Think water, think WISA!The official magazine of the Water Institute of Southern Africa

Water & SanitationAfricaComplete water resource and wastewater management

We are open to the clients’ needs and provide them with what they really want to solve their water treatment problems. Golder Associates’ Hennie Cronje (left) and Chris van Renssen P16

TT

March/April 2013 • ISSN 1990-8857 • Cover price R40.00 • Vol 8 No. 2

MEDIA

1

what

16 MEDIA

We theyGold

WtG

IN THE HOT SEAT

Complete wateeerr rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeessssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuurce and wastew

RBIG focus for DWA

REGIONAL FOCUSREGIONAL FOCUSKwaZulu-Natal: KwaZulu-Natal:

challenging constraintschallenging constraints

PANEL DISCUSSIONPANEL DISCUSSIONMulling on mine waterMulling on mine water

MARCH/APRIL 2013 1

Think water, think WISA!The official magazine of the Water Institute of Southern Africa

Water & SanitationAfricaComplete water resource and wastewater management

We are open to the clients’ needs and provide them with what they really want to solve their water treatment problems. Golder Associates’ Hennie Cronje (left) and Chris van Renssen P16

TT

March/April 2013 • ISSN 1990-8857 • Cover price R40.00 • Vol 8 No. 2

MEDIA

1

what

16 MEDIA

We theyGold

WtG

IN THE HOT SEAT

Complete wateeerr rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeessssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuurce and wastew

RBIG focus for DWA

REGIONAL FOCUSREGIONAL FOCUSKwaZulu-Natal: KwaZulu-Natal:

challenging constraintschallenging constraints

PANEL DISCUSSIONPANEL DISCUSSIONMulling on mine waterMulling on mine water

1414SA YWP’s experience in the world of academic publications

Reline, repair & renewal at Sun City

Melbourne Desalination Plant goes “live”

Hlabisa Bulk Water Supply Scheme nearing completion4242

5050

8484

ON THE COVER The RBIG is being

implemented in all nine provinces. In this edition, the DWA focuses on the

initiatives in the Northern Cape province.

CONTENTS Volume 8. No.2

COVER STORY

RBIG programme gets going 4

WISA

President’s message 8Board banter 9WISA Conference 12Training: Process controllers 13SA YWP’s experience in the world of academic publications 14

HOT SEAT

Golder’s business unit leader: Construction, Chris van Rensen and general manager: Project Engineering, Construction Services, Hennie Cronjé, expand on the organisation’s water treatment system off erings. 16

PANEL DISCUSSION

Mulling over mine water 23

REGIONAL FOCUS: KwaZulu-Natal

Mbazwane Groundwater Monitoring Network in focus 39Hlabisa Bulk Water Supply Scheme nearing completion 42oGagwini supply scheme on track 46Innovative purpose-built solutions for KZN toilets 48

INTERNATIONAL FOCUS

Australia: Melbourne Desalination Plant goes “live” 50

TECHNICAL PAPER

Water memory 54

FEATURE

Mine water 60WTW & WWTWs 66

REGULARS

Editor’s comment 3Infrastructure news 18Industry news 20

MARCH/APRIL 2013

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EDITOR’S COMMENTPublisher Elizabeth ShortenEditor Chantelle MattheusHead of design Frédérick DantonSenior designer Hayley MendelowDesigner Kirsty GallowayChief sub-editor Claire NozaïcSub-editor Patience GumboContributors Sumayya Mieta-Hoosen, Mias van der WaltMarketing & online manager Martin Hiller Production manager Antois-Leigh BotmaProduction coordinator Jacqueline Modise Distribution manager Nomsa MasinaDistribution coordinator Asha PursothamFinancial manager Andrew LobbanAdministration Tonya HebentonPrinters United Litho Johannesburg+27 (0)11 402 0571Advertising sales Avé Delport Tel: +27 (0)11 467 6224 • Cell: +27 (0)83 302 1342 Fax: 086 502 1216E-mail: avedel@lantic.net

Publisher

MEDIA Physical address: No 4, 5th Avenue Rivonia 2056Postal address: PO Box 92026, Norwood 2117, South AfricaTel: +27 (0)11 233 2600Fax: +27 (0)11 234 7274/5E-mail: chantelle@3smedia.co.za

ISSN: 1990 - 8857Annual subscription: R290 (SA rate)E-mail: subs@3smedia.co.zaCopyright 2013. All rights reserved.All articles in Water&Sanitation Africa are copyright protected and may not be reproduced either in whole or in part without the prior written permission of the publishers. The views of contributors do not necessarily reflect those of the Water Institute of Southern Africa or the publishers.

WISA mission statementThe Water Institute of Southern Africa provides a forum for exchange of information and views to improve water resource management in southern Africa.

Endorsed by

WISA CONTACTS:

HEAD OFFICETel: +27 (0)11 805 3537 Fax: +27 (0)11 315 1258Physical address: 1st Floor, Building 5, Constantia Park, 546 16th Road, Randjiespark Ext 7, Midrand

BRANCHESEastern CapeChairman: Hennie Greeff Tel: +27(0)41 453 3102Secretary/Treasurer: Chris Dickson Tel: +27(0)41 507 8200

Free StateChairperson: D.R. TlhomelangTel: +27(0)51 403 0800Secretary/ Treasurer: Riana WesselsTel: +27(0)56-515-0375

KwaZulu-NatalChairman: Chris Fennemore Tel: +27 (0)31 311 8734Secretary/ Treasurer: Stephanie WalshTel: +27 (0)31 302-4077

Western CapeChairman: Gareth McConkeyTel: +27(0) 21 712 4260Secretary/ Treasurer: Eleonore BondesioTel: +27(0)21 872 0322

www.ewisa.co.za

The months between now and our previous edition have certainly been interesting, especially in the infrastructure sphere with President Jacob Zuma setting the national agenda with his State of the Nation Address to a joint sitting of Parliament on 14 February this year.

While most of the country was almost certainly celebrating Valentine’s Day, those in the municipal and government spheres ‒ as well as those related role players in the infrastructure sphere ‒ were waiting with bated breath to see in which direction he would send government’s massive planned infrastructure drive.These “grand plans” were soon to be reinforced by Minister of Finance Pravin Gordhan’s budget, which he tabled shortly afterwards. Well received largely, Gordhan’s budget needed to walk a tightrope between attaining the economic growth and ex-

pansion needed to create much needed jobs, while maintaining a fi rm hold on the country’s debt.Positively though for the

water sector, the budget brought with it seemingly good news ‒ an extra R6.5 billion for the Department of Water Aff airs over the next three years. According to the bud-get, the department will receive a total of R38 billion over the 2013, 2014 and 2015 fi nancial years. What makes this even more interesting ‒ and a source of greater posi-tivity ‒ is that most of it has been earmarked for water infrastructure implementation and support (and by this I would hope they mean maintenance) ‒ and the amount is just over R6.5 billion more than the 2012 Budget estimate.“The spending focus over the medium term will be on funding water infrastructure management and regional implementation and support programmes for bulk water programmes,” said Gordhan.Among major infrastructure projects on the cards is the construction of the De Hoop Dam and associated bulk raw water distribution systems in Limpopo, and a R2.8 billion dam safety rehabilitation project involving the 315 reservoirs owned by the depart-ment ‒ some of which have been pictured in our Department of Water Aff airs Cover Story detailing the expanded RBIG roll-out specifi cally in the Northern Cape.In our Regional Focus section, Water&Sanitation Africa highlights a number of proj-ects in KwaZulu-Natal currently being rolled out successfully, , as well as a number of water and wastewater treatment works that have not only been refurbished, expand-ed and maintained, but also have had their delivery capacity substantially increased in order to continue to deliver at a high quality to the communities they serve.I trust you will fi nd them of interest and view them much the same as I view the Budget speech and State of the Nation Address ‒ as a measure of progress towards a South Africa where all will have water and a clean environment.

Grand designs

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Think water, think WISA!

The official magazine of

the Water Institute of S

outhern Africa

Water & SanitationAfrica

Complete water resourc

e and wastewater manag

ement

We are open to the clients’ nee

ds and provide them with wha

t

they really want to solve their

water treatment problems.

Golder Associates’ Hennie Cron

je (left) and Chris van Renssen

P16

TT

March/April 2013 • ISSN 1990-8857 • Cover price R40.00 • Vol 8 No. 2

MEDIA

1

what

16MEDIA

We theyGold

WtG

IN THE HOT SEAT

Complete wateeerr rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeessssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuurc

e and wastew

RBIG focus for DWA

REGIONAL FOCUS

REGIONAL FOCUS

KwaZulu-Natal:

KwaZulu-Natal:

challenging constraints

challenging constraints

PANEL DISCUSSION

PANEL DISCUSSION

Mulling on mine water

Mulling on mine water

Cover opportunityIn each issue, Water&Sanitation Africa off ers companies the opportunity to get to the front of the line by placing a company, product or service on the front cover of the magazine. Buying this position will aff ord the advertiser the cover story on pages 4 and 5 and maximum exposure. For more information on cover bookings contact Avé Delport on +27 (0)83 302 1342 or e-mail avedel@lantic.net

An extra R6.5 billion for the Department of Water Affairs over the next three years

DEPARTMENT OF WATER AFFAIRSCOVER STORY

RBIG programme T he Regional Bulk Infrastructure Grant

Programme (RBIG) is a departmental finan-cial resource mobilisation plan designed to facilitate availability of sufficient funds

and expenditure management systems for the implementation of regional bulk infrastructure across the country. The projects into which this grant injects funds aim to develop bulk water infra-structure required to connect or augment existing water resources infrastructure serving extensive areas across various municipal boundaries, or large regional bulk infrastructure serving numerous communities over a large area within a munici-pality. The grant extends to sanitation through the building of wastewater treatment works to meet area requirements or replace those that have become inoperable. “While we recognise that bulk projects by their very nature are implemented over a number of years, due to the size of the projects, the availability of funding and local absorption capacity, we are confident that this impact will be clear in improved Green Drop and Blue Drop results in the near future,” says the RBIG programme manager at the DWA Northern Cape, Kobus Streuders.National Treasury is the key sole funder of the national programme and as a result, all projects and associated implementation, administration and management processes are subject to nu-merous legislative frameworks. Key among other

The RBIG is being implemented in all nine provinces. In the Northern Cape province specifi cally, where the distances between towns and previously disadvantaged communities was one of the challenging aspects that needed to be overcome during the planning phase, a signifi cant focus has been on turning around the water treatment capacity of selected municipalities.

4 MARCH/APRIL 2013

MARCH/APRIL 2013 55

gets going

Through its RBIG programme, the construction of

bulk infrastructure is paramount for the expansion of

reticulation systems to communities

was received. For this reason, the province started out small, with a groundwater augmentation project at Vanwyksvlei with a value of R5.7 million. The department’s regional office quickly realised though that if it wants to increase funding flows to the Northern Cape RBIG programme, it would have to iden-tify projects and ensure that they are `implementation ready’. For that reason, the province decided to invest in the preparation of detailed feasibility studies that identify and recognise its growth and development needs and guide it in future bulk project selection. During this start-up phase, 18 feasibility studies were completed. Approximately half of these identified key projects were implementation ready. “While the approach to invest in detailed feasibility studies to ensure our project pool is highly responsive and able to quickly absorb funding allocations, par-ticipation in these processes raised expectations and

this is something that requires constant and sensitive manage-ment,” says Streuders, adding that this is partially due to many communities having waited long for relief and are therefore understandably excited at the prospect of a project becoming a reality. The region’s project production line was now in place, so that funds could quickly be directed to these projects, if and

COVER STORY

In each issue, Water&Sanitation Africa offers advertisers the opportunity to promote their company’s products and services to an appropriate audience by booking the prime position of the front cover, which includes a feature article. The magazine offers advertisers an ideal platform to ensure maximum exposure of their brand. Please call Avé Delport on +27 (0)11 467 6224/ +27 (0)83 302 1342 to secure your booking.

legislative frameworks that guide implementation of the grant is the Public Finance Financial Act (PFMA), Treasury Regulations, Division of Revenue Act (DORA) and procurement and Supply Chain Management (SCM) guidelines within the public service context.

Challenging dynamicsAs in other provinces, the Northern Cape focuses on ac-cess to potable water service delivery to disadvantaged communities. Through its RBIG programme, the con-struction of bulk infrastructure is paramount for the ex-pansion of reticulation systems to communities. After the installation of bulk infrastructure, which includes bulk pipelines, water treatment plants and associated infrastructure, reticulation work is undertaken by the relevant municipalities to ensure water supply to com-munities within its area of operations. Without viable bulk services in place, reticulation work that would supply water to communities would not take place. Due to the vast distances between water sources, such as dams and rivers, towns and communities in need of potable water were quickly left behind. For this reason Northern Cape was excited when RBIG came into effect in 2007 as this meant that the region could begin to address the bulk infrastructure backlog that had developed ‒ with particular focus on backlog eradication, higher levels of service and growing set-tlements in remote areas. Due to the population size of the province traditionally, this meant that only 2 to 2.4% of the national infrastructure programme budgets

FAR LEFT Upgraded bridge to accommodate water supply pipelineFAR LEFT MAIN Rising main Ductile Iron pipeline laid inside the R27 National Road reserve between the Orange River at Keimoes/ Lennertsville to KenhardtBELOW Rising main trench excavation

6 MARCH/APRIL 2013

when more budget became available. This proactive approach by the DWA regional office gave the province a head start on many of the other provinces, which had not focused on getting a project production line in place. The success of this tactical decision paid off, as the Northern Cape currently receives 8.5% of the RBIG budget ‒ which is a great benefit to all sectors of its diverse commu-

nities. It also proved the value of good planning and proactive project preparation. At present, there are six regional bulk projects under implementation, three in design and tender phase, with work under way on 12 more feasibility studies.

Further obstacles overcomeOther challenges faced by the region included the need to build awareness around the cost of a bulk project,

in addition to having to manage procurement problems that could impact implementation, and the continued challenge of sustainable operations and maintenance. “One can understand that these chal-lenges test the patience of affected communities,” says Streuders.The Northern Cape, like many other provinces, has experienced particular challenges relating to the condition of municipal waste-water treatment works (WWTW). These challenges are clearly seen in the results of Green Drop compliance assessments. The lack of investment in the mainte-nance of existing infrastructure over many years has also had negative results. Over time, the infrastructure simply did not have the capacity to keep up with treatment demands, with the re-

sultant negative impact on service delivery and the environment. The RBIG programme focuses on turning around the water treatment capacity of selected municipalities. The Northern Cape municipali-ties struggle with significant water scarcity challenges. Careful planning and innovative thinking is addressing these obstacles. “For many communities, access to

a sustainable supply of potable water is an uphill struggle as water is just such a scarce natural resource. Through the RBIG we have managed to also bring relief to these situations,” says Streuders.The department has assisted with the bulk pipeline project at Kai !Garib Local Municipality where water has been taken from Lennertsville to Kenhardt. This project brought relief to a long-suffering community that has had to endure harsh conditions for many years.

Bulk water supply at Port Nolloth This project entails supply of bulk water to Port Nolloth as the Alexander Bay pipeline has reached its ultimate capacity. It is recommended as a result that the seawater be desalinated in order to intensify and augment the bulk water supply capacity.

This project will benefi t approximately 5 172 people with an estimated cost of R27 million. Construction of the project began in November 2012 and be completed by June 2014.

Upgrade of the Namakwa WTW and pipeline (Nama Khoi) Construction of this project commenced in July 2011. It is a multi-year project and should be completed by the end of September 2017. The project

is intended to refurbish the current infrastructure of the Namakwa WTW in order to address the bulk water needs in the area. A total of 47 930 beneficiaries will benefit from the upgrade. The estimated project cost is R530 million.

Orange River – Colesberg: Noupoort bulk waterThis project is comprised of three different phases of construction under the auspices of the Umsobomvu Bulk Supply Scheme. The phases are composed as follows:Phase 1: installation a pipeline from Orange River to Colesberg WTW. Phase 2: upgrading and extension of Colesberg WTW.Phase 3: development of

groundwater in Noupoort and upgrading of the Colesberg WWTW.

This project, which was started in July 2011 and should be completed in September 2015, will benefit 24 610 people with an estimated project cost of R349 million.

De Aar borehole development This involves the development of new groundwater resources in the Emthanjeni Local Municipality area. This also involves the development of 15 undeveloped production boreholes to the north of the De Aar – Blaauwkrans borehole field. Inclusive to this development is the installation of pipelines and a booster pump station and a rising main to De Aar. The project, which

was completed in September 2012, will benefit 20 791 people with the estimated project cost of R42 million.

Thembelihle bulk water supply: Hopetown WTW and Strydenurg groundwater development This project entails the upgrading of the Hopetown WTW. It will cost approximately R75 million to service 6 752 beneficiaries.

Kenhardt bulk water supply This project involves the abstraction of water from the Orange River Water Treatment plant at Lennertsville and 70 km pipeline to Kenhardt. The project is complete and is benefitting 6 192 people within the community. The total project cost was R81 million.

PROJECT PROGRESS

COVER STORY

ABOVE Floating raw water pump to be launchedINSET fl oating raw water pump in the Orange River at the R27 bridge crossing

MARCH/APRIL 2013 7

The availability of a secure supply of water will also allow develop-ment opportunities that were not previously possible. This development has resulted in the employment of six local citizens who were trained to operate and maintain the new infrastructure. Putting this technical capacity into place will make a considerable con-tribution to the sustainability of gov-ernment’s investment in this area.

Increased ImpactAccording to Streuders, one of the most significant contributions is the contribution that the RBIG has made to the improvement of services in the Northern Cape, as it has assisted recipient municipalities to expand their retic-ulated services to increasing number of households. “The quality of life of many citizens has improved as a result of increased municipal bulk water sup-ply capacity,” he adds.“Of course, it will be essential that sustainable op-erations and maintenance practices are in place once these projects are operational. It may be necessary for municipalities to consider bringing other providers on board to ensure that this is the case where they have capacity constraints,” concludes Streuders.

MARCH/APRIL 2013 7

The Northern Cape currently

receives 8.5% of the RBIG budget

COVER STORY

Tsantsabane bulk water and wastewater scheme The project focuses on upgrading the bulk water and sanitation infrastructure to accommodate extensive growth in the area. The upgrading will ensure suffi cient water supply and sanitation for the town of Postmasburg. The project will cost R45 million and benefi t 23 590 people in the surrounding communities upon completion.

Riemvasmaak This project entails a new abstraction point from the Orange River for water to be pumped to a water treatment plant. This is to ensure sufficient potable water supply to this drought-stricken area. The project was completed in December 2011 at a cost of R3 million.

Heuningvlei/Moshaweng bulk water supply The project focuses on the refurbishment of existing bulk water infrastructure as part of Phase 1 and the expansion of the scheme, which will take place during Phase 2 of the project. It will ensure sufficient water supply for the villages linked to the bulk water supply scheme, as well as water supply for livestock farming adjacent to the bulk pipelines. The project began in April 2011 and is expected to be completed by February 2014, at an estimated cost of R193 million.

Vaal Gamagara pipeline: investigation and upgrading This project involves the upgrading and expansion of the current Vaal Gamagara scheme

in order to accommodate future demands up to 2030 and beyond. Apart from the mines, the following local municipalities will benefit: Dikgatlong, Kgatelopele, Siyancuma, Tsantsabane, Gamagara, Ga-Segonyana, and Joe Morolong. The project began in September 2012 and will run up to March 2017 and cost R7.5 billion. It will benefit 131 293 people.

Kuruman bulk water supply This project entails construction of a ground storage reservoir, which is to be located at Bankhara-Bodulong. This includes bidirectional pipeline from the current water source to the stated storage reservoir. The project began in November 2012 and should be complete by

March 2014. It is anticipated to benefit 9 760 people, with the estimated cost of R156 million.

Kathu WWTW This project is defined by upgrading and extension of the WWTW in Kathu. It began in November 2012 and is to be completed by March 2014, at an estimated cost of R50 million.

Niekerkshoop bulk water supply The aim of this project is to construct a groundwater bulk scheme in order to supplement the current available groundwater in Niekerkshoop. It will benefit 2 217 people, with an estimated cost of R30 million. The project is currently under way and should be complete by June 2014.

For more information contact: Kobus StreudersRBIG programme manager, DWA Northern Capet +27 (0)53 830 8800 • streudersk@dwa.gov.za

RIGHT Workers busy with the installation of the steel pipe at the upgraded bridgeBELOW Stabilising of river embankment for fl oating raw water pump

MARCH/APRIL 2013

PRESIDENT ’S MESSAGE

• Aecom• Amatola Water• Aveng Water• Baycity Trading 377 cc• BIGEN AFRICA Services• Bloem Water• Botjheng Water• Bushbuckridge Water• City of Cape Town• City of Tshwane• CSIR• Dow Water & Process SA

• Department of Water Aff airs

• ERWAT• ESKOM Holdings• eThekwini Municipality• Festo• Golder Associates Africa• Grundfos Alldos• Huber Technology• Johannesburg Water• Magalies Water• Merck• Mhlathuze Water• NCP Chlorchem

• Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality

• Overberg Water• PD Naidoo & Associates Consulting Engineers

• Prentec• Rand Water• Royal HaskoningDHV• SALGA• SAME Water• Schneider Electric• Sedibeng Water• SembCorp• Siemens

• Sobek Engineering• Sulzer Pumps Wastewater SA• TCTA• Tecroveer• Umgeni Water• Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies SA

• WAM Technology• Water Research Commission• Water & Sanitation Services SA• WEC Projects• Xylem• Zetachem• ZMG Watech

8

PATRON MEMBERS

hile I was watching the interesting water resources programme on 50/50 in February 2013, which high-

lighted the many gaps in the management of our water resources, my first feeling was utter shock and at that time one thought came to mind ‒ how can we close all these gaps and protect our ever so important resources for the generations to come?According to Dr Turton during his speech

at the Stellenbosch U n i v e r s i t y ’ s launch of its Water Institute, South Africans have to turn from being consumers of waters to conservators of this valuable natural resource.“It’s only through a profound understand-

ing of the so-called water-energy-food super nexus that we will be able to sustain South Africa’s economy and turn it from being an extractive one with high costs to the environment into a future economy.” He further stressed the importance of dedicated training and research institutions within the fi eld of limnology (the scientifi c study of lakes and other bodies of freshwater, includ-ing their physical and biological features) to ensure adequate human skills development in addressing water-related issues. “We need cooperation and communication with all signifi cant stakeholders, a conver-gence of thinking into a shared vision, and coordination of their research-related activ-ities,” he says. “Consortia-building between

Soouth Afrricanns have to turn froom beinng cconsumeers oof waaters too connservatoorss of this valuaablee naturall reesource

A shared visionThe time has dawned for us to realise the importance of pulling together our resources and having a shared vision.

stakeholders is also extremely important to leverage funding and to build human capac-ity in the water sector.”I’m convinced that we are fortunate to be

blessed with the best resources in terms of tertiary institutions, world-class policies, highly skilled water professionals, engineers, water and research institutions (both in the private and public sectors), open-minded politicians and management, consultants and contractors, to name but a few. The chal-

lenge, how-ever, is where and how do we source them to put a winning combination ‒

this dream team ‒ together. I’m not referring to the battle of the minds, but rather the synergising and convergence of the eff orts of like-minded people and organisations that aspire to take the sector and South Africa forward without dribbling around.A question that then comes to mind

is: Who are we calling upon to join us as partners to improve water resource management, to be part of this winning team ‒ is it a specifi c person, designation or organisation? As a matter of fact, if we are in the water sector or allied to the sector in terms of service provision, we need to con-tribute to the overall sustainability of all our water resources, utilising our National Water Resource Strategy as a road map and as a point of departure.There are lots of evidence and case

studies of many very good projects and

memorandum of agreements between private, academia, civil society and public sector, which resulted in colossal successes ‒ we need to pursue these avenues because it forms part of South Africa’s proud history of achievements. We, at times, become embroiled in activities that are aimed at “rein-venting the wheel” instead of refi ning it and increasing the revolutions and effi ciency, and during the course of such exercises, energy, time and money are wasted. Another factor delaying progress is that too many a time we become overly competitive and forget the main objective, which is to advance the country and not criticise those who ensure that whatever advances we make have been through a peer-review mechanism for quality and sustainability checks. We are all in it together.I would like to encourage you to be in-

volved in the formation of successful teams and partnerships across the water sector for, as WISA, it is our endeavour to engage as an organisation that strives to advance the water sector well into the future by playing a catalytic and pivotal role to constructively contribute to fi lling this integration gap in the sector.I would like to end off with a quote from

Henry Ford which I trust will inspire us all: “Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.”

