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

Water & SanitationAfricaAfricaComplete water resource and wastewater management

Team members who function as active participants take the initiative to help make things happen. Mpho Ramphao, water and wastewater engineer, Aurecon P18

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May/June 2013 • ISSN 1990-8857 • Cover price R40.00 • Vol 8 No. 3

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IN THE HOT SEAT

REGIONAL FOCUSWestern Cape

projects prioritised

PANEL DISCUSSIONWater quality in the spotlight

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MAY/JUNE 2013 1

Celebrating 30 years of success

Monitoring of school boreholes under way

WISA celebrates National Water Week1010

4242

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ON THE COVER Just as the archerfi sh

has evolved innovative technology in reusing water to hunt its prey,

Royal HaskoningDHV’s evolved water

reuse expertise is today’s solution for a

sustainable tomorrow.

CONTENTS Volume 8. No.3

COVER STORY

Here today, reused tomorrow 4

WISA

President’s message 8WISA celebrates National Water Week 10Divisional discourse 12Western Cape Process Controller’s Open Day 14YWP: A battle of the minds 16

HOT SEAT

Mpho Ramphao, water and wastewater engineer at leading engineering, management and specialist technical services group Aurecon, weighs in on South Africa’s wastewater situation. 18

PANEL DISCUSSION

To drink or not to drink? 29• Department of Water Aff airs• Rand Water• Water Research Commission• Aquainnovate

REGIONAL FOCUS: Western Cape

Sustainable solutions sought 39Monitoring of school boreholes under way 42Swartland pipeline nears completion 44Pearly Beach uses ultrafi ltration membrane technology 48

AFRICAN FOCUS

Malawi: Pump company wins turnkey contract 50Mozambique: Ultrafl o for Chinanguanine 51Botswana: Mines cleaning up wastewater 52Botswana: Maun drinking water supply ensured 53

INDUSTRY INSIGHT

Is greywater recycling sustainable? 55

SPECIAL FOCUS

A specialised solution 57Pipe repair prioritised 60

FEATURE: RESERVOIRS AND BOREHOLES

Storage capacity doubled 6220 kℓ KwaZulu-Natal tank installation successful 64Celebrating 30 years of success 66Borehole pumps prioritised 68New product well-positioned 70

REGULARS

Editor’s comment 3Infrastructure news 22Industry news 24

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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 Jan Theron, Shanna Nienaber, Timony SiebertMarketing & 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

With baited breath

mer

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

As I write this editor’s comment I fi nd myself in a strange position. Despite water and wastewater having been in the pages of the

mainstream newspapers quite often recent-ly, my focus is instead on the upcoming announcements I believe will set the agenda for the water sector going forward.Coming up is the Department of Water

Aff airs’ budget vote on 21 May, which will most defi nitely be dissected on our website (infrastructurene.ws) as soon as it is released. We are also all awaiting with baited breath the release of the Green Drop Results and Blue Drop update, which will be released at WISA’s 4th Municipal Water Quality Conference, to be held from 7 to 11 July.I can almost guar-

antee that those two announcements will be the focus of water- related discussion for a while. As such, this edition of Water&Sanitation Africa is starting off the debates ‒ specifi cally on water and wastewater quality ‒ in our panel discussion, with some illustrious participants, such as the Department of Water Aff airs, Rand Water, the Water Research Commission and

Aquainnovate. In addition, the magazine con-tinues to highlight the successful roll-out and delivery of services to communities through its regional focus; this time highlighting infrastructure projects in the Western Cape. The upgrade and extension of the Grabouw Sewage Treatment Works is unpacked on page 39 and the roll-out of the Swartland pipeline project, which is currently nearing completion, is investigated on page 44. On page 42, an interesting project being rolled out by SRK Consulting ‒ the monitoring of school boreholes ‒ is also highlighted.In an aside, in the previous edition of

Water&Sanitation Africa we highlighted the Mbazwane Groundwater Monitoring Network as part of our KwaZulu-Natal regional focus, but we wrongly referred to Mark Schapers as a Jeff ares & Green executive associate. He

is, in fact, a technical director. Our humblest apologies for this error.That being said, I

hope you thoroughly enjoy and are inspired by the latest edition of Water&Sanitation Africa. I was particularly inspired by the passion and commitment dis-

played by the young engineer I got to inter-view for the Hot Seat in this edition on page 18: Mpho Ramphao, water and wastewater engineer at Aurecon. If we all have even a fraction of his enthusiasm, the challenges the water sector is currently facing will be noth-ing but speed bumps.

The magazine continues to highlight the

successful roll-out and delivery

of services to communities

COVER STORY ROYAL HASKONINGDHV

Here today, reused Royal HaskoningDHV, leading the future of sustainable water

By Jan Theron, who is based in Port Elizabeth and heads Royal Haskon-ingDHV’s global knowl-edge group for Water Reuse

MAY/JUNE 20134

Growing populations, increasing urbanisation and industrial growth is placing severe stress on existing surface and groundwater resourc-es throughout the world. This ongoing growth

in water demand and the impacts of climate variability combine to alter our planet and the way we live. This is especially so in arid countries like South Africa where droughts have shown the devastating eff ects the lack of water can have on communities and economies. This reality requires a passionate, innovative response

to provide water security to communities and industry in a long-term sustainable manner with improved levels of

assurance, even during disaster situations. The obvious fi rst step is to minimise wastage and make better use of the water we have while heightening awareness and car-ing for this precious resource. Technological advances and their innovative application

make water reuse a viable and completely safe supple-ment to natural sources. Water reuse solutions must be ‘fi t for purpose’ with the specifi c purpose of providing a sus-tainable, secure supply of water as part of an overall water resource portfolio. With a legacy of close to one hundred years of water technology experience in Southern Africa, coupled with similar experience worldwide, Royal HaskoningDHV is an acknowledged expert in the fi eld. Dealing with water shortages and the development of

water reuse solutions for both potable and industrial wa-ter supply were manifest in preventing disaster situations during the recent droughts ‒ the worst in 150 years ‒ that hit the Western and Eastern Cape provinces. These inter-ventions ‒ collectively coined by Royal HaskoningDHV as ‘Life beyond our Rivers’ ‒ have prompted the devel-opment of a very specifi c approach and tailored solution packages that focus on direct and indirect potable reuse; industrial, commercial and agricultural water reuse; and desalination, as well as dealing with situations where de facto reuse take place.Direct potable reuse involves the introduction of re-

claimed water from a wastewater treatment works directly into a drinking water treatment system, often involving several advanced treatment steps and technologies to mitigate any risks to the drinking water supply. Indirect potable reuse involves the augmentation of a water (surface or groundwater) source with reclaimed water via an environmental buff er (such as a large dam) before introducing it into the drinking water treatment system. Industrial, commercial and agricultural water reuse can be direct or indirect, depending on the specifi c requirements of the end users. De facto reuse is a very common occur-rence where treated wastewater is being reused, but not offi cially recognised, for instance where a drinking water supply intake is located downstream of a wastewater

treatment plant discharge point.In order to eff ectively develop

and truly benefi t from water reuse, an adaptable focus around the specifi c needs of consumers and our ever-changing environment is required and should include the following:• Strategy for sustainable water ‒Integrated water resource develop-

ment and management including

ABOVE Part of the ultrafi ltration and reverse osmosis plant for 5 Mℓ/d industrial reuse application at Mossel Bay Regional WWTWLEFT Aerial view of the Fishwater Flats WWTW, Port Elizabeth

MAY/JUNE 2013 5

COVER STORY

tomorrow

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.

the successful introduction of water reuse and desalina-tion into an existing water resource portfolio as part of the planning process.• Future-proof industrial water supply ‒ Introducing water reuse as a sustainable, feasible and potentially cost saving water supply to industrial, commercial and mining users.• Water reuse extends existing water (and wastewater) infrastructure capacity ‒ Fit-for-purpose water reuse solutions to industrial, mining and water utilities can create capacity on existing infrastructure and unlock other water resource and infrastructure capacity through ‘water trading’ and added benefi ts to the environment.• Reducing the water footprint ‒ through water reuse.• Water reuse = food security ‒ Introduction of water reuse as a safe supply of water for agricultural development.• Augmentation of potable water supply ‒ through direct or indirect water reuse and desalination. This includes the development of drought intervention solutions and ensuring safe drinking water through integrated water safety plans and wastewater risk abatement plans, which also applies to de facto reuse.• Life cycle sustainability ‒ Decision-making tools to ensure feasibility of water reuse schemes are essen-tial and should include life cycle costing, risk-based evaluation and management, as well as operation and maintenance solutions.• Energy effi cient solutions ‒ for water reuse and desalination.

