Imiesa March 2012

IMESASupporting water services

IMESAIMESA

MEDIA

The official magazine of the Institute of Municipal Engineering of Southern Africa

INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT • MAINTENANCE • SERVICE DELIVERY

Winner of the 2011 PICA Non-professional writer of the year

Buffalo CityWater supply scheme

InsightDecision dilemma

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CAT RM300 ROTARY MIXER

Key to road projectKey to road project

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Michael Gibbon, CE, Bosch Holdings “We want to be recognised as a world class engineering and operations group”

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VOLUME 37 NO 3 MARCH 2012Contents

15WaterWater

footprintfootprint

49MineMine waterwater

Multi-disciplinary contractor, Edwin Construc-tion, is playing a key role in expanding South Africa’s road network as it presses ahead on strategically important projects in the Limpopo and Free State provinces.

5333ManagingManaging

pollutionpollutionWaterWater supplysupply

Buffalo City53 Water for the people56 Rehabilitation of national route57 Drainage structures improved

Profile59 Complete waste solutions

Panel discussion61 Water and wastewater management63 Conrad Pilger: SEW Eurodrive65 Lepelle Northern Water67 Oliver Ive: Amanz’ Abantu69 Pierre Marais: Water and Wastewater

Engineering71 Brian Abbott: Festo72 Martin Overy: Water Purification Chemicals

and Plant74 Chris Ndela: Msunduzi Municipality77 Ralph Heath: Golder Associates78 Chris Jansen van Vuuren: Quality

Laboratory Services

Safety81 Open to interpretation83 Improving awareness85 Concrete solutions for structural problems

Products and services87 An alternative to grey parts89 Questionable quality91 Quick hydraulics92 Still pumping

Water9 Our next greatest challenge13 International innovation

Government perspective14 The Municipal Infrastructure Support

Agency

Industry perspective15 Making a water footprint

Hot seat16 Key appointments for

Bosch Holdings

Insight19 Making the right decisions

Water sustainability26 Know your water footprint27 Water scheme for rural area31 Water resource planning

Water and wastewater33 Managing water pollution43 Ground water resources45 AMD technology46 Sustained decrease in water use

Mine water49 A complete approach to water

treatment

Regulars3 Editor’s comment5 President’s comment

IMESA79 Supporting improved water services

Cover article6 Covering the full road construction

value chain

IMIESA MARCH 2012 3

EDITOR'S COMMENT

Richard Jansen van Vuuren, editor of IMIESA

Do municipalities spend enough of their budgets?

PUBLISHER Elizabeth ShortenEDITOR Richard Jansen van VuurenCREATIVE CHIEF EXECUTIVE Frédérick DantonSENIOR DESIGNER Hayley Moore MendelowSUB-EDITOR Patience GumboCONTRIBUTORS Yunus Carrim, Debbie Besseling, Candice Landie, Tony Stone, Nicole Nel, Abdulla Parker, Peter Silbernagel, Helen Seyler, Rowena Hay, William Moraka, Jay Bhagwan, Grant Mackintosh, Frank Stevens, Kevin WanlissPRODUCTION MANAGER Antois-Leigh BotmaPRODUCTION COORDINATOR Jaqueline ModiseFINANCIAL MANAGER Andrew Lobban (ACIS, FCIBM)ADMINISTRATION Tonya HebentonDISTRIBUTION MANAGER Nomsa MasinaDISTRIBUTION COORDINATOR Asha PursothamSUBSCRIPTION SALES Nomsa MasinaPRINTERS United Litho Johannesburg +27 (0)11 402 0571___________________________________________________

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

PUBLISHER: MEDIA No. 4, 5th Avenue, Rivonia 2056PO Box 92026, Norwood 2117 Tel: +27 (0)11 233 2600 Fax: +27 (0)11 234 7274/5 E-mail: [email protected] www.3smedia.co.za

ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION: R480.00 (INCL VAT) ISSN 0257 1978 IMIESA, Inst.MUNIC. ENG. S. AFR.© Copyright 2012. All rights reserved.___________________________________________________

IMESA CONTACTSIMESA Administration Officer: Ingrid BottonP 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 BRANCHElsabé KoenTel: +27 (0)41 505 8005Fax: +27 (0)41 581 2300E-mail: [email protected]

KWAZULU-NATAL BRANCHSecretary: Rita ZaaymanTel: +27(0)31 311 6382

NORTHERN PROVINCE BRANCHSecretary: Cornel TaljaardTel: +27 (0)82 899 8341Fax: +27 (0)11 675 1324E-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]

REST OF SOUTHERN AFRICARepresentative: Andre MullerE-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 opportunityIn 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 on pages and maximum exposure. For more information on cover bookings contact Jenny Miller on tel: +27 (0)11 467 6223.IMESA

Asset

management

The official magazine of the Institute

of Municipal Engineering of Southern Africa

INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT • MAINTENANCE •

NATIONAL NATIONAL ASPHALTASPHALT the move

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PRAVIN GORDHAN has approved

and budgeted for infrastructure

plans amounting to a total value of

R845 billion over a medium-term

expenditure framework period – up to 2015.

While this is an impressive amount, it’s not

an unfamiliar one. This number has been ban-

died about for a few years and frustratingly not

much of it is appearing through awarded work.

The Budget Review 2012 document states that

R3.2 trillion worth of large-scale projects are

under consideration or in progress.

The deputy minister of Cooperative Governance

and Traditional Affairs, Yunus Carrim recently

reiterated that government is under pressure

to accelerate service delivery – a task only pos-

sible if municipal infrastructure is expanded.

However, it is estimated that South African

municipalities did not spend about 14% of their

R9.9 billion municipal infrastructure grant budg-

et during the last financial year. The Municipal

Infrastructure Support Agency (MISA) is being

established to help municipalities address

capacity challenges that are holding them back.

The agency will assist municipalities to fulfil

their functions, especially in respect of munici-

pal infrastructure and service provision, and

municipalities will have a significant role in

making MISA work.

This will make the current financial year an

extremely interesting one – will the national

structures create an enabling environment for

local governments?

As this is a water-themed edition of IMIESA,

we are publishing the best paper presented at

the 75th IMESA Conference. The paper exam-

ines the City of Cape Town’s extensive network

of rivers and wetlands, and the quality of water

within them. In recent years these watercourses

have been negatively impacted by pollution.

Poor water quality poses a significant threat to

human health… so what is being done? Find

out on page 33.

Our featured

m u n i c i p a l i t y

this month is Buffalo City. Again, in keeping with

our water theme for this edition, we report on

the Ncera Water Supply Scheme. The scheme

extends from Needs Camp to Kayser’s Beach.

The existing bulk main supplies 11 reservoirs.

Gauteng road users have been rapped over

the knuckles for their attitude towards the toll-

ing of major routes in the province, which is

set to begin in April. Despite the firm-handed

approach taken by government and various

authorities, it seems naive to imagine the

last chapter to a seamless tolling system

has been written. Perhaps protesters in the

Western Cape have a more credible way of

showing their displeasure? Several protesters

have handcuffed themselves to scaffolding

on the construction site of a toll booth on

scenic Chapman's Peak drive. Many people

have embarked on hunger strikes against the

R54 million toll plaza. The general public

of Cape Town has shown overwhelming sup-

port for the protest actions. Perhaps outraged

Gauteng road users would have a more sympa-

thetic ear if the white metal gantries spanning

the highways of the province happened to be in

a United Nations World Heritage Site as is the

Chapman’s Park plaza.

Reflections

We take this opportunity to invite you to purchase this collectors item:

Take this very special journey with IMESA highlighting the existence of Municipal Engineering in South Africa over the last 100 plus years. Experience firsthand the trials and tribulations of the times, meet the people and engineers involved and share with them their experiences in the fields in which you yourself are so dedicated. This journey through time portrays a “reflection” of our past as an Institute.

It can be purchased in either hard or soft cover

Contact IMESA at 031 266-3263 for more info.

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Please complete and return to IMESA at fax - 031 266-5094 or email – [email protected]

An journey through time

IMIESA MARCH 2012 5

THE ISSUE IS par ticularly topical,

because the Department of Water

Affairs celebrates National Water

Week during the month of March in

South Africa; and internationally, 22 March is

officially World Water Day. It is also fitting to

mention at this point that the award for the

best paper at the 2011 IMESA Conference

went to PD Naidoo and Associates Consulting

Engineers for their excellent paper (presented

by Nicole Nel) on the “Determination of addi-

tional resources to manage pollution in storm

water and river systems” in the City of Cape

Town (see page 33).

The primary aim of the National Water Week

campaign is to raise awareness among South

Africans about the critical role that water

plays in social and economic development.

Given the scarcity of this most precious of

earth’s resources, there is a need for attitudinal

change amongst citizens towards the usage of

water. It is therefore important that as IMESA

members we become aware of our individual

usage of water; and endeavour to conserve it

wherever possible.

Let us reflect for a moment on why it is so

important that all citizens join in the campaign

PRESIDENT'S COMMENT

Jannie Pietersen, president of IMESA

Working for waterIn last month’s comment, I spoke about the highlights of the IMESA Jubilee conference, held in October 2011 at Birchwood near OR Tambo airport. I acknowledged particularly the ‘guardians’ of IMESA: our past presidents and our loyal members. In this month’s comment I will be looking at water conservation.

to save water. South Africa is a water-scarce

country, with low rainfall volumes in certain

catchment areas. In addition, as a direct corol-

lary of the significant growth in business and

industry in recent years, less water is available

for consumption than was previously the case.

It is therefore everybody’s responsibility to use

water wisely and sparingly and to save it wher-

ever possible. We can all play a part by being

responsible for our own water consumption and

by spreading the message. We can all help to

save water, whether at home, at work or wher-

ever water is used. Tips on how to save water

are often printed in newspapers and magazines,

or are available electronically. The website www.

wisa.org.za is a further source of information

on water resources and conservation in South

Africa. I would like to encourage all IMESA

members to become actively involved in the

National Water Week campaign, for the sake of

our beautiful country.

I am sure that many of you have already

diarised the dates for the next conference,

to be held from 24 to 26 October 2012 in

George. The conference is sure to be very dif-

ferent from previous ones that were held in the

main city centres. I am certain that the Local

Organising Committee will demonstrate what

the smaller centres can achieve. Further

updates, registration details and the Call for

Papers will be published in the IMIESA maga-

zine in due course.

COMMENT

It is everybody's responsibility to use water wisely and to save it wherever possible

In closing, I would like to recommend

the coffee table history book, Reflections,

which was launched, to much acclaim, at the

2011 conference. The author is Professor

Johannes Haarhoff, who was awarded Honorary

Membership of IMESA in recognition of his out-

standing services to the organisation.

Honorary Membership is awarded to non-

members who have done something exceptional

for IMESA, or awarded for the field of municipal

infrastructural engineering. The book is filled

with highlights of municipal engineering in South

Africa, including firsthand accounts of the trials

and tribulations of the times. Meet the people

and engineers as they share their experiences

in this unique

book.

Professor Johannes Haarhoff and President of IMESA, Jannie Pietersen at the 2011 IMESA Conference

TRAFFIC VOLUMES along Route 33

(R33) have steadily increased in

intensity and over time the roadway

has faithfully carried endless streams

of private and commercial traffic. Now how-

ever, intensive reconstruction is required to

restore and elevate the present riding sur-

faces along this vital socio-economic corridor,

with the Roads Agency Limpopo awarding the

contract to Gauteng based Black Economic

Empowerment company, Edwin Construction, a

9CE CIDB (Construction Industry Development

Board) rated contractor.

This road is currently a main conduit for

heavily laden trucks transporting materials

for Eskom’s new 4 788 MW Medupi Power

Station, which is under development outside

the coal mining centre of Lephalale, and Edwin

Construction needs to plan around these fre-

quently abnormal road transport movements as

it presses ahead on this fast-tracked project. In

some areas, and as an interim measure, the

construction company has carried out tempo-

rary patching to restore failed sections.

Edwin Construction’s scope of works on the

R33 is split into two contracts covering a total

distance of around 133 km and entails a com-

plete reconstruction and installation of open

earth drains, building up the new road level to

sealed base. The new road will be widened to a

4 m lane, with a 0.5 m surface shoulder, and a

2.5 m wide gravel shoulder.

Phase one extends over 32 months and runs

from Marble Hall to just short of the town of

Modimolle; and the second, 24 month phase,

from Modimolle to Vaalwater. Most of the

route is relatively flat with the exception of

a 12 km section along the way that crosses

Rebuilding Route 33Multi-disciplinary contractor, Edwin Construction, is playing a key role in expanding South Africa’s road network as it presses ahead on strategically important projects in the Limpopo and Free State provinces.

over the Waterberg escarpment. Construction

commenced on the Marble Hall to Modimolle

portion in March 2011.

“Below the existing R33 pavement, the mate-

rial is considered sub-standard,” explains

Edwin Construction director, Greg Williams.

“Lifting the existing alignment of the road is

therefore the most economical approach.”

Along the R33, the company is using the

existing pavement as the foundation, ripping

and recompacting this selected layer and then

lifting the road with a 300 mm cement stabi-

lised sub-base, and here the company’s recent-

ly acquired Cat RM300 rotary mixer is at the

heart of the re-construction programme. The

RM300 joins a new Cat PF300C pneumatic tyre

compactor, which will be used during the slush-

ing stages to prepare the base. Both units were

supplied and supported by southern African

Caterpillar dealer, Barloworld Equipment, and

join a 120 strong plant fleet.

Like the R33 contract, over the past five years

all of Edwin Construction’s road projects have

involved stabilisation, motivating the company

to switch from the use of graders to in-situ recy-

clers, especially when working below 150 mm.

“We find that a large percentage of the provin-

cial tenders call for the widening and upgrading

of existing roads,” adds Williams.

“A number of our clients are now specifying

the use of a rotary mixer on these projects.

Machines like the Cat RM300 provide a more

efficient distribution of the stabilising material,

resulting in downstream quality.”

The Cat RM300 takes production to new

levels of efficiency on the R33, milling the

existing premix layer and stabilising the

300 mm sub-base layers in one continuously

advancing operation. “The results we have

achieved have been fantastic. The ability to

hydraulically shift the entire cab from side-

to-side, for example, really speeds up the

work rate as there’s no need to plan in half-

widths, plus the mix is always visible from the

operator station.”

Cat’s RM300 is designed to work well in both

full depth reclamation and soil stabilisation

applications and the machine can be set-up

either for water or bitumen spraying tasks,

depending on the road design requirements.

Expanding on the RM300’s technical fea-

tures, Barloworld Equipment product manager,

ROAD CONSTRUCTION

MAIN PICTURE Edwin Construction’s scope of works on the R33 is split into two contracts covering a total distance of around 133 km

INSET The Cat universal rotor is equipped with 200 point-attack carbide-tipped tools arranged in a chevron pattern

Lifting the existing alignment of the road is the most economical approach

6 IMIESA MARCH 2012

COVER STORY

COVER STORY

Johan Hartman, says the machine has been

designed from the ground up for its purpose-

built civil engineering application.

“A direct-drive mechanical transmission

drives the Cat universal rotor, equipped with

200 point-attack carbide-tipped tools arranged

in a chevron pattern for maximum breakout

force, with three rotor speeds available for

maximum performance in a variety of materials

and cutting depths,” explains Hartman. The

machine’s maximum rotor depth of 457 mm

comfortably caters for a wide range of road

reclamation tasks.

In terms of the production sequence on the

R33, the Cat RM300 travels upfront, linked-

up to and pushing a water tanker ahead of

it. Following behind is a 16 t padfoot, then

a 12 t smooth roller, with a Cat 140H motor

grader fitted with the Trimble system complet-

ing final levels. Around 1 000 m³ is being

stabilised daily.

The stabilised sub-base on the R33 will be

followed by a compacted G1 base specifica-

tion that specially caters for heavy current and

future traffic volumes. Sub-base material is

being sourced from calcrete borrow pits in the

area, with the G1 supplied from a local quarry

in Modimolle. The final riding surface entails

a chip and spray (19 mm and 6.7 mm double

seal) carried out by a sub-contractor.

Warden revamp, WBHO JV contractsEdwin Construction’s contract gains continue

nationally, with the company enjoying signifi-

cant growth under the leadership of company

founder and engineer, Eddie Maila, who serves

as the current chairman and CEO.

Maila’s first entrepreneurial entry as a

roads and earthworks contractor commenced

in 1997, and now as then, the core busi-

ness has always been in public sector infra-

structure. Overtime, a close association with

Johannesburg Stock Exchange listed entity,

WBHO Construction, has subsequently led to

the latter acquiring a majority interest in Edwin

Construction and the two companies frequently

work on joint venture (JV) projects.

Milestone contracts in this respect include

Eskom’s Ingula Pumped Storage Scheme

development near Ladysmith, where Edwin

Construction worked as a JV partner for the

construction of the Bedford and Braamhoek

dams forming part of the Ingula project. Edwin

Construction was also responsible for airside

and landside stabilisation works at Durban’s

new King Shaka International Airport, where it

was involved as a JV partner.

Current JV examples include six road con-

tracts in the Free State, as well as a

building project for a new taxi rank

and related retail development in

Thohoyandou, Limpopo province.

Meanwhile, in addition to the R33, Edwin

Construction is also deploying a Cat RM300

along a 17 km section of the P16-1, essentially

the road from the R103 between Warden and

Villiers to Vrede Town. The new design compris-

es a 3.7 m lane, with a 2.5 m surface shoulder

and a 2 m gravel shoulder.

“We’re using the RM300 to good effect, mill-

ing and stabilising to a depth of 150 mm,” says

Williams. Along the route, Edwin Construction’s

enterprise development company (ED), KZN

Projects, is responsible for the construction of

two bridges and two in-situ culverts.

“Going forward we have a strong order

book well into 2013 and, as in the past, we

will continue to serve our traditional mar-

kets in provincial roads where our partnership

approach has been proven to add value. Here,

the adopting of technologies like rotary mixing

will continue to refine our competitive edge,”

maintains Williams.

IMIESA MARCH 2012 7

IMIESAIMIESA offers advertisers an ideal platform to ensure maximum exposure of their brand. Companies are afforded the opportunity of publishing a two-page cover offers advertisers an ideal platform to ensure maximum exposure of their brand. Companies are afforded the opportunity of publishing a two-page cover story and a cover picture to promote their products to an appropriate audience. Please call Jenny Miller on +27(0)11 467 6223 to secure your booking.story and a cover picture to promote their products to an appropriate audience. Please call Jenny Miller on +27(0)11 467 6223 to secure your booking.

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IMIESA MARCH 2012 9

WATER

EXPLODING GROWTH in the world’s

population and increased agricultural

and industrial production are put-

ting strain on existing water supplies

across the globe. When compounded with the

potential effects of climate change, the stakes

and risks are raised even higher. The largest

complication to this equation is the fact that

that there is no singular water crisis: different

countries, even in the same region, face very

different problems.

India, for instance, faces demand fuelled

largely by the agricultural sector as a grow-

ing population increasingly moves towards a

middle-class diet that relies more heavily on

wheat and sugar. China, by contrast, has a large

agricultural sector coupled with a fast-growing

South Africa’s next “greatest” challengeSouth Africa has never shied away from designing innovative solutions required through dire circumstance. Our history is punctuated with social and economic milestones, yet a massive malevolent prospect looms in the not too distant future. by Richard Jansen van Vuuren

economy that is driving rapid industrial growth

and domestic urbanisation.

The South African minister of water and envi-

ronmental affairs , Edna Molewa, stated in the

last week of February this year that the country

is will be facing a “near crisis situation” with

regards to water supply within the next decade

if urgent steps are not taken.

Molewa was speaking at a media briefing in

Cape Town that outlined government’s plans

to spend billions on infrastructure – including

water infrastructure – across the country. Water

experts have warned that an ever-increasing

demand for water is going to place severe strain

on this finite source.

The 2012 budget review recently presented

by finance minister, Pravin Gordhan, stated that

National Water Week 2012

Every year during March, the Department of Water Affairs celebrates National Water Week (NWW) in South Africa, which also features the World Water Day. This year, NWW took place from 5 to 11 March 2012 and World Water Day will be held on 22 March. This year’s campaign theme is: ‘Water is Life; Conserve it, Respect it, Enjoy it’.

The aim of this campaign is to raise aware-ness among South Africans about the role of water in social and economic development, including the need to encourage citizens to change their attitudes towards water use. The campaign emphasises water conserva-tion as one of the major interventions that South Africans need to appreciate if we are to guarantee water security and availability for the country. It also highlights the central-ity of water as a resource in the well-being of both the environment and people. This year’s NWW celebration recognised and awarded stakeholders involved in water conservation (WC) and water demand management (WDM) sectors through the Water Sector Award cer-emony. The event aimed to celebrate achiev-ers in WC and WDM, as well as ensure the cleanliness and the integrity of water sources and outlets, ensure the long-term sustainabil-ity of water resources and to empower com-munities, especially women, in managing and improving their living conditions.

STRAIN ON WATER SUPPLIES

The home of Water! publishes three official institute magazines covering municipal and industrial water and wastewater.

It makes business sense to showcase your products and services in our publications, which are officially supported by industry institutes, representing the clients you want to reach.

IF WATER IS YOUR BUSINESS THEN WE ARE YOUR MOUTH PIECE!

Infrastructure delivery including water and

wastewater

The offi cial magazine of the Institute of Municipal Engineering

of Southern Africa

Complete water and wastewater management

The offi cial magazine of the Water Institute of

Southern Africa.

MEDIA

MEDIA

For more information, contact Jenny Miller on 011 467 6223 or [email protected]

www.3smedia.co.za

A focus on environmental

wastewater

The offi cial magazine of the Institute of Waste Management

of Southern Africa.

IMESAIMESA

IMIESA MARCH 2012 11

WATER

South Africa will start running out of water 13

years from now if the resource is not better

managed. The document goes onto state that

according to current projections, South Africa’s

demand for water will overpower the supply

mechanisms between 2025 and 2030.