Ronald M BrownPresident: Water Institute of Southern Africa (WISA)

McConkey has been a key role player in the local water industry for a number of years, having started work at the Department of Water Aff airs (DWA) when he left school. “My

fi rst day of work was 17 January 1968. I started my military training later that year,” recounts McConkey.“I always enjoyed construction type things and at that time, the DWA was very involved in building dams so I suppose it was inevitable that I would try to get a job at the DWA.”McConkey adds that he has spent his working life in this industry, of which 38 years were with the DWA and the last seven on his own. “My time in the DWA has always been on the water quality side. In the 1980s, we were known as the Pollution Control Branch; in the 1990s we became Water Quality Management and later on Water Resource Protection. So you can see from the name changes that the function changed from a source-directed approach to the management of our water resource quality,” he says. He worked in the Western Cape re-gion of the DWA from 1986 onwards and ended his DWA career as the head of Water Resource Protection for the region. “So, although I had an engineering-based background, I found myself in the midst of highly qualifi ed and well-respected aquatic scientists and technicians, and managing the legal administrative requirements of the National Water Act,” states McConkey.

Current challenges?“I think that water resource man-agement and specifi cally water quality management cannot be done without the involvement of all role players. This has possibly been said many times before, but the

environmental integrity of a river is dependent on the way people manage their activities. It is these activities, or the way in which they are performed, that infl uences the way in which a river exists,” McConkey explains. According to him, it could be said that as river drains a catchment so it becomes the ‘waste-stream of society’s activities’. “Unfortunately, our rivers are rather small com-pared to those that meander through European countries and elsewhere. They cannot assimilate the pollution loads that are generated and therefore become stressed.”Another challenge facing the sector, according to McConkey, is the fact that a lot of the water and

WISA’s vital role in water landscape

WISA NEWSBOARD BANTER

WISA has played a vital role within the water industry in creating a platform for discussion and cooperation to improve and highlight the value of the industry, believes WISA Board member Gareth McConkey. Chantelle Mattheus recently had the opportunity to have a one-on-one with the newest member of the board.

How long have you been involved with WISA? I completed my military obligations and then started my studies. After receiving my Diploma in Civil Engineering from the Pretoria Technikon, I started a Diploma Course that was off ered by the Institute of Water Pollution Control (Southern African Branch). The IWPC was the forerunner of WISA and to join the IWPC you needed to have a degree of some sort or do their entrance examination. Because I did not have a degree, I completed their two-year diploma and was then admitted as an associate member of the IWPC.

How did you fi rst get involved with WISA? It was during the years of isolation that WISA was formed and took over the Southern African branch of the IWPC. I then became a member of WISA and kept my membership of the IWPC (UK).

When were you fi rst elected to the board? I became chairman of the Western Cape branch of WISA in the early 1990s and as chairman had a seat on the WISA Council. I completed two or three spells on the WISA Council and then in 2010 I was elected to serve on the board. What is your focus as a board member? As a board member, my focus has been the branches of WISA. There have always been branches in Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and Durban, and now we have established branches in Mangaung and Bombela, and a branch in Polokwane will be opening soon. We have also gone into the SADC region and a branch was opened in Namibia last year and a branch will also be established in Lesotho, hopefully this year.

What for you is a positive change that is currently happening in the water sector? Everybody is talking about the Blue Drop and the Green Drop. This incentive-based regulation initiative from the DWA has really shaken up the municipal sector into understanding their roles, functions and responsibilities. Some of them have unfortunately realised how far short they fall from acceptability or compliance, but the majority of local authorities (water service authorities and water services providers) have taken this initiative to heart and have upped their game. Many of them have achieved the excellence that goes with achieving a Blue Drop or a Green Drop. This is exciting and shows that when the politicians and the offi cials in local government cooperate and work together, they can achieve excellence.

This initiative has been responsible for injecting funds into the water sector that would never have been made available. It has also brought about the realisation that water and wastewater treatment requires dedicated, well-trained professionals and that the safe quality of drinking water and safe disposal of wastewater are fundamental to the management of our water resources and the growth of our nation.

WORKING WITH WISA

MARCH/APRIL 2013 9

MARCH/APRIL 2013

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WISA NEWS

wastewater infrastructure being built is not maintained. This, of course, means that there are a lot of plants out there doing very little. “What is also of concern is the fact that new works are being

built, sometimes right next to the existing works, and again maintenance is an issue. The funding of new works seems to be easy to come by and the budget to maintain works is either not used or as in most cases, not approved of by the owners,” expands McConkey.

Solutions available?Here McConkey quotes Albert Einstein: “We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them. We shall require a substantially new manner of thinking

if mankind is to survive.”“They say that s u s t a i n ab i l i t y has three pillars ‒ social, economic and envi ronmental ‒ but I am afraid that it is diffi cult to fi nd the bal-ance between these opposing forces. Social and economic realities have allowed all types of developments and activities to

take place in our river catchments and the consequences are now being experienced,” says McConkey, adding that examples are urban areas developed with minimal infrastructure and the mining activities over the last 100 years causing the problems we are now having to deal with in the Witwatersrand. He recounts one of the fi rst jobs he was given in 1968 was to

take samples at Hartbeespoort Dam, which was being taken over by water hyacinth as a result of eutrophication. “Forty years later, the problem still remains as the eff ects of urbanisation and activities in the Jukskei and Crocodile river catchments upstream of Hartbeespoort Dam cannot be managed,” says McConkey.“I don’t have all the answers but I do know that we have some

of the best environmental and water legislation in the world but somehow we have got ourselves snarled up in the adminis-tration of legislation and forgotten about compliance. We need to take our legislation seriously, and this does not mean having complicated administrative procedures that get bogged down. What we really need is for all spheres of government to take their responsibility seriously and ensure that compliance takes place. There needs to be a boundary that, if crossed, has serious conse-quences,” he advises.He adds that he has always said that environmental manage-

ment cannot take place from behind a desk. It needs people out there doing environmental management. “If SARS can do their work so eff ectively, why can’t the water sector? I recently fi lled in a tax return through e-fi ling and within minutes I was informed that, fi rstly, they had received my return with thanks and, secondly, that I owed them more money. No arguments,” concludes McConkey.

One of the first jobs he was given in 1968

was to take samples at Hartbeespoort Dam

‘Together committed to excellent water quality for the future.’ This is to be the theme for the 4th Municipal Water Quality Conference, to be held at Sun City from 7 to 11 July 2013.

WISA NEWS WISA CONFERENCE

According to both WISA and Department of Water Aff airs (DWA), the conference provides a platform for knowledge and

lesson sharing, lesson distribution and partnership opportunities between the public and private sectors to upscale eff orts to improve wastewater services and drink-ing water management in South Africa. “Central to this will be discussions to ensure fi nancial sustainability of the water services business within local government,” said the offi cial call for papers, adding that the event organisers will be endeavouring to answer the question: “What does it take to achieve improved water quality management performance, distinctive impact and lasting

For a better quality tomorrow

• Importance of credible laboratories• Water reuse: Desalination & reclamation• Process controlling• Alternative Treatment Technologies• Regulatory issues and fi ndings.Jaco Seaman, events manager of WISA, says: “A dedicated website will be up and running soon. The Municipal Water Quality Conference is going to set the agenda in the water sector. It is all about water and waste-water quality.”

For any enquiries, and to investigate spon-sorship opportunities, please contact Zanele Mupariwa (DWA) on +27 (0)12 336 6938 or mupariwam@dwa.gov.za or Jaco Seaman (WISA) on +27 (0)11 805 3537 or events@wisa.org.za.

endurance in a municipal environment?”According to the organisers, a highlight of

the conference will be the performance an-nouncement within the wastewater services domain for 2012/13 where, as part of the in-centive-based regulation approach, excep-tional performance will be awarded in terms of the coveted Green Drop awards. The con-ference will focus on four disciplines, namely wastewater management; drinking water quality management; sustainable economic municipal environment and opportunities for partnerships. The deadline for abstracts was 21 February and themes included: • Wastewater risk assessment & abatement• Water safety planning• Water quality monitoring programmes

12 MARCH/APRIL 2013

WISA NEWS

WISA has started by develop-ing a new division specifi -cally for process controllers, which will provide a platform

for this occupation. To date, there have been process controller divisions established in the Western Cape, Free State, Gauteng, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal.The process of professionalisation will provide individuals with a professional status as well as assist with career guidance and development, and the upliftment of the occupation. This process will also enable the water sector to standardise occupational designations and enable the development of water-specifi c Organising Framework for Occupation (OFO) codes, which is neces-sary for skills development and planning. The professionalisation of water sector occupations will allow for the alignment occupations to regulatory components and statutory requirements. With regards to the process controller, the strategic direction that WISA has

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undertaken will look at the development of the process controller within the current academic norm and beyond this sphere to ensure that the gap between professional process controllers and professional engi-neers is narrowed.The Process Controller Division will serve as a catalyst towards the professionalisation of process controllers within South Africa. The process of professionalisation will focus on the following key areas:• the development of process controllers within the current academic sphere from entry level to exit level• the development of process controllers be-yond the current academic sphere focusing on critical skills development and training• provision of a career path for process controllers and assistance with their career development• promotion of the image of process control-lers within the water sector• improvement of skills at all levels, including administrative and managerial skills

• Improvement of the accountability of pro-cess controllers within the context of water and wastewater treatment• standardising of training and skills devel-opment at all levels to ensure that statuto-ry and regulatory requirements are fulfi lled• enhancing the importance of process con-trollers as a professional asset within the water sector.WISA is at the stage of preparing all the required documentation for SAQA and has set up a technical task team consisting of members from the Process Controller Division to assist with the inputs for the documentation. WISA has also ensured that full support is received from the Department of Water Aff airs and the Energy and Water Sector Education and Training Authority with regards to the professionalisation of process controllers within the water sector.

For more information please contact Anita Pillay on +27 (0)11 805 3537 or training@wisa.org.za

WISA has started the process of becoming recognised as a professional body with the South African Qualifi cations Authority (SAQA). The fi rst occupational designation that WISA will register with SAQA is that of process controller. Chantelle Mattheus consults with WISA’s training manager and coordinator, Anita Pillay, on this.

Professionalisation essentialPROCESS CONTROLLERS

MARCH/APRIL 2013 13

Technology at the Water and Health Research Centre in the Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS) at University of Johannesburg, on her experience of the workshop.I arrived in Malaysia for the 2nd IWA-UTM International Publications Workshop on Saturday, 12 January. On Monday morning, the first day of the workshop, introductory lectures were presented by professors Olsen and Kroiss, who are well-known in the water sector internationally. The goal of the workshop was to motivate individ-uals to publish ‒ by showing them how to formulate key messages in an article, identifying the audience for the article, improving writing skills and outlining the publication process. The workshop consisted of lecture sessions that provided the necessary background information required for writing a suc-

cessful publication. Thereafter, individuals were given the opportunity to implement the given information into their draft papers. Students were mentored during the interactive sessions with experts in the fields of publications and specialisations. This workshop encouraged communica-tion and collaboration between fellow participants and facilitators, hence boosting their morale. All participants presented their work to the fairly diverse audience in terms of scientific, engineering and hydrology sectors. The workshop was a brilliant platform for the 30 PhD students selected from countries across the globe,

WISA NEWS 2ND IWA-UTM INTERNATIONAL PUBLICATIONS WORKSHOP

In view of this, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) organised the 2nd IWA-UTM International Publication Workshop from 12 to 18 January 2013 at the UTM Johor Bahru campus, to provide yet

another platform for strategic actions in publications within the water science and water discipline as a whole, involving water professionals and academia. This skills-based approach is offered to young repre-sentatives of different countries as an investment plan for future leaders within the water sector. To follow is a personal account by YWP representative Sumayya Mieta-Hoosen, doctoral candidate: Biomedical

SA YWP’s experience in the world Publication in high impact cited journals is one of the measures of scholarly work in academia as well as an indicator of an institution’s progress in terms of research accomplishments and technology.

Group photo at the workshop closing ceremony

14 MARCH/APRIL 2013

MARCH/APRIL 2013 15

WISA NEWS

of academic publicationsincluding Indonesia, China, Japan, UK, South Africa, Brazil, Ghana, Austria and the US, to network and there-by develop partnerships in research areas of similarity. It was an outstanding workshop, which I recommend every PhD candidate attend as it is designed to provide the tools required for producing good publications that in turn translate into an impressive career as a specialist in the specific field. Attending this workshop has given me the confidence to submit my publications

(Below from left) Sumayya Mieta presenting aim of the studyProf G OlsenProf H Kroiss

to international journals such as Journal of Water and Health, Water Research, etc. A key message from the facilitators was that no individual will have all their articles accepted all the time, hence rejections of articles does not spell the end of an article, instead it should motivate one to persevere and work harder to write better publications. Many thanks to Dr Norhayati Abdulla and her team at UTM for selecting me to represent South Africa at the work-shop and for the well-coordinated workshop ‒ a balance

of work and en-tertainment. I am eternally grateful to my mentor Dr TG Barnard and Prof A Swart (Dean of FHS: UJ) for supporting this endeavour and always moti-vating me to aim for nothing but excellence.

16 MARCH/APRIL 2013

HOT SEAT GOLDER ASSOCIATES

It is in Golder’s strategic plan that we move down the value chain into construction services as well, but we are very clear in what we want to do in construction. We are not moving from a consulting company to a

construction company. We want to provide the added service and added value to our clients and we will only do that in the fi elds that we have specialist knowledge in,” says Van Renssen.With regards to the organisation’s African division, the construction services were launched at the beginning of 2012. “In Golder in Africa there is a very strong water focus related to all aspects of water. The specialist knowledge exists within Golder to vastly contribute in the construc-tion sphere in the water sector,” he adds.It is the predisposition towards the water sector that then facilitated the meeting ‒ and merging ‒ with Cronjé’s com-pany in the fi nal quarter of 2012, enabling them to deliver the complete package with regards to water treatment sys-tems ‒ from manufacturing the product to project roll-out.“We have seen lots of opportunities and we feel we can play a signifi cant role. To cite some examples on the small-er scale, we will look at water treatment ‒ specifi cally po-table water treatment for mine camps, sewage treatments for the same facilities, going into water treatment for villages and towns at or close to mining sites,” states Van Renssen. However, both men agree that it is not limited to these options as even more sophisticated treatment solu-tions, such as those dealing with mine water reclamation, are also available.

Challenging continentThere are a number of challenges that are often overcome by the unit in the roll-out of their projects. “There is a greater awareness lately of the eff ect that polluted water has on the environment, with stricter laws coming out ‒ and not just in South Africa,” Van Renssen says.He adds that we are in Africa and the continent has huge challenges in terms of water, water treatment and wastewater treatment. “Wherever there is an opportunity or challenges, where there is a need for these services to upgrade communities or to better their systems, we are willing to assist in the countries that we operate in within Africa. Obviously we focus on closer to home fi rst and collaboration is key.”“Even more importantly, we can apply technology accessible to the people,” interjects Cronjé. He believes that importing technologies from abroad is not always the best solution. He says that when designing and

building an installation for local conditions it is important to “build a facility that is accessible to the people on the ground, which we can assist in, because we have worked in Africa and we have a sound understanding of the conditions.

Although Golder Associates has historically been a purely consulting business, things are defi nitely changing. Chantelle Mattheus speaks to the company’s business unit leader: Construction, Chris van Renssen, and technical lead for water treatment design and construction, Hennie Cronjé, about the company’s water treatment system offerings and its plans for expansion in this fi eld.

Maintaining momentum

“In Golder in Africa there is a very strong water focus.” Chris van Renssen

(Above left) 60 m3/hr containerised drinking water treatment plant for a gold mine in Mali, North Africa(Above right) 40m3/hr sewage effl uent recovery WTP for industrial use

MARCH/APRIL 2013 17

HOT SEAT

“We can therefore add immense value, because we have no water treatment products directly off the shelf. Each and every product or project is designed for a specifi c application and requirement,” continues Cronjé.

Value-added visionIt is through their holistic focus that they envision add-ing value for their client base. “Let’s not only tell you how to solve the problem ‒ but let’s solve the whole problem for you. In that process we like to involve the clients in the solutions as well. They must collaborate and think with us. It makes us flexible and it makes the implementation process flexible as well, so that we can really modify and give the client exactly what they want as we go along.”Another advantage, explains Van Renssen, is that as consultants, Golder is aware of the design intent. “This means we don’t need to explicitly spell out every last detail of how it must look because we know what the design intent is and if it does what it is meant to do, then it is a successful solution and conclusion to a project.”Cronjé agrees, adding that the fact that Golder can run the project, from the fi rst initial concept to the en-gineering process requirements, the equipment specs, the physical detailed design and manufacture of the equipment or water treatment plant ‒ either mobile, con-tainerised or fi xed ‒ of any medium according to clients preference, making it so much easier because there is a single entity responsible to the client. “If they experience a problem they only go to one person and not a number of suppliers and contractors and we know what the cli-ents requirements are, and at the end of the day that is what we give them.”A number of projects not fi nished and a lot of money wasted has mainly been because of miscommunicat ion between the supplier and client, believes Cronjé, “but we are not only the suppli-er, we are also the engineers and this is where the diff erence comes in. The engi-neering component

actually reduces the risk to the client and to ourselves because we don’t have to price for risks ‒ we only price for what is really needed by the client.”This allows for a num-ber of contracting mod-els through which they can add value for clients, explains Van Renssen. “There are various ways in which we can interact with our clients and it

all depends on what the client wants, what the project entails and what capabilities we have in-house or partner up with. If Golder Associates can do it in-house, the choice is the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) route. For larger projects the preferred option is usually engi-neering, procurement and construction management (EPCM). “This makes it quite fl exible, but our preferred contract-ing model is the early contractor involvement where the whole development is done in partnership with the

clients. It saves money and time, and builds a lot of trust within the team between the engineer, the client and the suppliers. So we are very open to the clients’ needs and their procurement systems to provide them with what they really want, or rather need, to solve the problem,” adds Van Renssen.In addition, the components of the treat-ment plant can entail a wide variety of op-tions, including flocculation, sedimentation, filtration, chlorination where applicable, and then membrane filtration, including reverse osmosis or ultrafiltration. “All this depends on the quality of the water stream coming in,” continues Van Renssen.In closing, both feel it essential to high-light that Golder is not an agent for specifi c manufacturers. “The client can specify sup-pliers ‒ we are the engineers and designers. We supply the equipment as requested by the clients’ requirements and specifi cations,” concludes Cronjé.

According to Cronjé, Golder Associates has just been awarded several projects in the Congo. Due to a lack of expertise in certain fi elds, the team suggested they send operational personnel up once every three months to take samples and do certain process adjustments to the chemical dosage and so forth. “So in other words, to expand our business and deliver the whole package to the client, we can also do the operational management and monitoring afterwards, which actually gives the client the surety that the plant will be operated according to the design,” says Cronjé

Another project, successfully completed in the last quarter of 2012, relates to an industrial client in Mozambique with a shortage in industrial water due to non-consistent supply to the plant. “We were contracted to collect their effl uent from their existing sewage treatment plant and treat it to a standard acceptable for industrial use, specifi cally in this case for use in the cooling system and/or circuits. It entailed the complete collection system at the sewage plant, the transfer pump station and pipeline, as well as containerised water treatment plant manufactured in South Africa and shipped as a complete unit to site and installed and commissioned for the client,” explains Cronjé.

PROJECT PROWESS

(Above left) 40 kℓ/d sewage treatment plant – biological upfl ow reactors with internal media(Above) 2 m3 skid-mounted WTP complete

“We have worked in Africa and we have a sound understanding of the conditions.” Hennie Cronjé

MARCH/APRIL 2013

INFRASTRUC TURE NEWS

The benefi ts derived from biodiver-sity or ecosystem services are es-timated at R73 billion per annum, according to the Minister of Water

and Environmental Aff airs, Edna Molewa.Molewa was speaking at the Seventh Pan-African ABS Workshop, held on 25 February 2013 at the Hans Merensky Hotel in Phalaborwa, Limpopo. The workshop was the second to be hosted by South Africa, the first of which was held in Cape Town in 2005.According to Molewa, this contribution amounts to 7% of South Africa’s GDP per annum. “The biodiversity economy, which is part of our broader green economy, is therefore our country’s competitive edge in growing our economy and addressing climate change adaptation,” said Molewa.

Tap water

safe in

Mogale

City

Tap water is safe to drink in Mogale City. Remember, in Gauteng we are leading in terms of safe drinking water,”

said Gauteng MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development, Nandi Mayathula-Khoza, in Krugersdorp on 26 February 2013.The MEC was in Krugersdorp on an awareness campaign on acid mine drainage (AMD) and mining pollution in the West Rand. She assured com-munity members of Mogale City, his-torically predominantly a mining area, that their tap water is of a drinkable standard and therefore safe to drink.The MEC emphasised that the release of contaminated mining water into the rivers had been aff ecting quality in both surface and groundwater since mining started in the region. Even though the majority of the mines in the area have since closed down, they left behind the legacy of AMD.According to the MEC, the problem became more acute when the mining activities stopped as responsibility for dealing with the issue was not accept-ed by any of the parties involved. The MEC said high-level government intervention was initiated in 2010 and an immediate and short term inter-vention by the Trans-Caledon Tunnel Authority (TCTA) aimed to neutralise untreated water decanting from the Western Basin and to pump and treat water from voids in the West, Central and Eastern Basins.“A High Density Sludge (HDS) technology and chemical reagent combination has been selected to neutralise the pumped water in the Western, Central and Eastern basins, but the process will not remove all dissolved salts, heavy metals and radi-oactive contaminants.“The contract to build a new HDS treatment plant in the Germiston area has been awarded,” said Mayathula-Khoza. She said more interventions by national government were planned in the West Rand.

Biodiversity contributes substantially to economy

She called on the relevant stake-holders to “debunk the myth that biodiversity management hinders development, by positioning the biodiversity sector as a major con-tributor to job creation and the fight against poverty.”The workshop was held in part-nership with the ABS Capacity Development Initiative, coordinated by the Gesellschaft für Internationale

Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), which was established as a multi-donor initiative in 2005 by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. It is funded by the European Union, the Institute for Energy and Environment of the Francophonie, as well as German, Norwegian and Danish governments.

Edna Molewa, Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs

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The Deputy Minister of Water Aff airs, Rejoice Mabudafhasi, chose the recent 16th World Wetlands Day to highlight the

conservation initiatives on the commu-nity in Kareedouw in the Kou-Kamma Local Municipality in the Eastern Cape, relating specifi cally to the Kromme River Catchment, which experienced a number of fl oods in 2006 that severely impacted the physical nature and sus-tainability of the river.The Kromme River Catchment is a signifi cant water source for the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan (NMBM) in that it supplies 40% of Port Elizabeth’s water via the Churchill Dam, situated on the Kromme River.“In some places the river was gouged down to bedrock level, while in oth-ers large amounts of sediment were

deposited by the receding fl oodwaters. We are here to evaluate the impact of the interventions we have implement-ed to address the above mentioned problems,” said Mabudafhasi.Over the past 11 years, 11 large ga-

bions and concrete structures have been built at a total cost of over R10 mil-lion to combat erosion that con-tinues to threaten the remaining large, intact wetlands. The United Nations General Assembly

has declared 2013 as the International Year for Water Cooperation, recognis-ing that water is critical for sustainable development, human health and well-being. “This calls for conservation of our wetlands and other sources of water, as water is a catalyst for so-cio-economic development.”

Wetland conservation takes centre stage

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MARCH/APRIL 2013

KICKER

20

INDUSTRY NEWS WISA NEWS

The Mutale River in South Africa’s Limpopo province

She responded by saying that the water treatment industry is so diverse and dynamic that it would be diffi cult to select one particular highlight, but that what had been particularly rewarding was to

have not just experienced the growth of the company but to have witnessed the personal and professional develop-ment of the people that have been such an inherent part of its success. “The sector is extremely dynamic despite a generally sluggish economy. This is due to the provision of water being considered a basic human right and the need for continuous progress towards the goal of supply-ing drinking water to all South Africans that consistently meets international standards,” says Swart. Rheochem has and continues to contribute through providing a high level of technical support to rural water

plants. “Particularly in outlying areas there remains a signifi cant skills shortage that is only relatively recently being addressed on a countrywide basis. From incep-tion, Rheochem has played a positive role through operator training, either in the form of formal short courses or through our service technicians working closely with plant personnel and thereby sharing knowledge,” she explains.According to Swart, one of the major challenges we face as a nation is anticipated water shortages relating to global warming. “Recycling and advanced treat-ment processes will become the norm rather than the exception in the future and Rheochem remains cognisant of this in terms of our strategy going for-ward. Although in value it comprises a small portion of our turnover, Rheochem is experienced and trusted in the treatment of industrial effl uent, where we have in-house capability to operate small plants. Being involved in this sector also creates opportunities for the placement of previously unemployed people who have completed the Rheochem Learnership.”