• Social acceptance & facilitation ‒ Reuse of water, especially for potable reuse, most often comes with some reluctance to be accepted by communities due to various factors ranging from religious beliefs to ignorance about the subject. Social facilitation and education is critical prior to the development of any water reuse scheme and to its ultimate success.

These focus points are key drivers of our overall vision of Enhancing Society Together and the

following projects are recent examples of ap-plications of water re-use solutions, success-fully implemented or currently under way by Royal HaskoningDHV.

George indirect potable water reuse: A 10 Mℓ/d water reuse plant treating effl uent from the Outeniqua WWTW using ultrafi ltration technology, providing an indirect pota-ble water supply augmentation via the Garden Route Dam.Mossel Bay WWTW direct industrial water reuse:

As part of a water swop initiative between Mossel Bay Municipality and PetroSA, this reuse plant treats 5 Mℓ/d effl uent from the Mossel Bay WWTW using ultrafi ltration and reverse osmosis to supply PetroSA with industrial wa-ter in exchange for an equal quantity of their surface water allocation from a nearby dam.Nelson Mandela Bay direct industrial water reuse: This

BELOW Mossel Bay desalination plant during constructionINSET Mossel Bay 15 Mℓ/d desalination plant seawater intake pump station during construction

“Technological advances and their innovative application make water reuse a viable and completely safe supplement to natural sources.” Jan Theron

6 MAY/JUNE 2013

COVER STORY

About the author:Jan Theron is a professional civil engineer with more than 12 years’ experience in the water and wastewater treatment industry. He is currently the director of Advisory Group: Eastern Cape Water for Royal HaskoningDHV and also leads the company’s global Knowledge Group for Water Reuse.

project, which is in its design phase, will provide 45 Mℓ/d of direct industrial water reuse via membrane biological reactors at the Fishwater Flats WWTW.Amathole District drought interventions: Several

projects at planning and design stage, including a direct potable reuse scheme at Adelaide (1.5 Mℓ/d) and an indirect potable reuse scheme at Butterworth (5 Mℓ/d), will provide alternative supplementary water supplies to become more resilient to droughts.Chris Hani District ‒ Strategy for sustainable water:

This planning document introduces the strategy, feasi-bility and specifi c implementation plans to develop and manage an integrated and optimum combination of water resources as part of the overall portfolio, including the introduction of water reuse.Ultimately, these projects have shown that water reuse is

a very feasible, cost-eff ective and sustainable option that should be considered when reviewing and planning the augmentation of water resources into the future. Whether introducing water reuse as a supplementary supply to

potable water, as a main source of industrial water or a combination of the two, it dramatically improves the sus-tainability and security of water supply with the upside of improved living standards and assurance of developmen-tal and economic growth for the future.Without this intervention, our current water resources

would quite likely be here today and gone tomorrow! With our passion for sustainability, a more comfort-able scenario can be our water is here today and reused tomorrow.

The world needs fewer engineering companies.

Rebranded as Royal HaskoningDHV, SSI Engineers & Environmental Consultants believes in being more than an engineering company.

Our rebranding to Royal HaskoningDHV ushers in a new class of engineers and consultants, offering solutions for the sustainable interaction between people and their environment, ultimately enhancing society together.

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BELOW Mossel Bay Regional WWTW with building housing the ultrafi ltration and RO plant in the foreground

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PRESIDENT ’S COMMENT

common area for many of us ‒ whether we own or operate installations and facilities for conveyance and treatment of

water and wastewater, or provide a service to these sites ‒ is maintenance. Asset care and maintenance is of utmost importance for the viability and sustainability of the various employed systems in our sector. When discussing the importance of a preventive maintenance plan with your op-erational teams , you see fi rst-hand how a good preventive maintenance programme preserves assets, keeps things running in optimum condition and helps ensure that maximum life expectancy is achieved. It also helps managers to anticipate failure, thereby allowing time to plan and budget for replacements as well as perform work at more convenient times. All of these factors make preventive maintenance a more pre-dictable and cost-eff ective way to operate.You may agree that there is no single

solution for improving preventive main-tenance, but rather that many combined eff orts will be required to eventually yield results as this is one management tool that one ought not underestimate.To understand preventive maintenance,

one needs to defi ne it, and everybody involved in this process needs to be committed and understand the diff erence between preventive/proactive and correc-tive/reactive maintenance.Preventive maintenance includes work

that is planned and carried out on a regular basis to maintain and keep the infrastruc-ture or assets in good condition. Minor re-pairs and replacements as dictated by the routine examinations may also, at times, be included. Reactive maintenance is undertaken in

reaction to a crisis; it normally occurs as a result of failures and the malfunctioning or breakdown of equipment. In order to en-sure the routine maintenance and health of the system, the technician should adhere to a routine check-up. If done correctly and

Preventive maintenance in practice

The water sector offers a host of opportunities for growth and development, which have their own sets of dynamics to take into account, but opportunities do exist.

on a regular schedule, preventive measures will reduce the risk of costly repairs. The key to ensuring eff ective equipment main-tenance is to make certain that responsibil-ities are clearly defi ned and maintenance personnel have the relevant tools and skills to do their job eff ectively. It is also essential to schedule preventive maintenance.In some of the discussions I have had

with my maintenance team, we generally agreed that maintenance personnel must be involved as much as possible as they will take better ownership thereof if they are updated on the progress of the mainte-nance programme. Allowing them to also partake in matters on how to improve the system adds further value to the team. In essence planning becomes more and more important. “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” ‒ Benjamin FranklinDuring this process of engaging with

my team, the following started to become clear and accepted practice:

• Managing the established maintenance programme should also include periodic meetings with maintenance personnel and providing them formal feedback on their job performance.

• During the meeting, identify the employ-ees’ strengths, along with weaknesses.

• Enhance employee skills in areas that will benefi t the employee and the facility.

• Most maintenance personnel want feedback from supervisors on their job performance and how they can improve their skills and perform better.

A preventive maintenance programme that works will:• defi ne specifi c goals for the programme• utilise qualifi ed maintenance personnel• have an organised and eff ective system for maintaining equipment records and scheduling maintenance work

• include periodic management reviews to evaluate and continually improve the programme.

