IMIESA Magazine

IMESA

I S S N 0 2 5 7 1 9 7 8 V o l u m e 4 0 N o . 3 • M a r c h 2 0 1 5 • R 5 0 . 0 0 ( i n c l VAT )

The official magazine

of the Institute of Municipal Engineering

of Southern Africa INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT • MAINTENANCE • SERVICE DELIVERY

www.infrastructurene.ws

IN THE HOT SEAT Minister Mokonyane’s directives arrive at one thing: removing all bottlenecks. She wants things to advance rapidly and remove

unnecessary problems.” Lefadi Makibinyane, CEO Amatola Water

Meeting the growing

demand

Panel Discussion Water services and management

Municipal focusCity of Tshwane: serious about infrastructure delivery

Water Week 2015Managing a seriously scarce resource

TSHEPO NTSIMANE, GM: FINANCE, DBSA “Secondments and skills development through placements from the private sector will be the order of the day.”

SBS TANKS

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IMIESA March 2015 1

VOLUME 40 NO. 3 MARCH 2015CONTENTS

10 MUNICIPAL FEATURE City of Tshwane

32 WATER INFRASTRUCTURE 2015Will SA dodge the precipitous drop?

Not only is the demand for SBS Tanks’ durable and modular liquid storage solutions increasing but, with it, so is the diversity of the market’s requirements. This shift has resulted in the company introducing solutions suitable for sewage, effluent and leachate. P6

Lefadi Makibinyane, newly appointed CEO of Amatola Water, takes this month’s Hot Seat to discuss how the company is transforming the Eastern Cape water sector. P14

RegularsEditor’s comment 3President’s comment 5Africa round-up 8Index to advertisers 104

Cover Story

SBS Water Systems 6

Municipal FeatureCity of Tshwane 10

Hot SeatAmatola Water 14

Asset Management Managing municipal infrastructure: Part 2 16

Partnering for Infrastructure Infrastructure finance: Banking South Africa’s water future 21From informal settlement to suburb 25Scoping new prospects 27

Water Infrastructure 2015World Water Week turns 25 30Will SA dodge the precipitous drop? 32

Panel Discussion 39Water conservation and water demand management 63

HOT SEAT

Pipes, pumps & valvesProven reliability for large water and sanitation projects 68Standards inflexible for plastic pipe field test? 69Pipe solutions for Africa 72Mahatma Gandhi Road sewer pump station 74Larger flow meters speak volumes 78Benchmarking our way to better services 81The Thukela pipeline 89

Cement & Concrete Sarma sharpens its audit criteria 91Stick to the professionals 92Pioneering solid solutions 94

Construction vehicles, equipment & logisticsAn enclosed cabin for added protection 9710 000 hours of problem-free operating 98A rolling alliance 99A first of its kind 100

Technology & InnovationTaking the salt out of measuring seawater 101A new app to make life easier 103

72 PIPES, PUMPS & VALVESPipe solutions for Africa

CEMENT & CONCRETEPioneering solid solutions94

Lionel Christie traced a leak in a 300 meter Glass Fibre pipe line. The pipe lay beneath concrete that in some places was as thick as 400mm and the line up to 3.5 meters below ground. Lionel Christie was able to detect a very small leak in the pipe line using a Sewerin Aquatest T10.

How it worksWhen pressured pipelines leak, water gushes out of the crack into the ground. The pipe material vibrates at the leakage point. These vibrations are transmitted by the pipe and can even be noticed at distant contact points, e.g. Fittings. This is known as structure-borne sound and is made audible by the Aquatest T10.

The Aquatest T10 displays an accurate visual comparison of the noise in-tensities. The visual display is par-ticularly helpful for novices or those who do not use the system often.

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Pipe Inspection Cameras

Gas Detectors

Acoustic Listening Devices

Correlators

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IMIESA March 2015 3

To our avid readers, check out what we are talking about on our website, Facebook page or follow us on Twitter and have your say.

@infrastructure4 Infrastructure News

PUBLISHER Elizabeth ShortenEDITOR Nicholas McDiarmidEDITORIAL ASSISTANT Liesl FranksonJOURNALISTS Beatrix Knopjes, Frances RingwoodHEAD OF DESIGN Hayley MendelowCHIEF SUB-EDITOR Tristan SnijdersSUB-EDITOR Morgan CarterCONTRIBUTORS S Gibson, N Kranz, N Tandi,L Chetty, D Lievaart, L Palmer & R Byrne CLIENT SERVICES & PRODUCTION MANAGER Antois-Leigh BotmaPRODUCTION COORDINATOR Jacqueline ModiseFINANCIAL MANAGER Andrew LobbanMARKETING & DIGITAL MANAGER Esther Le RouxMARKETING SPECIALIST Philip RosenbergADMINISTRATION Tonya HebentonDISTRIBUTION MANAGER Nomsa MasinaDISTRIBUTION COORDINATOR Asha PursothamSUBSCRIPTIONS [email protected] United Litho Johannesburg +27 (0)11 402 0571___________________________________________________

ADVERTISING SALESJenny Miller Tel: +27 (0)11 467 6223___________________________________________________

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ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION: R550.00 (INCL VAT) ISSN 0257 1978 IMIESA, Inst.MUNIC. ENG. S. AFR.© Copyright 2015. All rights reserved.___________________________________________________

IMESA CONTACTSIMESA Administration Officer: Narisha SoganP O Box 2190, Westville, 3630Tel: +27 (0)31 266 3263Fax: +27 (0)31 266 5094Email: [email protected]: www.imesa.org.za

BORDER BRANCHSecretary: Melanie MatroosTel: +27 (0)43 705 2401Fax: +27 (0)43 743 5266E-mail: [email protected]

EAST CAPE BRANCHClarine ColtmanTel: +27 (0)41 505 8019Fax: +27 (0)41 585 3437E-mail: [email protected]

KWAZULU-NATAL BRANCHSecretary: Rita MatthewsTel: +27 (0)31 311 6382Fax: +27 (0)31 701 2935

NORTHERN PROVINCE BRANCHSecretary: Rona FourieTel: +27 (0)82 742 6364Fax: +27 (0)86 634 5644E-mail: [email protected]

SOUTHERN CAPE KAROO BRANCHSecretary: Henrietta OliverTel: +27 (0)79 390 7536Fax: 086 536 3725E-mail: [email protected]

WESTERN CAPE BRANCHSecretary: Erica van JaarsveldTel: +27 (0)21 938 8455Fax: +27 (0)21 938 8457E-mail: [email protected]

FREE STATE AND NORTHERN CAPE BRANCHSecretary: Wilma Van Der WaltTel: +27(0)83 457 4362Fax: 086 628 0468E-mail: [email protected]

All material herein IMIESA is copyright protected and may not be reproduced either in whole or in part without the prior written permission of the publisher. The views of contributors do not necessarily reflect those of the Institute of Municipal Engineering of Southern Africa or the publishers.

Cover opportunity In each issue, IMIESA offers advertisers the opportunity to get to the front of the line by placing a company, product or service on the front cover of the journal. Buying this position will afford the advertiser the cover story and maximum exposure. For more information on cover bookings contact Jenny Miller on tel: +27 (0)11 467 6223.

THE EVENTS of the last month have been

described collectively, by some, as a

watershed for South Africa. Going beyond

the symptoms of these events, we know

the underlying fundamentals need to change.

The economic prosperity of any nation lies in the

hands of engineers and no more so than for civil

engineers and those engineers that engage and

support them. From the health of its citizenry, its

mobility and shelter, to the ability to transform the

outlook of whole communities, civil engineering is

the number-one catalyst for national development.

Minister of Finance Nhlanhla Nene noted this in

his recent budget presentation, and most econo-

mists agree that, of all sectors, infrastructure

development is the sector most likely to make

the greatest contribution to turning South Africa’s

fortunes around.

Transforming transformationWe have become so accustomed to talking

about obstacles and feeling powerless over them

that a note by the Minister of Finance hardly

removes them. Ironically, many of these obstacles

are perceived to revolve around that well-worn

term: transformation.

In South Africa, that term has a unique mean-

ing that originates from our unique history. It

has become a ‘legacy’ term. Perhaps it’s time

to shake that off, to liberate transformation,

and let it speak for itself for a change. National

government itself is showing adaptations to its

transformation: action has been taken regarding

the inability of so many municipalities to deliver

infrastructure. Skills are being deployed and pro-

jects are gaining traction.

The North West province is an example: its

municipalities are under the oversight of the

DBSA, and it has a serious programme of trans-

forming its delivery model. As an implementa-

tion agent, the DBSA is increasingly co-opting

the private sector to get those much-needed

skills where they need to be. It is an excellent

adaptation for transformation. People’s lives will

change, economies will develop, and water will

flow through new pipelines. Other critical enti-

ties, such as the Engineering Council of South

Africa, the cidb and the NHBRC, are seriously

adapting for transformation, sounding the call

for cooperation.

Because delivery is non-negotiable – it either

happens or it does not – it appears to be the

point at which transformation is transforming.

It is becoming less about correcting past imbal-

ances and more about transforming the current

paradigm into an inclusive model. This is a

journey, and one that is actually pregnant with

opportunities. The private sector also needs to

adapt to a new vision of transformation. It may

just be that with a few adjustments, and some

revisions, that the opportunities become more

apparent, and that participating in truly trans-

forming people’s lives becomes its own reward.

That’s what this edition of IMIESA is all about.

It is also all about the water sector, as National

Water Week is upon us this month, and I hope

you enjoy the extensive water division, which

speaks to unblocking the flow of projects as

much as it does about engineering better solu-

tions for the sector. The recent fires in Cape

Town have demonstrated that South Africans do

unite under pressure, and we must not lose sight

of this singularity of the nation when politics

attempt to hijack it.

Nicholas McDiarmid

IMESA

I S S N 0 2 5 7 1 9 7 8 Vo l u m e 4 0 N o . 3 • M a r c h 2 0 1 5 • R 5 0 . 0 0 ( i n c l VAT )

The official

magazine

of the Institute

of Municipal

Engineering

of Southern Africa

INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT • MAINTENANCE • SERVICE DELIVERY

www.infrastructurene.ws

IN THE HOT SEAT

I think it’s important for young engineers to know that the public

sector can provide a good foundation to build on.”

Trueman Goba, Chairman, Hatch Goba

Meeting

the growing

demand

Panel Discussion

Water services and

management

Municipal focus

City of Tshwane:

serious about

infrastructure delivery

Water Week 2015

Managing a seriously

scarce resource

CHUCHEKA

MHLONGO, DBSA

Making it quick –

Speeding up delivery at

local level

SBS TANKS

Focusing on adaptation

EDITOR’S COMMENT

Is it transformation?

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the lining material used to watertight the Future Tank

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chemicals, increasing their already extensive versatility

even further.

Due to the modular flexibility the Future Tank can adapt

in size to the availability of the area to accommodate

customer needs. These containers are fireproof, a

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IMIESA March 2015 5

PRESIDENT’S COMMENT

AT THE SAME TIME,

bursaries are also

made available to

children of IMESA

members as a direct member-

ship benefit.

IMESA’s increasing accumu-

lated assets led to the initial

decision to award bursaries.

This asset growth could be

attributed to the following:

• highly successful annual

IMESA conferences

• IMESA head office was run

on a part-time basis by hus-

band and wife team of Frik

and Vida Bosman, with very

little overheads

• relatively low membership

fees needed to increase to

justify the discount that pro-

fessionals received on their

ECSA fees.

Initially, a budget was set aside

for 10 bursaries in the order of

R5 000 to R10 000 per oppor-

tunity. The initial idea was never

to cover the full costs of the

individual at the tertiary institu-

tion. Over the ensuing years,

however, not all successful

applicants actually took up their

IMESA bursaries, as they were

probably successful with other

more lucrative offers.

This prompted a rethink and

IMESA has since adjusted

the value of its bursaries to

cater for the full cost of the

course, as well as a 10% book

allowance. Our current budget

allocation for this bursary

scheme is just over R500 000.

IMESA has, on average over

the years, been awarding 10

bursaries per annum. The

dynamics of a changing South

Africa have manifested them-

selves in the applications we

receive and we subsequently

award bursaries as follows:

• Initially, 100% of bursars

were awarded to previously

disadvantage individuals

(PDIs) with severe financial

constraints and fair first-year

academic records.

• The next phase of successful

applicants consisted of 80%

PDIs with severe financial

constraints and good aca-

demic records. The other

20% were PDIs with less

financial constraints and very

good academic records.

• Currently, 70% are PDIs with

very good academic records

(financial constraints,

although still present, play

less of a determining fac-

tor). The other 30% is made

up of members’ children

or others with very good

academic records.

• Females remain a targeted

group in all of the above.

Once an IMESA bursary is

awarded, the institute commits

itself to support the applicant

through to completion of his/

her studies. All our bursars are

provided with a mentor from the

branches where their respective

tertiary institutions are located.

The success rate is presently

fairly high, in the order of 90%,

and is mostly a result of award-

ing bursaries after the first year

of studies.

As much as we encourage

these graduates to pursue a

career in municipal engineer-

ing, this cannot be enforced

as IMESA is not an employer

of graduate/diploma engi-

neers and technicians. This is,

however, where our broader

membership can play a role in

facilitating the experiential train-

ing and internship opportunities

with their current employers.

Bursars are also provided with

student membership of IMESA

and participate in activities of

the branches. We feel that this

is necessary to expose them to

municipal engineering. Annually,

the institute also acknowledges

the top-performing bursary

student by inviting him/her

to attend the annual IMESA

conference and receive an

appropriate reward.

IMESA feels strongly about

the need to invest in the future

through the training and devel-

opment of young municipal

engineering practitioners. To

this end, we will continue to

support the bursary scheme

as well as provide appropriate

continuous professional devel-

opment opportunities through

our branch activities.

I hereby wish the current crop

of IMESA bursars success in

their studies and a bright future

in the municipal engineer-

ing environment.

IMESA has, since the early 2000s, been making bursaries

available to previously disadvantaged individuals in an

effort to increase the number of engineering graduates, as

well as assisting in the efforts to transform the profession.

IMESA's bursary scheme

Duncan Daries, IMESA president

IMESA president Duncan Daries congratulates IMESA bursary recipient Marissa Myburgh

6 IMIESA March 2015

COVER STORY

SBS WATER SYSTEMS takes great

pride in its reputation for delivering

a high-quality product and excep-

tional service to the municipal,

fire-protection, mining, food and beverage,

and water conservation industries, from the

design and quoting phase right through to

manufacturing, installation, commissioning

and handover.

The company operates from its KZN-based

SABS, ISO 9001:2008, QMS-certified facility

under the leadership of a senior manage-

ment team that have been with the business

since its inception in 1998. SBS boasts a

group of professional and knowledgeable

technical sales consultants who each focus

on their industry of expertise; a full-service

technical department complete with drawing

office and the knowledge to design the best

tank solution for any enquiry; a projects

department that strives to deliver every job

on time and on budget; and an army of well-

trained specialist installers that pride them-

selves on safe, rapid on-site construction at

every installation. In addition, the company’s

list of successful installations and satisfied

customers currently extends past the 1 000

mark, and is growing steadily with the pass-

ing of each new month. With credentials like

these, it’s not difficult to see why SBS offers

a storage tank solution that is one of the

most sought after on the market – not only

in South Africa, but worldwide.

Municipal market historyThe SBS brand is well known within the

municipal sector in South Africa. In fact,

many local and district municipalities across

the country have been long-standing custom-

ers and supporters of the company for most

of its 16 years in the liquid storage business.

“We owe a lot to our steadfast supporters in

the South African municipal market; they

have been on board with SBS for many years

and are largely to thank for our success and

ability to grow and prosper both locally and

internationally,” says Wilson.

Even though municipalities have long been

advocates of SBS, there has been a percep-

tion within this market that it is a ‘small

tank company’ and that its capacity range

ends at around 500 kℓ or less. Because

of this, SBS has made a concerted effort

through technical presentations to con-

sulting engineers and municipal technical

departments to change this thought pro-

cess, and municipalities around the country

are starting to specify SBS Tanks in capaci-

ties from the smallest 12 kℓ capacity right

up to the largest offering, the impressive 3

300 kℓ (3.3 Mℓ) flagship SBS tank, which

has a diameter of 21.16 m and a height

of 9.39 m. “The number of large tanks

that we are installing at municipalities has

increased dramatically through 2014 into

2015, and our sales pipeline for the year

ahead shows massive growth in large tank

sales to our valued municipal customers,”

Wilson notes.

Not just a potable water storage tankBesides the awareness campaign regarding

its capacity range, SBS wants the market to

know that the company is not restricted to

storing potable (drinking) water. “We have

successfully installed tanks designed for the

storage of raw water, sewage, effluent and

even leachate. We have functioning examples

that testify to our ability to adapt and store

each of these liquids, and more, in the field.

Sourcing and installing the correct liners has

been the key to diversifying across different

market sectors. For most applications, our

proprietary SBS700 liner is the product of

choice but when the call comes in to store

more aggressive liquids, we look at other

alternatives such as weld-on-site HDPE lin-

ings that are more suited to the purpose,”

explains Wilson.

Leachate storageA prime example of SBS’s ability to cus-

tomise its storage solutions to meet client

requirements is located at a large scale

landfill facility located near KwaDukuza,

KwaZulu-Natal. The company recently filled

an order that required the storage of 500

kℓ of landfill leachate prior to it entering the

on-site treatment facility. A unique dual-liner

system was used where an HDPE liner and

SBS Tanks range rises to surging demand

Brian Wilson of SBS Water Systems tells IMIESA that not only is the demand

for the company’s durable and modular liquid storage solutions increasing but

so is the diversity of the market’s requirements. This shift has resulted in the

company introducing solutions beyond those for raw and potable water.

IMIESA March 2015 7

COVER STORY

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another specialised heavy-duty liner were

used in tandem to provide extra protection

at the request of the customer. This project

is one of the many specialised applications

where the technical department at SBS

worked hand in hand with the customer to

provide a cost-effective, made-to-order stor-

age solution.

Product versatility through superior-quality raw materials“SBS Water Systems manufactures its long-

lasting (65-year-plus life expectancy) SBS

Tanks using only the original Bluescope

Zincalume steel in both body panels and roof

sheeting. Zincalume steel is a proprietary

product that has a highly corrosion-resistant

coating made up of 55% aluminium, 43.5%

zinc and 1.5% silicone, giving it improved

corrosion-resistant properties over

its competitors and the more com-

mon, standard hot-dip-galvanised

options,” explains Wilson.

As an add-on, SBS Tanks are avail-

able with a factory-applied epoxy

powder-coating option in a vast array

of colours. This long-lasting coating

allows the tanks to be better blended

into environmentally sensitive areas

where concealment is necessary. It

also allows companies required to

use tanks for backup water and fire

protection the opportunity to use a

capital spend to their advantage by

placing it in a strategic area on their

property and applying their corporate

colours and branding.

Speed of manufacture, rapid on-site erection, immediately usableDue to their unique, modular design, SBS

Tanks can be manufactured quickly, trans-

ported easily to even the most remote sites

and installed in a matter of days to a few

weeks. “A 3 300 kℓ (3.3 Mℓ) tank can be

manufactured in six to eight weeks, placed

into a 40-foot ocean container, transported to

site and then assembled, commissioned and

ready to store water in 15 to 20 days. The

same solution made out of concrete would

generally take over a year,” explains Wilson.

“SBS does not use external contractors

to install its tanks. We use only our own

internal, highly trained teams of specialist

installers, which allows us to have complete

control of quality from design to manufactur-

ing, right through installation. It is important

to note that installation also forms a key

part of our SABS ISO 9001:2008 certifica-

tion,” adds Wilson.

In addition to the quick turnaround time,

SBS Tanks have other strong advantages

over the competition. It is a common mis-

conception that concrete is a maintenance-

free-lifetime product, but concrete tanks

also require sealing and sterilisation before

filling, and then at periodic intervals through-

out the life of the tank. By contrast, our

specially designed Zincalume bolted steel

tanks are usable immediately after they

are installed. “Unlined steel and concrete

tanks require frequent maintenance, but our

tanks do not. The only upkeep needed on

an SBS tank is a monthly check to ensure

the nuts and bolts are secure, that there is

no ingress of weeds or roots, and that the

valves are working properly,” says Wilson.

For potable water applications SBS Tanks

standard liner made from a custom 720g/

m2 woven multi-layer PVC material is used.

This high quality liner is certified to accepted

international standards (AS/NZS 4020:2005)

for materials in contact with drinking water.

Working with clientsSBS Tanks feature a modular design, making

them easy to transport to remote sites. For

example, a 200 kℓ tank can be transported

on a single long-wheelbase bakkie and small

trailer, which means tanks can be moved

to most locations around Southern Africa

overland, reducing costs. The tank body and

components are also designed with weight in

mind so that they are able to be moved by

two people with very little effort. “An amazing

example of the benefit of the SBS modular

design was illustrated in 2014 when a 3.3 Mℓ tank that was manufactured for an urgent

community water project in rural KwaZulu-

Natal could not be delivered after heavy

rains washed out the only access road to the

installation site. While the road was passable

to bakkies and small vehicles, the large truck

required could not pass a certain point. A

decision was made to use SBS bakkies and

a small crane truck to ferry the tank to site.

Thanks to the design of our product and the

quick thinking of our management and tech-

nical teams, the project was delivered and

installed ahead of schedule,” says Wilson.

Global reachSBS Water Systems recently won the Durban

Chamber of Commerce’s Exporter of the Year

award for 2014, in the small exporter catego-

ry. “The company exports its robust products

as far afield as Australasia, French

Polynesia, New Caledonia, Myanmar,

the United States and United Arab

Emirates. We are very excited at the

way in which our Proudly South African

product has been well received in

some very competitive and highly

regulated regions around the world,”

says Wilson.

He adds that because of SBS Water

Systems’ work in the global market,

the company has recently launched

a cyclonic range rated to withstand

winds of up to 240 km/h (67 m/s)

and is now working hard on a seismic

range for use in countries where

earthquakes and tremors are encoun-

tered. “These technical advances to

our product can only benefit our

customers here in South Africa,” he notes.

ConclusionWith new challenges come new innovations,

and SBS Water Systems is certainly showing

the market that is has the experience and the

wherewithal to meet client expectations on any

job, no matter how big, small, or unusual.

www.sbstanks.co.zaShare Call: 086 048 2657Email: [email protected]

LEFT SBS Tanks play a key role in this fully operational effluent treatment plant at a cheese-processing facility in the Western Cape

We are very excited at the way in which our Proudly South African

product has been well received in some very competitive and highly

regulated regions around the world

8 IMIESA March 2015

AFRICAChina urges more countries to help improve African infrastructureChina hopes more countries

can show sincerity while assist-

ing infrastructure construction

in Africa, a PRC Foreign Ministry

spokeswoman said.

Hua Chunying made the

comment after the AU and

China signed an MoU on

continental transport, high-

speed rail, aviation, highways

and industrialisation.

“The MoU shows our com-

mitment to enhance the conti-

nent’s connectivity and integra-

tion, breaking the bottleneck of

its development and realising

sustainable development,”

says Chunying.

“To get rich, build a road

first.” This draws from impor-

tant experience of China’s

reforms and rapid economic

development over the past three

decades. “It will also prove true

for Africa,” Chunying affirms.

She adds that China has com-

pleted 1 046 projects in Africa,

building 2 233 km of railways,

and 3 530 km of roads.

KENYAPossible delays for Kenyan power projectThe construction of the

981 MW coal-fired power plant

in Lamu, Kenya, is at risk of

further delays. This is if the

county leadership is dissatisfied

with what the developers will

offer the community, as well as

the health and environmental

impact, which will be disclosed

in an assessment report.

The coal power project is

already behind schedule owing

to disputes in the award of the

tender, which were later dis-

missed. Lamu county leaders

said key concerns subject for

INFRASTRUCTURE NEWS FROM AROUND THE CONTINENT

AFRICA ROUND-UP

further discussions include

impacts on the environment,

employment of locals, reset-

tlement of persons to be

displaced for the projects,

and compensation.

They made it clear that they

will only allow the $1.8 billion

project, part of the ≥5 000 MW

project, to proceed if concerns

are addressed.

LIBERIAIndustrial complexes spring upIndustrial and manufacturing

complexes are beginning to

spring up in Liberia.

The Sethi Brothers and Dura

Plast recently dedicated a mul-

timillion industrial plastic manu-

facturing complex at a site that

used to be deep swamp land on

Bushrod Island.

The ceremony took off days

after a Liberian-owned busi-

ness, Aminata and Sons,

signed a multimillion-dollar deal

to supply the Aureus gold mines

with petroleum products.

President Ellen Johnson-

Sirleaf launched the plastic

manufacturing complex, which,

with little more than 250

employees and 300 contrac-

tors, operates a variety of

machinery that costs a total

of about $2 million. The equip-

ment was ordered into Liberia

for manufacturing household

and industrial plastic, and steel

rods, among others.

With an increase in entre-

preneurship expected to take

place, the government is wel-

coming the development and

construction of more industrial

complexes. President Sirleaf

expressed confidence that

Liberians can do business, and

be entrepreneurs and manag-

ers for their own businesses

with the environment created

by government.

NAMIBIATrans-Kalahari railway line on trackNamibia’s High Commissioner to

Botswana, Mbapeua Muvangua,

says the Botswanan government

remains committed to the con-

struction of the Trans-Kalahari

railway line. Muvangua says

there are a few things that need

ironing out, such as the fund-

ing by both governments, but

that Botswana’s president, Ian

Khama, made it very clear that

he wanted the project to start

as soon as possible.

National Planning Commission

permanent secretary Andries

Hungamo added that the pro-

ject is being developed through

a public-private partnership

based on a DBOOT contractual

arrangement where the devel-

oper undertakes the financing,

design, construction, operation

and maintenance of the project.

Construction is expected to

cost approximately N$100 bil-

lion (approximately R100 mil-

lion). Financing will be sourced

through private stakeholders.

The railway line will mirror the

existing Trans-Kalahari highway

or corridor.

NIGERIANigeria and Chinese firm sign MoU on transmission net-work developmentThe federal government has

signed an MoU with TBEA of

China for the development of

transmission lines and substa-

tions in Nigeria.

Minister of State Power

Mohammed Wakil, who signed

on behalf of the government

in a brief ceremony in Abuja,

said transmission infrastruc-

ture is critical to the growth of

the sector.

Wakil urged the company

to fulfil its earlier promise of

setting up a transformer-manu-

facturing company in Africa by

situating it in Nigeria.

He assured that it will assist

Nigeria in the development of

a robust transmission outlet

and called on the corpora-

tion to also provide adequate

training for the Nigerian work-

force, through its support

for the local content policy

of government.

Wakil stressed that govern-

ment, on its part, would give

full cooperation in order to

ensure a smooth take-off for

the company in the country.

RWANDARwanda in biggest solar park ventureEast Africa’s first utility-scale

solar plant was inaugurated

recently in Rwanda, and will

provide clean energy for

Rwandan solar project

IMIESA March 2015 9

AFRICA ROUND-UP

15 000 homes. The plant now

makes up over 5% of Rwanda’s

current energy generation

capacity of 155 MW.

“The generation and provision

of electricity to all Rwandans is

a priority for the government.

This plant produces 8.5 MW

of clean energy and is an

important addition to help

close our current energy

gap,” Rwanda’s Minister of

Infrastructure, James Musoni,

said during the inauguration.

The solar plant was

established by Gigawatt Global,

a US-owned Dutch company,

after the government of Rwanda

signed a power purchase

agreement with it in July 2013.

The company was to build,

operate and maintain the

on-grid solar plant for a period

of 25 years.

The plant, worth $23.7

million, is located at Agahozo

Shallom Youth Village,

Rwamagana district, Eastern

Province. It has 28 360

photovoltaic panels, each with

a 300 W peak, eight inverters

and is connected to the

national grid.

TANZANIATSh64 Kilimanjaro Commercial Complex launchedPresident Jakaya Kikwete

recently launched a TSh64

billion (R400 million) pro-

ject dubbed the Kilimanjaro

Commercial Complex. Speaking

at the launch, Kikwete said the

building has greatly changed

the Moshi skyline.

The complex, whose construc-

tion was wholly financed by

National Social Security Fund,

is owned by the fund, Tanzania

Red Cross Society, Tanzania

Girl Guides Association and

Chama Cha Uzazi na Malezi

Bora Tanzania.

The latter three owned adjoin-

ing plots along Aga Khan and

Arusha roads, but lacked the

financial muscle to put in place

a business facility. They suc-

cessfully consulted the former

to finance its construction and

take co-ownership.

During the construction

period, formal employment

opportunities at the complex

reached 2 500, while informal

ones were at 3 000. After

completion, it is expected that

200 formal employment oppor-

tunities will be created, in addi-

tion to 300 informal ones.

UGANDAUganda aviation plan needs $400 millionFour new international airports

will be constructed in Uganda

within the next 20 years, with

an aim to boost the growth

of tourism, air travel and the

industrial sector.

According to the Civil Aviation

Authority of Uganda (CAA),

the 20-year Aviation Master

Plan (2014-2034), which was

carried out by Spanish consult-

ants MS INECO, will cost about

$400 million.

This will include $200 million

earmarked for the renova-

tion of Entebbe International

Airport, with the construction

of two more terminal build-

ings, a cargo handling facility,

re-tarmacking of the runways

and installing self-service

check-in counters.

The plan will see international

airports set up in Arua (West

Nile), Pakuba in Murchison Falls

National Park, the Kabaale oil

region in Hoima, and Kasese in

Western Uganda.

Dr Rama Makuza, CAA man-

aging director, said with the

expected 7.5% growth in air

transport, the country cannot

wait to be caught off guard by

the growing numbers.

ZIMBABWEZETDC to spend $20 million on infrastructureThe Zimbabwe Electricity

Transmission and Distribution

Company (ZETDC) will

spend about $20 million

under the second phase

of its key infrastructure

rehabilitation programme.

The second phase is divided

into two parts, with $12.6 mil-

lion expected to be spent on

distribution and transmission

infrastructure in the first stage,

and $7.5 million on transmis-

sion in the second.

Managing director Julian

Chinembiri said that work has

already started on the tenders

for the programme, however

adding it was not clear yet when

the work on the programme

would start. He said that the

power infrastructure programme

was being funded by the African

Development Bank under a

multi-donor trust fund known

as ZimFund.

ZimFund is a short- to medi-

um-term infrastructure devel-

opment programme designed

to rehabilitate

infrastructure and

restore basic servic-

es in water, sanita-

tion and energy.

Kilimanjaro Commercial Complex

Entebbe International Airport

10 IMIESA March 2015

MUNICIPAL FOCUS

WITH A PREVAILING global

trend of immediate gratifica-

tion, the COT sets itself apart

in its visionary long-term

goals for the transformation of the nation’s

capital and the centralisation of government,

as well as creating a sustainable and equi-

table city.

The COT includes Centurion, Mabopane,

Soshanguve, Hammanskraal, Atteridgeville

and, since 2008, Cullinan and

Bronkhorstspruit. The Tshwane Metropolitan

Municipality is the best-rated municipality in

South Africa, after Cape Town.