Capable collectiveSwart believes that most people are capable of so much more than they realise and that giving people an opportunity and expecting them to achieve their defi ned goals while simultaneously providing a strong support base, is the reason for numerous employees’

success stories. Another Rheochem philosophy is that people should mainly (if not practically always) be happy with what they do to earn a living and within their work environment. Inclusivity is another key factor in terms of how the company is structured and operates, with black employees enjoying the benefi ts of ownership, and all employees being fi nancially rewarded based directly on company perfor-mance. This underlying philosophy creates

the pleasant and positive working environment that is apparent the moment one enters the Rheochem reception area.The notion of inclusivity can be expanded to include the entire industry, she notes. “The exciting thing

A company with a diff erence, making a diff erence

WATER TREATMENT

When interviewed just prior to the 20th anniversary of Rheochem’s inception in 1993, the company’s founder and MD, Jacqui Swart, was asked about the highlights of the past 20 years.

“Rheochem is experienced and trusted in the treatment of industrial effluent.” Jacqui Swart

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with water treatment is that it is `happening’ throughout the country and alongside all communities. Unlike other sectors that are restricted to certain geographic areas due to factors such as distribution, access to resources, etc., there is no rea-son to exclude any section of society from a positive spin-off from the water treatment sector,” says Swart.She adds that rural water plants usually draw on local people to run them and there has to be sensitivity to the fact that the local water or sewage plant may be a rare opportunity for some people to work close to their homes and families. “We need to train and inspire these people so that they can be positive infl uences in their communities. This is just one exam-ple of how inclusive this industry can be ‒ it provides consid-erable employment opportunities countrywide,” says Swart.

Skills development in focusWell before BBBEE was legislated, Rheochem focused on skills development, an ongoing effort that has benefited numerous employees as well as people external to the company, including in-house trainees who gained valuable work experience with Rheochem. The concept is to `give back’ to the water treatment industry by passing on specific and scarce skills that enable people to play a useful role in related sectors of the economy. The Water and Waste Water Operations Learnership currently being run in-house includes eight learners, four of whom were previously unemployed. Through this initiative they can look forward to placements as water plant operators when the course ends in mid-2013. Rheochem’s corporate social investment programme aims to support rural schools that otherwise receive little of no external sponsorship due to their remote locations. After three years assisting Ntlambamasoka Junior Secondary School near Umzimkhulu, largely but not exclusively through computer-related donations, the company is in the process of identifying a new project. The core attitude is that it is a privilege to be able to help, as well as being a social imperative because as South Africans we all need to be proactive in finding solutions to the many challenges this country faces. In conclusion, Swart expressed her gratitude to the many customers and suppliers who have and continue to support Rheochem, adding that it has been an absolute pleasure to meet and interact with so many different and interesting people over the years. Apparently something that she in-stils in Rheochem personnel is that in any organisation it is the customer who pays salaries and one should not forget that people doing business with a company is a matter of their choice rather than a supplier’s `right’. “At Rheochem, we aim to earn business through technical support, atten-tion to detail and efficiency. This has certainly created a winning formulation.”

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Mulling over mine water

MARCH/APRIL 2013 23

INTRODUCTION PANEL DISCUSSION

The biggest challenge in the eff ective treatment of acid mine drainage and other sources of “mine

water” in South Africa is fi nding solutions that integrate the tech-nical, fi nancial, environmental and community aspects and that are accepted by all stakeholders. In this panel discussion, Chantelle Mattheus talks to a number of key industry role players about the options available and what the current mine water landscape looks like locally.Mine water ‒ and the treatment thereof ‒ does not necessarily refer only to acid mine drainage (AMD), but it is due to the extensive news coverage over the past few years that the latter comes to mind when discussing “mine water”. The formation of AMD is a result of mining operations exposing the metal sulphides in the rock to water and air, leading to oxidation. When these oxidation products dissolve in water the result is AMD. The fl ooding of the mines and the subsequent

decant of AMD into the environment poses a number of risks, not least of which is the contamination of shallow groundwater resources required for agricultural use and human consumption.Therefore a number of approaches, tech-nologies and processes have been designed and suggested to proactively deal with mine water before it becomes a problem, also allowing the mines to access this “liability” as a resource instead, to the benefi t of a num-ber of communities as well. These solutions

though need to take into account that all mine water ‒ not only AMD ‒ is complex in its treatment and each mine has its own specifi c needs or uses for the treated water, therefore a case by case ap-proach is necessitated.It is also important to note, as one panellist indicated, that dealing with mine water is not unique to the South Africa landscape and there-fore solutions and technol-ogies can often be sourced

from the international arena and adapted to meet local needs and requirements ‒ or alternately international solutions can be sourced from our very own shores.The most interesting to note in this panel, however, is that the panellists come from a number of diff erent sectors, albeit research and development or the private sector, and yet all need to ‒ and are ‒ collaborating to come up with sustainable solutions for the treatment of mine water in the South African context.

Now in its fi fth decade, the WRC research funds are channelled towards studies aiming at achieving excellence in the production of knowledge required for the sustainable management of our water resources, water-linked ecosystems, and domestic, agricultural, mining and industrial water use and waste. This includes research focused on water service delivery, O&M, on-site and off-site sanitation.

The WRC actively builds and supports the development of research capacity in previously disadvantaged universities while ensuring that water is one of the core research themes in South Africa’s academic and research organisations.

In all research fi elds, the WRC addresses key challenges facing our country on water security, sustainability of resource ecosystems and the water energy nexus, water quality, water use effi ciency and development of new technologies.

Contact us on Tel: 012 330 0340 or E-mail: info@wrc.org.za or visit www.wrc.org.za

Th e Water Research Commission (WRC) has dedicated many years of research to improving the quality of life of all South Africans, combating water poverty, through improving water

productivity while managing water scarcity.

MARCH/APRIL 2013 25

MINE WATER PANEL DISCUSSION

WATER RESEARCH COMMISSION (WRC)

What makes mine water treatment unique? Actually, the water itself is not totally unique. Liquid effl uents from metal fi nishing, tanning and others are similar in many ways to mine water. The diff erence arises because with a tannery, the production of the wastewater stops when the tannery closes down. With mine drainage, the wastewater continues to be generated long after the mine has closed. So the fi nancial plans for its treatment need to allow for water treatment to continue for decades, possibly centuries.

What is the biggest challenge? There are two main challenges. One is that we do not yet have clear alignment between the legal requirements placed on a company to ensure decant of mine water is prevented in perpetuity and an institutional framework that enables that to happen. The second is that while people often talk about ‘THE treatment’ for mine water, the quality and quantity of mine water that arises in diff erent places mean that we actually need about 20 diff erent treatments for tens of diff erent mine waters.Our mandate is one of research and generation of new knowledge. The WRC therefore has funded decades of research into diff erent ways to handle, treat, or better yet, prevent the generation of mine water. We have invested in methods like irrigation with mine water, which can be tested and shown that it will not harm the plants or soil; and we have funded the creation of treatment methods like the BioSURE process. We’ve also funded research into the best options for mining methods and methods of storing over- and inter-burden while the mines operate, to prevent mine water from becoming a problem at

operations that have not yet started mining.

What has the WRC been advocating as the best treatment solution? There is no such thing as ‘the best solution’. We need to employ a suite of solutions ‒ there is a whole toolbox available to use and each tool is used to do a diff erent job. There are four main categories of active mine water treatment methods (i.e. those that require pumps, treatment plants and people to run them), categorised according to what you want to achieve using the method. These are: (1) neutralisation, (2) metals removal, (3) desalination, and (4) specifi c target pollutant treatment. Within each of these categories there are between ten and 20 diff erent techniques or products, each of which does something slightly diff erent. Neutralisation processes are used to adjust the pH of the water to close to 7 (i.e. neutral) and include: lime or limestone processes, sodium-based alkalis, ammonia, biological sulphate reduction, wetlands and anoxic drains, and other technologies. The processes used for metals removal include: precipitation as hydroxides, precipitation as carbonates, precipitation as sulphides and wetlands/oxidation ponds.The process of desalination (i.e. removal of dissolved salts from the water) can be achieved using: biological sulphate removal, precipitation processes such as ettringite, membrane-based processes, ion exchange, and wetlands or other passive treatment processes. Lastly, there is a long list of processes for specifi c target pollutant treatment that

depend on what pollutant is to be treated, for example: cyanide can be removed from water by chemical oxidation, biological oxidation or complexation; radioactive nuclides can be removed by precipitation or ion exchange. The whole list is very extensive. The way in which treatment of mine water must be done is selected on the basis

of the quality and quantity of raw (untreated) water and the desired treated water quality, as I said above. Also, water treatment is usually only possible using a combination of treatment processes. We call each process a ‘unit operation’ and put several unit operations together to a tailor-made ‘process train’ for each individual situation. For example, if the water is acidic and contains heavy metals, then treatment technologies would be selected from the lists for neutralisation and for metals removal, and placed in series in the process train so that all the pollutants in the water are removed.

Every site is diff erent, because the amount of water that needs to be treated the characteristics of the

water to be treated, and the characteristics of the desired resulting water all aff ect what treatment is needed. For example, saline drainage (which has sulphate concentrations of >1 000 mg/ℓ, a circumneutral or alkaline pH and only low metal concentrations) needs a completely diff erent treatment

process to acid mine drainage.The ‘best’ technique is the one that can handle the kind of mine water you have, and from it produce the kind of water you want.

What is the most common misconception? That there is a silver bullet ‒ a panacea treatment method that can be used at every mine site.

How is the treatment of mine water changing? There is a trend towards processes

that produce drinking quality water; as the human population increases, so does our demand for water. There is also a greater eff ort spent at the beginning of mining operations. A century or so ago, miners genuinely didn’t understand the terrible environmental legacy they were leaving. Now we do understand, and much more work is being done on methods of mining, materials handling and mine backfi lling to prevent mine water ever becoming a problem than at any other point in history. The future of mine water treatment is that prevention is better than cure.

Dr Jo BurgessResearch manager: Mine Water Treatment and Management

The future of mine water treatment is that prevention is better than cure.

Saving Water to Power Your World

Water Conservation & Water Demand Management

Primary Energy Division: Water & Environment

MARCH/APRIL 2013 27

MINE WATER PANEL DISCUSSION

ESKOMNandha GovenderGeneral manager: Water & Environmental Operations Primary Energy Division: Group Commercial & TechnologyWhy is mine water a key

focus? Due to the strategic nature of Eskom’s business to South Africa and the region, Eskom is classifi ed as a strategic water user. This means that it is given 99.5% assurance of water supply by the Department of Water Aff airs. However, Eskom has identifi ed a number of possible risks to its business, including the fact that the pollution of freshwater resources will make water unusable or drive up the costs of treatment and the management of waste, if not addressed timeously.Due to the competition for freshwater resources to be abstracted closer to the demand centres, Eskom as an industrial user of water has a strategy to diversify its water resource mix to include effl uent and wastewater ‒ such as treated mine water, treated municipal effl uent and seawater for cooling and desalination ‒ for other purposes at coastal power stations. For example, fl ue gas desulphurisation at Kusile and Medupi can use this treated water instead of fresh water. However, Eskom will still be reliant on water transfers from other catchments through a network of reservoirs, dams, pipelines, pumping systems and canals.The majority of Eskom power stations are located in the Upper Olifants Catchment in Mpumalanga ‒ where Eskom sources most of its coal from. The catchment has two major problems, these are the pollution of the water resources and water defi cit in the catchment. The pollution is characterised by excess polluted mine water and poorly treated sewage effl uent entering the natural streams. As part of its supplier due diligence, Eskom requires its coal suppliers to manage environmental and fi nancial

liabilities through management of excess water during production and closure of coal mines.

What role will mine water treatment and recovery play? As one of Eskom’s water strategy’s imperatives, we have focused on promoting corporate water stewardship as one of the priorities for engaging outside of the factory fence line. This is partially achieved through Eskom’s Water Conservation and Water Demand Management (WCWDM) programme, which has identified an internal water saving target of 2.5% freshwater reduction by 2016. WCWDM initiatives include improved thermal efficiency, operational excellence and internal energy efficiency during the refurbishment of existing power stations, as well as investigating alternative water supply options, such as mine water treatment and recovery. Technical studies have also been initiated into capital projects to identify mine water recovery and effluent reuse as alternate sources of water supply in order to facilitate the reduction of freshwater consumption.

What role do you envision Eskom playing in the mine water sector? Eskom is

committed to water stewardship and to reducing its own freshwater footprint. Eskom recognises the need for collaboration, and solving water challenges requires a collective effort, with the link between water, energy and waste needing to form an integral part of all interventions.We understand and acknowledge that Eskom must lead by example through the WCWDM programme and other initiatives in anticipation of climate change impacts on water resources in South Africa. Eskom must also work through its global climate change linkages in incorporating best practices and cutting-edge technologies. Eskom is also the chair of the Strategic Water Partnership Network’s Effl uent and Waste Working Group, which was established to explore and investigate how effl uent can be used to close the water resources gap in the country by 2030 by replicating and up-scaling mine water treatment projects in specifi c catchments. The group comprises several mines and municipalities as well as the Department of Water Aff airs, with the support of the Minister of Water and Environmental Aff airs. Eskom is also a member of the Joint

Initiative Agreement (JIA), whose mandate is to investigate common

challenges around mine water and implement these projects in a cost-eff ective and sustainable manner. The JIA signatories are Eskom, Anglo American Thermal Coal, Exxaro, Xstrata and BHP Billiton.

What examples of best practice in mine water reuse has Eskom been involved with? The Kriel-Matla Mine Water Recovery project was identified by the JIA as a strategic project in addressing the challenges with excess mine water in the Highveld Region.Eskom has undertaken to pursue mine water recovery projects between it and the different mines through the existing coal supply agreements as part of its WCWDM strategic initiative. The aim of the Kriel-Matla Mine Water Recovery project is to treat the mine water from both Matla and Kriel collieries, while at the same time treating the cooling water blow downs from Kriel and Matla power stations. The brine generated by this plant will be managed by implementing a brine solution in line with Eskom’s Zero Liquid Effluent Discharge philosophy.

MARCH/APRIL 2013

Rob HolmesTechnical directorQUALITY FILTRATION SYSTEMS (QFS)

MINE WATER PANEL DISCUSSION

What makes the treatment of mine water unique? Mine water treatment is diff erent from other industrial water treatment mainly in the way it is created. Mine water can be formed before, during or after mining activity takes place in a region. Unlike other industrial water treatment, mine waters can continue being a concern to the environment for long periods after the mining activity has ceased. Also, mine water can often be a result of multiple entities operating in a region. This makes the management of the water quite diffi cult. In terms of water quality, there are some unique aspects of mine water, but it is often not signifi cantly diff erent to some other industrial or groundwater treatment.

What is the biggest challenge? The main challenge is defi nitely the management of liquid wastes or brines. Most mine waters are found inland. The salt content cannot be destroyed, only converted into diff erent forms or concentrated into smaller volume. Another challenge is the commercial management of the water.

How can this challenge be overcome? There are technologies being developed that minimise the amount of liquid waste, in some cases, depending on the water characteristics, they can eliminate it completely (zero liquid discharge (ZLD)). The traditional approach to ZLD is to employ thermal processes (evaporation), which are expensive when viewed over the duration of a mine water treatment system.

Many advocate that mine water be seen as a resource as opposed to a detriment ‒ would you agree? We absolutely agree. In a water scarce region like South Africa, the sheer volumes of mine water that will require treatment in the future, and the long-term nature of the problem, mean that it must be considered as a resource. I believe mine water will simply become another source of water, like surface and groundwater, used to replenish our water resources.

What technologies or products are available to

assist in treating mine water? Typically, a mine water treatment plant will include several technologies integrated in a unique way. The nature of the solution will be dependent on the mine water composition, which is largely due to the surrounding geology. Even small changes in composition can have a dramatic impact on the choice of technology. In the near term, mine water solutions will comprise clever integration of precipitation technology and membrane treatment (microfi ltration, ultrafi ltration, nano fi ltration and reverse osmosis), with the goal of reducing the cost of treatment and waste disposal. In particular, liquid wastes will need to be minimised or eliminated. New technologies like vacuum membrane distillation will soon be deployed to eliminate the fi nal volumes of liquid waste.

What is the most common misconception with regards to mine water treatment? I think it’s the term AMD (acid mine drainage). Many problematic mine waters are not acidic at all, and this changes the treatment approach. However, the phrase AMD has become synonymous with all mine waters.

Which relevant projects have you been involved in that are of note in this context? QFS have been involved in the development stages of several projects, in reviewing the water quality and assessing the potential solutions, with a specifi c focus on unique membrane applications. With our international partners, we have been involved in pilot work that has demonstrated the uniqueness of some of our

technology. We are currently preparing to bring a pilot plant into the country to demonstrate the

technology. The next 18 months will be a very interesting time.

How is the treatment etc. of mine water changing ‒ if at all ‒ and what does its future look like? The need for extremely high water recovery (ZLD) means that every mine water project is unique and interesting. QFS will specialise in the integration of proven technologies to drive the cost of ZLD systems down. By combining multiple membrane processes, a small footprint and low civil requirements, the cost of mine water treatment will come down. In addition, where water quality requires a thermal evaporation process to complete the ZLD solution, QFS can provide the answer. However, one thing is certain ‒ the technologies for treatment of mine water in the future will be diff erent from today, but the ability to integrate these technologies together for specifi c water quality will diff erentiate solution providers.

Ultrafi ltration: 8 to 10 Mℓ/d

PROJECTSSteel Mill effluent: 7 Mℓ/d wastewater treatment – Water is fed to the plant through a high rate clarifier, which acts as a high turbidity protection step, two ultrafiltration (UF) skids and three two-stage reverse osmosis (RO) skids.Brackish water: 1.6 Mℓ/d water treatment plant – Blended water from two borehole sources, iron oxidation by aeration, UF, two-stage brackish water RO, partial blending of RO permeate with UF filtrate.Municipal wastewater: 2.3 Mℓ/d direct reclamation plant –UF, two-staged RO, permeate water treated by ultraviolet light and hydrogen peroxide as an advanced oxidation step.

MARCH/APRIL 2013 29

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MARCH/APRIL 2013 31

Hennie RoetsDirector: New Business DevelopmentRARE

MINE WATER PANEL DISCUSSION

What makes mine water treatment unique? All mine water is complex in its treatment and each mine has its own specifi c needs or uses for the treated water. A single treatment is seldom adequate and a combination of technologies is often required. This situation makes comparison of treatments diffi cult, which leads to a drawn-out decision-making process.

What is the biggest chal-lenge? When the mining indus-try is booming, capital is readily available for water treatment but unfortunately the contrary is also true. Water treatment and the associated cost thereof is neither a core function nor a prime focus for mines. Mines must make adequate provisions in their business planning for suffi cient water treatment, even in the event of early unplanned closures. Water policing authorities must enforce the law and non-compliance should be met with the full power of the environmental laws.

Many advocate that mine water be seen as a resource as opposed to a detriment ‒ would you agree? There are many views about when South Africa will “run out of water”. The fact is that fi ve years from now, water for new industrial and mining developments will not be readily available. The polluted mine water could be an inevitable complementary water source, hence my view that mine water is a valuable opportunity. Cost will be a ma-jor consideration and low-cost, small footprint and low energy consumption technologies will have a major advantage.

What unique technologies/techniques or products are available to assist in treating mine water? RARE Water Treatment Technology (RWTT) has the exclusive rights to

market, distribute and install electrocoagulation technol-ogy that enables water to be cleaned for reuse or release as well as metal recovery from the sludge. The result will be lower costs and increased profi tability.Electrocoagulation is an advanced and economical water treatment technology. It eff ectively removes suspended solids to sub-micron levels and precipitates dissolved heavy metals from water without the use of fi lters and only the addition of minimal separation chemicals.RWTT uses electricity to destabilise the dissolved contaminants by using charge neutralisation and creates nucleation sites of polymeric metal hydroxides, which then leads to fl occulation. During the electro-fl occulation process, the

contaminants become trapped within the metal hydroxide scum. The resulting sludge is then very simply removed, al-lowing the purifi ed water to be discharged, reused or recycled as process water.The technology thickens sludge without the addition of polymers, settles readily and can be easily dewatered. The innovative electrocoagulation treatment, with adaptive software and remote control, eliminates the requirement for precise chemical dosing and does not run the risk of being ineff ective or producing slurry that cannot be dewatered.The biggest recent develop-ment is the reduction of power consumption. Power consump-tion is at such a low level that it allows the use of solar power to drive the unit in some cases.

Package plants are available, but larger built-to-order designs are also possible. RARE off ers outright purchase of the units, but build, operate and maintain options for off balance sheet treatment of water are also available.

How does your organisation facilitate the process? RARE has been a JSE-AltX listed company involved in the fl uid conveyance industry for many years. The company will typically be involved from the project scoping stage, including water analysis, water balance and design of the tailor-made solution. Its services will include the supply, installation and commissioning of the RARE Water Treatment plant and

technology. If required, the company can also operate and maintain the treatment plant.

What do ROI timelines look like? A major coal-washing facility is considering an off er for water treatment where the capex will be in the region of R50 million and the payback is less than a year. In a package plant application in the copper industry, the water treatment cost was off set by the recovery of copper and cobalt in the sludge, rendering a payback within a few months.

What is the most common misconception when dealing with mine water? Mine water treatment is complex and a single technology is seldom a total solution. It is advisable to look at all options and the

combination of diff erent technologies.

Which projects have you been involved in? RWTT was only launched towards the end of last year. Projects to the value of R100 million are in the fi nal stages of approval.In most water treatment processes brine, sludge or slurry is formed and must be disposed of at high cost and eff ort. RWTT made a proposal to a mine where the mine recycles the sludge for increased recovery of copper and cobalt. Here the mine will achieve a compliant effl uent while simultaneously achieving increased copper and cobalt recoveries.

How is the treatment of mine water changing? Mines are starting to think out of the box

in terms of their water treat-ment. A new trend is to contract this out to a specialist. Mines are also looking at potential income from water, be it the selling of water for potable use or the recovering of valuable metals in the sludge. This opens the door for innovative and progressive water management companies.

Anything further?Scientists and academics are correct by saying South Africa is sitting on a time bomb regarding water availability and the ongoing pollution. Decision-making processes are slow and complex. This is not good for the industry in the long term.

(Above from left) AMD entering chamberRWTT UnitClarifi er and clear water

MARCH/APRIL 2013 33

ULS MINERAL RESOURCE PROJECTS

MINE WATER PANEL DISCUSSION

What makes mine water treatment unique? In some regards it is unique, in others it is not. It is unique when compared to municipal and sewage water treatment as it generally does not contain organics and has high levels of dissolved metallic ions. It is not unique when compared to a lot of process plant effl uents.

What is the biggest challenge with regards to mine water currently? The biggest technical challenge facing mine water treatment is the creation of an economically viable treatment process that provides a total solution.

How can this challenge be overcome? The KNEW

(Potassium Nitrate Ex-Waste) process is a technology that can be used to overcome this challenge. It is economically viable and produces clean water and saleable products.

Many advocate that mine water be seen as a resource as opposed to a detriment. I agree. The KNEW process utilises the dissolved solids in the water and turns them into valuable commodities.

How does your organisation facilitate the process? ULS has been involved with the development of the

technology with the patent holders. Negotiations are under way to build and operate a demonstration plant.

What do ROI timelines look like in this context? This is entirely dependent on the condition of the mine water. The worse the water, the more ions dissolved, the better the economics. On a potential project recently considered, a ROI of three years was expected. The estimate is considered conservative; however, the feed to the plant is more favourable ‒ high amounts of dissolved ions ‒ than the average mine water.

What is the most common misconception or mistake

made when dealing with mine water? That neutralisation is a solution to the problem. Neutralisation removes the majority of ions from the mine water, but it leaves the dissolved sodium in the water. Sodium inhibits

the growth of aquatic animals and plants. Its impacts are not just seen in the wider environment but are also felt by the whole country through the impact on agriculture, i.e. food production is decreased.

Which related projects have you been involved in that are of note? We have only been involved in the design of AMD treatment plants, none of which have been implemented yet.

What makes them unique ‒ and how were you able to add to this uniqueness? The demonstration plant we

are hoping to have operating later this year is unique as it will be utilising the

KNEW process. It is a holistic solution to the AMD problem.

How is the treatment of mine water changing, if at all? I hope it looks like the KNEW process. This process is capable of producing a profi t for the operator while cleaning up the mine water problem.

Anything further you feel I have missed? I deliberately avoided the topics of the role of government, politics and the mining industry. These are the biggest challenges mine water clean-up faces.

