 20-year expected service life and can be turned around in the factory in six to eight weeks.
Algae scum
Pump station
Saturators (pressure vessels)
Pump station
Clarified water
DAF units
Saturator feed pumps
for WISA Prepare 2018
The next Water Institute of Southern Africa Biennial Conference and Exhibition will be held from 24 to 27 June 2018 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre. Dr Lester Goldman, CEO of WISA, discusses the impact the conference has made on social upliftment over the years, as well as what attendees can look forward to.
“Today, WISA introduces the WISA 2018 Conference to the sector and listens to stakeholders about what we can do to ensure yet another successful WISA Conference and Exhibition. This is our first sponsorship breakfast ahead of the event but we expect to hold more in other city centres as the need arises.
“For next year’s conference, we’re excited about extending its sphere of influence beyond the delegates and WISA
At the first WISA 2018 sponsorship breakfast, held at the Protea Hotel in Midrand on 16 August this year, WISA’s organising committee met with key stakeholders in the water sector to present them with the opportunity to support this important industry event.
By Frances Ringwood
members, so that it becomes a space for generating solutions to some of the crises we currently face,” he explains.
Conference themes
The central theme for the conference is ‘Breaking boundaries – connecting ideas’, which the organisers chose as a way to address past and future resource challenges concerning collaboration, cooperation and integration.
Six sub-themes are being used for the technical programme, namely:
• Sink or swim: Preparing our cities for the future
• Uncharted waters: Developing solutions through science and technology
• Waste not want not: Optimising processes for treatment and reclamation
• Under the microscope: How do we join the dots?
• Bridging the gap: Sustainable finance for improved delivery
• Pooling together: Enabling participation through good governance.
“All six themes are vitally important. Personally, I most look forward to the governance-related themes because I think they are extremely topical,” says Goldman. “Some of our members have already voiced enthusiasm about the event’s practical components, so we will be giving delegates more opportunities to engage through workshops and technical tours. This is without losing focus on what the conference has become renowned for, which is its technical and academic papers,” he adds.
Lasting legacy
WISA conferences have left lasting legacies among nearby communities. Next
Dr Lester Goldman, CEO, WISA
Natasia van Binsbergen, chairperson of WISA 2018’s LOC
Carolyn Melnick, project manager: WISA 2018, Scatterlings
year’s conference will be no different, and Goldman invites organisations that work in the interests of the public good to speak to the local organising committee (LOC) about their ideas for social engagement and community upliftment.
“We want to leave a positive, lasting legacy in Cape Town as part of our responsibility as a good corporate citizen. To this end, I appeal to the public to let us know how we can make a difference,” says Goldman. “In jest, I have suggested that those who come from outside Cape Town should bring ‘water doggy bags’ – in spite of this light-hearted comment, I want to emphasise that WISA takes its responsibility to leave a positive legacy extremely seriously,” says Goldman.
Cape coincidence
Natasia van Binsbergen, chairperson of WISA 2018’s LOC, discusses the providence of next year’s conference happening in Cape Town – currently South Africa’s most water-stressed city.
“The Cape Town drought has focused the public’s awareness on water scarcity, as well as on the new technologies that can be used to sustain us all. Everyone is taking about it – at school, in the home and at work,” she says.
“It was a complete coincidence that we planned for the conference to be held in Cape Town, before the city became as affected as it is. I think this drought will mean that the event is going to attract many more delegates from overseas than previous years. American visitors are especially likely to be interested because of the similar conditions they currently face,” she adds.
WiSa Western Cape
According to Van Binsbergen, WISA’s Western Cape branch members have been extremely busy with finding proactive solutions to the crisis. “I think there is a misconception out there that the city isn’t doing anything. The truth is: there is only so much that can be done in the face of such unpredictable weather events of the kind we are now seeing as a result of climate change,” she says.
Some of the solutions being investigated by the city include desalination, wastewater reuse at the Bellville Wastewater Treatment Works, as well as groundwater studies of the Table Bay aquifer and the use of boreholes.
“We may have had some light rain this winter but it’s nowhere near enough. Right now, we’re just hoping the snowmelt we rely on from the mountains in the Theewaterskloof area is going to find its way to our reservoirs in time, although it’s already late in the season,” says Van Binsbergen.
Public participation
Given the high levels of public interest among Capetonians concerning all things water, the organisers are considering getting the public more involved. Carolyn Melnick, of conferencing and events company Scatterlings and project manager for WISA 2018, says, “We are considering opening the exhibition to members of the public on the last day. The idea behind this is to give people who are not delegates the opportunity to interact with the exhibitors and get a feel for the solutions that are out there.” It is not yet confirmed whether
The following sub-Themes run ThroughouT The wisA 2018 progrAmme
Sink or Swim: Preparing our Cities for the Future Uncharted Waters: Developing Solutions through Science and Technology Waste not Want not: Optimising Processes for Treatment and Reclamation
Bridging the Gap: Sustainable Finance for Improved Delivery Pooling Together: Enabling Participation through Good Governance
Under The Microscope: How do we Join the Dots?
It is not yet confirmed whether the exhibition will be open to the public, and other ways to reach a wider swathe of South Africans are still being investigated
The central theme for the conference is ‘Breaking boundaries –connecting ideas’, which the organisers chose as a way to address past and future resource challenges concerning collaboration, cooperation and integration
the exhibition will be open to the public, and other ways to reach a wider swathe of South Africans are still being investigated. WISA has confirmed that all learnings from the conference will be made public after the event.
Keynotes and abstracts “We have confirmed three keynote speakers, whose details will be published shortly,” promises Melnick. “The abstract submission deadline has passed but applications for hosting workshops will open in the next two months – definitely before October,” she adds.
The exhibition space will be fairly large but it is important to note that companies who attend WISA’s pre-conference events will have first choice when it comes to booking their spots. Other exhibition and sponsorship opportunities will be posted on the www.wisa2018.org.za website.
ConferenCe logo
The WISA 2018 Conference logo was designed based on the Ishihara test – the first test of its kind used to detect colour blindness. It echoes the need to be more aware of water and how it impacts life on earth and human progress. The colours selected for the logo also each reflect a special significance:
Yellow symbolises the discovery of gold in Langlaagte in 1886, which is ultimately the reason WISA came to be established.
Green indicates life, renewal, nature and energy; used here, it represents progress and the fact that – with foresight – better access to improved water and sanitation for all is possible.
Blue is the colour of the sky, sea and rain; its universality linked to the need to access water as a basic human right and a basic freedom necessary for life.
From MDGs to SDGs
Dr valerie Naidoo, WISA president and WRC research manager, addresses what the change from MDGs to SDGs means for the water and sanitation sector.
world leaders from 189 countries, in 2000, committed to eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which focused on areas such as poverty, disease and health, child mortality, and gender equality. These goals provided focus for a call to action around common global issues and set a target date for its completion by 2015.
Progress was made but not all countries were able to achieve all the goals and, by June 2012 at the Rio +20 conference, a process was set in motion to transition countries from the MDGs to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). A proposal containing 17 SDGs was approved in 2015, laying out a people-centred and partnership approach until 2030. SDG 6, which aims
to ensure the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all, is the primary goal that the water (and sanitation) sector focuses on.
South africa’s commitment
On 22 March 2017, South Africa’s president, Jacob Zuma, gave new focus to the water and sanitation sector by acknowledging our country’s commitment and role in achieving the SDGs. This was a recommitment to providing access to improved water and sanitation for all – a journey South Africa has been on for over two decades post 1994. Our national vision for water and sanitation and the SDGs are also tied to the vision set out by the African Union in its 2063 agenda, which seeks sustainable development on the African continent over the next 50 years. What makes the SDGs transformative on a global scale is that they not only call for the provision of access to water and sanitation facilities but build in a foundation for sustainability. In the research domain, these foundations include concepts like the circular flow of nutrients, reuse, recycling and reduction of waste, and waste to resource, which have been investigated globally for several decades.
Three factors are responsible for not moving some of these sustainability and resource recovery options forward. These are: the tidy box of the regulator called ‘end of pipe’ management of waste and effluent (essentially regulating what is within their mandate and control);
the business case linked to public sector institutions’ limitations around stimulating new types of businesses with different servicing, delivery and financing models; and the perceived lack of policy. I say “perceived” because, as water sector professionals, we create the evidence that allows us to shift to new paradigms, new practices, new policies and new financing mechanisms.
New financing mechanisms
Traditional linear fiscus arrangements across departments working within neat and tidy mandates and policy environments need to change. Two useful examples that illustrate these points are: i) the opportunity to generate from renewable energy (biogas) from sewage waste, and ii) the restriction of sludge to landfills. These are driven by two separate government departments: Energy and Environmental Affairs (DEA).
Biogas policy
South Africa’s energy policy may not provide for renewable energy from biogas. Large supply-side options with fewer incentives around demand management and efficiency solutions are the norm. The amount of energy generated from sewage is small in comparison to other energy grid options and the economics of investing at local government level, especially those with low revenue generation and high grant dependency, is low. As a result, support is required for new technology as well as capability building
Dr Valerie Naidoo, president, WISA
within municipalities for such solutions to become more widely accepted.
Banning landfill sludge
Similarly, the DEA recently banned sludge to landfills, which can be considered a good regulatory trigger to seek new solutions. However, this has come with little support for new technologies, policies and financing. Such measures would enable municipalities to transition to managing more complex services through contractors. More importantly, resource recovery of higher-value products from
On 22 March 2017, President Jacob Zuma gave new focus to the water and sanitation sector
waste requires new market linkages. Therefore, support is required from various commercial partners and public-sector departments other than the line department that issues the policy or regulation. In this regard, government should consider implementing large projects at one or two sites to create a blueprint for all other municipalities to follow.
SdG 6
Finally, SDG 6 – which calls for sustainable water and sanitation services – cannot be seen in isolation of the remaining 16 SDGs. Water and sanitation sector professionals also need to ensure that, in addition to water and sanitation services, water becomes an enabler to economic growth and development. This would, in turn, drive inclusivity and innovation. Water also has a significant role to play in ensuring
equity and strengthening the productive use of water for agriculture and food security – not only for commercial agriculture but also through equitable access to emerging and marginalised farmers and communities. Finally, water and sanitation efforts must balance service with conservation in order to realise sustainability.
Such sustainability can only be achieved through effective climate action that strengthens modelling, planning and forecasting, builds resilience in communities and institutions, and implements adaptation and mitigation measures. Ultimately, the SDGs can only be fully achieved through integrated planning, policy and funding alignment, collaboration across national departments and institutions, and partnerships between public and private sector.
BULK WATER S TORAGE SOLUTIONS
Chart showing the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals
amazing womenShowcasing
August was Women’s Month in South Africa. In recognition of the important role women play in the water sector, the South African Young Water Professionals (YWP-ZA) network is celebrating women who drive the YWP nationally and further afield. By Nora Hanke-Louw and Frances
anya eilers, branch chairperson, YWP-Za Western Cape
What do you currently do?
I am currently completing the final stages of my master’s degree in hydrogeology at Stellenbosch University. I have also had the privilege of serving as the vicechair of the YWP WC branch for 2016, and as chair for 2017. September marks a new adventure in my life, as I will be moving to Ethiopia to start an internship at the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), in the water sector, under the Policies Division. As the branch in Addis Ababa is one of its oldest and most active, it will be an exciting opportunity to contribute to GGGI’s Climate Resilient Green Economy project, as well as collaborate with partner organisations WRI and IWMI.
Preyan
arumugamNanoolal, treasurer, YWP-Za
As a 10-year-old, what did you want to be when you were “all grown up”?
A heart surgeon! Although today, I am pursuing a PhD in civil engineering at the Pollution Research Group at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban. My master’s is in zoology, so the transition to engineering was a challenge. My current research investigates the use of vertical flow constructed wetlands in decentralised wastewater treatment systems focusing on design, operation and maintenance. Recently, I was elected as treasurer for the YWP-ZA, after serving a year in the YWP KwaZulu-Natal chapter (May 2016 to May 2017).
Ringwood
Jo Burgess, research manager for the Water Research Commission and former YWP chairperson
What role has YWP played in your life to date?
It has changed my life in a wonderful way. The YWP programme provides an instant network where I can access the knowledge of the crowd, and a safe space where no question is stupid. If you ever feel like you’re overwhelmed or alone, it’s the best place to say so. And it’s also the best place to find out that you are needed – when anyone else says they have a question and you know the answer you realise you are on the right road yourself.
dr inga JacobsMata, research group leader for the integrated water solutions research group at the CSiR and former YWP chairperson
How do you balance work/personal commitments?
This was not easy; before I became a mother, I must admit I wasn’t very good at maintaining a work/personal life balance. But having a one-year-old hanging on your leg for attention really jolts you out of your work bubble and into the “here and now”. Also, it’s a bonus having a good employer – one that supports you to grow and develop holistically, and helps you to grow in the areas you are passionate about, as well as challenge you in the areas you’re not.