A well-executed preventive maintenance

Advantages Disadvantages

• lower initial or short-term costs• fewer staff required

• increased costs due to unplanned equipment downtime

• increased labour costs, especially if overtime is needed for untimely repairs/replacements

• may result in secondary equipment or system losses

• is an ineffi cient use of staff resources

Advantages Disadvantages

• fl exibility for adjusting maintenance frequencies

• component life cycle is increased• energy savings are generated• equipment and/or process failures

are reduced• early interventions and corrective measures

help prevent the costly major failures, reducing the cost of ownership

• improved system reliability• decreased system downtime• up to 20% cost savings may be achieved as

opposed to reactive methods

• catastrophic failures are not eliminated• it is more labour intensive• it includes some invasive activities that have

the potential to cause incidental damage to components

TABLE 1 Preventive maintenance

TABLE 1 Reactive maintenance

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PRESIDENT ’S COMMENT

schedule results in reduced breakdowns and cost savings. Many organisations with sound intentions either develop or hire out preventive maintenance programmes and schedules, only to fi le them away later. Like any tool, the maintenance programme needs to be properly used to be of any real worth to your organisation.During our brainstorming and research

session, we learned:• there is no one-size-fi ts-all system, but the staff needs to understand the fundamen-tals of water and wastewater treatment in

ater is life: Respect it, Conserve it, Enjoy it’ was the theme for this year’s National Water Week, celebrated in

South Africa between 18 and 24 March 2013. To celebrate National Water Week, WISA visited two schools in Tembisa near Midrand: Winnie Mandela Primary School and Reagile Primary School. WISA represent-atives, Evelyn Ramphomane and Maimboti Mutezo from the WISA head offi ce, engaged with the children on a consultative basis, explaining various ways to conserve South Africa`s most precious resource ‒ water.“The reason for visiting was to inform the

learners about Water Week awareness and to give some few lessons on ‘Water Saving Tips’,” explained Ramphomane, adding that some of the tips included methods for washing their faces, that they stop brushing their teeth with running water on, use of the shower, that the kettle should not be fi lled to the brim for one cup (which will also help on saving electricity), tips for washing the car and rather using a bucket instead of hose.The grades of concern ‒ or rather the

“focus” grades ‒ were grades R, 1, 6 and 7 as this is where the WISA representatives felt they would have the most impact. “We fi rst gave away the water bottles to the Grade R and 1 and taught them not to drink water

WISA celebrates National Water WeekThis year, WISA celebrated National Water Week in March by spreading the word on water consciousness and water careers to the youth in Midrand, Gauteng.

order for them to make critical decisions• we need to eff ectively use the abilities of the maintenance staff and let them take ownership of the programme

• invest in training and career paths that will satisfy your asset care and maintenance needs

• have checks and balances in place and monitor progress by having regular plan-ning meetings

• always investigate and explore best prac-tice and systems.

I believe that there are many best practice

preventive maintenance plans in the sector, but the emphasis of the aforesaid in this article articulates the signifi cance of such a plan. “No one gets an iron-clad guarantee of success. Certainly, factors like opportunity, luck and timing are important. But the backbone of success is usually found in old-fashioned, basic concepts like hard work, determination, good planning and perseverance.” ‒ Mia Hamm

Ronald M BrownWISA President

directly from the taps with their mouths and hands as this could spread disease. They must rather use the water bottles supplied,” explained Ramphomane. Special attention was given to the older grades 6 and 7 classes, with the representatives taking the opportunity to discuss the various career opportuni-ties available in the water sector. “We gave lessons on how important water is in the larger context and also gave tips on subject choices that can lead them into the water industry.”In addition, the team

distributed water bot-tles, calendars, rulers, pens, beanies and fl yers explaining various ways to conserve water. “The principals of both primary schools were very excited and thankful about all this. The teachers said this was excellent and educational for the educators and the learners,” concluded Ramphomane.

10 MAY/JUNE 2013

BELOW Ramphomane and Mutezo educate the learners of Reagile Primary School about water conservation

12 MAY/JUNE 2013

DIVISIONAL DISCOURSEWISA NEWS

The majority of industries in South Africa are willing to pay municipal industrial discharge levies and penalties on their polluted effl uent

and in most instances pass the costs on to the consumer instead of putting any eff ort into pretreating and recycling their effl uents internally. They do not regard effl uent treat-ment as part of their money-making process and prefer to ignore the downstream im-plications on the ecosystems and national water conservation measures,” he warns. Saunders has been serving on the Southern African Industrial Water Association (SAIWA) committee in various portfolios over the past 15 years and he has “a passion for the eff ective functioning of this division”.The only way this challenge can be over-

come, according to Saunders, is through increased pressure on industries from the

industrial water pollution control authori-ties of the diff erent metro councils as well as from government level, including the Department of Water Aff airs and Rand Water Board, forcing them to implement treatment facilities on-site. “Incentivise the reuse of industrial wastewater and promote the synergistic cooperation of industries with water treatment companies to solve effl uent problems in national interest. It must be mentioned that the metro council industrial pollution control authorities are doing a great job and have grown sig-nifi cantly the last 10 to 15 years, but they

Investigating industrial waterThe pollution of our national water sources by the irresponsible discharge of industrial effl uent is one of the biggest threats posed by industrial water – or rather the incorrect treatment thereof – according to Willie Saunders of the Southern African Industrial Water Association, a division of WISA.

need the support of the other role players,” says Saunders.He adds that recently a lot of focus has

been given to industrial water; however, this primarily revolves around the mine water crisis. “Taking into account the number of industries in South Africa today that contrib-ute to pollution, the focus on industrial wa-ter is defi nitely not enough and a lot more can be achieved,” says Saunders.

SAIWA scrutinisedThe mission of SAIWA is the following: “To gather and disseminate information for the advancement of cost-eff ective and environ-mentally acceptable operational practices, control measures and management of industrial water and wastewater related sys-tems and processes.” Saunders says: “SAIWA will strive for the successful implementation

of its mission.” He adds that

SAIWA’s focus is to bring the diff er-ent stakeholders involved in the industrial water fraternity together in an eff ort to create an awareness of the challenges being faced in the day-to-day operation of industries that deal with troublesome

effl uents and the subsequent eff ect on water sources and the environment. “SAIWA strives to accommodate a diverse com-mittee representation from the diff erent segments involved in industrial water, e.g. chemical suppliers, industry representatives, water authorities and environmentalists. Annual conferences are organised by SAIWA to bring the diff erent disciplines together where mutual problems and possible solu-tions can be discussed in order to conserve the precious commodity called H2O.“SAIWA wishes to achieve the involvement

of the total industrial water environment

to act as one team to protect our water sources and the environment and to pro-mote the recycling of industrial effl uents,” says Saunders.

Education essentialEducation and training play a major role in the current context, especially at manage-ment level of the industrial sector, believes Saunders. “Management must be the driver and fi rst line of responsibility for water con-servation and responsible discharge of their industrial effl uents.” “I presume enough focus is being given

in the theoretical training, but one only becomes aware of this immense problem of industrial pollution when you are ex-posed practically to problematic industries where you can visualise the irresponsible behaviour of some of the big polluters in our country. The application of eff ective tech-nologies and options then becomes more tangible,” he says.

Tracking technologyWhen assessing the possible impact of new technologies being rolled out in the mar-ket, a number of factors need to be taken into account. “One factor that signifi cantly aff ects the costs and viability of most of the water treatment technologies available is the sludge, brine or any other solids result-ing from the pretreatment processes,” says Saunders, adding that this factor creates re-sistance as many industries are reluctant to undertake treatment and recycling on-site. “The removal of sludge and the disposal

thereof is abnormally costly and it seems as if a monopoly evolved over the years pertaining to sludge handling and disposal. More focus should be given on a national level to innovative technologies that recover by-products from the sludge or even sub-sidising eff orts to make pretreatment and recycling more aff ordable.”There are, however, a number of best

practice examples available in the country. “Plants with zero water discharge, which do not generate contamination and reduce

“SAIWA strives to accommodate a diverse committee representation from the diff erent segments involved in industrial water.” Willie Saunders, SAIWA

WISA NEWS

MAY/JUNE 2013 13

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pollution downstream, would be considered best practice ideals. Greater emphasis should be placed on concepts where industrial effl uent recycling technologies can minimise water wastages, reduce intake and are at the same time cost eff ective,” says Saunders.