Richard BewseyDirector

(Above) Western Utilities Corporation ultrafi ltration plant concept design(Right) Vaal Reefs reagent plant(Below) AMD outfall adjacent to Krugersdorp Game Reserve

be overcome? The KNEW misconception or mistake The dem

(Potassium Nitrate Ex-Waste) process is a technology that can be used to overcome this challenge. It is economically

p

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MARCH/APRIL 2013 35

Brett DunbarMarketing communications specialist

NALCO AFRICA

MINE WATER PANEL DISCUSSION

What makes mine water treatment unique? Referring to mine water as acid mine drainage (AMD) water is a unique problem due to the properties of the water itself that has accumulated over the years, and which now is contaminating the water basins and catchments. Conventional water treatment technologies such as reverse osmosis (RO) and pH neutralisation are available to treat this form of water; however, the investment required is very high and the industry cannot do it alone without partnerships between the mines, government and the private sector.

Many advocate that mine water be seen as a resource as opposed to a detriment ‒ would you agree? Yes, we agree that it is a resource, as once the water is properly treated the potentially wasted water can now be recycled and reused into processes, therefore bringing about

water and energy savings and the lessening of the mine’s environmental footprint.

What is the biggest challenge with regards to mine water currently? Infrastructure costs and short-age of local technologies, skills and expertise.

How can this challenge be overcome? Through clear policies and direction on who needs to treat the water and, ultimately, who is responsible for this water problem and its treatment. This challenge will only be overcome through the partnerships of private companies such as Nalco, an Ecolab company, the mines and government agencies such as the Department of Water Aff airs (DWA). This also needs

to be incorporated into the current national water strategy issued by DWA.

What unique technologies/techniques or products are available to assist in treat-ing mine water? In general there are RO and pH balance and control technologies available currently.

How does your organisation facilitate the process? We have proprietary technologies that help the effi cient opera-tion of RO plants such as the Nalco 3D TRASAR® Technology for Membranes. We have proprietary chemistries that are environmentally friendly and are used in conjunction with our skilled expertise and know-how to maximise water treatment effi ciency, including recycling and reusing water.

What do ROI timelines look like in this context?It is diffi cult to indicate as infrastructural costs such an RO plant (depending on the capacity and automation) and cost of expertise can infl uence the time frame for expected ROI. Based on experience, we would say an estimated two to three years. Looking towards the overall life expectancy of a typical mine, this is actually a relatively short period.

What is the most common miscon-ception or mistake made when dealing with mine water?

When talking about mine wa-ter, it is perceived and treated as an unsolvable problem. Also, mine water is seen as the only problem aff ecting water scarcity in South Africa, which is not the case.

Which related projects have you been involved in? We are involved in various projects, but are not authorised to dis-close the information of them.

What makes them unique ‒ and how were you able to add to this? These projects are not unique; the technolo-gies that we are employing and skills that are being applied are what is unique.

How is the treatment of mine water changing, if at all?There is public awareness for this issue of late and the indus-try is starting to take account-ability for it. The government needs to be more involved in tackling the problem.

Anything further? General water treatment in the indus-try, such as cooling water and boiler water is also applicable to the mines and their process-es. These are also part of mine water in the general scope.

(Above) Nalco Service Engineers taking readings from the 3D TRASAR for Membranes(Right) 3D TRASAR for membranes

. . . to rea l i ty

From concept ...

Delivering intelligent turnkey solutions to the water industry since 1974

We have led the way as South Africa’s premier provider of water, sewage and industrial effluent treatment technology.

We now expand this know-how into mine water treatment. Prentec’s New Generation Mine Water Treatment incorporates

years of experience in process technology, manufacturing and engineering implementation. Our modular LoRO systems

use this experience to achieve Low Capital, Low Operating, Low Chemical, Low Energy and Low Waste solutions to

mine affected water problems.

CNR Proton & Molecule Streets, Chloorkop Ext 1, Kempton Park, Gauteng, RSAPO Box 12181, Kempton Gate, 1617t +27 11 976 5234 f +27 11 976 2802 info@prentec.co.za www.prentec .co.za

MARCH/APRIL 2013 37

Adrian ViljoenProcess director PRENTEC

MINE WATER PANEL DISCUSSION

What makes the treatment of mine water unique? Mine water is not unique in its challenges. When compared to conventional potable water treatment, mine water requires sophisticated treatment processes and process controls to ensure that it meets the required potable or discharge standards. When compared to industrial water treatment the challenges are similar. Mine water will contain contaminants dependant on the mining activity (coal/gold/platinum mining) and may occur as either neutral with mineral pollutants, or highly acidic with signifi cant levels of contaminants that need to be removed. The most signifi cant aspect is the need for high recovery processes, thereby reducing the volumes of effl uents from the mine water treatment processes.

What is currently the biggest challenge with regards to mine water? The eff ective treatment of mine water requires the following:• an accurate prediction of the mine water quality• a process design that can be operated eff ectively over the life of mine (and after mine closure)• the ability to achieve zero liquid dischargeThe chemical quality of mine water may be relatively easy to predict. The prediction of

organic quality and the extent of biological activity in the feed water have up to now not always been incorporated in the feed water specifi cation.

How can these challenges be overcome? The current practice of mine water modelling over the life of mine, together with groundwater modelling studies, is proving to be eff ective at predicting the water quality, which will be fed to the mine water treatment plants. This involves in-depth water quality sampling and testing and, together with statistical prediction tools, the basis for design is determined. The risk, however, is that the water may change over time and the plant has to then be able to adapt to maintain eff ective treatment of the mine water. Prentec provides fl exible processes that can be engineered to operate diff erently due to changes in the feed water quality. The layouts of the envisaged plants have to be able to accommodate such changes.

In your opinion, is mine water seen as a resource as opposed to a detriment? Mine water can be considered a resource. It has been proven that treated mine water meets the SANS potable water standard, and in some cases exceeds this in order to meet

the regulated discharge standards imposed for discharge of water into the environment. The technology for treatment of the mine water provides both physical fi ltration barriers as well as chemical treatment to be able to ensure the quality of the water, with the fi nal treatment barrier being reverse osmosis. Stringent process monitoring and eff ective management of mine water treatment will ensure compliance to the SANS standards for potable use.

What technologies and techniques are available to assist in treating mine water? Prentec has the competence and experience in all processes currently being used for mine water treatment and is able to off er Low Capital, Low Operating Cost, Low Chemicals, Low Power and Low Waste mine water technology (LoRO). We take particular pride in the art of uniquely confi guring LoRO systems to meet the specifi c needs of each particular case for optimal results.

How does your organisation facilitate the process? We are able to provide added value to the client through specific interaction throughout the planning, execution and operation of the mine water treatment project. Prentec is an ideal partner able to provide professional reports for EIA approval, efficient process design, fast-track project management and water treatment operation services.

What do ROI timelines look like in this context? Mines will have to continue to treat mine water in order to ensure

environmental compliance. This is therefore a necessary investment. The cost of treatment

itself and the water treatment process is small in comparison to the infrastructure required for mine water collection, feed dams, environmental dams, brine dams (if necessary), etc to ensure the management of mine water on-site.

What is the most common misconception when dealing with mine water? If a mine water process is suitable for one mine, it is not necessarily suitable for another mining application. Therefore it is necessary to consider each mine’s water on its own merits.

Which projects has your company been involved in? We are completing the installation of integrated wastewater and mine water solutions at Anglo’s Twickenham and Xstrata’s Horizon mines. The solutions use a combination of biological processes, membrane bioreactors and reverse osmosis to attain our goal of LoRO. In these cases, zero waste results from the treatment of shaft water. Prentec has further been awarded the design contract for a 10 Mℓ/d LoRO plant at Exxaro’s Matla mine.

What makes your solutions unique? We continue to develop new ideas and technologies through our in-house water testing and design development. Overall, we have to ensure that the plant layout and design is appropriate to be able to expand and can be optimised for varying water quality while being able to maintain the plant and minimise the overall cost of treatment.

Integrated wastewater and mine water treatment plant

PROFILE

The United Nations’ World Water Day, held on 22 March 2013, and South Africa’s own coinciding National Water Week highlight the

challenges the world, and particularly dry countries like South Africa, faces in meet-ing the increasing demands of industry, agriculture and growing populations for clean and safe water. Although the debate on how best to address these challenges often seems to centre on macro policies such as water diplomacy, conservancy, allocation, strategic infrastructure and its fi -nancing, two more practical topics close to NuWater’s heart are also receiving growing attention, namely Tactical service delivery and Wastewater reclamation and reuse.

Tactical service deliveryAt NuWater we believe strongly that fl exible distributed or decentralised water and wastewater treatment infrastructure is required to complement conventional cen-tralised infrastructure that is costly, infl exi-ble and takes a signifi cant amount of time to deliver. We are a leader in sophisticated and rapidly deployable modular mem-brane-based water and wastewater treat-ment plants to public and private sector customers both in South Africa and around the world. We are pioneers of large-scale

Clean, safe waterNUWATER

completely ‘modular and mobile’ water treatment and reverse osmosis (RO) desal-ination plants that can be deployed within weeks, rather than the normal months or years for conventional plants, and have demonstrated the potential for these solutions through successful projects in challenging environments. Applications for our plants cover the provision of high-quality potable water from mine wastewa-ter, contaminated river and groundwater, and industrial wastewater. While our fl exible and rapidly deployable solutions do not negate the need for stra-tegic centralised infrastructure, we believe they have a key role to play in helping to bridge the signifi cant gap between the demand for clean and safe water and the available supply. We see our NuWater solutions as providing immediate tactical infrastructure to complement strategic infrastructure projects and to ‘plug’ service delivery gaps. In addition, the commercial models we off er, including rental and ‘own and operate’ models, enable our customers to avoid costly capital investment, allowing them to stretch their fi nancial resources further and to deliver higher quality services to more people.

Wastewater reclamationThe reclamation and reuse of wastewater is essential for sustainable water management in order to supplement available water resources. Wastewater reclamation also has the added benefi t of ensuring that waste streams are more safely managed and do not have an adverse eff ect on the environ-ment and higher quality water reserves. Nuwater pioneered the use of large-diam-eter 16-inch RO technology at one of the

world’s most advanced wastewater recla-mation plants ‒ the Singapore Public Utility Board’s (PUB) Bedok NEWater Factory. This facility reclaims 55 million litres per day of high-quality water from secondary sewerage effl uent to supplement the island country’s limited water resources. In fact, most of the reclaimed water is used by the high-tech electronics industry due to its purity, with the balance going back into the potable water supply. The reclamation of wastewater is signifi cantly more cost-ef-fective than other alternatives such as seawater desalination.Although Singapore is unique in certain respects due to its population density and well-respected ability to deliver ambitious projects, NuWater has demonstrated that the same technology and reclamation and reuse model can be successfully applied in developing countries such as South Africa. For example, NuWater’s complete mod-ular and mobile 20 million litres per day mine wastewater reclamation plant at Anglo American’s New Vaal Colliery near Vereeniging not only serves to clean up the environment but also has the added benefi t of providing Eskom’s Lethabo power station with high-quality cooling water. The water produced could equally be used for drink-ing water at it surpasses international water quality requirements.

Complete solutionsAt NuWater we focus on delivering com-plete solutions, tailored to our customer’s specific requirements. This includes the delivery of supporting any infrastructure required, such as power, as well as project funding solutions that allow the upfront capital cost to be avoided and rather recovered by NuWater over the life of the project. In essence NuWater carries much of the project performance and technol-ogy risk allowing our customers to rest

assured that they are getting the most relia-ble and cost-effective supplies of clean and safe water.

TA C T I C A L & P R A C T I C A L S O LU T I O N S

38 MARCH/APRIL 2013

(Top) NuWater Small Mobile Plant Drinking Water (Far left) Singapore PUB Bedok NEWater Factory Interior (Left) NuWater 20mℓ/d Modular & Mobile Plant

MARCH/APRIL 2013 39

KWAZULU-NATAL REGIONAL FOCUS

The Department of Water Aff airs (DWA), in conjunc-tion with the University of Zululand commissioned the development of a number of geohydrologically strategic positions, focusing on the Sodwana to

Lake Sibayi region.“The University of Zululand was trying to develop the monitoring network in Maputaland, KwaZulu-Natal, in con-junction with the South African Environmental Observation Network (SAEON). Eight areas were identifi ed throughout central and northern KwaZulu-Natal Coastal Flats, where an increase in groundwater monitoring coverage is desired,” explains Schapers. The monitoring boreholes were aimed at identifying and determining the geohydrological char-acteristics of primary aquifers located in the central portion of the KwaZulu-Natal Coastal plain, to refi ne the numerical groundwater model being developed by Prof Bruce Kelbe of the University of Zululand.

Mbazwane Groundwater Monitoring Network in focus

The development of a groundwater monitoring network and aquifer characterisation of the greater Mbazwane area of KwaZulu-Natal involved the application of good hydrogeological principals, Jeffares & Green executive associate Mark Schapers tells Chantelle Mattheus.

In addition, Schapers adds that the site work element of the proposal off ered an opportunity for training DWA graduate staff members in geophysical surveying methods, borehole drilling supervision and test pumping supervision.

Site specifi csJeff ares & Green was appointed on an existing term contract with the department, due to its extensive knowledge of the area gained when developing production boreholes for the Kwangwenase and Enkanyezini water supply schemes directly to the north of the project area.“The terms of reference for this project are to develop eight pre-identifi ed locations. Six of these locations will be installed as groundwater monitoring installa-tions and two as groundwater sup-ply boreholes. The principal project aim is to expand the groundwater monitoring network across the project area, and the supply bore-holes are to provide groundwater to two communities/agricultural initiatives,” says Schapers. Drilling was conducted by Kwa-Natal Drilling using the Rotary Mud Flush drilling method.Two predominant aquifers were targeted, namely the shallow “sugar sands” of the Kwambonambi for-

mation, and the deep semi-confi ned calcretes of the Uloa formation. Single and multiple installations targeting both aquifers were implemented at the monitoring locations and larger diameter production-type boreholes developed at the groundwater supply locations.Aquifer characteristics were determined through test pumping (conducted by AB Pumps) and the respective in-teraction between the deep and shallow aquifer measured where possible. Water quality sampling was undertaken to establish geochemical signatures of the respective aquifers.

Challenges conqueredTime frames were one of the challenges the team had to overcome on the project, as the project had to be com-pleted in a very small window. “Good subcontractors and determined project management realised the completion of the project on time and within budget. The scope was

Specialised rotary mud drilling of a monitoring borehole on the border of the Sodwana Nature Reserve

At J&G we have professional specialists connecting all the dots along the water cycle route, from source to consumer and discharge back into the environment. This holistic approach to water management means we can fi nd sustainable, well-engineered and innovative solutions to any clients’ needs –

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J&G – in the water cycle

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Contact Neal Bromley on +27 33 343 6700or bromleyn@jgi.co.za

Our services include:

Water resource management

Dam planning, design and construction supervision

Water abstraction and pump stations

Water and wastewater treatment works

Water reticulation and wastewater collection

Water conservation and demand management

Water sector analysis

Institutional development and support

Hydrological investigations (catchment and design fl ood)

Geohydrological investigations

Irrigation.

.

clear but there was limited technical detail due to limited avail-able information on the aquifers of the Coastal Plain, so budget was utilised in the best manner to give the client a value-added product,” says Schapers.“Several of the holes were drilled within the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, and standard procedures and environmental controls had to be adjusted to conform to stringent codes of conduct in order to minimise the environmental impact on the whole,” says Schapers. As a result, close liaison with the iSimangaliso Park Authority was required and all implementation was conducted in the presence of an environmental control offi cer in accordance with a strict man-agement plan.

Sustainable impactTwo of the positions were developed with the view to upgrade the boreholes to production status to help with community develop-ment, a need which was rapidly confi rmed by opportunistic water collection by the surrounding communities in those areas.According to Schapers, rural communities, industry, and munici-palities on the Coastal Flats rely on groundwater as a major source of potable water for domestic consumption. Many schemes are solely dependent on groundwater; however, they are developed in isolation and often involve limited or no groundwater monitoring, poor pumping practice, and even indiscriminate abuse. Increased forestry ‒ much of it unlicensed ‒ is a major generator of income in

a predominantly poor rural setting, but it also has a severe potential impact on the shallow groundwater condition, and associat-ed sensitive ecological environments.“Additionally, a large portion of the fl ats is a world heritage site where little or no technical data on groundwater aquifers is available. The results of the longer term monitoring of these boreholes will be used to develop a groundwater model for the fl ats, quantify broader aquifer characteris-tics, and optimise potential and sustainable use of the groundwater reserve in a broader context from both a direct consumptive per-spective, as well as sustain-able forestry. Communities will benefi t because they will be able to sustainably maximise the use thereof,” concludes Schapers.

Test pumping of monitoring boreholes to determine aquifer characteristics

Eight areas identifi ed for an increase in groundwater monitoring coverage, detailed below, but Jeff ares & Green’s value added product was the development of 14 locations, some with multiple installations.• The western shore of Lake

St Lucia• The aquifer conditions

between the town of St Lucia and Lake Bhangazi South

• The aquifer conditions between Lake St Lucia and Lake Bhangazi North

• The aquifer conditions between Lake Bhangazi North and Lake Mgobezeleni

• The aquifer conditions between Lake Mgobezeleni and Lake Shazibe

• The aquifer conditions between Lake Shazibe and Lake Sibayi

• Groundwater supply borehole in KwaMshudu

• Groundwater supply borehole in Manaba

AREAS IDENTIFIED FOR MONITORING & SUPPLY

42 MARCH/APRIL 2013

REGIONAL FOCUS KWAZULU-NATAL

The scheme will serve households with bulk and reticulation networks and there is further capacity to extend the bulk infrastructure,” says Moff at, adding that considerable planning on a regional

scale has been performed in the region, which to a large extent infl uenced the Hlabisa project. The project is located in the local municipality area of Hlabisa under uMkhanyakude District Municipality (UDM). The scheme covers the tribal authority areas of Mdletshe, Hlabisa Abasempembeni and Hlabisa Abakwahlabisa. The latter two areas are all-inclusive whereas only the western portion of Mdletshe is included; the eastern portion of Mdletshe is currently serviced by a scheme from Hluhluwe Dam (Mhlathuze Water). The total demand for both the Mandlakazi and Hlabisa areas is 7.26 million cubic metres per annum.Despite UDM being the client, Mhlathuze Water was appointed by the municipality as the implementing agent. Bigen Africa was then subsequently appointed by Mhlathuze as the consulting engineer on the project, responsible for the project’s business plan, tender admin-

istration, as well as the civil engineering on-site and site supervision and disbursement.In order to ensure community buy-in to the pro-ject and involve all stakeholders, a fully represent-ative project coordinating committee (PCC) was also set up. Some of the representatives forming part of the PCC are from UDM, DWA, Hlabisa Local Municipality, councillors, public liason offi cers (PLO), consultants and so forth. Site meetings are held monthly between the implementing agent,

contractor, PLO and consultant. “This creates a platform to discuss and report on key performance indicators and other issues relating to the project,” says Moff at.

Sourcing supplyAccording to both Marais and Moff at, there are a number of existing schemes within the area ‒ specifi cally the Hlabisa Local Municipality ‒ and although some are func-tional, some are dysfunctional too.The water source for this project is the adjacent Mandlakazi Regional Bulk Scheme under Zululand District Municipality who in turn gets their water from a private source. “The feasibility study refers to the fact that bulk water supply for Hlabisa will be sourced from the adjacent Mandlakazi Bulk Water Supply Scheme in Zululand District Municipality. Both Mandlakazi Bulk Water Scheme and Hlabisa Bulk Water Scheme are being implemented con-currently by the Zululand District Municipality and UDM respectively,” says Marais.Both men warn that the Hlabisa project is dependent on the timeous completion of the Mandlakazi portion of the bulk scheme where the two projects tie in.The scheme itself is designed to cater for a demand of 4.1 Mℓ/d, having used the following design parameters:• Bulk ‒ 60 litres per capita per day• Losses ‒ 10%

Hlabisa supply extended

“The scheme will serve households with bulk and reticulation networks and there is further capacity to extend the bulk infrastructure”

The Hlabisa Bulk Water Supply Scheme is set to supply approximately 51 431

community members in the Hlabisa area, 18 606 community members in the

Ezibayeni area, as well as the town of Hlabisa with a total demand of 4.17 Mℓ/d,

Robert Moffat, Bigen Africa principal: Water & Sanitation, and Willie Marais,

Bigen Africa resident project engineer, tell Chantelle Mattheus.

kWh

Energy savings

Without solutionBaseline energy@ measured@ recorded

Time

With solution

Implementation of energy management solution

Measurements recorded for comparison to the reference

Measurements recorded during the reference period

©2013 Schneider Electric. All Rights Reserved. Schneider Electric, EcoStruxure, and Make the most of your energy, are trademarks owned by Schneider Electric Industries SAS or its affiliated companies. 998-2574_ZA_B

Registered Name: Schneider Electric South Africa (Pty) Ltd, Registration Number: 1971/002841/07

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MARCH/APRIL 2013 45

REGIONAL FOCUS

The design horizon is projected for 2025, with a design population of 51 431 for that year.

Rand and centsFunding has by large been sourced from the DWA, which is the principal funding agent having contributed approximately R169 million through the Regional Bulk Infrastructure Grant (RBIG) programme with approval for the project having been done in 2006. The total capital cost of the project is estimated to be R198.9 million, with the remaining R29.9 million having been sourced from the Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG) through UDM.However, Moff at and Marais indicate that only on com-pletion of the fi nal phase will exact fi gures be available on the project cost. “The diffi culties experienced on the various contracts has been limited. Currently, escalation, contingencies, retention and performance guarantees on the various projects have covered the additional costs experienced,” says Marais. He adds that because the project has been completed over an extended period ‒ it was originally planned for three years, versus the expect-ed duration of fi ve years ‒ an increase in the cost for the professional teams is expected.“It is, however, expected that the additional cost on the professional team and the cost for the completion will be off set against possible savings that will be realised on the construction cost. To date, all the projects have been completed within their original budgets,” says Marais.

Challenging contextThe key challenge therefore, as indicated earlier, is the fi nancial constraints and diffi culties that both large and emerging contractors have on the project. “Although they all meet the required CIDB gradings, some contractors are more experienced than others and in both cases ‒ experi-enced and less experienced ‒ contractors have major fi nancial diffi culties.The rugged rural conditions and chang-ing weather conditions, including rain, also make access to the site a challenge at times.

Labour intensiveMarais notes that the execution of the project has been purposefully based on labour-intensive methods in order to provide employment opportunities to the local communities in these highly rural areas. “With the training envisaged, we hope to provide skills, which may lead to economic empowerment of those communities currently deprived thereof.”Some of the labour-intensive tasks include clearing and grubbing of the trench routes, placing of bedding, laying of pipeline, collection of rocks for the fi lling of the gabion baskets, removal of topsoil, excavation and placing of bedding, among other tasks.As a result, from project commencement in 2009 to January this year, 2 965 people have been employed on-site, the majority of which (54%) have been male youths.

According to Marais, the local labour has received informal site training from the material suppliers and contractors, with this training commencing prior to construction and still continuing. “The training is/was on trench excavation, manhole and valve chamber construction, pipe laying and joint-ing, pipe bedding and backfi lling, concrete mixing and placing, to name just a few.“Institutional Social Development (ISD) training was also provided on-site, relating

to project management, fi nancial/account management and water supply scheme management, among others.”

Progress to dateWhile initially the project was to be implemented as a single venture with a number of emerging contractors working on it, due to fi nancial constraints the entire scheme was subsequently scheduled to be completed in diff erent phases. Marais and Moff at both indicate that of the 96 km of pipes to be installed, 66 km have been installed to date, making this aspect 70% complete. Eight of the 14 reservoirs have been completed, with 24 of the 42 reservoir chambers having been completed, ensuring this aspect of the project was 57% complete at the beginning of the year.Additionally, 90 of the 197 air valve chambers have been completed (46% complete), with 14 of the 39 control chambers completed (36%).While the project engineering documentation (PED) was completed in February 2008 and the design in September of the same year, construction still continues on a num-ber of the contracts awarded to date. According to both Marais and Moff at, various “snags” on the uncompleted projects are still to be completed and all the reservoirs and approximately 13 km of pipes are as yet untested.This is despite initial construction deadlines starting in June 2010, diffi culties were experienced with all the

contracts with the exception of the pipe supply contracts. “The appointment of capable implementing agents and an engi-neering consulting company to oversee the implementation of the project has been a success,” says Marais.He adds that the sections of work that have been completed and paid for are of acceptable standards. “Although fi nal commissioning is not possible and some diffi culties could be experienced, the implementing agent will ensure that the clients get value for money.”Currently, the revised expected com-

pletion dates are from September this year to February 2014 for the fi nal con-

tract, which is still to be awarded with the ten-der process having been initiated in December 2012.

The sustainability of the project outcomes, however, will be largely based on the operation and maintenance of the project once commissioned ‒ which Mhlathuze has taken ownership of. “The future of the Hlabisa project depends on the full integration of existing infrastructure with the bulk system,” concludes Marais.