Nora Hanke-Louw, YWP-Za chairperson and water sector manager at the energy and Water Sector education and Training authority
How are women’s experiences in the water sector different from men’s? I don’t think all women’s experiences are vastly different from all men’s and I don’t think the water sector is unique. What I do know from personal experience is that some men in the sector are considered “creepy” and women tell each other to beware.
Inappropriate and unsolicited sexual advances are in fact so common that nobody says anything other than in private. Women seem to feel disempowered to the extent that almost no cases of harassment are filed. I think that if all women in the water in the sector would write down their experiences, the sector would be in for a shock. I imagine that most men in the sector do not experience this personally to the same degree.
Suvritha Ramphal, YWP-Za vicechairperson and programme officer at the danish embassy in charge of promoting and supporting bilateral cooperation between the water ministries and other stakeholders in South africa and denmark
What are the main challenges for implementing water and sanitation for all?
People’s current behaviour and attitude towards becoming more resilient in all aspects of water and sanitation, for me, is considered the main challenge. This may not be the case in developed countries but, in a country like South Africa, with the water scarcity challenges we face, it is the responsibility of each and every one of us to be conscious of our use and disposal of water – and make decisions not in the moment but for the future.
Zanele Precious Sifundza, YWP Mpumalanga branch chairperson and water care technician at the department of Public Works
What has your journey as a water sector professional been to date?
It has been a rollercoaster. Straight after my tertiary education, I did quite a lot of marketing work that included door-to-door sales. Without luck for two years, I finally ended up being hired as an assistant resident engineer in a consulting firm working on water and sanitation projects for schools. With the passion I have for the water sector, I took a leap of faith and left my well-paying job to take up a graduate development programme as a process controller because I wanted to add more value to the sector. Today, I am a registered Professional Process Controller with the Water Institute of Southern Africa and am extremely happy in my work.
When the levy is dry
The bulk of the water industry is made up of municipalities that pay their SETA levies to the Local Government SETA. This means EWSETA has had to be resourceful in how it manages its funds so as to continue providing the skills vital for SA’s future economic growth. By Nora Hanke-Louw
Skills development is the cornerstone of “a skilled and capable workforce that shares in, and contributes to, the benefits and opportunities of economic expansion and an inclusive growth path”, as stated in the National Skills Development Strategy (NSDS) III. The Energy and Water Sector Education and Training Authority (EWSETA) Discretionary Grant (DG) projects have undoubtedly made a real difference in the lives of countless people nationwide; they build self-confidence and leadership skills by allowing students to use their unique gifts and talents. Yet, as one of the smallest and lowest-levy-income Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs), EWSETA struggles to fulfil its numerous and competing subsector responsibilities
– we therefore urge all sector partners to come on board as trainers, workplaces, bursary-granters, mentors, and ultimately life transformers.
EWSETA has relatively few levy-payers, which is linked to the market structure of the energy and water sector, as well as the distribution of the Sector Industry and Classification (SIC) codes. To briefly explain how the SETAs receive their income: every employer in South Africa registered with the South African Revenue Service (SARS) is allocated to a SIC Code. As per the Skills Development Levies Act (No. 9 of 1999), employers pay 1% of the salary bill to SARS, which diverts the money to the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET). The DHET then allocates the levies with 20% to the National Skills Fund (NSF) and 80% to various SETAs depending
on which SETA covers that employer’s SIC code. The rationale is: you pay the levy as per your industry and, in turn, can expect the applicable SETA to know your skills needs and fund relevant training programmes to grow your industry.
Consider the need
EWSETA’s income comes from a meagre 809 levy-payers, only 132 from the water sector. These are the companies with an annual turnover of R500 000 and above per annum (smaller employers are exempt from the levy). The total levies received by EWSETA in the 2016/17 financial year amounted to R286 million, which is a small amount considering our mandate and magnitude of need. On the one hand, EWSETA covers the most basic services
We hope that the sector is willing to pull alongside us, take on and support learners, and sees this as a long-term strategy to support the country and ultimately grow their market
Eskom is by far the largest employer in South Africa’s energy sector
CLOSER LOOK
Sector Industry Classification (SIC) codes are a system for classifying all economic activities in South Africa and are widely used by countries around the world.
EWSETA covers electricity, renewable and nuclear energy, oil and gas, water collection, purification and distribution, waste and sewage services, as well as refuse and sanitation services.
(water, sanitation, waste and electricity) and on the other hand, the number of SIC codes and employers EWSETA covers is very small compared to other, larger SETAs. In addition, the energy and water sector leans heavily towards public entities. In the energy sector, Eskom is by far the largest employer.
In the water sector, municipalities, in bulk, are the largest employer, especially at the intermediary-, technical- and vocational-skills levels, which SETAs overwhelmingly fund. Yet, municipalities pay their levies to the Local Government SETA (LGSETA) – a stark fact that remains rather concerning for us given our mandate within the energy and water sector.
industry support
The other side of EWSETA’s work is the sector skills planning mechanism, which is largely reliant on Workplace Skills Plans (WSPs) and Annual Training Reports (ATRs) of employers. In the previous financial year, we received only 16% for the water subsector. This is an
intolerably low number of submissions from industry and begs questions around why companies are not interested in the incentive-based mandatory grant they get back when submitting.
That notwithstanding, the DHET, at the National Skills Conference held in March 2017, also indicated that, at national level, only 15% of industry is actively involved in skills development interventions.
Back to basics
In light of our financial and planning difficulties, EWSETA is doing very well. In 2016/17, we registered more than 5 000 learners on various pivotal learning programmes linked to our scarce and critical skills list, as identified in the EWSETA Sector Skills Plan.
As SETAs, we are restricted by law from using more than 10.5% of our annual budget on administrative costs. The rest of the funding goes to Discretionary Grant funding (i.e. pivotal programmes). This is also one of the reasons EWSETA is going “back to basics” by focusing on our core business: skills development as per our sector analysis.
people. Please be in touch with our water sector team, who are happy to answer any inquiries you might have.
*Nora Hanke-Louw is the EWSETA water sector manager.
Nora Hanke-Louw
+27 (0)11 274 4700
norah@eseta.org.za / info@eseta.org.za www.ewseta.org.za
The total levies received by EWSETA in the 2016/17 financial year amounted to R286 million, which is a small amount considering our mandate and magnitude of need
We hope that the sector is willing to pull alongside us, take on and support learners, and sees this as a long-term strategy to support the country and ultimately grow its market by reinvesting in
In spite of funding difficulties, EWSETA registered 5 000 learners in the 2016/17 financial year
Of 809 organisations that pay levies that go to EWSETA, only 132 are from the water sector
I come to you not by chance
South Africa’s water measurement and distribution systems are becoming increasingly automated. While this is a positive trend, protecting the country’s most productive centres from the effects of climate change and severe water shortages, it also comes with a built-in element of risk. The first line of defence against the new risk introduced by these systems is as simple as making sure employees read the subject lines of their emails before opening them.
Half a decade ago, the types of email headlines associated with cyberattacks could be discerned easily by all but the least internet-savvy members of society.
Popular among these were phishing attacks engineered by some scam artist (notoriously Nigerians), headed with familiar phrases like: “I come to you not by chance” and “Please in godsname (sic) Help, Amen”. These would then usually follow a set format where the sender would relate a sad tale about a prince or professor or emperor (possibly all three) trying to reclaim their lost inheritance, with the email recipient being the only one who could assist in
The catch-all buzzword ‘Industry 4.0’ is changing the way South Africa’s water distribution systems work. Everything, from water meters to the machines that test pipe durability have some sort of built-in smart functionality. What kind of security risks does this enhanced functionality introduce? By Frances Ringwood
Cybercriminals are becoming more and more sophisticated, compelling people to be increasingly careful when opening their emails
rectifying the sender’s predicament. Said help would generally involve a request for money in return for a larger financial reward. The ultimate goal of these attacks would be to get the cyberattack victim’s bank account details and then drain their account. Another way to tell these messages weren’t genuine was their characteristic bad spelling and grammar.
Attacks such as these are similar to SMS and WhatsApp messages sent directly to victims’ cell phones, informing them that they have won some overseas
lottery they had not known they had entered. Again, a small fee is requested to deliver the recipient’s winnings and, again, the ultimate goal is for scammers to get their mark’s banking details.
Updated attacks
The cyber scammers of today are generally much more subtle. For starters, email subject lines usually have a bland heading like “Invoice for your approval” or just “Proof of payment attached”. The only clue that these emails might carry an attachment harbouring malware is that the sender’s name is usually as bland and English-sounding as Molly Thomlinson or Charles Jones – although even these aliases are starting to sound more and more genuine. As these types of attacks
• Have a cyber defence policy in place
• Ensure the policy is implemented
• Encourage a culture of accountability
• Be vigilant when it comes to internal threats, i.e. disgruntled employees and ex-employees
Emails and memory sticks are the two most common ways malware finds its way on to PCs DefenDing informATion
have grown more difficult to detect, a general rule of thumb is not to open emails from people you don’t know. The new professionalism in hacking coincides with a new trend emerging where large scamming syndicates operate out of China. This type of professional criminal scammer is also less likely to wait for a reply to their email and more likely to use aggressive malware to hack into individuals’ email addresses so that they can steal and use any personal data for financial gain.
Email hosting services are forced to spend billions each year upgrading their offerings to minimise the risks associated with this type of privacy invasion. Even so, there is nothing that can be done when users are careless with their email inboxes.
Logging on to one’s email at internet cafes, print shops and other publically accessible PCs where a Trojan or key logger
The
cyber scammers of today are generally much more subtle. For starters, email subject lines usually have a bland heading like “Invoice for your approval” or “Proof of payment attached”
• Limit employee access to only what is needed for the job
• Limit machine access to only what is needed for its function
• Use a network architecture that limits the crossover between IT and operational equipment where possible
• Do not open emails from unfamiliar sources
• Use easy-to-remember personal passwords that are difficult to guess
may be installed is one of the most common ways hackers get access to people’s personal accounts. Even without sophisticated technology, a hacker can gain access through these public portals when individuals forget to log out of their email after a session. Perhaps the most prevalent attack threatening South Africa is ransomware. This type of attack can result in hefty financial losses. In the water sector, the net effect will be that money earmarked for capital or operational expenditure on improved water and sanitation services instead gets diverted to paying what is effectively a bribe in order to get an IT system back online.
Makes you WannaCry
An example of a particularly vicious piece of ransomware hit industry hard when the WannaCry attack of 12 May this year wrought financial havoc on the UK’s National Health Service, Dacia Mioveni in Romania and FedEx here in South Africa.
WannaCry, short for the WannaCrypto virus, allowed attackers to gain access to victims’ data in their folders, which they then encrypted, refusing to allow access to those folders until victims paid to have their data back. Worse still, once some companies paid the ransom, they were seen as soft targets for similar future attacks, meaning that one company could end up being hit two or three times by the same scammers.
Emails remain one of the primary ways hackers gain access to an organisation’s
system. This type of attack isn’t limited to car and courier companies; any water sector organisation, from water boards to manufacturers and service providers, is just as vulnerable. The best way for organisations to protect themselves from these sorts of attacks is to be vigilant. Attacks can come from outside, but they can just as easily come from inside an organisation, either from disgruntled employees or just innocent ones who are not sufficiently computer literate. For example, probably the most well-known cyberattack is the Stuxnet virus and its infiltration of the Bushehr nuclear power plant in Iran. Spread through Windows operating systems, the legend goes that the computer virus found its way on to heavily protected state computers because an office worker plugged in a memory stick without knowing what was on it.
Particularly noteworthy about this type of attack for the local water sector is that it not only gets into office files, but actually affects programmable logic controllers (PLCs). PLCs are smart machines used ubiquitously to manage processes across various sectors, including many water applications.
Similarly, in 2014, a German steel mill fell victim to a cyberattack that saw its control systems seized. The German Federal Agency for Security in Information Technology has released very few details about the incident, other than relating it as a cautionary tale illustrating about how hackers are now
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able to cause substantial infrastructure damage. Drawing conclusions for the water sector from these examples means that a dosing PLC or Scada system at a water or wastewater treatment plant becoming infected could affect water quality. This could see contamination levels rising to levels that could harm human health. The cost of hacking water infrastructure is much higher than most other sectors and begins to cross into the realm of terrorism.
in-depth defence
According to Christo Buys, business manager for control systems, Rockwell Automation sub-Saharan Africa, the answer lies in a solution the company calls in-depth defence. “Picture defence being like an onion with different layers, with your sensitive information, hopefully, safe at the centre of the onion,” he explains.