As part of its Integrated Development Plan

(IDP), the city aims to provide sustainable

and reliable infrastructure to support the

prosperity of its people, according to the

executive mayor’s message on the City of

Tshwane’s plans and vision for 2015.

These plans align with the long-term goals

of the COT as outlined in the Tshwane Vision

2055. Executive mayor Kgosientso David

Ramokgopa said in the Tshwane Vision

2055: “Our vision is a City of Tshwane that,

in 2055, is liveable, resilient and inclu-

sive; whose citizens enjoy a high quality of

life, have access to social, economic and

enhanced political freedoms, and where

citizens are partners in the development of

the African capital city of excellence… we

are also of the view that our interventions

must be transformative, bold, disruptive and

capitalise on economies of scale; crowd in

investors, propel growth, de-racialise the

spatial economy and build on the capacity

for inclusion and partnership so as to reduce

the cost of delivering services.

“Our short- to medium-term interventions

are guided by the long term strategy con-

tained in Tshwane Vision 2055,”explains

Ramokgopa. “We are taking an innovative

approach to providing basic infrastructure

and primary healthcare facilities, while we

maintain the focus on improving basic ser-

vice delivery.”

As part of the city’s ongoing commitment

to its IDP, Ramokgopa stated that the COT’s

key interventions include a number of excit-

ing infrastructure developments to meet an

CITY OF TSHWANE

A vision for the

The City of Tshwane (COT) prides itself on being development-driven, providing integrated and innovative infrastructure. IMIESA takes a look at the city’s key infrastructure developments for 2015.

ever-increasing demand for service delivery.

The City of Tshwane shows innovation in its

approach to development, in that it takes a

holistic and progressive vision for the city

over the long term.

A Re Yeng One of the most exciting (and visibly disrup-

tive) infrastructure upgrades in the COT is

the construction of the A Re Yeng bus rapid

transit (BRT) system. A Re Yeng connects the

inner city to outlying townships and makes

it more accessible. The A Re Yeng system

will be completed and become operational

in phases. The first phase of the project has

been operational since 1 December 2014.

The R2.6 billion system forms part of the

city’s revitalisation project. It will comprise

80 km of bus lanes, 62 stations and 340

buses operating from 06:00 in the morning

until 21:00 at night.

What is significant about the A Re Yeng

BRT is that it maintains a core value of

universal accessibility. The A Re Yeng sta-

tions uses low-floor buses, which reduces

future

IMIESA March 2015 11

MUNICIPAL FOCUS

the impact of the station on the urban

streetscape and improves mobility. In this

way, the physical infrastructure is alive with

a social awareness, creating an environment

that is safe and can be easily understood by

all people, regardless of their age, language,

size or disability. It involves every aspect of

the journey – from the pre-trip information,

the trip to the station, the facilities in the

station, the bus trip and so on – that each

and every person takes from their origin to

their destination.

Future A Re Yeng routes include:

• Hatfield to Menlyn – a 7 km route

operating along Lynwood Road from Loftus

Versfeld station in Hatfield.

• Menlyn to Mamelodi – an 11 km route

extending from Menlyn to Mamelodi.

• Mamelodi Mahube Valley – a 9 km

route eastward, via Tsamaya Road, to

Mahube Valley in the east of Mamelodi.

• Pretoria CBD to Wonderboom – a

9 km route from Pretoria station, along

Paul Kruger Street and Mansfield Avenue,

to the Wonderboom station in the north.

• Wonderboom to Akasia – a 10 km

route from Wonderboom Station to Akasia.

• Akasia to Soshanguve – a 13 km route

from Akasia, via Doreen Road, to Rosslyn.

Mabopane taxi rankThe construction of the Mabopane taxi rank

will help create an accessible, sustainable

and functional urban core in Mabopane,

as per the Urban Design Framework. The

development of urban cores in previously

disadvantaged areas has been hampered by

red tape and a lack of coordination between

various council departments.

The Mabopane train station the busiest in

the country, serving between 120 000 and

150 000 commuters daily. It is located 40 km

north of the Pretoria CBD, on the boundary

between Mabopane and Shoshanguve, and

is the main transport hub linking the Pretoria

CBD, Mamelodi and Johannesburg.

The construction of the Mabopane taxi

rank on the western side of the station will

cost R19 million and consist of:

• a rank and holding area consisting of

383 bays

• a drop-off and pick-up area consisting of

58 bays

• offices for taxi associations

• taxi canopies

• pedestrian shelters

• ablution facilities

• landscaping and street furniture

• water, electricity and stormwater

infrastructure.

Alongside this development will be space for

trading. The intention is to create an urban

core in Mabopane. It will improve the move-

ment and circulation of people by providing

options on how they make their journeys and

encouraging the use of public transport. This

MAJOR CAPITAL PROJECTS The following are some of the major capital projects undertaken in the 2014/15 financial year: • Mabopane taxi rank – R19 million • Saulsville walkways – R8 million • Hammanskraal bridge – R20.3 million • Atteridgeville bridge – R17 million • Hammanskraal roads – R40 million • Completion of Cullinan Library Park –

R20 million • Rooiwal power station refurbishment

– R8 million • Doubling of Simon Vermooten Road –

R136 million • Internal roads: Northern areas –

R399 million • Collector road backlogs: Mamelodi –

R17.5 million • Transport infrastructure – R731.5

million • Traffic calming and pedestrian safety

– R10 million • Township development – R3 million • Mabopane Station – R18 million

The design of the Hatfield A Re Yeng station incorporates retro tram lines

with a sleek, modern feel

Pretoria skyline

“Our vision is a City of Tshwane that, in 2055, is liveable, resilient and inclusive; whose citizens enjoy a high quality of life, [and] have access to social, economic and enhanced political freedoms.” Executive mayor Kgosientso David Ramokgopa

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[email protected]


MUNICIPAL FOCUS

can only happen if public transport is made

safe and accessible by walkways. The build-

ing of the Mabopane taxi rank will aid the

convergence of different forms of transport

in the area.

Rooiwal and Pretoria West power stationsAmid the current energy crisis in South

Africa, the COT has plans to invest R9.5

billion to upgrade the Rooiwal and Pretoria

West power stations. This hefty amount will

include the construction, project develop-

ment and financing, and according to a

report by Rapport newspaper on 4 February,

mayoral spokesperson, Blessing Manale,

said that the amount is justified by the

demand for energy. The refurbishment will

introduce new technologies in order to con-

tribute an estimated 900 MW to the grid. The

stations will be leased to the private sector

and are informed by the city’s long-term

plans for development.

Human settlementsAccording to the policy document Breaking

New Ground: A Comprehensive Plan for

the Development of Sustainable Human

Settlement, published by the National

Department of Housing, residents should

live in a safe and secure environment, and

have adequate access to economic opportu-

nities; a mix of safe and secure housing, and

tenure types; reliable and affordable basic

services; educational, entertainment and

cultural activities; and health, welfare and

police services.

The aim of the policy is to ensure the

development of compact, mixed land use;

diverse, life-enhancing environments with

maximum possibilities for pedestrian move-

ment; and transit via safe and efficient pub-

lic transport. It further aims to provide low-

income housing “in close proximity to areas

of opportunity”. The COT

outlines its commitment to

this proposed development

in its Sustainable Human

Settlement Plan.

The national housing pro-

gramme delivers approxi-

mately 220 000 housing

opportunities per annum

(including 160 000 housing

units and 60 000 serviced

sites). The problem here is

that approximately 17% of

households fall out of being

fully subsidised and do not meet standard

mortgage requirements. It is in this category

that social housing developments focus.

Poor households are marginalised by the

distance members need to travel to urban

centres, and this undermines economic

development and efficiency. Alongside this,

housing that is dignified, appropriate, afford-

able and financially sustainable needs to

be provided. It also needs to be located

within a reasonable distance to economic

opportunity and social services, and include

basic services such as water and sanitation,

electricity, and refuse removal.

According to the COT’s Sustainable Human

Settlement Plan, many of the existing 2 700

informal settlements in South Africa are

located close to metropolitan areas and

basic services. The challenge lies in pro-

viding these high-density settlements with

adequate basic services.

“We are also of the view that our interventions must be transformative, bold, [and] disruptive…” Executive mayor Kgosientso David Ramokgopa

An additional output is the increased provi-

sion of well-located and affordably priced

rental accommodation. The target is to

deliver at least 20 000 units per annum in

South Africa over the next four years. Rapid

urbanisation has resulted in demand far

outstripping supply, and the challenge is to

rapidly increase sustainable and affordable

rental housing supply. The Affordable Rental

Housing Programme in the Department of

Human Settlements is one of the initiatives

aimed at the eradication of housing back-

logs, through the provision of rental hous-

ing for low-income persons who cannot be

accommodated in the formal private rental

market. Although the scale has been limited,

two rental housing programmes have been

introduced in the form of community residen-

tial units and social housing.

The building of human settlements is a

vital component of the IDP and Tshwane

Vision 2055. The aim is to create urban

cores and rejuvenate city centres by pro-

viding infrastructure that tackles a rising

population. To this end, the city has come

up with a R9.13 billion housing development

programme that will see the construction of

122 000 homes in 2015. The national gov-

ernment will build 37 000 of these houses,

city management will build 45 000, and pri-

vate sector investors will construct 40 000

houses. In order to cater for the housing

construction, the city has planned to sell

assets, including property and unused land,

to raise money.

Tau Village in Pretoria combines residential and retail space

The Pretoria West power station


HOT SEAT

AS A SEASONED

board member of

Rand Water, cidb

and the Gauteng

Partnership Fund, and a

significant tenure as CEO of

CESA, Makibinyane has unique

insights into the role of water

utilities in South Africa, and the

sometimes intricate dynamics

of crossing the public-private

divide in South Africa.

The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) has been changing the game for water utilities, and has implemented a smart consolidation strategy; how will you go about implementing this at Amatola Water? I am

taking my cue from the DWS,

and focusing on the strategy of

institutional realignment and

reform, which strives to restruc-

ture the number of water boards,

from the current nine, into three

large regional water utilities.

Streamlining this process means

that these three utilities can

take increasing responsibility for

water resources infrastructure

and local government support,

and become most viable and

effective in the provision of bulk

water and sanitation services.

AMATOLA WATER

Transforming the Eastern Cape water sectorWith over 24 years of professional working experience, gained in both the private and public sectors, Lefadi Makibinyane was appointed CEO of Amatola Water in January this year. He takes this edition’s Hot Seat with a transformative vision for the future of Amatola Water.

There is a lot of work to be done

here in the Eastern Cape.

Of the 12 water boards, 9

remain. Bushbuckridge Water

and Botshelon Water, for exam-

ple, were disestablished and

are now part of Rand Water and

Magalies Water respectively.

The idea here is to establish

efficiencies in the water boards;

the smaller ones really were no

longer viable, and the ability to

centralise operations in some

areas, and the skills within the

larger water boards, is a mean-

ingful way of getting the right

skills to the rural areas. My first

order of business at Amatola

is to develop its operational

capacity, consolidate assets

within the region, and develop

its viability and character. It

must be rembered that Amatola

Water was established to man-

age regional water infrastruc-

ture in the rural areas of the

Eastern Cape and its anchor

client, Buffalo City.

What defines a viable water board? According to

the law, water boards should be

entirely self-funding. If you con-

sider the status of Rand Water,

it is significant enough not only

to be self-funding, but to go to

the financial markets and raise

funds for further infrastructure

and maintenance. This is a

viable, developmental model

and one that all water boards

should strive for, and certainly

what underpins the strategy for

Amatola Water.

Can you explain the need to consolidate as-sets? Some of the smaller

boards servicing rural areas

have, unfortunately, not been

developed in such a way as to

be self-funding, due to insuf-

ficient revenue generation. The

ownership of the bulk delivery

infrastructure is still a little

haphazard in some areas, with

the local municipalities own-

ing some of the assets. Bulk

water infrastructure should

all be consolidated under the

water boards.

Municipalities should still pro-

vide the reticulation and domes-

tic customer services as stipu-

lated by Water Services Act

and, in the same way, the water


HOT SEAT

boards need to manage the

assets they were established to

manage. The structuring of the

water sector is geared towards

this, as it is the most sustain-

able structure through which

to allocate and concentrate

resources and skills.

What is the current sta-tus of Amatola Water’s assets and service provision? Amatola Water’s

assets are primarily bulk

water infrastructure, but we do

provide secondary services to

municipalities in the area. It is a

water services utility, in addition

to primarily being responsible

for bulk potable and waste-

water infrastructure. At the

moment, there are some dams

and reservoirs and bulk water

pipelines that fall under some

of the municipalities’ books,

and it is strategically important

that these are transferred to

Amatola Water. From a business

point of view, it makes sense

to consolidate these regional

assets and, from an operational

point of view, it is important to

ensure that the operations and

maintenance of this infra-

structure are optimised under

one body that can to manage

them effectively.

Our current capacity is 160

megalitres per day, which is

humble for a water board when

compared to Rand Water, with

its capacity of 4 500 megalitres

per day. This should give some

idea of the level of growth

required to service the region,

and also speaks to the lack of

consolidation thus far. Again,

water boards should be the

central player in each region,

and this will only be achieved by

the consolidation of assets and

effectively supporting munici-

palities service delivery.

This all flows from the DWS, doesn’t it? Do you

have their support in the mammoth tasks you have set for Amatola Water? The new ministry

is actually a formidable one.

Minister Mokonyane – whom

we refer to as Mama Action – is

a dynamo, and applies a great

deal of energy, commitment and

oversight to the whole sector.

She convened all the water

boards a couple of weeks ago

and interrogated each and every

presentation from the water

boards. She was relentless

when it came to the application

of finances and grants, and

had to satisfy herself that all

expenditure and planning was

soundly and directly geared to

delivery. She really is all about

delivery and accountability. And

her relationship with her appoin-

tees is a simple one: you have

the appointment, now what are

you doing?

Given that the DWS strategy

is a comprehensive one, any

actions that serve to ensure

the eradication of the bucket

system, reduce losses and

tighten South Africa’s water

security have her full support.

She is also a proponent of

accessing support from the pri-

vate sector, and this forms part

of my vision for Amatola Water

as well.

What are the main direc-tives then? In a nutshell, all

Minister Mokonyane’s directives

arrive at one thing: removing

all bottlenecks. She wants

things to advance rapidly and to

remove unnecessary problems.

From an institutional perspec-

tive, she will sign a directive on

the spot if it is geared in this

way. I am extremely confident

that, in the Eastern Cape, this

consolidation of assets will

achieve all these outcomes. As

I seek to remove bottlenecks,

so will the DWS ensure the

processes are not delayed.

Based on your presenta-tion to the minister, what vision have you present-ed for Amatola Water? I would like to see our 20-year

strategy realised. Amatola

Water is going to define what

constitutes an effective water

supplier, in its role as a bulk

potable water supplier and wa-

ter infrastructure and services

utility. This encompasses all

our key deliverables.

This has to be achieved

quickly and efficiently over the

next to three to five years,

and it must be operationalised

as the culture within Amatola

Water. I envision my legacy as

the consolidation of assets,

growing the balance sheet, and

improving our credit outlook.

As the conductor of this strategy, who are the stakeholders involved, and how will you coor-dinate them? Internally,

skills and leadership are what

make a water board effective

and sustainable. It is apparent

to me that we have a way to

go in inspiring the confidence

of some of our municipalities,

and in my opinion we can

achieve a lot with the skills we

already have. One of the key

issues is how we work with the

private sector. We have to be

specific and confident in how

we communicate what we, as

the public sector, need from

them. The firms we work with

need to accept this transforma-

tion agenda. I am unapologetic

about this and it is one of the

factors involved in deepening

the trust of the senior manage-

ment of the municipalities.

Having been on both sides, what is your vi-sion for the transforma-tion of Amatola Water? One has to first address the

reality of the situation at hand;

Amatola Water has relation-

ships with the private sector,

but the issue of transforma-

tion has yet to trickle through

effectively. As the CEO, I am

championing transformation for

this region in this sector. It has

to be done and it will require

a new mindset that needs to

be embraced. After all, this is

the new South Africa, and the

old attitudes of ‘us and them’

have no place. This is not a

specious sentiment; it runs

deep in the culture of the area

and has a significant impact on

the level of trust placed in us

as the central utility.

This will have a significant

impact on our private sector

partners, engineering compa-

nies. As the CEO, much like

Minister Mokonyane scrutinis-

es our strategy, I will be scruti-

nising the level of transforma-

tion inherent in these partners.

Politics aside, this speaks to

their sustainability. Considering

our country’s demographics,

how can a private engineering

company build its own future

without actively creating train-

ing opportunities and profes-

sional opportunities for young,

black engineers? The market

must find a way of absorbing

them and Amatola Water can

play a much bigger role in

achieving that in this region.

It is my job to see that it hap-

pens by bridging any divisions

and harmonising them, while

representing government. We

cannot rightfully occupy that

space until our commitment

to transformation is witnessed

and applied.

www.amatolawater.co.za


ALIGNMENT OF MANDATES, expec-

tations, planning, budgeting and

performance monitoring are key

areas that will be addressed. This

toolkit will be based on the 2010 toolkit

developed for provincial government and is

hosted by the CIDB. The 2010 CIDB toolkit

is built on three delivery processes, namely

portfolio management, project management,

operations and maintenance management.

National Treasury will use experiences of

municipalities who have implemented infra-

structure asset management or aspects of

the discipline to both update and modify this

2010 toolkit for use by local government.

Proposed procedures, processes and meth-

odologies will be tested for suitability and

alignment with municipalities. Ultimately, it

is expected that a clear link will be created

between the services delivered and the infra-

structure management actions.

Asset management processesDeveloping operational strategies and plans:

• Assets should be effectively utilised to

meet the needs of the community over the

long term.

• Good operational strategies can mitigate

risk and defer the need for asset renewals

or upgrade works.

Strategies for ensuring that assets are well

utilised include (a) effective demand-forecast-

ing before creating new assets, to ensure

asset capacity and demand requirements are

matched; (b) maximising the asset utilisation

by ‘supply-side’ demand management, e.g.

minimising wastage through smarter property

scheduling or pipe leak detection; and (c)

management of customer demand, to reduce

demand for over-utilised assets or vice-versa,

e.g. through pricing, regulation, education

and incentives. Sometimes unusual events

or natural disasters cause operational strate-

gies to change to a different mode.

These strategies aim to minimise the dis-

ruption to services from events such as key

staff absences, critical asset failure or wide-

spread disasters.

Emergency response plans clearly allocate

roles, responsibilities, communication lines

and response priorities as incidents evolve.

Business continuity plans focus on under-

standing the municipality’s critical functions,

and how to maintain service continuity when

Well-managed infrastructure assists municipalities in the cost-effective, efficient and reliable delivery of mandated services. National Treasury has embarked on a process to develop an Infrastructure Delivery Management Toolkit for local government, which should improve life-cycle infrastructure asset management. By L Chetty*, D Lievaart*, L Palmer* and Roger Byrne**

Managing municipal infrastructure

PART 2 OF 2

ASSET MANAGEMENT


ASSET MANAGEMENT

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these functions or processes fail. The munici-

pality may initially focus on implementing

core system functions and evolve to more

advanced functions over time, as illustrated

in Figure 9.

Developing maintenance strategies and plansAssets owners need to maintain their assets

to deliver the required functionality and per-

formance. Maintenance is defined as: “All

actions necessary for retaining an asset as

near as practicable to

its original condition, but excluding reha-

bilitation or renewal”. Maintenance does not

increase the service potential of the asset or

keep it in its original; it slows down deteriora-

tion and delays rehabilitation or replacement.

It is a mechanism to ensure that assets

continue to deliver the required level of

service. The municipality may initially focus

on implementing core system functions and

evolve to more advanced functions over time,

as illustrated in Figure 10.

Developing capital investment strategies and plans Forward-looking infrastructure planning pro-

vides time to make good decisions and

coordinate activities in an effective and effi-

cient manner. Capital investments typically

cover three distinct investment streams:

FIGURE 9 LEFT Operations management maturity index

FIGURE 10 RIGHT Maintenance management maturity index


ASSET MANAGEMENT

(1) the upgrade, creation or purchase of

new assets, typically to address growth in

demand or changes to the required level of

service; (2) the renewal of existing assets,

usually to prevent existing assets from fail-

ing service levels; and (3) investment in

assets that are held as an investment in

their own right, either to provide a financial

return or for future opportunity value.

The development of the capital investment

strategy will typically evolve over time, from

reviewing past investment levels, through

to developing a prioritised list of ‘needs’

through to the full application of decision

support tools and optimisation across the

full portfolio of assets. This development of

maturity is indi-

cated in Figure 11.

Financial and funding strategies and plans Financial management in municipalities is

characterised by high asset values relative

to the total municipality value. Financial

management principles for the municipal-

ity include recognising the consumption

of asset service potential, categorising

expenditure appropriately, allocating costs

to assets as far as practical, preparing long-

term forecasts, cost-effective financing and

effective reporting of financial per formance.

A crucial output from asset and financial

management is a long-term assessment of

financial needs and funding requirements.

These forecasts should bring together all

relevant data from asset management pro-

cesses. The forecasts should be under-

pinned by clearly articulated assumptions

and confidence factors for a forecast peri-

od of at least 10 years. The municipal-

ity may initially focus on implementing



in Figure 12.

Asset management teams Asset management roles and responsibili-

ties need to be clearly defined and specifical-

ly allocated to people and teams to ensure

that the required things are being done.

There are also many different approaches

to allocating roles within the structure, e.g.

(a) the municipality may separate the asset

owner, manager, service provider/operating

roles, either internally or by outsourcing

some roles; (b) asset management func-

tions may be decentralised or centralised

(i.e. an asset management team that sup-

ports all activities and asset areas); and (c)

structures may be based on functions versus

activities, e.g. a team that delivers the oper-

ational function for all activities, compared

to parks, roads and commercial buildings

teams that carry out all operational, planning

and project functions for that activity.

There are many factors to consider in mak-

ing these types of structural decisions, such

FIGURE 13 LEFT Asset management structures and capabilities maturity index

FIGURE 14 RIGHT Asset management plan maturity index

FIGURE 11 LEFT Capital projects maturity index

FIGURE 12 RIGHT Financial management maturity index


as the level of specialisation of the function,

size of the municipality, and the likelihood

and risks of silos being created. Asset man-

agement improvement programmes often

require significant change to the status quo.

Failure to recognise this is another com-

mon reason for lack of progress. The asset

management team needs to ensure good

change management practices are applied

to delivering these programmes, such as

strong leadership, appropriate resourcing

and effective communication. The munici-




in Figure 13.

Asset management plans An asset management plan is a written

representation of intended asset manage-

ment programmes for the management

of infrastructure assets, based on the

municipality’s understanding of service-level

requirements and the network’s capabil-

ity to meet them. In some ways, the asset

management plan can be considered the

business case for long-term financial fore-

casts. The municipality may initially focus

on implementing core system functions and

evolve to more advanced functions over

time, as illustrated in Figure 14.

Information systems and tools An asset management information system

(AMIS) is defined as: “A combination of

processes, data, software, and hardware

applied to provide the essential outputs

for effective asset management, such as

reduced risk and optimum infrastructure

investment.” AMIS development will gener-

ally pass through five stages: (1) require-

ments definition, (2) evaluation, (3) design,

(4) implementation, and (5) ongoing man-

agement and review. The five components

of AMIS, namely (a) hardware, (b) software,

(c) data, (d) processes and (e) people, need

to be considered at each stage.

The municipality may initially focus on

implementing core system functions (asset

register, asset valuation, etc) and evolve

to more advanced functions over time, as

illustrated in Figure 15.

Service delivery modelsDeveloping and implementing strategies for

service delivery involves: (1) defining core

services, (2) identifying service delivery

options, (3) evaluating and selecting the

optimal service delivery model, and (4)

procuring and implementing the service

delivery model. There are many factors that

influence the service delivery decision, e.g.

legislative restrictions, availability of the

contracting market, and the asset owner’s

desire for cost certainty and risk minimisa-

tion. The municipality may initially focus on

FIGURE 17 LEFT Quality management maturity index

FIGURE 18 RIGHT Asset management improvement maturity index

FIGURE 15 LEFT Information systems maturity index

FIGURE 16 RIGHT Service delivery maturity index

ASSET MANAGEMENT


implementing core system functions and

evolve to more advanced functions over

time, as illustrated in Figure 16.

Quality managementA key to effective asset management is

the identification, documentation and com-

munication of the repeatable processes

that facilitate proper municipal function-

ing. A typical process document will cover:

(1) objective of the process and a brief

high-level description of where it fits in

the overall asset management framework,

(2) the inputs required, (3) the outputs

expected, (4) the steps required to complete

the process, and (5) related processes

such as complementary, predecessor or

successor tasks.

Process maps are useful for helping

to understand how data is transformed

and information is passed between pro-

cesses and recipients. There are a range

of approaches to process maps, which

include basic flowcharts, block diagrams,

cross-functional flow charts and data flow

diagrams. As a general principle, processes

should only be documented to the extent

necessary to assure effective planning,

operation and control. Quality processes

evolve in an iterative manner over time, to

an optimal level through continuous monitor-

ing and improvement. The municipality may

initially focus on implementing core system

functions and evolve to more advanced func-

tions over time, as illustrated in Figure 17.

Continuous improvement The first part of the asset management

improvement plan development is to under-

stand current and future ‘appropriate’ asset

management practices. The understanding

of the gap between current and appropriate

practice will help drive the identification of

improvement actions. The improvement plan

should then be developed to focus initially

on the highest priority areas. The munici-




in Figure 18.

ConclusionModern asset management processes facili-

tate the systematic analysis required to gain

reliable information about the condition and

performance of infrastructure assets. Asset

management processes ensure the abil-

ity to make good maintenance and renewal

decisions, manage risks and predict future

renewal requirements, thereby achieving the

requirements of the national and provincial

treasuries, and the auditor-general, which

requires the municipality to recognise and

equitably recover the full costs of owning and

operating infrastructure over the life of the

assets. Asset management processes also

assist the municipality to fully justify capital

and operations expenditure and related price

structures and their levels of service to the

full range of stakeholders, from ratepayers

to provincial and national government.

For a list of references, please contact the

editor at [email protected].

*Asset Management, eThekwini Metropolitan

Municipality, South Africa

** RB&A, Australia

ASSET MANAGEMENT


INFRASTRUCTURE FINANCE

Banking South Africa’s water future

The Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) is delivering highly successful catalytic infrastructure projects in South Africa and visibly demonstrating that challenges facing public infrastructure delivery are highly solvable.

PARTNERING FOR INFRASTRUCTURE

TAKING THE WATER SECTOR as

his example, economist Tshepo

Ntsimane – general manager:

Finance (metros, water, state-

owned enterprises and education) – provides

compelling insights into how exactly the

DBSA is achieving this, and what it means

for the future of this critical driver for South

Africa’s growth and development.

Minimise loss, maximise growth“Our primary aim is to provide cost-effective

funding across the whole value chain of the

water sector, ensuring that our lending is

directed at projects and activities that will

generate revenue for municipalities,” says

Ntsimane. “We focus on both technical and

non-technical projects, from pipelines, to

metering and revenue collection systems.”

The DBSA takes the view that – when

managed at a level high enough to factor in

the broadest positive outcomes – a single

project, or a cluster of projects, can be a

catalyst for sustainable and highly charged

socio-economic growth. The collective chal-

lenges faced by the water sector, at both the

bulk and reticulation phases, present strong

opportunities for such catalytic projects.

“With technical and non-technical water loss-

es at between 38% and 90%, and significant

backlogs of water and sanitation infrastruc-

ture, it is projected that it will take around

R700 billion over 10 years to address the

current challenges.” Ntsimane points out that

the present funding shortfall on this amount

is just over half that figure, at R390 billion .

“The solution has to work both ways,” he

continues. “By addressing the technical and

non-technical losses, additional revenue of

between 30% to 40% stands to be generat-

ed.” That figure excludes additional income

from new connections, making it clear that

the sector does stand to be self-funding

and even profitable, providing the correct

interventions are identified, implemented

and managed.

“This is not conjecture,” explains

Ntsimane. “We are working on funding a

pilot project in Ekurhuleni, focused on smart

metering, which stands to generate R400

million a year for that community once fully

operational. When you see funding like that,

which not only addresses revenue collection,

but water losses as well, the municipality

now has an asset that brings in much-need-

ed revenue, which greatly improves its credit

outlook as well.”

Trial and replicateOne of the reasons the DBSA is undertaking

some projects in functioning metros is to

test solutions that can later be transferred

to more rural municipalities. “Public sector

projects need to create jobs. As such, any

technical innovation cannot threaten exist-

ing jobs; key personnel – e.g. meter read-

ers – need retraining and redeployment. A

project like this is as much about learning

and tweaking as it is about implementing.

Any innovation comes with that challenge.

The way we direct our interventions is to

implement projects in areas we can most

readily learn from, and then roll them out

more efficiently on a national level,” he

says. “The Ekurhuleni project will give us

the practical experience to execute similar

projects elsewhere.”

The project perspective“As a development funding institution, we

have different criteria from commercial


banks in how we assess projects,” explains

Ntsimane. “That said, we have to be self-

sustainable, so projects do have to be

bankable. But we have more leverage in

terms of committing to projects with longer

amortisation periods, higher/lower degrees

of profitability and which are sustainable for

both the DBSA and client.”

Armed with a mandate to implement as

well as fund, the DBSA has been successfully

identifying and rolling out projects to the point

that its disbursements have increased by 34%

over the last year. Developing its role within

the context of the National Development

Plan, it also takes a national viewpoint, and

selects projects from a very broad perspec-

tive. “The primary aspect of any project

has to be its affordability – to the commu-

nity and the municipality,”

says Ntsimane. “We

analyse the financial

operations of the

entire municipal-

ity based on its

statement of income, the cash flow of the

municipality, and the capacity of the munici-

pality to take the project on to its balance

sheet.” Assessing a project’s financial viabil-

ity is not a limiting factor, but one of deciding

how to structure it. “Many municipalities do

not have the capacity to take on more debt

and a project simply cannot be put on its

balance sheet,” he explains. “At this point,

one can consider creating a special purpose

vehicle (SPV), which has as its sole purpose

the ability to generate funds and achieve its

aims. Assuming it can generate funds, it can

be brought on to the balance sheet once it is

amortised and the SPV is then transferred in

its entirety to the municipality.”

The approach is working, and the DBSA's

investments in the water sector demonstrate

this. “Our investments in the water sector,

achieved through lending to all categories of

municipalities for their water and sanitation

projects, as well as to water boards, have

over the last five years been in excess of

R4.5 billion.

“In 2012, that represented more than 10%

of the development loan book of the DBSA.

We would like to do more – much more

than this – over the next 10 years. We are

very keen to work in partnership with other

stakeholders in the sector, including the

Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS);

the Department of Cooperative Governance

and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA); National

Treasury; district municipalities, metros and

local municipalities; local and international

DFIs; commercial banks; and technical and

financial advisors.”

Front-loading MIG“Another initiative of the DBSA is the

Municipal Infrastructure Grant front-loading

scheme,” enthuses Ntsimane. “This facility,

which is unique to us, is a way of delivering

infrastructure now, based on future funding.