With this in mind, Molewa has indicated that

appropriate action is needed sooner rather

than later.

A total of amount of R75 billion has been

allocated for water infrastructure over the next

three years; this includes quality management,

resource planning and support to local govern-

ments. The Department of Water Affairs has

highlighted projects and initiatives as prior-

ity, such as the second phase of the Lesotho

Highlands Water Project (set to supply an addi-

tional 151 m3 of water to the Vaal River system

by 2020). The department is also investigating

the development of ground water resources

and coastal desalination plants, although the

water supplied by the latter would be expensive.

Despite this, both eThekwini and the City of

Cape Town are considering this to be an option

for water supply in the foreseeable future.

Another option being considered by the depart-

ment is a “realignment” of water prices and it

has drawn up a draft tariff review programme.

Molewa explained that each year, water

boards applied for and set their own tariffs for

the various agricultural and industrial users.

“This inequality is what we want to address at

the moment,” she pointed out.

“Every year there is this approach and we do

not agree with this practice. By the end of 2012

we will have our new programme in place.”

In a effort to avoid the upheaval surrounding

the Gauteng Open Road Tolling, Molewa gave

her assurance that the public would be invited

to give input to the programme, which is set to

affect the price they will pay for water, before it

was presented to cabinet for approval.

In highlighting some of the shortcomings

of the country’s current water supply infra-

structure, Molewa highlighted that about 41%

of water being supplied is lost due to pipe-

line leakages in water supply systems before

end-users even open a tap. In addition, she

stressed that significant behavioural changes

World Water Week 2012

The theme for World Water Week 2012 is ‘Water and Food Security’, which will allow for further exploration of the intricate relationship between water and food, highlighting the challenges and opportunities for feeding our thirsty world.

World Water Week will be held in Stockholm (Sweden) with an expected 2 000 participants meeting for an entire week. The event will bring professionals and decision-makers from a wide range of relevant sectors and stakeholder groups together to address the critical role of water for the world to achieve food security for all, with special focus on the “bottom billion” hungry.

Workshops will be organised by the Stockholm International Water Institute in collaboration with co-convening organisations. The workshops are based on an abstract submittal process that is open to practitioners, researchers, policy makers and other stakeholders around the world.

Topics for World Water Week 2012 workshops include:• Best use of blue water resources for food security• Rain-fed production under growing rain variability: closing the yield gap• Safeguarding global food security and life supporting ecosystems• Health and food security• Securing water and food in an urbanising world• Towards a green economy: The water-food-energy nexus• Trade and food security • Governance for water and food security The event will run from 26 to 31 August.

ABOVE Minister of water affairs, Edna Molewa, has stated that South Africa is staring down the barrel of a ‘near crisis situation’ with regards to water supply

South Africa will start running out of water 13 years from now if the resource is not better managed

are needed in the way South Africans use and

consume water.

The department is overseeing operations

at 151 water and wastewater projects. These

include the Olifants River Water Resources

Development Project in Mpumalanga and

Limpopo, which includes the R3.1 billion De

Hoop Dam and bulk raw water distribution

systems – expected to cost R13 billion – and a

R3 billion dam safety rehabilitation project for

the department’s 315 existing dams.

Municipal Engineering in a Changing Environment• Political and Legislation

• Ecological / Environmental

• Financial

• Transport and Traffic

• Water and Sanitation

• Roads and Storm Water

Submissions by 31 May 2012 to Harold [email protected]

The Southern Cape/Karoo Branch hereby issues

THE CALL FORPAPERS 2012

24 - 26 October 2012

G E O R G E

031 2663263

[email protected]


WATER

THE INAUGURAL AWARDS ceremony

and reception took place at the 2nd

International Water Awards Development

Congress in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on

23 November 2011. The Project Innovations

Awards – Development (PIA-D) aim to celebrate

excellence and innovation in water and sanitation

projects in low and middle income countries and

will be presented biennially.

The drinking water category was the most

competitive and received entries from all over

the world. The WRP/Emfuleni project, which

took the top award, is good reflection on South

African expertise.

This award is the latest in a long list of national

and international awards won by Emfuleni Local

Municipality and WRP for their advanced pres-

sure management project which was commis-

sioned south of Johannesburg in the Sebokeng

Top international award for innovationWRP, together with the Emfuleni Local Municipality, won the prestigious International Water Association 2011 PIA – Development Award in the Drinking Water category.

and Evaton areas and has been operating suc-

cessfully for the past seven years.

The project was commissioned in 2005 as a

small-scale Public Private Partnership and was

one of the first projects of its type to be suc-

cessfully implemented by a service provider to

a municipality where the service provider carried

the full costs for both the construction as well as

all operation and maintenance costs.

The actual measured savings resulting from

the WRP pressure management installation were

approximately 50 million kℓ of water over a five-

year period representing financial savings to the

municipality of more than R150 million.

The energy savings were conservatively esti-

mated to be approximately 70 000 tonnes of

carbon dioxide equivalent and this was one of

the main considerations on which Emfuleni Local

Municipality and WRP also won the prestigious

African Energy Award in 2010. The project previ-

ously won awards for technical excellence from

the South African Association of Consulting

Engineers (now CESA), the South African

Institute of Municipal Engineering and the South

African Association of Civil Engineering, as well

as several awards from various international

conferences over the past few years.

This latest award is of particular importance

to Emfuleni Local Municipality which is embark-

ing on a new second phase to the initial water

loss reduction project in association with GiZ

(German Government) and SASOL. In this new

project, many water demand management inter-

ventions will be implemented including repair

of some household leaks, normal road leak

repairs, schools repair and awareness as well

as an overall community awareness and educa-

tion programme.

14 IMIESA MARCH 2012

GOVERNMENT PERSPECTIVE

WE ARE UNDER MORE PRESSURE

than ever before to accelerate

service delivery. In order to do

this, we have to expand munici-

pal infrastructure.

We have financial obstacles but the main

problems are around capacity. After all, munici-

palities did not spend about 14% of their

R9.9 billion municipal infrastructure grant

(MIG) budget during the last financial year.

And it is basically to address these capacity

challenges that MISA is being established – to

support municipalities with planning, manage-

ment and other technical expertise to roll-out

infrastructure more efficiently and effectively.

MISA will not take over the core responsi-

bilities of local government. It cannot. Not

constitutionally, not legally. Local government

remains a sphere of government with its spe-

cific powers and functions, and that is not to be

interfered with.

MISA will merely assist municipalities to fulfil

their functions, especially in respect of municipal

infrastructure and service provision, which we

all agree have to be accelerated. Municipalities

will have a major role in making MISA work.

We will, indeed, involve the provinces, SALGA,

municipalities, experts and other stakeholders

to play a role in MISA. If there’s a role for com-

munities to play, we should make space for this.

In a sense though, MISA is not an entirely new

initiative. For some time now, CoGTA has been

working with other departments and other public

sector institutions providing municipal capacity-

building programmes to rationalise these pro-

grammes and provide greater cohesion. MISA

has to be located in this context. It builds on

some of the collaborative work already done.

MISA must also be located in terms of the

Local Government Turnaround Strategy.

The draft National Development Plan and the New

Growth Path also provide a framework for MISA.

Too often a government department and its

potential partners, including other government

departments, talk past each other, and so

the cooperation we could otherwise get on

programmes and projects of common interest

simply does not materialise! We can’t afford

that luxury – or is it stupidity – anymore. There’s

too much at stake. It’s the needs of the people

out there, especially the poor that are an issue.

And we can’t fail them. And they can’t fail them-

selves. We have to all work together to get things

done better and faster. “The government has a

huge infrastructure development programme of

over R800 billion. We are aware that we are not

rolling out this programme fast enough. It has

been decided that the President should head a

Cabinet Infrastructure Commission to accelerate

this programme.

Among the decisions taken were that:

• There should be a greater focus on coordinat-

ing and integrating service delivery in priority

areas where backlogs are the highest and on

transforming apartheid special development

patterns. These include 21 rural districts. It

was noted that less than 30% of the people

have access to basic services in these dis-

tricts, which are in six provinces.

• The projects to be implemented will address

water, sanitation, electricity, waste manage-

ment and access roads. Other very important

services such as education, health, policing

and housing will also be included.

• The infrastructure cluster service delivery

task team will compile a set of integrated

project plans for each district.

The lekgotla also focussed on metros, large

towns and cities

with large informal

settlements, and

it was agreed that:

• There will be an

informal settle-

ment upgrading

plan in 45 met-

ros, large cit-

ies and towns.

Projects will

cover security of

tenure, water,

sanitation, public

transport, area

lighting, electrification and waste manage-

ment. There will also be provision of social

services and amenities, including public open

spaces and recreational facilities.

• There will be a focus on improving the

infrastructure delivery management process,

eradicating under-expenditure and improving

value for money.

• All provinces and relevant national depart-

ments will participate in the Infrastructure

Delivery Improvement Programme.

• All struggling municipalities will participate in

the CoGTA special purpose vehicle to address

key blockages in service delivery.

• There will be a focus on accelerating the

building of infrastructure delivery skills and

capacity where it is lacking in government and

in municipalities.

• National government will put in place stronger

norms and standards for infrastructure delivery,

and monitor and enforce these measures.

Municipal Infrastructure Support AgencyCooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) is committed to making the Municipal Infrastructure Support Agency (MISA) work. It simply has to. By Yunus Carrim, deputy minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs

Yunus Carrim, deputy minister of cooperative governance and traditional affairs

MISA is being established to roll-out infrastructure more effi ciently and effectively


INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE

The theme for WISA 2012 is “water footprint”, tell us the concept behind this?The idea behind the “water footprint” theme is to say

that humans, through their various social and econom-

ic activities, have an impact on all aspects relating to

water. So in other words, water resources are being

impacted as a result of the process of water being uti-

lised, becoming contaminated, and then requiring to

be cleaned in wastewater treatment systems before

being returned often for reuse. The concept of the

water footprint implies that the conference will look at

the issues and challenges in their broadest sense and

the associated impacts that humans have on water.

How will this year’s WISA conference stand out from those of previous years?We are expecting between 1 200 and 1 500 delegates

to attend WISA 2012. The conference will be different

in the sense that we are bringing in water resources, together with what we

classically call the water services sector and water researchers. This will be

the first time that there is a concerted effort to bring together these three

groupings that actually form the pillars of water management. In addition,

WISA has formed a partnership with the Netherlands Water Partnership

(NWP) and the NWP representatives will be present at the conference. What

also makes this conference unique is that we will be hosting the Department

of Water Affairs Blue Drop Awards ceremony during the conference.

The conference also includes an exhibition which will be providing oppor-

tunities for exhibitors to display advances in water technologies which can

support water conservation, water reuse and developing and using alterna-

tive water sources.

What can delegates expect from the conference in terms of acquiring knowledge in their field of expertise?Delegates can look forward to attending any of the 162 formal papers that

will be presented, and viewing 66 posters that will be on display. There will

also be a wide variety of workshop topics (28 in total), which will include

the Blue Drop and Green Drop workshops, to support the Department of

Water Affair’s initiative to implement regulatory mechanisms for the water

services sector.

One of the podium workshop sessions will be on corporate

responsibility towards water, which intends to bring in an ele-

ment that will undoubtedly grow in the water sector in the next

20 to 30 years.

What are your views on the challenges faced in the water sector?If one simply considers the amount of media attention given to

water-related issues in South Africa, there are undoubtedly some

Making a water footprintThe WISA 2012 conference will be taking place in Cape Town from 6 to 10 May. Debbie Besseling speaks to the conference’s chairperson Dana Grobler about what delegates can expect from this year’s event.

serious challenges in terms of water resource man-

agement, water services delivery and provision of

water supply. This includes issues of acid mine drain-

age, desalinisation, lack of service delivery, hydraulic

fracking and aquatic ecosystem deterioration.

To put these issues into perspective, South Africa

has gone through a period of about 100 years of

developing and using water resources to support

economic activities, but we now enter an era in

which we have no option but to improve the manage-

ment of this limited resource to ensure a continued

sustainable economic situation. South Africans do

not have any further major water resources that can

still be developed. We therefore need to effectively

manage the resources that we have, and that would

imply that we should focus on water conservation

and demand management, the reuse of water and

the minimisation of the impact on the aquatic eco-

systems which supports the sustainable supply of water.

Climate change for Southern Africa and sub-Saharan Africa is definitely

going to be a major challenge. All indications are that the variability of

conditions, in terms of more intensive rainfall and runoff events verses

longer periods of low rainfall, requires a different approach to water use

and its management. In terms of water services, the Department of Water

Affairs should be commended for the efforts it has put in place to estab-

lish the Blue and Green Drop incentive-based regulatory mechanisms that

addresses the issues of water management in local and district munici-

palities. In doing so, the department has also created awareness among

politicians and councillors of local municipalities of the need to technically

make provision for maintenance and management of equipment that will

ensure adequate water supply and prevention of wastewater contamina-

tion of water resources. This is simply the start of a much broader focus

on infrastructure maintenance and management, and building the skills

base that is required to achieve this.

WISA 2012 provides an important opportunity to participate and deliberate

these issues and contribute towards the solution that is required to improve

the planning and management of water in Southern Africa.

“South Africa has gone through a period of about 100 years of developing and using water resources to support economic activities” WISA conference

chairperson, Dana Grobler

16 IMIESA MARCH 201216 IMIESA MARCH 2012

HOT SEAT

Key appointments for Bosch GLOBAL SOLUTIONS PROVIDER

Michael Gibbon has been appointed chief executive of leading multi-disciplinary consulting, project engineering, construction and operational management group, Bosch Holdings, and Bosch Projects is poised for growth with a newly appointed managing director Bill Yeo.

FORMERLY MANAGING DIRECTOR of Bosch Projects, one of the group’s three operating companies, Gibbon took up his new position at the beginning of February this year. Gibbon

replaced Clive Swaisland, whom he credits with creating an impor-tant foundation for future growth at Bosch Holdings.

The group’s roots stretch back to April 1961 when founder Bill Bosch convinced the then Tongaat board to set up a specialised consulting company to offer both internal and external profession-al services. Although its roots were initially in the sugar industry and the company is well known for providing engineering services for Durban’s iconic sugar terminals, the group soon began to diver-sify and was registered as Bosch & Associates in 1971.

It now serves the industrial and energy sectors as well as the pub-lic sector and comprises three operating companies. Bosch Stemele offers specialised multi-disciplinary engineering services for a wide range of infrastructural developments, as well as project and con-struction management. Bosch Munitech specialises in the provision of operation and maintenance of infrastructural and municipal facilities and services, while Bosch Projects provides innovative engineering solutions and equipment to niche markets in the sugar, industrial and energy sectors in South Africa and abroad.

During 2011, Bosch Holdings celebrated its 50th anniversary, was rebranded and established a single head office for all the three companies in Umhlanga – all under the guidance of Swaisland. His career at Bosch began in 1973 and culminated in his appointment as chief executive in 2001. Since then the company has sustained its steady growth which Swaisland believes will continue under Gibbon’s leadership.

“Our vision is to be recognised as a world class engineering and operations group providing innovative solutions globally. We are well on our way to achieving that,” says Swaisland.

Gibbon completed his mechanical engineering degree at the then University of Natal and, after working at Illovo Sugar (where his last position was chief engineer of the Sugar Corporation of Malawi), he joined Bosch Projects in 1997 as senior project engi-neer. In 2000 he was promoted to director of the sugar business unit and in 2003 he became managing director of Bosch Projects.

“His leadership of Bosch Projects and intimate involvement in the growth and diversification of the group makes him well qualified to take over as chief executive as the group enters a new expansive phase,” explains Swaisland.

Yeo has moved into the driving seat after Bosch Projects has seen 10 years of steady growth, and now not only established itself

Michael Gibbon, the newly appointed chief executive of Bosch Holdings

IMIESA MARCH 2012 17IMIESA MARCH 2012 17

HOT SEAT

Holdings and Bosch Projectsthroughout Africa but gained an interna-tional foothold throughout the world. In fact, he points out that Bosch Projects has grown tenfold from a relatively small con-sulting firm into one of South Africa’s lead-ing multi-disciplinary consulting, project engineering, construction and operational management groups. He adds that the cur-rent economic climate will not hold it back.

Unlike many executives who are lament-ing tough conditions, Yeo believes that lean times like these create a good opportunity for both the company and its clients to focus on working smarter and increasing efficiencies.

“Having come out of a couple of good years, ultimately, current times like these make both us and our clients more compet-itive in our global businesses,” he says.

He also believes that one of the com-pany’s strongest strategies has been its diversification. Originating out of the sugar industry, Bosch Projects has since estab-lished a presence in industries such as mate-rial handling, paper and energy sectors.

“It was a strategic decision not to be sub-ject to the seasonality and market swings that characterise one sector. Our clients

are in a wide range of industries which makes us less susceptible to risk and market swings and able to draw on new technolo-gies previously common to other sectors,” explains Yeo.

Yeo’s career has made him a perfect match. Having started out as an energy engineer at SAPPI Kraft, he moved from paper into the sugar industry when he joined Tongaat Hulett as an engineering manager in 1994. Then, it was on to BP as a senior projects engineer and Bosch Projects as business unit director at the end of 2004. His appointment as managing director comes after spending just over a year in the technical director’s seat which, amongst other things, saw him manage the development of new technologies and help deliver new and innovative designs and concepts ready for marketing.

“I dream technical. If it has anything to do with a bolt or a motor, I love it and can work it out. This appointment will be

Bosch HoldingsTel: +27 (0)31 535 6000www.boschholdings.co.za

engineering strengths and dealing with people. Someone has to make the big deci-sions – and I’m not daunted by that – but this is our company and our team. I’m very strong on that,” Yeo says.

He believes creating an environment for innovation and technical excellence is something that is of particular importance to the long-term growth of Bosch Projects both locally and internationally.

One of Bosch Projects’ great success sto-ries is in Brazil. While the emphasis has been on sugar, Yeo believes the company can grow and diversify in much the same way it has in South Africa. “To illustrate, while this country has 12 sugar mills, Brazil has 340 – the same applies to its paper and rubber industries,” he points out.

“We sell technology and implement pro-jects. We have technical partners and have licensed our technology to a company in Brazil. We envisage our Brazil company being bigger than the present South African industry within three years.

Yeo’s vision for Bosch Projects is to be the technical partner and service provider to its all clients.

"I want Bosch Projects being our clients’ first port of call when they think about a project. We understand each of our clients’ particular requirements – we understand their company culture, their business and their technology.”

"I want Bosch Projects being our clients’ fi rst port of call when they

think about a project" Bill Yeo, newly appointed MD of Bosch Projects

a new challenge. I am definitely a team player so this is a ‘perfect marriage’ for my

BELOW Michael Gibbon, the newly appointed chief executive of Bosch Holdings, congratu-lates Bill Yeo on his appointment as MD of Bosch Projects

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INSIGHT

HOW TO MAKE the right decisions, at

the right time and for the right rea-

sons, is a challenge that has per-

plexed even the brightest of minds

over the ages. Fortunately we have science on

our side. Scientific and management principles

established over the last few hundred years are

there to guide us. And, from these principles

we know that it is quite inappropriate to make

AWARDING WWTW TENDERS

Making the right decisionsCheap, in the long run, is expensive. And, while ideals are important, these cannot be the only considerations when awarding a tender. We also should not have decisions made by people who lack the relevant qualifications. By Tony Stone

a decision, especially about complex techni-

cal issues, when ignorance prevails, or when

simplistic ideology dictates. These are two

excellent examples of bad reasons for making

a decision.

The Preferential Procurement Policy

Framework Act, 2000, as amended and ratified

by the minister of finance, Pravin Gordhan, on

the 6 June 2011, which guides the process of

awarding tenders from an entirely financial and

ideological perspective, makes absolutely no

mention of technical competency requirements,

or the need for these, at all.

This having been said, making a decision on

which wastewater treatment system to use,

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INSIGHT

based purely on capital costs, not even life

cycle costs (capital costs and operating costs

over time) and B-BBEE scores is extremely

short-sighted and dangerous – to the health

and well-being of the community at large and

the environment.

In their book, Biological wastewater treatment

in warm climate regions, Von Sperling and

Chernicharo state, “The vast array of available

processes for the treatment of wastewater

should be seen as an incentive, allowing the

selection of the most appropriate solution in

technical and economical terms for each com-

munity or catchment area. For almost all com-

binations of requirements in terms of effluent

quality, land availability, construction and run-

ning costs, mechanisation level, environmental

impacts and operational simplicity, there will

be one or more suitable treatment processes.”

They also underpin, in conceiving, designing

and operating a wastewater treatment plant in

a warm region, that climatic specificity must

be taken into account in order to make the

best use of the many favourable character-

istics brought about by the higher tempera-

tures. In a similar way, for a treatment plant

in a developing region, the relevant aspects

that lead to its sustainability must be judi-

ciously incorporated.

Building on this, the International Water

Association’s Victoria Beddow says that, to

successfully reverse the prevailing dramatic

status of water pollution in many countries of

the world, South Africa included, a deep knowl-

edge of the theory and practice of wastewater

treatment is obviously required from the tech-

nical people tasked with the responsibility of

running a wastewater treatment works (WWTW).

However, it should be borne in mind that tech-

nology alone cannot reverse this picture and

that commitment, enthusiasm, proper organi-

sation and persistence are also indispensable

tools in the hands of those involved.

New technologyFortunately, with necessity being the mother

of all inventions and free market competition

being the driver of excellence in delivery, two

new technologies have emerged in recent years

to provide a better end product in wastewater

treatment – a purer final effluent. These inno-

vations are:

• Membrane bioreactor (MBR), which is an

activated sludge process using a mem-

brane to separate the solids from the liq-

uids, instead of the usual settling process.

Suspended solids can be removed complete-

ly and bacteria-free treated water produced.

The sludge concentration and hydraulic load-

ing rates are considerably higher than in

conventional treatment.