“We typically recommend multiple levels of defence, both internally and externally. For example, security policies and procedures need to be in place, as well as a policy for how to proceed in the event of a cyber security breach. A holistic approach means that 20% of your defence will be technology-based and 80% will be based on policy, procedures
If dosing levels at a plant were to be affected by a virus crossing into operational systems, at a mine for example, the environmental and even legal costs could be punishing
and on people implementing those procedures.” Buys points out that there is a misconception that procedures are not as important as policy setting and implementation. This is not the case, and an important part of an organisation’s cyber policy must include some way to limit employee and contractor access to files that are not in use and also limiting which PCs are networked with the process machinery on-site.
“The network that connects these machines is of particular importance and Rockwell Automation, in conjunction with Cisco, leaders in IT infrastructure, has developed free reference materials for keeping network architectures safe and secure,” says Buys. These are available in the form of webinars, educational videos, downloadable collateral and white papers.
The cost of hacking water infrastructure is much higher than in most other sectors and begins to cross into the realm of terrorism
recently been overturned. The original source of wisdom for this formula, Bill Burr, recently put out a statement in the Wall Street Journal where he explains that, as a mid-level manager at the National Institute of Standards, he was forced to come up with a policy towards passwords and he now regrets that trying to remember these passwords “drives people bananas”.
He further emphasises the importance of application, authentication, authorisation and accountability measures, again in order to limit access between information and operation functions within an organisation.
Password protection
The old wisdom that passwords needed to be overly complicated and include letters, numbers and obscure characters has
The new wisdom is that passwords should be easy to remember, usually something personal that would not be easy for anyone else to guess – one’s own birthday, children’s names and birthdays, spouse’s name and birthday, the street you grew up on, mother’s maiden name or pet’s name are still too easy for hackers to guess though. Favourite lyrics or a punchline to a joke have been flavour of the month lately in experts’ blog posts but being original is always the best way to go.
In conclusion, cyber security is mostly about getting the basics right. Hackers generally look for a soft target and following a few basic precautions makes a big difference when it comes to keeping company information and equipment safe and secure.
New level transmitters launch
Advanced process automation and quality monitoring in drinking or sewage water facilities
Process analysis for the water and wastewater industry –technology driven by KROHNE
• Extensive portfolio of analytic sensors, also with integrated transmitter technology, and complete measuring systems
• Reliable analysis of parameters directly in the process, e. g.:
– pH, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, temperature
– sedimentation monitoring, sludge zone tracking
• Mounting assemblies and accessories, approvals from drinking water to Ex
• Wide range of mounting assemblies and accessories
KROHNE South Africa
8 Bushbuck Close, Corporate Park South Randjiespark, Midrand, Tel.: +27 113141391
Fax: +27 113141681, Nirisha Harinarain, n.harinarain@krohne.com, www.za.krohne.com
Four new level transmitters for liquids applications – including agitated and corrosive liquids and narrow tanks with internal obstructions – have been launched to market by German industrial process and instrumentation company Krohne. Two additional level transmitters are also available for solids applications.
Part of Krohne’s Optiwave series of frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar level transmitters for liquids, these 24 GHz and 80 GHz transmitters feature two-wire 4 mA to 20 mA HART 7 communication and come with an extensive choice of process connections, starting from three-quarter inch. They feature a large, backlit LCD display with four-button keypad, and a quick set-up assistant for easy commissioning.
Standard applications
The Optiwave 3500 is an 80 GHz FMCW radar aimed at hygienic applications in the food, beverage and pharmaceutical markets. It has a wide range of hygienic connections and can measure right up to the process connection.
Thanks to its narrow beam angle and small dead zone, it is capable of measuring in small and narrow tanks, even with agitators. The Optiwave 5400 is a 24 GHz FMCW radar for liquids in basic process. It provides accurate readings in closed tanks, in open-air applications such as rivers or dams, and even in processes with fast-changing levels.
Harsh environments
Optiwave 7400 is a 24 GHz FMCW radar designed for liquids in harsh environments such as tanks with agitators containing corrosives or in non-explosive applications of up to 700°C. Optiwave 7500 is an 80 GHz FMCW radar aimed at harsh liquid applications (150°C, 40 bar) in small and narrow tanks with internal obstructions like agitators or heating coils, as well as tanks with long nozzles.
New 24 GHz and 80 GHz FMCW radar level transmitters for liquids and solids
IIoT platform recognised at digital awards
The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) has huge potential: predictive maintenance, asset information management and device configuration are just some examples of the opportunities digitalisation has in store for companies.
Process automation
company Endress+Hauser is driving IIoT forward through innovative products and solutions, as well as by working with partners. This dedication saw the company winning this year’s Digital Champion Award for a proven digital platform.
Endress+Hauser also presented its digital offering at this year’s German Digital Summit, where it presented a unique offering for driving industry excellence through a new partnering platform.
digital Champion 2017
Endress+Hauser’s Memosens is a pioneering sensor technology for liquid analysis in various industries – such as chemical, power and energy, food and beverage, and water and wastewater – which was introduced over 10 years ago. Memosens sensors measure the pH value in liquids, for example, and transform it into a digital signal while
Memosens was presented with the Digital Champion Award in the Digital Products and Services category in June 2017
Award-winning technology: Memosens sensors can be calibrated and regenerated in the laboratory
still in the sensor. The data is then passed on via a contactless system and provides extremely accurate, reproducible and reliable measurement results. Furthermore, the technology combines high process and data security with simple handling: it can withstand corrosion and moisture, can be calibrated in the laboratory, and enables predictive maintenance.
Memosens was presented with the Digital Champion Award in the Digital Products and Services category in June 2017. The award is a joint initiative of German telecommunications provider Telekom and the business magazine WirtschaftsWoche, which was set up in 2016 with the aim of awarding
A platform for Industry 4.0 in chemistry: together with BASF, SAP, Pepperl+Fuchs and Samson, Endress+Hauser presented the opportunities of digitisation to German chancellor Angela Merkel
prizes to significant projects by medium-sized companies.
digital Summit
Endress+Hauser also demonstrates its commitment through its work with partners: the company created a platform through which data can be exchanged together with BASF, SAP, Pepperl+Fuchs and Samson. This was presented for the first time at the Digital Summit of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Technology. The event took place in June 2017 in the metropolitan Rhine-Neckar region and saw over 1 000 participants, including the German chancellor Dr Angela Merkel.
The platform enables new forms of data-based cooperation. The effectiveness and efficiency in chemical production can be increased significantly, allowing new business models to be created.
The ability to gather data on the condition of devices and components and exchange this data with all those involved with the process helps to: determine maintenance requirements, plan maintenance work more efficiently and reduce plant shutdowns.
Investing in liveable cities
Adam Lovell, executive director of the Water Services Association of Australia (WSAA), provides a snapshot of how water utilities in Australia and New Zealand are focusing on liveable cities for global competitiveness.
By Frances Ringwood
The WSAA is an organisation representing water utilities and private companies from Australia and New Zealand. Members include the likes of Sydney Water, Melbourne Water and Wellington Water, as well as private members such
as Trility, Suez and Veolia. “A few years ago, the WSAA board decided on some big strategic focus areas,” says Lovell. “Among those priorities were the use of benchmarking and putting numbers to the water sector’s contribution towards liveable cities,” he adds.
catchment management to recycled water and desalination.
Benchmarking breakthrough “Elevating performance is all about benchmarking and our members have been benefitting from benchmarking across a number of areas of their business. For example, last year, 20 of our members got together, bringing along their general ledgers, and plugged all of their opex spending into 100 different categories,” Lovell explains. These categories covered everything from
Adam Lovell, executive director of the Water Services Association of Australia
“Some of the more interesting findings concerned the effect of scale. Our data suggests that for every tenfold increase in the size of your storage, there’s about a 60% decrease in your operational costs at raw water storage facilities. This provides food for thought in relation to decentralised systems” says Lovell. On water treatment, the effects of scale proved even more dramatic. “For every
People relaxing and taking in the sun on Christmas Day at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, in 2012. Bondi Beach is the most well-known beach in Australia and one of the most famous in the world. By upgrading four cliff-face sewer outfalls to deep-sea outfalls, Sydneysiders’ property values soured, alongside beach tourism and recreation
We’re gradually seeing a push, where water utilities are trying to open up the conversation saying that stormwater needs to be part of the total urban water environment
tenfold increase in a water treatment facility, a 70% reduction in treatment costs results,” says Lovell.
“More interesting, I think, is the huge price involved in going from secondary to tertiary treatment – around 80%. Why is this interesting? Because, what we typically find in Australia is that an Environmental Protection Agency representative will ask for the highest level of treatment without taking into account the negative effects of stormwater
run-off entering a river system.
Gum trees and blue skies at sunset in Toowoomba, Queensland. Australasian water utilities are looking into the mental health benefits of opening up more green spaces
“I’m not arguing that tertiary treatment is bad but this data suggests that there is a bigger conversation to be had with our customers and communities about levels of treatment and the outcome you want to achieve in a particular receiving water body. It may be that downstream water is being abstracted for drinking water and so tertiary treatment is required. It may mean that you are discharging to a recreational water body. All I’m saying is that the data suggests the conversation needs to change,” says Lovell. “Our research has had a hugely positive impact for individual members. For example, one utility discovered that
Water Treatment
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A strong foundation for infrastructure success
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their insurance costs were astronomical. Two weeks later, they came back saying they’d saved A$700 000 after renegotiating all their insurance costs,” he adds.
Liveable cities
Shifting gears to talk about liveable cities (and communities), Lovell noted that this is typically a hot-button issue for the transportation sector, and the water sector needs to exploit the opportunities it presents or lose out.
“Given Australia and New Zealand’s remoteness, our competitive advantage is to have liveable cities. We attract top-class knowledge workers from across the globe on the basis of having liveable cities. And the data that we’ve pulled together proves that. “Our liveability is often referred back to transport and the gridlock that is transport in Australia. But the bigger problem is infrastructure planning.
“The idea we want to get across is that water is the last municipal service with its feet under the table when it comes to infrastructure planning and spend – and it quite often doesn’t get its feet under the table at all. The idea of liveable cities is capitalised on by transport and everybody else that might be able to hang on to the ride. But that’s got to stop.
“Urban water services create value through a number of channels. These include physical and mental health, recreational activities and many more. But first, we’ve got to see ourselves as master planners, not master plumbers. To this end, we developed a paper called ‘Next Gen Urban Water: The role of urban water in vibrant and prosperous communities (2017)’,” explains Lovell.
The paper touches on a number of important ways in which water utilities can make cities more liveable, demonstrating a dollar value where possible for each of these initiatives. These include stormwater management, capital uplift (or an investment credit), health benefits, reducing the heat island effect, measuring mental health benefits, and mapping utilities’
Australia is fairly close to a privatised water model, given that for every A$1 spent, about A$0.90 goes to the private sector
“It’s not just about SDG 6. Many of Australia and New Zealand’s utilities are structuring their business around all of the SDGs.”
performance against the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Stormwater
“The big problem we have in Australia is that stormwater is not the business of water utilities, and we’ve let councils run it. The fact is that councils have got their own concerns, like local planning, maintaining roads and playgrounds, so stormwater is typically an expensive and problematic issue they worry about. We’re gradually seeing a push, where water utilities are trying to open up that conversation with local government to collaborate by saying that stormwater needs to be part of the total urban water environment,” explains Lovell. “We can’t continue to ignore issues of flooding and pollutant management and at the same time create environmental flows and great recreational spaces for physical and mental health benefits.”
He adds that being climate-resilient and achieving water security means that stormwater reuse needs to be part of the conversation. “But it can only be part of it if it has a funding and pricing framework,” he says.
Capital uplift
“Sydney Water did a study last year where they valued clean beaches at A$1.2 billion per year. They came to this figure by looking at how three cliff-face sewage treatment plant outfalls were extended to become deep water outfalls in the 1990s – all three discharging 4 km off the coast at a depth of 120 m,” explains Lovell. The environmental improvements were clear, resulting in a capital uplift of about A$350 000 per property for those lucky enough to close to the beachfront. The health benefits of not having to
An aerial view of the Sydney, Australia, CBD. The concept of liveable cities is used to justify investment in Australia’s infrastructure – the WSAA argues that the water sector needs to seize this opportunity
swim in polluted seawater was valued at around AS$140 000 per annum. The research also showed that over 10% of prospective highly skilled immigrants valued clean beaches and water ways as a top priority.
Reducing the heat island effect
“Just after the Second World War, Mediterranean immigrants brought a trendy construction method called pebblecrete to the shores of Melbourne. As a result, virtually everything in Melbourne became cemented over overnight, resulting in a heat island effect,” explains Lovell. “What the local utility did was to start on a programme about five years ago that actually paid residents to rip out the cement and pebblecrete, and plant trees.