In the simplest of terms, it means bridg-

ing the funds available from the MIG over

three trenches and making it available now,

through us.” This facility is one of the more

powerful ways that the DBSA is accelerating

infrastructure delivery, and bringing economi-

cally sustaining assets online quickly. It is a

complex catalytic intervention, delivering not

only services to the communities in urgent

need, but improving the credit outlook for the

municipalities as well.

Unlocking the North West The North West province (Bokone Bophirima)

has become infamous for service-delivery

protests, and is comprised of a number

of smaller municipalities and several dis-

trict municipalities that simply do not have

the capacity to bring enough infrastructure

online quick enough. “We entered into an

agreement with the North West provincial

government last year to work alongside them

in the area of water infrastructure,” explains

Ntsimane. “We will be working with the four

district municipalities and, through them, the

province’s 23 municipalities, in a focused

and centralised manner. We will bring in –

and fund – private sector skills, which will be

based at the district municipalities, shared

across the 23 municipalities, and tasked

with identifying the most impactful projects

that can be delivered centrally.”

A key to this major intervention is the opti-

misation of resources, both technical and

financial, and benefiting from economies of

scale and improved logistics. A key to this

approach is participation from the private

sector, and Ntsimane is passionate about

this matter. “For the private sector to play

a meaningful role in addressing the myriad

challenges facing the water sector, a seri-

ous mindset change is required. It is very

encouraging that such a mental revolution

is happening in some of the consulting

companies we have interacted with. Some

construction companies are also jumping

on the bandwagon,” he explains. “They are

seeking to help government to find solutions

rather than complaining about problems

faced. They are using such problems as a

basis to propose solutions.”

Ntsimane concedes that decision-making

and execution can often times be a lot slow-

er in government than in the private sector.

But he is earnest about the need for a shift

THE CHALLENGES• An infrastructure funding requirement of

R700 billion over the next 10 years• A funding shortfall estimated at R390 billion,

or R39 billion per annum• Limited sector and master planning, and

management, at municipal level• Municipal under-spending of the conditional

grants, sitting at around 40% of planned expenditure

• Water losses averaging 38%, with some municipalities, particularly low-capacity ones serving poor communities, as high as 90%

• Significant backlogs in water and sanitation, of 14.9% and 28.6% respectively, notwithstanding the substantial progress achieved since the advent of democracy

• Acid mine drainage• Water conservation and

demand management

"Our reason for existence is delivery, and we welcome all who feel they have a solution to offer." Tshepo Ntsimane – GM: Finance (metros, water,

state-owned enterprises and education)



in mindset: “The solutions to our country’s

problems will require our collective efforts

to ensure an inclusive society in which the

country’s water resources are shared equita-

bly and funded sustainably.” This means that

this partnership with the public sector must

strive towards sustainable solutions, such

as long-term centres for skills transfer and

empowerment, rather than the creation of

dependencies. The bigger rewards will come

from a country harmonised through coopera-

tion and caring for all its citizens.

Skills, the private sector and a new orientationSince its restructuring over two years ago,

the DBSA has steadily been focusing on

finding solutions for South Africa’s struggling

municipal sector. “We have to find solutions

for skills shortages at municipal level,”

explains Ntsimane. “It is our view that South

Africa has the skills; they just aren’t concen-

trated at this level. We therefore find ways of

funding private sector skills for deployment

at municipal level by working with external

engineering firms.” The DBSA has its own

pool of highly qualified technical experts who

asses which external firms are best suited

and brought on board for a given project.

“The technical and financial capacity

constraints facing the water sector mean

that secondments and skills development

through placements from the private sector

will be the order of the day,” says Ntsimane.

The recent figures from the Auditor General,

however, indicate that the unlimited use

of consultants in semi-permanent posi-

tions is untenable. “Indeed, the savings

achieved through reducing such expenditure

could be used to address some of the

actual interventions.”

This suggests a new orientation of the rela-

tionship between the private and the public

sectors. “A longer-term solution has to be

delivered on the back of a renewed spirit

of cooperation,” says Ntsimane. “The part-

nership between the Department of Higher

Education and Training (DHET) and the South

African Institute of Chartered Accountants

(SAICA), through which SAICA has placed

qualified chartered accountants at technical

and vocational education and training col-

leges (TVETCs) as chief financial officers, is

a welcome development.”

Ntsimane notes that similar agreements

between the DWS and the Engineering

Council of South Africa, as well as SAICA,

if not already in place, could be put in place

to address the substantial shortages in

the water sector. “Such agreements must

include using retired engineers to teach at

the TVECTs to help increase the numbers

and skills of the artisans and technicians

the country requires,” he says.

A cooperative paradigmConsulting engineers will be deployed and

the opportunities being unlocked by the

DBSA – and other public sector entities –

will benefit everyone; but transformation

will happen as well. “We have to cross this

divide as a nation. We have a situation

where matriculants and skilled graduates

face a jobless future when there is so much

work to be done,” acknowledges Ntsimane.

There has been much criticism leveraged at

government for the current skills shortage,

but if attitudes in the private sector changed,

the approach to transformation may be per-

ceived in a more positive light.

“When government calls for engineers in

the municipal sector, the applications don’t

come through,” he laments. “We want to

place qualified, registered engineers and,

if 10 of them happen to be white, we will

place black engineers with them to learn, get

experience and register as professional engi-

neers.” The country’s demographics give

credence to the notion that, in this approach,

there is indeed enough for everyone.

All aboardThe legacy of South Africa’s public develop-

ment has created idiosyncratic structures in

the water sector that are now being better

leveraged, with water boards and district

municipalities coming to the aid of smaller

municipalities in what are described as pub-

lic-public partnerships (PPPs). Typical exam-

ples include the appointment of Magalies

Water and Rand Water by the DWS to pro-

vide municipal reticulation infrastructure to

smaller municipalities within their locales.

“There are also opportunities for PPPs in

the operations and maintenance of munici-

pally owned water infrastructure.” From a

funding point of view, Ntsimane also empha-

ses that the DBSA will consider funding from

any party that feels they have identified

a bankable project that ticks the relevant

boxes and is sustainable. “Our reason for

existence is delivery, and we welcome all

who feel they have a solution to offer,”

he concludes.

Infrastructure is widely acknowledged as

being South Africa’s primary vehicle for

growing the economy and it is very apparent

that national government has indeed been

highly active in pooling the best minds of the

sector to develop a coordinated, innovative

and responsive approach to the challenges

faced. The DBSA, as a hub of financial and

technical skills, offers an inspiring vision of

what the future holds for

South Africa.


+27 (0)11 313 3911www.dbsa.org

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From informal settlement to suburb

Jubilation filled the air during the official handover of 76 houses to indigent families in Lindelani just outside Galeshewe in Kimberley last year.

to Lindelani in 2000 to seek shelter with her

two children and one grandchild, was the

new owner of one of the Corobrik-sponsored

houses. The houses are 40 m2 with disabil-

ity-friendly toilets.

Musa Shangase, Corobrik’s commercial

director, was at the opening. He said, “We

are delighted to assist people like Annie

Motlhodiemang, a domestic

worker who has struggled to earn money

to feed her family. During the 14 years

she lived in a shack, it was blown away by

severe winds numerous times. She is happy

to receive a ‘proper’ house – built using

quality materials – that lends dignity and

provides a sense of home.”

Corobrik’s Nebraska Traver tine light

face brick, with double-skin brickwork,

has been used on the houses being built

at Lindelani. A double-skinned face brick

home fulfils all three sustainable devel-

opment imperatives – economic, social

and environmental.

“The high thermal mass inherent in double-

skin clay brick cavity walls of these smaller

footprint homes is what helps keep the

inside of such homes cool in summer and

warm in winter,” continued Shangase. “This

is important in the Northern Cape, which

has widely fluctuating temperatures.

“Owners are pleased that their new homes

look good because of the natural colour of

the face brick and that they will never have

to spend money on painting the outside

walls. Knowing that they will also save on

energy costs and that they are living in

a good-quality house is just

as satisfying for them.

The community is very

happy with this project,”

concluded Shangase.

Corobrik donated two

houses in the 14-year-

old informal settle-

ment. At the opening,

Lucas hailed the pro-

ject as a huge success

by all three spheres

of government.

THE HOUSES were built by 90

youth volunteers following a

national youth service programme

launched by deputy president

Cyril Ramaphosa. The project, which is

rotating countrywide, was dedicated to the

1976 uprising.

The partnership between all three spheres

of government was attended by the Deputy

Minister of Human Settlements, Zou Kota-

Fredericks; the premier of Northern

Cape, Sylvia Lucas;

Cooperative Governance,

Human Settlement and

Traditional Affairs MEC

Alvin Botes; the execu-

tive mayor of Sol Plaatje

Local Municipality,

David Molusi; and

NYDA deputy chair

Kenny Morolong.

An elated Annie

Motlhodiemang (53),

who was born in

Galeshewe and moved

LEFT Musa Shangase, Corobrik commercial director congratulates Annie Motlhodiemang on her new home built from Corobrik Nebraska Travertine light face brick

BELOW Annie Motlhodiemang’s new house in Lindelani, just outside Galeshewe in Kimberley

ENGINEERING COUNCIL OF SOUTH AFRICA

The Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) is a statutory body that has regulated engineering practice for more than 40 years in South Africa.

ECSA exists as a regulatory body for the engineering profession. Engineering is essential and beneficial to society and the economy, therefore ECSA has a role to set certain professional standards in the interests of public safety and the economy. In addition, engineering services must be of high quality in the interests of maintaining a high standard of infrastructure in South Africa.

Engineering is a global activity, with services and technology being exchanged across national boundaries. The standards of engineering education and professional competence are therefore benchmarked internationally.

In addition, ECSA is empowered to advise government and other parties, and to take necessary steps to protect the public interest, health and safety, improve standards of engineering services, create awareness of the need to protect the environment and conduct research.

Registration of engineering practitioners as professionals or candidates in the categories of engineer, technologist, technician, certificated engineers, and specified categories is a key function of ECSA. Registrations with ECSA exceeds 40 000 members.

The registration system has been established by law to ensure competence and accountability.

Registration provides public recognition that the registered person has, through education, training and experience, demonstrated competence at an established level.

Registration with ECSA and membership of a Voluntary Association (VA) are complementary. The VA promotes the interests of the discipline and its members and provides services such as continuing professional development (CPD). Different grades of membership – for example student, member and fellow – recognise the member’s career progression.


THE KEY QUESTION being asked

of government’s new National

Environmental Management Act

(NEMA): Environmental Impact

Assessment (EIA) Regulations (which

came into effect as of 8 December 2014)

is: Can the EIA application on any project be

undertaken and approved in 300 days?

“At first it seemed an impossible feat,”

says Briony Liber, partner and principal

environmental scientist at SRK Consulting.

“Many people in the industry wondered how

the new regulations could possibly be imple-

mented, especially considering the length of

time it takes to collect seasonal baseline

data, engage with stakeholders and squeeze

in other tasks, including report writing and

client comment periods.

“But then we realised that the new regula-

tions delay the point at which the EIA appli-

cation is submitted. This encourages the

optimal use of the unregulated period ahead

of the application to consider alternatives

and undertake baseline data collection that

informs the development of a refined project

description. It also emphasises the impor-

tance of establishing good relationships with

stakeholders ahead of attempting to permit

a project. By encouraging early planning and

stricter time frames, projects could actually

be permitted with fewer delays.”

Initially the new proposed regulations elic-

ited confusion and even anger from envi-

ronmental assessment practitioners (EAPs)

and developers. But Liber has come to see

value in the new approach: “In the last year,

SRK has engaged with the Department of

Environmental Affairs (DEA) on the regula-

tions and has the opportunity to fully under-

stand and appreciate the DEA’s objectives

and vision behind the revised regulations.”

She believes the new legislation has

returned the emphasis to the identification

and management of risks ahead of project

permitting. This approach requires weighing

up and addressing risks at the outset of

a project, rather than halfway through the

permitting procedure. It should also shift

developers and EAPs away from what, in

some cases, has become more of a tick box

or compliance exercise.

Planning aheadThe permitting process is currently the only

regulated part of the new authorisation sys-

tem. This means that developers have as

much time as they need prior to the permit-

ting process to establish the scope of a pro-

ject. This will encourage developers to build

relationships with stakeholders, collect base-

line data, and consolidate a scope freeze in

advance of the 300-day permitting period.

“At SRK Consulting, we’re embracing the

new regulations because we see the poten-

tial for a number of outcomes that will be

Scoping new prospectsUnforeseen delays can cost a company millions and make or break a project. New legislation to regulate the environmental impact assessment process could be a blessing or a curse, depending on whether developers are prepared to plan ahead. By Frances Ringwood

DIAGRAM 1 A new era – the 2014 regulations timeline

BELOW (left to right) Speakers Dee Fischer, Selma Nel, Briony Liber and Fran Lake

positive for project delivery,” says Liber.

“The previous legislation had challenges the

new version seeks to address. For example,

projects now need to be defined ahead of

permitting, whereas before they were often

defined in the process of the EIA, which led

to scope variations at various stages. Every

time a project changes, it potentially extends

PARTNERING FOR INFRASTRUCTURE A

ll im

ages

cou

rtest

y of

SR

K C

onsu

lting


An added challenge, she says, was that

that EAPs were either brought into the pro-

cess too late and then held accountable for

projects being seen to be delayed by environ-

mental permitting processes, or too early, in

which case quoting accurately to undertake

an EIA became almost impossible.

Cutting the Gordian knot Dee Fischer, chief director: Integrated

Environmental Management Support from

the DEA, adds: “The key reason for the

changes was to bring the mining sector

under the NEMA to better regulate mines’

environmental performance. Three-hundred

days to issue an environmental authorisa-

tion decision is standard at South Africa’s

Department of Mineral Resources and it was

stipulated as a condition by the minister that

this time frame be maintained.”

The new regulations apply timelines to both

the developer and reviewing department. To

achieve a more streamlined process, many

of the administrative steps have also been

removed. For large infrastructure projects that

have been identified as Strategic Integrated

Projects (SIPs), review time frames have been

set in the Infrastructure Development Act.

These are slightly shorter than those set in

the EIA regulations, yet the department has

committed to processing SIPs within these

stricter time frames.

For mining applications, an agreement that

will see all environmental licences required

by a mining operation being processed in

parallel to allow for improved coordination

between government departments has

been reached.

The 30-day defaultWell-organised developers and EAPs are

likely to benefit from the new regulations.

The private sector is particularly pleased

that prolonged decision-making processes

arising from administration challenges can

now be eschewed in favour of a more

streamlined system.

“State departments must comment within

30 days – 10 days less than before,”

explains Fischer. “If there is no response

within 30 days, it is assumed these depart-

ments have no queries or comments. This

means that applications will not be delayed

and will proceed to the next stage.”

FROM TOP DIAGRAM 2 Basic assessment timeline

DIAGRAM 3 Project phases timeline

DIAGRAM 4 Scoping & EIA timeline


active or not. These extended periods also

mean stakeholders must be re-engaged. As

a result, they tend to get fatigued by continu-

ously working through long reports on multi-

ple projects,” explains Liber.

the project’s schedule, meaning that some

permit applications end up sitting on authori-

ties’ desks for months or even years. In these

instances, authorities may lose awareness

as to whether a particular project is even All

imag

es c

ourte

sty

of S

RK

Con

sulti

ng

NATIONAL WATER WEEK

Sustaining a precious resource p32

PANEL DISCUSSIONS

Managing water resources p39

WATER INFRASTRUCTURE Africa Utility Week

p62

WATER INFRASTRUCTURE

Demand management p63

Water Solutions South Africa

Reaching MDG goals P30


WATER INFRASTRUCTURE 2015

ACCORDING TO Sylvia Tshivhunge,

business development director of

Water Solutions Southern Africa

(WSSA), South Africa has reached

this goal.

“By 2011, 90.8% of the population had

access to safe drinking water, while 66.5%

had access to sanitation. We are confident

that by the end of 2015 almost every person

in South Africa will have access to clean

water and basic sanitation,” she says.

Apart from the progress regarding safe

water and basic sanitation, two programmes

have also been developed to ensure that

water services authorities (WSAs) are run-

ning water services efficiently and effectively.

The Blue Drop System (BDS) focuses on

the management of safe water, while the

Green Drop System (GDS) focuses on waste-

water. These programmes have been running

for the past six years with a large number of

WSAs actively participating in them.

“South Africa is rated as one of the top

countries when it comes to the efficient

management of these two programmes,”

Tshivhunge says.

The theme of this year’s Water Week is

sustainable development. Tshivhunge says

sustainable development is at the heart of

what WSSA, as a business, believes in.

“Water service providers face many chal-

lenges, some of which require our urgent

and immediate attention. These challenges

include the depletion of water sources, age-

ing infrastructure, a scarcity of technical

skills, and a lack of funds allocated to opera-

tions and maintenance.

“We all know that South Africa is a water-

scarce country, so water security must be a

priority for all our stakeholders. WSSA has

developed products and services that can

help clients protect water resources.

“We help our clients to make sure the

resources are conserved for future genera-

tions. This is achieved by making sure that

the effluent discharged into water resources

meets the set standards. Furthermore, we

assist our clients to manage water demand

and minimise water losses.”

To achieve this, WSSA believes in empow-

ering and employing local resources, be it

labour or material and equipment supply.

“The benefits of using local resources

include the stimulation of job creation and

the transfer of skills, thus giving back to the

communities we operate in,” she says.

Tshivhunge says that WSAs have great

difficulty in attracting and retaining skilled

employees. This is an even greater problem

for the smaller rural and geographically

remote municipalities.

“As WSSA, we assist struggling WSAs

in two ways, depending on the needs of

each particular client. One way is to second

skilled and experienced technical people

to the client for a period of time. While

seconded, they train, coach and mentor the

client’s employees, thereby transferring their

scarce skills. The other way is to train the

client’s employees on required skills, either

through learnerships or formal education. In

the case of learnership training, community

members are also involved in the training

programmes,” she says.

Rural communities have little or no water-

services infrastructure. In areas where there

is no infrastructure, the WSAs use water

tankers to supply communities with potable

water. However, this kind of supply is prob-

lematic. Sometimes water is not delivered to

the communities or the tankers are diverted

to other areas. Unscrupulous operators even

illegally sell the water to the communities.

“To assist our clients, WSSA has developed

World Water Week turns25A lot has happened in the water and sanitation sector over the past 20 years. The supply thereof is an integral part of the Millennium Development Goals, and Target 7C of the these states that “by 2015, half of the population must have access to water and sanitation”.



a simple and cost-effective

water-tanker management

system. The system tracks

all the trucks delivering

water to communities in

real time and generates a

monthly report that is used

by the WSA to pay the ser-

vice provider. The authority

thus only pays for water actually delivered

on time and to the correct beneficiaries. The

system also sends progress emails and text

messages to different stakeholders.

“In areas where there is infrastructure,

WSSA employs community members for dif-

ferent activities, such as switching borehole

pumps on and off. The local communities

are supported by a central team to perform

more complex tasks,” she says.

The products and services offered by

WSSA include the upgrade and refurbish-

ment of water and wastewater infrastructure,

maintenance of water-services infrastruc-

ture, operations of water and wastewater

treatment works, quality monitoring, water

conservation and demand management, and

BDS and GDS support.

WSSA does not focus on technology devel-

opment as such, but rather on optimising

the operation and maintenance of existing

conventional technologies. However, through

its subsidiary, Proxa, it is able to offer cli-

ents the latest technology.

Some of the technologies on offer are:

• Emergency mobile treatment work: The

mobile unit can treat about 2.5 megali-

tres/day and it is used when the normal

water supply has been contaminated. The

plant can be delivered to a site within

24 hours.

• Modular mine-water treatment plant: The

plant is used to treat acid mine water –

a serious challenge South Africa faces

– especially in the Gauteng region. The

plant has a total capacity of 7.5 meg-

alitres/day and a newly commissioned

plant is operational at Anglo American’s

Greenside Colliery.

Tshivhunge says that, as a company that

provides services rather than products,

WSSA has managed a large number of pro-

jects that improved the quality and safety

of drinking water, as well as wastewater

discharged into the environment.

“One such project was the intervention in

Zeerust, where the wastewater treatment

works was discharging virtually untreated

sewage into the environment, and severely

polluting downstream water resources.

“The situation was bad enough to war-

rant the attention of the then Department

of Water Affairs (now the Department

of Water and Sanitation), as well as the

Public Protector. In a short time, our pro-

cess controllers – working with Aurecon,

who upgraded cer tain infrastructure –

were able to achieve fully compliant final

effluent standards.

“Other examples of our positive influ-

ence are the BDS and GDS awards that

we have achieved on behalf of our clients,”

she says.

WSSA delivers unique and tailor-made

products and services to its clients. “Our

contracts are developed in such a way that

the offering can be tailor-made for a particu-

lar need. In our business, one size does not

fit all. WSSA has operations in most regions,

making it easy to interact with clients, and

we can offer quick turnaround times when

urgent issues need to be resolved. With

the track record that WSSA has, quality and

value for money are guaranteed.”

She says WSSA is also sensitive

to cost and always aims for the most

cost-effective solutions.

“We have been in the industry for three

decades and our well-established methods

and certified ISO management systems give

us an advantage when it comes to cost-

effectiveness. We have also developed rela-

tionships with suppliers and this, together

with our buying power, achieves benefits that

we can pass on to our clients.

“Because we work throughout Southern

Africa, we are also able to achieve econo-

mies of scale in the allocation of resources

that are not available to municipalities –

especially the smaller ones.

“As an example, we can deploy one pro-

cess specialist to a number of plants to

achieve more efficient operations, better

quality and cost savings. A small municipal-

ity would not have such a resource avail-

able,” she says.

+27 (0)11 209 9206

www.wssa.co.za

“We all know that South Africa is a water-scarce country, so water security must be a priority for all our stakeholders.” Sylvia Tshivhunge, business development director, WSSA



SOUTH AFRICA’S water reserves

are reaching what some have

characterised as a ‘crisis’ in

terms of both supply sustainability

and quality. Some popular statistics used to

back this claim come from the Department

of Water and Sanitation (DWS), which has

said that 98% of South Africa’s total water

supply is already allocated. The DWS esti-

mates that there will be a 1.7% shortfall in

the country’s supply as early as 2025.

South Africa’s water quality has also

been heading towards danger, with reports

finding that 40% of freshwater systems

are now critically polluted, while 80% are

threatened. This overview avoids the term

‘crisis’ as it is overly alarmist, given the

number of bulk water projects currently

on track and the country’s existing engi-

neering capacity, which continues to

boast world-leading knowledge

capital. Instead, the term

‘tipping point’ is used to

describe situations that are inevitable

unless timeous funding and engineered

solutions are procured.

There is however a massive potential

problem in overcoming these difficulties

in that, while they are talented, there are

simply too few South African engineers.

According to the South African Institution

of Civil Engineering (SAICE), “The accepted

international municipal and utility ratio is

six engineering professionals per 100 000

inhabitants. However, in South Africa’s best

case scenario – larger cities and towns

– municipalities had access to three engi-

neering professionals for each 100 000

inhabitants.” In response to the dearth,

a number of programmes to promote the

development and education of young engi-

neers are in place. As just one example, the

DWS Learning Academy has funded 536 bur-

sars of which 418 have been absorbed into

the department’s training programme, and

118 candidates are enrolled at various uni-

versities – 270 of them are in engineering,

241 in the sciences and 25 in surveying.

By May last year, 166 graduates had been

appointed in permanent and/or had been

receiving occupation-specific dispensation.

However, there remains a persistent gap

between the hands-on project knowledge

of the older generation and the enthusiasm

and book learning of the newcomers, which

needs to be addressed.

Another challenge in the water engineer-

ing sector is that of good municipal record

keeping and asset management. Incorrect

information in municipalities’ as-built draw-

ings is frequently cited as a reason for

project delays and disruption of services by

the relevant authorities. By contrast, broad-

scale planning has been more successful.

The country’s future plans for water sector

development are outlined in the National

Development Plan: Vision 2030 (NDP), the

fruits of which will be concretised in a docu-

ment the DWS is planning to release later

this year: ‘The National Water Resource

Management Plan 3’.

State of the pipelineLast year, the new Minister of Water and

Sanitation, Nomvula Mokonyane, took over

the portfolio from the previous minister,

Edna Molewa. The new appointment saw

sanitation being added to the department’s

service mandate in a move that was well

received by the sector. Nevertheless, old

budget constraints resulting from poor plan-

ning in the deep past continue to dog the

new administration. In Mokonyane’s most

recent budget speech, she announced a

long-term deficit of more than half.

Will SA dodge the precipitous drop?

NATIONAL WATER WEEK

According to the UN, this year’s theme for International Water Week is sustainable development. Frances Ringwood takes a look at the heights and depths of South Africa’s water sustainability, discovering a number of tipping points that threaten long-term quality and water security.




“Capital investment in new and the refur-

bishment of water and sanitation infrastruc-

ture for the entire value chain, over the next

10 years, is projected to require an esti-

mated R670 billion. On the basis of current

projected budget allocations, about 45%

of this is currently funded. These invest-

ments will have to be funded from on- and

off-budget sources through partnership with

the private sector,” said the minister in her

budget speech.

The funding gap, while critical, has not

prevented a number of successful projects

from being implemented in the last couple

of years, many of which won local and

international awards. Some of the highlights

are listed below by province.

KwaZulu-Natal Construction of the the Pongolapoort Dam

has created about 470 jobs at the end of

FY 2013/14. On completion, the project

will provide potable water to 134 864 peo-

ple in about 16 200 households of rural

Jozini. Another important national project

progressing steadily in the province is the

Durban Western and Northern aqueducts.

The Western Aqueduct alone will inject

400 Ml per day to western Durban’s daily

supply and is tabled for completion in 2017.

North West provinceMagalies Water, DWS’s Regional Bulk

Infrastructure Grant and National Treasury

are funding a bulk Pilanesberg delivery

scheme with the first phase scheduled for

completion by the end of this year. The

packet of works will increase supply from

the Vaalkop WTW to local municipalities in

the areas of Rustenburg, Moses Kotane and

Thabazimbi, as well as a number of other

large mines in the Boshoek, Thabazimbi and

Northam areas.

Map detailing the location of South Africa’s major rivers


Eastern CapeA province known for experiencing water sup-

ply challenges is the Eastern Cape. But things

are looking up with the implementation of the

IMESA-CESA award-winning James Kleynhans

bulk water supply scheme. The project will

benefit about 90 100 people, ensuring sus-

tained water supply the in cultural, education

and tourism hub of Grahamstown. Phase 1

was certified successfully complete in May

last year and Phase 2 is in the works.

Free StateFree State’s Tokologo Local Municipality

recently completed the first phase of its

Hertzogville bulk water project, which will

assist communities to move away from the

borehole system dependent on intermittently

saturated underground aquifers to a reliable

reticulated system. This first phase, which

took six years from concept to commission-

ing, will supply 20 Ml per day of potable

water to the inhabitants of Hertzogville. The

next phase will increase supply to the towns

of Boshoff and Dealesville.

Northern CapeProvincial capital Kimberley was forced

to overhaul its pipes towards the end of

last year as a result of frequent service

disruptions. Sol Plaatje Local Municipality

is overhauling ageing water infrastructure

in a multimillion-rand effor t to secure

regular supply.

MpumalangaAs of 2012, only 40% of the Bushbuck

Ridge community was receiving bulk water

supplies, leading to numerous service-deliv-

ery strikes and widespread dissatisfaction.

Even before matters came to a head, gov-

ernment was already implementing a plan

to improve the situation. The R121 million

Acornhoek bulk pipeline, aimed at sup-

plying water to 95 towns in the area, was

announced in 2011. The pipeline project

was launched last March as part of the

Integrated Inyaka Water Supply Project,

which includes the Inyaka WTW project’s

third and fourth phases, as well as water

reticulation projects to 15 villages.

As of the middle of last year, the Inyaka

WTW was upgraded and now supplies an

extra 75 Ml/d), increasing the area’s total

supply to 118.9 Ml/d. The plant supplies

the Thulamahashe bulk pipeline, which was

scheduled for completion in May last year. A

total of 423 jobs were created as a result of

the project, with hundreds of people receiv-

ing further training.

LimpopoThe R3 billion De Hoop Dam project was offi-

cially opened in Sekhukhune in March last

year. The 13th largest dam in the country,

the project now supplies water to the previ-

ously underserved districts of Sekhkhune,

Capricorn and Waterberg. In addition to the

dam, two pipelines were laid to provide water

to more remote villages in the province.

GautengMajor focuses in Gauteng are the Mamello

project near the Vaal marina and the

Midvaal/Sicello regional bulk scheme, where

good progress is being made. The Mamello


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project was completed last year and the

Midvaal bulk scheme is ongoing. This is

intended to deliver an effective solution that

will eradicate pollution into the Vaal River

and create a regional bulk sanitation infra-

structure solution for the southern Gauteng

region. The first phase of the Midvaal project

(outfall sewer with a 700 mm diameter) has

been completed and the total estimated

project value is R78 million.

Western CapeThe Berg River Improvement Plan was initi-

ated by the Western Cape government in

2012. The Berg River, 285 km in length,

plays a vital role in supporting the economy

of the province and the country. Projects

to improve agricultural, potable and reuse

potential of the river include water qual-

ity monitoring, upgrading the Franschhoek

WWTW with world-leading technologies,

human settlements development along the

watercourse banks, better agriculture man-

agement, riparian zone management and

rehabilitation, and assessing the rand value

of the river’s waters. Construction of the

Franschhoek WWTW has been reported as

running on schedule.

Development hubsThere are also a number of cross-border sup-

ply projects and industrial development zone

(IDZ) supply plants that deserve mention for

the massive contribution they make to South

Africa’s economic growth.

The Lesotho Highlands Water Project is

a cross-border initiative between Lesotho

and South Africa to secure supply for South

Africa’s economic hub, Gauteng. It entered

into its second phase last year, with con-

struction of the new Polihali Dam and tun-

nel to start this year, due for completion

in 2017. The scheme is due to deliver first

water by 2022.

Water supply for coal-based power is also

essential for fulfilling South Africa’s water

needs. To this end, the Mokolo/Crocodile

River pipeline project has been underway.

However, the R1.5 billion first phase has

been subject to the same types of labour

unrest and funding delays that have been

dogging South Africa’s power production

generally. The 46 km pipeline and pump

station from the Mokolo Dam to Lephalale

will be mainly used by Eskom for the new

Medupi power station, which is running

behind schedule. The second phase will

entail building a new 128 km pipeline from

Thabazimbi to the Mokolo catchment area

to transfer water from the Crocodile River

catchment area.

The Hazelmere Dam wall is being raised to

ensure adequate supply of water as well as

supporting the development of human settle-

ments, the King Shaka International Airport

and the Dube TradePort. The dam is due for

impoundment in September this year. It will

cost R400 million.