Private sector buy-in pivotalIf industry and the private sector could more extensively utilise waste or partially treated wastewater in an eff ort to save our precious drinking water, the impact could be signifi -cant, believes Saunders. “Partially treated industrial water can be used for fl oor wash-ings, cooling water, toilet fl ushing and dust control instead of using drinking quality water. Eff ective recycling of water at car and truck wash centres, rainwater harvesting and minimising evaporation of swimming pools by covering could all contribute to saving initiatives.”The treatment of industrial water is,

however, not performed well in general. “Many industries visited revealed that their stormwater discharge facilities that include

API or oil catchment dams, for example, are completely inadequate or under designed for high rainfall,” says Saunders.Additionally, rainwater that is supposed

to serve as a clean-up or dilution for our natural water resources eventually becomes a polluting factor. “Illegal discharge of toxic industrial contaminants to the sewers af-fects the design capacity and eff ectiveness of the treatment works severely and sub-standard effl uent is being discharged to the rivers and catchment areas. This, together with pollution from informal settlements, will eventually cause a signifi cant deteriora-tion of South Africa’s water,” he warns.

Crises stage?“We are defi nitely close to a crisis stage ‒ if we are not already there ‒ unless a concert-ed eff ort from all role players in the industri-al water fraternity and government can be mobilised to address the relevant issues,” says Saunders.According to him, history has demonstrat-

ed the role that industrial water can play,

e.g. internationally with the pollution of the Rhine River and Thames River. “In the South African context we are experiencing increas-ing pollution loads, for instance to the Vaal River and Hartbeespoort Dam catchment areas and the underground water. It is just a matter of time before the situation gets completely out of hand.”Therefore the need for eff ective legislation,

more intense government involvement, bet-ter cooperation between all relevant stake-holders, upgrading of existing treatment works and capacity to handle industrial pollution incidents cannot be underestimat-ed, says Saunders, adding that there needs to be eff ective management of pollution by the diff erent authorities. “Treat or address the source of pollution rather than treating the symptoms.”

Focus on the futureMoving forward, Saunders says the focus should be “on reduced pollution and in-creased reuse of industrial wastewater”.He adds that SAIWA will look to WISA to

facilitate the networking with other WISA sub-divisions and assistance with overall planning and organising of events. “WISA as the parent body should convey the bigger picture of industrial water during negotia-tions and talks with government and water authorities to SAIWA and keep communica-tion channels open.”Of specifi c interest is a joint conference in

August/September to be held in conjunc-tion with the Desalination division in order to involve a broader spectrum of attendees and to demonstrate the advantages of in-ter-divisional teamwork.

By Willie SaundersSAIWA ran very successful annual symposiums from 1987 through to 1992. These were supplemented with technical evenings and workshops. By 1993, it was becoming diffi cult to organise symposiums with the help of a few dedicated members working part time and SAIWA instead elected to assist with the Industrial Water sessions at Afriwater and the WISA biennial conference. It became obvious that the place for SAIWA was within WISA as the Industrial Water Division. This was accomplished in November 1996. However, SAIWA managed to organise a very successful Industrial Water Workshop during 2001 with several international speakers, i.e. Dr Richard Lutey, Dr Paul Puckorius and Doug Dewitt-Dick (all from the US). Until 2011, several annual seminars were held at the Maccauvlei venue in Vereeniging. SAIWA also encourages research and novel solutions towards industrial wastewater treatment by sponsoring awards at the WISA biennual conferences for the best contributions.

ACHIEVEMENTS TO DATE

WESTERN CAPEWISA NEWS

This event was the fi rst organised by the formalised Process Controller Division (PCD) of the Water Institute of Southern Africa (WISA) and was

held in collaboration with the Department of Water Aff airs (DWA), Overberg Water, Witzenberg and South African Local Government Association (SALGA). Even the format diff ered from the previous two events. The event was preceded by

a brainstorming session on 28 November 2012 where several process controllers from across the Western Cape

Process Controllers’ Open DayThe Third Western Cape Process Controllers’ Open Day was held on 29 November 2012 in Ceres in the Witzenberg municipal district and about 280 process controllers attended.

were invited to participate and provide in-put. The main objective was to source ideas about the most practical ways for the PCD to achieve its desired goals in the province. One proposal was to divide the province into smaller sub-zones, which will be easily

manageable and allow easy interaction and measurable growth. Assessments can be done and achievable targets and objectives can be set for providing solutions where re-

quired and can be project man-aged without placing undue pressure on the already stressed personnel resources. WISA’s role as both a catalyst and facil-itator for skills transfer and the advancement of the national objectives for the water sector is also being pursued in this area, especially when it relates to the training and professionalisation of process controllers.The theme for the third

Western Cape Process Controllers’ Open Day was ‘Women in Water’, which pro-vided the newly formed PCD the opportunity to acknowl-edge women who committed themselves to the development of the water sector. The pro-gramme director for the event was Swastika Surujlal from George ‒ a very successful pro-fessional in the sector. The WISA president, Ronald

Brown, set the tone in his opening address by congratu-lating the PCD for hosting the third Process Controller Open

Day. He said that this type of event, which recognised the need for process controllers to congregate and deliberate the issues pertaining to their role in the water sector, needed to be held in other provinces as well. He strongly voiced his concerns about

municipalities who fail to realise the serious nature of their man-date to ensure that adequate training and support be provid-ed to process controllers. This investment, he stressed, would enable them to provide quality

services such as Blue Drop quality drinking water and Green Drop quality wastewater effl uent standard that would not harm the environment or health of the local residents supported by these municipal systems. The municipalities that are lagging need to act decisively and invest in their process con-trollers because the professionalisation of process controllers is a reality and will be on their doorstep very soon. His speech was followed by the deputy

mayor of Witzenberg Municipality, Kariem Adams, who endorsed many of the remarks made by the WISA president and expressed the gratitude of his council for the opportu-nity aff orded to host an event of such great signifi cance in the water sector. Dr Marlene van der Merwe-Botha deliv-

ered the key note address, which was aptly titled ‘The role of women in the water sec-tor’. She told delegates about her career as a woman in the water sector, pointing out the aspirations that she had and how she had to set her targets and goals to achieve the desired outcomes. Yolanda Hess from Saldanha Bay

Municipality, in her presentation, inspired all women to take up their rightful position in the water sector and gave a practical ac-count of the issues women were faced with when fi lling the shoes of jobs traditionally reserved for men. She emphasised that ac-ceptability was based on skills, qualifi cations and preparedness to learn and integrate the

It is the objective of the PCD to have each process controller in the water sector ascribe to the values and principles of WISA’s motto

14 MAY/JUNE 2013

Registration of the delegates upon arrival

MAY/JUNE 2013 15

WISA NEWS

required knowledge in the workplace. This, she said, earned her the trust and respect of her peers and she has made great strides in getting her colleagues (male and female) to advance their studies and careers in the sector. In her address, Ntombizanele Mupariwa,

the acting director of regulatory perfor-mance management at the DWA, gave a de-tailed summary of the progress made thus far with Regulation 17, which pertains to the professionalisation of process controllers. The operations manager from Overberg

Water, Sydney Armoed, took the opportunity to tell the delegates about training initiatives that Overberg Water has embarked on in order to ensure that it was compliant with the regulatory requirements for its process controllers and water treatment plants. It also addressed the issue of process controller training and development in the Western Cape because it became clear that a lot of confusion still exists about the NQF learnerships and the N3 distance educa-tion. Over the past four years, Overberg Water has trained its own staff as well as groups of unemployed persons in both edu-cational streams, and

has also ensured through its implementation plan that the two programmes complement each other. The N3 programme has now been rolled out for other water service pro-viders in the Western Cape, and Overberg Water is currently busy with the third group of students doing the subject Water N3 and Wastewater N3. Once students have completed the N3 subjects and training, an external exam-ination is conducted at a Department of Education FET college, i.e. at Boland college. The courses have an 81% success rate and there is a continuously increasing demand for training. Overberg Water has extended invitations to municipal-ities across the Western Cape to enroll their process controllers in the courses; some mu-nicipalities have taken up the off er with sig-nifi cant positive eff ects on their operations.