This resulted in an average temperature reduction of between 1°C and 2°C on hot days,” he adds. Additionally, green space has increased, and Melbourne is aiming for a further 20% increase by 2030.
Measuring mental health
“I think the other interesting thing about the Melbourne case study is the mental health aspect associated with living in green spaces that we often disregard,” says Lovell.
“A recent New York study put a value on the mental health benefits of spending time in a park, among green trees. It’s an emerging area of study and we’re working to put a value on the physical and mental health aspects of providing green spaces for recreation,” he adds
SdG mapping
“It’s not just about SDG 6. Many of Australia and New Zealand’s utilities are structuring their business around all of the SDGs. For example, SDG 5 tackles gender equity. One of our members has a goal of 50% women in senior management by 2020,” notes Lovell. A common misconception about the SDGs it that they’re only for developing countries. However, when Yarra Valley mapped its business against the SDGs, it was able to see where it was succeeding as well as its own gaps and areas for improvement.
“For Australia, it’s also important to note that we provide a lot of aid to South East Asia and the Pacific. So, by having an idea of where we are in terms of the SDGs, we can help our South Pacific members through twinning arrangements – where a utility excelling in one area will work openly with another that may be a little weaker in that area,” explains Lovell.
Conclusion
The Australian and New Zealand water utility market is all about being globally competitive. Market leaders want to be part of the infrastructure planning process early on and they are able to enter discussions with hard data on how to make their communities liveable and investible.
Water and sanitation in Africa
When drought hits, governments need to put emergency action plans into place to ensure enough water for those affected. Emergency measures cost money. As drought subsides across most of the SADC region, the challenge now is to recover money spent.
BOTSWAnA
World Bank backs
$145.5 million for water
The World Bank has approved a US$145.5 million loan to Botswana for water projects, Minister of Finance Kenneth Matambo has said. According to the minister, the project was prepared in response to last year’s (and the 2015) El Niño-related droughts, and considered the worst in the last 34 years. The loan is expected to fund the government’s emergency water security and efficiency project, at a total cost of $160 million. The government will also mobilise other partners including equity loans for the remaining $14.5 million. The project will improve the availability of water supply in drought-vulnerable areas, strengthen wastewater management in selected systems and improve the operational efficiency of the Water Utilities Corporation. Some 177 000 people will benefit from improved
Botswana will be undertaking a water security project to the value of US$160 million
wastewater treatment systems and 460 000 will benefit from the rehabilitation or expansion of water supply systems.
Source: MedAfrica
MOzAMBIqUE
More EU Funding in Inhambane EU ambassador to Mozambique Sven von Burgsdorff has announced the grant of an additional €500 000 (about R7.1 million), to be spent over the next 18 months for a water supply, sanitation and hygiene programme in the towns of Morrumbene, Homoine and Jangamo, in Inhambane province. The programme, known as Aguasani, began in 2008, and was initially budgeted
at about €10 million. It is an initiative of the Mozambican government, supported by the EU and UNICEF. Recent data from UNICEF indicates that only one in four Mozambicans have access to improved sanitation, and that access to latrines of any kind is so poor that two out of every five Mozambicans defecate in the open.
Aguasani, which seeks to overcome the lack of water supply and sanitation services in the three towns, was initially planned to end
in the second half of this year. The increased funding and extended time for the programme (a further 17 months) are intended to expand the number of households and institutions benefitting from it.
Source: Mozambique News Agency
nAMIBIA
new water agency for namibia
Namibia’s Minister of Agriculture, Water and Forestry, John Mutorwa, has inaugurated a new Water Regulator for the country. The Water Regulator comprises five individuals: Joseph Iita, Nathalia Goagoses, Pedro
FAST FACTS
US$145.5 million R7 billion €500 000
The value of an approved World Bank loan for water projects in Botswana
The grant to be spent over the next 18 months for a water supply, sanitation and hygiene programme in Mozambique
The amount Swade has been able to mobilise to develop 116 new businesses in the form of smallholder farmers in Swaziland
Namibia’s new Water Regulator duplicates many of the functions of NamWater while also having the legal teeth to determine the price of bulk water
Maritz, Olga Katjiuongua and Luther Rukira. It has been instituted under the authority of the Water Resources Management Act (No. 11 of 2013), Section 12, but its main functions are executed under Section 7 of the NamWater Act (No. 12 of 1997). Mutorwa has described the new regulator’s mandate as falling under NamWater’s legal obligation to “determine and levy, in consultation with the minister, tariffs on a full cost-recovery basis for water supplied”.
At the inauguration ceremony in Windhoek, the minister described the new regulator’s duties: “to carry out efficiently and in the best interests of the Republic of Namibia, the primary business of bulk water supply to customers, in sufficient quantities, of a quality suitable for the customers’ purposes, and by cost-effective, environmentally sound and sustainable means; and the secondary business of rendering water-related services, supplying facilities and granting rights to customers upon their request.
Source: Namibia Economist
SOUTH AFRICA
Calls for probe into R2.5 billion cash crisis South Africa’s bankrupt Department of Water and Sanitation is deep in the red and has been called to account for millions spent in wasteful expenditure by Parliament’s Standing Committee on Public Accounts.
In April, it was reported how Minister Nomvula Mokonyane’s portfolio was slapped on the wrist by Treasury for going bankrupt. The Water Trading Entity
(WTE), which falls under the department, was responsible for several high-level projects, including the Lesotho Highlands Water Project. It had been bleeding millions and operating at a loss.
A senior National Treasury official said the department had run out of money and this was flagged almost a year ago.
Director-general Dan Mashitisho appeared in Parliament where he responded to questions about the department’s cash irregularities. Scopa is also due to call Mokonyane to account. Mashitisho has been accused of not providing enough detail by the Democratic Alliance opposition party. The EFF also expressed disappointment in Mashitisho’s handling of the report.
Source: The Citizen
SWAzILAnD
El Niño-related droughts have affected livestock and wild animal deaths across the Southern African region
political, business and cultural landscapes for business competitiveness seminar held at the University of Swaziland. The parastatal, under the Ministry of Agriculture, is funded by international development agencies through government and also receives a subvention from government.
zIMBABWE
Swade mobilises R7 billion to assist community businesses
The Swaziland Water and Agricultural Development Enterprise (Swade) has been able to mobilise about R7 billion to assist businesses in communities.
This was revealed recently by Swade CEO Samson Sithole during the economic,
“To date, a total of about R7 billion has been mobilised by Swade and this was used to develop 116 new businesses in the form of smallholder farmers,” Sithole said. He added that the financial support received by the parastatal over the past years has enabled it to roll out a total of nine projects that assisted different chiefdoms in alleviating poverty. Two of those projects employed over 2 000 individuals under the Komati Downstream Development Project and the Lower Usuthu Smallholder Irrigation Project. Sithole said access to potable water and sanitation contributes to the improvement of livelihoods and health in the Swade project areas’ communities.
Source: The Swazi Observer
Government needs to teach public to pay for water Central government should push the public to accept that water is a commodity that should be paid for, as most still see it as ‘freebie’, Harare Acting Town Clerk Josephine Ncube has said. She made the comment during a World Banksponsored workshop titled ‘Service Level Benchmarking’ held in Mutare recently. The workshop was attended by town clerks and two other focal persons from all the country’s 32 urban councils. The programme is aimed at improving service delivery by urban councils in Zimbabwe. Among other issues discussed were urban water supply and waste management.
“We have politics of the water. There is no push from central government to ensure that people see water as a commercial commodity. Most people still think water from the council is free. They don’t want to pay,” said Ncube.
Source: NewZimbabwe.com
for Tzaneen Ne w labyrinth spillway
The raising of the Tzaneen Dam spillway will provide much-needed additional capacity for the town the dam borders, as well as the surrounding industrial and agricultural sector, which is one of the main vegetable producers in South Africa. By Alastair Currie
Acategory three dam, Tzaneen Dam was completed in 1976 and the design made provision for the raising of the spillway at a later date. That time is now drawing nearer as the construction implementation programme gathers momentum on a strategically important infrastructure upgrade, with the main raising works scheduled to commence in April 2018.
The dam raising forms part of the Department of Water and Sanitation’s Groot Letaba Water Development Project (GLeWaP), which includes the construction of the new Nwamitwa Dam situated some 40 km downstream. Nwamitwa Dam, located on the confluence of the Groot Letaba and Nwanedzi rivers, will
have a wall height of around 36 m and a storage capacity of approximately 144 million cubic metres. Blackhead Consulting is the appointed professional service provider (PSP) for the raising of the Tzaneen dam. The team is headed up by the project manager, Hilton Sparks, Blackhead’s technical director and a civil engineer with more than 40 years of project management experience. He is assisted by Harry Lyimo, a civil and structural engineer at Blackhead Consulting. As implementing agent for the Department of Water and Sanitation, Lepelle Northern Water appointed Blackhead Consulting for the design of the raising works in November 2015. The design team is backed by a highly
experienced group of subconsultants:
• The APP is Dr Quentin Shaw of ARQ Consulting Engineers.
• The dam engineer is David CameronEllis of ARQ Consulting Engineers.
• The structural engineer is Don Midgley of Ritchie Midgley Consulting Engineers.
• The hydrologist is Hendrik Peens of Peens and Associates.
• The environmental control officer is Bradly Thornton of Kongiwe Environmental.
The feasibility studies and the environmental process for both the Nwamitwa and Tzaneen dams had already been
completed, with a record of decision in place, which was due to expire on 26 September 2016, so the preparation for the construction programme needed to be accelerated.
“The raising of Tzaneen Dam by 3 m serves two purposes: first, to act as a storage backup for the Nwamitwa Dam and, second, to ensure additional storage capacity over the long term,” explains Sparks. Tzaneen Dam’s capacity will be increased from 150 to 193 million cubic metres.
Spillway design study
The starting point for the project was to reevaluate the feasibility study completed in 2008 for Tzaneen Dam in terms of the hydrology. The feasibility considered four spillway options, namely the original ogee spillway, fuse gates, a labyrinth weir, or a PK weir.
Model studies were undertaken at the Department of Water and Sanitation’s laboratories in Pretoria West to determine the optimal design approach from cost and project timeline perspectives. ARQ tested the viability of retaining the current ogee crest, or opting for a PK labyrinth weir. Tzaneen’s current spillway is approximately 100 m long, and the non-overspill crest around 1 km in length.
“We needed to carry out a cost-benefit analysis for different configurations of the spillway. In the end, our studies showed that opting for a conventional labyrinth was the most feasible option – this following extensive analysis by the dam engineer. This provides a cost-effective and low-maintenance solution,” explains Lyimo, the assistant
project manager. If the ogee approach had been selected, this would have required the raising of the spillway and non-overspill crest by the same height, namely 3 m. “However, by adopting the labyrinth weir method, it was determined that we could get the same quantity of water over the spillway for less height,” Lyimo continues. “This now means that the height of the nonoverspill crest only needs to be raised by 1.5 m, requiring approximately 20 000 m3 of material.”
A detailed design of the new labyrinth spillway has been completed and a tender document drawn up. The raising of the spillway will be carried out by an external contractor still to be appointed by the Department of Water and Sanitation.
initial works: stockpiling and demolition When initial construction commenced in early September 2016, Tzaneen’s dam level was down to 13%. Blackhead took advantage of this opportunity to excavate the required material for the raising of the earthfill embankments from the dam basin and stockpile it for the main raising works. These works were carried out by Construction North, the Department of Water and Sanitation’s construction wing. Then cyclone Dineo hit in February 2017 and the dam level has now risen to around 60%. Fortunately, the stockpiling operations were completed in the same month.
The maximum capacity threshold during the construction of the spillway is 72% with diversion works in place. A coffer dam will also be established
Demolition at the spillway access ramp
Outlet works of Tzaneen Dam
downstream as part of the spillway works to carry out dam toe foundation inspections and improvements.
In preparation for the raising of the spillway, the existing ogee structure is being demolished by 4 m down to the level suitable to anchor the raising, and will then be raised by a total of 7 m, a net raising of 3 m. A platform was built on the upstream side to access the spillway with mechanical breakers.
The original drawings indicated that the spillway was composed entirely of mass concrete. However, a nominal amount of steel reinforcing was encountered, which has required some blasting to speed up the demolitions. Demolition will be completed in August 2017 and work on the raising of the spillway is expected to commence in April 2018, with construction due for completion in September 2019.
Programme management
To track the construction programme, Blackhead Consulting is employing an innovative cloud-based project monitoring system using tablets, which has already been successfully applied by the firm on human settlements projects. Daily site instructions are completed and signed on the tablet and uploaded to the Cloud, enabling the project management
Toe of Tzaneen Dam spillway
team to download this information and monitor progress in real time for specified categories – e.g. demolitions or stockpiling, with monthly reports generated automatically. This is combined with the deployment of a drone to complete aerial photos and video. When the main construction commences, all stages will be colour coded for specific monitoring requirements and to keep the project on track and within budget.