In addition, water supply is being pri-

oritised at the Coega IDZ, with the Nelson

Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality cur-

rently implementing R1 billion worth of

refurbishments and upgrades at five WTWs,

and aims to ultimately upgrade eight facili-

ties, not only for industrial purposes but also

for about 1.1 million residents. The water

treatment works are the Loerie, Churchill,

Elandsjagt, Nooitgedagt, Linton, Groendal,

Springs and Rocklands WTWs.

Another industrial hub in need of water

is the Saldhana Bay IDZ. While it cur-

rently uses Berg River water, the latest

feasibility study anticipates the need to

build a desalination plant in the area in

2017. Wastewater treatment capacity will

also need to be extended. Likewise, the

Richards Bay IDZ will call for new ways to

draw and reuse water, owing to the area’s

conservation significance, the local veg-

etation’s reliance on groundwater, and local

dredge mining and paper production indus-

tries requiring industrial effluent treatment.

Water qualitySouth Africa’s water quality is declining,

marking an uptick in wastewater, industrial

effluent, fossil-fuel power effluent, agricultur-

al run-off and mine water treatment neces-

sary to prevent quality decline affecting over-

all availability. According to a World Wildlife

Fund report, a coordinated response from

across all spheres of the sector is what’s

needed to avoid the tipping point. The report

further states, “Recycling wastewater, desal-

ination, inter-basin water transfers, treat-

ment of brackish water and decentralised

water supply solutions, such as rainwater

tanks, may become the norm to contribute

to the available water supply.” Another way

to improve water quality is for industries to

combine their streams with those treated by

municipal wastewater plants.

Maintaining river health is another crucial

component to better understanding and

managing national water quality. To this end,

the South African government has set up the

River Health Programme. Implemented in

110 rivers in 2012/13, plans are underway

to implement it at more sites. According to

DWS Deputy Minister Pamela Tshwete, in

her budget speech response, “By 2016/17,

we will have implemented the programme in

125 different rivers.”

A further important intervention secur-

ing water quality is the National Chemical

Monitoring Programme, which assesses and

reports on the chemical status of water

resources across South Africa. The pro-

gramme has been instituted in response

to the fact that the main water quality

issues facing municipalities are high levels

of dissolved salts and, in certain areas,

high fluoride concentration. Other challeng-

es facing water for irrigation are the high

FIGURE 1 Saice’s 2011 water and sanitation scorecard

WATER

D+for DWAF

infrastructure

Well maintained but ageing bulk infrastructure reaching end of useful life, and requires refurishment or replacement. 43% of dams have safety problems and require urgent refurbishing. Serious concerns about funding.

C+for major

urban areas

South Africa is one of the few nations where in most urban areas water can be drunk directly from the tap. Major, and ongoing strides in provision of water and sanitation since 1994. However, erratic compliance with water quality requirements in most municipalities. Water wastage (leakage) is much too high. Shortage of skilled personnel.

D-for all other

areas

SANITATION(INCLUDING

WASTEWATER)

C-for major

urban areas

Serious problems with management of many wastewater (sewage) treatment works. Wastewater leakage and spillage much too high, and frequent problems with on-site sanitation. Inadequate operation and maintenance capacity, and shortage of skilled personnel. Major urban areas grade is pulled down by Cape own and Sebokeng.

Efor all other

areas


72581_Veolia_ New Brand Advert_DWR_IMIESA.indd 1 2015/02/16 4:51 PM


72581_Veolia_ New Brand Advert_DWR_IMIESA.indd 1 2015/02/16 4:51 PM

FIGURE 2 Table showing major South African utilities and what they do

WATER BOARDS

The primary activity of water boards is to provide water services (bulk potable and bulk wastewater) to other water services institutions within their respective service areas. They may perform other activities under conditions set out in the Water Services Act, 1997. There are nine water boards in South Africa: Amatola Water, Bloem Water, Lepelle Northern Water, Magalies Water, Mhlathuze Water, Overberg Water, Rand Water, Sedibeng Water and Umgeni Water.

CATCHMENT MANAGEMENT

AGENCIES

The main responsibilities of CMAs are to manage water resources at catchment level in collaboration with local stakeholders, with specific focus on involving local communities in the decision-making processes.

WATER-USER ASSOCIATIONS

WUAs are cooperative associations of individual water users who wish to undertake water-related activities at local level for their mutual benefit.

WATER RESEARCH

COMMISSION

The WRC plays a vital role in water research by establishing needs and priorities, stimulating and funding research, promoting the transfer of information and technology, and enhancing knowledge and capacity building in the water sector.

WATER TRADING

ENTITY

The main function of the WTE is development, operation and maintenance of specific water resources infrastructure and managing water resources in specific water management areas.

TRANS-CALEDON TUNNEL

AUTHORITY

The Trans-Caledon Tunnel Authority is a state-owned entity specialising in project financing, implementation and liability management. It is responsible for the development of bulk raw water infrastructure. It also provides an integrated treasury management and financial advisory service to the DWS, water boards, municipalities and other entities linked to bulk raw water infrastructure. The Trans-Caledon Tunnel Authority is primarily responsible for off-budget projects.

KOMATI BASIN WATER AUTHORITY

The Komati Basin Water Authority was established in terms of a treaty between South Africa and Swaziland. The aim of the authority is to manage the water resources of the Komati River basin sustainably.

WATER TRIBUNAL

The Water Tribunal was established in 1998 to hear appeals against directives and decisions made by responsible authorities, CMAs or water management agencies about matters covered by the National Water Act of 1998, such as the issuing of licences to use water.

STRATEGIC WATER

PARTNERS NETWORK –

SOUTH AFRICA (SWPN-SA)

The efforts of the SWPN-SA are integral to the second draft National Water Resources Strategy, which the DWA released in 2012. A cornerstone of the SWPN-SA is developing innovation that leverages the strength and expertise of the DWA, the South African private sector, civil society, and expert organisations. In 2013, additional investors contributed to the SWPN-SA, including Anglo American, BHP Billiton, Eskom, Nestlé, Sasol, South African Breweries and the 2030 Water Resources Group. The New Partnership for Africa’s Development Business Foundation’s role as secretariat has proved important and has facilitated continued dialogue among members.

*Source: South African Yearbook 2013/14

sodium-absorption ratio, high electrical con-

ductivity, high pH and high levels of chloride.

In addition, a global challenge affecting

South Africa is caused largely by agricultural

run-off, which in turn sets off the eutrifica-

tion of dams. According to the South African

Yearbook 2013/14, annual reports reveal

50% of dams in South Africa are seriously

affected. It also states: “Another problem is

the sporadic outbreak of cholera and other

waterborne diseases, mainly because of poor

sanitation and hygiene at household level.”

Also important for water quality monitoring

is the National Toxicity Monitoring Programme,

which reports on the status of persistent

organic pollutants internationally through the

Department of Environmental Affairs.

Asset managementA Human Rights Commission report has

found systemic failures in governance and

budgeting, particularly in the implementation

of, and spending on, projects. At the 2008

Municipal Indaba, it was found: “In total,

the water services sector in South Africa is

responsible for infrastructure assets with a

replacement value of more than R250 bil-

lion. Over the next decade, a lot more infra-

structure will be provided, yet many water

services authorities do very little infrastruc-

ture asset management and do not budget

sufficiently for it.” Municipalities’ approach

to the management of water infrastructure

has often been found lacking.

SAICE ‘s most recent scorecard (2011)

assessing the state of South Africa’s water

and sanitation infrastructure bears this out,

awarding what was then the Department

of Water and Forestry a D+ for its water

infrastructure. Sanitation also scored low,

achieving a C- for urban areas, but an E for

all other parts of the country.

National strategyThe NDP has frequently been pointed out as

a very useful document, setting forth South

Africa’s future service aspirations. It makes

provision for “Developing, in a timely man-

ner, several new water schemes to supply

urban and industrial centres, new irrigation

systems in the Umzimvubu river basin and

Makatini Flats, and a national water con-

servation programme to improve water use

and efficiency.”

A recurring theme in the plan is that there

needs to be better checks and balances in

place regarding accountability. Clear respon-

sibilities and accountability chains are

essential for promoting greater confidence

and stakeholder buy-in from business, labour

and civil society.

Another aspect of the plan already gaining

traction is the creation of regional water

and wastewater utilities, a task that often

means expanding the mandates of existing

water boards. For more details on these and

other major utilities and service providers,

see Figure 2.

In conclusion, South Africa has the right

state organs and plans in place but there

are two major interventions that look set

to make the difference. First, the more

South Africa’s future water and sanitation

engineers are capacitated with the correct

skills and job experience, the more secure

the country’s water future will be. Second,

municipalities will need a better handle on

their assets in order to make good planning

decisions as the NDP is rolled out. This

step is also essential to foster the sector

cooperation needed to manage water quality

issues efficiently.


CALL FOR PAPERS

IMESA

t +27 (031) 266 3263 email [email protected]

S YN O P S I S S U B M I T T E D BY Wednesday 15th April 2015 Debbie Anderson | [email protected] | tel 031 266 3263

THEME: Changing the face of the Municipal Engineer

• Political and Legislative Perspectives

• Social and Environmental Impacts

• Financial Considerations

• Transport and Traffic

• Water and Sanitation

• Roads and Stormwater


Water and wastewater services and equipment

PANEL DISCUSSION | WATER WEEK 2015

INTRODUCTION

SOUTH AFRICA cannot af ford

another crisis. São Paulo, Brazil,

actually faces such a severe

water shortage that it is esti-

mated that water will stop flowing from

the taps for up to five days a week. South

Africa’s urban water resources are under

threat, and our delivery to the forgotten

provinces has to be prioritised if we want

to avoid major civil unrest.

Much work is being undertaken by water

utilities to shore up their assets and

strengthen their capacity to deliver ser-

vices to struggling municipalities.

The DBSA has a power ful strategy that

it is rolling out to the entire North West

province, which will see engineering skills

being funded directly at the four district

municipalities, from where a shared ser-

vices approach will disseminate planning

and implementation to the municipalities

within them. This will see a highly coor-

dinated approach to planning, improved

economies of scale, and better logisti-

cal management. The private sector has

an incredibly important role to play and

– from engineering services to suppli-

ers of equipment, services, infrastructure,

materials and maintenance – the oppor-

tunities abound. National government is

under pressure, and it is looking for

innovative solutions.

How we manage our water resources

is the most critical issue we face this

National Water Week. South Africa is a

country that still uses potable water to

wash its cars and water its gardens. This

truly indicates an under-appreciation for

not only the national limit on this resource,

but the rather frightening global limit as

well. It is time grey water takes centre

stage and becomes a par t of our everyday

lives; it is time we change out our old

infrastructure and minimise our technical

losses; and it is most cer tainly time that

our municipalities are held accountable for

the chronically poor track record regarding

revenue collection. The technologies are

there, the skills are there, the funding is

there, and the public desire is there. It is

time to see results from the interventions

of CoGTA, Salga and the DWS.

This edition’s Panel Discussion par-

ticipants are true heroes of South Africa’s

water sector, and collectively speak to the

institutional, technical, infrastructure and

metering solutions that represent the best

of the best for South Africa’s water future.

IMIESA is proud to host them all.

Since the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) restructured to incorporate sanitation, under the watch of Minister Nomvula Mokonyane, a significant increase in the pace of delivery and planning capacity has been apparent, with some serious short-term interventions and some structural changes that should be bear fruit in the medium term.

How we manage our water resources is the most critical issue we face this National Water Week


World-class water managementproducts made in South africa

+27 32 944 6034 | [email protected] | www.amanzimeters.co.za9 Walter Reid Road, Tongaat, Kwa Zulu Natal


What products and ser-vices do you offer? JvdM

& JvS We are mostly focused on

providing solutions for domestic

water metering. Our product

range, which is all designed and

manufactured in-house, includes:

• plastic, volumetric class C

water meters – 15 mm x

114 mm, 15 mm x 165 mm

and 20 mm x 165 mm

• water meter boxes – surface

boxes and above-ground boxes

• ball valves – consumer and

municipal ball valves, including

a three-way, trickle-flow valve

and an anti-tamper solution

• restrictor valves – the iMvubu

valve has been approved for

the dispensing and control

of free water, which can be

equipped with automated

meter reading (AMR) so that it

can be remotely operated for

opening and closing

• AMR also enables remote

data collection.

How does your engage-ment with the South African market offer a unique advantage? Amanzi

Meters is a solution-driven com-

pany where we tailor our prod-

ucts to our customers’ needs.

Constant development accom-

modates customer requirements

and ensures robustness for field

applications. As a manufacturer

of plastic water meters and

accessories, we can offer better

prices as there are no additional

costs for outsourced work. Our

locally manufactured products

are in support of government’s

drive for local procurement and

import substitution.

What technology chal-lenges exist locally? Very

high development costs and a

stringent regulatory environment

create high barriers to entry. We

WATER, WATER MANAGEMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE

Johan van der Merwe | Managing Director | Amanzi MetersJuan van Schalkwyk | Sales Director | Amanzi Meters


compete with large, established

international organisations that

have become well-known brands.

We therefore have to maxim-

ise the use of technology by

integrating technology platforms

and interfaces into our products

and processes.

How do your solutions respond to these chal-lenges? Our manufacturing

competitiveness is driven by

an empowered talent base

and advanced manufacturing

techniques, as well as product

innovation. Our

experienced,

small team of

engineers is

well versed in

the field. We

are committed

to ongoing de-

velopment and in-

novation, allowing

us to compete

on price and

quality. Being

small and agile

gives us an

advantage in

product design

and develop-

ment that is

responsive to the needs of our

customers. This is how we devel-

oped our anti-tamper ball valve

and various other enhancements

to our products.

Do these innovations inform global develop-ments? Amanzi Meters

manufactures innovative

products of exceptional quality.

As a member of the MICROmega

Group, the synergies within

the group allow for a complete

end-to-end water management

solution, including meter read-

ing, data management, billing

and pre-paid metering.

How do your services engage with local condi-tions? Our metering solutions

assist utilities in meeting the

increasing demand to bring

water losses under control.

We support government’s

initiatives to stimulate industrial

development and thereby job

creation and upgrading of skills.

The manufacturing sector is a

strong stimulant

for job creation, as

well as the growth

of support

services such as

machine suppliers

and technicians,

transport, ac-

counting, legal

and other

services.

A strong

manufactur-

ing sector is

crucial for the

preservation and

stimulation of a country’s intel-

lectual capital, innovation capac-

ity and economic prosperity.

What standards and accreditations do your products comply with?Our products are moulded under

ISO 9001:2008 quality manage-

ment systems ensuring mainte-

nance of high-quality standards.

Our SANAS-accredited verification

laboratory conforms to SANS

10378:2012 and complies in

all respects with the require-

ments of the Trade Metrology

Act, 1973 (Act No 77 of 1973).

Our products are also Joint

Acceptance Scheme for Water

Services (JASWIC) accepted. All

assemblies in boxes are tested

to 2 400 kPa as part of our qual-

ity checks before dispatch.

What innovations give your company the edge?We have developed the iMvubu

restrictor valve, which is de-

signed to measure and dispense

an allocation of free water to

indigent families. By adding an

AMR function, the meter can now

be read and controlled remotely,

allowing municipalities to also

use this as a credit control tool.

The replaceable battery makes

the iMvubu valve more sustain-

able and ideal for use in rural

areas. The serviceability of the

unit can save municipalities mil-

lions in the long run.

Our new above-ground box is

not only aesthetically pleasing,

but also allows for in-line fitment

of a meter and restrictor valve.

This allows ease of access for

plumbers and allows the devices

to be replaced as a unit.

Our water meters can be

fitted with an inexpensive AMR

device that allows remote meter

reading. By reading all meters at

the same time, managers can

analyse the data statistically and

extrapolate exception reports.

Comparing equal periods is eas-

ier than current readings, which

are done over a period, and does

not give you an even cut-off time.

By monitoring water usage from

reservoir to consumer, regular

checks can facilitate early detec-

tion of leaks or tampering.

Above ground box & meter

Our manufacturing competitiveness is driven by an empowered talent base and advanced manufacturing techniques, as

well as product innovation

World-class water managementproducts made in South africa

+27 32 944 6034 | [email protected] | www.amanzimeters.co.za9 Walter Reid Road, Tongaat, Kwa Zulu Natal

DFC Water W -IMIESA p 10/29/12 1:29 PM Page 1

Composite

C M Y CM MY CY CMY K




Pat Stander | Executive Director | Aveng Manufacturing DFC

How do your company’s products and services of-fer a convenient, cost-ef-fective, sustainable solu-tion? PS Aveng Manufacturing

DFC is a specialist South African

valve manufacturing company.

With a 125 year heritage, and

as a 90% black owned company

we are uniquely positioned to

manufacture valves in South

Africa for the benefit of South

Africans, with the support of

3 300 employees. We provide

our clients with the full spectrum

of valve products and services,

from a normal isolating valve to

sophisticated control valves and

air valves for pipeline protection.

Probably the most renowned of

its indigenous designs is the

Vent-O-Mat air-release-valve

family. It is unique in its ability

to provide protection on three

different levels with one valve:

automatic surge protection,

effective air release, and protec-

tion against the vacuum formed

as a pipeline is emptied.

What specific products and components does your company manufac-ture/provide and what makes them unique? We

manufacture the Vent-O-Mat

combination anti-shock air-

release and vacuum valve for

use in sewage and water. It is

the first integral anti-shock air-

release valve for surge control.

Developed in

1982 to meet

the need for a single product to

provide three-way protection, the

Vent-O-Mat air-release valve is

today the market leader in many

countries around the globe.

Before its introduction,

most air valves were prone to

premature closure and poor

sealing. Vent-O-Mat was the first

valve to effectively assist with

the elimination of surge and

water hammer as a standard

automatic function.

This is the best technology in

the world for pipeline protection

and this locally manufactured

valve is now exported to 129

countries around the globe.

What standards do you subscribe to? Aveng

Manufacturing DFC is an ISO-

listed company and some of

our products have come with all

the necessary SABS certifica-

tion for the past 45 years. The

company is truly a global player

and has operations in the United

States of America, Finland and

Australia, and our products

are used all over the world. We

would like to grow this presence

and take things a step further by

bringing international standards

into our business.

What training and skills support does your com-pany provide? We offer on-

site training and installations to

our partners and end users. We

also have a training programme

for tertiary students, where

many universities have sent

their students to our fac-

tory for a presentation

and better understanding

of the industry, products

and services. At the moment the

training is not accredited; how-

ever, in this industry, the number

of accredited courses is low to

non-existent, and we would like to

change this in the near future.

Which applications and markets does your company cater to? Aveng

Manufacturing DFC specialises

in the water, wastewater and

mineral processing industries and

is the largest valve manufac-

turing facility in the Southern

Hemisphere. DFC is also the

appointed agent for Tsurumi

submersible pumps. Designed pri-

marily for use in wastewater treat-

ment plants, Tsurumi pumps are

a high-quality, submersible pump

of Japanese manufacture and

is being distributed throughout

Africa by Tsurumi Africa, a subsidi-

ary of Aveng Manufacturing DFC.

Do you specialise in any specific applications? South Africa is a country poor

in water. Ambitious engineer-

ing projects have equipped the

country with adequate water sup-

ply networks in many areas over

many years. However, they are

subject to inevitable water losses

at each stage in the supply

chain, resulting in accumulative

loss that represents a burden to

water authorities. The company is

also the agent for Cla-Val control

valves, which also manufactures

some of the best electronic PRV

control systems in the world.

What regulations and issues influence the products and services you manufacture/provide? Water loss and water-loss

management is a major problem

in South Africa. Government con-

tinues to spend large amounts

of money to try to address this

problem. However, many of the

strategies implemented fail to

address the core issue, which is

the fact that a lot of the educa-

tion and expertise is lacking.

Another issue that informs

what we do is the regulation

around the stipulated minimum

threshold for local production

and content for valves products

and actuators. The stipulated

minimum threshold percentage

is set at 70% by the Department

of Trade and Industry.

What sets you apart from others in the industry? The combination of products we

use to achieve a goal in pipeline

protection is what sets Aveng

Manufacturing DFC apart. We ad-

dress a problem holistically; for

example, in South Africa we have

a problem with ageing pipes, but

what most people don’t consider

is that ageing pipes need to be

protected too. For this, we would

put different products together to

keep the pipe in use for longer.

What critical contribution is your company able to make to the water and sanitation sector? DFC

has transcended the line of just

being an air-valve manufacturer.

This is evident in the fact that

our research has been utilised to

establish third-party testing pro-

cedures for air valves. Our litera-

ture has been also incorporated

in the syllabuses of tertiary in-

stitutions and our practical case

studies have been modelled in a

major surge and water-hammer

software analysis programme

used by many pipeline designers

and consulting engineers around

the world.

New-generation Vent-O-Mat RGXII sewage and effluent air-release and vacuum-break valves

150NB Vent-O-Mat RBX series high-pressure valve in application

Delivering sustainable

infrastructure that

improves our world.

“DOING GOOD WHILE

DOING BUSINESS”

“Clean water?”

“Infrastructure!”

Contact www.bigenafrica.com, or the office most convenient to you: Pretoria (012) 842 8700; Johannesburg (011) 802 0560; Bloemfontein (051) 430 1423; Cape Town (021) 919 6976;

Durban (031) 717 2571; East London (043) 748 6230; Gabarone [email protected]; Kuruman (053) 712 2882; Mafikeng (018) 386 2111; Mthatha (047) 532 5234;

Nelspruit (013) 755 1421; Polokwane (015) 297 4055; Richards Bay (035) 753 1235; Rustenburg (014) 597 3655; Windhoek +26 461 237 346.




Dr Mias van der Walt | Divisional Managing Principal: Water & Sanitation | Bigen Africa

What are your company’s water divisions and how do they contribute towards sustainable supply and economic development? MvdW

Bigen Africa specialises in

doing good while doing busi-

ness. Our mission statement

is to become a thought-leading

multinational infrastructure

development consultancy with

core capabilities in engineering,

management consulting and

development finance.

To this end, we are structured

into two different legs. One leg

provides engineering services

in the water, wastewater, roads,

mining, land development,

human settlements and project

spheres, including ‘engineer,

procure, construct and manage’

(EPCM) contracts. The second

leg is concerned with after-sales

services, including operation

and maintenance, revenue gen-

eration for our municipal clients

for water and energy provision,

and asset management. One

of our biggest asset manage-

ment clients is Newcastle Local

Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal,

and we have many others.

What key services do these legs specialise in and how do they contrib-ute towards protecting water and the environ-ment? We provide engineer-

ing services including the

development of specifications,

systems design and manag-

ing procurement on behalf of

the client.

Within the wastewater treat-

ment sphere, an innovative

approach characteristic of Bigen

is to look at wastewater as an

asset generating profit, rather

than a liability. This shift in

focus has allowed us to offset

the total spend on a housing

development in Rustenburg,

by selling sewage water to

the local mine to be used in

platinum processing.

What are the key ele-ments of the process you follow when working with clients? When it comes

to treatment, we follow an

analytical approach. This means

having absolute clarity on what

water is moving in and out of a

system to determine the water

balance. Without this under-

standing, it would be impossible

to deliver holistic services, best

suited to clients’ needs.

Expensive technology is no

replacement for common sense.

Bigen has wide-ranging experi-

ence on a number of projects

and, as a result, is able to

pinpoint specific problems to

create cost-effective solutions.

Can you tell our read-ers a little more about any recently completed projects where your products were directly responsible for creating a better environment or securing human health? In the case of the Rustenburg

human settlement project I

mentioned earlier, we are cur-

rently entering into the second

phase of the process, where we

will be augmenting the existing

treatment capacity of the local

sewage works. This will create

greater development opportu-

nities in the area as well as

secure local river health. We’ve

applied a similar system in

Bloemfontein where the need to

treat excess bulk was reduced

by transferring surplus wet

waste for mining applications.

Within our mine water treat-

ment services, we strive to

minimise the amount of water

needed for a particular applica-

tion, as well as provide different

treatment processes for differ-

ent mining stages, all of which

are geared towards reducing

water and energy use.

How does the broad scope of your services secure better value for clients? Bigen provides an

integrated approach to servic-

ing the needs of the entire

infrastructure value chain. With

a staff compliment of more than

500 people, operating across

the African continent, we have a

considerable talent pool to draw

on. In addition, we have offices

in Europe and the Middle East

and continue to expand.

What does your company contribute towards skills to secure future industry sustainability? As a Level 3

BBBEE contributor, Bigen seeks

to uplift those who were previ-

ously disadvantaged as well as

promote indigenisation as an

integral part of the business.

Bigen provides an integrated approach to servicing the needs of the entire infrastructure value chain


Bosch Holdings

is a multidisciplinary

engineering group

comprising a number of smaller

companies – including Bosch

Stemele – specialising in all

aspects of water, wastewater

and reticulation delivery (among

other engineering capabilities)

and Bosch Munitech, which

provides municipal support ser-

vices as well as being active in

the operation and maintenance

(O&M) space.

Bosch Stemele’s director of

agriculture and water ser-

vices, Andy Knox, and Bosch

Munitech’s MD, Steve McCarthy,

give IMIESA the inside scoop

on how this unique partnership

is positioned to benefit South

African water management.

BOSCH MUNITECH

What key advantages does Bosch Munitech derive as a member of a group that represents a variety of different skills, services and technologies? SM Bosch

Munitech started out as far back

as 1987, growing organically

out of what was then Bosch &

Associates, specifically to meet

the need for O&M services

in South African wastewater

treatment (WWT). In those

days the company had already

realised that private sector

assistance was needed for

optimal WWT plant operation.

Today, the company also

specialises in other areas which

support local government’s infra-

structure management, including

spatial planning, non-revenue

water management, construction

of new infrastructure and geo-

graphical information systems.

How do you approach working in the munici-pal space specifically, and how does this work contribute towards envi-ronmental protection and human health? SM We see

ourselves as working in partner-

ship with our clients, looking

to find the best quality solution

within the cost parameters of a

given tender. Bosch Munitech is

conscious of the need to provide

long-term, sustainable solutions.

BOSCH STEMELE

Bosch Stemele is the civil design and project management company within the group, what are the advantages and unique capabilities Bosch Stemele bring to the water and wastewater sectors? AK One of the benefits of hav-

ing a wide range of engineering

disciplines within a company is

the cross pollination of ideas

and the ability to apply the most

appropriate approach to a prob-

lem. It also allows for the forma-

tion of closely knit project teams

in close proximity to each other.

In most cases the entire project

team of project managers, civil,

structural, process, mechani-

cal, electrical, instrumentation

and operational engineers all sit

under one roof, which provides

significant advantages in effec-

tive communication, understand-

ing, risk limitation, fast tracking

projects and ultimately financial

savings to our clients. Our clients

also find it much easier to deal

with one company, rather than

trying to manage a multitude of

different companies provid-

ing a service that needs to be

‘knitted' together.

We pride ourselves on our

‘one-stop-shop' offering.

TEAMWORK

How does the relation-ship between Bosch Stemele and Bosch Munitech provide mutu-ally supportive water,

wastewater and sanita-tion services? SM & AK

Bosch Stemele is able to provide

the full spectrum of techni-

cal services to a client, from

water resource analysis, water

resource development (dams),

abstraction facilities, water

treatment, pump stations, bulk

water pipelines, reservoirs,

distribution networks and then

right back down the chain with

sewer reticulation, trunk mains,

sewer pump stations and waste

water treatment works. We also

have a roads and township

developments division, which

allows us to integrate town-

ship establishment and urban

and rural engineering into the

needs of water and sanitation

projects, particularly in master

planning exercises.

Bosch Munitech is able to

provide significant O&M input

during the design stage of

projects and also allows the

group to offer clients operational

assistance during commission-

ing and/or ongoing operations of

plants or services. This extends

to technical-skills training and

transfer to municipal staff.

How would you describe the ‘Bosch Way? SM & AK

We are a proudly wholly owned

South African company, which

sees our core strength built on

the people of the company. The

company has a ‘family' feel to

it where staff are encouraged

and supported to grow to their

full potential and leave a lasting

legacy. We do everything with

integrity and on the basis of

mutual trust and respect.


Steve McCarley | Managing Director | Bosch MunitechAndy Knox | Sector Head: Water | Bosch Stemele

Our clients find it much easier to deal with one company... We pride ourselves on our ’one-stop-shop' offering


ABOVE Walkway to Primary Digester 1’s inspection platform

LEFT Mhlabatshane Dam: a 25 m high central concrete spillway and earth embank-ment dam providing bulk water storage for approxi-mately 100 000 rural people in southern KwaZulu-Natal

Extra-widemeasuringrange putsthe Elster KentH5000 Hybridmeter on top

Elster Kent Metering (Pty) LtdPO Box 201, Auckland Park 2006

JOHANNESBURG Tel: (011) 470-4900 Fax: (011) 474-0175DURBAN Tel: (031) 266-4915 Fax: (031) 266-9521CAPE TOWN Tel: (021) 511-8465/6 Fax: (021) 511-8446BLOEMFONTEIN Tel: (051) 430-2603 Fax: (051) 430-6165PORT ELIZABETH Cell: 082 458-3439

Copyright © Elster Group. All RightsReserved. Elster and its logo, aretrademarks of Elster Group. Thecompany's policy is one of continuousimprovement and the right is reserved tomodify the specifications without notice

www.elstermetering.co.za

8002/3/2012 Vital Connections

The new rotor design of theElster Kent H5000 Woltmann Hybridmeter provides accurate low-flowmeasurements range down to0.04m3/h and up to 200m3/h.

This wide measuring range is betterthan most combination meters.

Other top features:• AMR/AMI and data-logging

compatible• Large digits for easier reading• New mechanism can be

retrofitted into H4000 body• 5 sizes available from DN40

to DN150.• Only one moving part

H5000 Woltmann hybrid - top of the bulk metering pile.




Leonardus Basson | Sales & Marketing Director | Elster Kent Metering

Elster Kent Metering in South Africa, part of

the global Elster Water

Metering group, is a leader in

the development and implemen-

tation of innovative metering

solutions to the water industry

and is committed to addressing

the unique challenges faced

by South Africa’s water sector.

Leonardus Basson, sales and

marketing director for Elster Kent

Metering, joins this edition’s

Panel Discussion and illustrates

the empowering impact of

metering for our municipalities

and utilities.

What would you say are the most important impacts of metering in South Africa’s water sector? LB Water meters are

central to generating revenue for

domestic and industrial water

suppliers; in most cases, the

municipalities and utilities. Water

meters are the metaphorical

‘cash registers’ of the sector,

and if a bulk meter, for example,

provides inaccurate data, the

losses amount to millions of

rands in revenue. South Africa

already has a very high level of

revenue loss, largely because

of a lack of maintenance of

older, mechanical meters. As a

country, we are not yet generally

equipped to reap the full advan-

tages of smart metering and

AMI, and the main focus right

now really has to be on ensuring

that water meters are reliable,

robust, accurate, good revenue

meters and preferably capable of

being easily upgraded or retrofit-

ted. Both domestic and bulk

metering provide great opportuni-

ties for smart metering.

Another challenge is that

South Africa uses potable water

throughout main water reticula-

tion systems, unlike many other

countries. South Africa also pro-

vides free basic water allocation

throughout the country, providing

further economic challenges.

Prepaid water metering provides

a very viable solution to manag-

ing these challenges and is

expected to play a critical role in

revenue generation in future.