• Nereda®, which is an innovative and advanced

biological wastewater treatment technology

that purifies water using the unique fea-

tures of ‘aerobic granular biomass’. Contrary

to conventional processes, the purifying

bacteria concentrate naturally in compact

granules, with superb settling properties.

Engineering the decisionIn making a decision, it is all well and good

selecting the right technology, but it is also

about selecting the right quality of pumps,

pipes and valves, as well as all the other com-

ponents that go into of a wastewater treatment

works (WWTW). As Heinz Strohwald of SSI said

recently, “If you do not invest upfront in quality

materials, products and people, the long-term

effect of using a lower-quality product, in all

respects, will add at least another 20%, and

likely much more, to your operating costs.”

For example, in looking at the Department

of Water Affairs’ 2011 Green Drop Report,

the Ventersdorp Local Municipality scored a

dismal 3%. The Green Drop assessment team’s

observations noted that the municipality was

totally unprepared, despite various notifica-

tions and showed limited interest in, and

knowledge of, their wastewater business. The

report went on to further note that municipal

management, political principles and sector

participants needed to resolve Ventersdorp’s

situation without delay or excuse. The following

observations are consistent with the findings of

the assessors:

• There are no certifications, manuals or log-

books available on site.

• Buildings are unhygienic and poorly main-

tained. The surrounding terrain is reasonably

maintained, but the grass needs cutting.

• The designated staff washing and eating

areas are used for storage. The facilities

main control panel is used as a dining table.

• Raw sewage overflows from a manhole at

the inlet works. The workers who are clean-

ing up the spillage have no protective clothes

or equipment.

• Manual screening is in place, but there is no

flow metering.

• One of two biofilters is under refurbishment.

The other is in fair condition, but is not

ABOVE The inlet works during construction

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INSIGHT

receiving flow due to a blocked manhole at

inlet works.

• The grit removal tank is not functional. Raw

sewerage overflows into the environment.

• One of two primary settling tanks has col-

lapsed. No scraping, hence the sludge build

up in the central chamber.

• Humus dams have turned green. There is no

flow and it seems like these have been out

of commission for a long time. Sewage is

diverted into the environment.

• No chlorination or disinfectant stock

is available.

• Six ponds, in series, have no access control.

Residents use these ponds as a solid waste

disposal site.

• No responsible care in terms of sludge han-

dling – wet sludge disposed of on site.

An absolute disaster! To fix these problems, a

lot of time and a lot of money will be needed.

Sadly, in South Africa, Ventersdorp is not an

isolated case. It is better to pay a little more

and get the right people, and do a proper job up

front, than to have to repeatedly repair poorly-

constructed and/or neglected assets.

If Ventersdorp had been equipped with an MBR

system, it would have been totally destroyed,

at a cost of many millions, by the very people

indicted by the Green Drop team. You simply

cannot put a sophisticated and very expensive

wastewater treatment system, MBR or other-

wise, into the hands of unqualified people.

Guiding principlesSo, what are the principles that guide the deci-

sion to construct, commission, operate and

maintain a WWTW? First and foremost, the peo-

ple involved should have the appropriate quali-

fications, experience and track record to sub-

stantiate that they can do the job, a good job.

In addition, they should possess and practice

a set of moral and ethical standards that are

congruent with the South African constitution.

Secondly, the CIDB’s registry of contractors

may be a good system but, if not used cor-

rectly, it will not serve its purpose. If those

who appoint people and/or contractors do

not understand the nature and business of

wastewater treatment, how will they be able

to determine whether a lesser qualified and/or

experienced person is capable of doing a job if

the focus is purely on BEE credentials and the

(cheapest) financials involved? This single-tier

approach to tendering puts the focus in the

wrong place and should not be used.

The two-tier tendering process is far better

because a person or entity’s technical and

management competency is submitted sepa-

rately for adjudication and, only once compe-

tency has been established, are the financials

looked at. At this point, applicants who aren’t

technically and managerially competent are dis-

qualified. Their financials are not even touched.

As discriminating as this process may be, it

is a right and proper process, and will ensure

that the taxpayer’s money is not wasted. In

some instances, a mentor programme may be

a worthwhile consideration.

As to finances, one cannot just look at

capital costs. One must also look at operat-

ing costs, which when compounded over a

20-year period, can amount to a significant

sum of money. As a quick guide, and true to

the more traditional WWTW, the initial capital

cost of building a WWTW is only 20% of the

total lifespan cost. This is also true of MBR

or NEREDA systems, but to a greater or lesser

degree. Table 1 provides a rough guide, a

‘quick’ ratio, of the capital and operating costs

of these systems.

Lastly, it does not mean that, because some-

thing is new, that it will not work. The problem

in 99.9% of the cases is change, something

most people are uncomfortable with. However,

this is relative. The more qualified and expe-

rienced you are, the less of a threat change

will be to you. It’s also attitude. The old ‘half

empty’ or ‘half full’ glass of water analogy. The

bottom line is that a good worker is invaluable

and a good worker will always look to improv-

ing him or herself. To do this, one needs to

TABLE 1: A ‘quick’ ratio guide to WWTW technologies

TECHNOLOGY CAPITAL COSTS

CONSTRUCTION TIME

OPERATING COSTS

Traditional WWTW 1.0 1.0 1.0NEREDA technology 0.8 0.75 0.85MBR technology 1.2 - 1.8 1.0 1.3Note: These factors are rough guidelines only for producing a treated effluent of ‘normal’ quality when treating a typical domestic wastewater. Effluent from the traditional WWTWs and Nereda technology may need further treatment, of varying degree, in order to produce a final effluent of similar quality to that of MBR. The actual implemented cost of all these technologies is also dependent on locality considerations. Plant footprint and availability, including cost of land, could also influence the choice.

RIGHT Reactors & thickener during construction

Technical and management competency must be submitted separately for adjudication and applicants rejected where criteria are not met


INSIGHT

J

Automate your tiresome manual techniques.

open one’s mind and to discover and evalu-

ate improvement possibilities, something that

will not be achieved if you close your mind

to change.

The water nymphIn this day and age when we as humanity have

done nothing but damage the environment

we live in, especially our water resources, we

need to be innovative and change (get rid of)

our bad practices. A wise philosopher once

said, “If you wish to know how to do some-

thing right, and keep things in balance, look to

nature for your answer!” It’s these words that

guided the inventors of the Nereda or aerobic

granule wastewater treatment system, Delft

University of Technology in the Netherlands

and the DHV Group, an internationally respect-

ed Dutch civil engineering firm.

The name Nereda is derived from the name

Naireda, who is the water nymph from ancient

Greek mythology.

Nereda is the first aerobic ‘granular’ process

in the world. It is a natural way of treating

wastewater. With this new aerobic granular

sludge technology, aerobic (oxygen using) bac-

terial granules are formed in the water that is

to be purified. The great advantage of these

granules is that they sink quickly and that all

the required biological purifying processes

occur within these granules.

A granule is defined as a par ticle of sludge

>0.212 mm in size (pure biomass) with a

FIGURE 1


INSIGHT

TABLE 2: Process comparison of conventional, MBR and Nereda

DESCRIPTION CONVENTIONAL MBR NEREDASmall footprint No Yes YesTypical sludge concentration 3-5 g/ℓ 12 g/ℓ 10-12 g/ℓSettling rates 1 m/h n/a 8-12 m/hFine screening required (< 6 mm) No Yes (1 mm) Yes (1 mm)Diffused air (DA) or surface aeration (SA) DA or SA DA DASeparate Anaerobic and Anoxic phases for BNR Yes Yes NoRAS, A and R Reticulation Pumps Yes Yes NoDowntime for chemical cleaning No Yes NoChemical costs for cleaning No Yes NoTypical energy consumption (kWh/m3 treated) 0.25-0.4 0.6-1.2 0.15-0.3Disinfection required Yes No YesFinal effluent quality Good Excellent Very good

Sludge Volume Index of five minutes (SVI5),

which means most of the settling occurs in

the first five minutes. This is possible because

reactor concentrations of 10 to 12 g/ℓ are

achieved, hence the settling rate being so

dramatically increased. The more conventional

activated sludge process SVI is 30 minutes

and operates in the 3 to 5 g/ℓ range. Any high-

er and the sludge load on the settling tanks

will be too high and lead to sludge washout.

MBR also operates in the 10 to 12 g/ℓ range, but by avoiding the settling limitations

of conventional activated sludge by adding a

‘physical barrier’, a membrane, to separate the

sludge from the final effluent. This, however,

adds technical complexity and higher costs.

Even so, the process advantage that granu-

lar sludge has over-activated sludge (conven-

tional and MBR) is the simultaneous removal

of nutrients – nitrification and denitrification –

which is a function of the granule’s structure.

This basic principle is explained in the cross

section illustration of a granule in figure 1.

This technology of fers impor tant advan-

tages. For example, in the aerobic granule

system, all the processes can occur in one

reactor, as opposed to the large re-sinking

tanks used in conventional activated sludge

systems where bacteria clusters formed take

much longer to sink.

The aerobic granule system typically only

requires feed pumps, e.g. submersible pumps

and blowers, with no recirculation pumps or

mixers required for the process. On the other

hand, the MBR process is more complex

than conventional systems given its need

to backwash and clean its membrane on a

regular basis, thereby making maintenance

more costly.

Table 2 provides a comparative analysis of

the major aspects of the three wastewater

treatment technologies. These substantiate

the quick ratio guide in table 1.

Using a simple scoring method, the conven-

tional WWTW scores 4.5, the MBR system

scores 4.75 and the Nereda system scores

8.4 and, within this day and age, the green

agenda has to dominate. With the aerobic

granule system, it does.

The first Nereda WWTW in South Africa was

built and commissioned in Gansbaai on 14

April 2009. So far, the plant’s per formance

against agreed standards has been on par

– doing what it was designed to do. In its

construction, R17 million was shaved off the

budgeted figure of R42 million for a conven-

tional or MBR system. This technology has

received seven international awards and our

own prestigious South African Institute of Civil

Engineering Award.

Wrapping upBy this simple analysis we have demonstrated

that a decision based simply on what we know

or are familiar with would more than likely be

a wrong decision, as would a decision based

purely on construction costs. South Africa

needs to conserve energy and the environment,

and save it from ourselves, who unthinkingly

and, at times, unwittingly destroy it. When it

comes to wastewater treatment, we cannot

afford to make mistakes. The key to saving

our planet is to educate our people and deploy

enabling technology. It is not about ideology,

it’s about life. It’s about making the right deci-

sions at the right time and for the right rea-

sons. It’s about having competent people being

responsible for critical systems that affect the

greater community. To do otherwise is highly

irresponsible. A world destroyed will be a hell

of a place to live in.

South Africa needs to conserve energy and the environment, and save it from ourselves

RIGHT Gansbaai's Nereda WWTW has been running quite successfully since its commissioning with a significant reduction in operating costs


WATER SUSTAINABILITY

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paving concrete masonry

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EROSION PROTECTION SOLUTIONS

An engineered erosion solution that can withstand even the most severe climatic conditions.

erosion protection precast products

GLOBALLY, WATER DEMAND is

expected to outstrip availability by

a staggering 40% by 2030 and this

situation will be far worse in Africa

where urbanisation and an improving stand-

ard of living will add to the pressure on this

finite resource.

In fact, the future is already here for many

hotspots throughout the continent where, for

example, large cities that have relied on

dwindling groundwater supplies now find them-

selves with critical shortages. By 2025, as

many as 230 million people will be living

in African countries that face water scar-

city and a fur ther 460 million will be in

water-stressed countries.

Scientific developments over the last 10

years have highlighted the shortcomings of

the more traditional approaches to the man-

agement of water resources. Driven by the

worsening water crises, innovations have led

to the more comprehensive and sophisticated

Water Footprinting Methodology developed by

the Water Footprint Network (WFN).

Know your water footprintThe growing scarcity of water in several parts of Africa is creating an imperative for businesses to understand better their operational water footprints.

LEFT Companies such as Talbot & Talbot can help to determine and reduce water footprint as it specialises in industrial and municipal water and wastewater management



THE VISION OF providing potable water

to over 100 000 people in scattered

rural and peri-urban communities on

the lower south coast of KwaZulu-

Natal is close to becoming a reality. After many

years of careful planning and consultation with

communities in the uMzumbe and Hibiscus

Coast local municipalities, Umgeni Water is

implementing a bulk water supply scheme. One

Water scheme to service rural communities

BULK WATER SUPPLY SCHEME

Umgeni Water’s Mhlabatshane Bulk Water Supply Scheme in the Ugu District Municipality will eventually supply 100 000 people with potable water.

of the key elements is the Mhlabatshane Dam

on the Mhlabatshane River, situated approxi-

mately 25 km inland from Highflats.

The R200 million multi-disciplinary project

includes all aspects of Bosch Stemele’s

engineering capability and will be completed

through five separate contracts.

“The project will bring this sparsely popu-

lated, deep rural community a new dam and

ultimately 60 ℓ of clean drinking water per

BELOW The project will deliver 60 ℓ of clean drinking water per person per day in rural areas of KwaZulu-Natal

Key facts of the project

The dam has a composite earth embankment dam with a central labyrinth type concrete spillway.• Classification: Category 2 medium

significant• Crest length: 179 m• Maximum height above foundation:

24.8 m• Spillway width: 35 m• Effective length of labyrinth: 57.3 m



person per day,” explains project director,

Raj Ramchuran.

The community currently has access to 12

to 15 ℓ per day which is normally drawn from

informal sources. The project includes the

construction of the new dam, access roads, a

pump house, water supply pipelines, a water

treatment works and reservoirs. Mechanical,

electrical and instrumentation works will also

be carried out.

The planning phase ran from 2007 to 2009

with construction beginning early last year.

“The project is well under way and sched-

uled for completion and commissioning by

December 2012,” points out Ramchuran.

The biggest challenge facing the project was

the steep, single-lane access gravel road to

the remote site, which made delivery of all

construction materials extremely difficult and

ruled out the use of a conventional concrete

batch plant. The solution was provided by

Lafarge Readymix. Their proposal to position

a semi-mobile batch plant on site won Lafarge

the concrete supply contract from the main

contractor, Cyclone Construction.

“We had the right equipment and experience

to tackle the job,” explains Lafarge’s project

leader, Marco Sebastiano. “Using one of our

semi-mobile batch plants, we were on site and

ready to produce in no time at all. This versatile

unit can supply an average of 450 m³/day, with

a peak output of over 50 m³/hour, which is

coping readily with the current average project

usage of around 200 m³/day. To date, we have

supplied 27 000 m³ of concrete against the

estimated total requirement of 30 000 m³.”

Sebastiano handled the contract negotiations

with the contractors and is continually in com-

munication with Cyclone Construction to ensure

the smooth operation of the concrete supply con-

tract. All raw materials are being sourced locally:

pre-blended CEM III cement comes from NPC’s

Durban plant and the independently owned Port

Shepstone Quarry is supplying 19 mm stone.

Contingency planning for the access road becom-

ing impassable during periods of heavy rain

included installing a 180 t capacity cement silo.

The main product supplied by NPC Cimpor is

PRO-TEC (Cem III A 32.5 N).

PRO-TEC is specifically manufactured for

the readymix concrete industry providing the

benefit of a product that has a constant blend

ratio of 55% Slagmore. This consistency offers

the client greater control in their quality pro-

cesses with the added benefit of reduced Heat

of Hydration due to the high Slagmore content.

The greatest challenge NPC Cimpor faced in

supplying cement to this project was to ensure

safe delivery. The access road to site was com-

plicated by a steep decline with a long radius

bend at the top and a short radius bend at the

Tel: +27 (0) 31 535 6000 Fax: +27 (0) 31 535 6011Email: [email protected] Website: www.boschstemele.co.zaRegional offi ces in Durban, Johannesburg, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and East London

Global Innovative Solutions

A Bosch Holdings (Pty) Ltd company

1081

7 In

itiat

ive

Bosch Stemele offers specialist consulting engineering services through focused business units to meet client requirements in the fi elds of:• Water • Waste water• Irrigation • Housing• Roads and development• Environmental and solid waste• Project and construction management• Electrical and building services

The biggest challenge facing the project was the steep, single-lane access gravel road to the remote site


WATER AND WASTEWATER

PRO

PLUS

PRO-R

BUILD

CIMPORVISE Supporting you all the way.

bottom of the decline. Risk factors considered

were the total weight of a fully loaded tanker

including the vehicle equating to approximately

fifty tonnes; this factor in its self poses a risk of

the load pushing the vehicle out of control due

to the steep decline. The other risk factors were

the gradient of the road surface, the deteriora-

tion of the road surface due to constant use

affecting the traction and causing excess gravel

on the surface, and peak demand required three

to four deliveries a day. Consideration had to be

given to minimise risk in the event of a runaway

vehicle as the entire site was bellow this access

road. After various meetings and adjustments to

site, NPC Cimpor supplied all the cement with-

out any fatalities or incidents.

Construction work on the dam started at

the end of August 2010 and is approaching

90% completion.

“After our initial reservations about the pro-

duction rate and quality from the mobile con-

crete plant, the supply has been good. We have

also been getting good support in general from

the Lafarge team to address any queries and

help maintain the rate of construction,” com-

ments Ramchuran.

“The associated raw water pipeline, which

was a separate contract, was completed at the

The finer details of embankment damsAn embankment dam is a massive artificial water barrier. It is typically created by the

emplacement and compaction of a complex, semi-plastic mound of various compositions

of soil, sand, clay and/or rock.

It has a semi-permanent waterproof natural covering for its surface and a dense,

waterproof core. This makes such a dam impervious to surface or seepage erosion. The

force of the impoundment creates a downward thrust upon the mass of the dam, greatly

increasing the weight of the dam on its foundation. This added force effectively seals and

makes waterproof the underlying foundation of the dam, at the interface between the

dam and its stream bed. Such a dam is composed of fragmented independent material

particles. The friction and interaction of particles binds the particles together into a stable

mass rather than the use of a cementing substance.

Embankment dams come in two types: the earth-filled dam (also called an earthen

dam or terrain dam) made of compacted earth, and the rock-filled dam. A cross-section

of an embankment dam shows a shape like a bank or hill. Most have a central section or

core composed of an impermeable material to stop water from seeping through the dam.

The core can be of clay, concrete or asphalt concrete. This dam type is a good choice for

sites with wide valleys. Since they exert little pressure on their foundations, they can be

built on hard rock or softer soils.

For a rock-fill dam, rock-fill is blasted using explosives to break the rock. Additionally,

the rock pieces may need to be crushed into smaller chunks to get the right range of

size for use in an embankment dam.




end of June. Tenders for the other main ele-

ments of the bulk water supply scheme include

bulk storage reservoirs and a pump house

building, which are currently being constructed

and a new 8 Mℓ/day water treatment works and

MEI works, which are in the process of being

awarded. At this stage everything is on track

for commissioning by the end of 2012.”

We have been supplying aggregate from a crusher dust to crusher run on the Lower South Coast for the last five years with great success butnone of the projects have been as logistically challenging as the Mthlabatsane Dam project. The St Faiths road to the dam as well as the road intothe dam was a particular challenge as there are road works and the access road to the dam was very steep, if it rains we could not delivermaterials to the site for days. We have supplied 19mm stone and river sand to the site batch plant for Lafarge as well as F1 and F3 Filter materialand Hand stone to the main contractor Cyclone Construction. We are a customer orientated company and we pride ourselves on our service toour customers and our ability to get the job done no matter the site conditions.

Tel: 039 6952584/2 • Fax: 039 6950428 • E mail: [email protected]

Pietermaritzburg-based Cyclone Construction

specialises in all types of civil concrete work

and has extensive experience of working in

remote areas.

“The location of this dam is certainly challeng-

ing,” says site agent, Dave Roux. “Lafarge’s

mobile batch plant is giving us much more

flexibility and the best possible service under

difficult circumstances. Once completed, the

dam and the water reticulation network it is

supplying will be an enormous benefit to thou-

sands of people who previously had to draw

their water from the Mhlabatsane River.”

ABOVE Mhlabatshane Dam construction in progress



FUNDED BY A World Bank-managed multi-donor Trust Fund,

NBI was founded with the goal of developing the Nile River

Basin in a cooperative manner in order to ensure that its

resources are developed and shared and its substantial

socio-economic benefits promote regional peace and security.

The NB-DSS will assist in the evaluation of alternative development

paths and the identification of joint investment projects at sub-

regional and regional levels.

Key members of Aurecon’s team have experience related to opera-

tional management, integrated water resource management and

environmental flow assessments in shared river systems in Africa.

For this project, Aurecon’s Cape Town office will lead a multi-disci-

plinary team of experts from South Africa and Europe to provide the

nec essary experience, skills and expertise to successfully complete

the project.

The project involves extensive interaction with all of the Nile ripar-

ian countries, including Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the

Congo, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania and

Uganda, as well as with numerous international firms involved with

parallel NBI studies.

Initiative to support water resources planning

The Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) is in the process of establishing a Nile Basin Decision Support System (NB-DSS) to support water resources planning and investment decisions in the Nile Basin.

The anticipated scale of future investments in water resource development projects in the Nile Basin is immense

HEAD OFFICE: BLOCK C - Menlyn Corporate Park C/O Garsfontein Road & Corobay Ave. MENLYN - PRETORIA Tel: +27 (0) 12 940 1111 FAX: +27 (0) 86 743 3100 E-

www.bvigroup.co.za

MDP

Civil Engineering

Structural Engineering

Electrical Engineering

Mechanical Engineering

Project Management

www.bvigroup.co.za for water related projects



STORMWATER AND RIVER SYSTEMS

Managing pollution The City of Cape Town has an extensive network of rivers and wetlands which fulfil diverse ecological, aesthetic, recreational and infrastructure network functions. by Nicole Nel, Abdulla Parker and Peter Silbernagel

1 It should be noted that for the purposes of this study, the stormwater system is distinguishable from the potable water system and includes stormwater reticulation, bulk pipes, canals, rivers and wetlands.