Client: uMkhanyakude District MunicipalityImplementing agent: Mhlathuze WaterFunder: DWAConsultants: • Civil – Bigen Africa Services • Electrical – Ulungeni• Geotech – DLP• ISD – SPM Services• Environmental – K2M Technologies

PROJECT ROLE PLAYERS

JOB CREATION ON‐SITE

pyea

Male youth54%

Male adult22%

Female adult 15%

Female youth 8%

Job creation on-site unpackedTotal people employed during period 2009 – Jan 2013: 2 965Average:71 per month

REGIONAL FOCUS

46 MARCH/APRIL 2013

The uMgungundlovu District Municipality is bringing clean water closer to the people. The days of walking long distances to collect

water in 20 ℓ bottles will soon come to the end for the oGagwini community,” says Mjwara.The oGagwini Community Water Supply

Scheme is situated in the Mkhambathini Local Municipality (KZ 226), which is in the extreme south of the uMgungundlovu District Municipality boundary, south of the Provincial Road 21, approximately 1 km west of Umbumbulu. The project is approxi-mately 30 km2 in size. The northern footprint of the project abuts the Durban Metro

boundary and the east side of the project abuts Ugu District Municipality.

Project prioritiesAccording to Mjwara, the aim of the project is to provide the community with a stable supply of potable water, create employment opportunities, training and transfer professional skills to the local community. Kantey and Templer Consulting Engineers

were appointed by the uMgungund-lovu District Municipality to design and implement the contract for Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the project. Hydrotech was the contractor appointed by the municipality

for the construction of Phase 1 and Icon Construction for the construction of Phase 2.Broadly unpacking the project specifi cs,

the oGagwini community water supply scheme sources bulk water from the Eston/Umbumbulu bulk pipeline (Umgeni Water pipeline), which is located on the northern border of the project footprint. Water from an existing bulk supply line supplies all the reservoirs via a 150 mm steel pipe. From the source bulk line, two separate chambers are provided for Umgeni Water and uMgungun-dlovu District Municipality to monitor the volume of water supplied.Mjwara notes that Phase 1 reservoirs have

a capacity of 350 and 750 Kℓ, with both feeding to 47 km of domestic reticulation, ranging in size from 32 to 250 mm diame-ters and 124 stand pipes. Phase 2 reservoirs on the other hand have a capacity of 75, 100 and 300 Kℓ, all feeding to 61 km of do-mestic reticulation, ranging from 32 to 160 diameters and 144 stand pipes. “The reservoirs are constructed with

a reinforced concrete roof covering to prevent contamination and evaporation

KWAZULU-NATAL

oGagwini supply scheme on trackThe oGagwini community has fi nally won its battle for clean water, according to Sibusiso Mjwara, head of the Municipal Infrastructure Grant at the uMgungundlovu District Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal.

750 kℓ reservoir during construction

MARCH/APRIL 2013 47

REGIONAL FOCUS

of the stored water. The storage reservoirs are provided with a scour valve and scour chamber to facilitate removal of the reser-voir contents for cleaning and maintenance purposes. The level of water in the storage reservoirs is controlled by a Bermad valve.“High-level chambers have been con-

structed at the reservoir to maintain pres-sure from the bulk line and then be able to feed future stands pipes that are higher or at a similar level than the storage reservoirs.” Water from the storage reservoirs is gravity

fed via the network of diff erent types and size piping to feed the project area. Isolation valves are provided at the entry and exit of the reservoir for maintenance purposes.

Mjwara adds that a security fence with a double opening gate for vehicles has been erected around each reservoir to prevent acts of vandalism and/or theft.

Training focusAs with most projects of a similar nature, training is a key focus. According to Mjwara, beside the ISD capacity building workshops and training of the PSC members, an ac-credited skills development training course was held on-site, where local community members were selected based on their edu-cation, employment and poverty level.“In each phase, a total of 10 people from

the community were trained, varying from plumbing, pipe laying, concreting and steel fi xing. In addition, two student technicians were also appointed in each phase, which enabled them to gain practical experience in the engineering fi eld.“This contract was operated under the

auspices of the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) and as such the ma-jority of the tasks were undertaken using labour-intensive methods on a task work basis. Unskilled labour was employed from

the local community, with an emphasis on gender and youth equality,” states Mjwara.“This project has created employment

opportunities for the community. Skills were imparted to the local community through active participation in the construction and management of the project through various employment opportunities. The project reduced unemployment and assisted in promoting local emerging contractors.”

Enjoying the benefi tsThe days of using river water for domestic use are long gone for some part of the oGagwini community since the completion of Phase 1 earlier last year. “The remain-ing parts of the community will soon be enjoying the benefi ts of this project as we are now focusing on Phase 2, which will be completed at the end of March 2013. “The oGagwini Community Water

Supply Scheme has assisted in creating an infrastructure that will cater for the basic needs of the community. It is envisaged that this will promote the growth of economic activity within the community,” concludes Mjwara.

Typical stand pipe

REGIONAL FOCUS

48 MARCH/APRIL 2013

KWAZULU-NATAL

This phase of the project formed part of the Department of Water Affairs’ (DWA) Sanitation for a Healthy Nation plan,” explains Simon Wells, Rocla’s business manager of sanitation.

According to Craig Waterson, Rocla’s marketing di-rector, this was the third phase of a project that formed part of the DWA’s Sanitation for a Healthy Nation plan. “Close liaison with local communities ensured that the quality and toilet placement requirements were met,” says Waterson.Waterson believes the project’s uniqueness lies in

the fact that the end results are high-quality, durable

sanitation units that were manufactured on the site with significant community involvement.He adds that while Rocla was not initially involved with

Phase 1 of the project, it acquired the company D&D that was responsible for Phase 1 approximately six years ago while it was still busy with that contract. “Rocla success-fully tendered using a purpose-designed improved solu-tion and was awarded phases 2 and 3. The Rocla product is well accepted and is now an integral part of the rural sanitation landscape of the district,” says Waterson.The project started in March 2011 and was completed

in January 2013.

Innovative purpose-built solutions for KZN toiletsThe uMhlatuze Municipality project, which recently won a CMA award, involved the installation of 8 470 of Rocla’s Ventilated Improved Double-Pit (VIDP) toilets, which were assembled using precast concrete panels. Chantelle Mattheus unpacks the project challenges at length with Rocla representatives.

The project, which involved sanitation units manufactured on-site, commenced in March 2011 and was completed at the beginning of this year

Rocla was the only contender that walked off with two Concrete Manufacturers Association (CMA) awards in diff erent categories at the recent prize-giving ceremony. Craig Waterson, Rocla’s marketing director, says: “The two trophies were a huge morale boost for everyone at Rocla as they not only confi rmed our position in the infrastructure sector as a preferred partner in the supply of precast concrete products, but also bear testament to more than 90 years of industry experience in Southern Africa.”

Rocla, a precast concrete manufacturer, received recognition in the Community Excellence category for its uMhlatuze District Municipality Rural Sanitation Phase III, Northern KwaZulu-Natal project. The other award was for the Ingula Pumped Storage Scheme – KwaZulu-Natal/Free State border project in the Technical Excellence category, “both of which illustrate the company’s commitment to provide custom-made, high-quality concrete products using the latest technologies and innovations”.

The Ingula Pumped Storage Scheme project that won the award for innovative technical merit entailed the design and construction of a permanent precast shuttering solution, instead of deploying a traditional shuttering system. The project faced challenging constraints, such as confi ned space and limited access to the underground works to support a 400 t gantry crane in the electricity generator hall.

The engineers assembled and reinforced 552 of Rocla’s concrete columns, beams and corbel elements in 38 product modifi cations on-site. These elements vary in weight up to 8 t a piece and 1.5 to 11 m in length. Extremely tight tolerances of 3 mm for linear dimensions and about 2 mm for vertical alignment were met through stringent quality control measures.

The manufacturing process that Rocla undertook was complex. For example, male joints needed to be cast into the upper ends of each column and female joints into the bottom ends due to the design of the concrete shutter. “The challenge of handling these complexities meant designing for all possible scenarios to accommodate each column’s unique centre of gravity,” explains Waterson, adding that the process required the design of a special handling system.

“This was defi nitely a unique project for Rocla and the acknowledgement from our peers of our engineering excellence is indeed rewarding,” he concludes.

REGIONAL FOCUS

Purpose designedThe Rocla sanitation units were purpose designed to meet the “double pit” re-quirements specified in the contract by the company, in conjunction with the uMhlathuze District Municipality and the consulting engineers, in accordance with the technical requirements of the area.The system utilises sophisticated moulds

and fabric reinforcement to create light-weight panels. “The advantage of this technology is that the number of ele-ments and consequently number of joints involved in each structure is minimised. The factory can be easily erected close to the project area and the manufactur-ing process is simple and tailored to be labour intensive to provide employment to members of the local community,” explains Waterson.He adds that other innovations

included in the design were a stain-less steel door and child safe locking mechanism, which makes it impossi-ble to be locked inside the structure.In addition, according to Waterson, the use of precast concrete panels ensured a high-quality end product, and a simple yet highly effective design ensured ease of assembly and best practice installations.

On-site skills trainingSkills training was provided on-site during the project for bricklayers, welders and security guards, among others, as well as relating to computer skills, health and safety in the work place, basic business principles and stores control. “Rocla, in conjunction with the uMhlathuze District Municipality provided SETA-approved training, which equipped the trainees with skills for further employment oppor-tunities,” says Waterson, adding that local community residents were involved in all facets of the operation, from the digging and lining of the pits to the manufacture and installation of the toilet units.The panels were manufactured in a

factory, purpose built by Rocla at Port Durnford, employing approximately 390 local community members, 70% of which were women. “We were proud to win this award as the judging criteria and evaluation in this category were strict and a careful process decided on factors such as job creation, sustainable skills transfer to the local community, design

innovation, installation and product quali-ty,” states Wells.A total of 177 local community members

were employed in the factory and nine local BEE subcontractors transported the concrete panels, built the latrine pits and erected the toilets. The project consumed

approximately 7 000 t of concrete for the sanitation structures and 1.1 million con-crete blocks to line the pits.“All raw materials, building materials,

services and equipment were sourced from local business where available,” con-cludes Waterson.

Local community residents were involved in all facets of the operation, from the digging and lining of the pits to the manufacture and installation of the toilet units

The stainless steel door and child safe locking mechanism are considered innovative because they make it impossible to be locked inside

MARCH/APRIL 2013 49

CMA AWARD WINNING INNOVATION

INTERNATIONAL FOCUS

50 MARCH/APRIL 2013

AUSTRALIA

Last year was a notable year for the plant, with a number of milestones being reached. June saw the fi rst reverse osmosis water being pro-

duced and in August the plant commenced production of remineralised water. In September, not only did the plant enter into full capacity hydraulic testing, but it also completed a seven-day performance test in 100% automatic mode.The plant, which was constructed

in Wonthaggi, 130 km south-east of Melbourne, is the largest desalination plant ever to be constructed in Australia and in-cludes the construction of a 150 billion litres per year (expandable to 200 billion litres) reverse osmosis seawater desalination plant.“The Melbourne project takes the size of

desalination plants to an entirely diff erent level. The fact that it is structured as a BOT (build, operate and transfer) project adds

to the body of knowledge on the complex-ities of large-scale BOT water projects,” says Degrémont Southern Africa’s deputy MD, Dumi Luthuli.

Project breakdownConstruction included a 1.1-km-long, 4 m di-ameter intake tunnel and a 1.4-km-long, 4 m diameter outlet tunnel, as well as an 84 km 1.9 m diameter reverse fl ow transfer pipe-line and co-located power and fi bre optics, connecting the plant to Melbourne’s water, power and communications networks.Design and construction plans were devel-

oped with a commitment to minimising any adverse eff ects on the local landscape, cul-tural heritage and fauna and fl ora. The plant therefore occupies a very small footprint, taking up only 38 ha of the 263 ha site.The project is a public-private partner-

ship to be undertaken by the AquaSure

Consortium, comprising Degrémont SA, Suez Environne ment, Thiess and Macquarie Group, in partnership with the Capital Projects division of the Australian Department of Sustainability and Environment. The AquaSure Consortium will therefore maintain and operate the plant until 2039. The Melbourne plant is an emblematic

model for Degrémont Suez Environnement, with the organisation set to operate the plant for the next 27 years once operations have commenced offi cially, supplying one third of Melbourne’s population with 450 000 m³/d of drinking water produced from seawater. Australia remains a strategic country for Degrémont as the group contin-ues to expand its operations in the country in both waste management and water supply. They currently supply 30% of the country’s drinking water and have also won contracts in Adelaide. According to reports from Degrémont

at the end of last year, the majority of the work has been completed and several major technical challenges successfully resolved. The tunnels and marine facilities ‒ namely the water intake and brine discharge ‒ have been completed and are ready for operation, as well as the 84 km treated water main.The high-voltage power line and its

substations have also been installed. At 87 km long, the 220 000 volt (200 Kv HVAC) buried cable appears to be the longest of this capacity in the world, with the line being especially constructed to power the desalination plant. Energisation of the plant is progressively undertaken until all the fa-cilities and seawater desalination processes are brought into service.Concerning the reverse osmosis plant, the

team is happy to report that the engineer-ing work was completed on time with the equipment on-site and the fi rst tests carried out successfully. “The start-up was carefully prepared, with the teams ready to move into action. Once again, we wish to empha-sise the quality of the work done so far by our teams in the execution of this contract,” says Francine Dubreuil, Degrémont market-ing manager for Southern Africa.

Local implicationsAccording to Luthuli, the likelihood of a plant of this size and stature being

Melbourne Desalination Plant Following the fi nalisation of the reliability test on 17 December last year, the Melbourne Desalination Plant has commenced with 27 years of operations in which it will be delivering drinking water into the Melbourne water system, fi nds Chantelle Mattheus.

In September 2012, the plant completed a seven-day performance test in 100% automatic mode

MARCH/APRIL 2013 51

INTERNATIONAL FOCUS

Mornay de Vos – Business Development Managermornay.de.vos@degremont.co.za

George van der Merwe – Technical Managergeorge.van.der.merwe@degremont.co.za

Degrémont South Africa has the ability to propose various technologies to suit the clients’ requirements and site constraints.

Its teams design, build and commission facilities for:• Potable water production• Desalination• Wastewater treatment & recycling • Sludge treatment• Industrial process water and wastewater treatment

Degrémont also specialises in:• the supply of package pre-assembled and skid-mounted potable water and wastewater treatment plants,

• the refurbishment of old plants to their original design capacities and/or upgrading of old plants to produce higher quantities of water. The latter is

achieved by installing additional high-performance equipment to existing concrete structures.

Degrémont also provides the following additional services to its clients: • Execution supervision• Installation & Commissioning • Plant operation

• Technical assessment • Spare parts

COMMITTED TOGETHER FOR WATER, A SOURCE OF LIFE

Tel: +27 (0) 11 807 1983 Fax: +27 (0)10 591 5095 www.degremont.co.za

Degrémont, a subsidiary of SUEZ Environnement, is the world specialist in the design and construction of water treatment plants

and an important contributor towards sustainable development.

goes “live”

constructed locally cannot be ruled out. “At least one municipality and a water board are investigating large-scale desalination plants for the next few years, although the sizes are likely to be much lower than the Melbourne plant. As to what the future holds, anything is possible,” he says. Should this become a reality, this could dramatically

change the current water supply constraints in South Africa. “South Africa is classifi ed as a water-stressed country. On the other hand, the country is blessed with a long coastline stretching more than 2 500 km. This is a val-uable source of water that should be utilised to cover the present and future shortfalls,” advises Luthuli.

The biggest lesson to be learnt from the success of the Melbourne plant though, according to Luthuli, is that with the right technologies, proper planning and minimi-sation of risks, knowledge of local conditions and proper management of resources, desalination projects of this size and com-plexity can be successfully executed.

ABOVE Aerial view of plantRIGHT The reverse osmosis seawater desali-nation plant should treat 150 billion litres per year (expandable to 200 billion litres)

25 YEARS OF THE EXTRAORDINARY

TCTA is a state-owned liability management entity responsible for bulk raw water infrastructure development

The Trans-Caledon Tunnel Authority (TCTA) is proud to contribute towards a system which aims to deliver a sustainable water supply across Southern Africa.

planning, design and construction, place TCTA in the ideal position to facilitate development of bulk raw water infrastructure.

From an initial single project, TCTA now manages a portfolio of nine. These are the Lesotho Highlands Water Project Phase 1; the Berg Water Project (Western Cape); the Vaal River Eastern Subsystem Augmentation Project (Mpumalanga); the Mooi-Mgeni Transfer Scheme Phase 2 (KZN Midlands); the Olifants River Water Resource Development Project Phase 2 (Limpopo); the Mokolo-Crocodile (West) Water Augmentation Project (Limpopo); the Komati Water Scheme Augmentation Project (Mpumalanga) and, more recently, the Acid Mine Drainage Project (Gauteng) and the Metsi Bophelo Borehole Project (across six provinces).

TCTA is also expected to play a key role in the funding of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project Phase 2, the implementation of which was announced in a joint statement issued in August 2011 by the Governments of Lesotho and the Republic of South Africa.

The provision of water serves as a catalyst for sustainable economic development. The manner in which TCTA implements and manages its projects is governed by principles of transformation and sustainable development. We consider ourselves an instrument of social purpose, formed within society to accomplish social objectives. Consequetly, we are obliged to create new patterns, processes and strategies to tackle complex socio-ecological issues.

TCTA has committed itself to the progressive ideals and principles of sustainable development and their integration into various aspects of our business processes, giving us an opportunity to create value for all stakeholders, including social, economic and environmental facets.

All the above services are in support of government’s development agenda to make a better life for all. TCTA is committed to assisting government to achieve its socio-economic objectives.

For more information on TCTA visit: www.tcta.co.za or call +2712 6831200

Komati Water Scheme Augmentation Project (KWSAP)

National Water Month: The Trans-Caledon Tunnel Authority Delivers Water To EskomEskom operates several power stations in the Mpumalanga Province, a number of which are located in the eMalahleni/Middelburg area. Electricity demands in South Africa have increased rapidly and Eskom is required to increase the electricity generation at its operating power stations.

volumes of water as part of their operating and cooling processes.

The generation of energy depends mostly on the reliable supply and provision of water to power stations operated by Eskom Soc Ltd. Two of Eskom’s power generation stations (Duvha and Matla) in Mpumalanga require a substantial amount of water supply to meet the increased electricity demand in the country, hence, in September 2008, the Minister of Water Affairs directed TCTA to fund and implement the Komati Water Scheme Augmentation Project (KWSAP). This pipeline project aims to augment the existing Komati Water

supply of an additional 57 million cubic metres of water per annum to the system.

TCTA appointed AECOM (formerly BKS Engineers) in April 2009 to undertake the design and construction supervision of the scheme. SSCC Pipeline Joint Venture (comprising Stefannuti Stocks, Cycad Pipelines and Ceremele Construction) was awarded the construction contract in December 2010 with the construction commencing in January 2011. The KWSAP is scheduled for commissioning during February 2013.

Social Responsibility Initiatives through Project Implementation

Sustainable socio-economic development is central to TCTA’s project implementation methodology and management. Our socio-economic strategy strives to uplift the lives of affected local communities; we have developed a transformation strategy which includes the following critical aspects:

(i) Enterprise Development – which is aimed at developing a minimum of two enterprise

the contract value to them.

(ii) Preferential Procurement – which promotes the procurement of services and goods from black-owned enterprises, women-owned enterprises and local enterprises.

(iii) Employment targets

skilled personnel from the local communities. Employment opportunities created on this project

(iv) Skills development and training – entails training of local unskilled and semi-skilled labour.

TCTA closely monitors socio-economic development targets on a monthly basis and carries out half-yearly audits as part of the process to ensure the targets are met.

Environmental Sustainability

TCTA is fully committed to upholding and improving on the environmental and social integrity of its project footprint through implementation of sound and best environmental and social practices. We continue to comply with national environmental legislation and strive to achieve international best practices in the protection of the natural and social environment.

The environmental impact on KWSAP being mainly a pipeline project is of a temporary nature with only minor impacts on the long term.

TECHNICAL PAPER

54 MARCH/APRIL 2013

CONCEPTUAL ANALYSIS

Water memory is a fascinating concept. The human brain, for instance, is an array of bil-lions of neurons and the conducting fl uid between the neurons consists of about

80% water: The connection between water and memory is therefore not too diffi cult and in fact a concept pervasive to our existence.This paper will explore the relationship between

‘water’ and ‘memory’ from a diff erent perspective. The basis of the paper is to demonstrate the concept of water ‘memory’ and that the origin of water can to a large extent be determined by decoding the ’memory’. The correct decoding of water memory has signifi cant practical impli-cations in terms of water cycle management.The concept of water memory was developed and

applied during a number of studies including distribution system water quality root cause analysis, mine water man-agement and a water treatment plant dosing strategy.During an extensive investigation in the City of Tshwane

distribution system (Van der Walt, Cronje & Coetzee, 2009), it was concluded that there is a body of ‘hidden’ information in water quality data that needs to be ‘mined’ to identify trends and changes in the water sources, the water and wastewater treatment plants in the catchment area and the distribution system. Consumer complaints require ‘decoding’ in order to understand the root cause(s) of water quality problem. If more than one source is sup-plied into a distribution system, the level of mixing needs to be controlled and the consequence of mixing needs to be understood. A number of subsequent studies lead to the development of the ‘water memory’ concept. This paper will proceed in explaining the concept, the mech-anism and illustrate the application of the concept by a number of recent case studies.

1. THE WATER MEMORY CONCEPTThe literal meaning of the words ‘water’ and ‘memory’ provide some clue to the concept ‘water memory’. Oxford Dictionary provides the following defi nitions:• WATER / wᴐ:tǝ(r) noun, a liquid without colour, smell

or taste• MEMORY / ‘memǝri/(pl. ies) noun, the part of a comput-

er where memory is stored.Water is a pervasive and universal carrier of various mate-rials around the globe. Consider for instance the contents of a river just after a heavy thunderstorm: a mixture of various soluble and suspended organic and inorganic materials. The type of constituents in the water course essentially characterises the water source. This is why a river in the Drakensberg will contain diff erent soluble and

Water memory

By Mias van der Walt

Bigen Africa, PO Box 29, The Inno-vation Hub, 0059,012 843 9085 (T), 012 843 9000 (F)mias.vanderwalt@bigenafrica.com

In the technological age where computers are part of our daily existence, the word ‘memory’ is often associated with the memory chip in a personal computer – not with water.

suspended matter compared to a river downstream of an industrialised mining town. Once the constituents are added to a river course the unique character remains rel-atively unchanged. This means that the characteristics of a Gauteng river will not change to that of a Drakensberg river even if it is left for an indefi nite period. The ability of water to ‘remember’ the constituents that

were added to it is referred to as ‘water memory’. Some readers may also refer to this as ‘water fi ngerprinting’ or ‘water DNA’, but for the rest of this paper the term ‘water memory’ will be used. The constituents in the water are not necessarily added all at the same time and if the river water was characterised at a number of diff erent locations along its course the ‘water memory’ could be read in se-quential order to read the ‘water story’.The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how ‘water

memory’ can be read and how this concept assisted a number of water users to understand their respective ‘water stories’.

2. THE WATER MEMORY MECHANISM2.1 Water memory generationAny constituent that is added to water changes its pure form and contributes towards its unique character re-ferred to as the ‘water memory’. Rain water falling on a grassland with loose soil will generate muddy runoff with some dissolved metal content. Potable water supplied to consumers, which already contains a memory due to its mineral content, builds up additional memory through its use by consumers by the time it is discharged into the sewer system.

2.2 Water memory fadingIn some cases water memory can fade with time due to natural and technological processes. After a heavy thun-derstorm in the Drakensberg, turbid water fl ows down a creek and is gradually cleaned as the suspended solids are retained in pools along the river. The sedimentation eff ect fades the suspended solids memory. In other cases organic compounds in the water are transformed through natural biological processes that fade the water memory. One of the most common processes that is prominent in polluted environments is nitrifi cation and de-nitrifi cation; during these processes anthropogenic ammonia and nitrates are transformed to nitrates and nitrogen gas

FIGURE 1 Typical Water Memory Block

Neuron 1

Suspended Dissolved Inorganic

Dissolved Organic

Biological Spatial reference

Timestamp

Neuron 2 Neuron 3 Neuron 4 Neuron 5 Neuron 6

MARCH/APRIL 2013 55

TECHNICAL PAPER

respectively. Other processes that can fade water memory include oxidation, precipita-tion, and various other physio-chemical and biological processes.

2.3 Erasing water memoryIn natural processes water memory can fade, but it is seldom erased completely. However, technology makes it possible to erase water memory almost completely. The memory of seawater with a high concentra-tion of dissolved minerals can be erased using reverse osmosis technology. Many other examples exist where the memory of very polluted water can be semi-erased with advanced treatment technology.

