WATER 360 by Media in Africa

360 Vol 1 Nr 2 2011 – R49

Africa’s first sanitation technology demonstration centre

Water initiatives and progress in SA Why send your profits down the drain • new plant water bottle

Contents

in this issue

Vol 1 NR 2 2011

resource management 03 KZN water prices hiked for

Spring Grove dam

Combo meter supports water management

products & services 04 Why send your profits down the drain? projects & case studies 06 Sanitation technology demonstration centre 07 Project to upgrade pumps saves energy 08 Successful wastewater purification knowledge exchange 09 investing in skills development

Technologies 10 Unlocking the potential of anaerobic

digestion - Part 2

Icebergs as a water supply

news 12 Youth inspired to preserve water 13 ValprĂŠ Spring Water to be bottled

at new green plant

14 15

Water initiatives and progress in SA

project in Kwazulu-Natal

Green light given to big water pipeline

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E D I TO R ’ S NOTE

Launch issue well received The launch issue of WATER 360 has been extremely well received! Thank you to all our supporters and the wonderful letters of support we have received. This issue covers several water projects: we look at the launch of the new Valprè plant in Heidelberg and explore the technologies and design that makes this an exemplary world class facility. Their PlantBottle™ technology is the first ever of its kind: a PET bottle made of 30% plant material that is 100% recyclable. We also take a look at a very interesting case study: the two years of successful wastewater purification at the award winning Nereda biological plant in Gansbaai, proving the Nereda concept. Africa’s first ever sanitation technology demonstration centre was launched recently – we explore some of the exhibits available to view. Read more on page 6. Our next issue will feature more exclusive articles that we’ve sourced making it a very worthwhile read. WATER 360 is committed to bringing you quality content in every issue!

Marlene E van Rooyen

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Publisher: Media in Africa (Pty) Ltd • www.25degrees.net International Contact Information: Tel: +27 12 347 7530 Fax: +27 12 347 7523 • E-mail: marlene@25degrees.net Postal Address: PO Box 25260, Monument Park, 0105, Republic of South Africa Physical Address: First Floor, Unit G, Castle Walk Corporate Park, Cnr Nossob & Swakop Streets, Erasmuskloof Ext. 3, Pretoria, Republic of South Africa

The team: Editor: Marlene van Rooyen Tel: +27 83 327 3746 • E-mail: marlene@25degrees.net Founder: Schalk Burger (1943 – 2006) Publishing Manager: Liezel van der Merwe Financial Manager: Fanie Venter Assistant Business unit manager: Alida Edwards Tel: +27 82 325 6617 • E-mail: alida@25degrees.net Accountant: Gerda Bezuidenhout E-mail: gerda@mediainafrica.co.za Advertising sales professional: Shannon Pringle Tel: +27 84 619 8023 • E-mail: shannon@25degrees.net Senior Journalist: Theresa van Tonder Tel: +27 82 325 0332 • E-mail: theresa@25degrees.net Journalist: Nichelle Lemmer Tel: +27 72 209 2040 • E-mail: nichelle@25degrees.net business unit coordinator: Zuerita Gouws Tel: +27 12 347 7530 • E-mail: zuerita@25degrees.net Design and Layout: Ilze Janse van Rensburg Proofreader: Elizabeth Kruger Reproduction & Printing: Business Print Centre 360 Vol 1 NR 2 2011

r e s o u rc e m a n a g e m e n t

KZN water prices hiked for Spring Grove Dam The entire Durban as well as many other KwaZulu-Natal residents will be paying more for their water from the 1st of July. Over 84% of their water tariff will be used to fund the Spring Grove Dam, which the Trans Caledon Tunnel Authority started building this year.

should be no more than five percent to domestic users of potable water from the Umgeni System. This five percent will to be added to the normal annual increase in municipal water charges in the inception year as a once-off spike in tariff until the next scheme is built for the Umgeni system.

The Director of water resource financing and pricing for the Department of Water Affairs, Mohamed Vawda, said the ZAR2-billion was a “full cost recovery project”, meaning that the entire cost of the dam will be recouped from the consumers. It should be noted that the capital cost of the Spring Grove dam will amount to less than 50 cents a cubic meter for water users of the Umgeni system. Since the metro municipalities sourcing water from the Umgeni system charge a tariff of approximately ZAR10 a cubic meter for potable water, the impact of the capital cost of the Spring Grove Dam

He indicated that it came about at the request of the eThekwini municipality. The project will alleviate the severe water stress under which the Umgeni system is currently operating; however it will result in tariff increase.

Technical details of the dam

The Spring Grove dam will be constructed on the Mooi River in KwaZuluNatal to supply water to the iLembe district and the eThekwini metro by November 2012. In the same vein, the Department of Water Affairs will be spending ZAR91,2-million this financial year to raise the Hazelmere dam to augment the water supply to Umgeni Water for treatment and supply to the North Coast area of Mdloti to Thukela.