THESE FORM AN important part of

the natural landscape, provide beauty

and a sense of place and belonging,

encourage tourism, and provide rec-

reational opportunities, health benefits, natural

hazard regulation and other ecosystem services.

YesterdayOver the past few decades, however, many

of these watercourses have been adverse-

ly impacted by pollution. The State of the

Environment Report shows that, in terms of the

Department of Water Affairs (DWA)

water quality guidelines for recrea-

tion and aquatic ecosystems, 69%

of vleis and 42% of rivers in

Cape Town have poor to bad

water quality (City of Cape

Town, 2008). This poses a

significant risk to both human health and to

aquatic biodiversity.

TodayThe impacts of poor water quality in the storm-

water system1 may be far reaching, as the forgo-

ing of recreational opportunities, for instance,

may result in socially less desirable behaviour,

negatively affecting the wellbeing of society and

placing strain on social services in the city. Also,

poor-quality water used for urban farming activi-

ties may severely compromise food production

and a source of income for many. Ultimately

poor water quality poses a significant threat

to human health, aquatic biodiversity and the

added value that good quality water brings to

the economy.

TomorrowThe challenge, therefore, is to protect the inland

waters from the impact of pollution and to

improve inland water quality to an acceptable

level. Current city resources to manage pollu-

tion in inland waters are inadequate.

The catchment, stormwater and river

management (CSRM) branch of the

Transport, Roads, Stormwater and

Major Projects Directorate of the



City of Cape Town decided to launch a project to

determine the additional resources required to

manage pollution in stormwater and river sys-

tems to improve inland water quality compliance

to an ‘acceptable level’.

Acceptable water qualityOne of the main challenges on this project

was to determine what is meant by ‘accept-

able water quality’, whether current means

of assessing and reporting on water quality

for inland water quality are adequate, and to

determine practical and achievable objectives

in terms of water quality, in both the short and

long term. Water quality standards and criteria

will ultimately drive the interventions necessary

to bring water quality of rivers and wetlands to

a desired level.

An inland surface water monitoring network

currently consists of approximately 100 monitor-

ing sites where samples are collected in each of

the major catchment areas (See Figure 1).

The number of inland water quality monitoring

points was reduced in 2003 as resources were

allocated to additional project-based monitoring

and specialised pollution tracking, which was

considered at the time to be more beneficial

in terms of pollution management. Both rivers

and wetlands are monitored and this occurs on

a monthly basis, with both historical and cur-

rent data being available. An extensive range

of microbiological and chemical constituents

is measured from these inland water samples.

Reporting on acceptable water qualityThe city currently assesses and reports on

these monthly water quality results from two

perspectives: “ecosystem health”, where medi-

an total phosphorus concentration is reported

on, and “public health”, where the percentage

occurrence of the number of faecal coliforms is

less than 1 000 counts per 100 mℓ. The relevant

DWAF Water Quality Guideline series provides

the basis for this evaluation (DWAF 1996a;

DWAF, 1996b; DWAF, 1996c).

Under the auspices of a water quality sub-

committee, it was noted that most of the

results for various constituents fall within the

DWA “unacceptable” category. Subdivisions of

this category were therefore created as a man-

agement tool to help establish the responses

and actions needed to prioritise rivers and

wetlands and to help determine the sources

of pollution.

The criteria agreed upon were then used to

evaluate and to colour code the water quality

data obtained from the city in order to provide a

visual depiction of the water quality status of the

rivers and wetlands of Cape Town.

Catchment analysis and sources of pollutionAn analysis of each of the catchments, rivers

(including canals) or river reaches, as the

case may be, depending on the water quality

information from the monitoring points, was

undertaken to obtain an understanding of

the situation in each of these discrete units.

It is important to understand that the catch-

ments invariably span several administrative

areas within the city, indicating from a catch-

ment management perspective, a fragmented

operational approach.

Considerable assistance was provided by the

various members of the project steering commit-

tee, the water quality sub-committee, workshops

and site visits, as well as previous reports made

available by the city. The major sources of pollu-

tion with respect to water quality in river systems

and stormwater which stand out from the many,

many types of point or diffuse sources of pollu-

tion are the following:

• greywater and sewage from informal settlements

• wastewater treatment works

• blockages and overflows of sewers

• solid waste in water courses and such open

areas

• sewage pumpstations

• general urban runoff

• agriculture

• industry and construction

FIGURE 1: Inland water quality monitoring network

6801/11/2011

The company's policy is one of continuousimprovement and the right is reserved tomodify the specifications without notice

JOHANNESBURGTel: (011) 470-4900Fax: (011) 474-0175

DURBANTel: (031) 266-4915Fax: (031) 266-9521

CAPE TOWNTel: (021) 511-8465/6Fax: (021) 511-8446

BLOEMFONTEINTel: (051) 430-2603Fax: (051) 430-6165

PORT ELIZABETHCell: 082 458-3439

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SmallImprovement

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Benefitsforyou



• golf courses

• canalisation of rivers2.

Key general water quality issuesSome of the key general issues affecting water

quality in the river and stormwater systems in

the Cape Town municipal area include:

Approach and policy – There are many instanc-

es where reactive measures as opposed to

proactive measures are used to address water

pollution in the city. While these may be neces-

sary in the short term, they are often temporary

in nature, do not necessarily solve the underly-

ing causes and are more costly in the long term.

Reactive work utilises resources that could have

been used more productively had more proac-

tive measures been employed from the outset,

which therefore prevents a sustainable improve-

ment in water quality.

Institutional issuesRoles and responsibilities – There is a short-

coming in terms of the integration and optimisa-

tion of the roles, responsibilities and budgets of

the various departments within the city, and this

is to the detriment of stormwater quality in Cape

Town. There is also currently a strong emphasis

on the service delivery function of the city that

the city also needs to fulfil.

Interpretation and reporting of water quality

data and incidents – Currently water quality is

reported on to some audiences using rolling

geometric means and percentage compliance,

which hides the “peaks” in pollution levels that

are of greatest concern. The use of E. coli and

Phosphorus as the indicators of human health

and ecosystem health may, particularly for

the more sensitive or problematic water bod-

ies, not always provide sufficient information

on water quality. A project to create a water

quality index and reporting tools for inland and

coastal waters has commenced. It will develop

public information materials and water quality

data and related information will be posted on

the city’s corporate website on a regular basis

(Haskins, pers. comm., 2010). Due to a lack

of awareness and/or empowerment by the

general public, there is likely to be an under-

reporting of pollution incidents within the city.

So too there may not be a well-known and/or

adequately accessible complaints line. Also,

many incidents that are reported may not be

further investigated and recorded due to a

lack of resources, thus feeding into an attitude

of despair.

Sampling and monitoring – Water samples

are currently not taken at certain historical

water quality monitoring points and other points

in the water systems which could offer sig-

nificant insight into pollution sources. For the

more sensitive or problematic watercourses

there is a gap in information where additional

indicator organisms to those currently moni-

tored would shed further light on unexplained

or improbable E. coli values which occur from

time to time.

Human resources – Water pollution control

inspectors of the Water and Sanitation (W&S)

Department currently conduct

limited programmed inspec-

tions of mainly industries (City

of Cape Town, 2009). They do

not conduct regular inspections

of other business or residential

property, but respond to com-

plaints received from owners

or tenants in these sectors.

Statistics of the main trans-

gressions are published in a

quarterly report. There is further

a lack of staff, funding and con-

solidation of the inspectorate,

resulting in certain shortcom-

ings with respect to water qual-

ity management in the city.

Agriculture – the agricultural

activities that occur in many

of the catchments in the city,

animal husbandry is potentially

an intense point source of bac-

teriological or faecal pollution

and nutrients, while runoff from

crop agriculture is also a source

of nutrients, particularly where

fertilisers, pesticides and manure are used

and effluent from wastewater treatment works

(WWTW) is used for irrigation or the sewage

sludge used for compost. The city has inad-

equate resources to ensure compliance with

the stormwater management by-law for the pre-

vention of polluted or enriched irrigation water

or enriched stormwater from farmlands from

entering the main stormwater system.

Optimisation of resources/partnerships –

Limited resources have led to inadequate

service provision for stormwater pollution

management. Par tnerships with other city

departments, neighbouring municipalities and

other external public and private organisa-

tions have not been established adequately

to consolidate resources and to optimise

pollution management.

Planning issuesService delivery: informal settlements and back-

yarders – Cape Town has approximately 3.3 mil-

lion people, with an estimated population growth

rate of 1.65%, which places further strain on a

service delivery backlog in the city (Lewis, 2010).

Lack of basic services due to current budget limi-

tations particularly in housing, solid waste, and

water and sanitation, directly and indirectly affect

water quality in the rivers and wetlands of the

Cape Town municipal area. A further problem in

Cape Town is “backyard dwellers” whereby back-

yards in formal areas are occupied by informal

dwellers, thereby putting strain on the service

capacity in the area and increasing greywater and

night soil issues, which lead to poor water quality

in the stormwater and river water.

Strategic interventions – There is a need for

more strategic interventions (standards, by-laws

and records) as proactive measures for the

prevention of stormwater ingress, in particular3.

Land use – A legacy of land use, urban design

and landscaping in the city with little regard for

rivers, wetlands and other watercourses has a

TOP Klipfontein Culvert - beforeBOTTOM Klipfontein Culvert - after

3 A by-law whereby a plumber’s certificate is required before the transfer of a property can take place, has recently been introduced as a consequence of this project.

2 This is an indirect pollution source as pollution is not attenuated in canals as well as it is in natural rivers, therefore resulting in higher pollution levels. Furthermore, canals are not as aesthetically pleasing as natural river systems, and may therefore induce less considerate behaviour towards their preservation.



great impact on the water quality of inland water systems. Canalisation for

instance, as is evident in many of the rivers in the Cape Town municipal area

today, has caused tremendous ecological damage and reduces the ability

of a river to attenuate pollutants. Incremental hardening/coverage of catch-

ments through urban development is a major issue facing urban stormwater

management, as rainwater is no longer infiltrated throughout the catchment

but instead remains as runoff, increasing the risks of flooding and a deterio-

ration of water quality. The policy for the management of urban stormwater

impacts was specifically developed to address these challenges.

Technical issuesInfrastructure – Leaking, inappropriate, and/or ageing municipal infra-

structure, particularly sewage pumpstations, sewers and WWTW, have an

impact on water quality, as an overflow of sewage will contaminate the

stormwater system. Failure in design, such as inadequate consideration

of the number of users of certain infrastructure, may result in its prema-

ture breakdown and malfunction, which will then place the water quality of

the receiving aquatic ecosystem at risk. The adequate management and

operation of infrastructure is a further consideration in terms of water quality

as lack of knowledge and understanding of the context of the operations for

which one is responsible, and appreciation of the impact of malfunctioning

sewage pumpstations, for instance, will have a dire impact on the rivers.

Sewage pumpstations – Spillage at sewage pumpstations can negatively

impact water quality. Historical records show that the failure rate of sewage

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TOP Klipfontein N2 Canal – during constructionBOTTOM Klipfontein N2 Canal – completed



pumpstations in the city is such that approximately 20% of the pumpsta-

tions will experience a spillage on average once per year.

Sewer blockages – According to a media release by the city on

23 March 2010 (City of Cape Town, 2010), the city attends to approxi-

mately 90 000 sewer blockages per year, which costs approximately

R60 million. The majority of blockages are found to be due to foreign

objects becoming lodged in the sewer. This inevitably causes a back-up

in the sewage system and leads to an overflow at a low point, which may

cause a serious pollution problem in the rivers and streams in the area.

Sewage disposal technologies – Sewage technologies such as con-

servancy tanks, septic tanks and soakaways are utilised in certain parts

of Cape Town, such as in the upper reaches of the Sir Lowry’s Pass

River, Schusters River and Disa River. Poorly managed or dysfunctional

systems or instances where the wastewater is removed and disposed of

inappropriately impact negatively on the stormwater system.

Cross-connections – Past practices of cross-connections between

sewer systems and stormwater systems are a further contributing factor

to poor water quality. These cross-connections, many of which have been

closed off, were intended to provide “overflow” routes for sewers, when

blockages or “flooding” caused backing up or surcharging of sewers.

These overflow routes all lead to nearby stormwater pipes or systems,

thus keeping the overflow out of sight (and out of mind!).

Wastewater treatment works – Treated sewage effluent is one of the

most common types of pollution found in urban rivers (Luger and Brown,

undated). While the City of Cape Town did exceptionally well during the

2011 Green Drop Assessment Cycle, there are still WWTW that require

significant improvement to achieve certification (DWA, 2011). While a

broad range of criteria is assessed, a failure to achieve Green Drop

Status implies that inadequately treated sewage is being discharged

into storm water and river systems, with dire consequences for eco-

system and public health. There is currently a disparity beween WWTW

effluent discharge standards or limits set by DWA versus the Water

Quality Guidelines stipulated for recreation and aquatic ecosystems.

Compliance in wastewater reports may therefore still result in a signifi-

cant impact in terms of public and ecosystem health on the receiving

water body.

Stormwater ingress and infiltration – Excessive ingress and infiltration

of stormwater into sewers, causing sewers to surcharge, have detrimen-

tal effects on stormwater and river quality. They can reduce the original

design capacity of a sewer collection system and negatively affect the

operation of a WWTW (Stephenson and Barta, 2005) and result in

sewer reticulation overflows (Thompson, pers. comm., 2010). Excessive

increases in flows reduce the effectiveness of the biological treatment

process, leading to partially treated wastewater leaving the WWTW and

entering the receiving water bodies (Stephenson and Barta, 2005).

Solid waste – Outside of the normal cleaning cycle conducted by

SWM, a number of challenges still exist as solid waste is a large and

ever-increasing challenge in Cape Town and is a particularly visual and

extensive pollutant in the rivers, particularly within the higher density

areas. Despite many awareness programmes and extensive area clean-

ing services, illegal dumping and discharge of solid waste into the

The city attends to approximately 90 000 sewer blockages per year, which costs approximately R60 million

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stormwater and river systems still occurs widely

(City of Cape Town, 2009b). Solid waste has

both an aesthetic and polluting impact on riv-

ers and wetlands and is a contributing factor to

blockages of the stormwater and sewer system.

Such blockages can result in stormwater stag-

nating on the street and negatively impacting

on road surfaces, as well as on human health.

Greywater – In some areas of Cape Town

greywater (often containing constituents such

as faecal coliforms, organic matter and chemical

pollutants) is often disposed of onto roads or in

the stormwater system due to a lack of alterna-

tive disposal options, or the inconvenience and

inadequacy of the existing disposal facilities.

This can negatively impact stormwater quality as

well as the road surface.

Backyard garages – There are instances of

illegal disposal of substances such as oil into

the stormwater system. Water pollution control

officers and law enforcement officers address

complaints received from members of the pub-

lic, but many incidents go unreported.

CommunicationMany of the current challenges to the city are

further compounded by a lack of education and

awareness on the importance of good “environ-

mental” stormwater quality and the means to

attain and preserve good water quality.

SignageAlthough there is a signage policy govern-

ing Cape Town as a whole, it is not imple-

mented throughout. There is a shortcoming in

terms of the compliance of city signage, visibil-

ity, branding and size, as well as maintenance

and replacement.

Risk assessment A risk assessment was performed on the catch-

ments of each of the rivers and wetlands. The

risk assessment identified 11 risk events and

associated consequences that could lead to

deterioration in water quality.

Each catchment was then evaluated for the

probability of the risk of the event occurring and

the impact that such a risk event would have

on the public health and ecosystem health of

that catchment and the river downstream of that

event. A vulnerability score was then calculated

for each risk associated with that catchment.

The 12 most vulnerable rivers (or river reach-

es) and vleis were found to be:

1. Lower Hout Bay River

2. the middle reaches of the Bokramspruit

3. Kuils River

4. Soet River

5. Vygekraal River

6. the lower reaches of the Diep River (West

Coast)

7. Milnerton Lagoon

8. the stormwater outfall at Theo Marais Park

9. the stormwater channel from Bayside Mall

10. Big and Little Lotus Canals

11. Zeekoevlei

12. Rondevlei.

Prioritisation of catchments, rivers and wetlands

A prioritisation of catch-

ments was undertaken

as part of this project to

assist the city manage-

ment with the allocation

of resources, bringing a

sense of proportion. The

outcomes provide guid-

ance on a starting point

for the allocation of limit-

ed resources. Ad hoc and

emergency events that

affect water quality will,

however, still need to be

attended to as the need arises.

A multi-criteria model using several inputs to

determine those rivers, wetlands and catch-

ments which should receive priority attention for

the proposed interventions was developed. The

criteria and their weightings were workshopped

and agreed upon by the project steering commit-

tee and the water quality sub-committee. Each

catchment was then scored for each criterion,

using a five-point scale. The scale and the

outcomes of the prioritisation exercise were

also workshopped and agreed upon with the

project steering committee and the water quality

sub-committee.

Required resourcesDrawing on the legacy of the past to engineer

into the future and reduce the burden of

pollution in the inland water systems of the

Cape Town municipal area, the recommended

resources required by the city are proactive and

sustainable measures as far as possible. The

dictum “prevention is better than cure” is used

as a guiding principle to avoid costly, inefficient,

after-the-event reactive measures.

The recommendations made can be grouped

as follows:

• general recommendations: approach, institu-

tional, technical, planning and policy issues

• general recommendations: budget implications

• additional recommendations per catchment:

budget implications.

The budget implications show that R675.30 mil-

lion in capital or once-off expenditure, and

R277.15 million in operational expenditure is

required as additional resources to manage pol-

lution in stormwater and river systems.

Does good water quality make economic sense?The value of good water quality in the stormwa-

ter system and the benefits it brings certainly

justifies the investment for the achievement

of good water quality and engineering into the

future. De Witt et al. (2009) showed in a report

presented to and accepted by the city that a con-

servative estimate of the natural assets in the

city is that these yield a flow of services valued

at R4 billion per annum.

An alternative approach would be to compare

the reduction in health costs and increases in

tourism revenue due to good stormwater quality.

It was found that a 1% decrease in health costs

would justify an additional expenditure of over

R110 million per annum and that a 1% increase

in tourism income would justify a further addi-

tional expenditure of R230 million per annum.

This paper has been edited and shortened. The

full version is available from the editor. E-mail

[email protected] if you would like a copy.

* About the authorsNicole Nel: MSAICE, BSc Eng, MPhil (Development Studies)Candidate Engineer: PD Naidoo & Associates Consulting Engineers (Pty) Ltd Abdulla Parker: SAICE Western Cape Branch Committee Member, BSc Eng, MBA Head of Catchment Planning: City of Cape Town: Catchment Stormwater and River Management BranchPeter Silbernagl: Past President of CESA (2002), FSAICE, PrEng, CEng, Pr CPMDirector: PD Naidoo & Associates Consulting Engineers (Pty) Ltd

ABOVE NY45 Culvert - completed

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WE ARE OFTEN faced with the

opinion that there is not enough

cer tainty of the numbers or

the groundwater system for a

licence to be awarded, or for interested and

affected parties to give their buy in, or for the

landowner to allow you to drill a municipal pro-

duction hole on their land. The various sources

of uncertainty are:

• in the conceptual model

• in recharge numbers and patterns

• in the hydraulic parameters

• in the fracture networkers

• over possible impact of abstraction, on other

users, and on the environment.

In each of these situations and for each of

these possible sources of uncertainty, numeri-

cal modelling is a powerful tool to address

these questions and deal with uncertainties

both in the data and the key parameters, and

in the conceptual understanding of the data.

Various modelling examples from the Western

Cape are presented below, following the order

of a typical life cycle of a water resource

project, from pre-feasibility stage to full-scale

implementation, and wellfield management. At

each stage in this cycle numerical models can

be used to address several of the uncertainties

listed above.

Case studiesQuantifying the unexploited available groundwa-

ter resources was one aim of the Berg Water

Availability Assessment project, and one area

of groundwater interest was the Breede River

Basin Alluvial Aquifer. A numerical model was

used to provide support over the uncertainty of

the volume of water available for abstraction,

and the impact this may have on the hydrauli-

cally linked surface water system.

A multi-layered 3D regional model in

MODFLOW was setup. Scenario testing showed

that when abstracting 80% recharge, the sys-

tem stabilises to a new steady state water

balance within a timescale of around 10 years.

As time passes under the new recharge

regime, influx to the alluvial aquifer from the

surrounding mountain springs increases and

discharge from the aquifer to the Breede River

decreases. The largest changes in these fluxes

occur in the first five years and by 10 years the

system has largely re-stabilised.

Concern and uncertainty over potential envi-

ronmental impact is often a ‘show stopper’ in

the early stages of a project, or it can be a

costly (time and monetary) hurdle to overcome.

Numerical modelling adds important information

to the debate, providing a quantitative response

to questions over the degree of impact.

Figure 1 shows the long-term change in

water level, for a hypothetical wellfield 10 km

from an ecologically sensitive environment (the

Langebaan Lagoon). The wellfield is located

at the 10 km position on the graph and the

lagoon at 20 km. The difference between the

‘natural system’ and the ‘wellfield’ water lev-

els at 10 km shows that the wellfield would

impact regional water tables by a few metres.

The water levels at 20 km are, however, unim-

pacted (DWAF, 2008b).

In the preliminary stages of a water resource

development project, uncer tainty in the

GROUND WATER RESOURCES

Using numerical modelling to cope with uncertaintyGroundwater practitioners are often challenged with questions like how sure are you of the sustainable yield? What will be the impact of future changing rainfall patterns? How sure are you that my borehole will not be impacted? By Helen Seyler and Rowena Hay of Umvoto Africa

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

0 5 10 15 20 25 30

Distance (km)

Mod

elle

dW

ater

Leve

l(m

amsl

)

Natural Sysyy tem UAUWellfield UAUNatural Sysyy tem LAUWellfield LAU

FIGURE 1: Modelled water levels for of the Langebaan Road and Elandsfontein Aquifer System under natural system and with a hypothetical wellfield added (DWAF, 2008b)



GRUNDFOS (PTY) LtdHEAD OFFICETel (011) 579 4800 Fax (011) 455 6066

DOSING AND DISINFECTIONTel (012) 665 2077Fax (012) 665 2063

www.grundfos.co.za

PUMPS FOR ALL PURPOSES

hydrogeological system is effectively handled with a regional model,

constructed to test various conceptual models. The impact of various

uncertainties on the system can be estimated, and thus the address-

ing of these uncertainties (which can require costly data collection) can

be prioritised.