This tool will also be used during ongoing OHS environmental monitoring for key areas like dust, noise and water quality at a number of points around the dam.
Allied to this project, a separate component will entail the upgrading of Ramadiepa Dam, a privately owned structure situated upstream of Tzaneen. This is a category two dam. Once the Tzaneen spillway is raised, water will back up on to the wall of Ramadiepa, so certain remedial works are required.
“We are very excited to be working with the Department of Water and Sanitation and Lepelle Northern Water to achieve the sustainable development targets set out by the GLeWaP initiative, and also to be working with a world-class professional consulting team that has vast experience in dam engineering,” adds Sparks. “The experience will prove invaluable as Blackhead Consulting expands its in-house capabilities. Over the years, our core civil engineering and project management focus has expanded to include Electrical, Mechanical, Structural, Environmental, Occupational Health and Safety, Social Facilitation and Quantity Surveying departments. The experience gained with Tzaneen will enhance the already strong foundation of the company.”
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Material stockpiles for the embankment raising
Keeping it clean
Most of South Africa may have avoided the worst of the drought crisis but there are still a number of dams around the country that are being reported as critically low. This not only includes Cape Town but also some dams in the Algoa Catchment System serving the Nelson Mandela Bay area, Buffalo City and a few other systems.
Up to 10% of the water in most dams in unusable due to silting. Keeping dams clean can improve their capacity, allowing municipalities and other
private sector dam owners like mines and farmers to get more value from their assets. Storage dams are not the only type of water body that needs to be cleaned every so often. Reservoirs, ponds and rivers also benefit from cleaning. This is particularly true for the type of settling ponds used at most of South Africa’s wastewater treatment works (WWTWs).
A clean, sludge-free, reed-free, hyacinth-free pond allows for more oxygenated water. This improves water quality output and plant capacity – two
By navigating to the middle of dams, amphibious excavators and dredgers can remove more debris, more quickly, than side-booms or manual labour
Dams, ponds, reservoirs and clarifiers all lose efficiency when they become clogged with dirt or vegetation. Even recreational water bodies lose value when they become polluted or clogged. Keeping water bodies clean optimises their efficiency and eradicates odour, improving water quality and aesthetic appeal.
By Frances Ringwood
A clean, sludge-free, reed-free, hyacinth-free pond allows for more oxygenated water
of the biggest challenges facing South Africa’s WWTWs. WWTW drying beds also need to be cleaned. Again, this improves plant efficiency with the downstream effect of better-quality river water and improved community health.
Using specialist equipment
According to Philip van Staden, Cape Town branch manager for Bovu Pumps, one of South Africa’s biggest dredging companies, the demand for these types of cleaning services is considerable, for both regular scheduled maintenance and emergency projects. “The services we offer are in high demand because we solve the most serious problems experienced across the public and private sector for our clients,” says van Staden.
“In the past, people cleaned dams and ponds using either a side-boom or manual labour. Side-booms are a problem because there’s a limit to how far they can reach into the water; using manual labour introduces considerable risk factors, takes much longer to complete a job and is much more expensive.
“For example, if you need to clean a dam or pond in the rain, there is a high risk of drowning. Once you have a steady workforce, you need to factor in raises and medical insurance. When strikes happen, you need to factor in downtime, which wouldn’t be as much of an issue with a machine.
“Also, a project that might take a month using the right equipment could take as long as six months with manual labour, driving up overheads,” he explains.
Bovu uses specialist equipment and machinery in the form of amphibious excavators, dredgers, and auger dredgers operated by experienced
personnel to take the risk out of dredging while also enabling the company to tackle the jobs that others can’t. “For example, there was a river running through one of the local parks here in Cape Town, which was overrun with reeds as well as rural effluent inflows. This resulted in foul odours that ended up deterring park visitors. So we cleaned it by removing all the sludge and the reeds. The client was impressed with the results because no other contractor had been able to get the job done.”
e quipment operation
Bovu’s amphibious excavators are unique in that they can float and are capable of operating in water as shallow as 4 m. “When dams are sludged up, other machines will get stuck, but, because our machine is specialised, we can actually navigate to the middle of a dam and clean out the sludge using either pumps or the bucket method,” explains Van Staden. “For pumping, we use a hydraulic pump that fits on to the front of the excavator.” For larger, deeper dams, auger dredgers are used.
from several hundred metres to a couple of kilometres; we use booster pumps if the distance requires them,” says Van Staden.
Reservoirs and clogging
Side-booms are a problem because there’s a limit to how far they can reach into the water, and using manual labour introduces considerable risk factors
Bovu also specialises in high-pressure cleaning for reservoirs. This service is supported through Bovu’s Pumps Division. “We use high-pressure equipment quite frequently for municipal applications, like cleaning reservoirs. In some of these cases, clogging is so severe that one will have to get manual labour in to physically dig out the dirt. This is also the case when clarifiers are severely clogged,” he says.
o ther solutions
Bovu’s head office is in Meyerton near Vereeniging, and the company also has branch offices in Cape Town and eMalahleni. “As well as providing dredging and pumping solutions, we also do high-pressure cleaning of pipelines, pipe-cracking and pipe replacement for sewer lines,” says Van Staden. “Our Construction Division also handles WWTW design right through to delivery and upgrades,” he concludes.
Sludge can reduce dam capacity and needs to be cleaned as part of general maintenance to ensure overall health
Ending
Cape water
crises
Current water scarcity is set to increase, particularly in areas such as Cape Town, bordered by two oceans. Desalination seems the best solution, especially if rolled out in packaged form where turnaround times are minimal. But is seawater use the sole answer? By Frances Ringwood
At a round-table discussion hosted by engineering firm Gibb South Africa on 13 July this year, experts from government, industry and the built environment gathered to discuss the feasibility of using desalination to ease Cape Town’s water crisis.
Panellists included: Leonardo Manus, chief director of Infrastructure Operations and Maintenance at the National Water Resources Infrastructure Unit, Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS); Jacques Laubscher, business development manager and technical executive at Gibb, and Margaret Wolf, project manager for the Unilever Centre for Environmental Water Quality and the Rhodes Institute for Water Research.
Manus’ presentation kicked off with an acknowledgement that desalination has been a topic of discussion for some time: “The topic of desalination actually gained traction some years back when scientists realised humanity is growing at a rate beyond its means. Our resources are being depleted in inverse proportion to population growth, and we don’t have the ability to make water. Yes, it shifts forms but we don’t have the ability to actually create new water for the earth, so we need to look at how we manage resources more critically.”
Wastewater alternative
He pointed out that desalination is only really viable for drinking water supply for those South Africans living
in coastal areas, highlighting the need to improve the cultural acceptability of direct wastewater reuse. “As much as desalination is a viable option, the same technology is required to clean water that has already been used, and the salinity level of that water is much lower, which means energy consumption and membrane filters may not be as intense. This makes wastewater a more economically viable option as a water source,” he said, while also acknowledging the need to invest in the country’s wastewater treatment plants.
free basic water
Manus plays an instrumental role in determining raw water tariffs for the DWS. For years, water experts have
Jacques Laubscher, business development manager and technical executive, Gibb
Leonardo Manus, chief director of infrastructure operations and Maintenance at the National Water Resources infrastructure Unit, department of Water and Sanitation questioned whether free basic water, part of the tariff structures of almost all municipalities in South Africa, can continue.
There is no simple answer to this question. On the one hand, freshwater demand is tipped to increase by 50% by 2030. This will have severe consequences for South Africa, a country already over-reliant on surface water and one that has fully utilised its existing surface water resources. On the other hand, as Manus points out, doing away with free basic water is not a feasible option at this time because the economic reality of the country is such that the poor cannot afford to pay for water and it is guaranteed to them as a right.
“Relooking at free basic water is up to individual municipalities; some of them have already started this process. However, the expectation that government should do away with free basic water is a little bit unrealistic at this point
in time, noting that there’s a huge majority of people that don’t have sufficient income to cater for all of the services they require. Bear in mind, our Constitution gives them the right to have access to water.”
Coastal desalination
Laubscher kicked off his discussion with some frightening statistics as to what will happen if South Africa doesn’t start using desalination and alternative freshwater reclamation strategies more widely.
“Only about 0.08% of the world’s water is accessible for direct human use, which means that 2.5 billion people worldwide live in water-stressed areas. Our national water resource strategy says that the national water
deficit will be more than 240 000 Mℓ per year by 2025. This is the shortage that desalination seeks to fill. A decrease of only 1% in quality and the usability of water in South Africa may cost 200 000 jobs, nearly 6% in disposable income per capita and 5% – or R1.8 billion – in government spending.”
Given the facts, Laubscher pointed out that it’s not a question of whether South Africa could afford to desalinate but whether it could afford not to. He also acknowledged the high costs that continue to be associated with the technology, while underlining the need for scientific and technological developments to keep pace with societal need.
“At the moment, South Africa treats surface water at a cost of about R5 to R10 per m3. When you desalinate water, the costs more than double, even when using reverse osmosis (RO), which is the preferred desalination technology in South Africa because it is more affordable than the thermal method. In total, the cost of RO seawater desalination, including transportation and environmental costs, is about R11 to R16 per m3
Siting a desalination plant on the coast and near a power station can significantly reduce costs
Waste brine is sometimes overlooked at the early stages of desalination plant builds, even though it has the potential to scupper an entire project if disposal measures are not put in place
“Unfortunately, technology has not yet caught up with demand, despite significant investments in research and development around RO technology. I trust that science will be able to develop a viable solution, though. Then it will be up to the policy experts to come up with a cross-subsidisation model that makes water affordable to all.”
Mixed approach
Like Manus, Laubscher believes in a mixed model incorporating direct wastewater reuse. “EThekwini is looking at building a 100 Mℓ/day plant, combining seawater with wastewater, which is a sensible thing to do.”
However, when rolling out any technology, the unique geographic and site conditions need to be examined before deciding on the best solution. For example, one of the biggest costs involved with desalination is energy. A few years ago, the City of Cape Town mothballed a desalination plant at its Koeberg nuclear power plant. Now, the city is reconsidering building a new plant on
the site, which could eventually provide up to two thirds of Cape Town’s daily water needs – anything from 150 Mℓ/day to 450 Mℓ/day. The site’s location near a power plant could considerably reduce costs. Nonetheless, it bears asking why the original plant was mothballed and whether South Africa’s existing plants are generally run with a high degree of success once private contractors hand them over to municipalities.
Concentrated salts are a by-product of desalination plants and need to be disposed of in an environmentally responsible manner. Waste brine is sometimes overlooked at the early stages of desalination plant builds, even though it has the potential to scupper an entire project if disposal measures are not put in place.
Behavioural change
Wolf added that climate change has resulted in old hydrological models no longer being reliable enough to give an accurate picture of the type of rainfall people can expect in future. She also pointed out that technology would not solve the problem of water scarcity on its own and that people’s attitude would have to change to enable South Africa to manage water effectively for the future.
“Technology is quite easy to work with, but changing the way people think about water is much trickier. People’s attitude to water – the way that we potentially waste or save it – has to be targeted for interventions at a much earlier stage, when people are younger.”
She also explained how Unilever and Rhodes University are pursuing a model where they encourage catchment management agencies to work with the
FAST FACTS
Freshwater demand is tipped to increase by 50% by 2030
Only about 0.08% of the world’s water is accessible for direct human use
By 2025, South Africa’s water deficit will be more than 240 000 Mℓ per year
A decrease of only 1% in quality of water in South Africa may cost 200 000 jobs, nearly 6% in disposable income per capita and 5% – or R1.8 billion – in government spending
that people come first when it comes to water rights. Her discussion ended with an acknowledgement of Sunlight dish-washing liquid’s Save Water Challenge, lauding the campaign’s potential to positively influence consumer behaviour.
“Apart from installing several water tanks around the country, Sunlight has also launched a successful media campaign that raises awareness about saving water. I think campaigns such as this can start to change the way people respond to leaking taps, permanently flushing toilets and burst pipes. Sunlight has also invested in smartphone technology that lets users know how to use less rinse water.”
This marriage between technology and behavioural change is something that needs buy-in from all South Africans in order to create a culture that values water as a scarce resource. This is a prerequisite for the country’s future water security, as well as its economic and environmental health.
Harvesting stormwater
South Africa has 47 000 km of paved roads. Assuming a road width of 7 m, this represents 320 Mℓ of water for every 1 mm of rainfall. With an average country-wide rainfall of 464 mm per annum, this totals 148 million cubes that could be reclaimed by modifying crawler lanes.
By Alex visser and Malcolm Hall*
South Africa faces water shortages; and the problem isn’t going away. Long-term climate models indicate the likelihood of overwhelming future water shortages. This scenario is catching up with us quicker than we ever could have anticipated and we are ill prepared.