During her presentation, Natasha Davis-Wolmarans, one of the lead regulatory staff for Blue and Green Drop assessment at the DWA (Western Cape), focused on the im-portance of the role that process controllers play in obtaining Blue and Green Drop cer-tifi cation. This included the collection and analysis of samples as well as the recording of other operational information during their shifts. The signing of a Memorandum of

Agreement between Overberg Water and Drakenstein Municipality was another highlight of the day. The agreement aims to provide process controllers with better training opportunities.The organising committee would like

to express its sincere gratitude to the following sponsors and exhibitors for the support provided leading up to and during the event: AL Abbot, Ceres Fruit Juices, Ceres Fruit Processors, Circuit Water Engineering Equipment, Exeo, Ikusasa Chemicals, Goba, Grundfos, Ithuba Valves, Lyners, Maxal, Merck, Microzone, Overberg Water, Peninsula Water Treatment, Royal HaskoningDHV, Veolia Water, Virtual Consultants, WISA and Witzenberg

Municipality. The mu-nicipality deserves a special word of thanks for its warm hospitality throughout ‒ it really pulled out all stops to make the event as memorable as possi-ble for the delegates. It is the objective of

the PCD to have each process controller in the water sector ascribe to the values and principles of WISA’s motto: ‘Building ex-pertise, sharing knowledge and improving quality of life’. The PCD also welcomes role

players and stake-holders in the sector who wish to partner with it to achieve these objectives. They may contact the chairperson of the PCD, Sydney Armoed, on +27 (0)28 214 3500 or e-mail bedryfad-min@overbergwater.co.za The Fourth Western Cape Process Controllers’ Open Day will be held at the Outeniqua Wastewater Treatment Plant in George on 28 November 2013.

The theme for the third Western Cape Process Controllers’ Open Day was ‘Women in Water’

ABOVE Winner of the price – Marthalin Swart (middle) won a fully paid conference entrance to WISA 2014. With her are Sydney Armoed (left) and Ronald Brown (right)BELOW Delegates opening proceedings with the national anthem

YOUNG WATER PROFESSIONALSWISA NEWS

16 MAY/JUNE 2013

The governance of how water is used, who uses it and how much is used is a complex issue and is the substance of a substantial body of law at local,

national and international levels. As a result, the role and importance of water law exper-tise is well recognised in the South African water sector. It is therefore critical that South Africa encourages the development of water law capacity among young water profession-als in order to develop the skills needed to draft and implement sound legal frameworks in future.In recognition of this need, the YWP

provided an opportunity for postgraduate students of law from universities from around the country to engage in public debates on a range of pertinent water law issues. This Inter-University Water Law Debating Exchange was held at the Water Research Commission-hosted International Conference on Freshwater Governance for Sustainable Development, held from 5 to 7 November 2012, and was sponsored by the Department of Water Aff airs.Selected teams were given two topics

to research. The fi rst topic focused on the accessibility and eff ectiveness of the Water Tribunal and the extent to which it helps to achieve the aims and objects of the National Water Act. The second topic explored the appropriateness of trading of water use entitlements in South Africa. In preparation for the debates, teams were expected to

A battle of the mindsWISA’s Young Water Professionals (YWP) hosted an Inter-University Water Law Debate at the WRC’s International Conference on Freshwater Governance for Sustainable Development, writes Shanna Nienaber, chair of the Gauteng branch of YWP.

prepare position papers for this event. Apart from participating in the diverse conference sessions on off er, participating teams also at-tended a debating and water law workshop. This provided a platform for participants to discuss a range of water law concerns and work on developing their public speaking and communication skills. The actual debates took place during lunch hour and provided other delegates at the conference with a plat-form to think critically about controversial legal issues. The debates were adjudicated by

leading experts in the water sector. The two best speakers from each debate presented on their experiences of the competition in the closing ceremony of the conference.This event proved to be great fun and an

engaging learning experience for delegates. It was exciting to see how the participant’s confi dence and presenting skills improved during the course of the competition. Equally exciting was seeing how members of the au-dience engaged in the debates with critical questions and comments. The debate and the other sessions at the conference served as a reminder of the importance of creating platforms to engage on pertinent issues pertaining to the governance of the South African water sector.

The adjudication team watching one of the debates: from left Inga Jacobs (WRC), Claudius Chikhosa (UP), Dhesigen Naidoo (WRC), Shanna Nienaber (Department of Science and Technology )

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HOT SEAT AURECON

The provision of potable water has long been one of the most attractive areas called upon in terms of supporting government in the roll-out of basic services, yet wastewater treatment is very much a

forgotten service. The process of removing dirty water and toilet waste from homes and other centres simply does not have the same appeal for many, and it is regarded as a mundane profession by the ill-informed,” Ramphao tells Chantelle Mattheus.This is despite the fact that investing in this area has the

potential to have just as much impact on disease control and improving living standards, while the infrastructure required is very similar. However, Ramphao believes that the wastewater sector is slowly gaining momentum. “I think this is largely attributable to the Department of Water Aff air’s public education initiative on the Blue/Green Drop process.”As CESA Young Engineer of the Year in 2011, Ramphao

is one of the young, up-and-coming, innovative engi-neers working towards changing the dynamic in the South African context through Aurecon ‒ the company he works for ‒ and also by consciously working towards gaining experience through the access availed to him as part of the Aurecon team on large-scale cutting-edge wastewater projects.He believes, however, that there still remains a lot of

work to be done to achieve the millennium development

Leading expertiseThe perception that wastewater treatment is the “less attractive” cousin to the delivery of potable water is slowly starting to change as the sector increases the level of experience and expertise available, believes Mpho Ramphao, water and wastewater engineer at engineering, management and specialist technical services group Aurecon.

goals (MDGs), as there is still a huge backlog of wastewa-ter infrastructure that needs to be constructed in South Africa, “especially in rural areas where there is virtually none, or in the case of urban areas, there is a lot that needs to be maintained, refurbished and or upgraded to meet the future demands of a large number of people moving into urban areas”.

Leading innovationNot only is South Africa known and respected for its extensive network of large-scale schemes for the transfer of water and wastewater, but the country’s engineering skills are also well sought after internationally, notes

RIGHT Mpho Ramphao with his CESA Young Engineer of the year Award

MAY/JUNE 2013 19

HOT SEAT

Ramphao. “The country has seen many water and waste-water professionals leaving our shores to take up off ers in other countries ‒ to our detriment. This is attributed largely to the many wastewater technological advancements that originate from this country’s research universities and their highly rated academics.”This “skills edge” does also mean that younger engineers

are increasingly given the opportunity to participate in larger projects and gain invaluable experience through this exposure. Some of the noteworthy projects Ramphao has been involved in include two projects from the Swartland Municipality, name-ly the Darling Wastewater Treatment Works (WWTW) with a capacity of 2 Mℓ/d and the Malmesbury WWTW, which due to sustained growth in the town of Malmesbury has been upgraded with membrane bio-reactors (MBRs) for solid-liquid separation to an average dry weather fl ow of 10 Mℓ/d, peak dry weather fl ow of 20 Mℓ/d and peak wet weather fl ow of 30 Mℓ/d. Ramphao views the Malmesbury WWTW as a defi ning

moment in his career because he studied his MSc Eng in Wastewater Engineering with a special focus on MBRs. “For me to have the opportunity to apply my academic skills on what is the second municipal MBR project in South Africa was a cherry on top.” This plant was successfully commis-sioned in early March 2013 and is currently producing a pristine effl uent water quality.