Description

Detail

Unit

Dam Type

Composite

Gross full supply capacity

142.50

Million m3

Net full supply capacity initially

141.60

Million m3

Dam’s contribution to system yield at Inanda Dam

60.00

Million m3/a

Surface area at full supply level

1 035

Full supply level (FSL

1433.50

m.a.s.l

Riverbed level (RBL)

1401.00

m.a.s.l

Dam wall length

approx. 733.10

Maximum height of dam wall (NOC – RBL)

approx. 38.50

Dam height at FSL (FSL – RBL)

32.50

The Spring Grove Dam will be situated on the Mooi River approximately 2 km south-west from the Rosetta Village in the KwaZulu-Natal midlands. The dam will be provided with outlet works capable making river releases that will meet the demands of downstream users as well as the ecological reserve. The outlet works will also be capable of abstracting water from the dam for transfer to the Mgeni catchment. Throughout the rest of the country, where municipalities get their water from water boards, prices will increase by 6 – 20% from 1 July. Sources: www.sowetanlive.co.za, www.savingwater.co.za, www.kwanalu.co.za.

Combo meter supports water management The Meitwin combination meter from Sensus offers significant advances in design, performance and efficiency over conventional combination meters for the management of water resources. The Meitwin combines the bypass meter, the change over valve and the main meter into a single, field-replaceable, verified measuring insert. According to Basil Bold, managing director of Sensus South Africa, the Meitwin is a big step ahead of the successful Meinecke 3-in-1 combination meter. “The key feature of a combination meter is that it can accurately measure a flow range from a leaking tap to extremely high fire low demand. For bulk consumer applications there is no other meter type that can match this capability,” says Bold. “This is why water supply authorities – conscious of the fact that their bulk consumers are their biggest revenue generators – have standardised on combination meters.” Identical measuring inserts are used for all three Meitwin meter sizes – the 50mm, 80mm and 100mm. This means that municipalities only need to

stock one size of measuring insert. An added advantage is that the range incorporates the bypass meter in an in line configuration. This reduces installation-space needs and overcomes the need to specify right- or left-bypass meters. Other features of the Meitwin combination meter include a completely re-engineered valve mechanism, providing greater sensitivity with fewer working parts and a reduced risk of failure from entry of dirt and grit. The main meter and bypass meters can be equipped with output which is compatible with the latest advances in AMR (Automated Meter Reading) technology. The Meitwin also incorporates a non-return valve that prevents backflow from consumer installations into the public reticulation network and overcomes the risk of contamination of the public water supply. Sensus South Africa Tel: +27 11 46 616 80 Website: http://www.sensus.com 360

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p r o d u c t s & s e rvic e s

Why send your profits down the drain? Written by Dave Soons

To assist with the energy crisis and to curb the rapidly escalating costs of electricity, many organisations have focused their energy management and efficiency initiatives on this area – and for good reason.

ut electricity is not the only area in which organisations tend to waste money – many businesses are flushing a large percentage of their profits down the drain due to inefficient, out-of-date water systems and infrastructure.

“In many areas of South Africa water-efficiency has not been a priority for businesses. However, water is said to become one of the world’s scarcest resources over the next few decades if something is not done to stop wasteful usage now, and apart from this, more efficient use of water can potentially save thousands of rands a month for businesses,” says Karl van Eck, regional general manager for Africa at Johnson Controls Global Energy Solutions. “One of the major problems that South Africa faces over the next few years is not necessarily a water shortage, although this may happen over the next twenty years if nothing is done to stop wasteful usage, but aging infrastructure that simply will not be able to keep up with the increasing demand,” adds Rip Wyma of Shared Energy Management, a Johnson Controls partner.

Leaks can directly affect businesses, because if the leak is in their building infrastructure they will be paying for the wasted water as part of their utility bill, adding significantly to the cost of water. “The supply lines can only carry so much water, and if the demand begins to exceed the supply, then we will experience pressure issues and will not have enough water at outlets and taps. This is not something that can be quickly remedied, as installing new pipelines is no small task,” Wyma says.

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Also, due to the degradation of infrastructure, underground leaks are becoming increasingly common. These are more difficult to spot than the leaks that appear above the ground and as a result can often go undetected, meaning that water is pouring away into the soil and the added expense is passed on to the consumer. Leaks can directly affect businesses, because if the leak is in their building infrastructure they will be paying for the wasted water as part of their utility bill, adding significantly to the cost of water. Expensive, treated drinking water is also often used in commercial buildings for irrigation and gardening, which not only wastes this water but also adds to the expenses of the business.

Grey-water irrigation is one solution to the water-efficiency problem, where water that is used for washing and other purposes can be reused as flushing water or for gardening purposes. “South Africans are used to having an abundance of water and as a result have had a fairly lax attitude when it comes to water conservation. However, water is becoming more and more expensive, with Johannesburg being the priciest at ZAR26 a kilolitre, and the repercussions of careless water usage on the pocket are beginning to be felt. Attitudes are slowly starting to change about water-efficiency, and the good news is that there are simple changes that can be made to save water and as a result save money,” Wyma adds. Grey-water irrigation is one solution to the water-efficiency problem, where water that is used for washing and other purposes can be reused as flushing water or for gardening purposes. However, this requires a doublepipe system, which means that retrofitting this type of system into older buildings can be complicated and costly. However, new buildings can be easily planned with a grey-water system in mind, designed into the structure from day one, which can halve water consumption, saving enormous sums of money.