In other water-stressed countries, governments have made great strides in ensuring that rainwater is harvested through large-scale systems so that this precious resource isn’t wasted.
For example, state governments in most of Australia have legislated that new houses are to be built with the latest water-efficient designs and products. In practice, this means installing rainwater tanks or some other supply system for outdoor water use, and toilet flushing, laundry or both. In South Africa, however, rainwater from gutter downpipes simply flows on to the paving.
This paving usually leads to stormwater drains, which eventually discharge into water treatment plants or local streams.
Wastewater treatment works’ (WWTWs) attenuation ponds are, in general, already operating over design capacity. The ingress of stormwater worsens this situation, leading to polluted water re-entering the country’s river system on a large scale. Moreover, flooded streams cause riverbank erosion and silting. At present, little attempt is made to harvest this water and a valuable resource is simply wasted.
Rooftops or roads?
Domestic rainwater harvesting as per the Australian model is part of the solution but South African conditions are unique, so it is not the whole solution. It could, and should, be applied to the upmarket suburbs but catching rain on the roofs of our urban squatter camps is not practical.
network to harvest the rainwater into storage dams, South Africa could save hundreds of millions of cubes of clean water, uncontaminated by human waste or other pollutants. We can no longer afford to waste water on this scale. What would such a system require in terms of infrastructure development? A small adjustment of roads’ side drains. Most roads are already equipped with V-profile side drains. These overflow and erode the road shoulders, leaving asphalt paving with a jagged edge that poses a danger to traffic, sometimes forcing vehicles out of their lanes. By replacing these narrow V-drains with shallow, trafficable side drains that extend over the entire
Mountain roads could be a particularly good source for harvested rainwater
By using the side drains of our road network to harvest the rainwater into storage dams, South Africa could save hundreds of millions of cubes of clean water
shoulder to abut the asphalt road paving, municipalities could collect a water supply from roads.
Technological solution
Hyson Cells’ BubbleLock offers an inexpensive method to widen the roads in such a manner. Wider roads would create the necessary water courses for rainwater harvesting. This water could be stored in catchment dams at the foot of hills. Such a system would have the added benefit of preventing WWTWs from being overloaded by directing surface drainage into attenuation dams separate
from sewage. Added benefits of using BubbleLock sacrificial formwork for road widening is that it is labour-intensive to install, meaning that it would create employment. Implementing such a solution would solve a few other problems at the same time. For example, creating trafficable crawler lanes improves road safety and saves maintenance on road shoulders. It would also reduce congestion from heavier vehicles.
installation technique
The process of using BubbleLock to widen roads requires no special skills, although it is an exact process that needs to be precisely followed for a successful outcome. First, a work team would trim the edge of an asphalt paved road with an angle grinder or diamond saw to create a smooth edge 300 mm deep. Then, 300 mm of the shoulder and existing drain would need to be excavated to make crawler lanes 3 m wide – enough to allow for conventional road
Rainwater is an underused resource in South Africa
vehicles. (Trucks are 2.7 m wide.) Then the work team would peg 6 mm waterproof shutter- or hardboard 300 mm deep with stays next to the old road to be removed when the cast blocks have cured. The stays stop vehicles driving on the uncured concrete.
Then, 150 mm of dump rock would be placed in the 300 mm excavation and compacted. Compacting it in stages minimises road disruption. Subsurface drainage can also be installed at the same time to dewater the layer works, if required, to prevent potholes. The work team would then pour anionic bitumen
USE ROADS FOR RAINWATER CATCHMENT
Hyson Cells BubbleLock is lightweight sacrificial plastic formwork used to cast interlocking, flexible / quasi-rigid concrete block paving and liners in situ with the formwork remaining embedded in the structure as perfectly fitting jointing
Construct trafficable sidedrains as crawler lanes:
Quick labour based construction –create jobs
Construct roads and drains as one unit
Convert shoulders to trafficable drains
Durable with long life
Maintenance free
Roads serve as stormwater drains
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Tel +27 (0) 11 957 2478
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Domestic rainwater harvesting as per the Australian model is part of the solution but South African conditions are unique, so it is not the whole solution
over the dump rock until smooth. The compacted surface would stop the eventual grout from going through the rock. From there, the work team would place 5 mm blinding sand over the bitumen and dump rock. Then, they’d pull out the BubbleLock and add self-levelling, pumpable sand grout at 40 MPa and a slump of between 120 mm and 150 mm. This would be succeeded with bull floating the surface using a vibrating float until the cell walls show.
For the final finish, the work team would brush the surface with garden brooms for a smooth result. A reed finish could be applied to reduce slipperiness on steep slopes. Next, the stays holding the 6 mm board in place would be pulled out and a 1:10 mixture of anionic bitumen would be poured in.
The next day, the same would be done with full-strength, stable grade 60%, which would then be left overnight. This
results in the joint between the old road and the new drain and road combined being sealed with a flexible joint that keeps the water out of the layer works and the old road.
In cases where quick access is needed, calcium chloride would be added to the grout for a quick set. The normal installation speed for this type of road upgrade is usually about 200 m2/day to 400 m2/day; under ideal conditions and with enough trucks, it could be as fast as 6 000 m2/day. If no calcium chloride is used, the lane can be opened in 28 days. Otherwise, the mix can be made stronger for faster access.
Rainfall variable
South Africa’s rainfall never seems to occur exactly where or when it’s needed. However, by catching water from roads, local and rural municipalities could ensure a more even distribution of water, without having to rely solely on national schemes that run into massive delays and cost overruns.
*Professor Alex Visser is a PrEng and emeritus professor of engineering at the University of Pretoria’s Department of Civil Engineering and Malcolm Hall is a director at South African engineering products manufacturer Hyson Cells.
SASST’s Joop van Wamelen Award of Excellence was won by a team comprising consulting engineering firm AECOM and contractor CSV
Construction for their precision use of micro-tunnelling technology for the construction of Phase 2 of the Cape Flats 3 Bulk Sewer
Cape Flats sewer upgrade takes top award
This year, the Southern African Society for Trenchless Technology (SASTT) presented the Joop van Wamelen Award of Excellence to the City of Cape Town, consulting engineering firm AECOM and contractor CSV Construction, in recognition of the successful use of micro-tunnelling technology for the construction of Phase 2 of the Cape Flats 3 Bulk Sewer (CF3-2).
Built in the 1960s, the original twin sewers (Cape Flats 1 and 2) serve an area of 8 000 ha. Silting is a significant issue for sewers in coastal areas. Not only have the original sewers silted up, dilapidation has set in to the point where the infrastructure no longer functions adequately, and therefore required urgent rehabilitation.
AECOM carried out the design work for the project, with CSV commencing with construction at the start of 2016. CF3-2 was designed as a 1 000 mm ductile iron rising main, starting at the Bridgetown Pump Station, and discharging into a
A TBM was used to cut and remove soil mechanically from the jacking face by means of a rotating cutting head and pumped slurry conveyance system
Each year, the Joop van Wamelen Award of Excellence is presented to a leading project team in recognition of exceptional contributions to the active promotion and implementation of trenchless technology in Southern Africa. This year’s award recognised the team involved in the implementation of a much-needed sewer installation using microtunnelling.
By Danielle Petterson
gravity sewer completed as part of Phase 1. Micro-tunnelling was selected as the preferred construction method along some sections, given that the 5 km route crosses a densely-populated area, with busy roadways and many existing underground services.
Technical challenges
At first, micro-tunnelling was deemed too costly, given the tunnelling equipment that needed to be imported from Germany. However, following extensive technical and financial evaluation, it was put forward that the lower road reconstruction cost and reduced construction risk would, in fact, mean that micro-tunnelling some sections of the route would be financially feasible.
In addition, the latest ductile-iron jacking pipe technology would allow the final pressure pipeline to be installed using a micro-tunnelling tunnel-boring machine (TBM), instead of the conventional approach, whereby
a pressure pipe is installed through a larger, micro-tunnelled concrete outer ‘sleeve’.
Technical details
Chinese company Xinxing supplied the 4 m long ductile iron jacking pipes, with a 1 170 mm OD (outside diameter) and a 1 000 mm ID (inside diameter), an outside reinforced concrete sheath, and a polyurethane internal lining. These pipes have a jacking capacity of 5 080 kN, making them significantly stronger than conventional concrete jacking pipes, decreasing the likelihood of a pipe failure during the jacking operation, even for long distances over 200 m.
The team typically installed between three and five pipes per eight-hour work day. On its best day, the team was able to jack roughly 25 m. The most time-consuming part of the operation was to disconnect and reconnect the cables and slurry pipes in order to insert the next jacking pipe,
The TBM deployed by CSV Construction was the Herrenknecht AVN 800 XC TBM –the first of its kind owned and operated by a Southern African company
Receiving the Joop van Wamelen Award of Excellence: Timothy Hotchkiss and Konrad Röhrs from AECOM, and Hannes Coetzee from CSV Construction
After the TBM enters the ground from the jacking shaft, special jacking pipes are inserted behind it
since all of the equipment connected to the TBM is located within the main pipeline. CSV initially decided on a maximum drive length of 150 m to circumvent the need for inter-jack stations, and the lubrication of the outside of the pipe normally required to reduce the friction on the pipe surface. The team opted not to lubricate the pipes through ports in the pipes themselves, but only from the tunnelling machine as the tunnel advanced. The machine overcut the pipe OD by 10 mm, forming an annulus around the pipe, which was filled using a computer-controlled, pressurised bentonite injection system.
At one point along the route, it was decided to increase the jacking length to over 200 m because technical challenges prevented an additional shaft from being sunk. As a result, additional slurry, hydraulic, and communication support pipes and cables were needed. The longest drive ended up being 218 m long, with jacking forces close to the 350 t jacking capacity offered by the
jacking frame. An interlocking sheet pile method was used to construct 6 m by 4 m jacking shafts. In some areas, the sheet piles were driven using an excavator fitted with high-frequency vibration hammers while, in other sections, silent piling technology was used to prevent disturbances when sinking shafts close to houses.
One of the most critical areas of an operation is where the tunnelling machine exits the shaft, making it important to have the right type of exit seal. In this case, the machine was forced through a 30 mm thick neoprene exit seal to prevent sand and water from washing into the exit shaft. This is not often seen in pipe-jacking operations using open-face excavation or augers in South Africa. However, since the slurry system pushes large quantities of water through the face of the machine, it is vital to protect the exit so that the slurry does not wash back into the pit, causing possible sinkholes on the surface.
FAST FACTS
Tunnel-boring machine
A Herrenknecht AVn 800 XC TBM with a 1 190 mm extension kit was deployed for the microtunnelling process. This is a closed, full-face excavation TBM with a hydraulic slurry circuit and a specially adapted cutter head, allowing the machine to bore through virtually any geological conditions.
A cone-shaped crusher inside the excavation chamber reduces the size of stone and debris, which is then removed through the slurry line.
Given the Cape Flats ground conditions, a soft-ground cutter head was selected as it has larger openings, allowing for faster advancement as the machines can accommodate larger volumes of material in the chamber.
Equipped with chisels, the cutter head can also handle more solid materials when required. At one point, the team unexpectedly tunnelled through some buried rubble containing reinforced concrete.
The machine cut through both the concrete and steel easily. A highpressure jet-water system comes standard to prevent the crusher cone from clogging in sticky soils.
The machine was able to achieve an extremely high vertical accuracy of 13 mm, and a horizontal accuracy of 47 mm, with zero disturbances at the surface during the project. Due to the high level of control possible in monitoring groundwater pressures created and counteracted by pressures exerted by the slurry system, and the rate of advance of the TBM, depressions and heaving at ground level could be totally avoided. Although working in an area with high groundwater levels, no dewatering was required while operating the TBM.
Successful completion
From February to November 2016, a total of 1 200 m of pipeline was installed successfully across eight sections with a high degree of precision, ahead of schedule, and within budget. The project team are confident that micro-tunnelling technology will play a crucial role in similar future projects in South Africa.
Source: SASTT AGM, 2017
c a s e s t u d y
Drakenstein
breathes new life
into pipes
Water leakages and nonrevenue water have become two of the biggest problems facing municipalities around South Africa in recent years. Using HDPE pipes, Drakenstein Municipality was able to set a positive precedent for replacing ageing infrastructure to reduce non-revenue water.
Under the leadership of André Kowalewski, senior engineer: Water Services, and in line with its vision of being a “City of Excellence”, Drakenstein Local Municipality in Paarl, Western Cape, began a 20-year master plan to replace old or ageing asbestos pipes with HDPE pipes, allowing it to
achieve significant successes in reducing water loss throughout the municipal area.