For complex aquifer systems where analytical solutions are not pos-

sible, questions such as how the wellfield will respond to an alternate

pumping scenario or to increased abstraction in drought periods can

often only be accurately addressed with numerical modelling. The model

is then a useful tool to support decision making over operating rules.

Operation of the Gateway Wellfield is supported with a wellfield model

which builds on the regional model. The model is constructed in the finite

element modelling package FEFLOW.

Confidence in a model is built through testing it against data as yet which

hasn’t been used in the calibration process: ‘validation and verification’

(i.e. comparison without further calibration to these new conditions).

Due to its proximity to the coast, one of the key sources of uncertainty

over the sustainability of long-term use at the Gateway Wellfield is the

risk of saline intrusion. The wellfield model was extended to a multi-den-

sity flow model (again using FEFLOW) to explore the various controlling

factors on saline intrusion, to test the impact of the geological structures

on saline intrusion and test the salinity response to over-abstraction (Von

Scherenberg 2010).

SummaryThe case studies described above illustrate that modelling at early stage

of a project can effectively move a project from the uncertainty realm into

action, and modelling during management phase takes you from acting

retroactively based on monitoring data into a practice of model to predict

future, predictions informing management decisions, and monitoring to

see how closely the model predicted events, and fine tuning a model.

This paper has been edited and shortened. Please contact the editor at

Tel: +27 (0)11 233 2606 if you would like an unabridged version

LEFT Rowena Hay, managing director of Umvoto AfricaRIGHT Umvoto senior hydrogeologist, Helen Seyler

FIGURE 2: Model salt concentration and water level response to an over-pumping scenario

FIGURE 3: Modelled fluxes of the Breede River Alluvial Aquifer when subjected to 80% recharge, for the time since large-scale abstraction commenced.




THE AGREEMENT AIMS to further devel-

op Mintek’s SAVMIN water treatment

technology. This comes after the initial

evaluation of the VWS South Africa-

developed Multiflo and Actiflo clarifiers merged

with Mintek’s SAVMIN chemical precipitation

technology. The combined technologies are

potentially a more efficient, cost-competitive and

productive acid mine water treatment system.

Using lamella settling and ballasted floccu-

lus formation, the VWS South Africa clarifi-

ers effectively remove precipitated solids from

mine water with relatively low footprints. These

proven systems require minimal maintenance

and are a cost-competitive solution compared to

traditional clarifiers.

A precipitation-based process, SAVMIN

removes heavy metals and calcium sulphate to

produce either potable or industrial water. This

process’s waste streams are relatively clean

gypsum and metal hydroxides, which could be

recovered as saleable by-products. Because

SAVMIN does not rely on membrane separation

technologies, the overall cost per litre has the

potential to be significantly lower.

“These systems’ integration marks a long-term

approach to sustainable acid mine water treat-

ment in South Africa,” says Dr Gunter Rencken,

managing director, VWS South Africa.

“The synergy lies in Mintek’s mine water treat-

ment technology and our ability to make the tech-

nology feasible for large-scale implementation.”

The Mintek and VWS South Africa collabora-

tion draws on the complementary strengths

of both organisations to derive a sustainable,

economically feasible solution to acid mine

water, with the potential to also recover by-

product metals.

“We are fortunate enough to have had finan-

cial backing for the development of SAVMIN from

government, which recognises the importance

and urgency for solutions to South Africa’s acid

mine water problems. We hope this partner-

ship with VWS South Africa is long-lasting and

beneficial to both the mining industry and South

Africa,” says Abiel Mngomezulu, the president

and CEO of Mintek.

Mintek and VWS South Africa began initial

discussions to develop affordable mine water

treatment technologies in 2009 and, with fur-

ther refinement, hope to have a holistic treat-

ment process on the market by the end of

2013 after the completion of a full-scale pilot

plant evaluation.

Joining forces to improve acid mine water treatment technologyIn an effort to address the rising problem of acid mine water in South Africa, Veolia Water Solutions and Technologies South Africa (VWS South Africa) and Mintek have signed a co-operation agreement.

ABOVE Dr Gunter Rencken of VWS South Africa and Abiel Ngomezulu of Mintek signing the agreement that will help address the local acid mine water problem



THE HEAD OF EWS, Neil Macleod, says average monthly bulk

water purchases that were steadily increasing prior to 2011

have shown “definite and sustained signs of decreasing and

have dropped to levels last seen in July 2007”. Average daily

purchases of water from Umgeni Water decreased by 50 912 Kℓ from the

2009/10 financial year daily average.

“In the 2009/10 financial year, the non-revenue water was 37.4%.

During the 2010/11 financial year, we reduced this loss to 33.2%, which

amounted to an improvement of 4.3%. Our long-term goal is to reduce

water loss to 25% within the next eight years,” he explains.

To realise this long-term goal, EWS put in place a proactive 17 point

plan to minimise water losses and optimise service delivery to consum-

ers. During 2011, which comprises the second half of the 2010/11

Sustained decrease Aware that Durban is quickly outgrowing its water supply, eThekwini Water and Sanitation (EWS) is making significant strides in containing non-revenue water.



in water usagefinancial year and the first half of the 2011/12

financial year, the replacement of aged infrastruc-

ture such as faulty water meters, the reduction

of water pressure – a major cause of leaks and

bursts – and the detection and repair of leaks

gathered momentum.

According to Macleod, during the financial year

ending 30 June 2011, EWS commissioned 230

pressure reduction valves and seven innovative

i20 pressure controllers. The latter is a revolution-

ary device with artificial intelligence to optimise

the control of water pressure. Using Global System

for Mobile (GSM) Communication signals, the i2O

controller is constantly updated with pressure

information from a critical point in the zone. Using

advanced algorithms, it then makes minute adjust-

ments to a pressure reducing valve to ensure that the water pressures

are kept at an optimum level at all times.

“Actively managing the water pressure translates into an ongoing

reduction of water loss through leaks and burst pipes. Preliminary

inves tigations have indicated that a reduction of 40% in pipe bursts is

possible. In the Durban CBD, this advanced controller was utilised to

lower the minimum night flow from 599 to 352 m3/

hour, which equates to almost 6 Mℓ/day,” contin-

ues Macleod.

He also says detecting and repairing leaks has

played a significant role in containing water losses

throughout the 2010/11 and during the first half of

the 2011/12 financial years. A key factor has been

EWS’s use of Category B plumbers in informal and

formal areas on a ‘find and fix’ approach.

“During the course of the financial year, this

proved extremely successful with a dramatic

increase in the number of leaks repaired at a far

lower cost. This activity will be continued with tar-

gets set at 4 000 km of leak detection surveys and

the repair of 20 000 leaks for 2012.”

Billing improvements have also been high on

the EWS agenda with some important new measures introduced during

2011. Interventions such as the replacement of non-domestic consumer

meters older than 10 years and the replacement of all domestic consumer

meters older than 20 years continued. During the first half of this year,

EWS intends regularising a targeted 820 illegal connections through the

Amnesty Programme and municipal courts.

ABOVE JOAT’s technicians, Ndumiso Mkize and Njabulo Mthembu, conducting a pressure test on a water pipelineBELOW MAP Africa technician, Samantha Zungu, inspecting bulk consumer meters

“Infrastructure!”

“Clean water?”

Delivering sustainable

infrastructure that

improves our world.

IT’S OUR SMARTER

BUSINESS APPROACH.


MINE WATER

THIS WILL BE DONE through design-

ing, developing, managing and deliv-

ering water and wastewater treat-

ment solutions for significant industry

water consumers.

Bigen Africa’s approach to solving water and

wastewater challenges in the mining sector is

based largely on decades of experience.

“The technologies we offer are determined

by and depend on the various challenges faced

by a particular mining operation. It is true that

similar water challenges are faced by mines

processing similar minerals, but our experience

has shown that the water circuit of each mine

is unique and presents unique opportunities for

improved water use.

“What makes Bigen Africa’s approach unique

is that we first engage with mines to fully under-

stand their individual various water circuits,

and then develop appropriate solutions which

best fit its operational and legislative require-

ments. We also assist mines to develop rural

communities as part of their social investment

programmes,” says Bigen Africa Services pro-

ject director, Corrie Marx.

This approach has seen the company take on

considerable work in the sector, where it is cur-

rently involved in a number of projects dealing

with the planning design and implementation of

source development, water supply, water and

wastewater treatment, water conservation and

demand management and water reclamation

for a number of mines and mining groups.

The key to retaining a strong position within

the mining industry going forward – in terms of

meeting its water needs – is to understand and

meet its current needs and difficulties.

“Protection of the environment is one of our

key objectives in developing solutions for the

mining industry, but the delays caused by the

environmental authorisation processes should

be reviewed. They are significantly reducing pro-

ject implementation times,” points out Marx.

Bigen Africa’s tactic is to engage with

the relevant national departments at a very

early stage, in order to raise awareness

of projects, and ensure it develops as a

non-threatening entity to its environment.

“We are currently involved in a number of

producers’ forums in the Eastern and Western

Limbs where a number of water-related (and

other) projects are being developed. These

projects include studies to augment water

supply to the areas by means of water large

transfer schemes, water demand manage-

ment, water re-use and projects to improve the

Part of Bigen Africa’s five year ‘S-Vision 2016’ strategy aimed at improving all of Africa’s infrastructure needs, is to help mitigate the demands on South Africa’s scarce water resources and its deteriorating raw water quality.

Witty with water WATER AND WASTEWATER CHALLENGES

RIGHT Acid mine water discharge


water supply systems to neighbouring communi-

ties,” explains Marx.

One such project includes the review of a mine water

balance and the development of a water reclamation

facility to reduce the total water consumption of the

particular mine. Another project includes the sourc-

ing of water and the development of a water supply

system for a new mine in a water scarce area. Marx

With our water treatment technology, we can make acid mine water completely usable again, even good enough to wash with. Developed in South Africa, this technology is world-renowned for its high recovery of clean water.

*Aveng Water treats approximately 50 mega litres of acid mine water from all its water reclamation plants per day.

Metro

politanRe

public

/838

4/E

The Limpopo commitmentWater is recognised as a fundamental key to economic development in Limpopo and placed on the same strategic level as minerals. One of the most significant approaches embraced in the management strategy of mining companies, and aligned with the Department of Water Affairs Integrated Water Resources Management solutions within a complex system, is user integration. Within this paradigm, the mining companies in Limpopo, through the strategic development and implementation support of Bigen Africa, have played a pivotal role in creating cohesion amongst the mining sector in the Limpopo to address the urgent need for water in the province. The Olifants River Joint Water Forum, with 28 mining companies situated in the Eastern and Northern Limbs of the Bushveld Igneous Complex, was established in 2004 with the support of Bigen Africa. It is a formal mining sector partnership which was created to facilitate the development of the Olifants River Water Resource and Services Development Project, a presidential project.

The project, valued at R10 million, is inclusive of the construction of the De Hoop Dam, which will supply water to the mining industry as well as enable water provision to three municipalities in the Sekhukhune area. It is further inclusive of augmentation of water supply to the Flag Boshielo Dam which will enable water provision to the mining industry and two municipalities in the Capricorn and Mogalakwena regions. A bulk distribution system will be put in place to ensure distribution of water to the various areas. It is foreseen that mining development in the Eastern and Northern Limbs of the Bushveld Complex will create 30 000 direct and indirect jobs by 2030. Bigen Africa is playing a fundamental role in ensuring that this impact is achieved.

notes that both projects are at a very sensitive stage

and the names therefore cannot be made available.

Bigen Africa’s water commitment also extends into

the much talked about acid mine drainage crisis

South Africa is facing. “We have been involved locally

on a number of mines, as well as in Australia in

developing treatment processes for acid mine drain-

age prevention and treatment,” Marx notes.

BELOW Bigen Africa’s water commitment also extends into the much discussed area of acid mine drainage

MINE WATER


BUFFALO CITY

IN 2005, THE Buffalo City Metropolitan

Municipality (BCMM) identified the need

to address the backlog of water supply

to a number of villages and development

nodes within the south western areas of its

municipal boundaries. This need was driven

by growth in the villages, the BCMM’s planned

low-cost housing developments and develop-

ment of the Coastal Resorts, which required

additional water.

The area is located within the boundaries of

the BCMM to the south of the Buffalo River and

is bounded by:

• the Mount Coke road to the north

• the Igoda River to the east

• the Indian Ocean to the south

• the Tyolomnqa River to the west.

Population and water demandThere is a limited formal water supply scheme –

the Ncera Water Supply Scheme – that serves a

Driven by growth within its villages, Buffalo City Municipality embarked on a project to address the issue of water supply backlog. by Leigh Bahlmann, Goba

NCERA VILLAGES AND COASTAL AREAS WATER SUPPLY SCHEME

Bringing water to the people

TABLE 1: Overview: coastal areas water supply scheme

PROJECT PHASE AND COST

START DATE END DATE EXTENT OF WORKS

Phase 1AR3 million

November 2010 December 2011 800 m of 300 mm-diameter ductile iron pipe for each contractor – total of 2.4 km pipe laidPhase 1B

R3 millionNovember 2010 December 2011

Phase 1CR3 million

November 2010 December 2011

Phase 1Destimated value of R24 million – awaiting award

Mid 2012 Mid 2013 8 km of 300 mm-diameter ductile iron pipe, 2.4 Mℓ reservoir and an 80 Kℓ reservoir. Presently out to tender – awaiting award by the BCMM

Phase 1ER1.5 million

September 2011 April 2012 60 standpipes and 16 km of PVC and HDPE reticulation pipelines to upgrade existing village water supply schemes within four villages of the BCMM

Phase 1FR2.1 million

September 2011 April 2012

Phase 2 schemesEstimated value of R36 million

2013 2015 Future bulk water supply to Coastal Resorts and addressing the backlogs of water supply to farmers for household consumption and rural villagesBELOW The finished pipe route

portion of the project area. This scheme extends

from Needs Camp to Kayser’s Beach. The exist-

ing bulk main supplies 11 reservoirs, ranging in

capacity from 1 kℓ to 200 kℓ. Population figures

from the 2001 census indicate that the scheme

supplies approximately 8 500 people. The


BUFFALO CITY

PROJECT TEAMEPWP learner contractors

Intlakohlaza Civils (Phase 1A)Orae Contractors (Phase 1B)Lililo Construction (Phase 1C)

Village reticulation contractor

Makisi Civils (Phase 1E and 1F)

Project managers

Goba (Pty) Ltd

Civil structural engineers

Goba (Pty) Ltd

ISD consultant Thina Development ConsultantsEnvironmental consultant

Aurecon

OH&S consultant

AKA Risk Management

1

2

3

4

5

1. Labourers doing bedding preparation – note stepped trench.2. Labour wrapping Ductile Iron pipe3. Bedding Compaction4. Hand mixing of concrete5. Ductile Iron Pipe Wrapped and Laid

of the project, on behalf of their constituent

community. Training of the PSCs was carried out

before construction started. The PSCs proved

their skill through effective communication and

decision making and, in this way, assisted the

projects continuously.

The EPWP learner contractors all received

training in both Occupational Health and Safety

and Environmental Management components

of construction. Contractors’ construction and

rehabilitation methods were closely monitored

especially due to the steep slopes and diverse

nature of the soils. On-the-job training was

provided for general construction skills, as well

as training and skills transfer to local semi-

skilled and skilled labour, which were drawn

from the skills base provided through the

Labour Desk Officers.

Safety on siteWith the emphasis on LIC methods, the uti-

lisation of learner contractors and generally

emerging contractors, safety on site was criti-

cal. In order to ensure the safety of workers

on site while trenching was taking place and

for cost effectiveness, trench depths were lim-

ited to less than 1.0 m where possible. Where

trenches were deeper than 1.0 m, the trench

excavation was stepped to provide side slope

stability and therefore additional protection to

the labour. Where hard rock was encountered,

it was removed by compressors. Machines were

only used where boulders too large for labour

were encountered.

Testimony to the success of the Health and

Safety Programme was that there were no inju-

ries or fatalities on these five contracts.

The BCMM and Goba’s entire project team

were Xhosa speaking, which allowed the free-

dom for meetings to be conducted in Xhosa

(when necessary) to ensure understanding by

all parties.

current population estimate for the entire project

area is approximately 25 000.

Based on the current population and water

demands for the supply groups, the population

growth rates were applied to escalate the water

demands to the 20 year design horizon of 2025.

Following the analysis of the water demand

growth, it was estimated that the present sum-

mer peak water demand for the study area is

approximately 4Mℓ/day; increasing to approxi-

mately 8Mℓ/day by 2025.

Funding for this water supply scheme was

received from the Municipal Infrastructure Grant

(MIG), the BCMM and private developers, who

would pay a development levy toward the costs

of receiving a bulk water supply.

Project overviewThe BCMM required the provision of water to

rural villages to an RDP level of service in line

with the Department of Water Affairs’ objec-

tives. Furthermore, as far as possible, the

projects were to be split up to assist and enable

the development of Expanded Public Works

Programme (EPWP) learner contractors and

emerging contractors to tender and construct

the works. Projects were designed and man-

aged by Goba to fit in with the BCMM’s funding

stream as well as maximise labour intensive

construction (LIC) methods.

The scheme was therefore split into a num-

ber of smaller projects and phases in order to

encourage the participation and development

of local small, medium and micro enterprises.

This included utilising EPWP learner contractors

identified by the BCMM. Furthermore, the team

was required to work closely with local com-

munity structures and the community, through

elected Project Steering Committees (PSCs) and

Village Water Committees as well as Community

Liaison Officers in order to ensure local buy-in

and commitment by all.

Skills development and empowermentThe Institutional and Social Development (ISD)

agents conducted a number of training ses-

sions, workshops and PSC meetings in order

to empower the structures to make decisions

regarding both the technical and social aspects

Where trenches were deeper than 1.0 m, the trench excavation was stepped to provide side slope stability


BUFFALO CITY

COMMISSIONED BY the South African National Roads Agency

Limited (SANRAL), once complete, this section of the road

under rehabilitation will be able to better accommodate traffic

flow. It includes rehabilitation and capacity improvements at

the N2: Gonubie Main Road Interchange at km 20 and rehabilitation of

the N2: Brakfontein Interchange at km 26.5. The project consists mainly

of two sections:

1. Km 16.6 to km 19.6: This section, including the N2: Beacon Bay

Interchange (with three ramps), will be patched and resealed with a

19/6.7 double seal.

With a project value of R104 million, the national route along the N2, section 16 from km 16.6 to km 27.4, as well as the Gonubie and Brakfontein interchanges, is currently being rehabilitated under Gibb's watchful eye. This section of the road lies in both the Amathole District and Buffalo City municipalities.

REHABILITATION OF NATIONAL ROUTE N2/16

Effi cient fl ow of traffi c

2. Km 19.6 to km 27.4: This section, including the N2: Gonubie Main

Road Interchange and the N2: Brakfontein Interchange will be rehabili-

tated. The interchanges, including all ramps and cross roads (Gonubie

Main Road and the R102) within the SANRAL road reserve, will also be

rehabilitated. This section shall be surfaced with a 19 mm cape seal.

Proposed roadworksThe dual carriageway stretches up to km 22.0 and thereafter becomes

a single carriageway for the remainder of t he project up to km 27.4. An

auxiliary lane, approximately 2.6 km long, will be constructed between km

24 and km 26.6 on the single carriageway.

The N2: Gonubie Main Road Interchange will require a capacity upgrade

within the limits of the SANRAL road reserve. An additional lane will be

added on the northbound off-ramp and the Gonubie Main Road will be

widened on both sides to allow for an additional lane. An additional lane

will also be added to the southbound on-ramp. The route covers rolling

terrain with no gradients greater than 7%. The only section of the road

where a stop/go section will be allowed is between km 22 and km 25 –

the remainder of the road shall be kept open for two-way traffic.

The structural scope of works on the project includes:

• Culverts: at km 24.96, a 2.65 x 2.45 m major box culvert is to be

extended by approximately 10 m to accommodate the widened fill. Nine

new pipe culverts will be laid and two Armco culverts will be sleeved

and grouted.

• Bridges: all road levels are to tie in with the various bridge decks as

indicated on the relevant construction drawings.

Construction on the project

commenced in October 2011

and is set for completion in

March 2013.

PROJECT TEAMClient SANRAL SOC LtdCivil engineer Gibb (Pty) LtdContractor Haw and Inglis Civil

Engineering (Pty) Ltd



BUFFALO CITY

THE R72 IS a major route in East

London, among others such as the

R343 and R345, linking Kenton on

Sea with the N2 and Peddie with the

R72 respectively. In light of low maintenance

over the past years, and to maintain and

improve the riding quality, maintaining road fur-

niture and subsidiary works, as well as protect-

ing the pavement, routine maintenance projects

on all the major roads in the Eastern Cape came

into effect in February 2010.

The scope of works along the R72 between

Nanara and East London includes planning,

design and management of a maintenance

holding contract for nine months, which was

completed in May 2011, and a routine main-

tenance contract for another 36 months. The

three year maintenance contract is valued at

R 16 882 111 and covers a length of approxi-

mately 341 km of road along the R72 and R343.

Project overviewThe extent of the works for this contract

includes the following:

• clearing and grubbing

• collection and removal of debris and litter

• stormwater and drains

• asphalt and concrete berms

• pavement layers of gravel material

• patching and repairing edge breaks

• bituminous single seal with slurry (cape seal)

• treatment to an existing surface exhibiting

certain defects

• gabions

• guardrails

• road signs

• road markings

• control vegetation growth – mowing and

cutting

• chemical control of vegetation and eradica-

tion of undesirable vegetation

• training

• emergency standby team.