p r o d u c t s & s e rvic e s

Building management systems can help building owners to ensure greater efficiency and therefore greater savings when it comes to water consumption. “In fact, in new commercial buildings this type of system is a step towards achieving a Green Star energy rating, which has become something of a status symbol, used for marketing purposes, and as a result grey-water systems are becoming increasingly common,” says Wyma. “In older buildings, where a grey-water system may not be feasible, there are still things businesses can do to reduce water usage. A profile of water consumption, similar to an energy audit, can be conducted to find out how much water is being used at the council water meter, the annual consumption patterns of an organisation and what types of fixtures are being used,” Van Eck says. “From there we can see whether there are leaks, whether the taps are closing properly, whether toilets are constantly running and so on and fix these problems. We can also recommend upgraded fixtures such as motion sensor flush and tap systems which will decrease water consumption.” Optimising water consumption in such a fashion can greatly benefit the

bottom line, yielding up to 60% savings in water consumption, which can in fact be a greater percentage based saving than these achieved by energyconsumption efficiency methods. Water usage can also easily be integrated into an existing building management system to enable a more proactive approach to savings. The system can be used to pick up pulses from council water meters, and with the addition of a water meter on outflow on commercial roof tanks, can be used to identify failing systems inside, such as toilets that are constantly running, which can use up to 2 000 litres of water per hour. Building management systems can help building owners to ensure greater efficiency and therefore greater savings when it comes to water consumption. “Saving water also means saving money, something which makes sense for every business and commercial building owner, and saving water does not necessarily mean implementing expensive new systems. With a few simple steps greater water-efficiency and the resultant savings are easy enough to realise,” Van Eck concludes. Johnson Controls Building Efficiency Europe & Africa Nanda Aerts Tel: +32 2 709 4481 Cell: +32 499 56 95 56 E-mail: Nanda.Aerts@jci.com Website: www.jci.com

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p r o j e c t s & c a s e s t u di e s The huge public outcry about open toilets and inadequate sanitation in various areas of South Africa was highlighted before the municipal elections in May. “While sanitation was in the press for all the wrong reasons, the public row highlights the complexity and severity of the problem,” said Tinus Kruger, who was speaking at the launch of the Water Research Commission (WRC) and CSIR’s (Council for Scientific and Industrial Research) and new Sanitation Technology Demonstration Centre.

Africa’s first sanitation

technology demonstration centre

he centre, which displays various sanitation technologies, was opened on 27 May. It is the only open-air, permanent display centre, focusing on existing sanitation technologies. It is the only centre of its kind in South Africa (as well as the African continent). The purpose of the centre is to show full-scale examples of sanitation products and technologies and to allow people to learn about various sanitation systems available in the country. The displays, combined with information sheets, provide valuable input in assisting decision-makers regarding sanitation options appropriate for specific circumstances. “The World Health Organisation estimates that 1 to 2 billion people – note the huge difference in numbers – lack access to appropriate sanitation. The difference between the estimated numbers is so large because the definition of ‘appropriate sanitation’ makes it difficult to determine an exact figure,” said Kruger. The different solutions at the centre

A comprehensive range of sanitation technologies and products is on display. The range includes examples of dry sanitation, urine diversion/ separation technologies, water-borne systems and ecological sanitation. Also included on the site are a number of examples provided by commercial manufacturers. The CSIR’s media relations manager, Tendani Tsedu, comments: “The centre is aimed at a wide range of stakeholders and role players, including officials at local, provincial and national levels, engineering consultants, developers, non-governmental organisations and community organisations.”

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While the technologies and products on display are not based on research and development conducted by the CSIR, all the toilets at the centre adhere to basic sanitation-policy requirements, including being safe, reliable and private facilities. They are protected from the weather, ventilated to counter bad smells and easy to keep clean. “These facilities minimise the risk of spreading sanitation-related diseases and enable safe and appropriate treatment and removal of human waste in an environmentally-sound manner,” concludes Tsedu. The exhibits in the Sanitation Technology Demonstration Centre are grouped in five display areas: • An area with “dry” sanitation technologies that dispose of human waste without the use of water. The exhibits display some of the technology components that would normally be either concealed or located underground. • Examples of various top structures available for the “dry” sanitation technologies. • Sanitation technologies that dispose of human waste by diverting or separating urine from faeces. The nutrients of the human excreta can be re-used as fertiliser. The exhibits in this area display some of the technology components that would normally be either concealed or located underground. • Examples of various top structures available for the urine-diversion. • The last area displays water-borne technologies that dispose of human waste by using water as a carrier. For more information, visit www.csir.co.za/built_environment/santechcentre, to which full acknowledgement and thanks are given.

p r o j e c t s & c a s e s t u di e s

Project to upgrade pumps saves energy

Written by Nichelle Lemmer

The Sappi Tugela River pump station upgrade project on the North Coast of Kwazulu-Natal took energy-efficiency to a new level as the project resulted in continually reducing the peak-time load on Eskom’s grid.

“T

he Magnet Group was commissioned by Sappi to undertake an audit of the plant, with a view to possibly upgrade one of the pumps,” says Brian Howarth, Magnet’s managing director. “We are actively involved with Eskom’s demand-side management programme (DSM), aimed at alleviating the country’s shortage of electricity,” he said. Howarth says that the size and scope of the project increased from the initial focus on a single pump upgrade to a comprehensive turnkey energyefficiency project, involving the installation of seven new pumps at the plant, new control valves and a new control system and control philosophy.