What makes Elster Kent’s products so suitable to our environment? Elster

has been active in the market for

decades and has been a leader

in developing technologies that

suit the local conditions. Elster

has been very involved in the

roll-out of prepaid water meters,

which function as engineering

tools that measure and control

the free basic water allocations

and can automatically provide

emergency lifeline water when

the customer is out of credit.

This kind of system flexibil-

ity and sophistication enables

major efficiencies for municipali-

ties, where water losses have

been systematically written

off due to the technical skills

capacity challenges.

In commercial and industrial

metering, Elster has recently

introduced the H5000 meter,

which integrates low and high

flow measurements in a single

meter, making the H5000 the

world’s most accurate commer-

cial turbine meter. This is a first

both globally and in South Africa.

(For more information on the

H5000, turn to page 100, where

Basson discusses this product

in detail.)

Given our massive water losses, where do meters sit in the value chain? The DBSA’s water experts have

identified water meter projects as

a catalytic intervention that can

truly turn around the fortunes of

struggling munici-

palities. Elster was

involved in supplying

H5000 meters to

one of their projects

in Ekurhuleni, and

the DBSA estimates

that the intervention

will yield upwards of

R400 million per year

in direct revenue. So,

although Ekurhuleni

still has ageing

pipelines and water

losses, it now has an asset on

its books that generates ad-

ditional revenue to deal with the

technical losses.

We cannot underestimate the

urgency of rolling out solutions

to overcome the challenges

facing the water industry: we are

a water-scarce country, and we

have massive losses in the sys-

tem. We are not far from facing

water shortages in South Africa

– and some areas already face

them! The major difference being

that when water infrastructure

fails, it leads to loss of human

life far more readily than when

electricity fails.

What other projects are on the cards? Joburg Water

is installing 45 000 prepay-

ment meters, of which 15 000

have already been installed and

commissioned, and the cities of

Johannesburg and Tshwane plan

to eventually deliver prepayment

meters to all customers. The

advantages of prepayment are

clear in that they eliminate billing

problems, credit checks and

non-payment, while providing the

cash flow benefits to the utility.

Elster has recently completed a

number of contracts in the Karoo,

with exceptional results, yielding

up to a 45% reduction in water

usage in some areas. Elster

also has various commissioned

contracts in Malawi, Uganda,

Botswana and Namibia, focused

on both domestic and bulk

prepayment markets.

In closing, what else do you believe South Africa should be doing in meeting the water challenge? Education at all

levels is always key. Water has

been the Cinderella of service

delivery the world over and, in

South Africa, we take much of

this scarce resource for granted.

The utilisation of grey water

has become the norm in many

developed countries and will be

an additional source of water in

many areas in the near future.

Elster is very engaged in

water-challenge education, both

at a professional and community

level. Technology is making it

increasingly easier for munici-

palities to manage this scarce

commodity, and we need to keep

them aware of product develop-

ments, training and awareness

programmes. On the rudimentary

side of things, consumers often

don’t understand the basics of

water efficiency, and often don’t

recognise leaks for what they

are. And on the more complex

side, educating a municipality on

the wider impact of proper meter-

ing infrastructure can change

their futures entirely.

Phone +27 21 880 0388

Fax +27 21 880 0389

Email [email protected] www.gls.co.za

OUR CLIENTS

Johannesburg Water City of Tshwane City of Cape Town Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality Bu� alo City Emfuleni Municipality All the

municipalities in the Western Cape Province Randfontein LM Midvaal LM

Lesedi LM Renosterberg LM Ubuntu LM Emthanjeni LM Siya Themba LM

“Leaders in providing solutions related to the optimal planning and management of water and

sewer reticulation systems”



GLS Consulting has

over 25 years’ experi-

ence providing a spe-

cialised, comprehensive range of

services pertaining to long-term

investment planning for water

distribution and sewer reticula-

tion systems. This includes the

application of detailed calibrated

system simulation models for

the optimisation of operation,

master planning, asset manage-

ment support analyses and

hands-on training support.

What are the benefits of master planning for bulk water infrastructure? LG

The benefits of master planning

are optimisation and cost sav-

ing. This then forms the basis

for long-term budgeting and

dealings with funding agencies

and government bodies. It also

allows dealing with development

proposals in a planned way.

Are your products/servic-es calibrated and, if so, what assurance do you provide to your clients?

This is an important question.

We are very careful to determine

confidence on data and apply

sensitivity analyses so that the

right action can be taken to

increase confidence and provide

a reliable service. To do this,

we collect data and allocate a

confidence index to each. We

are then able to advise the client

on optimal spending based on

critical information.

How do you assist munic-ipalities and bulk water suppliers in optimising South Africa’s scarce water resources? We offer

a comprehensive service and

non-revenue-water analysis. We

advise clients on measures for

conservation, loss control and


Dr Leon Geustyn | Director | GLS Consulting

water demand management.

Planning enhances effective

water use.

How do you ensure infrastructure and opera-tions fall within predict-able budgets? We provide

master planning and, as such,

do not implement or operate the

systems ourselves. Our service

provides planning, particularly

with optimisation and energy

optimisation. We are able to pro-

vide predictable budgets using

calibration and provide realistic

unit costs to be as accurate

as possible.

Tell us about GLS’s approach to asset management and how that assists relevant public sector entities with compliance and delivery. We are involved from

initiation to provide a long-term

view of life-cycle costing and

optimisation of risk. Though we

are a specialist portion of asset

management, we understand

the other disciplines involved

and assist public service entities

with outcomes linked to service

delivery and compliance, with

measures such as Blue/Green/

No Drop.

In what way does GLS commit to staying at the top of changing mar-kets? We are continuously

upgrading our software service

to comply with international

best practice standards. We

do permanent research and

development to ensure our

technology is innovative and at

the cutting edge.

What are the prominent features or benefits of a hydraulic modelling of a water distribution system? The hydraulic model

forms the basis for master

planning and an excellent tool

for operational decision-making.

It also acts as an educational

tool for employees; for example,

improved understanding through

being able to observe behaviour

of the water delivery system in

its entirety.

What international proj-ects GLS has worked on do you consider milestones? We partnered

on a project in Iloilo in the

Philippines, providing full-

service hydraulic modelling and

master planning. This was a

benchmark project for us as it

was a proof of concept in South

East Asia.

What recent projects has GLS been involved in and how does this ex-emplify what GLS stands for? Our most comprehensive

project to date has been with

Johannesburg Water.

What challenges did the project present, and what combination of skills and expertise was brought on board to solve them? We

worked with everyone involved,

from finance and maintenance,

to operation and planning, in

order to integrate information

sharing between these different

departments, we had to have

a good understanding of their

interaction. We had the oppor-

tunity to be a leader in defining

the process.

We are continuously upgrading our software service to comply with international best practice standards

SAVING WATER. SAVING LIVES.

523 Church Street • Provisus Building • 1st Floor • Arcadia • Pretoriat +27 012 440 9885 • f +27 012 440 9751 • email [email protected] Motaung, Executive Sales & Marketing Manager • t 072 736 2995www.lesira.co.za

The only meter that gives the ability to:• Operate as either conventional

or prepaid• View your current and previous

month water bill• View your remaining free water• View your available credit (Rands)• Purchase credit from your cell

phone or convenient stores• Detect your property leaks• Electronically lock your meter




Naphtali Motaung | Sales & Marketing Manager | Lesira-Teq

How do your company’s products and services offer a convenient, cost-effective, sustainable solution? NM Our intelligent meter is

adaptable enough to offer

the customer conventional,

flat-rate, post-pay (including

debt management) and

pre-pay modes in one easily

configurable package.

The meter is a fully self-con-

tained unit, with an integrated

valve and electronics and runs

on a battery with a typical five-

year life cycle. All meter read-

ings can be done remotely, by

means of the Automatic Meter

Reading (AMR) system.

What key technologies does you company offer?We offer the best intelligent

meters that have been proven

to handle small dir t particles

without compromising accuracy.

In independent tests, our meter

maintained accuracy while all

the volumetric meters tested

lost accuracy of up to 50% with

the same water quality. Our

AMR offering allows remote me-

ter reading and control, as well

as the easy export of meter

readings to municipal systems.

What are the advantages? In split meters, where the

electronics and the valve are

not in one unit, there is a much

greater chance of a fault occur-

ring, and our meters are also

much quicker to read.

How do they optimise energy consumption?

Our meters use intelligent AMR

and valve technologies to mini-

mise energy consumption and

therefore save battery life.

What specific products and components does your company manufac-ture/provide, and what are the quality indicators your clients must know about? We provide intelligent

meters, and systems and prod-

ucts to fully support the meters

in the field. The Handheld

Vending Unit (HHVU) is used in

conjunction with the Intelligent

Water Meter and Community

Standpipe. This provides

the link between the meter

and the Meter Management

System (MMS). A network of

conveniently located HHVUs

provides the customer with

easy access to a ‘point of sale’

where credit can be purchased.

Each transaction is supported

by a receipt printed from a

dedicated printer. The vendor

purchases bulk water credit

from the supplying authority

using an iButton (tag), then

re-sells the credit to customers

in the community. The vendors

normally receive a commission

on all sales, enabling them to

trade at a profit.

When credit is sold to the

customer, the vending unit

collects the meter data stored

on the user tag. This data

is transferred to the MMS

database whenever the HVU

is downloaded. The download

of data from the HVUs into the

MMS is done using a dedicated

cable and needs to be done at

least once a month. An optional

GPRS plug-in unit is available

that allows on-line transactions

to be completed, as well as the

real-time updating of the MMS.

Each meter sold is tested on

a SANAS-approved test bench

and has a certificate.

How are your meters especially suitable to South African condi-tions? Our meter has

multiple settings that allow the

product to be extremely adapt-

able to client needs. Beyond

this, our engineering team also

responds to new requests and

features as rapidly as possible.

What partnerships has your company estab-lished to amplify and support your product offerings? We have entered

a partnership with Zenner from

Germany. Worldwide, the name

Zenner stands for innovation,

quality and precision in matters

of measuring techniques. The

company has been developing,

producing and marketing in-

novative measuring equipment

for global markets for over 100

years. Domestic water meters

for flats and houses, as well as

bulk water meters are as much

a part of Zenner’s portfolio as

heat meters, gas meters and

up-to-date systems technology.

What standards do you subscribe to you? Manufacturing is done according

to the ISO 9001 standard – with

yearly audits – and our meter

product is fully compliant with

SANS 1529-1 and SANS 1529-

9 specifications.

What specialised servic-es do you offer? Lesira-

Teq offers project management

services. The company will not

sell you a meter without provid-

ing full training on installation

and on the proper use of the

software. In addition, we draft

community engagement plans

for municipalities.

What contribution has your company made to social development in South Africa? Our company identifies needy

families within the communi-

ties which we service and as

a gift to the community we will

build homes for these families.

This initiative began in 2011.

Lesira-Teq has been able to

build atleast 20 homes year

on year for destitute families

in Soweto and Rustenburg. In

addition to that, Lesira-Teq also

purchased 20 laptops to top

performing matriculants in the

uThungulu district.

We offer the best intelligent meters that have been proven to handle small dirt particles without compromising accuracy

• All products conform to BSEN 545:2006, BSEN 545:2010 (potable water) & BESEN 598:2007 (sewer application)

• Accredited to ISO 2531:1998 (potable water)

• Independent third party inspections available from factory abroad and locally in South Africa. SGS & Bureau Veritas

• Comprehensive project management from inception to completion of project on the pipe supply.

• L&G PIPES SA is the largest supplier of ductile iron pipes in South Africa.

• Quality backing from one of the world’s largest producers of ductile Iron pipes.

• Personal experience of over 10 years within Southern African market in ductile iron pipe.

• We offer on-site training in basic handling and laying of ductile iron pipe & fittings.

We are proud suppliers of ductile iron pipe & fittings to the civil engineering market. We supply only the best quality from one of the world’s largest producers of ductile

iron pipes & fittings. We also offer personal service from inception of order till completion of delivery to all our clients throughout the Southern African region.

DUCTILE IRON PIPE & FITTINGS SUPPLIERS TO THE CIVIL ENGINEERING MARKET

We offer the following services & products:

L&G PIPES SA5 Gallagher Park South, 54 Richards Drive, Halfway House, Midrand, Johannesburg

Tel: 011 312 2722 • Fax: 011 312 2723 • Cell: 082 775 2102 • Email: [email protected]

L&G Pipes FP.indd 1 2015/03/09 11:36:05 AM




Derrick Hall | National Product Manager | L&G Pipes SA, a Division of L&G Tools & Machinery Distributors

What are the specific ad-vantages that L&G Pipes brings to the market? DH L&G Pipes supplies high-quality

ductile iron pipes (DIP) from

China. We provide personal

service and after-sales support

as well as training to ensure

that our clients receive the

best value for money possible.

We supply an honest product

that fully conforms to all the

specifications. We do not com-

promise or take shortcuts, and

all our products and sources are

personally inspected by us for

consistent quality control.

What advantages do DIPs have over other materi-als? Ductile iron pipes are

durable and able to handle far

more than what the engineer

specifies. There is an ease of

laying and installation of the

push-fit joint; there is no need

to weld joints and do expensive

quality inspections on welding

with X-rays, and internal and

external corrosion repair. DIPs

are better suited to handle

surges and water hammers,

which are a major cause of

pipe bursts. DIPs also have low

life-cycle costs in comparison to

other locally sourced materials.

Most importantly, DIPs offer the

greatest inside diameter, which

results in better capabilities

combined with its high flow

coefficient (C=140), and offers

substantial savings on pumping

and power costs over the life of

the pipeline.

What are L&G Pipes’ sup-ply capabilities? We have

supplied ductile iron pipes for

projects ranging from R20 000

to R140 million, and have done

so without delays or quality

problems. We are dedicated

to providing a quality service,

no matter how big or small our

clients’ needs may be. We can

supply from DN80 to DN2600

pipes both for water and sewage

applications. We are not seen

as merely agent representatives

for the factory, but rather as

partnership with some of the

biggest manufacturers abroad.

We are one of South Africa’s

leading DIP suppliers and are

solely dedicated to this market.

What technical expertise, consulting and support do you offer? We have over

15 years’ experience in sup-

plying DIPs in South Africa. We

have acquired vast knowledge

and, as such, we are able to

provide on-site training on the

ease of laying DIP, as well as

providing maintenance and

technical support to our clients

and engineers. We also have

available additional technical

support from our suppliers –

from source to site – and the

ability to come up with solutions

to assist our clients.

How do you manage your transport logistics? With

sea freight, we make use of

break-bulk and containerised

transport. We have a dedicated

shipping team and a dedicated

on-site field technician to ensure

that all our pipes are delivered in

perfect condition. We personally

supervise vessel-loading inspec-

tions , making sure the loading

meets our requirements, as

good loading and shipping are

key parts of quality assurance.

We then load the pipes on to

flatbed trucks, strapping them

down in strict adherence to

safety regulations to ensure the

safety and integrity of the cargo

during transportation.

What standards do your ductile iron pipes adhere to? DIPs have a long-standing

presence in South Africa. BS

EN 545:2006 and BS EN545:

2010 specifications currently

exist to ensure the compliance

of product quality, as well as ISO

2351:1998 and ISO 2531:2009

international standards.

What testing and main-tenance services do you provide? Our pipes are

manufactured to BS EN & ISO

standards and, on request, they

can be subjected to third-party

inspection by SGS or Bureau

Veritas. On request from client

or engineer, further tests can

be done locally to make sure

the product does conform to the

standard required.

ConclusionWe at L&G Pipes SA believe

strongly in our product and have

successfully completed over 60

significant projects. Through

our quality and dedication, we

firmly believe we offer more

than just a product. Instead,

we offer complete solutions

that generations to come can

benefit from.

We believe strongly in our product and have successfully completed over 60 significant projects

Here’s a big reason you can save even more energy.

Etanorm is a classic that keeps getting more efficient. It meets the energy efficiency requirements of the ErP Directive for 2015 already today – for three good reasons: optimised hydraulic components for pace-setting efficiency, individual impeller trimming, and ideally matching drives and automation components. Etanorm is available really fast, comes in numerous variations, and provides the unique reliability of a globally identical product. For more information, please visit www.etanorm.com / www.ksbpumps.co.za

Pumps ■ Valves ■ Service

AD_Etanorm_Energy_210x297_en_130201.indd 1 01.02.13 14:06


Here’s a big reason you can save even more energy.

Etanorm is a classic that keeps getting more efficient. It meets the energy efficiency requirements of the ErP Directive for 2015 already today – for three good reasons: optimised hydraulic components for pace-setting efficiency, individual impeller trimming, and ideally matching drives and automation components. Etanorm is available really fast, comes in numerous variations, and provides the unique reliability of a globally identical product. For more information, please visit www.etanorm.com / www.ksbpumps.co.za

Pumps ■ Valves ■ Service

AD_Etanorm_Energy_210x297_en_130201.indd 1 01.02.13 14:06



Dale Croker | Fluid Systems Manager | KSB Pumps

KSB is acutely involved in skills development by donating equipment and test rigs etc. to training facilities

How does your com-pany’s products and ser-vices offer a convenient, cost-effective, sustainable solution? DC We offer full-

circle care, to provide a one-stop

service as well as after-sales

services and support. We manu-

facture locally and have local rep-

resentation. We offer sustainable

local services and support.

Which applications and markets does your company cater to? KSB is

involved in all aspects of water

– from raw water to treated

water and sewage – with

products specifically developed

and widely used in these ap-

plications. Specific applications

are covered with vast technical

expertise to assist munici-

palities wherever it may be

required. We have maintained

a prominent footprint in South

Africa for over 50 years.

Do you specialise in any specific applications? We specialise in pumps sys-

tems for all requirements, with

pumps like the ETA and WKLn

pump ranges playing a major

part in our municipalities over

the past 50 years. The latest

generation of KSB end-suction

pumps were recently intro-

duced; these employ world-

leading pump technology. The

new-generation KSB Etanorm

global pump was introduced

locally immediately after the

sales release in Germany,

so we have the latest in

world technology available for

local municipalities.

What specific products and components does your company manufac-ture/provide and what are the quality indicators that your clients must know about? The KSB

product range covers a broad

spectrum of size, from small to

large, for almost every applica-

tion. Premium-quality products,

supported by unequalled local

infrastructure to service and

maintain ensure optimum

service output and reliability.

KSB products are made in

Africa specifically for African

conditions. Expert selection by

trained specialists ensures that

the correct product is selected

for the application.

What standards do you subscribe to? As a global

manufacturer, KSB products

are designed in accordance

with DIN/ISO standards which

are acceptable throughout the

world. KSB manufacturers all

products locally in accordance

with ISO 9001 standards and is

audited by TUV Rheinland.

What key technologies does you company offer? One of the largest

advancements in pumping

technology has been the

integration of variable speed

drives. KSB systems integration

departments have vast experi-

ence in optimised, energy-

saving variable-speed drives

that reduce power consumption

and the cost of water supply

of an overall project. KSB's

range includes its own variable-

speed system for selected

kilowatt ranges.

What services does your company offer and how does your customer engagement deliver client assurance? KSB

after-sales service delivers

customer-focused services to

provide full-circle expertise for

everything from pump selection

to advice, service, support,

and maintenance.

What contribution has your company made to social development in South Africa? KSB is

acutely involved in skills devel-

opment. The company donates

equipment – and test rigs – to

training facilities. We firmly be-

lieve that skills development is

key to enabling communities.

ABOVE A KSB axially split volute casing pump

BELOW A pump outside KSB’s Halle factory in Germany

How does your com-pany offer a convenient, cost-effective, sustain-able solution for main-taining South Africa’s water supply? HS Vovani

Water Products (VWP) sup-

plies complementary products

that can be used together

in water treatment plants –

making VWP a convenient

‘one-stop shop’ for original

equipment manufacturers.

What types of products does your company supply and how are they specialised? VWP supplies:

• fibreglass-reinforced

(FRP) pressure vessels to

house nanofiltration (NF)

and reverse osmosis (RO)

membranes

• micro- and ultrafiltration (MF/

UF) membrane modules, in

single- and multi-bore mem-

brane fibres

• flexible couplings for low- and

high-pressure applications

to connect pipework to FRP

pressure vessels and MF/UF

membrane modules

• single- and multistage cen-

trifugal pumps for NF and RO

applications

• energy recovery devices for

RO high-pressure applications

• low-flow ultrafiltration sys-

tems for smaller applications

using little or no electricity

to produce potable drink-

ing water from surface or

borehole water.

The products from international

companies that VWP represents

and supplies to the Southern

African market are specifically

focused on MF, UF, NF and RO

applications for treating various

types of water – surface water,

industrial wastewater, com-

munity water, borehole water,

seawater and effluent water.

What are your key mar-ket differentiators? VWP

carries some of our fast-moving

commodity products in South

Africa as stock and, because

our suppliers also have stock

available at their manufacturing

facilities, we are able to deliver

orders to clients at reduced

lead times. We are also in-

creasing our stock capability in

order to service all our clients

even more effectively.

What key technologies does you company offer? Two of our product

offerings can be seen as our

key technologies – the IMT

UF membranes and the Fedco

centrifugal pumps and energy

recovery devices.

VWP represents IMT’s

polyethersulfone (PES) UF mem-

branes, which are multibore

ultrafiltration membranes for

inside-out filtration. More com-

monly known as SevenBore UF

membranes, they are 20 times

stronger than other single-bore

membranes, and IMT’s unique

technology has increased the

PES UF membranes’ affinity

to water. This has assisted in

reducing fouling tendencies

and increasing the lifetime of

the membranes.

In addition, by offering a

wide range of Fedco multi- and

single-stage centrifugal pumps,

and energy recovery devices

called hydraulic pressure boost-

ers, VWP is capacitated to

provide specialist advice on RO

and NF applications.

What specific products and components does your company manufac-ture or provide and what are the quality indicators that your clients must know about? VWP supplies

FRP pressure vessels from

ROPV, MF and UF membranes

from IMT, flexible couplings

from PASS, centrifugal pumps

and energy recovery devices

from Fedco, low-flow UF sys-

tems from Aqua Solutions,

which uses no electricity to pro-

duce treated water, and Phileas

disinfection fogging systems

from Devea.

All the products we supply

carry international certi-

fications such as ASME,

International Organisation for

Standardisation, Conformité


Henk Smit | Sales Director | Vovani Water Products



RO pressure vessels

All the products we supply carry international certifications such as ASME, International Organisation for Standardisation, Conformité Européenne, and North America’s NSF/ANSI 61

FRP PRESSURE VESSELS

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CM

MY

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CMY

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Ad 1 F.pdf 1 2014/02/24 03:05:54 PM

Européenne, and North

America’s NSF/ANSI 61,

among others.

What partnerships has your company estab-lished to amplify your product offering? The

close relationships and partner-

ships VWP has with our suppli-

ers are a huge advantage, as

our clients are able to tap into

our suppliers’ technical knowl-

edge and experience when they

are working with VWP on a pro-

ject. This access to manufac-

turers provides clients with an

added level of confidence in the

quality of products and services

being offered.

What services does your company offer and how does your customer en-gagement deliver client

assurance? VWP offers

all clients training on all the

products we represent to their

employees, so they are familiar

with our products and the use

thereof. We also offer mainte-

nance and service on all pump-

ing systems we supply, and are

able to provide spare parts and

maintain pumps and energy-

recovery devices provided.

What specialised services do you offer? We are able to assist clients

in the design of their RO rack

systems, as well as UF rack

systems, and we make use

of IMT’s UF design tool to

work with clients to make the

best use of UF membranes

for their application. VWP also

assists with installations of

AquaSentry and UF-Pro low-flow

UF systems.


Tel: +27 11 745 5500 | Fax: +27 11 464 2977 | [email protected] | www.wecprojects.co.za

/WECProjects1 /WECProjects1 /WECProjects1 /company/wec-projects

WE HAVE OFFICES IN JHB, KZN AND THE WESTERN CAPE! CONTACT US TODAY:

WEC PROJECTS - YOUR CONTRACTOR OF CHOICE FOR MUNICIPAL WATER AND WASTEWATER TREATMENT SOLUTIONS

Turnkey bulk water and sewage treatment projects.

Turnkey decentralised packaged modular water/sewage treatment plants.

Head of works equipment. Clarifier bridges and mechanicals. Mixing equipment. Surface mounted and floating aerators.

Complete fine bubble aeration solutions. Disinfection solutions. Chemical dosing solutions. Digester refurbishment including heating and mixing systems.

Sludge dewatering and handling solutions. Biogas to energy projects. Operation and maintenance.

For the better part of the last decade WEC Projects has established itself as the leading contractor in the water sector. Our clients include ERWAT, Johannesburg Water, Umgeni Water and the City of Tshwane among others.

We have secured an exclusive agency agreement for the Airprex® technology (for STRUVITE REMOVAL).

WE OFFER:

ALWAYS

ALWAYS

VA LU E

ADDING

THE LEADERS IN BIOGAS

TO ENERGY PROJECTS!


Tel: +27 11 745 5500 | Fax: +27 11 464 2977 | [email protected] | www.wecprojects.co.za

/WECProjects1 /WECProjects1 /WECProjects1 /company/wec-projects

WE HAVE OFFICES IN JHB, KZN AND THE WESTERN CAPE! CONTACT US TODAY:

WEC PROJECTS - YOUR CONTRACTOR OF CHOICE FOR MUNICIPAL WATER AND WASTEWATER TREATMENT SOLUTIONS

Turnkey bulk water and sewage treatment projects.

Turnkey decentralised packaged modular water/sewage treatment plants.

Head of works equipment. Clarifier bridges and mechanicals. Mixing equipment. Surface mounted and floating aerators.

Complete fine bubble aeration solutions. Disinfection solutions. Chemical dosing solutions. Digester refurbishment including heating and mixing systems.

Sludge dewatering and handling solutions. Biogas to energy projects. Operation and maintenance.

For the better part of the last decade WEC Projects has established itself as the leading contractor in the water sector. Our clients include ERWAT, Johannesburg Water, Umgeni Water and the City of Tshwane among others.

We have secured an exclusive agency agreement for the Airprex® technology (for STRUVITE REMOVAL).

WE OFFER:

ALWAYS

ALWAYS

VA LU E

ADDING

THE LEADERS IN BIOGAS

TO ENERGY PROJECTS!



Graham Hartlett | Sales & Marketing Manager | WEC Projects

What are your company’s water divisions and how do they contribute to-wards sustainable supply and economic develop-ment? GH WEC has the

following divisions: Packaged

Plant Solutions, Municipal or

Bulk Water Solutions, Biogas-

to-Energy and Sludge Solutions,

and Operation and Maintenance.

Each of these divisions

contributes towards sustainabil-

ity and development in unique

and powerful ways. Take, for

example, our Packaged Plant

Solutions Division. There are

many areas within South Africa

and north of the border that

don’t have the luxury of a proper

municipal sanitation collection

system or reticulated potable

water. The cost and time to build

conventional systems to serve

these needs can be prohibitive,

but our compact, decentral-

ised infrastructure can provide

solutions at a reduced cost and

fast turnaround times. When

implemented in tandem, high-

quality drinking water and proper

sanitation services improve

living conditions and reduce the

spread of disease, which has

economic benefits.

What key technolo-gies do these divisions specialise in and how do they contribute towards protecting water and the environment? Again,

WEC features a number of

technologies that boast these

capabilities across all our divi-

sions. A good example is our

combined heat and power (CHP)

plant located at Johannesburg

Northern Wastewater Treatment

Works. This plant and another

for the same client are the only

operational CHP plants of their

kind in South Africa, and we

designed, supplied, installed

and commissioned them! What

we have been able to achieve

with these projects is quite

remarkable and it has been an

enormous success. Imagine re-

ducing your electrical consump-

tion and dependence on Eskom

against the backdrop of South

Africa’s power crisis because

you creatively utilised what is

effectively a waste by-product

of the conventional methods

used to treat sewage on a bulk

scale. These are landmark

projects and they have put WEC

on the map as the pioneers in

this field.

WEC is also the exclusive

agent for the AirPrex® system

for the recovery of struvite from

digested sludge. Other technolo-

gies recover the phosphates in

the filtrate from the dewatering

systems, which is an important

distinction to make. The build-up

of struvite in pipes causes plant

operators continuous headaches

with pipe blockages and break-

ages often causing downtime

for plant components already

stressed in terms of capacity.

Struvite also causes scaling

problems on pumps and dewa-

tering systems. The AirPrex® sys-

tem provides another additional

advantage in that it increases

the sludge’s dewaterability.

Can you tell our read-ers a little more about any recently completed projects where your products were directly responsible for creating

a better environment or securing human health? We have recently completed the

installation of three packaged

drinking water treatment plants

for rural villages in Zambia.

Obviously it is a very gratify-

ing feeling to know that a WEC

turnkey solution is improving the

lives of thousands of community

members all over the country

and the continent. In fact, we

have even deployed one of our

modular packaged treatment

plants to an Australian mine.

Our CHP plant mentioned earlier

is saving our client money on

their electrical bill and contribut-

ing to a greener economy.

Are there any particu-lar skills that need to be transferred to your clients and, if so, how is this achieved? Training and

skills transfer is a priority for us

and for the successful operation

of a treatment plant, large or

small. Incorrect operation can

result in pollution and plant

breakages, which isn’t the ideal

way to care for the investment

a client has made in infrastruc-

ture to treat their water.

For each plant WEC sells, we

provide comprehensive train-

ing on the its operational and

maintenance requirements.

We do everything we can to

ensure that the operator is fully

equipped to keep the plant oper-

ating optimally. This training is

often over a period of months,

where we slowly transfer the

responsibility of the operations

over to the client’s operators,

with much success.

In the municipal environment,

the addition of new infrastruc-

ture to augment treatment ca-

pacity creates jobs well beyond

the commissioning of the plant.

Often new operators or opera-

tors’ assistants are required as

a result of the expanding treat-

ment works.

The Johannesburg Northern WWTW is one of two fully operational biogas-to-energy plants in South Africa, and the technology was installed and is currently being operated and maintained by WEC Projects

There are many areas that don’t have the luxury of a proper municipal sanitation collection system or reticulated potable water

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PART ONE of this paper will describe

the results and experience gained

from a performance-based WCWDM

contract and will go on to describe

the model contract documentation that

has been developed by the Strategic Water

Partners Network (SWPN), with support from

the GIZ Transboundary Water Programme in

SADC. This documentation is designed to

assist municipalities to appoint a specialist

WCWDM contractor using a financial bonus

linked to the benefits that are achieved. The

model contract provides a basic template that

conforms to current South African legislative

requirements and best practice.

The model contract allows for options for

different performance-based incentives and

provides a contractual basis on how this

can be tendered and applied. This approach

can ensure a cost-effective outcome due

to the contractor being invested in the best

possible outcome, thus ensuring that crea-

tive, innovative and proactive measures are

applied.The model performance-based con-

tract pack includes:

• model tender and contract document

• model bill of quantities

• guidelines for using the document, as well

as for monitoring and evaluation.