2.4 Water memory blocksWater memory is read by performing analy-sis of water samples taken from the water system under consideration. The types of analyses that are performed depend on the type of water story that is expected to unfold. The water story on a mine will be diff erent from the water story in a water distribution system of a large city with many water sources. For the purpose of this paper the following convention will be used:Water memory can be presented by a

memory block. The memory block contains memory areas (neurons) for suspended, dis-solved (organic and inorganic) and biologi-cal characteristics. Each block also includes a neuron for a spatial reference (location in a specifi c water system) and a time stamp (the date and time of the sample). Figure 1 is an example of a water memory block.Once the water memory was read from

grab samples additional information can also be learned by taking additional samples over an extended period of time. A num-ber of techniques can be used to analyse sequential water memory. Time-series analysis can be used to understand cyclical trends, percentile distributions can be used to understand variability trends and artifi cial neural networks can be used to identify hid-den or more complex relationships between water memory neurons.The following example demonstrates how

natural and anthropogenic constituents build up water memory found in a typical urban runoff and reuse system. The four colour coded blocks indicate from left to right the suspended solids, dissolved inorganic, dissolved organic and biological concentrations. A spatial reference and time stamp blue colour represents low

concentrations and a red colour represents high concentrations.

2.5 Water memory threadsWater memory blocks taken at diff erent times or diff erent locations in a water system are referred to a water memory thread. Figure 2 represents the water thread of a typical municipal water sys-tem. The thread can become fairly long and complex to analyse in large water systems.

2.6 Water memory storyCombining a number of water threads in time and space can develop into a water story.As an example of a water story, Figure 3

portrays a typical urban water cycle.It is evident from Figure 3 that after po-

table water was supplied into a domestic water supply network at part (1), a signifi -cant amount of suspended solids, inorganic, organic and biological constituents are added to the water memory. Some of the memory is removed during sewage treat-ment, impoundment and treatment. If fresh water with low dissolved inorganic content is not bled into the system at part (2), the continuous reuse will lead to a salt trap and the water memory will continue to build up until dissolved inorganic compounds will have to be removed from the system with expensive desalination equipment.

3. APPLICATION OF THE CONCEPTThe key challenge is that water memory blocks are often not in place, making the memory thread incomplete and the practitioner unable to read the water story. Another challenge is that often only the

fi nal memory block is known (the symp-tom) forcing the practitioner to read the water story in reverse. The case studies that follow will demonstrate how the water memory concept was used to solve water management problems.

3.1 Case study 1 ‒ Distribution system root cause analysisWhen faced with a number of complaints from consumers, a large water authority embarked on a study to understand the root cause(s) of the complaints. The study initially focused on an isolated area of the network, but it was soon realised that all the sources feeding into the entire network need to be assessed. During the investigation water quality

samples taken at consumer locations, where complaints were detected, were separated from non-complaint related samples. It became evident that the water memory of the complaint related samples showed diff erent characteristics from the water supplied from the water source that was originally suspected to be the root cause of the complaints. Figure 4 indicates how for instance the percentile distributions of

FIGURE 2 Typical Water Memory Thread

FIGURE 3 Typical urban water cycle water memory build-up

TECHNICAL PAPER

56 MARCH/APRIL 2013

chloride concentrations of four diff erent sources were used to fi ngerprint the origin of water sources in the distribution system. Chlorides could not uniquely fi ngerprint all sources.Water memory constituents were there-

fore also identifi ed by analysing the water memory of all complaint and non-complaint related samples using artifi cial neural net-work (ANN) classifi cation software. Reading the water memory using this advanced neu-ral network technique enabled the water authority to understand the problem caus-ing substances in each of the four sources supplied into the distribution system. The ANN was also used to uniquely identify six diff erent sources using chlorides, iron, magnesium and copper concentrations as water memory fi ngerprints. Figure 5 shows that all sources with chloride levels lower than 16.5 mg/ℓ was either from source 1 or source 4. Iron levels below 2 mg/ℓ isolated source 1. A further distinction was possible between sources 1a and 1b based on the copper concentrations. Sources 2 and 3 could be distinguished based on the magnesium levels.Apart from concluding that no single

source was responsible for the customer complaints, the water memory from the dif-ferent sources also emphasised the impor-tance of controlled mixing and uniformed treatment approaches of diff erent sources in the distribution system. During the investigation the water memo-

ry was not only read in the distribution sys-tem, but the raw water source feeding the system as well as the water memory after treatment. The water memory at the three diff erent steps in the water cycle provided not only insight in the typical water quality problems that could be expected from the

source, but also highlighted process and operational defi ciencies experienced at the various treatment plants and in the distribu-tion system.The water memory approach could

also trace if the root cause was source related, treatment related or distribution system related:• Source related problems included high

dissolved manganese, high iron and high ammonia as well as unpleasant taste and odour compounds.

• Treatment related problems included dissolved and suspended manganese and iron spikes, low Calcium Carbonate Precipitation Potential (CCPP), nitrifi ca-tion, non-uniform disinfection methodol-ogy and poor disinfection control.

• Distribution system related problems included poor disinfection control, uncontrolled mixing of diff erent sourc-es, elevated iron levels, nitrifi cation, rapid disinfectant decay and high bacteriological activity.

In a dynamic system such as a water dis-tribution system where the demand and supply from each source changes continu-ously the water memory in the distribution system showed temporal and spatial variation depending on the movement and mixing of water through the distribution system. Using the water memory concept enabled the authority to trace the origin of the complaint back to the source or treatment pro-cess. The source related problems

uncovered using the water memory were id entifi ed as follows:• The mixture of sources 1, 2 and 4 showed

low CCPP and occasional high iron concentrations.

• Source 3 showed occasional low residual chlorine and manganese concentration spikes.

• 65% of complaints originated (at the time of the study) from a mixture of source 1 and 2.

• Sources 2 and 3 showed high levels of ammonia that caused nitrifi cation, high bacteriological activity and low chlorine residual in the distribution system.

• The disinfection strategies and tech-nology of all sources were not aligned. Not all sources used chloramination as the disinfection method, causing sec-ondary complications when mixed with non-chloraminated water.

The insight gained by reading the water memory enabled the water authority to initiate immediate actions and this led to a number of infrastructure upgrade projects such as ammonia mitigation in the catch-ment areas, improved iron and manganese removal processes, improved dissolved or-ganic carbon (DOC) removal, improved taste and odour removal, improved management of supernatant recycle and alignment of disinfection technology. The importance of a water safety plan and the implementation of an integrated early warning system that informed operators of rapidly changing raw water characteristics should improve pro-active adjustment of treatment, mixing and distribution strategies.

3.2 Case 2 ‒ Mine water management In an eff ort to reduce potable water consumption, a water balance study was commissioned by a platinum mine in the North West province. The study initially focussed on performing a quantitative water balance based on historical meter readings, but shortly after commencing with the study it was realised that the water cycle management at the platinum mine

FIGURE 4 Chloride fi ngerprinting

FIGURE 5 Water source fi ngerprint of eight different water sources

MARCH/APRIL 2013 57

TECHNICAL PAPER

presented a number of challenges and that additional sampling was required in order to understand the full water story. After col-lecting additional samples and reading the water memory in conjunction with historical surface and ground water memory a very interesting story emerged.The majority of the water used at a

platinum mine is used in the concentrator process where ore is mixed with various chemicals to change the surface charac-teristics of the target mineral and removal by induced air fl otation. A large portion of water is required in the milling and fl otation processes and subsequent transported as tailings (slurry) to a tailing storage facility. As can be imagined, the concentrating process add a signifi cant amount of water memory. The concentrating processes are often operated very effi ciently in order to extract as much of the platinum group metals as possible. The water memory of the water reaching the tailings dam therefore does not normally exhibit high levels of heavy metals, but very high levels of chlorides, calcium, magnesium, nitrates and sulphates. Water from the tailings dam is recovered from a return water dam and returned to the con-centrator plant for reuse in processes that do not require clean water. By reusing the return water dam potable water consump-tion can be reduced, but eventually leads to a continuous build-up of water memory and results in a gradual increase of the salts. Water captured from the tailings dam is the largest source feeding the return water dam. The return water dam also captures effl uent from the sewage treatment works, limited stormwater as well as surplus water generated from underground operations. The return water dam is often high in algae concentration as a result of high nitrates, and phosphate levels and abundance of sunlight. Figure 6 is a simplifi ed schematic of a plati-

num mine water system.In order to understand where water

memory was added in the water current a number of samples were taken across the entire surface and underground water circuits. It emerged that the calcium, mag-nesium, chlorides and sulphates originated from the operations at the concentrator and the processing of the ore. High levels of nitrates and ammonia originated from the underground operations as a result of the use of ammonium nitrate based explosives. The surface and underground systems were

linked through the surplus underground water discharged into the return water dam.The key questions that arose in an eff ort to

reduce the water demand were as follows:• Can potable water use be reduced by

more effi cient water use?• If effi ciency cannot be improved, can

water be treated and reused to reduce potable water demand?

• What is the origin of surplus underground water?

• Can ground and surface water circuits be separated in order to limit the spreading of nitrates across the entire water system?

It was established that the reuse of water from the return water dam was the most ap-propriate abstraction point for a water recla-mation plant required to reduce the potable water demand. The treatment technology was determined by the water memory of the return water dam, which contained remnants of the concentrating process and the under-ground mining process. After reassessing the water use requirements of the diff erent equipment used in the concentrating process, it was established that a number of processes do not require potable water, but could be supplied from water treated to a lower standard. The return water dam reclamation plant was therefore designed to produce two diff erent classes of water: one to a potable standard and one to an industrial standard. It did, however, became evident that in order to achieve SANS 241 potable standards, the high level of nitrates (above 150 mg/ℓ) required a multi-stage reverse osmosis (RO) treatment process while

at the same time only a single stage RO was required to remove other salts. A reduction of the nitrate source feeding the return water dam would therefore reduce the need for ex-pensive treatment technology signifi cantly. The water memory concept was applied

by conducting a detailed investigation to understand the linkage between surface and underground water cycles. It was noted that during the early development of the mine (this is often the case in the Western Limb) that opencast pits have been developed, some of which were reha-bilitated and others left open. As these pits are not dewatered they fi ll with rain water. The water in these man-made aquifers now exerts signifi cant pressure on exploratory drillings that are in some cases linked to shafts and haulages. The net eff ect is that rain water contained in the open cast pits are short-circuiting with the under-ground water circuits as shown in Figure 7. Detailed analysis of the water memory of the ‘fi ssure water’ at level 1 (closest to opencast pit) and the water memory of the opencast pit water revealed that the ‘fi ssure water’ originated from the opencast pit directly above the level 1 haulage. By separating the level 1 water circuit from the rest of the process water used in the mine the nitrate load to the return water dam can be reduced signifi cantly and the cost of the reclamation plant can also be reduced signifi cantly. Not only will the mine save in terms of treatment cost, but signifi cant sav-ings can result by circulating less water and at a lower water pressure up and down the

FIGURE 6 Typical simplifi ed platinum mine water cycle

58 MARCH/APRIL 2013

shaft. The net water pumped will reduce by at least 30% and the pumping head of the ‘fi ssure’ water will reduce by at least 12 levels or 300 meters.In the case of the mine it was realised

that water is not an infi nite resource and the only option was to reuse water. As a result of signifi cant build up memory from accumulation of minerals in the water captured from tailings dam, the advanced technology was required to erase some of the water memory in order to meet water quality requirements. Analysis of surface and ground water memory assisted in identify a signifi cant short-circuiting in the mine water circuit and will reduce the cost of treatment and reuse.

3.3 Case 3 ‒ Water treatment dosing strategyWater quality results and operator log sheets are often accumulated in the hope of using it productively in the future. This is exactly what was done at a large water supplier where large quantities of accurate water quality data and operator log sheets were available and the operator issued a request for proposal to understand the water memory and read the water story in order to implement a coagulant dosing control strategy.Thousands of analysis spanning several

years were analysed including raw water quality, chemical dosing rates, treatment method and operational aspects in order to establish if the water memory could be used for the prediction of chemical dosing rates given the raw water quality and treatment process.After analysing the data using time series

analysis no signifi cant cyclical trends were

observed. Percentile distribution analysis shows signifi cant variations of turbidity, Chlorophyll-a, colour and faecal coliform. An artifi cial neural network was construct-ed (Naidoo & van der Walt, 2012) to read the underlying relationships of the raw water memory and the impact on chemical dosing rates.By assuming a simple relationship be-

tween turbidity, alkalinity and dosing rate it can be seen from fi gure 8 that the predicted chemical dosing showed similar trends to the actual dosing rates, but the accuracy was not acceptable. Additional refi nement to the model improved the predictability with a prediction error of less than 1 mg/ℓ for polymer as shown in fi gure 4.This example showed that in some cases

it will not be suffi cient to read the water memory directly as the ‘shutter speed’ at

FIGURE 7 Surface to shaft water short circuit

which the memory is read maybe too short. A large data set of many years (long shutter speed) is sometimes required to understand trends, cycles and hidden relationships. In this particular case very little trends or cycles were observed by visual analysis, but a strong relationship was found between raw water turbidity, colour, alkalinity, treatment process and coagulant polymer type using an advanced water memory reading tool such as ANN.Unpacking the water memory at the large

water treatment plant tells a very interesting story and resulted in a very useful water management tool that was considered not possible before its application.

CONCLUSIONSWater memory may at fi rst appear to be a strange concept, but after applying the concept it was demonstrated that it can be applied to a range of water manage-ment problems. Accessing water memory can be a rich source of information, and viewed in context, can often uncover a very interesting ‘water story’. Analysing water quality results should therefore not a boring exercise, but an interesting journey experienced by a few water drops encoun-tering many interactions along its journey in a water system.Reading water stories are not diffi cult, it

just requires a bit of curiosity.

This paper has been edited and abridged for publication. For references or information about the complete paper, please contact the editor at chantelle@3smedia.co.za.

FIGURE 8 – Actual versus predicted ANN polymer dosing prediction using basic inputs

FIGURE 9 – Actual versus predicted ANN polymer dosing prediction using advanced inputs

TECHNICAL PAPER

MINE WATER

60 MARCH/APRIL 2013

RECLAMATION

Approximately 130 million cubic metres of wa-ter is stored in Thermal Coal’s underground operations alone, with that figure rising daily. According to Naidu, Thermal Coal originally

managed mine water on each operation separately as “satellite sites”; as the operations expanded, so did the volumes of water that needed management. This formed the basis for a collaborative approach on mine water management between the operations within close proximity. The eMalahleni Local Municipality has long had water

supply and demand constraints, which have been exacerbated with extensive industrial, commercial and residential expansion being experienced over the past decade.

Historic context“In order for us to meet the high environmental man-agement standards that Anglo American has set for all its operations, we took a view that we needed to start looking at newer and more efficient technologies that

would enable compliance,” says Naidu. The need to treat the water

was identified as a major immediate requirement ‒ and the SACE (South African Coal Estates) complex was identified as the primary area for implementation of a large-scale water treat-ment project, taking away the responsibility of water treatment from the three Thermal Coal mining opera-tions in this locality, namely Kleinkopje, Greenside and Landau collieries.

Considered collaborationNaidu adds that Thermal Coal initiated discussions with BHP Billiton Energy Coal South Africa (BECSA) which had a mining operation adjacent to Landau Colliery

‒ the South Witbank Colliery. The parties recognised that there was significant economies of scale that could

be achieved in working together to solve a common problem. Thermal Coal entered into a joint investigation with BECSA, which eventually resulted in an agreement that BECSA could contribute approximately 15% of the water input to the reclamation plant.Over the years, Thermal Coal had investi-

gated various technologies that could be suitable for the water qualities coming from these mines; however, as Naidu notes, some were not scalable, some were relatively immature and others weren’t competitive from a life cycle cost perspective. “We were instrumental in developing the technology with Keyplan and the project was approved in 2005 at a then value of R300 million. Today this would be the equivalent of an approximately R550 million investment. The project was implemented from early 2005

Turning a liability into a resourceThe eMalahleni Water Reclamation Plant in Witbank, Mpumalanga, which is currently undergoing a major expansion, serves as a “best practice” example of how a former liability – mine water – can be turned into a valuable resource – potable water – with extensive benefi ts for the community, the environment and its feeder collieries, Anglo American Thermal Coal’s Manager: Hydrology, Thubendran Naidu, tells Chantelle Mattheus.

“AMD is something that tends to be a legacy issue if not managed up front.” Thubendran Naidu

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62 MARCH/APRIL 2013

MINE WATER

until October 2007 when we commis-sioned the first phase to treat 25 Mℓ/d of water,” says Naidu.The project is a public-private part-

nership between Thermal Coal and the eMalahleni Local Municipality, through a bulk water supply agreement between the parties with the plant being wholly owned by Anglo American.

Ensuring service delivery and supplySince 2007, the plant has been treating 25 Mℓ/d. It is at this time that Thermal Coal also concluded a 20 Mℓ/d supply agreement with the eMalahleni Local Municipality, having identified initially in 2005 that the municipality had a need for additional water. The municipality has a licence to abstract 75 Mℓ/d from the Witbank Dam and its demand in 2005 was in excess of 100 Mℓ/d.“We approached the municipality on the

basis that we were treating water that is suitable for discharge to the local reserve, which is the Noupoortspruit that even-tually feeds into the Witbank Dam and enquired whether it would be amenable for us the upgrade this treated water into drinking water for supply directly into their distribution system,” explains Naidu.The supply agreement has since been

amended to 16 Mℓ/d. “This is partly through demand side management,” says Naidu, adding that the latest data, six years later, shows a demand in excess of 130 Mℓ/d. “Supply is therefore still fairly constrained, so we still recognise that

there is a need for additional water supply for the municipality,” states Naidu.

Optimal operationsTo date, the plant has over five years of operational and maintenance experience, with the team having ensured that water quality compliance is non-negotiable. “We run at full capacity. We implemented a mini upgrade in 2011 of another 5 Mℓ/d, so the current plant capacity is 30 Mℓ/d. In the five years we have operated the plant, there has never been a call from our participating mines to cut back on production due to lack of water. Looking back, the question of whether we needed the plant or not has been answered, so the investment decision has been well prov-en,” says Naidu.Part of the investment rationale for

Thermal Coal was to take care of post-closure the water liabilities in the area, which remains a concern in the current acid mine drainage (AMD) context. Naidu states: “We recognise that AMD is some-thing that tends to become a legacy issue if not managed up front. This plant is part of Thermal Coal’s proactive approach in this regard. The plant is here to stay.”On the process itself, the mine water is

fed into on-site dams and from there into neutralisation reactors where hydrated

lime and limestone is used to neutralise the acidity, which varies between 20 to 2 000 mg/ℓ across the mines that supply the water, and precipitate out any metals. “The feed dams help to stabilise both the feed quality and balance feed into the plant,” explains Naidu.The contributing mines are either open-

cast or underground operations and are impacted differently by the summer rain-fall period and infiltration into existing and old underground workings. Surface water management on the opencast operations are a high priority during the summer rainfall period. “We therefore adjust our abstraction from the mines to accommo-date seasonal changes and operational needs. Having multiple mine feeds also means we can assure the municipality of a sustainable supply of drinking water,” says Naidu.

The acid neutralisation that takes place in the primary neutralisation reactors re-sults in a mix of liquids and solids, which is then settled out in clarifiers, with the clear water pumped to the ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis processes. “Ultrafiltration removes the fine particulate matter and

prepares the water for reverse osmosis. Reverse osmosis does the desal-ination, or removal of dissolved salts, that then gives us permeate, which

is our product water. We repeat that process train a second and a third time,” says Naidu, adding that each repetition recovers more water, ultimately achieving a world-class water recovery of 99.5%. “Let’s put the recovery into perspective.

A typical seawater desalination plant operates at a feed TDS (total dissolved salt) of about 35 000 mg/ℓ but can only economically achieve a water recovery of about 60%, leaving a large volume of reject or brine. This is not a problem along the coast where one can sink the brine back to the sea. In the Highveld, we don’t have the luxury of the sea and would oth-erwise need to build huge brine storage dams. Therefore maximising our water recovery is absolutely essential and is one of the keys to the success of this project.”The plants energy footprint is also

exceptional ‒ at 3 to 3.5 MW/Mℓ treated ‒ comparable to sea water desalination plants that are operating at much lower water recoveries.

Each repetition recovers more water, ultimately achieving a world-class water recovery of 99.5%.

The fi rst phase capacity of the reclamation plant is 30 Mℓ/d

MINE WATER

“As a final quality control, the permeate from all three stages are blended into a single product stream that undergoes salt stabilisation and disinfection using chlorine before it reports into our final reservoirs for supply to our consumers,” says Naidu.The brine is stored on-site at a brine

evaporation dam ‒ the final disposal site for the brine. “As part of the expansion, we

won’t be producing any more brine and we will never need to build another brine pond,” adds Naidu.

Essential expansionOn the back of the success of the fi rst phase, Thermal Coal continued to collab-orate with its mines looking at their life of mine and closure requirements. “We identifi ed the Kromdraai section of Landau Colliery as an area that needed long-term water management to meet closure requirements. There was also a need for additional water management at Landau Colliery to support an extension of its exist-ing mining operations,” says Naidu.This led to the decision to expand the

eMalahleni Water Reclamation Plant to a treatment capacity of 50 Mℓ/d. The ex-pansion commenced in September 2011, with commissioning scheduled for the end of the first quarter in 2014.Currently, the expansion project is approximately 70% complete with the civil works scheduled for completion in April, and mechanical and electrical installation already under way. “We plan to start commissioning from around mid-2013, which will take us to approximately the first quarter of 2014.”Construction activities on-site are there-

fore fairly mature with relatively good performance on keeping to schedule and cost, according to Naidu. “We remain on track to complete the project within the budget of R732 million.”Safety remains a top priority on site,

with the large team of people on a rela-tively small site. “At the moment about

300 people are on-site and we expect that once the project is completed we would have employed up to 600 people,” says Naidu.

New networkAs part of the expansion, Thermal Coal has commenced the construction of a 23 km pipeline and pumping system that brings water from Kromdraai to the plant.

MARCH/APRIL 2013 63

To date, the plant has over fi ve years of operational and maintenance experience, with the team having ensured that water quality compliance is non-negotiable

The reclamation plant's expansion was well under way when WASA visited the site in the fi nal quarter of 2012

64 MARCH/APRIL 2013

ACID MINE DRAINAGEMINE WATER

Acid mine drainage (AMD) could potentially cause a shortage of water to the consumers in Gauteng and the surrounding

provinces. This is according to a statement released by the TCTA on 22 February 2013. With funding and environmental author-isation given, and agreement reached with ERPM for access to land, infrastruc-ture and tailings facility, TCTA was able to give the green light to Group Five to commence construction.“Time waits for no man and while all the

challenges were being resolved, AMD con-tinued to fi ll the mines, so that as of today the water level is approximately 256 m below the top of the shaft, leaving only 70 m before the reaching the environmental critical lev-el,” said TCTA’s media liaison offi cer, Luzamo Sandlana, in the statement. According to Sandlana, at the current rate of rise it is pre-dicted this will occur in September 2013. The environmental critical level was determined by scientists and engineers and is the level where AMD will be safely contained in the mines and will not seep out and pollute the external environment.

The scale and the complexities of the project are enormous. The mine shaft is over 1 500 m deep (nearly seven times the height of the Carlton Centre) and the pumps, which are 15 m high and weigh 25 t, must be lowered 200 m down the shaft without dropping them. The treatment works is three times larger than the next biggest similar treatment plant in South Africa at eMalahleni with its highly complex concrete structures, piping and electrical systems.The site, bordered by Tide, Brammer

and Power streets, is part of the former East Rand Proprietary Mine, and has been unused since 2008 when all the buildings and headgear were demolished after the closure of the old AMD treatment plant and shaft. The construction of the new plant by the Department of Water Aff airs, in conjunction with their implementing

Major milestone in AMD fi ghtThe start of construction of the pump station and treatment works at the South West Vertical mine shaft marks a milestone in government’s fi ght to prevent acid mine drainage from the closed Witwatersrand gold mines entering the Vaal River.

agent TCTA, will transform the area with the construction of a state-of-the-art treatment plant and will provide approximately 300 temporary jobs during construction and 30 to 40 permanent jobs when operating.“It will therefore be a race against time

as construction will only be completed by November 2013.”