Today the Tugela Mill’s pump station, with state-of-the-art process control, is capable of pumping the mill’s daily requirement of water in less than 20 hours. “The greatest challenge we faced was at the initial stage of the project, prior to pump replacement,” he explains. “A thorough audit and analysis were done and involved a series of measurements and calculations around pumping and processing capacities to achieve optimum energy savings at the plant.” Today the Tugela Mill’s pump station, with state-of-the-art process control, is capable of pumping the mill’s daily requirement of water in less than 20 hours. “There is also a shift in load from peak periods to off-peak periods, using existing water-storage capacity without impacting on the supply of water to the mill,” he says. According to Howarth, the upgrade of the river pump station allows for an average shift of 1,85 MW away from the peak demand periods during the day and an average 0,185 MW energy saving throughout the rest of the day. “In addition to moving load out of the peak demand periods, the overall plant demand is always lower than the previous baseline,” he explains. “The

The Sappi Tugela River pump station upgrade project on KZN’s North Coast delivered high levels of energy savings, as well as reducing the peak time load on Eskom’s electricity grid.

reduced energy consumption has been verified in three separate audits by a university measurement and verification team,” he says. “Overall, the plant’s kWh consumption has been reduced by around 25%. It actually exceeded the guaranteed values.” The upgrade enables Sappi to shut down the entire plant for two hours every night, reducing the strain on Eskom’s power grid. “The installation of new pumps and control equipment has enabled automatic start-ups, which was previously not possible. This new equipment has also reduced electricity consumption during normal operation,” he concludes. The Sappi Tugela River pump station project received the 21st Department of Energy/Eskom ETA Award for industrial projects and was also nominated for the Sappi Technology Innovation Awards (TIA) last year. Magnet Tel: +27 31 274 1096 Fax: +27 31 274 1073 E-mail: brianh@magnetgroup.co.za Website: www.magnetgroup.co.za 360

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Pr o j e c t s & C a s e s t u di e s

Two years of successful wastewater purification Aerial view Nereda, Gansbaai.

SI has rendered almost 90 years of continuous service to the southern African water industry, and is fully committed to providing tailor-made solutions specifically associated with basic water and sanitation. SSI recently celebrated two years of successful operation since the installation and commissioning of its award-winning Nereda biological wastewater treatment plant in Gansbaai in the Western Cape – thus proving the Nereda concept. Nereda technology, developed by the University of Delft in the Netherlands in conjunction with SSI’s parent company, DHV, is employed at the Gansbaai plant in the Overstrand Municipality, purifying wastewater through a process known as aerobic granular biomass. The Gansbaai plant is the first large-scale demonstration plant in the world using this technology. A second plant is presently under construction at Wemmershoek, Stellenbosch, whilst the first full-scale installation is currently being commissioned in Epe in The Netherlands. The Nereda aerobic granular biomass treatment process consistently produces high quality final effluent suitable for environmental discharge or for irrigation. However, with additional polishing steps, the final effluent can be processed to potable standards.Wastewater treatment works generally use an activated sludge process, which brings “good” bacterial sludge into contact with sewage. The bacteria use the wastewater as a food source and the nutrients (contaminants) for cell maintenance and growth. Activated sludge is retained in suspension by aeration of mixing to maintain contact between the sludge and the wastewater, which is essential for water treatment to occur. Once the wastewater has been treated, the blend of water and sludge is discharged to a settling tank, where the sludge is allowed to settle out of suspension and the clear liquid is discharged for disinfection. The settled sludge is then returned to the reactor to restart the treatment cycle. The Nereda system is also an activated sludge process, containing the same basic bacteria. However, the configuration process encourages the bacteria to form in dense “colonies” called granules. Sewage is fed into the Nereda tank with the granules and it is aerated. The aeration provides the necessary oxygen, and mixing (as the bubbles rise to the surface, they give buoyancy to the granules) to ensure contact between the granular sludge (bacteria) and sewage. The water is cleaned within two to three hours. The aeration is stopped (mixing stops) and the granules settle on to the floor of the tank. The top water is then discharged as final effluent, as the next batch of sewage is fed into the bottom of the reactor. The aeration then starts again.

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SSI’s Nereda specialist, Garth Gademan, says that the main wastewater treatment process advantage of the system is that the dense, round granular structure allows very fast sludge settlement. “This settling improvement allows Nereda to operate at sludge concentrations of two to three times greater than that of conventional floctype activated sludge without the settling limitations of conventional sludge. The higher concentration of bacteria increases the wastewater that can be handled for each unit of tank volume,” says Gademan. Conventional water treatment processes require separate zones, with recirculation pumps to transfer the sludge and blend water between zones to enable the removal of biological nutrients, Nereda’s granular structure allows the zones to form inside the granule so that no recirculation pumps or separate “civil structures” are required for biological nutrient removal. This results in Nereda’s environmental footprint being up to 70% smaller than conventional wastewater treatment systems and achieving a 10-20% capital saving, with a further 30% reduction in operating costs compared to a conventional treatment system. With fewer moving parts – no circulating pumps or mechanical stirrers – less maintenance is required, making it cheaper to maintain with commensurately lower energy costs. A further advantage of the Nereda system is that it is fully automated and computer-controlled. The plant can be monitored from anywhere in the world and adjustments to the chemical composition of the operations can be made as soon as a complication has occurred. A wastewater treatment technology that has a lower capital cost, smaller footprint, fewer moving parts, less maintenance, easily achieved high standard of final effluent, automated operation and lower energy costs than conventional, makes a powerful argument for the Nereda. SSI was founded in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 1922. SSI’s water business unit comprises a personnel compliment of approximately 200 staff, representing a dynamic combination of local and international expertise. The unit provides a comprehensive range of multi-disciplinary services that extend beyond engineering – embracing social, environmental, facilitation and training. SSI Tel: +27 11 798 6000 Fax: +27 11 798 6002 E-mail: robinh@ssi.co.za Website: www.ssi-dhv.com