BackgroundSouth Africa is a semi-arid, water-scarce

country and many of its water resources are

already fully allocated to different domestic,

agricultural and industrial uses. Any further

growth in water demand (beyond the 20-year

planning horizon) will necessitate expensive

PART 1 OF 2

Water conservation and water demand managementThirty-seven per cent of all bulk water supplied to the better-administered municipalities in South Africa is wasted either through physical leakage or through the mismanagement of metering and billing systems.

By Stewart Gibson, Dr Nicole Kranz & Nick Tandi

measures such as the

construction of new

dams and long-distance

water transfer schemes

from outside the bor-

ders of the catchment,

or even the country, or

from desalination plants

at the coast in order to

maintain the current levels of

growth. At the same time, it is

estimated that about 37% of all

bulk water used in municipalities is

wasted through either physical leakage

(25%) or through the mismanagement of

metering and billing systems (12%). These

values are an estimate based on data

obtained from just over half of the municipali-

ties in the country representing 75% of the

total municipal water consumption. The other

munic-

ipalities

do not have

sufficient data

to determine what

percentage of their

water supply is lost and for

what reasons.

In this context, water conserva-

tion and water demand management

(WCWDM) interventions have become

critically important in order to address these

t +27 (031) 266 3263 email [email protected]

28-30 OCTOBER 2015

THEME: Changing the face of the Municipal Engineer

Earn 2.5 CPD points by attending

ONLINE REGISTRATION www.imesa.org.za

The 2015 IMESA Conference will be hosted at the Grand West Hotel and Casino – Goodwood

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Members – R5700.00

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IMESA Members – R5650.00 • Last Minute Registration for Non

IMESA Members – R6250.00

IMESA 2015 registration.indd 1 2015/02/20 01:36:13 PM


water losses. It is generally far more cost-

effective to fix leaks and reduce the wast-

age of water than it is to build a new dam

and transfer scheme from a neighbouring

catchment or to upgrade a water treatment

plant and its associated reservoirs. WCWDM

measures cover a range of interventions,

from social interventions such as commu-

nity education regarding household water

efficiency and losses, to the overhauling

of billing systems, the review of the tariffs

charged for water, active leak detection and

repair, better meter management and better

management of water pressures (some of

these measures are introduced in more detail

below). Pressure management is in many

cases the single intervention that makes the

greatest difference in the shortest time – as

water pressures in our distribution systems

in South Africa have tended to be excessive

– and it has been established that there is a

more or less linear correlation between water

pressure and the volumes of water leakage.

In fact, the South African government has

taken a strong stance on WCWDM by issu-

ing the No Drop certification programme for

municipalities. In the course of this certifica-

tion, municipalities will have to demonstrate

how they perform in six categories, including:

• WCWDM strategy, planning and

implementation

• asset management

• technical skills

• credibility

• compliance and performance

• local regulation

• customer care.

The combination of the cost of water losses,

the country’s need to save water as well as

the governmental requirements constitute

a considerable driver for municipalities to

embark on (additional) WCWDM measures.

Such measures, in particular pressure man-

agement and leak detection, are, nowadays,

a fairly specialised field and most munici-

palities in South Africa do not possess the

necessary technical skills to carry out this

work in-house.

The solution is to contract out certain

measures to external contractors or service

providers. The purpose of the model contract

document is to provide municipalities with a

template for the employment of specialists to

assist with this work, including a performance-

oriented element with a financial bonus linked

to the value of the water saved. The SWPN,

with support from the GIZ Transboundary

Water Programme in SADC, has produced a

model performance-based WCWDM contract

that provides a basic template that conforms

to current (as at 2014) South African legisla-

tive requirements and best practice in terms

of WCWDM optimisation.

Case study – Emfuleni Local MunicipalityBackgroundEmfuleni Local Municipality lies within the

Orange-Senqu river basin adjacent to its main

tributary, the Vaal River. The demand on this

important water resource already exceeds

its sustainable supply. Municipalities across

Gauteng and beyond purchase their potable

water from Rand Water, whose source of sup-

ply is the Vaal River. The municipalities then

provide this water to residential and commer-

cial customers but non-revenue-water (NRW)

percentages across the systems are high

– ranging from 20% to over 40%. Emfuleni

had an NRW in excess of 40%, equating

to a loss of more than 30 million m3 of

water per annum. Like many municipalities,

Emfuleni did not have the necessary capac-

ity, instruments or resources to implement

the required water conservation and demand

management actions. This not only threatens

the water supply of the residents, but also

poses water risks to businesses, restricting

economic development and adding to the

strain on the available resources.

Sasol Limited has considerable sizeable

operations that are dependent on the water

supplied from the Vaal River and it had

already made significant investments to

reduce its water use and to improve its water

security. It faced diminishing returns as the

costs for further improvements were increas-

ing compared to additional gains in water

saving. The need to comply with possible

imposed water-reduction targets was seen as

a significant threat to the company and the

security of its water supply had been identi-

fied as a risk to future operations.

It was, therefore, seen as good business

sense to redirect these investments to

help other users make larger savings. This

approach would then lead to significant water

savings and, at the same time, reduce water

risks, both to Sasol and to all users of the

resource, including the municipalities.

Project partnershipThe need to offer assistance to Emfuleni was

jointly identified by GIZ and Sasol, who agreed

to approach the municipality on the matter.

Following a series of negotiations, Emfuleni,

Sasol and GIZ entered into a memorandum of

understanding (MoU) to implement a WCWDM

project. Under this MoU, initial seed funding

of R5 million was made available through

the SADC Transboundary Water Management

Programme, managed by GIZ, and Sasol also

made R5 million available. The municipal-

ity in turn agreed to ring-fence the savings

created by the reduction in water use to

be reinvested to augment the partnership

seed funding and to continue with the water

conservation interventions.

The underlying principle of the project coop-

eration was that the seed funding would


Pressure management, in many cases, makes the greatest difference in the shortest time and there is a more or less linear correlation between water pressure and the volumes of water leakage



be used to initiate the project and create

financial savings for Emfuleni. These sav-

ings would then be utilised to continue and

grow the project, thus providing Emfuleni

with a self-funding process that would allow

them to further address water-loss prob-

lems. The funding from GIZ and the SADC

Transboundary Water Project would contribute

to reducing the demand on the Orange-Senqu

river basin, and the funding from Sasol would

contribute to the improvements in their level

of water security.

Project scopeEmfuleni has a population of approximately

720 000, across 220 000 households. It

also supports considerable industrial and

commercial operations. In the financial year

2011/12, it purchased some 82 million m3

of potable water from Rand Water at a cost

of around R410 million. Historical trends

showed that the annual growth in water

demand for the municipality was between

4% and 5% per annum. NRW values for the

municipality were in the range 35% to 40%,

resulting in losses of the order of 30 million

m3 per year, equating to an annual cost of

R150 million.

The Evaton/Sebokeng area was identified

by the municipality as being the priority area

for the focus of the project. It represented

about 40% of the total water consumption of

the municipality and water consumption was

being charged on a deemed-use basis as a

result of few meters being read. This resulted

in extremely low payment levels being record-

ed for the area, meaning that any reduction

in water consumption would create a direct

saving in cost to the municipality.

The priorities of the project were to:

• reduce physical water losses in the prioritised

areas through pressure management and the

repair of leaking household water systems

• provide education and awareness to the com-

munity regarding water conservation issues

• train and develop community plumbers who

would be recruited locally.

ContractUsing a performance-based contract, a full

competitive tender and evaluation process

was undertaken by Sasol and the services

of an experienced managing consultant were

procured. The principle of the contract was

that the managing consultant would be paid

for its time (at a lower than normal rate) and

for all expenses incurred as per a priced bill of

quantities. Additionally, a performance bonus

would be paid as follows:

• for up to a 10% saving in water costs – 10%

of the saving

• for between 10% and 25% saving – 20% of

the saving between 10% and 25%

• the performance bonus level was capped

at 25%.

The first priority of the project was to

establish the water-use baseline for the area

based on a history of the bulk water supply.

A supply area was identified that was served

by three Rand Water metered supply points –

the project area formed the main constituent

part of this area. This allowed the use of the

historical supply records and provided inde-

pendent third-party meters and meter reading

to obtain monthly supply figures to the area.

Given that this historical supply information

was available over a multi-year period, it was

possible to extrapolate the existing water

consumption data to create a baseline for the

measurement of savings over the duration of

the project period. After excluding certain out-

lier numbers from the calculation, a straight-

line fit into the actual consumption figures

gave an agreed baseline that indicated an

annual growth in consumption of around 5%.

It should be noted that the baseline is not a

single fixed figure but is a line on a graph that

reflects the 5% annual growth on a month-to-

month basis. This line was also converted to

a specific monthly forecast of the anticipated

water consumption without the effect of the

WCWDM intervention.

Results achievedThrough the use of the performance-based

approach, the appointed managing consult-

ant was ‘invested’ in the project. It was in

their interest to identify problem areas and

FIGURE 1 Comparison of baseline demand and actual water consumption

The correct application of pressure management is an internationally accepted practice that can have a significant impact on reducing water losses through leaks and wastage


come up with solutions to address them and

maximise the savings achieved.

The combined effect of the interventions for

the two financial years covered by the project

resulted in a reduction in water use of 6.85

million m3 against the baseline – a saving of

R37 million on the municipal water bill over

the two years. More importantly, however, for

the last six months of the project, the antici-

pated demand of 21 million m3 was reduced

to an actual consumption of 17.5 million m3

– a reduction of 16.7%. Relating this to the

next financial year (2014/15), this will create

a reduction in water demand of at least 7 mil-

lion m3 and a reduction in water costs to the

municipality of over R40 million.

The comparison of the project water demand

baseline with the actual monthly consumption

is shown in Figure 1.

Against the direct savings of R37 million

over the two-year life of the project, the total

project cost was R27 million – of which R5

million was contributed by GIZ, R5 million

by Sasol, and the balance of R17 million

was paid by the municipality out of the

savings achieved.

The cash flow showing expenditure versus

cost savings is shown in Figure 2.

The cash flow graph shows the importance

of the seed funding that covered the initial

cost of the work that had to be implemented

before the first positive savings were realised.

The initial requirements were to look at pri-

ority areas covering some 20 000 properties

in Phase 1. The managing consultant eventu-

ally addressed over 70 000 properties and

was constantly identifying areas where further

savings could be achieved.

In addition to the direct measurable results

mentioned above, there are a number of

indirect benefits:

• The level of awareness and understand-

ing of the need to conserve water has

increased in the target areas.

• The house owners are starting to take

responsibility for fixing leaks in their

houses themselves.

• This project has paved the way for the

municipality to roll out improved metering

and billing practices in the sense that the

community is now more aware of their

use and, through the curbing of unneces-

sary high usage, their potential bills have

been reduced.

• Formal upskilling and employment opportu-

nities for 90 local residents were created

by the project.

• This project has also improved the capacity

of the municipality to execute large water

conservation and demand management

projects in their jurisdiction.

• The wastewater treatment works serving

this area has previously been assessed as

being hydraulically overloaded, as well as

receiving a diluted quality of effluent that

is not optimal for processing purposes. A

major factor in this is the volume of pota-

ble water entering the sewerage system

due to leaks and wastage. A reduction in

such leaks and wastage will improve the

operating conditions of the wastewater

treatment plant.

• Sasol, as the private sector partner, has

been recognised as a leader and major role

player in the principles of water steward-

ship and development partnership projects,

both internationally and locally, by public

authorities and institutions as well as by

their peers.

Lessons learned• The ability to determine the baseline

of water use is important to be able to

accurately determine the water savings

achieved.

• Where a municipality is purchasing water

from a third party, this allows for a simple

calculation of the monetary value of the

savings being achieved, as well as provid-

ing an independent quantification of the

actual water use.

• Unexplained monthly fluctuations in

demand will occur and will complicate the


measurement of savings. The conversion

of meter readings to average daily figures

will reduce the impact of different meter-

reading periods on this but it will always be

necessary to look at consumption figures

over a three or six month period. It is also

beneficial to have check meters running on

the main supply points.

• Community engagement through the aware-

ness and education components is a key

element of the programme and should not

be ignored.

• The correct application of pressure manage-

ment is an internationally accepted practice

that can have a significant impact on reduc-

ing water losses through leaks and wastage

– this is particularly the case in Southern

Africa where pressures are generally higher

than necessary.

• The main focus area of this project was

to work with the community in respect to

education and awareness, as well as to

repair in-house leaks. This was achieved.

For such work to be sustainable, however, it

will eventually require the introduction and

enforcement of metering and payment sys-

tems, which is a potential confrontational

issue and therefore better dealt with as a

separate exercise.

For a full list of references, please contact the


FIGURE 2 Cash flow showing project cost vs value of water savings Source: WRP Consulting Engineers

PART TWO of this paper, to be published in the April edition of IMIESA, will look at the model performance-based contract and the authors’ conclusion.


PROFILE: PUMPS, PIPES & VALVES

IWC IS AT THE FOREFRONT of GRP

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other process equipment. Additionally, IWC

also undertakes repairs and refurbishment

projects, and other associated services.

IWC’s heavyweight clients include Eskom,

Sasol, ArcelorMittal, Foskor, Impala Platinum

and Anglo Platinum, to name but a few, with

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Africa, Namibia, Zambia, Tunisia, Ghana,

Mauritius, Malawi, Mozambique, Kenya,

Uganda and Swaziland. IWC products have

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IWC GRP for water and sanitationGRP piping has widespread applications

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The low roughness coefficient of GRP pipes

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GRP’s low modulus of elasticity results

in the low transient wave speeds during

bulk water transfer, eliminating the need

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infrastructure. GRP pipes also have proven

resistance to the acidic environment found

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choice for wastewater applications.

IWC typically supplies pipes in lengths of

12 m with a bell-and-spigot coupling system,

but undertakes custom fabrications and

can supply lengths in any configuration less

than 12 m.

IWC GRP manufacturing facilityIn addition to the GRP pipe production plant

based in Germiston, IWC has a second

state-of-the-art GRP manufacturing facility

in Isando, Ekurhuleni, which focuses on

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This facility is capable of producing

450 tonnes of finished product per annum,

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IWC also undertakes on-site GRP repair work.

The GRP plant’s filament winding machines

have the capacity to wind cylinders for

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to 5 000 mm, with an overall maximum

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IWC’s experienced and knowledgeable

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IWC is an ISO 9001:2000 accredited

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consistently innovative and responsive, and

always delivers relevant, environmentally

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www.iwc.co.za

Proven reliability for large water and sanitation projectsIWC will be showcasing its dynamic and very successful glass-reinforced polyester (GRP) pipe system at the 2015 Water Show Africa, between 24 and 25 March 2015, at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg.


PUMPS, PIPES & VALVES

AT LAST YEAR’S South African

Plastic Pipe Manufacturers

Association (Sappma) Pipes VIII

conference, one of the more

controversial presentations was by Renier

Snyman, technical manager of Sappma’s

founding member company and major spon-

sor, DPI Plastics. Hosted at the Bytes

Convention Centre in Midrand, Snyman

spoke about the confusing SANS require-

ments for pressure testing pipe installations.

In a non-gravity-fed reticulation system,

pipes need to be pressure tested for a cer-

tain length of time with a calculated water

pressure before being commissioned. This

makes sense as digging up infrastructure

is costly; so installers need to know that

everything works before covering it.

The wording in the SANS documentation

on how pressure tests should be carried

out can be confusing and may not be wholly

relevant when testing certain plastic pipes.

Other plastic-pipe-using countries, such

as Australia, have updated legislation to

Standards inflexible for plastic pipe field test?While pressure testing is essential to determine whether pipes are properly installed, available standards may not be entirely appropriate for the properties of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipes. By Frances Ringwood

STRINGENT REQUIREMENTS OF SANS 2001: DP2 1. Pressure = 1.5 x working pressure,

up to 10 bar, then working pressure + 5 bar [e.g. 16 bar test pressure = 16 + 5 = 21 bar].

2. Test pressure shall be between 1.25 x and 1.5 x working pressure at any point in the pipeline.

3. Test pressure shall not exceed 75% of the hydrostatic pressure of the pipe [e.g. PVC-M Class 20, tested at 44 bar; 75% = 33 bar).

4. For > 400 mm Ø pipe = 3 hours.5. For < 400 mm Ø pipe = < 3 hours,

not < 1 hour. Subsequent 1 hour for ALR test. If problem is encountered during testing, repair and start again! (Remember to bleed out air).

Are pressure testing standards confusing and do they adversely affect the useful lifespan of pipelines?

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Standards challenge“In the 17 years I’ve been in the industry,

I’ve never really come across anyone who

hasn’t had difficulty interpreting one or

more aspects of the SANS pressure test

standards. Common misunderstandings are

encountered with regards to the correct

pressure at which a pipeline should be

tested, and the length of time testing should

last. These two points can affect the perfor-

mance of the pipe, as well as the outcome

of the test."

The reason for Sappma’s annual confer-

ence is for plastics industry professionals

to share with and learn from one another,

strengthening the industry to deliver better

service in Southern Africa.

Snyman believes that it may not be the

standard’s wording itself that is the prob-

lem but the fact that engineers aren’t

familiar enough with its specifics. However,

American guest Andrew Seidel, CEO of

Underground Solutions, presented an alter-

nate position, citing proposed changes to

the United Arab Emirates’ standards, prom-

ulgated with plastics pressure testing in

mind. He was also the one to point out

Australia’s standards amendments.

The standard in question is SANS

2001:DP2 Construction: Medium pressure

pipelines. It is written in such a way so as

to cover every possible requirement, leaving

nothing to chance (see text box). This high

level of specificity is what makes the stand-

ard difficult to understand.

Too much pressure?The average service life of an HDPE or PVC

pipeline is about 50 years minimum, under

normal conditions, according to Snyman.

However, when pressure testing with exces-

sively high pressure for an extended period,

the service life of a pipeline could potentially

be adversely affected due to the fact that a

pipeline’s service life is determined by the

sum of its stresses. In addition, construc-

tion components such as

thrust blocks and valves

may also be damaged under

excessive conditions.

What Snyman is propos-

ing is not necessarily that

the regulation be changed,

but rather that pipe install-

ers bear the ultimate effects of the pressure

test in mind. However, the presentation did

open up debate and a space for industry

experts to consider whether these con-

straints are not unnecessarily demanding.

Since presenting at the conference, DPI

has published a comprehensive set of

recommendations, clarifying best practices

for field pressure testing during pipe instal-

lation that complies with existing standards

while also being easy to understand.

Renier Snyman, technical manager, DPI Plastics

DPI has published a comprehensive set of recommendations, clarifying best practices for field pressure testing during pipe installation



Konkola pipe project: Zambia

THE PROJECT INVOLVES installing

3 175 m of 610 mm nominal bore

(NB) steel pipe lined with a high-

density polyethylene (HDPE) lining

at the Konkola Copper Mines’ Muntimpa

tailings storage facility near Chingola.

The pipeline is an expansion of existing

infrastructure to allow the mine to handle

larger volumes of slurry. It will also be used

as a backup system for possible pump

failures, says Rare Group Pipeline Services

manager Carl von Graszouw.

This project, being conducted by fluid con-

veyance company Rare Group, comprises

the supply and installation of the 610 NB

steel pipeline, lined with Rare’s 624 mm

HDPE SDR 36 plastic liners, as well as the

supply of 108 flanges.

It also includes civil engineering work,

bush clearing and commissioning. While

working on the project, Rare has been given

the job to reclaim 3 200 m of existing old

spool line that is being removed to accom-

modate the new pipeline.

“Rare’s plastic lining technology is used to

pull HDPE liners, which are welded in a con-

tinued string of up to 600 m, into the steel

host pipe. The HDPE liner’s outside diam-

eter is larger than the host pipe’s inside

diameter. After pulling the liner through a

reducing die and with the tension released,

the HDPE pipe will revert and form an inter-

ference fit inside the host pipe,” explains

Von Graszouw.

A high-profile projectThe project was awarded in August last year

and work commenced in October. The sup-

ply, installation and commissioning of the

pipeline should be completed by the end of

March this year.

Installation of the steel pipes and plas-

tic welding started at the beginning of

December last year, and civil work was com-

plete by mid February. HDPE-lined fittings

are installed on-site. “We are very excited

about the opportunity to apply this technol-

ogy, as this is a first for Zambia”, notes

Von Graszouw. Rubber lining was previously

used on all pipe fittings.

He adds: “The pipeline follows a route

through community areas and across the

mining property, therefore reliability and

the lifetime integrity of the system is a high

priority. All work is executed while working in

a close relationship with the local environ-

ment protection agency.”

Pipe solutions for AfricaThe supply and installation of thermoplastic piping systems at a diamond cleaning centre and the first of two phases for a new slurry pipeline at a copper mining company are well underway, and should be complete by the end of March this year.

Pipes at Konkola Copper Mines’ Muntimpa tailings storage facility are being lined with Rare’s 624 mm HDPE SDR 36 plastic liners on-site. Due to the speed of installation and the integrity of the constructed system, the use of its plastic lining technology results in a significant reduction on the impact on the community and environment


Pipe solutions for AfricaThis is a high-profile project that plays a

major role in the continued operation of the

mine. If the second phase of the project

is completed in 2015, it will be the last

phase of three slurry pipelines, measuring

a total of 25 km and operating at 20 bar

pressure, that would have been installed

by Rare Zambia for Konkola Copper Mines

in Chingola.

Debswana pipe project: BotswanaThe new diamond cleaning centre project

for De Beers’ Debswana operations in

Gaborone involved the installation of ther-

moplastic piping systems, which included

materials such as polyvinylidene fluoride

(PVDF) and polypropylene.

This facility is being installed

to enable De Beers to use new,

groundbreaking technology to

clean over 95% of the world’s

diamonds, including gems from

Russia, the USA, Canada and

Australia. Previous methods

allowed only ‘first cut rough’

to 98% efficiency, but the new

technology should increase final

product output remarkably, thus

increasing profits.

Site establishment was achieved in early

December last year and installation started

soon after. Rare’s work on-site was due to

be complete before the end of last year, but

design changes have since increased the

scope of work for the company to approxi-

mately three times the original scope.

Only the best will doAll the pipes and fittings, which have been

imported from Europe, are of the highest

standard, as the combination of acids and

chemicals used in the production process

demands specific grades of piping materi-

als. This follows the design specifications

of the principal contractors, who are based

in the UK.


The lead time of installing these compo-

nents has created a necessity to control

resources accordingly. This includes a dou-

ble-containment system that prevents and

contains potential spillage that could result

in environmental damage.

According to Rare project manager

Jonathan Sizer, it is testament to the com-

pany’s knowledge, expertise and experience

in double-containment piping that allows

them to be responsible for the commission-

ing of this critical equipment.

“The specialised welding capabilities of

Rare’s certified plasticians have resulted

in numerous successful piping projects with

De Beers. Our stringent ISO QMS meets the

requirements of the world’s largest diamond

producer,” Sizer explains.

Despite a relatively late start to

the project, plus the unforeseen

delays in material delivery, Rare is

confident of reaching the hando-

ver date of 20 March 2015.

Steel pipes are being put in position and prepared to be lined with Rare’s 624 mm HDPE SDR 36 plastic liners on-site. The pipeline should be completed by March 2015

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DETAILED PIPELINE DESIGN TECHNICAL INFO CONTAINED IN CD OR PDF FORMAT IS AVAILABLE ON REQUEST FROM DPI PLASTICS AND CONTAINING, INTER ALIA: • Trenching, bedding & backfilling • Repairs • Testing • Handling & storage • Soil / pipe Interaction • Deflection, live loads & wall stress • Velocity & flow charts


AS ONE OF THE LARGEST pump

stations in KwaZulu-Natal, the

Mahatma Gandhi Road sewer

pump station transfers all sewage

from the Durban CBD, Berea and surround-

ing areas across the harbour to a treatment

works on the seaward side of the Bluff.

Due to the fact that it occupies a prime site

within the upmarket development zone of

the Durban Point Development Corporation

(DPDC), eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality

requested that the pump station be relo-

cated adjacent to the northern entrance

of the recently commissioned Durban

harbour tunnel.

Hatch Goba KwaZulu-Natal lead for water

and tailings Kendall Slater highlights the fact

that the original pump station is supplied by

a 1 350 mm diameter gravity sewer, located

250 m from the new site development. “The

gravity sewer therefore had to be extended

by 221 m, while the pump station was con-

structed 13 m below ground level,” he notes.

First-of-its-kind microtunnel solutionMontso Lebitsa, Hatch Goba manager:

Tunnels and Trenchless Technology, explains

that the most appropriate and least risky

solution for the extension of the sewer under

the congested Mahatma Gandhi Road was

identified as a trenchless method using

a slurry type, AVN microtunnelling tech-

nique. There are many different trenchless

technology methods in the market, but

ground conditions, limited working space,

the size of the sewer and vertical align-

ment control were primary factors influencing

the choice of a technique. The other chal-

lenge was the horizontal curved alignment to

bypass the historical buildings. Regarding the

new approach, Lebitsa says, “This particular

tunnelling method was unique in South Africa

and set the precedent for future project

innovations. The installation took just 24

days to complete in May 2012, which is a

major achievement.” Microtunnelling is an

‘unmanned’ mechanised pipe jacking tech-

nology, whereby all jacking and alignment

are controlled from the computerised control

cabin at the top of jacking pit.


The multi-award-winning, R120 million Mahatma Gandhi Road sewer pump station relocation project in Durban officially reached completion in November last year, following three years of industry-leading innovations and world-class project management.

Mahatma Gandhi Road sewer pump station


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When a rugged job demands a high degree of precision, the TIDALFLUX 2300 F performs and never quits.

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Sensitive but strong

The 221 m long microtunnel consists of a 113 m straight section

from the jacking pit; a 102 m curved length with 350 m radius (to

bypass the protected historical Harbour Master Building); and a 6 m

straight section breaking into the existing northern entrance of the

harbour tunnel.

The length of the tunnel was in excess of the designed length for

the conventional hydraulic drive from container to machine. As a

result, an electrically-driven hydraulic power pack within the micro-

tunnel was used to accommodate the longer-distance tunnel drive.

This process of pipe jacking involves an advancing, rotating ‘micro-

TBM’ machine cutter-head and the jacking equipment in the jacking

pit, which pushes a string of pipes behind the micro-TBM. The exces-

sive length of pipes to be jacked including around the curved section

would normally increase pipe skin friction exponentially. To cater

for this, two intermediate jacking stations were installed at 33 m

and second one at a further 100 m behind the machine, with eight

646 kN and 700 mm stroke hydraulic cylinders. These intermediate

jacks would be used for staged incremental jacking, thus reducing

the length of pipes to be installed and the jacking pressures on the

front pipes,” he explains.

A microtunnel boring machine (micro-TBM) – with an advanced

laser guidance system – was used for this intricate and highly com-

plex task. The laser target position was relayed to the control cabin

to allow the operator to effect steering adjustments as necessary

to follow the design ‘pre-programmed’ alignment. When the tunnel

reached the curve, Slater points out that a gyroscopic guidance

system was used to control line and level.

“The alignment was checked manually every 40 m, using standard

surveying equipment, to ensure that the positioning system remained

accurate. The TBM reached the end point within a deviation of less

than 20 mm, which is testament to the accuracy of the guidance

system and the ability of the operating team,” he continues.

At its shallowest, the microtunnel was at depth of 6 m below

ground and some 4 m below the natural water table. The micro-TBM

used a pressurised slurry system. The slurry, a “conditioned fluid,

usually water or mixed with bentonite in difficult and highly perme-

able ground conditions”, was pumped to the front of the machine to

generate a positive pressure at the cutting face of the excavation,

thereby preventing collapse. “Water was used initially for slurry.

Bentonite was later used as the ground conditions became unsuit-

able for the use of water,” explains Slater.

The same slurry was used as a transport medium for the exca-

vated material, and pumped back via a slurry return pipeline into a

separation plant at the surface.


“Despite these potential risks, the main contractor accumulated close to 270 000 LTI-free hours with only a single LTI recorded over the three-year construction period. This is an outstanding accomplishment.” Montso Lebitsa, manager: Tunnels and Trenchless

Technology, Hatch Goba

Aveng Manufacturing Infraset produces a diverse range of precast concrete products

to world-class quality standards and actively contributes to SADC

infrastructure development. Our range includes concrete pipes, culverts,

manholes, special precast products, various types of pre-stressed

railway sleepers, turnouts, maintenance-free railway

electrification masts and poles, paving blocks, retaining wall

systems and roof tiles.

Aveng Manufacturing Infraset’s admired

heritage is founded on innovation, technical

and serviceexcellence.

SEVEN WAYS TO LASTING

INFRASTUCTURE

KERBS

INFRASTRUCTURE

PAVING

POLES & MASTS

RETAINING WALLS

ROOF TILES

RAILWAY

INFR SET

Pipes • Culverts • Manholes: GautengTel: +27 (0)11 876 5100

Cape TownTel: +27 (0)21 908 1156

Kwazulu Natal (Pietermaritzburg)Tel: +27 (0)33 387 2236

Aveng Manufacturing House

Tel: +27 (0)11 876 5500Fax: +27 (0)11 872 1713

email: [email protected]

www.infraset.com

Railway Sleepers • Poles & MastsNationalTel: +27 (0)11 813 2340

Paving • Retaining Walls • Roof TilesRossway (Midrand) Tel: +27 (0)12 652 0000

Kwazulu Natal (Effingham) Tel: +27 (0)31 569 6900

International BranchesSwazilandTel: +2682 518 4236

ZambiaTel: +260 21 131 1838

RR_11329_AVENG_CORP_A4PRINTAD_19SEP14_v1.4.pdf 1 2014/09/25 5:32 PM


Aveng Manufacturing Infraset produces a diverse range of precast concrete products

to world-class quality standards and actively contributes to SADC

infrastructure development. Our range includes concrete pipes, culverts,

manholes, special precast products, various types of pre-stressed

railway sleepers, turnouts, maintenance-free railway

electrification masts and poles, paving blocks, retaining wall

systems and roof tiles.

Aveng Manufacturing Infraset’s admired

heritage is founded on innovation, technical

and serviceexcellence.

SEVEN WAYS TO LASTING

INFRASTUCTURE

KERBS

INFRASTRUCTURE

PAVING

POLES & MASTS

RETAINING WALLS

ROOF TILES

RAILWAY

INFR SET

Pipes • Culverts • Manholes: GautengTel: +27 (0)11 876 5100

Cape TownTel: +27 (0)21 908 1156

Kwazulu Natal (Pietermaritzburg)Tel: +27 (0)33 387 2236

Aveng Manufacturing House

Tel: +27 (0)11 876 5500Fax: +27 (0)11 872 1713

email: [email protected]

www.infraset.com

Railway Sleepers • Poles & MastsNationalTel: +27 (0)11 813 2340

Paving • Retaining Walls • Roof TilesRossway (Midrand) Tel: +27 (0)12 652 0000

Kwazulu Natal (Effingham) Tel: +27 (0)31 569 6900

International BranchesSwazilandTel: +2682 518 4236

ZambiaTel: +260 21 131 1838

RR_11329_AVENG_CORP_A4PRINTAD_19SEP14_v1.4.pdf 1 2014/09/25 5:32 PM

ABOVE LEFT First-of-its-kind microtunnel solution

ABOVE RIGHT The microtunnel boring machine with an advanced laser guidance system was used

“This particular tunnelling method was unique in South Africa and set the precedent for future project innovations.” Montso Lebitsa, manager: Tunnels and

Trenchless Technology, Hatch Goba

The 250 m3/hr separation plant was

equipped with a vibrating shaker screen rack,

two 15-inch hydrocyclones, and an agitator

designed to separate solids (in this case

sand and pebbles) from slurry fluid. After the

excavated material was separated, the recon-

ditioned slurry fluid was reused and pumped

back into the circulating slurry system.