Seizing opportunitiesIn the case of the Darling WWTW, the original WWTW consisted principally of a series of anaerobic and oxidation-evaporation ponds. The treatment works was overloaded in excess of 250%, says Ramphao. “In addition, the existing works was not capable of treating effl uent to levels acceptable by law, as it produced effl uent that was below the required discharge standard and could no longer operate in compliance with the permit issued by the Department of Water Aff airs.”Ramphao explains that this specifi c project was his fi rst

engineering project where he was involved from the outset till the project was completed. “I performed the bulk of the

professional engineering services for preliminary design, detailed design, treatment works permit applications, tender document preparation and tender reporting for the upgrading of Darling WWTW, under the supervision of the project director.”The upgraded treatment works uses the pond system to

dampen the peak hydraulic loading on a new biological nitrogen removal activated sludge process (ASP). This fl ow dampening allows a saving on the cost of compo-nents aff ected by hydraulic loading. The peak fl ows are absorbed by the ponds where the relatively low loading rate enables production of a water quality suitable for irrigation, once disinfection has taken place. The fl ow

ABOVE The Malmesbury WWTW was of particular interest to Ramphao as he studied MSc Eng in Wastewater Engineering with a special focus on MBRsRIGHT MBR fi nal effl uentBELOW The MBR plant applies the well-established activated sludge process to treat wastewater (bioreactor fi lled with sludge)

Team members who function as active participants take the initiative to help make things happen

20 MAY/JUNE 2013

HOT SEAT

from the new activated sludge plant is discharged to the local river system. The ASP was incorporated into the existing oxidation-evaporation ponds to increase the capacity of the works and to improve the quality of the effl uent. The ASP is designed to operate in parallel with the existing oxidation-evaporation ponds. “A major focus is the maximised use of

treated effl uent for irrigation. Construction of a new pipeline to supply this water to the local golf course has allowed the transforma-tion of this previously barren facility to one now attracting players from Cape Town. It is also an enticing residential development and has indirectly created employment ‒ such as a new restaurant that partly caters for day visitors to the golf course. Importantly, it is no longer necessary to use precious potable wa-ter for irrigation, which had to be piped a sig-nifi cant distance to the town from far afi eld by the district municipality,” says Ramphao.On a personal note, he adds that managing

the interactions of the parties involved was very important and helped him to gain ex-tensive design experience of the wastewater treatment works. “Darling WWTW is dearest to me in the sense that it was my fi rst major project (albeit small in capacity compared to others), which I used to motivate my professional engineering registration with ECSA. I learnt most of my engineering skills on this project.”

International exposureIn addition, he has also gained a lot of inter-national exposure through Aurecon, and other projects he highlights as noteworthy include the Gammams WWTW in Namibia, which has a capacity of 40 Mℓ/d and the Melbourne Eastern Treatment Plant, with a capacity of 400 Mℓ/d.“Gammams WWTW and Melbourne ETP

also indicate the vast experience we have in South Africa to be able to work on major international projects,” says Ramphao.

Dream teamBeing part of a well-adjusted, well-structured and educated team plays a very important role in shaping one’s goals and ensuring you learn to think outside of the box, as well as keeping one motivated and inspired, says Ramphao. “To be in a dream team, it is a sign of the confi dence your peers have in you. It is important that you are regarded as an active participant. Team members who function as active participants take the initiative to help make things happen. I always ask: “What contribution can I make to help the team achieve success?”Ramphao is still at a fairly early stage of his

career and, as such, his potential impact of his career on the industry is only just begin-ning. “I am hoping that my background in water and wastewater treatment will lead to my growth and success. As I grow in my in-coming and subsequent roles, I hope to bring others up the ladder with me, to provide to the personal and professional growth of the

junior team members, in much the same way that the engineers at Aurecon are doing for me. I want to be the employee that is remembered for the problems that became solutions and the unattainable becoming a reality,” concludes Ramphao.

Mpho Ramphao studied Civil Engineering at the University of Cape Town and on completion immediately enrolled for an MSc Eng with a special focus on water and wastewater treatment, which he completed in 2004. He joined the then Ninham Shand in October 2004, one of the heritage fi rms of Aurecon. “All my wastewater knowledge was gained in Ninham Shand/ Aurecon,” says Ramphao.

He specialises in wastewater treatment with a focus on the optimisation of wastewater treatment facilities. His experience ranges from design, construction, commissioning and operation to conventional facilities and nutrient removal (biological and chemical) plants, as well as membrane bioreactors. Additionally, his specifi c expertise in wastewater treatment discipline includes activated sludge treatment with biological nutrient removal, phosphorus precipitation, primary and secondary sedimentation, membrane bioreactor treatment and fi ltration, biological trickling fi ltration, anaerobic digestion, aerobic digestion of waste activated sludge, sludge dewatering, disinfection and pumping.

“In collaboration with internationally acclaimed researchers, I have authored and co-authored eight scientifi c technical papers and have presented on a number of international conferences, with the latest being Ozwater 2011 in Adelaide, Australia. There is a scarcity of water and wastewater process engineers in South Africa and the supply of these skills to the market is basically non-existent,” says Ramphao, adding that this is a skill one acquires through postgraduate studies, which most graduates are not prepared to do.

The conscious transfer of skills to up-and-coming engineers is essential, believes Ramphao. “I value this the most because without it, I would not be where I am. I am where I am because some very special and dedicated people sacrifi ced their time to groom me to be the best I can be. I am of the view that you cannot learn everything in the classroom and that the best skills come by ‘learning on the job’.”

Aurecon has an internal mentorship programme where the major driver is to acquire professional registration in terms of the young graduates. In addition, there is also a performance management review process where everyone’s progress gets tracked. “In my case, I joined the company and was given a task to design a project, given all the freedom to ‘learn and make mistakes’ within limits, aff orded an opportunity to be responsible for the construction site (i.e. engineers’ representative on-site), and also to manage the project and track the budgets and cash fl ows. It normally does not happen this way, and I believe that I just happened to join the company at the right time,” says Ramphao.

BASIC BACKGROUND

BELOW The upgraded treatment works utilises membrane bioreactors for solid-liquid separation

INFRASTRUC TURE NEWS

22 MAY/JUNE 2013

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According to a statement released by Johannesburg Water’s (JW) marketing and communications manager,

Millicent Kabwe, Johannesburg Water has launched a new project that will replace customer meters in order to address the back log in technical faulty meters.According to Kabwe, JW has appointed

seven contractors ‒ Bluestone Trench Technologies, F and A Civils, Letswamotse Civil Engineering, Mapitsi Civil Works, Sakhile Projects, S Monamodi and Daughter, and Sydwell Shabangu Projects ‒ to install approximately 33 000 meters over a period of three months (April, May and June 2013). “The contractors will ensure that the

metering of water being supplied to

JW launches new meter repair projectcustomers is eff ective and effi cient. This will assist JW in recording water fl ow data as well as improve the quality of their water demand and conservation strategy. Customers can also now be more confi dent that they are getting accurate consumption monitoring and billing.”According to the statement,

residents can be assured that all the work that the contractors do will reinstate the state of the meters to what it was previously or make it better. The responsible contractor will repair any new in-stallations that are reported. The project is already up and running, and the meter replacement will be done in areas that fall within the jurisdiction of the city.

REPLACING METERS AND VALVESReplacing the leaking/faulty meters and valves will involve:• raising of meters that have been buried • locating meters that have been labelled “unable

to locate” • where meters are located within customer

properties, these meters will be moved to outside of the customers’ property to create easy access for Johannesburg Water meter reading staff

• meters that are scheduled for replacement will be exchanged with above-ground meters, ensuring they do not become buried again in the future.

“All contract workers will have identi-fi cation cards with them at all times to ensure that residents can identify them. No employee at any stage should be allowed access inside the house; all work will be done outside the houses,” says Kabwe.