Knowledge e xchange

Investing in skills development in the water sector Written by Nichelle Lemmer

he loss of skilled professionals in the water sector is a major threat to effective water management in South Africa. “This is why sharing knowledge from experienced to young water professionals is of high importance,” said Dr Jo Burgess, chairman of the second South African Young Water Professionals Conference organising committee. Over four hundred of Young Water Professionals, recently graduated or under the age of 35 recently attended the second South African Young Water Professionals Conference to strengthen their leadership skills. They not only got the opportunity to network, but shared valuable knowledge on various topics pertaining to current water issues.

a dire effect on local eco systems. “An increasing number of indigenous species are listed as endangered because of this,” she explained. According to her, scientists in the water sector are faced with wicked problems daily. “A wicked problem does not have a definite solution, but it is a symptom of another problem. A solution to such a problem only exposes new aspects of the problem.” Snyman said this is one of the reasons why the water sector needs dynamic leadership. “It is difficult to find workable outcomes to unsolvable problems. In the end it boils down to managing damages in an act of balance to preserve the resources we have.”

Hundreds of young aspiring professionals in the water sector attended the second South African Young Water Professionals Regional Conference to further their careers.

Burgess said water-scarce countries like South Africa rely heavily on the scientific community to find technological solutions for the water shortages. The water crisis is fuelled with a high staff turnover in the sector that results in the loss of skills and institutional memory. “Young aspiring professionals face the challenge of finding mentors to help them develop skills. They are grappling with the added responsibility of re-learning knowledge that could have been retained through sustainable knowledge-transfer policies and programmes,” Burgess said. Dr Heidi Snyman from the Water Research Commission, one of the speakers at the conference, painted a detailed picture of the problems Young Water Professionals need to solve. “We are a water-scarce country as our rainfall volume are stressed compared to neighbouring countries. The rate at which we consume water is frightening if we compare it with our available water resources.” She says pollution destroys natural habitats of indigenous species and has

Burgess highlights the importance to continue development of the workforce. It has to be adequate in size, capable in skills and strong in leadership to overcome challenges in the water sector. “The conference created a valuable platform for newcomers to the water sector to meet their peers and advance their careers.” The conference was organised by the Southern African Young Water Professionals Programme under the auspices of the International Water Association (IWA) and the Water Institute of Southern Africa (WISA). The organisers intend to schedule a Southern African regional Young Water Professionals event at least every two years as well as six to ten smaller, local events per year. For more information, contact Ms Renay van Wyk in Gauteng (renay. vanwyk@gmail.com), Ms Preshanthie Naicker in Durban (ywp.kzn@gmail. com) or Ms Maronel Steyn in the Western Cape (msteyn@csir.co.za), or visit www.wisa.org.za/ywp/, to which full acknowledgement and thanks are given. 360

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Technologies

Unlocking the potential of anaerobic digestion - Part 2 By Claire Lipsett, Pr.Sci.Nat, process specialist; Talbot & Talbot

t is widely accepted that whilst anaerobic digestion is a proven, effective and highly efficient treatment system, upsets in performance remain common. A correctly run digester will efficiently convert up to 95% of organic material into a low-odour stabilised slurry, and produce a renewable resource in the form of biogas that can be flared or utilised on site. This eliminates the need for additional solid handling and large-scale pond systems, and limits reliance on non-renewable fuels. Digester disturbances, however, continue to represent a significant risk limiting the widespread adoption of this technology.

Talbot & Talbot (Pty) Ltd is a solutions-based wastewater engineering company with over 20 years of effluent treatment expertise. They continue to successfully build and operate upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) digester treatment systems throughout South Africa and Africa, across a wide range of industrial sectors. Digesters vary in capacity from 1Ml/day to 5Ml/day, treating between 1ton and 25tons of COD/day, under general limit and special limit license conditions. They believe that a high performance anaerobic digester (AD) treatment system is attributed to a fully-integrated approach, which begins with a systematic site-water management plan and process optimisation within the clientsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; core business.

Under Department of Water Affairs (DWA) water usage license conditions, the discharge of untreated effluent into water bodies, following reactor failure, can attract non-compliance penalties of millions of rands and, under special limit conditions, force full production shutdown of operations for lengthy reseed periods of the digester. Consequently, new applications are often over-engineered, under-loaded and relatively expensive.

Upstream focus is essential in preventing discrepancies in effluent data, which result in incorrectly designed, overloaded and poorly performing digesters, to segregate and correctly dispose of solid-waste streams, and to ensure that potentially harmful contaminants are identified and isolated from the effluent system. Plant design and construction is offered on a full turnkey basis in addition to a full aftercare service through Talbot Operations, a business division of Talbot & Talbot (Pty) Ltd.