Laying the pipeline Each concrete pipe was lowered into the

jacking pit via a crane and inserted into

the collar of the previously inserted pipe. A

wooden packing was inserted between each

pipe to prevent cracking as a result of point

loads occurring during the jacking process.

The hydraulic jacks were then closed on to

the other end of the pipe, which continued

the drive.

Slater states that the entire pipeline was

jacked forward from the rear end of the pipe-

line. “The pipes needed to be designed not

only for the permanent loading conditions but

also the temporary forces on the pipes during

installation. Bearing this in mind, inter-jack

stations were available to reduce the forces

on the pipes, and minimise the risk of dam-

age and associated downtime.”

About the pump stationThe pump station consists of four main

components: the screening chamber, wet

well, dry well and surface structure. It

houses four 250 kW immersible pumps

connected to two 1 000 mm diameter rising

mains that cross the harbour through the

tunnel. The pumps are also connected to

a combination of stainless steel and HDPE

pipework, ranging between 600 mm to 1

000 mm in diameter.

The pump station operates automatically,

depending on the inflow to the station, which

varies over a 24-hour period. Slater says that

the sump level is constantly monitored for

fluctuations in flow. “As the inflow increases,

the pumps speed up via variable-speed

drives. The number of pumps running and

their respective speeds are determined by a

programmable logic controller system.”

What’s more, the pump station also fea-

tures a ventilation system, an odour control

system, a backup generator and several

sluice gates that allow various portions of

the station to be isolated. The inlet sluice

gate is programmed to close when power

failures occur. Its motor is controlled by a

UPS, which closes the gate even when there

is no power, thereby preventing the pump

station from flooding.

Health and safety success Slater admits that deep excavations, con-

fined spaces, methane contamination, trip-

ping and falling hazards, high scaffolding,

deep water and high-traffic areas presented

numerous potential health and safety risks

to the project. “Despite these potential

risks, the main contractor accumulated

close to 270 000 LTI-free (lost-time incident)

hours with only a single LTI recorded over

the three-year construction period. This is

an outstanding accomplishment.”

Achievements formally recognised by industry The South African Institution of Civil

Engineering (SAICE) Divisional Award for

Operation and Maintenance Projects was

presented to Hatch Goba in October 2014,

in recognition of the lead role that the com-

pany played in ensuring the overwhelming

success of the project. Hatch Goba was

again commended one month later with

a special mention in the Civil Engineering

Contractors category at the prestigious Best

Projects Competition hosted by Construction

World magazine.

“The success of the Mahatma Gandhi Road

sewer pump station project is a result of vari-

ous teams working well together, including

client, contractor, sub-contractors, architects

and the Hatch Goba team. Thanks go out to

everyone who contributed to these coveted

achievements,” Slater concludes.


Microtunnel pipe being

installed


WATER IS MONEY. The price

of water is increasing all

over the world. As a result

of these price increases it is

necessary for the water industry to have the

most accurate methods of flow measure-

ment available.

In large distribution networks, flow meters

over 48 inches in diameter measure tre-

mendous volumes of water and, within this

diameter class, the smallest error will be

significantly magnified. Meters in these

large diameters are a challenge to calibrate

because there are few suitable facilities

able to accommodate them.

This article presents the different types of

calibration and accreditation methods used

to explain how volumetric flow measuring

accuracies can be achieved and certified.

AccreditationOne of the best methods to ensure that

a measurement is accurate is through

calibrating the primary measuring device on

a calibration rig. Accreditation is the inde-

pendent evaluation of conformity for that

calibration rig against recognised industry

standards. Certifying the accuracy of the

calibration rig should only be done by a rec-

ognised entity to ensure compliance.

Each country has their own organi-

sation responsible for accrediting

calibration facilities.

Depending on the location, the actual cali-

bration rig accreditation comes from that

individual country’s metrological organisa-

tion. These accreditation bodies established

in many countries are subject to oversight

by an authoritative body. The International

Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC)

is an international cooperation of laboratory

and inspection accreditation bodies. It was

formed more than 30 years ago and each

of its member organisations is evaluated

by peers for acceptance to ensure conform-

ity of products and services to support

international trade. For example, the United

Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS)

is equivalent to the Swiss Accreditation

Service (SAS), and both are comparable

to the American Association for Laboratory

Accreditation (A2LA) in the United States

and the Raad Voor Accreditatie (RvA) in

the Netherlands.

So how would a flow meter user know if

their measuring device has been calibrated

to the stated accuracy by an accredited cali-

bration facility? A user can determine this

by looking at the flow meter manufacturer’s

calibration facility accreditation organisa-

tion to see if it is registered as a member of

ILAC. Then the user must also verify that all

available meter sizes have been calibrated.

Flow meter calibration methodsNow that accreditation and competence

have been discussed, let’s look at some

of the actual calibration methods used.

Most manufacturers use one of the two

available methods. They use either the

master meter method or the direct volume

comparison method.

Master meter methodA master meter is a unit that has had its

measurement per formance proven by a

Larger flow meters speak volumesRichard Lowrie, manager: Water and Wastewater Industry, Krohne, provides a cost-benefit analysis for maintaining the accuracy of large flow meters from a global perspective.


FIGURE 1 Block diagram of a master meter calibration rig


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recognised standard for the purpose of being used as a calibra-

tion device. Normally, these meters are highly accurate and stable

but must be verified and periodically recalibrated to ensure their

per formance remains valid. Calibration rigs using the master

meter method can achieve accurate calibrations. However, there

are greater uncertainties with this method. If there are any uncer-

tainties with the calibration rig, these will be passed along to the

meters they are calibrating. Also, in order to be truly effective, the

master meter should be comparable in size to the meter under

test. For example, calibrating an 84 inch meter with a master

meter of 42 inches cannot achieve the requisite volumes or veloci-

ties for calibration.

Direct volume comparisonThe other most commonly used calibration method is by direct

volume comparison. This can be done with the use of a prover, a

tower, or a tank. This method involves passing a known volume

of liquid though a meter, recording the meter’s output (usually a

pulse per volume count), and comparing it to the known volume of

the chamber used for the calibration.

On a prover, the flow is timed by the use of high-accuracy switch-

es. The first switch is activated upon the piston or ball passing

and the second high accuracy switch is activated when the piston

passes it. Measurement of the meter’s flow is compared to the

known volume of the prover chamber and a meter factor, or a cali-

bration factor, is developed. This calibration method is widely used

and accepted. These provers must be calibrated (water drawn)

each year. The uncertainties of provers are normally lower than

those of the master meters because the volume of the chamber

is verified directly.

The final direct volume method to discuss is the tower or tank

calibration. Much higher volumes of liquid are normally available

for calibration with this method, although it can also be scaled

down for use with very low liquid volumes for small-diameter

meters. Like in the piston prover, high-accuracy switches are used

to identify the precisely known volume and flowing time between

two points of the level in the tank or tower. The volume and flow

rate are compared to the total reported on the flow meter being


FIGURE 2 Block diagram of a piston prover calibration rig


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calibrated and a meter factor, or calibration

factor, is determined. Tank calibrations use

the same methods, but measurements

between the switches are recorded while

filling the tank rather than by emptying it.

Large-diameter challengeWhy is calibration important to a design

engineer or an end user? In a nutshell,

accuracy equals money. Take large-diameter

magnetic flow meters for example.

A magnetic flow meter is actually a veloc-

ity device because it measures the veloc-

ity of the conductive fluid product passing

through a magnetic field. As it travels

through this field, the fluid’s velocity cre-

ates a proportional induced voltage at

two electrodes in the

meter. The volumet-

ric flow rate is deter-

mined by multiplying

the fluid velocity by

the cross-sectional

area of the measured

section. Most of the

time, with large diameters, the meter’s size

is selected to operate at about 3 to 3.7

metres per second (mps) for the maximum

volumetric flow rate.

Magnetic flow meter accuracy is normally

stated as a function of measured value or

rate of flow. For example, a small meter with

a stated accuracy of 0.5% measuring a flow

rate of 45 m3 per hour can be reasonably

expected to be within 3.79 litres. However,

a large-diameter meter with that same

stated accuracy measuring a flow rate of

0.04 m3 per second is expected to be within

1.9 million litres per day or 131 513 litres.

A calibration done to a smaller-diameter

meter can be readily done at the expected

maximum velocity and therefore there is

high confidence with the measurement

throughout the full per formance range.

ConclusionFrom this brief description, it becomes

apparent that if a large-diameter meter is

selected to measure flowing velocities rang-

ing between 2.1 mps to 3.7 mps, a flow

rig with the ability to reach those velocities

should be used for that meter’s calibration.

However, if that meter can only be cali-

brated at 10% to 20% of that velocity range,

it would not be easy to have the same high

degree of confidence in its performance.

As mentioned earlier, in order to produce

a recognised calibration certificate, each

flow meter manufacturer’s calibration rig

should be accredited by a recognised agen-

cy. The accreditation certificate will list the

total volume and the sizes of the calibration

rigs. The certificate also lists the verified

uncertainty of the calibration rig.

For a full list of references and additional infor-

mation, please contact [email protected].

Why is calibration important to a design engineer or an end user? In a nutshell, accuracy equals money




SALGA AND THE Water Research

Commission (WRC) relaunched the

Municipal Benchmarking Initiative

MBI in 2011. What progress has

been made since then and what does it say

about the value of benchmarking?

A novel South African feature introduced to

water services benchmarking is the modular

and tier-based approach that encourages and

enables participation by all, at a level aligned

with their current capabilities and future aspi-

rations. Web-based reporting systems and

automatically generated performance reports

offer time savings, reliability and the poten-

tial for enhanced management oversight.

The MBI offers a bottom-up focus on

the performance measurement capabili-

ties of municipalities, with the provision of

appropriate support to strengthen perfor-

mance reporting systems and affirm their

importance for effective service delivery.

The objective is improved service delivery,

achieved through improved management

decision-making and oversight, which rests

in turn on more reliable, comprehensive and

up-to-date performance data. The focus is on

spurring internal performance improvement,

with an emphasis on affirming the distinc-

tiveness of each municipality’s challenges

and strengths.

The municipal water services challengeWater services provision in South Africa is

the responsibility of municipal water services

authorities (WSAs). These organisations, and

their associated water utilities, are facing sig-

nificant challenges as they strive to increase

Benchmarking our way to better servicesWith social protests against inadequate service delivery on the increase, there is a renewed vigour in government’s approach to rolling out and maintaining water infrastructure. By Grant Mackintosh1, William Moraka2, Jay Bhagwan3, and Frank Stevens4

the quality and manage the costs of services

to their customers. Many of these challenges

are generally universal, including:

• increased customer level of service demands

• financial constraints

• ageing infrastructure

• security and emergency response concerns

• growth

• climate change and reduced environmental

footprint pressures

• stricter regulatory environment

• retirement/loss of experienced staff and

related workforce shortages.

Additional South African challenges include

rapid urbanisation and the need for prioritised

apportionment of scarce resources across

the municipality’s broader services delivery

mandate. These complexities often hamper

WSAs in delivering desirable levels of efficient

and sustainable services to consumers.

The Salga/WRC municipal benchmarking initiativeSalga and WRC re-established municipal

water services benchmarking in South Africa

as a lever for performance improvement. The

MBI is as an internal municipal management

tool that assists municipalities in strength-

ening their performance measurement and

monitoring systems, thereby identifying

where their key challenges lie and from there

formulate response strategies, with external

assistance, with reference to peer review and

knowledge sharing. Comparative benchmark-

ing among WSAs flags the strong performers

in particular areas as a source of learning

and information sharing among peers.

More specifically, the MBI aims to:

• support improved efficiency and effective-

ness in water services delivery through

comparative performance benchmarking,

peer-to-peer knowledge sharing and itera-

tive performance improvements

• strengthen per formance measurement,

monitoring and management in munici-

pal water services provision, while rec-

ognising and affirming the distinctive-

ness of each municipality’s challenges

and strengths

• build communities of practice within and

between municipalities

• forge relationships of mutual respect and

trust between municipalities and the MBI

team that strengthen the development of

per formance tracking, reporting and com-

parative assessment systems.

The MBI support team is well balanced and,

in addition to experienced professional ser-

vices providers from Emanti Management,

Palmer Development Group and Maluti GSM,

also includes IMESA and eThekwini Water

and Sanitation.

Defining benchmarking Benchmarking is defined as the contin-

uous process of measuring one’s prod-

ucts, services and practices against those

companies recognised as industry lead-

ers. It also includes the search for the

best industry practices that will lead to

superior performance.

BenchmarkThis can be defined as:

• noun: a standard or point of reference

against which things may be compared



• verb: evaluate (something) by comparison

with a standard

• performance levels of another organisation.

BaselineBasline can be defined as:

• a minimum or starting point used for

comparisons

• e.g. average current performance – check

in future – changing?

• target

• level of performance you are aiming to

reach in the future.

StandardStandard can be defined as:

• a level of quality or attainment

• e.g. attend to all bursts within six hours.

The process of benchmarking often involves

the following steps:

1. Knowledge of one’s own operations

(i.e. understanding one’s strengths and

weaknesses).

2. Gaining knowledge of the external market by

researching other companies. In this regard,

it is important to know what companies in

other industries are doing – some useful

ideas and techniques may be adopted.

3. Establishing performance targets based

on knowledge gained.

4. Directing one’s efforts on the established

best operating characteristics.

The stages and maturity of benchmarking are

illustrated in Figure 1.

Benchmarking is thus a tool to identify,

establish and achieve standards of excel-

lence – standards based on the realities of

the market place. In this context, benchmark-

ing reveals who the strong performers are,

and raises constructive questions about

what it is that they are doing that enables

them to outperform their peers. Comparative

performance indicators alert municipalities

as to where their key vulnerabilities lie, and

strengthen their receptivity to initiatives aim-

ing to address such. Often this will provide

‘breakthrough’ thinking within organisations

that lead to non-linear improvements/break-

throughs in performance.

The relationship between performance measurement and performance improvement Benchmarking is about more than comparative

assessment – year on year, assessing this

year’s performance against last year’s, or

this year’s performance against this year’s

top performers elsewhere. Benchmarking is

essentially all about performance improve-

ment. It is not an end in itself; it is a tool, and

a means to a far greater end – performance

improvement, through the systematic search

and adaptation of leading practices. The

point is to reflect on the findings to decide

how and where to improve.

The European Benchmarking Cooperation

distils the relationships between perfor-

mance assessment and improvement in the

manner seen in Figure 2.

It is evident from Figure 2 that benchmark-

ing is not a once-off or static snap-shot.

Figure 3 illustrates the critical linkages

between data, performance information, per-

formance management and benchmarking.

As shown in Figure 3, performance indica-

tors enable comparisons with others. At the

simplest level, quantitative indicators enable

quantitative comparison, known as metric

benchmarking. Metric benchmarking shows

how the current performance of an entity

compares with the performance in a previous

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time period, or how the performance of

one entity compares with the performance

of another organisation. It is, however, not

diagnostic, and cannot explain why the per-

formance of one entity is different to another.

The reasons for the differences in perfor-

mance between two or more entities fall into

two broad categories:

• those beyond the control of management

(water sources, terrain and topography,

legacy issues, etc.)

• those within the control of management

(level of commitment to excellence, choic-

es made around particular technologies

and processes, efficiency of operations,

priority given to asset management, etc.).

Benchmarking focuses on performance

issues within the control of management.

Process benchmarking is concerned with

how a utility approaches a particular task, pro-

cess or function. It entails detailed analyses

of the process flows of a particular aspect

of operations (leak detection and repair, cus-

tomer billing, etc.) with the objective of learning

from strong performers, and adapting internal

systems to refine, streamline and enhance the

process flow to achieve optimal performance.

This approach is generally iterative, with oppor-

tunities for quick gains tapering towards more

subtle adjustments and per-

formance improvement out-

comes, once the quick wins

have been exploited.

Ideally, benchmarking will

reveal opportunities for quick

wins, through learning from

the approaches of others.

As Figure 4 shows, the most

desirable gains are those

that deliver substantial ben-

efits for limited effort (A). As

the organisation becomes

more efficient, achieving fur-

ther performance improve-

ment requires considerably

more effort (B).

Learning about possible

quick wins can be a powerful motivator to

organisations to participate in benchmarking –

particularly for participants coming from a low

baseline performance. Ideally, this incentive

can build momentum to strengthen the inter-

nal performance management systems that

will deliver the steady gains to the benefit of

all users and the sector. Over time, evidence of

tangible benefits accrued through participating

in benchmarking will also – hopefully – moti-

vate organisations to refine their performance

management systems and move increasingly

towards B's efficiency gains.

The MBI made simpleSome people think benchmarking is only for

metros or involves significant time and/or

costs. Not true – municipal participation is vol-

untary and should focus on what will improve

'your' municipal water services.

Every ambitious municipality strives for

service quality, efficiency and best practice.

Benchmarking will help your municipality to get

the best results and also how to keep improv-

ing. But you choose your level of participation.

Benchmarking process A typical benchmarking process considers

the following steps:

• select useful performance indicators (PIs)

• collect and store data (data should be fit

for purpose)

• analyse data and generate PIs

• discuss and interpret your PIs (What is

going on?).

Find your level of participation – basic, intermediate or advanced? One of the key objectives of the MBI is to

attain a level of participation by all municipali-

ties. Hence, a key feature of the MBI is the

use of a modular, tiered approach to encour-

age and enable all to participate, at a level

aligned with their current capabilities and

future aspirations. Municipalities choose at

what level they would like to participate (e.g.

basic, intermediate or advanced). Although

a default list of suggested PIs is provided,

municipalities are free to choose at what level

and what PIs they measure/monitor/manage

(dependent on their needs and circumstance).

Find the right PIs for you Identifying the most suitable performance

indicators is easy if you know what you want

your municipality to achieve. If you take a

methodical approach and think about what

you want your municipality to achieve, it

should be easy to find PIs that suit you.

Through consultation with municipalities, sec-

tor experts, and review of international best

FIGURE 1 Maturity levels of benchmarking (Source: Petrarolo, D (2014))

FIGURE 2 The relationship between performance assessment and improvement (Source: EBC, 2010)

FIGURE 3 The relationship between data, performance information, performance management and benchmarking

FIGURE 4 The relationship between effort and benefits in performance improvement



practice, the MBI team have developed a

'shopping list' of PIs from which to choose.

Process benchmarkingThe current focus areas are:

• Water Services Master Classes

• peer groups (incl. city working groups)

• National MBI Annual Workshop.

Water Services Master ClassesWater Services Master Classes (WSMCs)

have been established as peer-learning

exchanges designed to bring together senior

technical and management staff, experts,

and professionals on key areas of the water

services business. The exchanges are based

on a blended learning approach that priori-

tises interactive discussions and cross-pol-

lination of information and experiences. The

emphasis is on practitioner to practitioner

exchanges. The classes draw from local

case studies and better practices, which are

shared through presentations and deepened

through group conversations. The WSMC is

part of the peer-to-peer knowledge sharing

that aims to provide access to a support

network of peers and dedicated profession-

als where common experiences, achieve-

ments and challenges can be shared. The

WSMCs include:

• free participation by all

• technical overviews

• case studies

• best practices

• sharing common issues/challenges faced

• unpacking successful projects

• performance measurement (PIs)

• networking.

Peer working groupsIn order to structure peer learning around a

specific topic, the establishment of various

working groups is supported by the MBI team

(e.g. city working groups (CWGs)). The work-

ing groups are meetings of specialist prac-

titioners, aimed at discussing performance

as assessed by the PIs associated with the

module, and sharing knowledge and best

practice. Peer working groups:

• are established for each module

• look at how issues are addressed

• deliberate on specific topics

• track PIs and discuss drivers of performance.

National MBI WorkshopThe aim of the annual benchmarking work-

shop is to discuss project progress, current

status and performance via PIs; to draw

from local case studies and better prac-

tices, with an emphasis on practitioner to

practitioner exchange; encourage networking

FIGURE 5 Initial MBI performance measurement modules, and the different tiers



and peer group interactions; and agree on

appropriate actions to address challenges.

The National MBI Annual Workshop 2013

was again aligned with the annual IMESA

conference as a day-and-a-half municipal

benchmarking event from 21 to 22 October

2013, at the Boardwalk Hotel and Conference

Centre in Port Elizabeth. All municipalities

(regardless of maturity of participation level)

were invited to attend this benchmarking

event. The primary target audience was

senior water services' technical and manage-

ment staff. Seventy-three persons attended,

of which municipal participation was 71% of

the total attendance, with a good distribution

of metros, district municipalities and local

municipalities. All six benchmarking modules

were covered in the workshop with invited

speakers on specific topics followed by MBI

benchmarking outputs.

In general, municipal feedback was that

the workshop was worthwhile and enjoyable.

In particular, comment was made that the

topic experts set the scene well, and that

the municipal-led case studies were impor-

tant (i.e. hearing from municipal peers as to

how municipalities deal with challenges and

issues). Municipalities showed an eagerness

and enthusiasm for benchmarking and there

was a general expression for enthusiasm

to become more involved going forward.

Furthermore, discussion regarding draft MBI

scorecard results (as illustrated by PIs) was

generally positive. The feedback obtained

showed that the general sentiment from

municipal participants was overwhelmingly

positive in terms of workshop content, pro-

fessional development, presenter quality, and

networking opportunities.

Metric benchmarking A key principle of the MBI is that munici-

palities are encouraged to start basic (less is

more), entrench basic participation, and then

expand participation as most appropriately

suites themselves.

To encourage such participation, the MBI

team’s tactical approach has stressed the

strategic importance of the MBI team sourc-

ing/obtaining/utilising existing municipal data

and pre-populating the Munibench system

with such existing data – as far as possible

– and thereby avoiding duplication of munici-

pal effort. It has variously been noted – and

emphasised by the MBI Steering Committee

– that a reliance on municipal provision of

already provided data is likely to be seen

as a frustrating extra burden to participat-

ing municipalities. By contrast, successes

in securing and harnessing already provided

municipal data by the MBI team would be

well received by municipalities and would help

ensure there is no duplication in municipal

effort, with municipalities only having to fill

in the gaps. Considering this, the MBI team

has utilised a two-pronged approach to data

collection, namely:

• accessing municipal data already provided

to existing processes

• allowing municipalities to capture water

services data of importance/relevance to

improve performance (and establish bench-

marking/peer networks).

First, MBI scorecards were developed for all

152 WSAs based on sector available context

data and comprised 31 PIs, covering all MBI

modules). These draft scorecards allowed

municipalities the opportunity to view their

performance versus peers, and correct data

issues (i.e. incorrect data, no data). Data

contained within these scorecards was used

to generate the National MBI Report: 2013.

Second, peers groups – and at this stage

only the CWGs – have been very successful

in jointly agreeing to measure certain PIs and

report against these. As similar structures

are not yet up and running for DMs/LMs, the

DM and LM response to requests for data

submission for metric benchmarking has to

date been very poor. According to MBI ambas-

sadors from DMs and LMs, this is mainly due

to not having staff available for data gathering

and loading. A very good example of this is

the CWG on Water Conservation and Demand

Management, which worked closely with the

then Department of Water Affairs (DWA) to

update the state of non-revenue water among

the cities.

Key issues identified by the CWG in prevent-

ing metros from successfully implementing

WCDM include:

• poor planning

• budget constraints

• supply chain management issues

• inappropriate technical solutions

• lack of community acceptance or support

• poor levels of own revenue generation and

limited expenditure capacity

• poor metering and billing systems

• lack of skills, poorly trained and

apathetic staff.

These challenges have been shared through

the process with the DWA, and the WCDM

CWG has applauded the win-win efforts of the

MBI and DWA, and explained that the process

will not only drive performance improvement,

FIGURE 6 Water Services Master Classes

FIGURE 7 National MBI Annual Workshop 2013, Port Elizabeth

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but will also increase the DWA's credibil-

ity in the municipalities. Building on this col-

laboration, the DWA and MBI will work jointly

in harvesting and sharing municipal data

to support both regulatory and municipal

self-improvement purposes.

Similarly, based on the MBI scorecards,

theme-based regional feedback is generat-

ed for sector efforts to drive performance

improvement. An example of this is the non-

revenue water (by volume) for WSAs of Kwa-

Zulu-Natal as per Figure 9.

Findings and conclusionsThe MBI effort, and associated progress, has

been substantial; yet it is still very much a

fledgling process, (with reference to Figure

10) in which the majority of WSAs are in

Stage 1 (bearing in mind that international

experience among competitive private sector

multinational institutions is that each stage

has a duration of some four years).

Much work is still required to ensure that:

municipalities are monitoring/measuring their

performance; municipalities are reporting and

assessing their own performance with a view

to improve; and municipalities are engaging

other municipalities and sharing experiences,

challenges, issues of concern and through

this process improving their performance.

In order to overcome identified challenges

and still make significant progress, the MBI

is working hard at:

• the creation of peer networks with asso-

ciated sharing of data/information/best

practices/lessons learnt

• a peer review via checking adherence to

regulatory priorities

• the calculation of benchmarking PIs via

measurement of associated key variables

to indicate performance in particular areas

of interest/concern

• accessing and utilising existing municipal

data, and alignment to emerging nation-

al initiatives in this regard (e.g. National

Treasuries Standard Chart of Accounts),

to identify and address noted fundamental

water services challenges.

Ongoing reinforcement of these principles

by the MBI team to municipalities (espe-

cially via peer group activities) is therefore of

primary importance.

In addition to the efforts of the project team

and sponsors, success will be dependent

on interest, commitment and involvement

from municipalities (councillors, senior man-

agement, and technical staff), and supportive

involvement and alignment from key municipal

and water services sector groups, including

inter alia the DWA, DCoG, Salga, and the WRC.

With time and commitment, the MBI can lead

to substantial breakthrough improvements in

water services delivery in South Africa.

For a full list of references, please contact the


1 Emanti Management2 South African Local Government Association3 Water Research Commission4 IMESA, and eThekwini: Water and Sanitation

FIGURE 8 Non-revenue-water trend for all metros (Source: DWA, 2013)

FIGURE 10 Critical transitions present the risk of slipping backwards

FIGURE 9 Non-Revenue water across KZN WSAs

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CEMENT & CONCRETE

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THE PROJECT, awarded by state-

owned water utility Umgeni Water,

is part of the Lower Thukela Bulk

Water Supply Scheme that will

extend the utility’s bulk water infrastruc-

ture system along the KwaZulu-Natal North

Coast area to meet the ever-increasing water

demands of the population in this area.

Civil engineering and construction group

Esor has successfully completed an exten-

sive amount of work for this client in the

past and, along with competitive pricing and

a technically sound tender, the contract was

awarded in February 2013.

Laying of the 29 km pipeline, which has a

polyurethane exterior coating and an epoxy

internal lining, began at the Mvoti reservoir

and has progressed through KwaDukuza

and Darnall, and is currently en route to the

Command reservoir near Mandeni.

The pipeline will also cross the Nonoti

River by means of being attached to an exist-

ing road bridge. The Esor Pipelines team will

pay particular attention to pipeline crossings

of existing services such as powerlines,

fibre-optic cables, water and sewer pipe-

lines, as well as the construction of the new

pipeline adjacent to existing services. Eight

pipejacks, four beneath major roads and four

beneath operational railway lines, are also

being constructed.

The contract includes connecting the pipe-

line into the Mvoti reservoir and constructing

a new outlet chamber at the reservoir, and

connecting the outlet to the existing sup-

ply pipeline from Hazelmere. Esor will also

performance test the pipeline and this will

include testing of coatings, linings and hydro-

static pressure testing.

The core Esor Pipelines team on this

project totals 40 personnel, and about 200

local labourers have been recruited to sup-

plement the work crew. All the specialist

equipment necessary for this project has

been sourced from Esor’s own fleet.

The Thukela pipelineA relatively large tender was recently awarded for work on the Thukela pipeline project, which calls for the installation of 29 km of DN900 continuously welded steel pipeline, of 6 mm and 7 mm wall thicknesses, between the Command reservoir near Mandini and the Mvoti reservoir at KwaDukuza-Stanger in KwaZulu-Natal.

Esor’s Pipelines Division is installing pipelines that will extend Umgeni Water’s bulk water infrastructure along the KwaZulu-Natal North Coast area

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CEMENT & CONCRETE

AUDITORS LAST YEAR convened

at the request of the association

to review existing processes and

standards, as well as propose

amendments that will improve the overall

standards of the industry. It was also

aimed at simplifying the process of compli-

ance for companies and making it easier

to understand.

“Each year, we review our audit pro-

cess and feedback improvements in all

areas where our members are audited. This

includes safety, health, road traffic, environ-

ment and quality (SHREQ), where we main-

tain standards that are directly comparable

to ISO standards,” says Johan van Wyk,

general manager of Sarma.

Sarma standardsThe association is a front runner in terms of

introducing its own home-grown standards

based on ISO requirements. For the past

nine years, the association has reviewed

and revised standards for the readymix

concrete industry. Its accreditation pro-

cess requires successful completion of

an annual SHREQ audit, as well as a full

quality audit.

Accredited members are able to bid for

work wherever Sarma accreditation is a pre-

requisite and, in addition, ordinary buyers

also have the assurance of dealing with a

competent readymix supplier. “Accreditation

is an acknowledgment that the readymix

supplier concerned is a professional with

the necessary skills and equipment to pro-

duce quality concrete in a sustainable and

responsible manner,” says Van Wyk.

He explains that the association and

independent auditors have reviewed and

identified a number of key changes that

will be made for the next round of audits.

Simple yet practical initiatives will also be

implemented to simplify the process for

companies and auditors alike. Examples of

improvements to the audit regime include

starting audits of large corporate compa-

nies’ audits at head offices. This will allow

all relevant documentation to be scrutinised

and will minimise the documents required

at individual plants.

Changes to follow“Documentation often proves to be the

bane of companies seeking accredita-

tion and, without proper record keeping,

can cause many problems with obtaining

accreditation. Likewise, we will concentrate

on signage on sites this year, as it requires

urgent attention on many sites we visit, par-

ticularly where health and safety warnings

are concerned.

“Amendments will also be made to the

parts of the audit documents that deal

with training, recycling of water, inductions

for workers and visitors, labelling electrics

and COFs, equipment calibration require-

ments, etc. Other areas of improvement

may include:

• maintenance schedules

• staf f appointment procedures and

documentation

• document correctness

• quality controls

• road safety.

“This year we want to ensure that members

have access to all the information and tools

to ensure a seamless path to certification.

As long as they take cognisance of statu-

tory requirements and the requirements

according to Sarma standards – and abide

by these requirements – they will have no

problem passing the audits,” concludes

Van Wyk.