Background
Ever-increasing water losses in Drakenstein Municipality were surpassing demand growth. By 1999, water losses stood at 34% and were rising, forcing the municipality to investigate the reasons
behind the high water losses and find ways to mitigate them more broadly.
Drakenstein began prioritising projects that included pipe replacements, the replacement of bulk and domestic water meters, pressure management, leak detection and repair, public awareness, and upgrading information and management tools. Reaction time to attend to burst pipes was also reduced to less than one hour. These initiatives have brought water losses down to an average of 16%, and 11% at their lowest.
The lower losses enabled the municipality to delay the construction of reservoirs and large pipelines for several years. There was also a decrease in the occurrence of burst pipes. However, the reduction in residual pressures in various pressure zones had the biggest water-saving effect.
HdPe replacement pipes
The municipality has placed significant emphasis on replacing 14.2 km of old asbestos pipes with new HDPE pipes, at a value of R120 million. “Prior to embarking on the project, we carefully
André Kowalenski, senior engineer: Water Services, Drakenstein LM
Willem Liebenberg, vice-chairman, Drakenstein Business Chamber
maintenance issues due to downtime, as most of the fittings used in HDPE systems are moulded out of polyethylene material. Other fittings used by the municipality include flanges and tee-pieces predominately manufactured using grade 316 stainless steel.
“The philosophy behind the use of a high-grade material is to have a total system where the pipe material and fittings, when used together, will guarantee a useful operating life that surpasses 50 years. It means that the chemical resistance and durability of the fittings must be the same as those of the pipes,” states Kowalewski.
Tests and calculations done on HDPE have shown that the pipe material’s useful lifespan runs up to 100 years. In addition to this, HDPE is the most popular pipe material when replacing pipes using trenchless con struction methods, and downtime due to repairs on pipes is no longer an issue.
Tests and calculations done on HDPE have shown that the pipe material’s useful lifespan runs up to 100 years
almost impossible to identify whether or not a pipe is of inferior quality prior to installation purely based on appearances. However, we have learned through trial and error, and the school of hard knocks, that unless a pipe bears a South African Plastic Pipe Manufacturers Association (Sappma) mark, it will not meet the quality standards of certification bodies such as the South African Bureau of Standards or the South African Technical Auditing Service.
compared steel pipes with HDPE pipes. We were fully convinced that the latter offered us significantly more advantages and impressive cost-saving benefits. Taking the life cycle of the HDPE pipe into account, it surpasses most other pipe materials. The pipes can also handle fluctuations in water pressure and flow characteristics within the pipe design limits better than any other flexible pipe systems. If correctly designed, and properly installed, an HDPE system – together with the fittings – will provide the lowest maintenance compared to any other pipe material system,” Kowalewski explains.
He adds that the most attractive advantage of HDPE is a pipe system without pipe joints. “We no longer have the issue of corrosion, failing joints or costly
These initiatives have brought water losses down to an average of 16%, and 11% at their lowest
insisting on certification “Workmanship is very important when it comes to the manufacturing of HDPE pipes,” Kowalewski says. He explains that there have been incidents in the past where pipes not bearing a mark of quality fail soon after installation. “It is
“For this reason, we have changed our tender specifications by insisting that all suppliers of HDPE pipes are members of Sappma, and that all welders and installers of the pipelines are Installation and Fabrication Plastic Pipes Association certified. When we see the Sappma mark on the pipes or the IFPA stamp on the welds, we know that the pipeline will stand the test of time and that we have recourse if it fails to deliver,” he concludes.
The effect of corrosion can clearly be seen on these two stainless steel bolts recovered from an old pipeline
FiguRE 1 Plastic pipe trends compared to concrete
Drawing on the Chipembe
The Balama project is about 300 km west of Pemba in Mozambique, where somewhere in the region of 356 t of graphite will be mined per year once operations begin. South African materials and contractors are commonplace at the site, with local services playing a vital role in the installation of a 15 km 315 mm OD HPDE water supply pipeline, which will be used primarily for materials processing. Drinking water will also be drawn from the line and treated.
Tight timeline
Syrah Resources, the Australian company that owns the 106 km² mining concession, is hoping to have the mine up and running by September 2018. It was with this strict deadline in mind that South African company Plasti-Tech Piping Systems, specialising in plastic pipeline products and systems, supplied two of its Hürner CNC Eco 2.0 butt-welding machines. Brad Chamont, managing member, Plasti-Tech, explains, “The portion of the project where
our machines are necessary has a timeline of three months, between June and August. I provided machine orientation and training for 10 welders on-site, who then split into two teams that worked day and night shifts to ensure the pipeline would be installed on time. So far, they are on track to reach their deadline.”
The CNC machines were packed and then delivered by air freight. “Once the job has been successfully completed, Syra will take ownership of the two CNC machines in order to maintain the mine’s HDPE piping systems,” says Chamont.
ease of use
Procurement company Import Export Services (IEPS) selected Plasti-Tech’s product because the water-supply pipeline contractor – Tayanna
Given that Balama is situated in a rural area with little infrastructure, getting the right power supply was a challenge
The world’s largest graphite mine is being built in northern Mozambique. South African companies are supplying the bulk of the materials for the Balama project, including two butt-welding machines for the main water supply line from the Chipembe Dam.
By Frances Ringwood
Mozambique – specifically requested Hürner’s high-quality butt-welding machines because they are known for their ease of use.
“On a normal manual machine, operators would need to control the temperatures, pressures and times; with the CNC machine, you simply input the job size and pressure class, and the machine does everything else automatically,” says Chamont.
“At the same time, it offers traceability and data transfer capability, recording all welding information and parameters,
Lengths of 315 mm OD HDPE pipe were used for the main water supply line
Client: Syrah Resources
Contractor: Tayanna Mozambique
Procurement company: IEPS
Butt-welding machine supplier: Plasti-Tech
Butt-welding machine manufacturer: Hürner projeCT pArTies
Tayanna Mozambique specifically requested Hürner’s high-quality butt-welding machines, which are automated and known for their ease of use
including any additional information like job name and weather conditions. This can be sent to any smart device, so clients have a record guaranteeing that welding has been done correctly and according to the relevant specifications.”
Power supply
Given that Balama is in an area with little infrastructure, getting the right power supply was a challenge. “The site’s location in rural Africa meant we did experience initial power supply issues but we were able to acquire the right generator with the correct voltages to do the job,” explains Chamont.
“Our machines require a constant and specific voltage, so the generators that were brought in needed to have regulators installed. Given that each machine basically has a small computer inside, it’s necessary to control voltage spikes so that the circuit boards are protected from damage.”
Pressure testing
Pressure testing will be carried out once installation is complete. Plasti-Tech also supplied all the blank flanges, bolts and nuts for the pressure testing process. “They’ll test the line at 1.25 times the
pressure rating throughout its length. Since the pipeline is specified for different pressure classes for different lengths, different sections need to be blanked off so that each can be tested at the correct pressure for two hours,” says Chamont.
Rise of plastic piping systems
Thermoplastic welding is on the rise, as plastic pipes are starting to take
over steel pipes’ market share for the relevant pressure classes. “Plastics have better wear capabilities, expansion and contraction properties, and have a comparable lifespan to steel,” says Chamont.
“At Plasti-Tech, we pride ourselves on quality imported systems, fittings and other products compliant with the relevant European standards. All of our pipes are sourced from local manufacturers and are SABS and Sappma approved,” he concludes.
The new-generation Etabloc close-coupled pump range boasts the latest enhancements on the local efficient water pump market. The series comprises 43 pump sizes, which can be driven by either two- or four-pole motors. Further additions to the selection chart mean pump size can now be selected even closer to the best efficiency point. Available from KSB Pumps and Valves, these pumps have applications in a wide range of industries including agriculture, industrial and municipal water pumping. Different material, seal and nozzle types available for the range also extends its usage into other materials ranging from foodstuffs to chemicals and waste.
More versatile
The discharge nozzles are fitted with more connection options for pressure
New close-coupled pump Watering the West Coast
Ductile iron pipe measuring 2.12 km is being supplied for a R1 million water pipeline project on the West Coast for the Moorreesburg district council. The supplier is DPI Trading and the civils contractor is Afriline Civils. Based at Bellville in the Western Cape, DPI Trading is a division of the national Incledon Group, supplying the same product range.
Project scope
“The main aim of the project is to replace 2 120 m of old asbestos in the F4 water pipeline with 250 mm DI Class C40 pipe, including scour and air valves as required,” says Morne Marais , procurement manager, Afriline Civils.
The project started in October 2016, with a seven-week construction period, and a total contract timeframe of five and a half months. “We are at the forefront of service delivery in the field
gauges as standard, so several measurements can be conducted at the same time. The flanges of suction and discharge nozzles are optionally drilled to EN 1092 or ASME dimensions, for all materials.
A large variety of nozzle positions and installation options enable maximum flexibility. Confined gaskets ensure reliable sealing between pump casing and casing cover, even in highly varying operating conditions.
Another feature of the updated type series is its particularly service-friendly design. The conical seal chamber allows for easy access and provides more space for maintenance work. Forcing screws provided at the lantern make dismantling of the drivetrain much easier. Easy-to-replace casing wear rings protect the impeller and the casing cover from wear.
The latest generation of the Etabloc-type series meets strict global standards, including the EU requirements of Commission Regulation 547/2012/EU for water pumps
Low energy
The drive lantern comes in standardised mating dimensions, offering the operator maximum choice when selecting an electric motor. KSB also trims pumps’ impeller diameters exactly to the duty point.
of contracting and project management to the South African civil engineering industry, with an established network of clients and customers in the public service and mining sectors,” he adds.
Client relationships
Burt Niewenhuis, managing director of DPI Trading, attributes its ongoing success in large water-pipeline projects to a well-established client-supplier relationship.
“We are not only able to supply a quality product at the best possible price, but have completed many successful contracts to date,” he concludes.
The main aim of the project is to replace 2 120 m of old asbestos in the F4 water pipeline with 250 mm DI Class C40 pipe
The pipe supplied was 250 mm CL 40 ductile iron conforming to BS EN 545 2010 and ISO 2531: 2009; the internal coating is cementmotor lined with external metallic zinc
65 years of pump innovation
APE Pumps and Mather+Platt South Africa have close to seven decades of experience in the Southern African market, with their comprehensive range complemented by key solutions from Gruppo Aturia, a fellow WPIL Limited group company acquired in 2015.
Since 2005, the Rotos Division of Gruppo Aturia has led an extensive research and development (R&D) programme specialising in the application, engineering and distribution of technically advanced, hermetically sealed, magnetic drive pumps.
This R&D focus is grounded by more than 20 years of experience and extends from hydraulic ends to proprietary magnetic couplings. Rotos seal-less magnetic drive pumps are now available in 18 different designs with over 250 basic models. “This vast pump range allows our Engineering Department to meet exact process requirements,” com ments Peter Robinson, managing director of APE Pumps
Mather+Platt South Africa. “These pumps comply with the latest standards, namely ISO 2858 for seal-less centrifugal magnetic drive pumps, and API 685 seal-less MDP pumps for the petroleum industry.”
ISO 2858-5199 compliant pumps for the chemical industry, API 610 process pumps, magnetic drive seal-less pumps, and API 685 pumps; and the Red Line for firefighting systems.
Product range
Rotos is one of the mainstream solutions for the transfer of fluids with corrosive, acidic or inflammable properties. The product range comprises:
• STM seal-less regenerative turbine magnetic drive alloy pumps
Gruppo Aturia represents the integration of five famous brands. Alongside Rotos, Aturia has a leading reputation for submersible pumps; the Marelli brand covers all industry sectors, while the Audoli & Bertola and Aris Chiappa ranges target the vertical pump segment. Products are divided into four lines: the Blue Line for submersible pumps with semi-axial and radial hydraulics; the Green Line for close coupled pumps, in-line, single-stage DIN 24255, multi-stage, split-case and vertical pumps; the Yellow Line of
PTM seal-less regenerative turbine magnetic drive non-metallic pumps
SVM seal-less rotary magnetic drive alloy pumps
PCM seal-less centrifugal magnetic drive non-metallic pumps
SDM seal-less centrifugal magnetic drive pumps.
“Since magnets are the main driving force, this obviates the need for shaft sealing interventions, such as gland packing or mechanical seals. That’s because the design negates the need for a shaft extension from the pump casing,” explains Richard Harper, project manager at APE Pumps.
“Therefore, there’s minimal risk of leakage in terms of fluid and vapour emissions. That’s especially important where chemicals, acids and corrosive liquids are factors. Maintenance interventions also tend to be far lower when compared to mechanical seal pumps. However, it’s important to understand that their roles are very different. Mechanical drives are designed to cope
ABOvE An example from Gruppo Aturia’s Yellow Line, which services the chemical industry: the pump shown is API 685 compliant
with solids in suspension, while magnetic drive pumps are not. Magnetic drives are purpose built for clean fluids transfer, and that’s where they really excel.”