Despite decades of research into anaerobic digestion technology, a fundamental understanding of upstream effluent management, system sensitivity and basic process control continue to be highlighted as ongoing concerns, severely limiting the reputation and diversification of this technology.

This includes operator training, performance review and compliance monitoring on a support basis, and a dedicated team of competent operations and maintenance personnel on a fully outsourced basis. In addition, effluent sampling schedules are implemented via Talbot Laboratories to rapidly identify changes in effluent quality and monitor

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Technologies

final discharge compliance. This guarantees the long-term treatment potential of UASB technology and a full commitment to the industry, which cannot be achieved on a “build only” basis. A well-managed, high performance AD system provides clients with the opportunity to recover water and energy resources from their effluent. Secondary treatment systems in the form of activated sludge (AS), sequential batch reactor (SBR) and biofilter technology provide exceptional effluent treatment options, whilst water reclamation can be incorporated via ultra-filtration and reverse-osmosis technology. More recently, Talbot & Talbot have successfully designed and commissioned biogas recovery systems which capture the bi-product of digestion, methane, as a renewable, CO2 neutral energy source. A 25-ton digester with a biogas production of 6 500Nm³/day can typically produce 52-tons of steam per day, which supplements non-renewable energy usage by up to 15%.

Icebergs as a water supply There are over a billion people in the world without clean drinking water. Meanwhile, billions of gallons of fresh water disappear into the ocean each year, the result of icebergs that break off from the ice caps of Greenland and melt into the sea. Now the North Pole’s giant icebergs have become a hope for water-poor countries.

The realised value of a biogas recovery project (BRP) can be directly comparable to the cost of the fuel it replaces, the logistical cost of supplying fuel to remote locations and the availability of electricity throughout Africa. This system, coupled to an existing AD, typically offers a buy-back period of less than 2 years and forms a reliable, constant energy source to the industry that directly offsets the cost of effluent treatment. Despite these benefits, Talbot & Talbot states that the real value of BRP’s is the renewed interest in AD technology, a deeper understanding of good effluent-handling practises and an ongoing commitment to ensure that anaerobic digesters reach their full treatment potential. Talbot & Talbot (Pty) Ltd. Tel: +27 33 3461444 Fax: +27 33 3461445 E-mail: talbot@talbot.co.za Website: www.talbot.co.za

Since he was hired in the ‘70s by Saudi prince Mohammad al-Faisal, the French engineer Georges Mougin has spent 30 years researching and planning a method to tackle the world’s clean water shortage in poorer countries. His concept is to haul and melt icebergs from the North Pole to use as fresh clean water for countries in need. Using 3-D technology, he shows how a 160m-deep giant net can “carry” the giant blocks of ice with the assistance of tugboats. Some icebergs are more than 100-million tonnes in weight, making this challenge no easy task. Want to know more? Check the video http://en.rian.ru/ video/20110620/164720023.html 360

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news

Youth

inspired to preserve

water

Pupils between grade 9 and 11 also had the opportunity to participate in the South African Youth Water Prize (SAYWP). The pupils had to identify problems and develop inventions and awareness projects to solve them. The department also runs the Aqua-Enduro programme, which aims to develop an interest among grade 8 to 11 pupils to pursue careers in the water sector. A public-speaking competition is held for grade 6 pupils and to raise awareness on the impact climate change has on water resources. Mabudafhasi also discussed the challenges faced in the water sector. “The increasing population growth has a direct impact on water availability and strains economic growth and development, whilst water resources stay the same.” According to her, the public is unaware of the looming crisis as they use water irresponsibly. People tend to waste water when they water their gardens or wash their cars. Water is also wasted due to water leaks. “On top of that, scarce water resources are also polluted and results in poor water quality.” She warns that if water resources are not managed, conserved and developed, the country will face a water crisis. The department’s answer to this is the implementation of 2020 Vision. This is a school-based education programme that will address the skills shortage in the water sector. “We want to instil natural resource management values among the youth and promote careers in the water sector.” The education programme gives grade R to 12 pupils the opportunity to identify water problems in their communities and to develop inventions to address them. Inventions are presented during the Youth Water Summit, which is held annually during Youth Month. Successes of the programme MTN and the Water Research Commission donated 281 computers with Internet and science programmes to use for the department’s education programme. Schools in Limpopo, North West, the Eastern Cape, KwazuluNatal, Gauteng, the Northern Cape and Mpumalanga received computers.

“E

ducate a child to educate a nation.” The Department of Water and Environmental Affairs takes this saying seriously as they constantly invest in education programmes to convey the importance of preserving water to the youth. Rejoice Mabudafhasi, the Deputy-Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs, highlighted this again at the Youth Summit on Water and Climate Change. The department announced several project winners at the end of the summit to honour young devoted water ambassadors. The project aims to encourage the youth to become involved in water issues. One such a project is the Baswa le Meetse (Youth in Water) competition for grade 6 pupils. It conveys health and hygiene messages through art, drama, traditional music, poetry, praise singing and posters.