The top infrastructure and service delivery stories making the news

INFRASTRUC TURE NEWS

War on leaks gains momentum

The deputy min-ister of Water and Environmental Aff airs, Rejoice

Mabudafhasi, says the war on leaks has gained momentum. She launched the War on Leaks project in Randfontein, Gauteng, on 18 April 2013, in conjunction with the Randfontein Local Municipality, the Independent Development Trust and the Rand Water Foundation.Speaking at the launch, Mabudafhasi

indicated that in order to meet the coun-try’s social and economic developmental needs as outlined by President Jacob Zuma in his 2010 State of the Nation Address, the country has to reduce water loss by half in 2014.The project aims to eradicate water leaks

at household level, educate users about

water conservation, fi x leaks, facilitate skills development and create jobs for young people. Through the War on Leaks project

in Randfontein, 30 local indigent youth were trained and appoint-

ed as Water Conservation Warriors, tasked with

implementing the edu-cation and awareness programme, as well as rolling out the retro-fi tting and leak repair initiative in the region.On the

launch day, Mabudafhasi worked with the Water Conservation Warriors to fi x leaking taps at already identifi ed households expe-riencing water leaks, before awarding the youth with competency certifi cates for a basic plumbing course they had participated in.

Water researcher awarded Order of the Baobab

According to Lubisi, Ekama receives the honour “for his excellent

research that has provided innovative solutions to enhancing and improving

wastewater treatment. His im-portant work is helping the coun-

try to find solutions to water scarcity.”Both South Africans and foreign na-

tionals were officially awarded National Orders at an investiture ceremony held on Freedom Day, on Saturday, 27 April 2013. The ceremony was held under the theme ‘Mobilising society towards consolidating our democracy and freedom’.Lubisi said at the announcement:

“National Orders are the highest awards that a country, through its president, be-stows on its citizens and eminent foreign nationals who have contributed towards the advancement of democracy and who made a significant impact on improving the lives of South Africans. “The National Orders also recognise the contributions

made by individuals who contribut-ed and continue to contribute to a non-racial, non-sexist, democratic and prosperous South Africa as envisaged in our Constitution.”This is the 19th investiture ceremony

since the inception of the National Orders. President Jacob Zuma be-stowed to deserving recipients the Mendi Decoration for Bravery, the Order of Ikhamanga, the Order of the Baobab, the Order of Luthuli, the Order of Mapungubwe and the Order of the Companions of OR Tambo.Currently a professor in the the

Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment’s Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Cape Town, Ekama is also a fellow of several institutions such as the Water Institute of Southern Africa, Royal Society of South Africa, the National Academy of Science and the South African Academy of Engineering.

“The greatest contributors to the water loss were identifi ed to be tap and toilet leaks, which account for 88% of the water loss in Randfontein,” she said.According to the Department of

Water Aff airs and the Randfontein Local Municipality, a total of 3 017 households have been visited and educated about the importance of conserving water.“The Department of Water Aff airs realises

the need for local government support as a lack of capacity and resources hinders the implementation of projects. That is the reason why our department has

embarked on intervention programmes such as the Regional Bulk Infrastructure Grant, to ensure that dilap-idated infrastructure is im-proved, and the Accelerated Community Infrastructure Programme, to ensure that the rectifi cation of water in-frastructure is taking place,” concluded Mabudafhasi.

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“National Orthat a countstows on itsnationals whthe advancemade a signthe lives of Orders also

P rof George Ekama has been awarded the national Order of the Baobab (Silver). This

announcement of South African National Orders for 2013 was made by the Chancellor of the National Orders, Dr Cassius Lubisi, on behalf of the Presidency of South Africa on 22 April 2013.“The Order of the Baobab recog-

nises distinguished service in the fields of business and the economy; science, medicine and technological innovation; and community service,” he said.

MAY/JUNE 2013 23

24 MAY/JUNE 2013

INDUSTRY NEWS HATCH GOBA

Major merger finalised

Solving SA’s supply constraints

Consulting engineering, project management and implementation fi rms Hatch and Goba have announced their merger and now operate as one entity.

The new entity, under the name Hatch Goba, which forms part of the global Hatch group, is a multidiscipli-nary and multisectoral engineering

consultancy delivering infrastructure, mining and metals, and energy projects using world-class practices and processes that will ensure that clients achieve their objectives. Goba’s already established outstanding

reputation for delivery of infrastructure ‒ including major roads, highways, airports and bridges; water and wastewater; mining and industrial infrastructure ‒ coupled with Hatch’s African and global expertise and presence in the mining and metals, energy and infrastructure sectors, has resulted in a new entity with complementary skill sets, regional presence and an expanded client base. Hatch Goba is now able to provide a more

comprehensive service to the mining and metals, energy and infrastructure sectors while ensuring that insight into world-class project management practices is combined

with a deep level of understanding of the local environment to produce excellence for both public and private sector clients. “In the public sector, Hatch Goba is now

able to off er a diff erentiated service to clients who need to fulfi l the mandate of the National Planning Commission and the National Development Plan, which are key to the growth that South Africa needs,” explains Hatch Goba’s chairman, Trueman Goba. “Having worked together on a number of

projects over the past six years, Hatch and Goba have developed a strong relationship with a good cultural fi t. Hatch Goba will have a combined workforce of over 1 500 personnel in South Africa and will continue to give prior-ity to developmental programmes and career opportunities for its

employees. What’s more, ongoing invest-ment in developing local staff will ensure that the specialist skills base in both engineering and large-scale project delivery, which is greatly needed in South Africa, continues to grow,” explains Rory Kirk, Hatch Goba’s man-aging director.

Woyessa and his team ‒ wa-ter resource experts from CUT’s Sustainable Water Resources and Environment

Research Group in the Department of Civil Engineering ‒ believe the answer to solving the country’s dwindling water supply lies in understanding the socio-hydrological dynamics and extreme hydrological events such as fl oods and drought that have be-come more frequent in the past decade.Woyessa says: “In trying to understand the

human-environment dynamics and its im-pact on water resources, a conceptual mod-el that integrates the socio-economic and biophysical environment is being developed by the research group. Research in this area is still in its infancy but some encouraging

Central University of Technology’s (CUT) water resource expert Prof Yali Woyessa offers insight on how best to sustainably optimise South Africa’s water use.

progress has already been made. The main aim of this modelling task is to understand the use of land and management practices, which have negative impacts on water resources. We believe that our research will benefi t the local government departments by providing them with the necessary infor-mation for better decision-making.”An extreme hydrological event monitor-

ing software was developed by CUT lec-turer OJ Gericke - a user-friendly tool used for designing fl ood estimation, essential for the design of hydraulic structures. Gericke has presented this unique soft-

ware at several workshops at the universities of Stellenbosch and Pretoria, impressing their faculty heads with the multitude of applications it can be used for.

Commenting on the future direction of the research and application of the software, Woyessa indicates: “As part of the strategic focus of the research group to grow its capacity and its roles in fi nding solutions to the ever-present water shortage issue, an adjunct processor has been appointed in the Department of Civil Engineering for a period of two years to assist in the enhancement of the outcomes and to make a positive impact in the socio-economic development of the central region of South Africa. “A Centre for Water and Environment

is also being established, creating a platform for researchers to network, in-teract and share knowledge with relevant stakeholders and peer institutions,” con-cludes Woyessa.