Sarma sharpens its

audit criteriaConcrete manufacturers belonging to the Southern Africa Readymix Association (Sarma) will have to pass tougher audit criteria this year in order to maintain their good standing with the association and meet tighter controls in line with international standards.



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The LION ALCOLMETER 600 and printer have a TOUCH SCREEN DISPLAY, preventing

language barriers & allowing data logging

CEMENT & CONCRETE

PLASMA COATINGS combines

the advantages of thermal spray

(metal) coatings with polymer-

based top coatings to offer the

benefits of wear resistance and non-slip

traction control. The metal base layer pro-

vides a hard, durable, wear-resistant surface

that protects components from wear due to

mechanical or contact-related forces.

Identifying a gap in the market Thermaspray managing director Dr Jan

Lourens explains that this technology has

not been supplied in South Africa before

because, up to now, the combination of ther-

mal sprayed coatings and polymer coatings

have not been available within one company.

Surface coating technology has just gone to the next level in South Africa with the introduction of an array of coatings from Plasma Coatings in the United States of America.

Stick to the professionals

“We identified a distinct gap in the market

for this type of coating, which, by reinforcing

the wear surfaces, achieves consistent per-

formance through improved machine traction

or allowing materials to slide (zero traction),

and cost-saving benefits for end users. This

technology can extend component life up to

10 years and reduce costs by as much as

30%. A reduction in mean time between com-

ponent replacement combined with savings

such as cleaning materials, as the easy-to-

clean surfaces need less frequent cleaning,

result in increased uptime and production.”

Thermaspray, which is a formal licensee

of Plasma Coatings, has made a substantial

investment in bringing the technology to

South Africa. “We purchased new equipment

including polymer spray systems and curing

ovens, and converted a current spray booth

to meet all the necessary application stand-

ards for plasma coatings,” adds Lourens

A dual-coating system The plasma or polymer spray system is a

dual coating consisting of a base or matrix

coating that is applied as a thermal spray

coating, followed by the application of a final

layer of polymer coating on top. Thermal

spray is the method of applying materials

on to a prepared base material by heating

particles in the stream of a heat source, cre-

ating a semi-molten state. Particles are then

propelled by high velocity on to a prepared

substrate, where they adhere to the base

surface via a mechanical bond.

The base coating is applied with one of four

different types of thermally sprayed coating

techniques or processes, i.e. combustion

wire metallising, electric arc, plasma and

high-velocity oxygen fuel. Polymers, avail-

able typically in the 0.03 mm to 0.08 mm

thickness range, are largely applied through

dispersion or electrostatic systems with

fluorocarbons, fluoropolymers, silicones,

epoxies or Teflon industrial coating. Plasma

coating can be applied to aluminium, steel,

stainless steel, tool steel, copper, ceramics,

and synthetic materials.

The market Plasma Coatings' range will benefit a wide

variety of diverse market sectors such as

food processing, packaging, printing, tyre

and rubber, paper and pulp, as well as vari-

ous plastics industries.

Ideally suited to the packaging and food processing industries, vibratory conveyor pans are coated with non-stick, high-release and easily cleaned coatings

The coating of the piping interior is done improve corrosion- and wear-resistant properties and reduce residue build-up

Advancing Local Economies Through Infrastructure Development

The Local Government Business Network, supported by various government departments and the private sector will be hosting municipalities, government departments and state owned enterprises in an intense two-day Summit to review, consult and address current issues facing government in further investments on Infrastructure development, the application of labour intensive technologies, methods and programmes, the second phase of the expanded public works programme, public private partnerships as well as partnerships with other government agencies to create jobs and accelerate service delivery. This summit will take place on the 25-26 May 2015, Durban ICC – City of eThekwini – Kwazulu Natal, where senior government and municipal officials, business and civil society will network, engage and share ideas on the way forward. The Summit will take stock on the progress of the R3.2 Million spend on Infrastructure Development, as well as progress made by the various structures that have been set to advance the plan.

While a big chunk of the money is expected to come from the National Fiscus, especially for public service facilities, there is a call for State Owned Enterprises and private sector to partner and ensure that various forms of financing were explored to fund the build process. Through this Municipal Infrastructure Summit 2015, the Local Government Business Network will create an open opportunity for government and municipalities to meet a wide range of stakeholders including the private sector, SOE's and social partners to explore various innovations and solutions to accelerate infrastructure development and map out alternative funding models

Major Drivers and Insights for this year's summit will include:

Ÿ Stirring developmental duties to the right path to structure and manage infrastructure development in the local governments

Ÿ Addressing municipal funding model and how it affects the national economic picture

Ÿ Develop a capacity building process to sustain economic growth for available infrastructure

Ÿ Evaluating situational analysis to determine level of development and priorities

Ÿ Foreseeing social and economic issues before hand to prevent public unrest and interruption to infrastructure programmes

More than 500 delegates are expected to attend the summit in an environment that actively encourages and facilitates the cross-fertilisation of ideas and experiences. The Summit format will be heavily based on case studies to enable participants to immediately use that information within their own organisations. The roles and priorities of infrastructure development practitioners will be examined in detail during the following Breakaway Commissions (Sessions).

Ÿ Municipal Infrastructure Financing and Investment Ÿ Rail, Roads and Public Transportation Ÿ Housing, Water and Sanitation Ÿ Municipal Energy, Environment and Green SolutionsŸ Municipal Technology Solutions and Service Delivery Innovations

Municipal InfrastructureSummit 2015

BROUGHT TO YOU BY: SUPPORTED BY: MEDIA PARTNERS:

25-26 May 2015 | Durban ICC

For further information or partnership opportunities on the Summit or to book a package, kindly contact Baatseba on 011 807 5359 or 011 039 2211 or Bainang directly on 082 474 3748 or email [email protected] or visit our website at www.lgbn.co.za.

Advancing Local Economies Through Infrastructure Development

The Local Government Business Network, supported by various government departments and the private sector will be hosting municipalities, government departments and state owned enterprises in an intense two-day Summit to review, consult and address current issues facing government in further investments on Infrastructure development, the application of labour intensive technologies, methods and programmes, the second phase of the expanded public works programme, public private partnerships as well as partnerships with other government agencies to create jobs and accelerate service delivery. This summit will take place on the 25-26 May 2015, Durban ICC – City of eThekwini – Kwazulu Natal, where senior government and municipal officials, business and civil society will network, engage and share ideas on the way forward. The Summit will take stock on the progress of the R3.2 Million spend on Infrastructure Development, as well as progress made by the various structures that have been set to advance the plan.

While a big chunk of the money is expected to come from the National Fiscus, especially for public service facilities, there is a call for State Owned Enterprises and private sector to partner and ensure that various forms of financing were explored to fund the build process. Through this Municipal Infrastructure Summit 2015, the Local Government Business Network will create an open opportunity for government and municipalities to meet a wide range of stakeholders including the private sector, SOE's and social partners to explore various innovations and solutions to accelerate infrastructure development and map out alternative funding models

Major Drivers and Insights for this year's summit will include:

Ÿ Stirring developmental duties to the right path to structure and manage infrastructure development in the local governments

Ÿ Addressing municipal funding model and how it affects the national economic picture

Ÿ Develop a capacity building process to sustain economic growth for available infrastructure

Ÿ Evaluating situational analysis to determine level of development and priorities

Ÿ Foreseeing social and economic issues before hand to prevent public unrest and interruption to infrastructure programmes

More than 500 delegates are expected to attend the summit in an environment that actively encourages and facilitates the cross-fertilisation of ideas and experiences. The Summit format will be heavily based on case studies to enable participants to immediately use that information within their own organisations. The roles and priorities of infrastructure development practitioners will be examined in detail during the following Breakaway Commissions (Sessions).

Ÿ Municipal Infrastructure Financing and Investment Ÿ Rail, Roads and Public Transportation Ÿ Housing, Water and Sanitation Ÿ Municipal Energy, Environment and Green SolutionsŸ Municipal Technology Solutions and Service Delivery Innovations

Municipal InfrastructureSummit 2015

BROUGHT TO YOU BY: SUPPORTED BY: MEDIA PARTNERS:

25-26 May 2015 | Durban ICC

For further information or partnership opportunities on the Summit or to book a package, kindly contact Baatseba on 011 807 5359 or 011 039 2211 or Bainang directly on 082 474 3748 or email [email protected] or visit our website at www.lgbn.co.za.

CEMENT & CONCRETE


www.theconcreteinstitute.org.za+27 11 315 0300

KEY NUMBER 4506 A1 152X214

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RESEARCH INITIATIVES in this

regard include the long-term test-

ing of geopolymer concrete at

Transnet’s City Deep container

terminal in Johannesburg, a contract under-

taken by Murray & Roberts Infrastructure for

client Transnet Capital Projects.

“We have been able to carry out an enor-

mous amount of testing on these slabs,”

Cyril Attwell, manager: Group Concrete &

Research, Murray & Roberts Construction,

says. The latest strengths achieved are 75

MPa to 85 MPa after about 9 to 12 months

since installation. “Essentially what we are

doing is conducting trials for future applica-

tions of geopolymer concrete.”

Characteristics being investigated include

durability and abrasion resistance. “The

abrasion resistance is far higher than that

of normal concrete because it does not use

water as its critical mass,” Attwell says. He

explains that geopolymer concrete refers to

alkali-activated material. “The production of

geopolymer concrete in civil construction

projects is fairly recent.”

Environmental benefits Another sustainability feature of the

City Deep project was Transnet Capital

Projects’ stipulation that Murray & Roberts

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CEMENT & CONCRETE

Infrastructure had to recycle the old con-

crete paving broken out of the site. About

86% of the old, worn concrete pavements

was broken up and reused in the end,

amounting to about 123 840 m3 of the total

144 000 m3 of concrete. This far exceeded

the client’s original requirement.

“Transnet is a forward-thinking client,

as shown by the fact that we were able to

install geopolymer test slabs. Due to the

success of the project, the client is now very

excited about the process going forward, as

it is looking actively at other projects where

the use of concrete is limited.” A particular

environmental benefit of geopolymer con-

crete is that it does not require water for the

curing process.

“Water is a scarce resource, and its use

is likely to become very constrained in the

construction industry in the near future. We

MAIN The Concrete Centre of Excellence is located at the Elandsfontein head office of Murray & Roberts Construction

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP Casting geopolymer concrete at Transnet’s City Deep container terminal in Johannesburg; the pan mixer at the Concrete Centre of Excellence, which aims to raise the level of construction technology within the Murray & Roberts Group; the cube tester at the Concrete Centre of Excellence

CEMENT & CONCRETE


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Where time-critical installations of culvert crossings are required, then the ROCLA Precast Culvert Base Slab is an ideal solution. It is designed and manufactured to suit the ROCLA Precast Concrete Portal culverts and is profi led to suit these specifi c types of culvert which complete most projects.

ROCLA is Southern Africa’s leading manufacturer of pre-cast concrete products for infrastructure, including pipes, culverts, manholes, roadside furniture, retaining walls, stock troughs, poles and other related products.

Concrete Culverts

A strong foundation for infrastructure success

are currently designing

a geopolymer concrete

that can be cured by

utilising carbon diox-

ide, with the added

benefit of this mate-

rial acting as a carbon

sink as it traps the

carbon dioxide in the

geopolymeric form. This means the concrete becomes much

stronger far more quickly,” Attwell says.

Endless applications Murray & Roberts is also looking at the application of geopolymer

concrete in mine infrastructure, with a current trial taking place at

the Matla Brine Ponds project. “Infrastructure is a major focus as

it needs concrete that is highly durable and versatile. However, one

of the biggest potential applications of geopolymer concrete is for

the control of nuclear radiation.”

Attwell points to research conducted at the University of Sheffield

in the UK, whereby geopolymer concrete was used to effectively

neutralise the highly radioactive casings of nuclear fuel rods, by

essentially binding the radioactive substances within the concrete

material itself. This renders geopolymer concrete highly suitable

for South Africa’s estimated R1 trillion nuclear-build programme.

Other research initiatives include the development of a ‘coral

concrete’ for marine environments. “We are looking at applying

an electrochemical process to our marine concrete that removes

carbon dioxide from the ocean and binds it with calcium oxide to

form calcium carbonate or coral around any concrete structures.

The growth achieved is about 5 cm a year, which works well to

protect such structures against mechanical wave action and cor-

rosion,” Attwell says.

Another focus area is advanced recrystallisation (ARC) technol-

ogy, which refers to the optimisation of the arrangement of atoms

and molecules in a solid and amorphous state with concrete. “At

present, Murray & Roberts is the only construction company apply-

ing ARC technology on a regular basis,” Attwell says.

“By using ARC technology, we cross-polymerise aggregate with

the waste binders used in geopolymer technology at room tem-

perature, while absorbing carbon to form a protective membrane

due to the surface tension chemistry reducing the shrinkage and

causing a curing membrane, which forms automatically.

“The particular difference in the South African context is a re-

engineered silicate blend and a chemical design methodology

that reduces the activator requirement from about 200 l/m³ to

20 l/m³, as used at the City Deep project, while reducing the

normal shrinkage experienced with geopolymer technology from

1% to 0.025%, and reducing the requirement for heating during

curing,” Attwell concludes.

LEFT The drying oven at the Concrete Centre of Excellence

BELOW The curing baths at the Concrete Centre of Excellence


CONSTRUCTION VEHICLES, EQUIPMENT & LOGISTICS

OPERATORS USING seven-tonne

loaders in low-seam applications

can now look forward to the

protection of a fully enclosed,

FOPS/ROPS-approved cabin.

This is the latest upgrade on the Atlas

Copco Scooptram ST7LP, which was previ-

ously supplied with a canopy. The result is

a more comfortable working environment

with air conditioning, a spacious foot box

and a lower noise level.

“The working environment for

operators becomes more and

more important to our custom-

ers,” says Franck Boudreault,

product manager at Atlas

Copco. “This new cabin is a result of close

dialogue with different mining companies.”

Taking the leadAtlas Copco is the only equip-

ment supplier to offer a cabin in the

seven-tonne low-profile segment.

Scooptram ST7LP is a low-profile 6.8 tonne

capacity loader for demanding conditions

in narrow-vein mining. It is 1.4 m high

and 8.5 m long,

and is designed for back heights as low

as 1.6 m. It has a short power frame and

a long wheel base, which makes it easy

to maneuver.

Apart from the full functionality of the

Atlas Copco RCS control system, it also

has a unique traction control system that

minimises wheel spin when entering the

muck pile. This improves penetration, ena-

bles one pass-loading and significantly

reduces tyre costs.

An enclosed cabin for

added protection

The Atlas Copco Scooptram ST7LP low-profile loader – previously supplied with a canopy – has now been upgraded with a fully enclosed operator’s cabin



Southern African leading asphalt manufacturer and supplier

www.nationalasphalt.co.za+27 86 146 6656

A SKID-STEER LOADER has reached

10 000 hours of problem-free

operation working in a harsh appli-

cation on Braams Voerkrale, locat-

ed outside Durbanville in the Western Cape.

For the past 35 years, Braams Voerkrale

has been using Bobcat machines to clean

cattle pens and take care of various odd

jobs around the farm, which is home to

approximately 6 000 head of cattle. The

Bobcat S300 started its working life on

the farm in 2011 and reached the 10 000-

hour milestone during the second week of

July 2014.

“Because my existing Bobcats have proven

time and again to be the best machines for

these applications, I stuck with the best. And

the S300 certainly delivered. Without miss-

ing a beat, the machine works between 8 to

10 000 hours of problem-free operating

10 hours a day, requiring only the standard

regular service intervals.”

Regular services are keyErik Joosten, Bobcat Equipment SA’s aftermar-

ket manager in the Western Cape, explains

that the S300’s 250-hour services are taken

care of by Pieter’s farm mechanic, Jiaan.

“The bigger 500- and 1 000-hour service

intervals are done by Bobcat’s Cape Town

branch. The machine’s tilt cylinders have

been done, the radiator has been done twice,

and the starter and alternator have been

replaced. We also overhauled the machine

with new ‘Bobtach’ pins and bushes.”

Dedicated after-sales service Bobcat is responsible for training the

machine operators, who, having worked on

the farm for the past 20 years, have become

expert operators.

Bobcat has earned the coveted position

of world leader in compact equipment by

delivering a quality product range backed by

dedicated after-sales service from a team of

highly skilled technicians based at the com-

pany’s well-stocked branch network.

“We build long-term relationships with our

customers and look at the individual applica-

tion requirements so that we can provide the

best product solution.”

Jiaan Coetzee (left) receiving a certificate from Erik Joosten



WACKER NEUSON SE and the

Wirtgen Group have agreed to

enter a strategic alliance for

soil and asphalt compaction

rollers. Wacker Neuson will source rollers

from the Hamm factory in Tirschenreuth,

Germany, and distribute them via its own

sales network.

Hamm AG is a member of the Wirtgen

Group and has been producing rollers for over

100 years. The company’s portfolio includes

compactors, tandem rollers and static roll-

ers. As of 2015, the factory in Tirschenreuth

produces models to the technical and design

specifications of Wacker Neuson.

“This long-term collaboration brings togeth-

er two strong players in the compaction sec-

tor,” explains Cem Peksaglam, CEO, Wacker

Neuson SE. “The alliance with Hamm will ena-

ble us to close gaps in the Wacker Neuson

product portfolio and round off our offering

A rolling alliancein the soil and asphalt compaction segment

with tandem rollers weighing from 1.8 tonnes

to 4.5 tonnes, plus compactors weighing up

to 7 tonnes.”

The rollers produced by Hamm will be dis-

tributed via the Wacker Neuson sales network

under the Wacker Neuson brand. The group

will initially focus on European markets, and

expand globally further down the line.

“We have excellent market penetration and

a particularly dense sales and service net-

work in German-speaking countries. The addi-

tional roller models from Tirschenreuth will

enable us to offer customers an even broader

and deeper portfolio of compaction machines

backed by our proven, customer-centric ser-

vice,” explains Peksaglam.

Wacker Neuson has unveiled the first new

roller models to visitors at the construction

equipment trade show Baumag in Lucerne

(Switzerland), in January 2015.

“The collaboration with Wacker Neuson will

enable us to increase production output and

leverage economies of scale,” explains Jürgen

Wirtgen, manager of the Wirtgen Group. “This

is a very attractive partnership for several

reasons. In terms of sales structures, Wacker

Neuson’s dense sales network with its own

sales and service stations is a particular

plus. In addition, the move will extend our joint

customer reach,” Wirtgen adds.

Peksaglam concludes, “Strategic alliances

and collaborations like the one we are enter-

ing into with the Wirtgen Group are becom-

ing increasingly important in an increasingly

global and competitive market. They make

both parties more competitive.”

Wacker Neuson SE and the Wirtgen Group have agreed to a strategic alliance for soil and compaction rollers

TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION


valuable revenue and data, and the need

to switch to low-flow meters in many cases.

Elster has solved this problem and devel-

oped a meter with a measuring range of

1 600:1 – the Elster H5000 meter.

The H5000 keeps measuring at flows

below 0.03 litres per second and, because

it keeps metering 24 hours a day, we can

quantify leakage at far lower levels than

previously possible.

There is no other single meter globally that

is capable of this wide measuring range,

and it solves the problem of having to

use com-

b i n a t i o n

meters. The

c h a n g e o v e r

valves in combina-

tion meters require

maintenance and

cause major

reading errors

when they do

get stuck. They

are also ver y

expensive. The

H5000 solves a myriad

of problems faced every day by municipal

technicians, facilities managers, educa-

tional campuses and industrial users.

What technical features does the H5000 sport? It features an advanced electronic register,

including integrated communications that

cover a range of industry-standard outputs

that are compatible with common AMR/

AMI systems and data-logging equipment.

The H5000 is produced in a range of sizes

(40 mm to 150 mm diameter) approved

under the European Measuring Instruments

Directive 2004/22/EC and is available in

both ISO (WP) and DIN (WS) body lengths.

What other applications does it have?

Beyond bulk measure-

ment, the H5000 is

equally suitable for use

in water distribution

applications or in billing,

where it could have clear

and measurable commer-

cial benefits.

A first of its kindElster Kent has developed the H5000 bulk water meter, which is a true industry first. Leonardus Basson, sales and marketing director at Elster Kent Metering, discusses what makes the H5000 such an important product in the company’s line-up.

SPECIALISED technologies ena-

ble the product to measure both

low and high flow rates over a

24-hour period, providing not only

better data for leak detection and manage-

ment, but much-improved revenue genera-

tion for the utility.

Tell us about the most recent addition to the Elster Kent product line. LB Our most recent addition is the Elster

Kent H5000 Woltmann turbine bulk water

meter. It supersedes the well-embraced

H4000, designed for measuring bulk flows

of cold potable water for revenue billing

in commercial or industrial applications,

and distribution system monitoring. The

specialised functionality of the H5000 is

its low-flow capabilities, which provide a

metrological per formance offering accurate

measurement of night-time flows.

What problems does the the new meter solve? Bulk water meters typically do not meas-

ure low flows, resulting in a loss of very



SALT- OR SEAWATER contains chemicals with different

physical and chemical properties to fresh water. The salin-

ity of seawater has an influence on density, on the differ-

ent temperatures of freezing, and mainly on the corrosion

of any constructed object with which it may come into contact.

The average salinity of seawater is around 3.5%. This means

that each kilogram of seawater contains approximately 35 g of

dissolved salts, making seawater highly corrosive. Not only does it

dissolve the metal ions of different alloys rapidly, seawater also has

a negative effect on many other materials used in the manufacture

of devices for measuring the flow of seawater.

It is, therefore, critically important to choose suitable materials

for sensor linings as well as the electrodes of induction flow meters

used for the continuous measurement of seawater. This ensures

that the durability, longevity and functionality are not only optimal,

but economical too.

Instrotech has recently signed up a new agency, Elis Plzeň, a

Czech manufacturer and supplier of FLONET induction flow meters,

in different dimensions (DN20 to DN800), that are suitable for

saline applications.

It may be a landlocked country, but that has not deterred Elis

Plzeň from dedicating many years of research and development test

experience with applications for seawater, to ensure their induction

flow meter’s reliability and durability.

Elis Plzeň’s induction flow meters for saline applications have

sparked interest in the market, and particularly their FLONET

model DN700, which was recently dispatched within three weeks

from order to a client

in Greece.

Elis Plzeň expects con-

tinued interest in their

products for this demand-

ing and growing market

segment.

Taking the salt out of

measuring seawater

TOP Elis Plzeň Flowmeter Saline app RIGHT Elis Plzeň FN20XX Flow

WorleyParsons has a strong track record in delivering innovative solutions utilising pipelines, groundwater and membrane technologies and sustainability modelling for cost-effective water solutions.

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WATER

Water Supply | Water Treatment | Industrial Water Management Minesite Water Management | Water Reuse & Recycling Chemistry and Geochemistry | Numerical Modelling

Water management

for sustainable business

WP Water ad 105x297.indd 1 2014/08/15 3:12 PM

IME

SA

AF

FIL

IAT

E M

EM

BE

RS

AECOM [email protected] Broom Road Products [email protected] SA [email protected] [email protected] Manufacturing Infraset [email protected] Africa Group Holdings [email protected] Consulting [email protected] Bosch Munitech [email protected] Stemele [email protected] Brubin Pumps [email protected] Consulting Engineers [email protected] Consulting Engineers [email protected] Corrosion Institute of Southern Africa [email protected] Built Environment [email protected] Bank of SA [email protected] Plastics [email protected] Engineers [email protected] Kent Metering [email protected] Engineers [email protected] South Africa (Pty) Ltd [email protected] [email protected] Consulting [email protected] Goba [email protected] [email protected] Technology [email protected] Enterprises [email protected]@Consulting [email protected] Consulting [email protected] [email protected] Environment [email protected] and Green [email protected] Water [email protected] Consulting Engineers [email protected] Consulting Engineers [email protected] & Templer (K&T) Consulting Engineers [email protected] Base [email protected] Water [email protected] Narasimulu & Associates [email protected] Padayachee & Associates (Pty) Ltd [email protected] Consulting Engineers [email protected] Pipe Systems [email protected] & East [email protected] [email protected]

Mott Macdonald PDNA [email protected] Asphalt [email protected] Consulting (Pty) Ltd [email protected] Consulting [email protected] Engineering Systems [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] HaskoningDHV [email protected] SABITA [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Water Systems [email protected] Consulting [email protected] Lines [email protected] SA [email protected] Water Company [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Sobek Engineering [email protected] African Society for Trenchless Technology [email protected] Consulting [email protected] Pumps Wastewater [email protected] Syntell [email protected] Engineers East London [email protected] Consulting [email protected] Consulting [email protected] [email protected] VIP Consulting Engineers [email protected] VOMM [email protected] VUKA Africa Consulting Engineers [email protected] Institute of Southern Africa [email protected] Water Solutions Southern Africa [email protected] South Africa [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Group Africa [email protected]

IMESA

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATES



DESIGNED TO MAKE life easier for

customers and distributors, the

new Construction App contains

information on portable energy

products, road construction equipment, dem-

olition and recycling equipment, concrete and

compaction equipment, and service products.

Atlas Copco Construction Technique is now

launching an app for use with Apple and

Android devices, tablets and smartphones.

The app contains a huge store of informa-

tion about the company’s extensive range of

products and services for the construction

sector. It also keeps the user up to date with

the latest news about the construction mar-

ket and has a host of other useful features.

Highly user-friendlyThe different sections of the Construction App

are configured in such a way that it is easy for

the user to find exactly the information she or

he is looking for. When there are questions

about the product range and service offering,

the app will provide the answers.

The latest information and technical data

on Atlas Copco construction equipment is

easily accessible in the app and can be

downloaded. The app also provides heads-up

notifications of new product launches, and

other important news.

Simple-to-use filters make it easy to find

products and if more information or a quota-

tion is required it can be requested within

the app. The app also contains videos for

training purposes and interviews about the

company’s operations. Based on the user’s

location, it will give information on the near-

est Atlas Copco Customer Centre.

A daily working toolThe Construction App is the simplest way to

keep informed about the company’s entire

offering to this industry. It also enables users

to engage with the company on social media

and other channels. All in all, it is a daily work-

ing tool that makes life simpler for eve-

ryone involved in

using, purchas-

ing or selling

Atlas Copco

const r uct ion

equipment.

A new app to make life easier

Atlas Copco’s new Construction App is designed to make life easier for customers and distributors

INDEX TO ADVERTISERS


To advertise: Jenny Miller on +27 (0)11 467 6223 or [email protected] subscribe: Trust Makina on +27 (0)11 233 2600 or [email protected]

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5 stars Why personal

touches

really matter

R50.00 (VAT incl)

The good,

the bad

and

the ugly. What

has been

your weirdest

request?

HOW TO Secure

sponsorship for

your next event

SANCB’s

Amanda Kotze-

Nhlapo on

what to expect

at Meetings

Africa 2015

SPOTLIGHT

NOV/DEC 2014 • Issue 58

www.saco

nference.c

o.za The good,

the bad

and

Commercial Vehicles

Driver Wellness

Supply Chain Logistics

Managing Change

Logistics

Maputo Corridor

ISSN 1684-7946 Mar/Apr 2013 Vol. 11 No. 2 / R40.00 incl. VAT Barbara Mommon, CEO, MCLI – Ten years of

partnered progress on the Maputo Corridor P26

ISSN 1684-7946 September/October 2014 Vol. 12 No. 5 / R50.00 incl. VAT

Entering a New Era

in Southern Africa

Renault Trucks

Intraregional supply chain solutions from producer to consumer

ENDORSED BY

www.miningne.ws

COMMODITY DIAMONDSDiscovering Kimberlite

Dr Anthony Hodge:

Biodiversity in Mining

A F R I C A N U P D AT E S O N T H E G R O U N D A N D U N D E R G R O U N D

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

JUNIOR MININGBurkino Faso’s Gold Boom

DRILLING & BLASTINGMegalodon Rock Breaker

MINERALS PROCESSINGIncreasing Productivity

JOHNSON CRANE HIREBrains, and Brawn, Won the Day

ISSN 1999-8872 • R50.00 (incl. VAT) • Vol. 7 • No. 10 • October 2014

Expert Opinion

WIRED FOR WASTE

ISSN

168

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02 R

50.0

0 (in

cl V

AT)

• V

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6, N

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Aug

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OILKOL

Promoting integrated resources management

The of cial journal of the Institute of

Waste Management of Southern Africa

Institute ofWaste Managementof Southern Africa

LandfillRobinson Deep: gas-to-energy project launched

RecyclingIndustry commits to ‘Zero plastics to landfill by 2030’

CogenerationA viable and effective power source for Durban

RenewablesAfrica’s first concentrating cooling system

is printed on 100% recycled paper

Golder’s Andre Venter, divisional leader of integrated waste

management solutions, discusses the development and execution of

the new Waterval landfill site in Rustenburg

r

Gmh

er

Gm

t

Expe

The official magazine of the Water Institute of Southern Africa

Water & SanitationAfrica

Complete water resource and wastewater management

The best way to promote sound water resources management

principles is through working and sharing lessons with other

organisations. Phakamani Buthelezi, CEO of BGCMA P14

The official magazine of the Water Institute of Southern Africa

Sanitation

July

July/August 2014 • ISSN 1990-8857 • Cover price R50.00 • Vol 9 No. 4

MEDIA

OPINION

Managing groundwater

through technology sharingODOUR CONTROL

Managing plant odour

Promoting professional excellence in the water sector

IN THE HOT SEAT

THE HOT SEAT

THE HOT SEAT

Partnering change in Africa

WASTEWATER

Quality and sustainability

in service delivery

RAND WATER

RAND WATER

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SubsPortal_houseAd HP Nov2014.indd 1 2015/03/10 09:51:32 AM

A-OSH Expo 90 & LI

Aesseal 88

African Utility Week 62

Aggregate and Sand Producers Association SA 20

ALCO-Safe 92

Amanzi Meters 40

Amatola Water 14

Aquadam 4

Aquatan 34

Aveng Manufacturing DFC 42

Aveng Manufacturing Infraset 76

Barloworld Equipment 17

Bigen Africa 44

Bosch Stemele 46

Development Bank of Southern Africa 21

DPI Plastics 73

ECSA 26

ELB Equipment 24 & 86

Elster Kent Metering 48

GLS Consulting 50

Group Five Pipe IFC

Hall Longmore 79

Hydrodifusion 82

IMESA Call for Papers 38

IMESA Registration 64

IWC 68

Krohne 75

KSB Pumps & Valves 56

L&G Pipes SA 54

Lesira-Teq 52

Municipal Infrastructure Summit 2015 93

National Asphalt 98

PHB Engineers 103

Precision Meters 71

Rocla 96

SA Leak Detection 2

SBS Water Systems OFC

Sizabantu Piping Systems 70

SMEC 99

SRK Consulting 100

Technicrete 95

The Concrete Institute 94

Rare 80

Tosas 97

Totally Concrete Expo 12

Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies 36

Vovani Water Products 58

WSSA 30 & OBC

WEC Projects 60

WorleyParsons 101

WPCP 84

WRP Consulting Engineers IBC

INDEX TO ADVERTISERS

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