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The department already contributed towards the education of 86 pupils by awarding them with bursaries to further their studies in water-related courses. This year 18 bursaries were awarded to pupils who emerged out of the public-speaking competition with the best speeches in creativity, relevance and content. Mabudafhasi is positive about the outcome of the summit. “This year young people and ministers from Africa participated in the summit to consolidate ideas and share knowledge in order to work towards sustainable water resources in Africa.” 25º in Africa would like to give thanks and acknowledgement to the Department of Environmental and Water Affairs for the information contributed to this article.

news

Valpré Spring Water

to be bottled at new green plant

n 7 July 2011, Coca-Cola South Africa announced the opening of their new Valpré plant and introduced PlantBottleTM packaging to Africa. This brand new facility will bottle Valpré Spring Water, in Heidelberg southeast of Johannesburg. Coca-Cola South Africa decided to build their new plant in Heidelberg because of its close proximity to the markets and distribution sites in the Gauteng region. The location of the Heidelberg plant has ensured that transport costs as well as carbon emissions are reduced. Plant design The new Valpré plant is currently undergoing Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. This is an internationallyrecognized programme that is the accepted benchmark for design of high-performance green buildings. No other manufacturing plant in Africa has this certification. The facility’s design maximizes recycled materials and makes optimal use of water and solar energy. The plant recycles 99 percent of its waste, treats 100 percent of effluent and has a “zero to landfill” target. This new facility optimises sunlight and utilizes solar panels in order to power the facility’s offices. The remaining energy is used to supplement power for the facility. It also compensates for water usage within the facility by recycling used water and harvesting rainwater in a catchment from the underground formation. This ensures a sustainable source of water for the future. This plan for the plant underwent a full environmental impact assessment and received approval from the Department of Environmental Affairs. Bomo Molewa, the Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs, said: “The opening of the new Valpré plant in Heidelberg and the launch of PlantBottleTM, supports the Government’s mandate to create infrastructure, develop skills, increase the number of women in the workforce and ensure sustainable development with a focus on minimising the impact on the environment. It is a notable example of the kind of development that we encourage all South African industries to adopt.” Bottles made from plants PlantBottleTM packaging has revolutionized the beverage industry as the first ever PET (polyethylene terephthalate) plastic beverage bottle made from up to 30 percent plants that is 100 percent recyclable. The Valpré plant is the only facility on the continent to use this new packaging, with South Africa being the 10th market in the world to launch the PlantBottleTM. PlantBottleTM has the same performance as other PET bottles. This means that there is no difference in shelf-life, weight, chemical composition or appearance. Compared to regular PET plastics, the PlantBottleTM reduces carbon-dioxide emissions and dependence on fossil fuels by up to 20 percent. This is because the PlantBottleTM is partially made from plants. At the end of 2010 (two years after the

introduction in the United States), more than 2.5-billion PlantBottleTM packages had been produced. This eliminated an equivalent of approximately 60 000 barrels of oil from plastic bottles produced by The Coca-Cola Company. PlantBottleTM packaging was honoured at the 2011 Edison Awards for Best New Product – Sustainable Packaging and was the winner of the prestigious Du Pont Award for Packaging Innovation. Valpré’s green strategy Charlotte Metcalf, executive director of the South African National Bottled Water Association (SANBWA), said that the plant and the new bottle significantly advance the bottling industry’s green strategy. “With the new Heidelberg plant, Valpré will reduce its carbon footprint, lower its water use ratio, adopt energy-efficient lighting and production technologies, and boost its solid waste recovery. All of this while providing its market with a sustainable product packaged in a bottle that takes a giant step towards using renewable resources.” Bill Egbe, President of Coca-Cola South Africa stated that “When we set out in 2009 to build this state-of-the-art plant, we did so with the goal of ensuring that the plant reinforced all that The Coca-Cola Company and Valpré Spring Water stands for – unwavering quality and commitment to the sustainability of our environment and communities. Positive community impact Besides the environmental aspects of the plant and the new PlantBottleTM, Coca-Cola has vowed to make a positive impact on the communities it operates in. In 2010, Muhtar Kent, Chairman and CEO of The Coca-Cola Company, announced the Company’s 5 BY 20 pledge. This pledge aims to empower five million women by 2020 through the Coca-Cola system. The Heidelberg plant is run by a team of all black women operators. This is one of several programmes in South Africa that aims to meet this pledge. In May 2011, Valpré was awarded the Gold Quality label by Monde Selection, an international institute for quality selections. This was the first time that a water brand (premium or mainstream) has received this prestigious award. The Valpré brand will work to educate consumers about awareness and recycling efforts in South Africa. The brand also hopes to be the frontrunner of a new sustainability movement in the country. For more information regarding PlantBottleTM please visit http://www. thecoca-colacompany.com/citizenship/plantbottle.html or go to www. thecoca-cola.co.za 360

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News

Water initiatives and progress in South Africa South Africa’s water resources face a range of challenges, such as aging infrastructure, technical skills capacity, polluted rivers and a large amount of waste amongst consumers. On 23 June, the Deputy Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs, Rejoice Mabudafhasi, discussed various challenges and initiatives in our country.