One of the main challenges was to determine

how best to utilise the available budget espe-

cially after heavy rainstorms which severely

affected the condition of the road. Traffic

loading on the R72 with a 60% heavy vehicle

ratio, also had to be taken into consideration.

During the detailed visual assessment and

design process, the following controls/checks

were implemented:

• pavement and materials design

• practicality of elected remedial action

• road drainage improvements

• detail design drawings (if required)

• coordination of services drawing

• value engineering

• traffic accommodation detail and specifica-

tion, including fining mechanism for contrac-

tor not adhering to specification

• health and safety.

Other important maintenance issues such as

grass cutting, betterment of sight distances,

guardrail repairs, rest areas and even storm

water drainage are often only partly addressed

as a result of the vast number of major black

top failures over long distances associated with

the overall condition of the road

and traffic volumes, together with

budget constraints.

In late 2011, road markings were

successfully carried out over the

complete length of the road as a

safety measure.

Availability of construction materialsCurrently, the major challenge

being experienced on the project

is the availability of construction

materials. Long distances to work

areas and bitumen shortage in

the latter half of 2011 were cru-

cial factors in the availability of

construction materials.

The high-trafficked R72 forms part of important infrastructure in the Eastern Cape. Due to low maintenance over the years, the route between Nanara and East London was in need of an upgrade.

ROUTINE MAINTENANCE OF THE R72

Improvement of drainage structures and minor works

Although bitumen-treated base is more expen-

sive, it is preferred over emulsion-treated

base for patch repair work as a result of

heavy vehicles and rainy weather. Emulsion-

treated base repairs were tried, and curing

periods and traffic volumes did not allow for

successful implementation.

As a desperate measure during October 2011

when bitumen-treated base was not available,

a concrete mix was used for base and surface

patching. Patches with concrete had to cure

for the night by means of night stop/go traffic

accommodation. Assistance from the traffic

police in Port Alfred was very helpful in this

regard. During rainy weather, plugging of pot-

holes was done temporarily by using sabunga

or a fine aggregate stabilised with cement. As

an alternative, hydro asphalt will be considered

in 2012 for repairing patches in rainy weather.

The project commenced on 28 June 2011 and

is scheduled for completion on 28 June 2014.

PROJECT TEAMClient Eastern Cape Department of Road

and Public Works Project engineer Engineering Advice and ServicesCivil consulting engineers Madan Singh Bester & Associates ccCivil contractor African Bulk Earthworks


PROFILE

THE COMMON OBJECTIVE of these

processes is to provide environmen-

tally sustainable solutions and hence

reduce the volumes of waste requiring

disposal to landfill and associated emissions.

The company is a leading provider of waste

management solutions to both municipalities

and industry, ranging from general wastes to

specific waste types. Waste-to-energy solutions

provide industry with process steam for manu-

facturing processes and electricity for own use

and where possible, for supply to the local

electricity grid.

Some of the various landfill gas to electric-

ity projects undertaken by the company over

the previous five years include the eThekweni

Municipality and the Ekurhuleni Municipality

clean development mechanism projects. Envitech

has recently been appointed by the Windhoek

Municipality to provide turnkey services for the

development and installation of a landfill gas to

electricity project on the Kupferberg landfill site.

Complete waste solutions and associated technologies

ENVITECH

Envitech Solutions focuses on technologies and projects in waste management, landfill engineering, landfill gas to electricity, waste-to-energy and integrated waste handling, including sorting and treatment.

Projects are undertaken both locally and inter-

nationally in countries such as Angola, Nigeria,

Namibia and the Middle East. Another speciali-

sation that the company offers is the design of

geosynthetic liner systems and a number of

projects have been completed in countries such

as Jordan, Yemen and Qatar, where construction

quality assurance (CQA) is a prerequisite on

most lining projects. To date the company has

carried out CQA services on projects totaling

some 3.5 million m2.

On another project, related to the Mesaieed

landfill, the company provided environmental

and waste management technical services for a

contract involving the removal of some 6.5 mil-

lion tonnes of waste, including petrochemical

wastes, from the sea at the site of the new Doha

International Airport. This project was carried out

24 hours every day over a period of 13 months

and required round the clock supervisory and

environmental monitoring services.

Turnkey solutionsTurnkey solutions are provided to clients, includ-

ing feasibility studies through to design, procure-

ment, installation, operation and maintenance of

facilities on a long-term basis.

Landfill gas managementLandfill gas management systems include gas

yield modelling, gas monitoring, gas extraction

and flaring systems as well as landfill gas-to-

electricity systems. Alternative uses for landfill

gas are investigated to offer the appropriate use

option such as thermal energy for kilns and boil-

ers, or electricity generation using reciprocating

engines and generators.

Waste-to-energyWaste-to-energy plants allow industry to mini-

mise the amount of waste to be disposed of to

landfill and hence reduce disposal costs. They

also facilitate the generation of electricity for

their own requirements. Any surplus electricity

generated can be supplied to the local grid.

Biogas plants utilising both solid and liquid

organic wastes can generate significant volumes

of biogas which can be utilised to provide ther-

mal energy. The resultant residues can be used

as soil conditioners or used to manufacture

compost or organic fertilisers.

Integrated waste managementIntegrated waste management or treatment sys-

tems are offered, both in modular format (individ-

ual technologies or components), or as complete

systems depending on specific requirements.

Alliances have been secured with various tech-

nology partners to provide the optimum combina-

tion of technologies for a particular integrated

waste treatment solution.

ABOVE Rooikraal landfill gas pump and flare station in Ekurhuleni

Envitech SolutionsTel: +27 (0)11 425 2810 Fax: +27 (0)11 425 4731www.envitech.co.za

Three Locations Newcastle/Melbourne

/Brisbane

Four Orientations

Un-insulated Double Brick

Insulated Double

Brick (R1.3)

Insulated Timber Frame

Insulated Timber more/(less) HVAC

Energy than Double Brick

Insulated Timber more/(less)

HVAC Energy than Double

Brick Insulated R1.3

Total/Average 13302 12332 15574 17.08% 26.29%


PANEL DISCUSSION

FROM A REGULATORY point of view,

water utilities are in the ‘business’ of

ensuring water quality management

through the ongoing process of plan-

ning, development, implementation and admin-

istration of water quality management policies,

and the authorisation of water uses that may

have an impact on water quality. In addition,

the Department of Water Affairs has introduced

a certification scheme for municipal water and

sanitation services in South Africa known as the

Blue and Green Drop Certification. Blue Drop

Certification ensures that everyday water supply

systems are evaluated according to a stringent

set of criteria while Green Drop Certification

applies to the management of municipal waste-

water systems to encourage proper processing

of waste in an eco-friendly manner. South Africa,

and Africa as a whole, has very little water avail-

able and it is imperative that these resources

are properly recovered, managed and treated.

Candice Landie facilitates this panel discus-

sion, which focuses extensively on water and

wastewater quality and treatment, including: the

processes/regulations

followed by water treat-

ment specialists and

laboratories to ensure

efficient management; the expertise required

by consultants to construct and rehabilitate

Wastewater Treatment Works (WWTW) and puri-

fication plants, and how these plants aid munici-

palities in the efficient treatment of wastewater;

the methods used to ensure water security; and

the products that suppliers to water utilities and

WWTW plants have on offer.

WATER AND WASTEWATER QUALITY MANAGEMENT

The key to sustainable water resourcesEnsuring that the quality of water resources is suitable for the intended

uses, while at the same allowing the water resources to be used

and developed to a certain extent, constitutes effective water and

wastewater management.

To advertise on the e-newsletter contact Tania MilicT:+27 (0)12 331 5168 | C: +27 (0)82 829 9285 | E-m: [email protected] MEDIA

Since its inception at the beginning of July, the new IMIESA weekly e-newsletter is proving to be hugely popular, with a total of 5 640 subscribers already receiving their copy directly every week.

Suubsscribe now to the wweekly IMIESA e-newwsle er foor the most up-to-daate news in the induustry!

To subscribe e-mail [email protected] | Send your press releases & event information to [email protected]

Candice Landie


be a fault code

when the unit

is acting up.

When the cus-

tomer goes

onto this appli-

cation they

choose the type of product, that is, Movitrac

B, Movidrive B or Movimot and fill in the fault

code, the phone application will tell them

what the code means and what the relevant

corrective action is. Brilliant for quick on the

spot maintenance!

PANEL DISCUSSION

Q. With regard to water and wastewater, what is SEW Eurodrive’s core business function?CP: We provide power transmission products

which are used for mixing and agitating pro-

cesses in the treatment of wastewater.

When it comes to wastewater plants, does the company supply specific product/s or do you offer a complete solution? We offer a complete solution in that we will

provide the product in a way which can be

installed. We also work with various OEMs (origi-

nal equipment manufacturers) to custom-make

products according to customer requirements.

What products make up SEW Eurodrive’s water and waste-water range? MC Series of industrial gears, complete with

EBD (extended bearing distance) and our com-

plete series 7 geared motor range.

The new MOVITRAC LTP B frequency inverter is set to be released in the first quarter of 2012. Can you briefly explain the benefits of this inverter and the applications it would be suited for? This unit can work in harsh conditions, which

include wet areas. It is extremely versatile

and can be used with very different motors:

asynchronous motors, synchronous motors

without encoder feedback, and servomotors.

The new MOVITRAC LTP B frequency inverter

from SEW Eurodrive is the per fect match for a

large variety of drive solutions in a wide range

of applications. It is easy to install, highly reli-

able and particularly efficient. This unit series

can be used universally as it was designed

for controlling the speed of asynchronous

motors, permanent-field synchronous motors

and servomotors. The wide range of applica-

tion options for different motor types and tasks

allows for an optimum drive solution in terms

of efficiency and energy consumption. In addi-

tion to the energy-saving function that reduces

consumption in part-load operation and the

‘sleep mode’ that switches off entire areas

(as long as they are not needed), the opera-

tion of synchronous motors in speed control

mode is another aspect that characterises

this sustainable SEW Eurodrive product. The

CONRAD PILGER GM sales and engineering – SEW Eurodrive

Conrad Pilger

MOVITRAC LTP B frequency inverter is avail-

able in six frame sizes from 0.37 kW to 160

kW for a line voltage of 230 V or 400 V. The

IP55/NEMA 12 degree of protection ensures

that this inverter series can be used in rough

ambient conditions. In this way, the MOVITRAC

LTP B frequency inverters operate reliably and

flexibly even when exposed to dust or water.

This drive solution is also ideally suited for

solutions outside the control cabinet, where

less enclosed space is required.

Overall, what industries does SEW Eurodrive service and what is your global market share? SEW services around 80% of all industries

– water, mining, logistics,

timber, sugar, automotive,

entertainment, airports, food

and beverage, etc. There are

no official figures on mar-

ket share in South Africa.

International figures indicate

21.5%, which is the highest in

the geared motor market.

Can you briefly explain the SEW iPhone Application and the benefits this will present to clients? It is an easy application to

assist customers on two

fronts: first is the SEW ID

Application which allows cus-

tomers to fill in a serial num-

ber and then get all the data

relating to the product on their

iPhone. If you can imagine

that some products run in the

field for a number of years

and when a customer needs

to replace it they might not

have the paperwork on hand

anymore (might have been

archived), so this is an easy

way to get the information.

Each unit has a unique ID

number which relates back to

our SAP systems.

The second application is the

SEW Diagnostics Application,

used especially on electronics

products where there would

BELOW Units from SEW Eurodrive ready for delivery to an OEM


PANEL DISCUSSION

Q. As a water utility, what processes/regulations do you follow to ensure the efficient management of water? LNW: For potable water: full scale conventional

treatment plant including inlet works, coagula-

tion, flocculation, sedimentation, filtration, chlo-

rination and reservoirs. For wastewater treat-

ment: inlet works, grit channel, biological nutri-

ent removal, sedimentation and chlorination.

The regulation for drinking water: SANS

241:2006. Wastewater: We are guided by the

conditions stipulated in the Wastewater Licence

issued by the Department of Water Affairs; these

are derived from the influent plus quantity on a

given day and the receiving environment (water

resource) where the effluent is discharged into.

The regulations we follow for wastewater are

General Standards and Special Standards.

As water treatment specialists, what technologies do you rely on for effective water and wastewater treatment, such as, reverse osmosis, ozonation, etc? For potable water we rely on the following tech-

nologies: coagulation/flocculation, sedimenta-

tion, filtration and chlorination. For wastewater,

most of our plants are activated/designed

according to the Phoredox principle three stage,

inlet works, grit channel, biological reactor, sedi-

mentation and chlorination.

As consultants, what is the expertise required to construct and rehabilitate WWTW and purification plants, and how do these plants aid municipalities in the efficient treatment of wastewater? We need to have a sound knowledge and experi-

ence in the water treatment plants and be a

process engineer/specialist, be accredited, and

registered with the Engineering Council. WWTW

and purification plants aid municipalities in the

supply of good quality water that complies with

the set standards SANS 241: 2006 and Special

and/or General Standards for WWT plants.

As water recovery specialists, what methods do you recommend (desalination, grey water recycling, etc) to ensure water security and why? We recommend rain water harvesting as it’s the

simplest way and can be widely accessed espe-

cially in rural areas which have an inadequate

supply of water. Rain water does not require any

immediate chemical intervention but of course if

it’s stored for a long time it would need chemical

intervention. Water scarcity is a major issue and

this natural process can be leveraged.

As suppliers to water utilities and WWTW plants, what products do you have on offer to aid in the treatment of water and WWTW wastewater? For both the potable and wastewater treatment

plants, we make sure that the products we use

to treat the water are SABS or NSF approved.

We use flocculants for potable water (the use of

specific flocculants is always determined by the

quality of water at the time). We use biocatalysts

for wastewater.

Which areas/communities does the company service?The following are water schemes current-

ly operated by LNW: Burgersfort (Tubatse

Municipality within Sekhukhune District

Municipality), Doorndraai (Mogalakwena

Municipality), Ebenezer (Haener tzburg,

Polokwane and Mankweng areas), Flag

Boshielo (Marble Hall and Makhuduthamaga

municipal areas), Nkowankowa (Greater Letaba

River to surrounding villages and small indus-

tries), Ohrigstad (Ohrigstad Town in Tubatse

Municipality),Olifantspoort (Polokwane metro-

politan area, the rural villages in the Mphahlele

area and the Lepelle Nkumpi Municipality),

Phalaborwa (Ba-Phalaborwa Municipality and

semi-treated water to the industries and mines),

Politsi (Duiwelskloof and the Ga-Kgapane areas),

Steelpoort (Tubatse in Sekhukhune District

Municipality), Modjadji (rural villages in the

Greater Letaba municipal area).

Is the company involved in any skills development and/or community programmes/projects?Since 2003 LNW has provided just over 100

graduates with internship opportunities to apply

their knowledge as well as learn from the exper-

tise within the organisation. Some of these

graduates have since become permanent staff

members of LNW while others have gone to other

institutions. We have offered full bursary alloca-

tion to students who will be pursuing post matric

studies in Chemical, Mechanical and Electrical

Engineering fields as LNW has identified these

to be more crucial skills in the water services

environment. LNW has a memorandum of under-

standing with the Limpopo Provincial Department

of Education, which identifies and refers most

deserving learners to LNW. We also provide

support to selected water services authorities

(WSA). LNW advises its best performing WSA’s to

identify community improvement projects, which

LNW allocates financial and human resources

to, as part of its CSI strategy. LNW also assists

with rain water harvesting projects to improve

the quality of life in the rural areas. The company

oversees the installation

of water tanks and gutters,

which will serve to harvest

rain water at schools and

dwellings it identifies.

ABOVE LNW provides support to selected water services authorities

LEPELLE NORTHERN WATER (LNW)


PANEL DISCUSSION

Q. With regard to water and sanitation services, what is Amanz’abantu Services’ core business function? OMI: Amanz’ abantu Services, as its name

implies (an isiXhosa term meaning “water for

the people”), considers its core business as

the development of water and sanitation infra-

structure (schemes and projects) for the devel-

oping and predominantly rural communities of

the Eastern Cape. The company was initially

formed in 1997 to act as the programme imple-

mentation agent for the Department of Water

Affairs and Forestry (DWAF’s) high profile Build

Operate Train and Transfer (BoTT) programme.

As the requirements of the BoTT programme

included the full turnkey development of water

schemes, Amanz’ abantu was required to

provide a range of services, including institu-

tional and social development, planning and

design, construction and operations. Following

the BoTT programme in 2003, Amanz’ abantu

shareholders agreed that the knowledge gained

for rolling out water services using this turnkey

approach should continue to be made available

to the municipalities, and so the company has

remained active ever since.

Which provinces/areas/communities does the company service?Amanz’ abantu Services operates mainly in the

Eastern Cape province and our focus has been

on projects or programmes providing water

services to rural communities or those on the

urban fringes.

Can you cite the last three community water and sanitation projects undertaken by Amanz’abantu?In late 2009, Amanz’ abantu Services was

appointed to manage a number of Zone

Manufacturing Centres on behalf of the Alfred

Nzo District Municipality (ANDM) for the rollout

of the ANDM’s sanitation backlog eradication

programme. On this programme, we have

been responsible for planning and implement-

ing the roll-out for the provision of household

Ventilated Pit Latrines (VIPs) to the rural areas

of the ANDM. To date we have completed over

13 000 VIPs, and in the process have pro-

vided employment for many previously unem-

ployed people through manufacturing blocks

and slabs, as well as through excavation,

material distribution and building work on site.

We have a current appointment from the

Chris Hani District Municipality to manage the

design and construction of household sanita-

tion in the Intsika Yethu Local Municipality.

This project has involved providing training

and mentorship to 40 selected EPWP contrac-

tors, as well as directing and overseeing these

contractors for the construction of 2 600 VIPs

under Phase 1 of a larger sanitation project for

the Intsika Yethu Local Municipality. Amanz’

abantu is also in partnership with Arcus Gibb

to provide a Professional Resource Team (PRT)

to the Eastern Cape Department of Human

Settlements. Under this programme, the com-

pany is providing construction management

services to oversee the work of the small

contractors who have been appointed to build

1 289 houses in Cala and Elliot. Other activi-

ties being undertaken include water meter/

water management device installations as well

as the servicing of households water supply

‘beyond the meter’.

Can you give me a brief overview of government’s Community and Water Sanitation Programme and how Amanz’abantu ties into this programme?Government has, since adopting the

Reconstruction and Development Programme

(RDP) in 1994, focused on providing water and

sanitation to the previously un-served communi-

ties of South Africa. Amanz’ abantu Services

considers itself as a private sector partner to

government in its mission to provide this univer-

sal access to water and sanitation, and we have

regularly accompanied government delegations

to international summits to support wherever

possible. For example, our managing director,

Oliver Ive, was part of the ‘private sector’

delegation for

the debate

at the United

N a t i o n s

Johannesburg

World Summit,

in 2001, where

the Sanitation MDG was eventually approved.

Amanz’ abantu Services believes that for an

effective and sustainable community water and

sanitation programme, it is essential that the

private sector service providers have a good

understanding of all the aspects relating to work-

ing within and with local communities for the

development of their local infrastructure.

Is the company involved in any skills development programmes/projects?Amanz’ abantu Services has a memorandum

of understanding with the Water Research

Commission, CSIR, Irish Aid (funding part-

ner) and the Eastern Cape Department of

Education, to train and develop micro-enterpris-

es to undertake the servicing of school sanita-

tion and water facilities.

This pilot project has enabled us to explore uti-

lising a social franchising mechanism to enable

us to develop and support these micro-enter-

prises to provide good quality services to public

clients. This is a very exciting project for us,

and we are hoping it will positively influence our

public sector clients to work towards creating a

small business friendly approach to outsourcing

operation and maintenance services for particu-

larly the rural and developing areas.

Oliver M Ive

OLIVER M IVEManaging director – Amanz’ abantu Services

BELOW Manufacturing of blocks for the Alfred Nzo District Municipality’s Rural Sanitation Programme at the Mphakamisi Mhlaba Zone Centre

WATER & WASTEWATER ENGINEERING

COMPLETE WATER SOLUTION PROVIDER

Water Reclamation Seawater Desalination

Water Treatment

Wastewater Treatment

Process Design

Civil Design

Mechanical Design Electrical Design

Project Management

Operation of Works

Public Private Partnerships

Monitoring

Telephone number: +27 (0)21 880 1829 Fax number: +27 (0)21 880 2820 Website: www.wastewater.co.za


PANEL DISCUSSION

Q. With regard to water quality and treatment, what is Water and Wastewater Engineering’s core business function?PM: We are a complete water solution pro-

vider that specialises in water and waste-

water treatment. This includes desalination,

water reclamation and operation of these

treatment plants.

Can you cite the projects undertaken by the company over the last two years?Our most recent projects include the following:

• Beaufort West Water Reclamation Plant

– This is the first direct (toilet-to-tap) water

reclamation plant in South Africa. The pro-

ject was initiated and awarded to Water &

Wastewater Engineering under a 20 year

design, build and operate concession. The

water reclamation plant has been completed

and is fully operational, delivering water

which is complying with the SANS 241-1:

2011 (Edition 1) standard. It is a ground

breaking project in that it unlocks a signifi-

cant water source that has historically either

been over looked or under-utilised.

• Piketberg Water and WWTW – These pro-

jects entail the upgrading of the Piketberg

Water and Wastewater Treatment Works.

Water & Wastewater Engineering’s involve-

ment included the process design, civil,

mechanical and electrical designs as well

as construction management.

• Maseru Wastewater Project – Water &

Wastewater Engineering was the techni-

cal assistant to the Maseru Wastewater

Project. This project entailed a new 21 Mℓ/day wastewater treatment works, of which

Phase 1 has been completed.