The site is part of the former East Rand Propriety Mine

CRITICAL FACTSWestern basin Central basin Eastern basin

Volume of AMD that needs to be treated

27 Mℓ/d 57 Mℓ/d 82 Mℓ/d

Environmental critical level

1 550 m amsl(165 m bcl)

1 467 m amsl(186 m bcl)

1,280m amsl(290 m bcl)

Current level 0.88 m bcl 256 m bcl 423 m bcl

Breach of ECL if pumping does not commence

Breached already. Objective is to draw the water down to ECL

Sep/Oct 2013 Nov 2014

Location of treatment plant

Rand Uranium, Mogale City South West Vertical Shaft, Germiston

Grootvlei No. 3 Shaft, Springs

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MEULWATER WTWW T W & WW T W

The new Meulwater Water Treatment Works (WTW) in Paarl is a plant with a diff erence. Situated in the Paarl Mountain Nature Reserve

overlooking the Paarl valley, the Drakenstein Municipality required a system that would not only perform its primary task of treating water, but would also be environmentally friendly and aesthetically pleasing to ensure that the sensitive ecology of the area was disturbed as little as possible. Bateman Africa, supported by its technology partner, Tenova Bateman Technologies, was the main contractor for the mechanical and electrical works, engineering and supplying

all equipment to suit the civil structures that were constructed under a separate contract.The treatment capacity of the works is

8 Mℓ/d and is upgradable to 15 Mℓ/d. The treatment process has been optimised to suit the relatively good raw quality of mountain water. The WTW has also been designed to allow future incorporation of an additional dissolved air fl otation process within the existing fi lters, should the water quality deteriorate. This is a possibility considering the relatively poor quality of the Berg River water that will supplement the mountain water. The process is one of direct-fi ltration and comprises chemical

dosing equipment, fl occulation, rapid grav-ity fi ltration and disinfection. Facilities for recovering spent backwash

water have also been included. “This system returns most of the spent wash water to the head of the works for retreatment, which substantially cuts water losses,” says Richard Miles, Bateman Africa project manager. He states that the plant inlet control valve

and the fi lter outlet control valves are elec-trically controlled and modulate according to requirements set by the plant operator via the SCADA control system. The plant has a 200 kW back-up generator system to en-sure that there is continuous power to site. The Meulwater plant was originally

proposed in 2001 after the Drakenstein Municipality identifi ed the need to secure its own reliable water source and, the project was given the go-ahead after a compre-hensive environmental impact assessment (EIA), which was carried out between 2001 and 2006. When the Department of Environmental

Aff airs and Development Planning (DEADP) approved the project, a number of require-ments were stipulated regarding the size and appearance of the plant, noise levels and the overall impact on the environment. Miles says

that as a result, the project had a number

Water treatment works with a diff erence

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W T W & WW T W

of unique challenges. “All mechanical and electrical equipment needed to com-ply with a set of very strict requirements and the fact that we were able to achieve what we did, thereby contrib-uting further to these ideals, is testament to our systems and teamwork.“For example, almost

anything that gets wet ‒ such as pipework, valve internals and fasteners ‒ is made of stainless steel, which also helps minimise maintenance requirements. We have also

placed acoustic doors on the machine room, both inter-nally and externally, in order to minimise the plant’s noise impact,” he says. The DEADP requirements

included instructions to limit the aesthetic impact of the structure by blending it into the natural environment. To achieve this, the plant

was set as low into the ground as possible, sitting up to 5.5 m deep into the ground in places, displacing 1 500 t of granite. Almost half of the displaced granite was retained on-site for use as cladding to the outside of the main buildings. Sections of the structure are built com-

pletely underground and are planted with fynbos, and landscaping of the site was done in such a way as to limit visibility of the structure from the valley below. Trees have been placed strategically to hide aspects of the structure and, where possible, berms have been created to make the structure more discreet. The Drakenstein Parks department has helped the landscaping

The project recently achieved the award for Best Project with a value under R50 mil-lion at the Consulting Engineers South Africa’s (CESA) Aon Engineering Excellence Awards, the Best Environmental Project award at the Institute of Municipal Engineering of Southern Africa (IMESA) Awards, as well as a Certifi cate of Merit from the Drakenstein Heritage Foundation.

Aurecon has also recently walked away with one of the construction industry’s top accolades at the 2012 Construction World Best Projects Awards, as the highly acclaimed Meulwater WTW was named the ‘Overall Winner’ in the Professional Services category.

68 MARCH/APRIL 2013

subcontractor gather seeds from various reserves, which were used to reseed all areas impacted by construction activities.The Meulwater plant has undergone full

equipment testing, and handover to the municipality took place at the end of June 2012, with strict adherence to safety, health and environmental requirements being a prerequisite. No injury or safety related incidents occurred throughout the entire contract period.

Raw water inlet works

The Meulwater plant has undergone full equipment testing and handover took place at the end of June

PROJECT ACCOLADES

The Umzonyana Water Treatment Works (UWTW) was built in the early 1900s as the main water supply to the borough of East

London and has been progressively enlarged from the initial small, slow sand filtration plant to the existing sophisti-cated treatment works with an output of 120 Mℓ/d of purified water,” explains project manager Victor Helberg.The aim of the project is to meet the

increased drinking water demand caused by new developments and the increasing number of households in Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality (BCMM) area. This project will ensure that the required volumes of clean water for BCMM’s communities could be provided at the lowest possible cost, thus enabling the municipality to fulfil its mandate of being the Water Services Authority (WSA) and provider (WSP) to its constituents.This upgrade, which is calculated to

meet the anticipated water demands for the next 15 years, will involve the de-signs and implementation for additional

sedimentation tanks, sludge ponds, up-grading of the Mdantsane pump station Number 2, new chlorination and ammonia plants as well as the completion of the new inlet works.“The project is especially challenging

as portions of previous upgrade work were designed by other consultants and construction of certain works has been started but not completed,” says Helberg. “Part of our remit is to investigate and in-corporate those portions of works into the new upgrade to ensure their effective and beneficial use,” he says.

Sedimentation tanksThere are six sedimentation tanks with varying capacity from 9.7 to 43.8 Mℓ/d. To increase treatment capacity, as well as improve final water quality, additional sedimentation processing is required.

Sludge lagoons/pondsCurrently, there are three sludge lagoons built in rocky outcrops situated above in the north part of the Umzonyana Dam,

where supernatant is drained back into the dam. Sludge lagoons fill up quickly, hence construction of additional capacity nearby is needed, including appropriate fencing around new and existing lagoons.

Upgrading of the Mdantsane Pump Station Number 2This pump station comprises two pump sets, and the new works will include in-stallation of a reflux valve on a 525 mm AC rising main, upgrading of pump motors with new switch gear, as well as a possible upgrading of the adjacent substation.

New chlorination & ammonia plant:Chlorine dosing plantThe existing plant will be replaced by a new construction, which is envisaged to be detached from the main building. The design of the new plant will be future- focused to accommodate upgrades and compatible with the proposed modular form of design where plant trials (1/3) for flocculent can be run parallel to regular chemical (2/3), dosing efficiency, etc.

Ammonia dosing plantThe current position of this plant is awkward in terms of deliveries, hourly inspections as well as safety of process controllers, especially at night. “We will put forward an improved solution to the client, which addresses current shortcom-ings as well as investigating and recom-mending other forms of ammonia for use at the UWTW.

Completion of the new inlet works“The 900 mm diameter siphon from the dam was due to be replaced by a 1 200 mm diameter outlet from the bottom of the dam, but the construction was never com-pleted and this work is part of our scope of works,” states Helberg. Also construction of new holding tanks of fl occulent to suit the increased capacity and dosage trends is part of the works. Completion of the new inlet works includes the refurbishment of the existing ±1 km bypass canal around Umzonyana Dam, together with fencing of the dam perimeter.The project was awarded to Royal

HaskoningDHV early in November 2012 and work was to have commenced early this year, with an anticipated completion date of December 2014.

WTW to receive R50 million upgradeThe 100-year-old Umzonyana Water Treatment Works is to be refurbished in a R50 million upgrade project, which will increase its treatment capacity from 120 to 150 Mℓ/d, according to Royal HaskoningDHV, the consultants appointed for the project by the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality.

W T W & WW T W

MARCH/APRIL 2013 69

UMZONYANA WTW

W T W & WW T W

70 MARCH/APRIL 2013

HOMEVALE WWTW

The project entailed refurbishing an existing 30 Mℓ/d wastewater treat-ment works (WWTW), extending its capacity to 48 Mℓ/d and diverting

purifi ed effl uent by pumping it through a 700 mm pipeline to a high point from where it could either gravitate to the Vaal River or be utilised by farmers,” explains O’Connell.Aurecon was responsible for the planning,

design and construction supervision of the project, with numerous other contrac-tors involved in additional aspects of the project, including Marange Construction, Empa Construction, Eigenbau, Botjheng Water, Entsha Henra Construction, HSH Construction, Metsi Projects, IWAC Joint Venture and Tau Pele-Selenane Joint Venture.The broad thrust of the programme was to

refurbish the WWTW in order to stabilise the effl uent quality and simultaneously extend it to accommodate additional infl ows and to implement a scheme to divert effl uent from Kamfers Dam to a balancing tank.

Sustainable focus“The project lays the basis for sustainable development in Kimberley while at the same time addressing environmental issues related to a large fl amingo population that inhabits Kamfers Dam,” says O’Connell, adding that the transfer of purifi ed effl uent will also provide economic opportunities for agricultural use to farmers in the vicinity of the transfer pipeline. “The project also has re-

gional signifi cance in that the transfer of effl uent and the associated lowering of the level of the pan will ensure the security of a main railway lines, which is critical for the export of man-ganese from the Northern Cape.” Additionally, from the sustainable employ-

ment viewpoint, a number of community liaison offi cers were recruited through the ward councillors in the area and local people were employed, with contractors only using permanently employed personnel to carry out work for which specifi c skills, that were

unavailable locally, were required, notes O’Connell.

WWTW refurbishmentThis aspect of the project was carried

out in three phases under fi ve contracts, of which Phase 1 was the emergency inter-vention to address the most pressing re-quirements when the project commenced in June 2009. It involved clearing blocked pipes in the works, replacing a collapsed outfall sewer and creating a buff er pond to increase retention time before the effl uent reach the pan.Phase 2 referred to the refurbishment of

the existing works in order to ensure that the works were in proper working order. Part of this second phase included the

Refurbishment and extension progressingWith the Homevale Wastewater Treatment Works in the Northern Cape operating above its design capacity of 30 Mℓ/d, coupled with substantial growth within the catchment area of the works, the Sol Plaatje Municipality identifi ed the urgent need to increase the treatment capacity of the works. Chantelle Mattheus interviews Aurecon Associate Les O’Connell on the progress of the project.

“The project lays the basis for sustainable development in Kimberley while at the same time addressing environmental issues.” Les O'Connell

bidim R

72 MARCH/APRIL 2013

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provision of an additional secondary set-tling tank (SST) to add to the three existing SSTs. The purpose of this SSST was to pro-vide operational fl exibility with the added benefi t of a slight increase in the WWTW’s capacity to 33 Mℓ/d. During the refurbish-ment of one of the existing SSTs, the fl oor of the SST failed and the whole structure had to be replaced. Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG) fund-

ing, as well as R7.2 million from Department of Water Aff airs (DWA), was made available for the refurbishment of the works. To date, R67.4 million has been expended on the refurbishment, and it is estimated that once the balance of the retention payments is made, the total expenditure will be R67.9 million.

WWTW extensionThe extension of the WWTW comprised an additional 15 Mℓ/d treatment lane, which consists of an inlet works, a biological reactor, two SSTs, two detention and one buff er pond, two lane sludge recycling pump stations, an aerobic sludge digester, a thickening sludge pump station, sludge drying beds, as well as a number of an-cillary structures, stormwater drainage and roads.

In order for this to be achieved, a new inlet splitter was required to divide the effl uent between the old works and the extension. The extension is being imple-mented through civil, mechani-cal and electrical contracts.MIG funding was also obtained

for the extension of the works, with the approved funding com-prising R153 million MIG funds and R22 million to be sourced from the municipality funds. Additionally, in July last year, a further R15 million was made available by the DWA under the Regional Bulk Infrastructure Grant (RBIG) for the utilisation on the Homevale WWTW project.

Diversion of effl uentThis project comprises a tech-nical/construction portion, as well as a developmental portion; however, the technical/con-struction portion is currently the most important in addressing

what has been termed ‘crisis levels’ at the Kamfers Dam.The technical construction portion is to be

completed in two main phases comprising fi ve separate contracts. The developmental aspects relate to a further two phases, which will be imple-mented subsequent to the completion of the technical aspects and involve making water available to commercial farmers for irrigation and establishing emerging farmers on a portion of municipal land utilising purifi ed effl uent to irrigate crops ‒ although the latter phase has as yet not pro-gressed beyond the conceptual stage.A recent update on the level of the pan

notes that, with the rainfall experienced in 2012, the Johannesburg line no longer appears to be in danger and the level of the pan is steadily dropping to the point where the submergence of the Hotazel line has decreased from 900 mm in September 2011 to a current 400 mm as of the end of 2012.The Development Bank of Southern Africa

(DBSA) is funding an amount of R18 million towards the diversion of effl uent, while the R74 million balance is to be funded by Transnet, given that at this stage it is most seriously aff ected by the rising levels in the dam, with the Hotazel trajectory having to be closed and the main line to

Johannesburg under threat since 2011. According to O’Connell, the project in its entirety is progressing well to date, with the Homevale WWTW having already been re-furbished and the contract for the extension on track, to be completed in May 2014. The Effl uent Diversion scheme is also nearing completion and, when Water&Sanitation Africa spoke to O’Connell in February, the scheme was on track to be fully operational by the end of March this year.

Challenging conditionsThe biggest challenge on-site to date, according to O’Connell, has been the soil conditions whic comprised very deep clays subject to ground water infi ltration. “This has posed a challenge in terms of the stabili-ty of structures,” he says. Care has therefore been taken in the de-

sign of the interface between the clay, the foundation of structures and under-fl oor drainage. In addition, pressure relief valves have been included in all the structures that are susceptible to fl oating, notes O’Connell.He adds that an interesting technique uti-

lised on-site is the founding of water retain-ing structures without layer works in order to minimise the possibility of groundwater accumulating from the surrounding clays. “This is a creative method of handling the prevailing soil conditions.

“Working on an opera-tional plant has required careful coordination with the municipal staff at the WWTW and a close working relationship between site staff and municipal staff . Much of the success of these interactions can be attributed to the continuous support of Boy Dhluwayo, who is the Executive

Director: Infrastructure and Services at the Sol Plaatje Municipality”

Forward planningAccording to O’Connell, the capacity requirements were informed by various planning documents including the Integrated Development Programme, Spatial Development Framework and by interrogating the institutional knowledge of the planning and technical staff within the municipality. “It is anticipated that the extension of the

capacity of the WWTW will be suffi cient to sustain the city until 2020.” However, he concludes that the project does allow room for expansion.

It is anticipated that the extension of the capacity of the WWTW will be suffi cient to sustain the city until 2020

The extension of the WWTW is on track to be completed in May 2014. The refurbishment has already been completed

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74 MARCH/APRIL 2013

ZEEKOEGAT WWTW

With construction of the new 40 Mℓ/d activated sludge treatment module under Stage 1 nearing comple-

tion at the City of Tshwane’s Zeekoegat Wastewater Treatment Works (WWTW), con-struction of the new sludge management and treatment process under Stage 2 com-menced in November 2012. Three months into the 20-month contract, the contractor, a joint venture (JV) between Civcontract Civils and WEC Projects, has made good progress and the majority of earthworks have been completed on this R188 million contract, reports Pollard. “The objective of the new infrastructure is to provide a comprehensive sludge handling, treatment, stabilisation and dewatering process for the Zeekoegat treatment facility as a whole, and it is envisaged that approximately 8.5 t pri-mary sludge and 15 t waste activated sludge (WAS) will be routed to and treated by the new process in the medium term,” he says.

Process unpackedPollard adds that primary sludge captured by the primary sedimentation tanks will

be pumped to two new fermenters, where the sludge will be retained for a period of three to six days for the formation of volatile fatty acids to enhance biological phosphorus removal at the works, before being pumped to one of two new 6 000 m3

anaerobic digesters for stabilisation. WAS extracted from the biological reactors and thickened by means of dissolved air fl otation will be de-aerated and pumped directly to the anaerobic digesters, which will be completely mixed units designed to operate at 16 days hydraulic retention time and 35̊C to facilitate the formation of biogas. This will in all likelihood be utilised in the nearby future for the (co)generation of electricity. “Based on the expected production

of biogas and specifi cally methane, it is envisaged that between 800 and 1 200 kW electricity, which is roughly 30% of the plant’s total electrical demand, can be gen-erated at the works and routed back into the local electricity supply grid,” describes Pollard. I n the short-term, the biogas will be used as fuel for two hot-water boilers, which will be used to heat the contents

of the digester through a series of heat exchangers.Additionally, digested sludge will be

routed to a new dewatering facility where the sludge will be dewatered by means of belt fi lter presses to a solids content of approximately 20% before being spread on a 30 000 m2 concrete slab for solar drying prior to being made available to an external party for the production of fertiliser. The provision of all sludge loading, spreading and turning equipment has been included under the scope of this contract.“A further feature of the sludge man-

agement process is the treatment of phosphate-rich liquor discharged from the digested sludge during dewatering. This liquor stream will be chemically conditioned by means of lime for the precipitation of sol-uble phosphate, with the resultant chemical sludge being routed back to the belt fi lter presses for drying and subsequent disposal,” adds Pollard.The project is being managed for the City

of Tshwane by Izak de Villiers, Koot Snyman and Stephan van der Merwe. The design and contract administration for this stage of the project is currently handled by Corrie Marx and Ian Pollard of Bigen Africa Services as part of the BAKV3 JV between Bigen Africa and Kwezi V3 (now WorleyParsons). As men-tioned earlier, the contractor is a JV between Civcon and WEC Projects, with Electron Technologies as the electrical subcontractor. During the peak of civil construction

activities between March and September 2013, between 70 and 100 people will be employed on-site as general workers, steel fi xers and shutter hands, many of them employed from the local community. “In addition, the majority of the building

works, fencing, paving and small bore pipework will be subcontracted to local emerging contractors as part of the contrac-tor’s local economic development initiative,” concludes Pollard.

Upgrade & expansion continuesCurrently having reached Stage 2 of the upgrade process, which involves the construction of the sludge management process, the upgrade of Zeekoegat is well under way, discovers Chantelle Mattheus on consultation with principal for Water & Wastewater Treatment at Bigen Africa, Ian Pollard.

Construction of the new anaerobic digester under way at Zeekoegat WWTW

W T W & WW T W

W T W & WW T W

76 MARCH/APRIL 2013

INDUSTRY INSIGHT

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We believe in the reuse of wastewater as a way to reach sustainability. Water is an important element of

life and the most scarce of commodities in the world and in our country. There are seven billion people in the world and another two billion are expected to join by 2050. Each of us will aim to consume around 100 to 200 ℓ of water every day. Therefore, we have to stress that every drop matters and is HIGHLY precious,” says Cole.She adds that industry, and ultimately

South Africa’s economy, is driven by water usage either directly or indirectly. Power

generation is a water-intensive industry, yet without power other industries cannot grow. “The more we industrialise the more we need water and, as we do so, the more we contaminate our limited water sources. This leads to the need for more advanced methods of purification to return the wa-ter to a state fit for drinking or for reuse in an industrial application.However, as Cole notes, wastewater

reuse is relatively new to this part of the world. It is only just being considered in the local landscape by companies looking to make the most out of their water usage. “The cost of potable water is a driver and by reusing wastewater a company can

realise savings and still operate optimally and efficiently,” she states.With increasing demands on water to

support population growth and industri-alisation, we need to change our mindsets about water, believes Cole. “In areas where clean, potable water is available, it is often undervalued and in essence considered “free”. The cost of water is often not linked to the value of water, making conservation and water management a lower priority than it should be.”According to Cole, there are good waste-

water discharge standards in this region, but currently under discussion is whether the ‛polluter pays’ principle should apply

Proactive wastewater reuse a reality?The current debate with regards to wastewater reuse is about whether the ‛polluter pays’ principle should apply or whether companies be proactive about their water issues, Dow regional commercial manager: sub-Saharan Africa, Susan Cole, tells Chantelle Mattheus.

MARCH/APRIL 2013 77

W T W & WW T W

or whether companies need to be proac-tive about their water issues? “This is where Dow can play a role in facilitating solution creation and in the same space save companies money. A win-win for all involved, including the environment,” says Cole.She adds that Dow’s mission is to pas-

sionately innovate what is essential to hu-man progress by providing sustainable so-lutions to its customers. “We are constantly working in our research and development laboratories on solutions that treat waste-water eff ectively and effi ciently. We focus on making water usage more effi cient. Dow has a number of technologies that can do just that cost-eff ectively.”Dow Water & Process Solutions’ ultra-

fi ltration (UF) and reverse osmosis (RO) technologies have recently been used in plants built to treat coal mine drainage wastewater, processing the water to a standard used as feed water for a nearby power station demineralisation plant. “This a good example of wastewater reuse playing a very effi cient role in conserving

our scarce water re-sources,” she says.According to Cole,

there are many diff erent options available to treat wastewater, rang-ing from conven-tional treatment to alternative technol-ogies such as RO, UF, ion exchange, electrodeionisation and zero liquid discharge, to name a few.“What type of op-

tion you choose is very much depend-ant on the water problem itself.“At any rate,

Dow is the only manufacturer to off er a full portfolio of water treatment technologies, from ion ex-change resins, RO membranes, UF modules

to electrodeionisation products that con-tinue to set an industry standard for quality and reliability,” concludes Cole.

In a unique project that refl ects its sustainable approach to dairy farming, Al Ain Dairy, the United Arab Emirates’ leading dairy pro-ducer, is using state-of-the-art water recycling technology to reuse 300 000 ℓ/d of treated wastewater. The technology, from Dow Water & Process Solutions, fi lters and purifi es the treated wastewater, which is then sprayed through an automated cooling system de-signed to keep the herd cool and comfortable during the summer season, thereby maintaining optimal dairy production levels.

COOL COWS

78 MARCH/APRIL 2013

WATER METERS & MONITORING METERING TECHNOLOGY

For the fi rst time, we have a water meter that is user-friendly and not just a series of numbers that re-mains a mystery to end users. Our

water meter does not only provide the end user easy access to important information about their water use, but also educates them on how best to manage and preserve water,” explains Sibiya.He adds that the water meter is com-

pletely unique and has a totally integrated design that off ers multiple modes of oper-ation in one, consisting of, among others: • Pre-paid mode• Conventional mode• Post-paid mode• Flat-rate Mode• Property leak detection• Indigent audit system• Off ers various options for end users to pur-chase water credit, including through the internet, the bank, BP garage, Spar, Engen garage, Pick n Pay, Shoprite Checkers, 7 Eleven, Shell garage, Clicks and Sasol.

Value-add verifi edThis translates well into value and ben-efi ts for the end user in a variety of ways, according to Sibiya. “Our water meter enables the end users to detect any leaks

within their wa-ter pipe systems that may not be obvious to them. It also enables them to monitor their water usage

throughout the month and therefore helps to save water. It further enables the end users to check their balance in the comfort of their own homes, avoiding the long queues at the pay points,” he states.Further value, according to Sibiya, is

added because the meter also enables end users to activate usage of their emergency water at a time of their own choosing, as well as enabling them to load water in accordance to their specifi c water needs. Additionally, it is user-friendly, ena-

bling end users to read and understand their own water meter data and has the functionality to inform those with the

benefi t of ‘free water’ how many litres they have remaining.Finally, says Sibiya, “it enables end users

full access to the meter. They can lock it and open it at their own convenience, in that way they are able to prevent water wastage.”

Local dynamicsThe biggest challenge facing the water industry currently is how best to contribute to the country’s water conser-vation eff orts. “South Africa is the 30th driest country

in the world, but lags behind in terms of water conservation. There is a move in the industry to provide innovative meters that will help the country to preserve water,” says Sibiya.Lesira-Teq provides a comprehensive

range of state-of-the-art intelligent water meter technology in South Africa and according to Sibiya, Lesira-Teq remains a leader in this fi eld. “We remain the only company that supplies intelligent water meters with multiple modes and sophis-ticated functionality that accommodate prepaid, conventional, fl at-rate and water dispensers.”Metering is therefore uniquely suited

to assist in sustainable solutions to this challenge. “We need innovative products that can help educate our citizenry on the importance of water conservation. We need meters with functionalities that will enable end users to interpret numbers so as to contribute to a culture of water con-servation on a large scale in our country,” says Sibiya.However, there are specifi c challenges

relating to the roll-out and eff ective utili-sation of metering technology in the local context as well. “Our conventional meters disempower the end-users. We need technologies and innovations that are customer-centric. The end-users are clear about their needs from this industry; it is for us to listen carefully to their needs and produce water meters that will meet these needs,” concludes Sibiya.

Inspired innovationLesira-Teq has introduced a water meter to the market that has transformed the meter numbers into rand and cents – and with that a water-saving paradigm shift among end users, Lesira-Teq’s MD, Edwin Sibiya, tells Chantelle Mattheus.