TIMELINE
APE product milestones since 1952
1952 APE Pumps enters the market under the name Sangus
1953 Sangus range of submersible pumps
1965 APE split-case range from 50 mm to 450 mm
1970 APE n imbus end suction 80 mm to 300 mm range
1974 APE range of end suction pumps from 32 mm to 150 mm
1977 Introduction of the Byron Jackson petrochemical range
1979 APE vertical turbine range of pumps from 150 mm to 1100 mm
1980 APE submersible range of dewatering pumps
1983 APE Robushi chemical process pumps
1985 APE Vac Seal range of pumps
1997 Introduction of the new range of APE submersible pumps from 100 mm to 250 mm
2002 APE Byron Jackson range of petrochemical pumps, 8th Edition
2007 PSV Holdings acquires pump division
2012 WPIL India acquires APE and Mather+Platt South Africa
2015 Company acquires Gruppo Aturia
Something new
Ultrascreen is a registered trademark of Nuove Energie
water treatment product company Quality
Filtration Systems (QFS) will launch something new at IFAT Africa 2017 in Johannesburg this September: Ultrascreen, a registered trademark of Italian company Nuove Energie.
Ultrascreen is a completely unique microfiltration technology purpose-built for wastewater reclamation in three key sectors: municipal, industrial and aquaculture.
Herman Smit, managing director, QFS, provides Water&Sanitation africa readers with a sneak preview of what makes this technology distinctive. “In light of the South African government’s commitment to seeing wastewater as a valuable asset, QFS has secured a distribution agreement with Nuove Energie to bring Ultrascreen to South Africa,” says Smit.
How it works
Serving as tertiary treatment in the process of reclaiming wastewater, Ultrascreen is an extremely visually attractive stainless steel machine, which carries with it all the necessary internal and external certifications from Canada, Italy, Japan and the US.
“What makes this technology different from anything else available on the market is that influent flows continuously over its rotating disks so as to cross the filtration surface tangentially instead of orthogonally. This is why the technology is called dynamic-tangential filtration,” explains Smit.
“The angle at which the influent meets the filtering media, combined with continuous disk rotation, enhances system efficiency so that microparticles are separated from wastewater.”
HERMAn SMIT Managing director, QFS
advantages
Dynamic-tangential filtration technology is capable of treating flow rates up to three times higher than other filtration systems. Better water quality through filtration also means better ultraviolet disinfection performance and a smaller plant footprint. Smit says, “Especially relevant for the local market is that Ultrascreen is extremely easy to use and maintain.” Ultrascreen can easily be installed at existing plants without requiring any new civil works.
Environmentally sustainable treatment
Water and wastewater treatment processes are inherently environmentally sustainable practices. Susan Cole, founder and technical director of Aqua Resources SA, explains how the company’s new products maximise value while ensuring a more sustainable tomorrow.
Why is the sourcing of environmentally sustainable products for water treatment important now more than ever?
SC Water and wastewater treatment present complex challenges for urban and industrial applications. The sustainable and environmental aspects of treatment are becoming more and more important, with all inputs needing to be reviewed based on their environmental impact.
The water treatment process itself is a model of and for sustainability. It is a cycle – it takes water from its source, processes it, delivers it to the consumer and then returns the treated waste to the source. Money saved by introducing environmentally sustainable systems will quickly justify any added initial costs because sustainability concerns us all.
What new products and services can the South african market anticipate becoming available from aqua Resources in line with these trends?
Ravago Chemicals, a global player in the chemicals business, has invested heavily in water in the last five years. On acquiring INAQUA, Ravago Chemicals formed a hub for its Water Treatment Division.
To enlarge its footprint in the EMEA region, Ravago Chemicals is partnering with Aqua Resources SA in the sub-Saharan market. Ravago Chemicals’ global set-up and Aqua Resources SA’s strong water network will enable them to deliver many benefits to this market.
Through this partnership, the following new products are being made available to the African market:
• ECOTAN BIO, a 100% natural flocculant
• ECOMIX multipurpose softening material for problem water
• integrated permeate channel (IPC) membranes.
What are the advantages of Ravago Chemicals’ flocculants and other chemistry products over similar market offerings?
ECOTAN BIO is made from an extract of the bark of the black acacia tree. It enables rapid flocculation and settling while also reducing the need for additional flocculants. It has no effect on the conductivity and pH of the treated water, which reduces or even eliminates the need to use alkalising agents. ECOTAN BIO is non-corrosive, non-toxic and can be used with ease alongside biological processes.
This natural flocculant also promotes sludge dewatering and reuse.
Next, ECOMIX is a turnkey solution for removing water hardness, iron, manganese, tannins and ammonia in one filter. Additional benefits include:
• simple and manageable technology for treatment of high-iron water
• works in normal softeners – no extra inventory is needed for water with iron
• easy assembling, installation and maintenance
• low distribution and deployment costs. Last, there are the IPC membranes –these are the first fully back-washable flat sheet membranes, specially designed for membrane bio-reactor applications. They allow for wastewater units to be operated at a much higher flux, with a lower footprint and energy demand.
You also supply dow Membranes. What value-added services can clients expect when they purchase these products from aqua Resources?
Aqua Resources SA will be distributing the Dow 8-inch reverse osmosis (RO) portfolio to better support clients and also demonstrate how Dow RO can support and grow their business.
Our product support includes high-quality designs to fully optimise new system processes, and other Dow support functions such as System Optimisation Services (SOS), membrane autopsies and the new multiprocess design program WAVE.
Dow continues to bring innovation to the market by lowering the total life-cycle cost of a membrane with its new low-energy ECO and SEAMAXX products. The range has also expanded to include 80°C operation membranes and a new ultra-high-pressure RO that goes up to 120 bar. Additionally, Dow’s new FORTILIFE range of wastewater recovery membranes significantly improves on the energy and cleaning requirements that challenge wastewater recovery systems and zero liquid discharge (ZLD) processes. Pushing the barrier further is the DOW nanofiltration membrane, which is able to produce high-quality salt brine for ZLD.
SUSAn COLE Technical director of Aqua Resources SA
IFAT Africa 2017 Preview
This year,
IFAT
Africa 2017
participants
can look
forward
The IFAT Africa 2017 trade fair is taking place at the Johannesburg Expo Centre from 12 to14 September. The organiser, Messe München South Africa, has indicated that the success of the 2015 trade fair , which saw the first IFAT coming to Africa’s shores, will serve as a springboard to launch an even wider selection of environmental technologies.
According to Messe München South Africa project director Marius Smit, “The IFAT Environmental Technology Forum Africa celebrated its premiere in September 2015 in Johannesburg, where the event saw more than 2 273 trade visitors from 38 countries engage with 116 exhibitors from 13 countries taking up over 4 500 m2. In addition, the trade fair boasted a high-calibre forum programme. “The event has a biennial frequency, and this year, we’re expanding its portfolio to cater to all
to a range of
products
and
solutions geared towards wastewater recycling and reuse, in line with government’s call for wastewater to be valued as an asset.
Exhibitors have long seen IFAT as the ideal platform for launching new solutions to market
the same segments offered by the famed parent IFAT in Munich, Germany. These include: water, sewage, waste and recycling.”
Wastewater reclamation
The South African government showed its support for treating wastewater as a valuable asset in March this year when president Jacob Zuma delivered a high-level UN report making the case for reusing wastewater.
Support from government is the first part of putting together the wastewater value-chain puzzle. The next step is to take an honest look at the country’s existing wastewater treatment works (WWTWs) and then determine the best strategies for equipping these plants to treat wastewater to higher standards.
A recent Mail & Guardian report estimated that as much as 50 000 ℓ of sewage flows into South Africa’s rivers each second. This is as a result of the country’s wastewater treatment plants operating over their original design capacity, as well as there being other skills capacity and operation issues at play. A problem is there to be solved and the finances are available to solve it. As Smit points out, “The Regional Bulk Infrastructure Grant Programme has been allocated R15 billion over the medium term for the construction of the bulk water and sanitation infrastructure.
“Additionally, the performance of the water utility industry (which will ultimately be responsible for implementing WWTW improvement strategies) is forecast to accelerate, with an anticipated compound annual growth rate of 9.8% for 2012 to 2017, driving the industry to a value of
The Regional Bulk Infrastructure Grant Programme has been allocated R15 billion over the medium term for the construction of the bulk water and sanitation infrastructure
US$5.3 billion by the end of 2017.” All that remains is for the powers that be to decide what selection of technologies, competencies and strategies to pursue in their efforts to demonstrate the value of wastewater reclamation. IFAT Africa 2017 will serve as the ideal platform to showcase these offerings.
Gateway to africa
“IFAT Africa 2017 has positioned itself strongly in the African market. With the 2017 event attracting visitors from all over the globe, the event is coming to be seen as a springboard for doing business in Africa,” says Smit.
The supporting programme offers visitors exposure to extensive technical and scientific content, supplied by local and international partners. It promises a number of presentations and panel discussions informed by the trade fair’s main themes of water, sewage, refuse and recycling.
What exhibitors say Mathias Müller, from plant engineering company Andritz in Germany, says, “The quality of visitors attending the IFAT Environmental Technology Forum Africa was very good; we are satisfied. We had
Panel discussions form part of IFAT Africa’s support programme, where industry experts have the debates that will shape the future of industry
contacts from the sector, including from the sub-Saharan region. Africa is a good place to hold this show.” Another exhibitor, Graham Hartlett, commercial director at WEC Projects, says: “We are excited to be participating in this year’s IFAT Africa exhibition.
“The event allows us the opportunity to showcase our unique solutions and exclusive technologies for our clients in the water and sewage treatment sector. It is a fantastic platform for meaningful interactions with our clients.”
New technology launch
It is anticipated that South Africa’s drive to update its municipal wastewater plants and industrial water treatment facilities will significantly influence the type of technologies visitors can expect to be unveiled at the event. Herman Smit, managing director of Quality Filtration Systems (QFS), notes, “The IFAT
www.ifat-africa.com/forum-at-IFAT-Africa-2017.php
Date: 12 to 14 September 2017
Venue: Johannesburg Expo Centre, South Africa
Frequency: Biennial
Organiser: Messe München
South Africa
trade fair in Germany has become widely known as the event for new technology and solution market launches. It is for this reason, as well as the success of IFAT Africa 2015, that QFS is choosing to exhibit at IFAT Africa 2017, where we will be launching a new wastewater reclamation technology to the local market.”
Top 10 VisiTor CounTries
South africa
Zambia Germany China
Botswana italy
Namibia Lesotho Zimbabwe Mozambique
Upcoming events
The WISA/IWA Water and River Basement Management Conference is being held at the Kruger National Park this October
INDEX TO ADVERTISERS
WiSa/iWa Water and River Basement Management Conference date: 9 to 11 october, 2017
Venue: Skukuza Camp, Kruger National Park, Limpopo Contact: rbm2017@savannaskills.co.za
The conference will be hosted by the International Water Association (IWA) Watershed and River Basin Management Specialist Group in partnership with the Water Institute for Southern Africa (WISA) and IWA-South Africa, and will address cutting-edge issues related to sustainable watershed management, with a special focus on emerging issues related to climate change.
2nd international Peri-Urban Conference date: 26 to 29 November, 2017
Venue: Century City Conference Centre, Cape Town
Contact: www.wisa.org.za
The Water Research Commission and WISA are hosting Peri-Urban 2017, the second international conference to the continent of Africa. The conference will be supported by the Water Innovations Division of WISA.
8th international Young Water Professionals Conference date: 10 to 13 december, 2017
Venue: Cape Town, Western Cape Contact: iWaYWPconference@iwahq.org
Following seven successful International Young Water Professional Conferences (IYWPCs) in the UK, Netherlands, Singapore, USA, Australia, Hungary and Taiwan, the International Water Association together with Water Institute of Southern Africa and the South African Young Water Professionals will organise the 8th edition of the IYWPC. Through technical paper sessions, topical workshops, soft skills learning sessions, networking opportunities and a career fair, the IYWPC will be the “must attend” event for young water professionals, especially those wishing to develop their career and progress further into the water sector.
WiSa 2018
date: 24 to 27 June 2018
Venue: CTiCC, Cape Town
Contact: Jaco Seaman, events@wisa.org.za
Every second year, the Water Institute of Southern Africa (WISA) holds its national conference for all water sector players in the region. The organising committee has already been selected, and the theme for next year’s event is “Breaking Boundaries – Connecting Ideas”.
Or
Preparing
Unchar ted Waters: Developing Solutions Through Science And Technology Waste Not Want Not: Optimising Processes For Treatment And R eclamation Under The Microscope: How Do We Join The Dots? Pooling Together: Enabling Participation Through Good Governance