The company recently completed the Beaufort West Water Reclamation Plant, which is the first direct (toilet-to-tap) water reclamation plant in South Africa. Can you explain what is meant by toilet-to-tap and why no plants of this kind have been commissioned in South Africa? Historically final effluent from a wastewater

treatment works would either flow to the river

or be used for irrigation. As a result of the

topographical conditions in Beaufort West the

municipality decided to implement the first

‘direct’ water reclamation plant in South Africa.

The term ‘direct’ means treated effluent from

the wastewater treatment works is fur ther

treated and pumped directly back into the

town’s water supply system. It is not diluted

into a catchments dam or aquifer. It is blended

with other treated water and distributed. The

reclamation plant is only the second of its kind

in the world. It is a very revolutionary project

and the municipality had to overcome a lot of

hurdles to implement the project.

Why did the municipality opt for this reuse option?What makes the Beaufort West water supply

difficult is that it has no perennial rivers in the

surrounding area. Water supply is heavily reli-

ant on rainfall and drought is inevitable. The

municipality has two main sources of water,

that is, sur face runoff that is captured in the

Gamka and Springfontein Dams, and borehole

water. During the recent drought both dams

and approximately 50% of the boreholes dried

up. Given this background, the municipal-

ity identified water supply as a key strategic

resource and embarked on a short, medium

and long term strategy to secure the water

supply; and embarked on this project. Louw

Smit, director Engineering Services, says:

“We knew it was going to be a first in South

Africa but given our circumstances, it was

the only sustainable solution. We were also

aware of the sensitivity of the project. The

design had to incorporate safety measures,

with automatic shut down should the water

quality deteriorate.”

What treatment technologies does Water & Wastewater Engineering specialise in? We are not married to a specific technology.

We evaluate our client’s needs and challenges

and propose a suitable solution. The technol-

ogy may vary from rudimentary treatment tech-

nology in the rural areas, to high technology

membrane solutions in the urban areas. We

believe in providing a solution that is suitable

to our clients.

PIERRE MARAISManaging director – Water & Wastewater Engineering

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT Pierre Marais, Jaffie Booysen (municipal manager), Louw Smit (director: Engineering Services), both from Beaufort West Municipality

BELOW Beaufort West Water Reclamation Plant


PANEL DISCUSSION

Q. With regard to water and wastewater products/applications, what is Festo South Africa’s core business function? BA: Through years of development of factory

automation solutions, Festo has been able to

bring together a wide range of technologies,

tried and tested in the demanding Industrial

Automation segment, thus being able to offer

customers in the water and wastewater seg-

ments a complete automation solution of the

highest quality and reliability. From consulta-

tion through to design, installation, commis-

sioning and didactic training, we are able to

offer a complete valve automation solution

from a single source. This includes ‘plug and

work’ valve actuator combinations, customised

electro pneumatic control panels, centralised

or decentralised offerings, including PLCs. We

take the hassle out of sourcing components

from a number of different suppliers and then

getting them to work together, as they should,

by offering our customers the turnkey solution.

What are the advantages of using pneumatic actuators in the treatment of sewage?Firstly for areas where ATEX is a requirement,

pneumatic drives have the distinct advantage

of being rated by default for explosive environ-

ments, thus negating the need for costly elec-

trical solutions. It’s as simple as installing the

actuator into the ATEX zone and driving it from

our customised control panel in a non-ATEX

zone. Other advantages include the high corro-

sion resistance of the actuators body (we call

it CRC or Corrosion Resistance Class). Another

very important advantage of pneumatic actua-

tors, in any area of process automation, is that

unlike electrical actuators, they have a safety or

default position in the case of loss of electrical

power. Even with the power down, an air reser-

voir will allow for the actuators to be switched

a number of times by using a simple manual

override, literally the touch of a button, rather

than turning a hand wheel countless times as

is with electric actuators.

What are the advantages of pneumatic actuators for drinking water technology and what components are offered by Festo?The simplicity of pneumatics makes it a

logical solution for this industry. For starters,

the installation requires minimal effor t and

a low level of skills. Pneumatic drives from

Festo ensure a high level of plant availability,

reduced procurement costs and are mainte-

nance free. Not only can Festo offer linear

and rotary drives, up to 4.8 t of force and

8 000 Nm torque respectively, we also have a

unique linear drive solution with an integrated

positioner – series DFPI. The DFPI (a ‘plug and

work’ solution) is the only one of its kind in

the world.

Does Festo offer automation solutions for both municipal and industrial water and wastewater treatment?Yes, Festo offers solutions for all areas of

automation. If it’s a control valve that needs

to be actuated we can provide the products.

Industry today has a few basic requirements –

the solutions need to be cost-effective, simple

to install, easy to maintain, be energy efficient

and provide a high level of plant availability.

Does Festo make use of Condition Monitoring Systems (CMS)? If yes, please briefly explain the concept.CMS is a critical part of most

processes today, increasing

the level of safety, preventing

costly down time, increasing

levels of plant availability and

making maintenance a more

pro-active activity rather than

reactive. These benefits can

be realised with Festo’s CPX

valve terminal. With this option

we combine both an electri-

cal and pneumatic solution in

one offering. This valve terminal

offers connectivity to all major

bus protocols and an optionally

integrated PLC that can both be

set up for condition monitoring

tasks, indirectly giving feedback

critical to maintaining plant or

system availability.

How does automation save energy and water?Automation has been an integral

part of the water and wastewa-

ter treatment plants, carrying

out the tasks

of opening

and closing of

valves. Though

the task is sim-

ple, through its

speed, torque

and accuracy, pneumatic drives can achieve

minimal loss of water and ultimately, energy in

the process. Closing a backwash valve manu-

ally or automatically could mean the difference

between thousands of litres. The water used for

the backwash process has to go through the

entire conditioning and filtering process once

more. This inevitability requires the input from

pumps, chemicals, etc, resulting in the wasting

of energy. Closing a sludge valve is just another

example of how speed could result in either

the loss or saving of water. This is also where

pneumatics has a big advantage, being able

to operate in the event of a loss of electrical

power. Valves can be opened or closed having

a ‘safe’ default position in the event of a loss

of power – ensuring plant security and peace

of mind.

BRIAN ABBOTTProduct manager, Pneumatics – Festo

Brian Abbott

BELOW Meulwater WTW – actuated raw water isolating valve


a really inter-

esting contract

to build two SS

pilot gravity fil-

ters for Umgeni

Water at

Durban Heights

– complete with

siphon flow

control and full

PLC capability.

We’re also cur-

rently busy with a 5 Mℓ/day upgrade to the

Maphepethwa WTW for Umgeni Water.

WPCP refers to itself as a multi-disciplinary water company. Explain what this means to the industry and your clients? What we mean by this is that we have exper-

tise in a few of the essential aspects of water

PANEL DISCUSSION

MARTIN OVERYManaging member and founder – Water Purifi cation Chemical & Plant cc

Martin Overy

With regard to water quality and treatment, what is Water Purification Chemical & Plant’s (WPCP) core business function? MO: WPCP’s core business function revolves

around (mainly) the mechanical and electrical

construction of water purification plants. This

includes package plants up to 5 Mℓ/day and

conventional plants up to 50 Mℓ/day.

What treatment technologies does WPCP specialise in? We have the engineering know-how and process

technology to design and build the full spec-

trum of plant with regard to water purification

including water reuse, desalination, iron and

manganese removal, organic removal, DAF,

high (and low) turbidities and colour removal.

Can you cite the water projects undertaken by the company over the last two years? Our projects have included a few plant upgrades,

for example, Kokstad water treatment works

(WTW), where we added an extra 9 Mℓ/day

upgrade, including siphon controlled gravity

filters mechanical aspects of the two new pulsa-

tor clarifiers; fully auto Cl2 dosing in proportional

to flow; etc. We have also just started installing

the M&E parts to a 13 Mℓ/day plant which we

designed at Sundumbili WTW for Ilembe District

Municipality in Mandini on the KwaZulu-Natal

north coast. To deal with the sometimes high

raw water turbidities in excess of 10 000 NTU,

we designed a Clariflocculator with bridge scrap-

er and dual flocc mixers on board for sedimenta-

tion, and gravity filter floors. We were awarded

Our projects have included a few plant upgrades, for example, Kokstad water treatment works, where we added an extra 9 Mℓ/day upgrade BELOW A pilot filter plant at Umgeni

Water: Durban Heights PlantOPPOSITE Grabouw WTW upgrade


PANEL DISCUSSION

Mechanical & Electrical contracts - water puri cation • Modular/Package - drinking water plants

• Filtration plants • Modular sewerage e uent plants • Chemical dosing • Chlorination systems

• Flocculants - aluminium chlorhydrate (ACH) based occulants • Desalination plants

• Containerized & Skid Mounted Drinking Water Plants • Operation & maintenance of

small to medium water plants

Based in Mount Edgecombe, Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa, WPCP is a

multidisciplinary water purification company, in a unique position to offer clients expertise in a number of technical areas

W a t e r p u r i f i c a t i o n C h e m i c a l s & P l a n t c cW a t e r p u r i f i c a t i o n C h e m i c a l s & P l a n t c c

UUnit 7 Vista Park, 111 MMarshall Dr , Mt Edgeecombe , Durban SSoutth AfricaPP.O. Box 485, Umhlannga Rocks 43200 | t +27 311 502 3310 | f +27 31 502 3025 em info@@wpcp.co.za

www.wpcp.co.zaWater puri cation Chemicals & Plant ccWater puri cation Chemicals & Plant cc

treatment including flocculant manufacture and therefore expertise with

regard to the application requirements for different water qualities. Process

and engineering expertise for the full spectrum of water quality treatment

technologies via our ‘in-house’ or associated process and engineering spe-

cialists whom we call in as required.

Can you explain more your thoughts and involvement in desalination? This technology, which is improving at a fairly rapid rate, is often the

only source of potable water. We have associations with a few of the

major membrane suppliers and are able to offer a plant to suit. We

have seen however that proper remineralisation is not taking place

in a number of cases, for example, in some United Arab Emirates

(UAE) cities, and many of the bottled water suppliers both here and in

the UAE. This aspect needs to be highlighted along with the possible

medical problems of continued potable use of desalinated water without

proper remineralisation.

Where has WPCP installed containerised drinking water plants and what have been the benefits to that particular region? We’ve installed containerised plants in a number of Southern African

areas. Local installations include Somkhele Mine, North KZN, the Gumbi

Emergency Water Plant and far Northern KZN.

The ‘bubble test’ prior to installation of dual filter media

The Lamella settlers The MCC manufactured by Kaltron


PANEL DISCUSSION

Q. With National Water Week being observed in March, what water saving initiatives has the Msunduzi Municipality been involved in?MM: The Msunduzi Municipality has made great

strides when it comes to saving water over the

past year. Having embraced the Department

of Water Affairs’ policy that ‘Water Is Life’, we

formulated a five-year Water Conservation and

Water Demand Management initiative to stem

water losses, increase revenue and improve

service delivery. Ultimately, this is expected to

bring us in line with the Presidential Directive

of halving water losses by 2014. At present,

we distribute an average of 175 million litres

of water to over 600 000 people each day. If

we do not optimise the use of water, we cannot

rule out water restrictions and even shortages.

During the first year, the Msunduzi Municipality

not only moved ahead with numerous techni-

cal interventions, but also focused on non-

technical engagements and activities aimed at

increasing consumer awareness.

We also need to reiterate that we started

placing posters and undertaking ‘save water'

social initiatives approximately a year and half

ago. While we will be embracing National Water

Week, Msunduzi Municipality will be campaign-

ing these throughout the year.

Can you cite specific examples of the municipality’s technical and

non-technical interventions as mentioned in the previous question, and how have these measures helped with regard to overall savings?The high-impact interventions that began in ear-

nest in February 2010 include the replacement

of aged infrastructure, pipes and water meters

as well as the reduction of water pressure, leak

detection and the minimisation of illegal con-

nections. Non-revenue water for the 2009/10

financial year was 37% but this dropped by

1.3% within the first few months, equating to a

saving of 15 Mℓ/day.

Because unnecessarily high water pressure

increases both the frequency and volume

of water leaks, we have introduced state-

of-the-art pressure reduction valves (PRVs)

to reduce pressure to consumers - however

within the legal limits. As a result, we expect

to save in excess of 10 Mℓ/day, equating to

about R13 million. So far, Oribi, Murray Road,

Bisley, Hathorns, Symons and Masons’ reser-

voir zones have been rezoned and redesigned

to comply with the new pressure regime.

Additional PRVs will be installed during 2012.

We also installed two advanced controllers in

Townbush Road, which feeds 75% of the CBD.

Utilising GSM Communication signals, these

revolutionary devices are constantly updated

and adjust the PRVs to ensure that water pres-

sures are kept at optimum levels at all times.

Currently, they deliver a saving of 2.2 Mℓ/day.

Savings are expected to equate to R2.65 mil-

lion when the system has stabilised.

When it comes to water saving initiatives, what is next on Msunduzi Municipality’s priority list? Leak detection and repair is a big priority for

us. Level 2 leak detection began in March

2010 and a total of 1 791 km of pipes were

surveyed. 1 739 visible and non-visible leaks

were found, of which 99% were repaired. Level

4 leak detection took place in Symons reservoir

zone in the CBD area and 78.3 km of pipeline

was surveyed. A total of 14 leaks were found

and 10 have been repaired. Special steps are

being taken to repair those in difficult posi-

tions such as tarred intersections. Overall, this

has ended estimated losses of 2.4 Mℓ/day.

Our main replacement programme, which will

ultimately replace approximately 30 km of pipe

across the city, is well under way. In 2011, pipe

MSUNDUZI MUNICIPALITY

LEFT Honourable Mayor of Msunduzi Municipality, Councillor Chris Ndlela


PANEL DISCUSSION

replacement in the CBD was prioritised due to

the high frequency of bursts due to crumbling

infrastructure. High traffic congestion in the

CBD necessitated the use of sophisticated

trenchless technology. Phase 1 comprises

3.2 km of which 1.8 km has been replaced. The

balance will be completed during 2012. We are

further in the process of advertising contracts

for the refurbishment of certain reservoirs that

are leaking and for the changing of unreadable

or inaccessible water meters. Planning for

the rezoning of the Edendale reservoir, has

already commenced.

Has the municipality experienced any billing problems and if so, have you managed to counteract this issue?A year ago, illegal connections and unmetered

or unregistered connections accounted for 37%

of the city’s water losses. In February 2011,

there were 12 589 exception reports. Of these,

5 947 water meters required maintenance such

as clearing of rubble and grass. Furthermore,

6 061 water meters were inspected and 3

122 were found to be either damaged or not

working. To date, 1 157 water meters have

been replaced. Phase 2 of this replacement

programme commenced in early 2012 and, by

the end of 2013, all faulty water meters will

have been replaced.

Going forward, what are the water saving plans/initiatives for Msunduzi Municipality?While the water-saving interventions form the

backbone of the Msunduzi Municipality’s Water

Conservation and Water Demand Management

initiative, it is only by entrenching a water-saving

culture that we can ensure that saving will be

sustainable. An awareness programme has

been initiated. We have visited schools to teach

both learners and educators about the need

to save water. The aim is for learners to take

this message home so that it can be dissemi-

nated to whole communities. Feedback from

learners indicates that this is happening and

that they are using water more responsibly and

If we do not optimise the use of water, we cannot rule out water restrictions and even shortages

ABOVE Pipe replacement using trenchless technology carried out by JK Structures, at the corner of Echo Road and Bulwer Street in the Pietermaritzburg CBD

even reporting leaks and illegal connections.

Although this programme has been put on hold

during the recent school

holidays, 75 primary and

high schools within the

Msunduzi Municipality are

expected to be reached.

Msunduzi Municipality

urges its communities to

use water sensibly and

report leaks.

ABOVE In-line valve maintenance being conducted

How do you successfully discover, engineer, regulate, assess and treat water?

Just Ask Golder.

In a world of increasing water demand and environmental stress, Golder has been assisting clients by assessing surface and groundwater resources, including water treatment and reclamation. Our specialists work to improve the management of water as a valuable resource to any development or site.

Engineering Earth’s Development, Preserving Earth’s Integrity

Offices across South Africa, Botswana, Ghana and Mozambique.

Tel: +27 11 254 4800 | [email protected] | www.golder.com


PANEL DISCUSSION

Q. With regard to water and waste-water applications, what is Golder in Africa’s core business function?RH: Golder offers specialised services includ-

ing the characterisation and quantification of

water and wastewater streams, and the evalu-

ation and selection of appropriate treatment

technologies – including process engineering

related to treatment systems (sludge and brine

disposal). We develop the layout and infrastruc-

ture of the treatment plant site and our profes-

sionals apply civil and earthworks engineering

related to the treatment plants. Golder con-

ducts impact assessments of treated effluent

discharges to public streams and water bodies,

and develops wastewater collection and treat-

ment tariff structures and associated agree-

ments. Golder’s total offering includes assess-

ing and managing all sur face and groundwater

resources, which include hydrocarbon contami-

nation, environmental geochemistry, as well as

aquatic, terrestrial and wetland ecology.

Can you briefly explain Golder in Africa’s involvement in the Mine Water Treatment Plant project (Optimum Colliery) in Mpumalanga?As the lead engineering, procurement and

construction management contractor, Golder

undertook the full scope of work related to the

feasibility and execution stages of the Optimum

Water Reclamation Project, including: mine

water characterisation, engineering design,

mine water treatment technology, report prepa-

ration, project management, construction man-

agement services and regulatory approvals.

With regard to groundwater, what solutions are offered by Golder in Africa? Can you cite the most recent groundwater project?Golder’s groundwater solutions include: ground-

water resource evaluation; groundwater based

supply for urban, community rural water sup-

ply programmes, mine, industrial, agriculture

and irrigation use; hydrogeological and geo-

chemical site characterisation for EIA specialist

report and licensing applications; design and

implementation of mine dewatering systems;

numerical unsaturated and saturated flow and

contaminant transport modeling; hydrocarbon

contamination assessment, definition, mitiga-

tion, remediation and control; groundwater

impact definition, mitigation, remediation and

control; groundwater monitoring; aquifer man-

agement; well field and borehole design as well

as well pointing and infiltration gallery design.

Golder was appointed by RJ Burnside

International, a consultancy group based in

Canada, to assess the groundwater supply

to four cities, namely Pemba, Quelimane,

Montepuez and Nacala in Mozambique.

In the last three years, who has been Golder in Africa’s biggest clients in the water and wastewater industry? Optimum Colliery’s Eikeboom Section: dewa-

tering and water treatment – Golder assisted

Optimum Colliery in finding a solution to

address part of the Optimum’s surplus of

affected water, in the form of the Optimum

Water Reclamation Project whereby up to 15

Mℓ/day of excess mine water is treated to

potable standards for human consumption, for

reuse by the mine and for discharge back into

the environment.

The eThekwini Municipality: sludge man-

agement at Darvill Wastewater Works (biogas

to energy) – Golder investigated options to

optimise the digestion system and biogas

production for the beneficial use at Darvill

Wastewater Works.

Anglo Gold Ashanti Obuasi Mine: water man-

agement – Golder was requested to conduct a

site inspection and advise AGA Obuasi Mine on

crucial water management aspects.

Goldfields Tarkwa Mine (Ghana): cyanide

destruction technology – Gold Fields Ghana

Limited approached Golder to conduct a con-

ceptual study with the aim to assess different

cyanide destruction technology options. The

study forms part of the TSF upgrade project and

requires the tailings, prior to storage in the TSF,

to meet specified cyanide concentration levels.

TCTA: Wit-

w a t e r s r a n d

Goldfields acid

mine drain-

age – BKS, in

a s s o c i a t i o n

with Golder,

have been contracted to install pumping facili-

ties in each of the mining basins to maintain

the water level below the Environmental Critical

Level (ECL), construct measures to reduce

water ingress and recharge to the underground

workings and treat the excess mine water.

A press release was issued on 2 February stating that Golder in Africa has launched a construction services business unit. Briefly, what will this business unit entail?Golder is expanding to provide specialist con-

struction services to its clients in Africa, com-

plementing their existing strengths in ground

engineering and environmental consulting.

Golder offers one point of client contact, ensur-

ing that every aspect of the project, including

risk analysis and permitting, is effectively

managed. In Africa, we will be building on our

acquired global skills to offer complete design

and construct packages. The typical service

offering includes mine and dump rehabilitation,

water treatment, groundwater abstraction sys-

tems, environmental monitoring systems, water

supply schemes, waste to energy and carbon

sequestration, waste disposal sites and waste

management infrastructure. Golder is further

extending its service offering into the oil, gas

and energy sectors in Africa.

Ralph Heath

RALPH HEATH Africa Leader Environmental Technology – Golder Associates

BELOW The completed Optimum project


PANEL DISCUSSION

CHRIS JANSEN VAN VUUREN Quality Laboratory Services

Chris Jansen van Vuuren

Q.With regard to water and wastewater, what is Quality Laboratory Services’ core function?CJvV: Quality Laboratory Services (QLS) is an

analytical laboratory whose main function is to

per form water, wastewater and microbiological

analysis for the various mining groups, local

and district municipalities. QLS is an ISO

17025 accredited laboratory.

What municipalities/wastewater treatment plants has Quality Laboratory Services’ worked with over the past two years?QLS has been appointed by the Bojanala

district municipality to per form all their water

analysis. Work has also been per formed for

Rustenburg Local Municipality and also for

Madibeng Local Municipality. Work done was

mainly to per form analysis and also to consult

on the improvement of the quality of the final

product and the optimisation of the plants.

What type of water analysis is conducted by Quality Laboratory Services – analysis of drinking water, rivers, others?QLS per forms the full spectrum of SANS 241

analyses and also a variety of microbiological

tests on water and food samples.

The lab is a SANAS accredited testing laboratory. What does this mean in terms of the level/integrity of water quality testing and analyses?As one of the criteria that have been laid down

by the Department of Water Affairs, all munici-

palities have to test their water and wastewater

by either an

ISO 17025

a c c r e d i t e d

laboratory or a

Department of

Water Af fairs

cer tified labo-

rator y. This

means that

the results are

accurate and

reliable.