“We remain the only company that supplies intelligent water meters with multiple modes and sophisticated functionality.” Edwin Sibiya

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523 Church Street, Provisus Building, Arcadia,Pretoria, 0083, South AfricaTel: +27 12 440 9885 | Fax: +27 12 440 9751Naphtali Motaung | +27 72 736 2995info@lesira.co.za | www.lesira.co.za

COMMUNITY STANDPIPE

HANDHELD VENDING UNIT

OVERVIEWThe Intelligent Water Meter and the supporting Meter Management System (MMS) provides a revolutionary approach to Water Demand Management. The Intelligent Water Meter ensures signi cant water savings through consumption management and leak detection with the added bene t of no billing costs. Bad debt is reduced and the lower consumption contributes towards reduced demand on reticulation and treatment plant.

FEATURES• Intelligent Meter options Conventional Mode: Revenue collection via standard billing. The

client can check the status of his/her debt at any given time Pre-paid Mode: the client buys credit in advance from a vending point Post-Payment Mode: the user is assigned a negative credit limit in

litres or rand value Flat rate Mode: xed amount per month for unlimited volume• Optional metered Lifeline ow (40 /hr) when credit runs out• High air ow detection and correction• Insensitive to lightning, freezing water, ambient temperatures up to 700

C, water hammer and dirt particles in water• Optional built in radio for AMR (no loose wires or antenna)• Arrears collection via User Tag (mode dependent)

OVERVIEWThe Community Standpipe Water Meter and supporting Meter Management System (WAS) is designed to offer a solution to the provision of water at communal water supply points. It requires low capital investment and can be used in both rural areas and informal settlements. One Meter can typically serve up to 40 households. The unit consists of a Class B multi jet water meter with electronic read out and built in ow control valve. A patented valve system ensures extended battery life. The unit is meteorologically sealed and provides a high level of resistance to physical tamper and is immune to magnetic tamper. Should the meter become faulty, it can be replaced in the eld within ten minutes.

FEATURES• Eight programmable tariff steps• Physical tamper resistant. Full encryption and copy protection• Immune to magnetic interference• Meter accuracy unaffected by sand particles• High air ow detection and correction• Adjustable Free Basic Water • Daily consumption limit for water-scarce areas• Full calendar clock• Patented low power consumption system• Battery can provide 90 000 valve applications • Robust metal housing with security screws• Delivered fully assembled and pressure tested to 20 bar• SANS 1529-1 and SANS 1529-9 approved

OVERVIEWThe Handheld Vending Unit is used in conjunction with the Intelligent Water Meter and Community Standpipe. It provides the link between the Meter and the Meter Management System (MMS). A network of conveniently located Vending Units provides the customer with easy access to “point of sale” where credit can be purchased. Each transaction is supported by a receipt printed from a dedicated printer.

FEATURES• 56 MB internal data memory, LCD display• Single membrane keypad with standard key functions• Built in battery with battery charge-level indicator• Charged batteries provide 8 hours continuous operation• Re-chargeable from a 220V AC source using the supplied

charger. A car charger can also be used• High level of security with password protection• Theft risk is low as only dedicated functions are provided• Weighs approximately 350 g• Supplied with dedicated printer• Optional increased internal data memory (up to 2GB)• Optional GPRS module for automatic real-time downloading of

data and online transactions• Optional collection of capital repayments and service charges

80 MARCH/APRIL 2013

VALVELESS TECHNOLOGY

Developed in response to extensive industrial customer feedback for improved chemical metering, the Qdos 30 pump range eliminates ancillary equipment, enhances productivity

and reduces chemical waste through more accurate, linear and repeatable metering than typical solenoid or stepper-driven diaphragm metering pumps.“This new range of pumps can be installed in restricted

environments and is suitable for chemical metering applications, such as disinfection and pH adjustment of drinking water, fl occulation, industrial cooling water preparation and reagent dosing in mineral processing,” says Watson-Marlow Bredel SA general manager, Nico van Schalkwyk.According to Van Schalkwyk, the pumps can safely han-

dle caustic, abrasive, viscous, shear-sensitive and gaseous fl uids, as well as those that are slurries or contain suspend-ed solids. The Qdos 30 Universal is the premium model in the range and features a fully confi gurable response to the 4 to 20 mA input and output signal and alarm. Four other pump variants are available in the range.“Watson-Marlow has given particular con-

sideration to customer preferences during development of the new Qdos 30 pump,” says Van Schalkwyk. He cites the display of the residual level in the tank as an example. Users can now keep an eye on the level at a glance. Linear dosing is another outstanding feature of the Qdos 30 series pumps, which are described as ‘valveless pumps’.“The pumps deliver extremely accurate dosing perfor-

mance, even under diffi cult conditions when pressure, viscosity and solids content vary,” he adds. Volume fl ow ranges between 0.1 and 500 mℓ/min at up to 7 bar. IP66-compliant manual, analogue and Profi bus control options simplify integration. In addition, the pumps do not require seals or valves, which can clog, leak or corrode.

The no-valve metering revolution is here with QdosWatson-Marlow Bredel SA has started the ‘no-valve metering revolution’ with the launch of its Qdos 30 pump range.

Other features include a menu-driven intuitive HMI and clearly visible status indicators. The keypad, display and all of the input and output connections are easily accessible. ReNu pumphead technology ensures that the Qdos 30 is fully sealed for safe maintenance without the need for tools. Pumphead removal and replacement is quick and easy, reducing downtime for maintenance. No special tools are required to replace the pumphead, and technicians do not need special training to carry out the work. “It only takes a minute to replace the pumphead, which signifi cantly reduces maintenance costs,” explains Van Schalkwyk.The Qdos range follows the successful launch of Watson-

Marlow’s APEX pumps earlier this year. APEX off ers levels of versatility unrivalled by any other positive displacement pump ‒ and is eff ectively three pumps in one.“The pump’s unique geometry allows easy fi eld conver-

sion between three diff erent hose elements to double or triple the fl ow without the need to invest in a new pump,” Van Schalkwyk points out. “This low-cost scale-up pro-vides ultimate future proofi ng against rising production

volumes. Users can also select any type and brand of motor gearbox to suit their own specifi c process conditions.”APEX hose pumps are perfectly suited for

handling diffi cult fl uids ‒ corrosive, viscous, shear-sensitive, gaseous, crystallising or even fl uids with a combination of these properties.

Off ering the best performance available on the market for pressures up to 116 psi, along with reliable and stable fl ow up to 317 GPH, APEX is an ideal choice for ongoing, precise dosing. This is boosted by a new generation of long-lasting

hoses that also support repeatable accuracy when dosing additives; while continuous pumps speed up to 100 rpm provide a wider capacity range compared to alternative hose pumps.

The new Qdos 30 series pumps from Watson-Marlow Bredel SA

“The pumps deliver extremely accurate dosing performance, even under diffi cult conditions”

WATER METERS & MONITORING

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

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

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

www.elstermetering.co.za

8360/6/2012 Vital Connections

The V110 KSM incorporates all the advancedengineering attributes of its popular cousin, the PSM,plus its engineering-plastic body makes it unlikely tobe stolen. Having no second hand value virtuallyeliminates the potential for theft. While the tough, UV-stabilised, engineering-plastic body repels undesirableinterest, its internal mechanism is unsurpassed for low

and high flow accuracy in any position. Over the lastsix years every component in our meters has beenrefined and improved for greater accuracy andlongevity. For the full story on our V110 KSM meterrange, visit our website or call our offices.

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The world’smost popularwater meterwins moreenthusiasts

82 MARCH/APRIL 2013

TRENCHLESS TECHNOLOGYLEAK DETEC TION & MAINTENANCE

T renchless Technologies’ managing member Sam Efrat says that the ISTT Annual Project Award is the highest accolade available world-wide in the trenchless technology industry,

adding that the winner is chosen from nominations received from companies that are members of the 30 ISTT-affiliated trenchless societies across the globe. The contract was undertaken by Trenchless

Technologies in conjunction with Afri-Coast Consulting Engineers, Sekisui Rib Loc Australia (part of SPR Asia), subcontractor Tuboseal as well as consultants Pipes cc and Engineering Advice and Services. Efrat explains that this was the second phase of a two-phase project ‒ Phase 1 was completed in 2009 and involved the rehabilitation of 570 m of 450DN sewer using SPR EX technology, as well as 560 m of 840DN sewer using SPR PE spiral wound technology. The pipeline rehabilitation took place concurrent with an urban environmental upgrading project involving decorative paving and re-surfacing works on the surface above the existing pipes. Further downstream, the 450DN and 840DN sewers

increased in capacity to 525 mm and 1 000 mm in di-ameter. Phase two involved the rehabilitation of these two sewers. Efrat explains that what made this project unique was its location: the 525DN sewer was located beneath one of Port Elizabeth’s busiest and most heavily congested streets ‒ Govan Mbeki Avenue. Additionally,

the 1050DN sewer was located underneath a newly constructed BRT (Bus Rapid Transport) lane. Considering that the BRT and road lanes are utilised every day, only non-destructive trenchless techniques could be em-ployed for the rehabilitation of these pipelines. Efrat states that condition assessments were carried

out on both sewers using CCTV inspection and cutting of windows from the sewers for physical inspection. It was ascertained that the 525DN sewer was severely corroded around its entire circumference due to acidic effluent with pH values measuring as low as 3.3. The sewer’s mortar had corroded out of the construction joints and was no longer watertight. Additionally, the 1050DN sewer was severely corroded

above the water line and the reinforcement was ex-posed and corroded away at places. Particularly severe deterioration occurred at the sides and invert of the sewer due to a combination of corrosion and erosion along the sections of the sewer where the fluid velocity was high. Efrat says that this corrosion is typical of what occurs in a sewer downstream of a rising main where there is an accumulation of gas due to long retention times. He points out that it was estimated that sections of the sewer would collapse within 10 years. Speaking on the technology used by Trenchless

Technologies on the project, Efrat describes: “Altogether the project used five different trenchless techniques

Local entity receives highest accolade Subsurface pipeline construction and rehabilitation company Trenchless Technologies has been awarded the International Society for Trenchless Technology (ISTT) 2012 Annual Project Award for a contract that the company undertook for the Mandela Bay Development Agency involving the rehabilitation of two parallel sewers located in the heart of the Port Elizabeth CBD.

ABOVE Sam Efrat, Trenchless Technologies’ managing memberBOTTOM LEFT Phase 1 (before) 450 cast iron pipe before cleaningBOTTOM RIGHT Phase 1 (after) 450 cast iron pipe after cleaning

MARCH/APRIL 2013 83

LEAK DE TEC TION & MAINTENANCE

‒ spiral wound expanded to a close fit, spiral wound-in-place, ambient cured-in-place pipe (CIPP), UV CIPP and pipe bursting. The contract was awarded based on the fact that the company utilises spiral wound technology, namely SPR EX for the 525 sewer and SPR RO for the 1050 sewer. However, during the project unforeseen site conditions, such as a 15 m 90-degree radius bend on the 525 pipe and a 43 m length of 800 mm diameter pipe was discovered where the 1 000 sewer reduces in size, which required the introduction of additional ambient cure and UV CIPP methods. Additionally, pipe bursting of a 225DN clay lateral pipe became necessary as a cracked and leaking lateral 225DN clay pipe was preventing plugging and over-pumping at a critical manhole.”Efrat adds that the wide range of tech-

nologies used on this project allowed for a complete ‘no-dig’ solution that enabled rehabilitation to take place entirely through access chambers. What’s more, the solution was design-compliant and the risk was lower as the entire process could be reversed in the event of unforeseen

problems. With CIPP, once the liner cures, it is extremely difficult to remove in the event of a failure, whereas with Spiral Wound it is far easier to remove the liner if there is a failure, thus the risk is lower.Despite the challenges encountered, the

combined team managed to pull off the successful rehabilitation of the two sewer pipelines without any disruptions to traffic or the public. “This project is an excellent example of using trenchless technology

RIGHT Phase 1 (before) 840 concrete sewer with deep sill worn away at pipe baseBELOW RIGHT Phase 1 (after) 840 concrete pipe after relining with Ribloc RiblineBELOW Phase 2 1050 Rotoloc

options to address unanticipated site conditions allowing the project to be com-pleted successfully without excavation and site disruption,” concludes Efrat.

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84 MARCH/APRIL 201384

LEAK DETEC TION AND MAINTENANCE

MARCH/APRIL 2013

NU FLOW

The fi rst South African project for the Benoni-based fi rm, relining a clamshell water feature pipe at Sun City, in South Africa’s North West province, was necessitated because the pipe ran for approxi-

mately 145 m under a 1.5 m thick reinforced concrete slab with distinctive stone paving on top. “To chop up a 1.5 m thick reinforced concrete would have had time, money, aesthetic and business continuity issues,” explains Wade.The Nu Flow relining system had the added advantage

of being less time consuming. “If normally you are going to excavate 145 m of pipe under a 1.5 m thick reinforced concrete slab, this would entail weeks of work on-site. If we are relining it, it is a day or two, depending on how many bends and laterals are in the pipeline and so on,” says Wade.Although there are competitors in the market that could

possibly compare cost-wise on large diameter pipes, “none of the competitors can do multiple 90-degree bends without excavating launch pits on either end of the pipe,” says Wade. “Nu Flow is able to launch from existing access points like rodding eyes, fi re hydrants, drain outlets and air release valves.”

Tried and tested technologyThe Nu Flow system is currently manufactured in Canada, where it has been used for more than two decades. SA Leak Detection Distributors, however, will soon be man-ufacturing epoxy and liners locally. The Nu Flow relining process comprises two systems ‒ one for potable water and one for drains ‒ which serve to rehabilitate the inner infrastructure of deteriorated or failing water and drainage

piping systems using cured-in-place epoxy pipe lining solutions. Epoxy coating is not only used as

a long-term solution to prevent corrosion and leaks, but it is commonly used as a preventative tool to preserve the life of existing pipe systems, says Wade.

Potable propertiesWith the potable water pipe relining system, the pipe network is fi rst sand-blasted to “clean” the pipes’ interiors, before the red epoxy is air-blasted through the network.

Reline, repair & renewal at Sun CityWhen the main 200 mm uPVC pipe to the clamshell water feature evidenced a leak, causing major water losses and ensuring the feature became non-functional, the only viable solution was to reline the pipe with Nu Flow technology, SA Leak Detection Distributors’ David Wade tells Chantelle Mattheus.

“If we are relining it, it is a day or two, depending on how many bends and laterals are in the pipeline.” David Wade

The epoxy unfolds itself evenly due to the air pressure and temperature, attaining an even lining throughout. The potable water system can be applied to pipe diameters from 15 to 300 mm.The potable water solution is primarily used to fi x pin-

hole leaks. “From a preventative point of view, because the water is no longer in contact with the metal, there is no rust, corrosion and build up in the pipes,” Wade states.“Leaks in water networks, even pinhole leaks, not only

waste water but they also put people’s health at risk by allowing bacteria and germs to enter the potable water supply,” he adds.

Drain dynamicsThe second system is the drain system, in which the blue epoxy layer is much thicker. “The diff erence is that with this system you can fi x huge holes. You can have a whole section of pipe missing and this system can fi x it,” says Wade. This is because of the presence of a felt sleeve that is impregnated in the epoxy. A rubber bladder is then inserted into the felt sleeve and

inserted into the pipeline. The rubber bladder expands as it is infl ated and when infl ated, the epoxy impregnated

sleeve then sets. “You are basically making a new pipe inside the old pipe.”With plastic pipes specifi cally, the epoxy relining is going

to be stronger than the original pipes and this system can

be applied to pipes with diameters measuring between 2 and 12 inches (300 mm).

Progressive projectSun City had a problem with the main water pipe feeding the clamshell water feature at the palace. The job was undertaken and completed in the fi rst week of December last year. The water supply pipe had a diameter varying between 4 and 8 inches, as well as three 90-degree bends and one 45-degree bend. “The biggest challenge on the job is always bends,” says

Wade. This is in part due to the weight of the liners used when impregnated in the epoxy, in addition to pulling the heavy liner through multiple bends. The solution for the team proved as easy as doing it in sections. Whenever a relining project is undertaken, pipeline

inspection via camera is essential. “You basically need to use the camera to not only check the condition of the pipe and location of the leaks and damage, but also to do all

“The diff erence is that with this system you can fi x huge holes. You can have a whole section of pipe missing and this system can fi x it”

The blue epoxy is used when relining drain systems

The entire process – including camera inspection and relining – should take an average of two days, depending on the extent of the damage and the length of the pipe network

MARCH/APRIL 2013 85

LEAK DE TEC TION AND MAINTENANCE

S O U T H A F R I C A

™

Leaking Pipes?

Are you concerned about elbows & tees in pipes? Nu Flow re-lining process can effortlessly get around 90 degree bends!

Why re-pipe?There’s a better way!

From 15mm - 300mmAC / Copper / PVC/HDPE / Earthenware / Galvanized

Step 1 – An inspection camera is sent down the pipe to reveal blocked and damaged areas.

Step 2 – The pipe is cleaned with a cutting tool.

Step 3 – A felt liner soaked in epoxy is pulled into place. Within the liner is an inflat-able bladder. When the liner is in place the bladder is inflated.

Step 4 – The epoxy is left to cure. After curing the bladder is removed leaving behind a structural “pipe within a pipe”

How it Works

info@saleak.co.za www.nuflow.co.za

Tel: (+27) 11 425 3379

Before After

For more information on becoming a nu flow licensee please contact us

the measuring, then build the liner according to these measure-ments,” explains Wade.The system itself required very little space and the relining pro-

cess also resulted in very little noise being generated.One of the key advantages of using this method was that the park

was able to stay open and operational while the relining was taking place. “Actually there is a restaurant on the premises that stayed open and the diners were completely unaware of the fact the pipe was being relined directly under their feet while they were eating,” says Wade.

Trade and trainingWade adds that SA Leak Detection Distributors is selling licences for small to medium contractors to do the relining. “We are selling a limited number of these licences per province to ensure high standards and allow specialists to fl ourish. The number of licensees per province depends on the market,” says Wade.The company will be providing full training and support to licen-

sees. “In these economic times start-up costs can be prohibiting.” We therefor encourage new licensees to get a physical relining job on which we train then on-site. This way, licensees can often recov-er their licence and equipment costs during training.”

BEFORE

AFTER

CCTV footage of internal pipe damage

While the potable water system is used to fi x pinhole leaks, the drain system can fi x huge holes

MARCH/APRIL 2013 87

CCTV LEAK DE TEC TION AND MAINTENANCE

Imported from overseas and launched in May 2011, we have already sold eight units into South Africa, which is an indi-cator that it is doing exceptionally well,”

says Nunn of the newest system.As a pipeline inspection camera system,

its versatility is increased by the fact that it is a software-based system and therefore the functionality grows with every software update. “All this, without having to do any hardware updates and we are developing it constantly.”Additionally, the system is designed for

use in pipelines from 100 mm to 1 500 mm, centralised in the pipeline, with the new crawler launched in February this year in the United States. “There are three crawler options that enable the operator to cen-tralise the camera in pipelines ranging from 100 mm to 1 500 mm in diameter. The ranges are from 100 to 200 mm for the small crawler, 150 to 1 000 mm for the medium crawler and from 400 mm to 1 500 mm for the large crawler," says Nunn.

Awareness on the increaseThe need and demand in the market is growing constantly, as is the awareness of the product and the processes involved in the market. “We have been in business for 17 years and currently have 40 iPEK crawler systems in the market, which is more than double the number of crawler units any

other manufacturer has in the mar-ket in South Africa at the moment,” he adds.The Rovion system is mostly

used for sewer and stormwater inspections and mainte-nance programmes and projects. “Locally we have an ageing infrastructure, so the necessity is there. The sewer infrastructure is becoming very old and if inspection and maintenance is not carried out it will fail ‒ and this is not something new or unheard of,” states Nunn. He adds that while in its entirety, it’s a mas-

sive network of infrastructure, “within my knowledge the City of Tshwane has done the most work to date on its infrastructure network.” Currently, contractors in Tshwane are using two of the Rovion systems.“Proactive investigation is key. Then all

the data is collated and the software will identify the bad areas most in need of at-tention, and also what the good areas are,” says Nunn.

Substantial investment in R&DThe research and development required to produce a system like the Rovion system and introduce it to the market is exorbitant, explains Nunn. “iPEK is at this stage the

The Rovion system – the newest edition to South African supplier Octopus Electronics’ CCTV pipeline inspection and maintenance portfolio – is designed to offer professional inspectors everything they need for their working base, excelling in its power, robustness and agility, says Octopus Electronics owner, Gavin Nunn.

Future-minded functionality

largest European manufacturer of CCTV pipeline inspection equip-ment and is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.”Nunn himself, through

Octopus Electronics, has a 10-year history with iPEK, which was recently bought out by America-based IDEX.

Training essentialThere is quite a bit of training

involved in being able to accurately and eff ectively use the system and similar systems, says Nunn. “We do that training on the equipment when we supply the systems, as well as training on the WRC MSCC4. This is the manual of sewer condition classifi cation, and although not everybody in South Africa uses it, I promote it because it is the basis of all international related standards.” Octopus Electronics also supplies after

delivery support of the system, as well as maintaining a stock of small parts for main-tenance and repair purposes. “If parts I don’t carry are needed, stock is available in two to three days, so downtown is minimal.” All of this is made easier though by the fact the Rovion system is small, has a light capable, very robust cable, it is easily upgradeable, easy to maintain and very versatile for wide range of pipes,” concludes Nunn.

Specialists in CCTV Pipeline Inspection Solutionsproviding the most comprehensive package in Africa

“from Pipe to Report”

Distributors of: Crawler driven and pushrod systemsand pushrod systems

Pipeline Database and Reporting Software Inflatable Pipe Plugs

Phone: 082 771 7705 Fax: 086 546 5930 eMail: gavin@octopuse.co.za www.octopuse.co.za

88 MARCH/APRIL 2013

CALIBRATION PRODUC TS AND SERVICES

Index to Advertisers

ISO 17025 three main driversCalibration is globally supported by stand-ards such as ISO 17025 and consists of three main drivers:1. quality management system (QMS)

(processes) 2. validation and traceabil-

ity (methods) 3. competency

(employees).Quality management system is well-known and you can easily check if your partner qualifies, es-pecially if they are already certified or accredited.The methods used are

also easy to verify as your partner is either able to demonstrate traceability and usage of validated methods or not ‒ this is a black or white situation. Standard op-erating procedures (SOPs) availability is an example of this. However, when it comes to employee

competence it gets a little bit trickier. Even if handling competence seems simple to check at first, in reality competence is not as easy to establish as the two first drivers!

Training, accreditation and reproducibility to reduce your risksMost companies would say: “Of course our team is trained!” However, is a training course really suffi cient to certify the service

technician as competent to operate and maintain your process? Are your risks un-der control? At Endress+Hauser, service training and proficiency tests are con-ducted worldwide with participants from various countries. The objective is not only to train service people to perform calibra-tion using proven methodologies but also to ensure that when they are back in their respective countries, the methodologies used are relevant and efficient.

For example, the qualification of a service technician for flow calibration con-sists of different modules:• Metrology • Flow calibration

• Flow products Each of these modules has to be validated inde-pendently, covering both theoretical and practical aspects, in order for each participant to obtain the qualifi cation in each specif-ic module. This guarantees our customers the value of the training provided. On top of this, for specifi c

types of calibration, our technician‘s ability is backed up after the certifi ed training by profi ciency testing, compliant with ISO 13528. Internal certifi cation is given based on successful assessment during training, and allows us to assign competent techni-cians to calibration jobs around the world.This global initiative ensures that your

Endress+Hauser calibration is performed:• in compliance with worldwide standards • with a high level of competence.

Helping to minimise your riskThe importance of a reliable calibration partner? While calibration certainly plays a role in saving raw materials and passing quality audits, it also guarantees your “recipe” is adhered to and, above all, promises your end-users a consistent level of quality of product.

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Hansen Industrial Gearboxes 15Itron 19Jeff ares & Green 40Kaytech 71Keller AG Fur Druckmesstechnik 73Krohne South Africa 11KSB Pumps & Valves 2Lesira-Teq 79NALCO Africa 34NuWater 38Octopus Electronics 87Prentec 36Quality Filtration Systems 28Rare 30Rheochem 21Royal HaskoningDHV 68SA Leak Detection Distributors 86

SBS Water Systems 46

Schneider Electric 44

Southern Mapping 47

Talbot & Talbot 10

TCTA 52 & 53

Tenova Bateman Technologies 67

Uhde 77

UWP Consulting 32

Veolia Water Solutions 24

Verder 63

Videx Storage Tanks IFC

Water & Sanitation Services OBC

Water Research Commission 26

Watson-Marlow IBC

Zest WEG Group 65