She said that water and environmental issues are “everybody’s business” and that they are currently working on mobilising community leaders to come on board and participate actively in the management of achieving sustainable water and environment. In the Department’s efforts to work with local government, we have managed to do several interventions which gave us positive results. “We have managed to unblock water challenges in Setlagole Village in the North West by constructing a borehole water scheme. In Limpopo in Mukula Village, we have managed to respond to a lack of water supply by rehabilitating the existing boreholes as a short-term solution. The construction of a bulk water scheme have commenced in May this year and will be completed in June 2012,” said Mabudafhasi. Aging infrastructure and technical capacity The government’s regional bulk programme is making progress in addressing the key infrastructure challenges and technical skills capacity that South Africa faces. “Since the inception of the regional bulk programme, we have created 7 221 jobs and a further 1 210 job opportunities are projected for this financial year. We are also finalising the formulation of response teams to provide hands-on support to municipalities as a way of addressing technical capacity,” said Mabudafhasi. Water conservation programme The government has also allocated ZAR83-million for the implementation of the accelerated community infrastructure programme in the Cape Town, eThekwini, City of Johannesburg and Nelson Mandela Metros. The programme will address water conservation and demand management challenges and the intervention focuses on leak repairs, pressure management education and the usage of effluent to offset the demand for potable water.

Water and environmental challenges are “hot spots”

“War on Leaks” programme

“Our role as a Ministry is to ensure that our country has enough water and that the environment is protected in order to meet our country’s developmental needs,” said Mabudafhasi during a media briefing in Parliament.

A ‘War on Leaks’ project, which aims to educate consumers about the importance of repairing water leaks, has been launched in Mogale City. With this programme, the youth educates the communities on fixing leaking taps and toilets. The programme has created 146 jobs around the country and 81 unemployed graduates have been trained in technical skills and employed by the Department of Water Affairs and Municipalities in KwaZulu-Natal.

“Service delivery is the business of all spheres of government. It is for that reason that the Ministry has identified the water and environmental challenges and hot spot areas affecting water and environment in collaboration with the sector partners in all spheres of government,” said Mabudafhasi. The Department of Water and Environmental Affairs is busy finalising turnaround strategies and a plan of action to address the prioritised challenges. “We have met with the Premiers, MEC’s and Mayors, and agreed to establish task teams composed of senior officials from our Ministry, affected national and provincial departments and municipalities to ensure that the plan of action is implemented and report directly to the provincial government and to our Ministry,” said Mabudafhasi.

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“Adopt a River” Last year, the Department ofWater and Environmental Affairs launched the “Adopt a River” project, which aims to clean rivers and identify sources of pollution. Close to 600 people have been employed and empowered as water ambassadors in the pilot provinces (Limpopo, Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Western Cape and Free State). For more information, visit www.info.gov.za, to which full acknowledgement and thanks are given.

news

Green light given to big

water pipeline project in Kwazulu-Natal The single largest bulk water-supply pipeline contract undertaken by eThekwini Water and Sanitation (EWS), Phase II of the Western Aqueduct (WA) project, finally got the green light. The tender has been awarded to EsorFranki/Cycad Pipelines joint venture. Written by Nichelle Lemmer

his ZAR864-million construction contract was signed on 27 June, sealing the deal with a signature from the stakeholders. Andrew Copley, the eThekwini Municipality’s project manager for the project, says that this puts an end to delays. “We can go ahead with this important project, which is of major strategic socio-economic significance to the Durban region.” The water pipeline will strengthen the capacity of bulk water supply to the western and northern regions of eThekwini by injecting 325Mℓ/day with the capacity to potentially peak up to 470Mℓ/day. The city’s current water consumption stands at 950Mℓ/day. The pipeline will also contribute towards a greener city by using the excess pressure in the pipeline to be converted into hydropower at two sites along the route of the pipeline. One of the sites is at Hillcrest and the other at Wyebank. This will allow the municipality to use the green energy to supply the electricity requirements of these suburbs. The first phase of the WA project, a ZAR191-million contract, runs 19km from Umlaas Road to Inchanga Station, and is currently being commissioned. According to Copley, the full benefit of these pipelines will only be realized once the 55km long Phase II is commissioned. “The construction of Phase II will commence in July and will take at least 30 months to complete.”

The construction of Phase II will commence in July and will take at least 30 months to complete.”

He says the project was put on hold for 12 months after three unsuccessful bidders lodged appeals against the eThekwini Council’s announcement in June 2010 of its intended decision to award the contract to the joint venture of EsorFranki and Cycad Pipelines. “The city council stuck to their guns and was adamant that the contractor is the most advantageous offer of seven tenders received for the project.” He explains that this led to a red light given to stop construction of the project, pending the resolution of the disputes as well as a subsequent court application brought against the municipality by one of the unsuccessful bidders.

Exchanging contracts at the signing of the Phase II of the Western Aqueduct (WA) project are Rod Torry, the director of EsorFranki/Cycad Pipelines joint venture and Dr Michael Sutcliffe, the eThekwini municipal manager.

All stakeholders are pleased that the council reached a final decision on awarding the tender.

According to Copley, various procedures and protocols needed to be fulfilled before any tender was deemed to be compliant. “Important criteria applied in the evaluation process of the tenders received included compliance with the conditions of tender, black empowerment equity (BEE) participation, price and quality.” He says that the sheer size of the construction activities for the installation of the pipelines and the route of the project, which passes through important urban areas, deemed it necessary to appoint a contractor that is highly experienced and well-resourced. “All stakeholders are pleased that the council reached a final decision on awarding the tender.” According to him, delivery of the last consignments of large-diameter steel pipes required for the project are currently underway and delivery of orders for large-diameter valves placed by the city council have already been completed. “As soon as more detailed information comes to hand as to exactly where the contractor will be commencing with the construction activities, EWS will notify residents in the immediate vicinity of these operations as well as inform the wider public.”

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