Can you give me a list of the services offered by Quality Laboratory Services?QLS offers the full spectrum of analyses as per

SANS 241 , as well as a variety of microbiologi-

cal analyses on water and food.


IMESA

Notwithstanding the progress made,

this is set against the backdrop of

an ongoing need to continue accel-

erating service delivery in order

to meet inter alia the 2014 service delivery

targets, and within an environment of growing

development-driven water demand, as housing

development and service upgrading acceler-

ates. In order to seek sustainable provision of

adequate, effective, efficient and safe water

services, improved performance measurement

and management will be crucial.

Benchmarking is a structured, continuous

process to both assess and improve one’s

organisation’s performance and identify and

adapt best practices from amongst one’s peers

to own situation.

Internationally, benchmarking has been shown

to lead to substantial improvements in water

services performance and water services deliv-

ery efficiencies, with associated economic ben-

efits. With the maturing of South Africa’s water

sectors regulatory tools it is now appropri-

ate and possible to separate regulatory per-

formance monitoring from more introspective

municipal performance benchmarking; that is

benchmarking for municipalities, by

municipalities, to the benefit of

municipalities.

Accordingly, in mid-2011

SALGA and the Water

Research Commission

(WRC) initiated the

r e - e s t a b l i s h m e n t o f

municipal water servic-

es benchmarking. The

municipal benchmarking

initiative (MBI) will build on

local and international learn-

ing, and seek to use water

services benchmarking to

provide a structure and

process for municipalities to strive for contin-

ual and significant performance improvement,

while also being able to harness the experience

of their peers to make the most efficient use of

available resources to improve service delivery

and customer services. The project is sup-

ported through a professional team, including

as team members, both IMESA and eThekwini

Water Services, and importantly also comprises

a voluntary group of municipal benchmarking

ambassadors and champions.

The MBI aims to:

• Support improved efficiency and effective-

ness in water services delivery through

comparative per formance benchmarking,

peer-to-peer knowledge sharing and iterative

performance improvements.

• Strengthen performance measurement, mon-

itoring and management in municipal water

services provision, while recognising and

affirming the distinctiveness of each munici-

pality’s challenges and strength.

• Build peer group based communities of prac-

tice within and between municipalities.

• Forge relationships of mutual respect and

trust between municipalities and the project

support team which strengthen the

development of performance

tracking, repor ting and

comparative assessment

systems.

For municipalities,

t h e key benefits of bench-

marking are access

to a support network of

peers and dedicated

professionals where they

can share common expe-

riences, achievements and

challenges in a manner

that supports and enables

improved performance.

The main phases to introducing effective

water services benchmarking to the munic-

ipalities of South Africa can be summarised

as including:

• Phase 1: design of benchmarking process

via consultation with core WSAs

• Phase 2: initiation amongst all WSAs

• Phase 3: institutionalisation and consolida-

tion across WSAs and the water sector

• Phase 4: iterative and ongoing strengthening

of municipal per formance assessment and

improvement.

Currently, the project is busy with Phase 2. Key

progress to-date includes:

• brief ‘dip stick’ analysis of the current state

of WSA performance reporting

• alignment to local and international bench-

marking initiatives and regulatory efforts

• development of themes/modules and

Performance Indicators for 2012 (pilot year)

• IMESA 2011 pre-conference benchmarking

workshop

• linkage to the city water managers forum

and development of strategies for peer

group interactions

• launching of peer-learning-based Water

Services Master Classes, through partner-

ing with eThekwini’s Municipal Institute of

Learning (MILE)

• establishment of municipal peer learning

groups

• initiation of benchmarking initiative sustain-

ability model

• development of the benchmarking web-

based system.

The first MBI-facilitated Municipal Water

Services Master Class: #1 peer-based learn-

ing interaction took place in Durban over

14 and 15 February 2012. Technical themes

comprised product quality (Blue Drop and

Green Drop), as well as water loss and

demand management.

Supporting improved water servicesNATIONAL MUNICIPAL BENCHMARKING INITIATIVE

by William Moraka (SALGA), Jay Bhagwan (Water Research Commission), Grant Mackintosh (Municipal Benchmarking Initiative support team), Frank Stevens (IMESA and eThekwini: water and sanitation)

Local Government Water Services Authorities (WSAs) in South Africa have contributed significantly towards increased access to a wide range of basic and improved water services.

efit of

1

o f

g

on

earn-

deve

tra

c

t h e

to

p

ca

rience

FIGURE 1: Benchmarking’s plan-do-check-act principle of

continuous improvement

GO WHERE OTHERS

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SAFETY

WHAT DO YOU DO FOR A LIV-

ING?” I hate those questions

mainly because they are so

loaded, and the answers made

are used to peg me on the social hierarchical

ladder. I never have a cute answer for this other

than to say “I’m in risk management.”

That normally opens another can of worms

such as, “Ah, you mean financial risk manage-

ment?” Once a tattooed guy with a Leatherman

strapped to his belt replied, “Yep, I also did

some risk management in Iraq – the money

was really good!”

So that got me thinking how best could I

describe what I do for a living? It would be nice

to answer “work is not necessary, I’m too pros-

perous to have to work at the moment!”

Perhaps I could answer the truth: “My work

is diverse and exciting. It provides opportuni-

ties to travel the world, experience different

countries, cultures and foods. I go mostly to

factories, mines and construction sites, provid-

ing assistance with regards to safety, health,

environmental and quality (SHEQ) considera-

tions. My job provides opportunities to add

value to people at work. I enjoy sharing my 24

years of experience and knowledge with other

people to empower them to be more aware of

SHEQ considerations.”

By this time the person who asked the ques-

tion’s frosty drink is warm, the meat is burned

and his eyes have glazed over. So I reach into

my back pocket and give him a business card.

“That’s what we do. AKA Risk Management

Specialists do SHEQ training, consulting, cer-

tification, auditing and construction SHEQ work

worldwide, and we love doing it!”

by Kevin Wanliss, NDip Env. Health, Nat Higher Cert. EDTP Practice

We have heard it many times, especially at social gatherings or perhaps around a braai with something frosty in the hand, where it’s the first question many people ask when they meet someone new…

Open to interpretation

““I go mostly to factories, mines and construction sites, providing assistance with regards to safety, health, environmental and quality”

P O Box 120, Gonubie, 5256, Shop 16C, Schwedelm Centre, Gonubie, 5257Mobile: Alan van Dyl 082 457 8161, Kevin Wanliss 083 443 6681Fax : 043 740 5848, Emails: [email protected], [email protected]

Untitled-1 1 2008/10/21 02:14:34 PM

P O Box 120, Gonubie, 5256, Shop 16C, Schwedelm Centre, Gonubie, 5257Mobile: Alan van Dyl 082 457 8161, Kevin Wanliss 083 443 6681Fax : 043 740 5848, Fax to e-mail: 086 633 7272Emails: [email protected], [email protected], Website: www.akarisk.com

Aka.indd 1 2009/06/18 10:44:21 AM

TBWA\HUNT\LASCARIS\DURBAN\24794


SAFETY

KBC HEALTH AND Safety opera-

tions manager Werner Jansen

van Vuuren points out that the

companies first teamed up for

a project two years ago, after KBC identi-

fied the need for providing contractors in

the construction industry with first aid

and firefighting training – an area which

ATA specialises in.

“Following the demand from the

industry for additional training courses,

KBC conducted comprehensive market

research and discovered that ATA was

the company best-suited for us to go into

alliance with,” he explains.

“Since then, the two companies have taken

on a number of additional projects nationwide,

and there has been a good cultural fit between

the two organisations, which both have similar

standards of training and methods of operat-

ing. What’s more, our combined knowledge and

expertise adds significant value to the client.”

ATA Director, Alastair Farish, notes that since

teaming up the two companies have provided

Sector Education and Training Authority (SETA)

and Department of Labour accredited training

courses to a number of large-scale industrial

operations across South Africa.

“Both companies are passionate about the

training programmes, which are undertaken by

professional subject matter experts with exten-

sive experience.”

Farish points out that the alliance provides

first aid and firefighting training courses on

three different levels, ranging from basic to

advanced courses.

“We have completed a significant amount of

health and safety, and fire fighting training at

a large steel processing plant in Richards Bay

with fantastic results, and that can be attributed

to the dedicated cooperation between the two

companies and commitment from our clients to

empower employees to work safer.”

Joining forces to improve safety awarenessTwo of South Africa’s health and safety experts, Action Training Academy (ATA) and KBC Health and Safety, are working in alliance to provide a value-added service to several industries, including mining, manufacturing and construction.

Despite the success of the alliance to date,

Jansen van Vuuren admits that it is a challenge

convincing clients of the importance of undergo-

ing more advanced training courses, which are

in line with stringent legislation.

“In the mining industry, the Department

of Labour and Inspectorate states that

employees are required to undergo a

comprehensive first aid training course that

is scheduled over two-and-a-half days.

Clients generally tend to select the

shorter one-day courses, due to time

and financial restraints; however, this

creates a challenge, as all the

course content required by

legislation cannot be accom-

modated into this short-

ened course.”

Farish notes that the

same challenge is faced

when dealing with building

contractors too.

“Health and safety laws are

becoming more demanding

and authorities are not willing to toler-

ate companies that are taking shortcuts

in this area. KBC and ATA are working

closely together to change the mindset of

the industry, and that the final outcome

will be to ensure that should an accident

occur on a client’s premises – the trained

first-aiders on site will be able to make

a difference between life and death by

applying the correct first aid principles

taught to them.”

Looking ahead, Jansen van Vuuren

points out that the two companies have

a number of high-profile training pro-

jects lined up in the future. What’s more,

Farish notes that ATA and KBC plan to further

expand their alliance through more extensive

marketing strategies highlighting the success of

previous projects.

“There is potential for significant growth in the

future, as the combined services of two leading

health and safety experts will ensure that clients

are provided with a comprehensive ‘one-stop-

shop’ solution with all health and safety-related

challenges,” he maintains.

ABOVE A depiction of a KBC Health and Safety Contractor HubBELOW ATA director, Alastair Farish, and KBC Health and Safety operations manager, Werner Jansen van Vuuren


SAFETY

ONE OF THE INSPECTION services

provided by Skyriders, a market-lead-

er in the provision of expert rope

access aided inspection and high-

elevation safety solutions, allows them to carry

out these precautions.

Skyriders boasts a zero fatality record through-

out its 22-year history and employs a team of

highly trained and experienced rope access

specialists who perform a variety of concrete

inspection services for the power generation,

petrochemical, off-shore, steel, concrete manu-

facturing and general engineering industries.

Skyriders marketing manager, Mike Zinn,

points out that the company specialises in

providing rope access aided concrete testing

services to the South African power generation

and construction industries.

“Rope-access-aided concrete testing provides

industries with significant savings related to

cost and time, due to the fact that tall struc-

tures such as cooling towers, silos and chimney

stacks often have limited or zero means of

access. In the case of high-rise buildings, the

scaffolding access option is costly and time

consuming, and the cost can often be dispro-

portionate to the actual work that needs to be

done,” he explains.

Using various industrial rope access tech-

niques such as bolting and aiding, Zinn notes

that these structures can be swiftly ascended

or descended by the Skyriders’ team of rope

access technicians.

“Once access has been gained, temporary and

permanent platforms can be installed for use in

a wide range of other services. What’s more,

rope access allows for increased manoeuvrabil-

ity in confined spaces, thereby enabling techni-

cians to carry out challenging tasks at height

such as core drilling and thorough inspection,

with relative ease.”

Zinn points out that Skyriders offers three

main concrete-related rope access services,

namely inspections, repairs and maintenance.

“Working closely with relevant engineers,

Skyriders rope access technicians conduct

structural integrity and protective coating sur-

veys – in order to determine the extent of any

damage to the actual concrete, the reinforce-

ment steel and the paint or other coatings that

cover the structure.”

Skyriders plans to increase its market share in

the water infrastructure market of South Africa.

“We are looking to market our services and

capabilities to South Africa’s water authorities,

as a number of local dam walls and reservoirs

are currently in poor condition and we have the

ability and resources to help improve this situa-

tion – by inspecting every millimetre of the walls

in less time than it takes for scaffolding to be

installed,” he maintains.

Concrete solutions to structural problems Industrial operations across Africa ensure that their high-reaching concrete structures are safe for operation and in good condition.

RIGHT A technician inspects the exterior of a cooling tower


ADVERTORIAL

THE COMPANY TRADES as HASLAC and is an accredited service

provider with the Health and Welfare Sector Educational Training

Authority and Department of Labour, in terms of General Safety

Regulations 3(4). It is a specialist consultant in the integrated

SHERQ (safety, health, environment, risk and quality) management field, with

emphasis on occupational health and safety legislation. HASLAC renders

services to assist employers to be in compliance with legal requirements as

contemplated in the Occupational Health and Safety Act, Act 85 of 1993.

HASLAC has completed more than 700 successful projects from its

inception.

Services rendered by HASLAC include the following:• training in various disciplines utilising accredited training material

• consultations with regards to occupational health and safety requirements

• provision of safety officers to contractor companies

• conduction of five star grading legal compliance audits

• implementation of safety and health management systems at the

employer’s premises

• assistance with incident investigations

• assistance with hazard identification and risk assessments

• recommendation of control measures.

HASLAC also offer the following systems:The SHE management system which:

• addresses full legal compliance in terms of the Occupational Health and

Safety Act and its regulations

• addresses extended legislation in the form of incorporated codes and

internal rules and regulations

• is in line with ISO 14001, ISO9001, OHSAS 18001 and BS 8800

in terms of initial status reviews and audits, in that it will ensure an

extremely high level of compliance

Integrated SHERQ management solutionsHASLAC is an independent South African organisation registered as Health and Safety Legal Audit Consultants Holdings.

SPECIALISTS IN OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY MANAGEMENTAccredited Courses

• SHE Representative`• Incident Management • HIRA• First Aid Level 1-3• OHS Act And Regulations• Emergency Awareness• HCS Handling• JSA - SWP

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HASHASLACLAC

SHEM-TRAC ™

• ensures a minimal amount of administrative maintenance once imple-

mented and populated.

Computerised legal compliance audit star grading system:

• establish compliance

• pointing out shortfalls

• pointing out responsibilities

• recommendations

• assistance with implementation of recommendations and development

of the safety systems.

These services contribute towards development of employees as con-

templated in the relevant Act and regulations and aim to assist chief

executive officers to ensure duties as contemplated in the Act are properly

discharged.

Section 16(1) of the Act reads:

“Every chief executive officer shall ensure that the duties of his employer

as contemplated in this Act are properly discharged”.

HASLAC is involved with various companies in developing and training of

employees’ career paths. The company recently began to assist contractors

to compile and maintain site specific

health and safety files for construction

and other projects.

HASLAC HoldingsTel: +27 (0)11 312 0828


BELL EQUIPMENT’S manager of

group technical services, Ryan

Bland, says that the first phase of

the centres, which are known as

Bell Re-Man Centres, has seen the establish-

ment of a facility near the company’s head

office in Richards Bay which will focus on high-

tech components such as engine and transmis-

sion components. A second facility at Bell’s Jet

Park complex in Johannesburg will specialise

in basic components such as transfer cases,

differentials, pumps and cylinders.

“Economic times are tough for customers

across the various industries we serve and

our experience has shown that customers

are increasingly turning to potentially danger-

ous grey parts, which are generally cheaper

than the Bell Genuine Parts manufactured

within our Bell supply chain. With our remanu-

factured parts, we aim to provide our custom-

ers with an affordable alternative to these grey

parts, offering them protection and peace of

mind while also protecting the integrity of our

Bell brand.”

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

BELOW Remanufactured parts provide customers with an affordable alternative to grey parts

An alternative to ‘grey’ parts

Bell Equipment’s drive to offer its customers added

value and promote the longevity of its machines has

seen the home-grown manufacturer invest a large

amount of capital in establishing two centres to

remanufacture components for customers.


THE RESULTS OF the second round of ran-

dom sampling undertaken by Southern

African Plastic Pipe Manufacturers

Association (SAPPMA), since the first

sampling exercise of a specific range of products

took place last year, have just been released.

“SAPPMA works closely with the SABS in a joint

effort to weed out inferior quality plastic piping

systems,” explains SAPPMA CEO, Jan Venter.

“We selected 18 samples of PVC pipes at ran-

dom from eight different manufacturers – all of

them carrying a SABS mark (SANS 1601, SANS

966-1, SANS 966-2 and SANS 967) and clearly

identified by trade or company names. Of those

pipes tested, at least 56% of those produced by

non-SAPPMA members failed, while none of those

produced by SAPPMA members failed. After the

results of the first round of tests were released,

SAPPMA again repeated the survey at the end of

2011 – again obtaining pipes at random, although

a much bigger sample size was used. “We have

found that a considerable number of the pipes

tested still fell short of the industry standards.”


Quality question

If you are serious about Quality, insist on the

SAPPMA markSouthern Af r ican P las t ic P ipe Manufacturers Associa t ion

www.sappma.co.za

According to the SAPPMA, the quality

of plastic pipes manufactured in South

Africa leaves room for improvement,

despite the fact that many of the pipes

carry the SABS mark of approval.

SECOND ROUND OF QUALITY TESTS CONCLUDED

ABOVE Research indicated that of the pipes tested at least 56% of those produced by non-SAPPMA members failed

• TRADE & TECHNICAL PUBL ICATIONS SA SADC In t . Rand US$ US$

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Quick hydraulicsToday’s Cat machines are faster, more powerful and easier to operate thanks to technological advancements in their hydraulic designs.

nts in their designs.

MAXIMISING THIS performance depends on strict contami-

nation control, which is why making Caterpillar’s Custom

Hydraulic Service (CHS) a part of an overall maintenance

programme is so important.

“In essence, CHS enables you to maintain peak hydraulic system perfor-

mance and catch problems before they turn into costly repairs,” explains

Paul Verwey, a group products specialist at Barloworld Equipment. “In

fact, long before contaminants cause component failure, they start

to reduce system efficiency, which has a tremendous impact on

machine productivity.

“Consider this: controlled studies have

shown that without a monitoring mechanism

in place, hydraulic efficiency can fall off by

as much as 20% before being detected by

even the best operators.

“Efficiency losses of this magni-

tude can equate to a day of lost

production each week. They also

cause machines to burn more fuel and

shorten component life.” Caterpillar’s Custom Hydraulic Service ensures that machines perform at optimum levels



INDEX TO ADVERTISERS

ABS Wastewater Technology 18

Aka Risk Management Specialists 81

Amaz' Abantu 66

Anatech Instruments 24

Arcus Gibb 56

Aveng Water 51

Bagshaw Footwear 80

Barloworld OFC & 88

Beier Safety Footwear 82

Bell Equipment 87

Bigen Africa 48

Bosch Holdings 16 & 17

Bosch Stemele 28

BVI Consulting Engineers 31

Corobrick 60

Degremont 38

Department of Water Affairs IFC

Dynamic Fluid Control 46

Elster Kent Metering 36

Envitech Solutions 58

ERWAT 32

Festo 70

Fiberpipe 47

Goba 52

Golder Associates Africa 76

Grundfos 44

Haslac 86

IMESA Conference 2012 12

IMESA Reflections 4

Incledon 2

Krohne South Africa 39

Lebone Engineering 54

Lepelle Northern Water 64

Msunduzi Municipality 74 & 75

Murray & Roberts Building Products 26

Natal Portland Cement 29

National Asphalt 91

Port Shepstone Quarry’s 30

Quality Laboratories 78

Robor 22

SBS Water Systems 45

Sew Eurodrive 62

SAPPMA 89

United Fram 84

Veolia Water Solutions

& Technologies 34

Virtual Consulting Engineers 50

Water & Sanitation Services OBC

Water & Wastewater Engineering 68

Water Purification Chemical & Plant 73

WRP Consulting Engineers IBC

Xylem Water Solutions South Africa 42

Zest WEG Group 20

Zevoli t/a EFTEC 40

IN FACT THE PIPE could already be over

100 years, but documentation to verify this

claim is unfortunately not to hand.

What is known is that a ‘modern’ water

works, which comprised a filtration plant and

reservoir, was completed in 1924 and the pipe

in question, which still conveys water from the

reservoir into the town centre, was most likely

installed at the same time.

According to Kleintjie Kleinhans, assistant city

engineer of the Tlokwe City Council, it is possible

that the pipe was installed in 1900 when six

steel water tanks were erected on the site of the

purification plant.

“The pipe may well have even existed before

this. However, I think it is safe to say that it has

been supplying potable water at a maximum rate

of 4 910 m3/day to Potchefstroom residents for

at least 87 years,” he explains.

This information came to light when the

Concrete Manufacturers Association (CMA), in

collaboration with IMIESA, ran a competition in

the September and October 2011 editions of

the magazine to locate some of the country’s

oldest concrete pipe installations. So far the

Potchefstroom project is the only one to have

Still pumping after 87 yearsJust another 13 years and a 225 mm (9″) three-kilometre concrete water pipe will have been in operation for 100 years in Potchefstroom.

won one of the 10 cases of wine on offer for suc-

cessfully meeting the CMA’s competition criteria.

CMA director, Hamish Laing, says the moti-

vation behind the competition is to illus-

trate the durability and cost-effectiveness of

concrete piping.

“These benefits have been clearly demon-

strated in Potchefstroom,” says Laing. “No other

material comes close to concrete piping’s track

record for the conveyance of water using pipes

with diameters greater than 150 mm. Moreover,

concrete piping is self-supporting, unlike plastic

piping, which is flexible and a conduit only, requir-

ing additional material for structural support.”

ABOVE The partially visible 225 mm concrete water feeder pipe. The pipe continues to supply Potchefstroom with potable water on a daily basis

The CMA’s offer of presenting a case of wine to anyone who successfully identifies a functional precast concrete pipe installation 75 years or older is still open. There are still nine cases to be given away. Simply submit your entry to [email protected]

Documents

Imiesa March 2012