Hatch Goba chairman, Trueman Goba, and managing director, Rory Kirk, shaking hands after fi nalisation of the merger

MAY/JUNE 2013 25

ADVERTORIAL

We are interacting with mu-nicipalities in a very direct manner as they are the en-gine room of managing our

water resources, as well as the key interface with the communities as primary clients. The use of our coal-based energy and the move to diversifi cation of the mix towards renewables is where our awareness thrusts are positioned. The water-energy fulcrum is directly interrelated and we strive to dissem-inate thinking and promulgate interaction in this domain,” says Mansoor Mollagee, PEETS director.The core business function of PEETS is in

the energy (focusing on renewables and en-ergy effi ciency) and the environmental space (focusing on water, air and solid waste), with a strong emphasis on waste-to-energy. “With a fi rm bridge between its energy and envi-ronment activities, water treatment solutions for the municipal and mining sectors as well as technical investigations are the bedrock of our eff orts as we expand our footprint in the SMME and large industrial realm,” says Mollagee.PEETS is a newly created unit that focuses

Strategically positioned for maximum impactThe Process, Energy and Environmental Technology Station (PEETS) at the University of Johannesburg’s Doornfontein Campus is strategically positioned to positively impact the wastewater treatment and industrial water treatment sectors in order to optimise the current water usage context.

PEETS

on developing intellectual, technological and well-defi ned practical solutions to the multi-tude of environmental and process-related problems within the local context.

Contextual analysisAccording to Mollagee, South Africa’s semi-arid, water-constrained classifi cation also needs reassessing when considering that R7 billion worth of water is lost or unac-counted for annually. The primary challenges are technical and engineering competence, the inability to carry through on decisions and implement them and, most importantly in the water context, the wasteful use of resources.“More production, whether of water or en-

ergy, is not necessarily more effi cient when the existing resources are not optimally utilised. The effi cient use of water resources ‒ or rather averting water losses ‒ is always a cheaper option than building a new water treatment plant,” says Mollagee.PEETS is involved with all three tiers of

government, namely local, provincial and national, in order to add value to and capaci-tate the process of becoming more eff ective agents of change on a training, auditing, strategic and project development level.

Practical applicationRegionally, PEETS has started by focusing its proposed interventions on KwaZulu-Natal.

“We are looking at creating strategic part-nerships with international investors where they will come and build the plant at no cost to the municipality, recovering their cost per kilolitre through water purchase agreements with the municipalities, over sustained peri-ods of time,” states Mollagee.Obviously, challenges arise around govern-

ance and municipal fi nance management, but these can, to a large degree, be solved through establishing sound public-private partnerships (PPPs). “I think the solution lies in forming solid PPPs driven by technically competent entities, be it us or similar role players, so that the related politics is side-lined,” he continues.A further wastewater focus ‒ and a major

driver in the unit ‒ is the waste-to-energy as-pect. The unit is currently in discussion with Johannesburg Water to roll out a project that assesses the use of the sewage’s low-grade methane emissions to generate electricity.“The problem with waste to energy, par-

ticularly locally, is the cost of rolling out the technology. Our approach as PEETS is going to be very diff erent, looking at localising the technology so that it becomes aff ordable within the South African context.“These interventions are about rolling out

implementable, bankable, scalable pilot projects that feed into government’s drive for increasing human capacity development, technology transfer and job creation.”

BELOW PEETS exhibition stand at the Energy Indaba, Sandton Convention Centre, which was held from 19 to 21 FebruaryBELOW RIGHT Qedani Mahlangu from the Gauteng Department of Infrastructure Development, at the exhibition opening

WORLD WATER DAYINDUSTRY NEWS

Celebrations at Zandspruit informal settlementXylem Water Solutions South Africa has entered into a partnership with Emthonjeni Community Centres and the Rotary Club of Northcliff to help address the growing water-needs of the community residing in the informal settlement of Zandspruit in Gauteng.

World Water Day is held annu-ally on 22 March as a means of focusing attention on the importance of freshwater

and advocating for the sustainable man-agement of freshwater resources. World Water day also happened to fall within South Africa’s Water Week this year, which

26 MAY/JUNE 2013

made this the ideal opportunity to celebrate Xylem’s partnership with Emthonjeni and the Rotary Club of Northcliff , which has come about as an eff ort to help improve the lives of the 70 000 people residing in the informal settlement of Zandspruit. This partnership was offi cially celebrated on World Water Day at Emthonjeni’s premises in Zandspruit. Emthonjeni Community Centres was

established to work alongside the local communities in areas of poverty, to meet their devastating physical, medical, job cre-ation, educational and social needs. When Xylem Water Solutions South Africa heard about Emthonjeni’s valuable work within

the Zandspruit community, the company decided to come on board, along with the Rotary Club of Northcliff , by upgrading the existing water infrastructure at Emthonjeni’s premises in Zandspruit. “Xylem Water Solutions

South Africa is constantly seeking out opportunities to work with best-in-class non-profi t organisations to address the full spectrum of water challenges by provid-ing support in the form of water technology, sanitation equipment and hygiene education. We saw an ideal opportunity with Emthonjeni Community Centres, where we could get involved in supplying water solutions that will contribute to this pivotal community service becoming self- sustainable,” says Heinrich Louw, marketing manager of Xylem Water Solutions South Africa. “Clean water is the foun-

dation of all sustainable development; this initiative will contribute to Emthonjeni’s

vision of bringing sustainable change to the community of Zandspruit informal settle-ment, adds Louise Rivett, MD of Emthonjeni Community Centres.The Rotary Club of Northcliff shares this

sentiment. “Rotary International, together with the Rotary Foundation and WASRAG (Water and Sanitation Rotary Action Group), has been instrumental in providing clean drinking water and hygienic sanitation to communities around the world. The infor-mal settlements in South Africa are often characterised by inadequate basic services like the provision of clean drinking water and sanitation. This lack of water has pro-found implications for human development, which increases the risks of waterborne dis-eases, health and the child mortality rate. We are excited and believe that this joint initiative with Xylem Water Solutions South Africa, Emthonjeni Community Centres and the Rotary Club of Northcliff could make a signifi cant contribution towards food security, enhance academic performance and improve the health of the benefi ciary schools. The combined eff orts of our gov-ernment, the private sector, Rotary and the goodwill of individuals will go a long way in addressing the challenges in South Africa and the developing world, and in our small way contribute to the provision of safe drinking water and hygienic sanitation to communities that are in dire need of this basic right,” says Dean Gounden, president of the Rotary Club of Northcliff .World Water Day witnessed the offi cial

kick-off of the fi rst phase of this newly formed working relationship. Community members from Zandspruit were hosted at Emthonjeni’s premises in Zandspruit to celebrate World Water Day, South African Water Week and the partnership between Xylem, Emthonjeni and the Rotary Club of Northcliff . A hygiene workshop for commu-nity members was presented in cooperation with the City of Johannesburg, along with a very special performance by the world- renowned Soweto Gospel Choir.

BELOW “We saw an ideal opportunity with Emthonjeni Community Centres, where we could get involved in supplying water solutions that will contribute to this pivotal community service becoming self-sustainable,” says Heinrich Louw, marketing manager of Xylem Water Solutions South Africa (pictured far right)

TRC/0103

/E

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WATER QUALITY MANAGEMENT PANEL DISCUSSION

To drink or not to drink?Water quality refers to the chemical, physical and biological characteristics of water, usually in respect to its suitability for an intended purpose; “good quality” water most often implies that the intended purpose is potable water.

Drinking water is of a much better quality than, for example, water for industrial purposes. In order to treat water to the Class 1

standard, as per the SANS 241: 2006 (SANAS standard for Drinking Water), a lot of pro-cesses and innovative technologies are in-troduced. A number of key role players also ensure the quality is maintained through managing, monitoring and, as in the case of the Department of Water Aff airs (DWA), regulating the drinking water environment.The Blue Drop certifi cation programme

was introduced by the DWA as a means of regulation and was designed and implemented with the core objective of

safeguarding the tap water quality man-agement for the citizenry at large.As stated by the DWA in the 2012 Blue Drop Report, this objective stems from “the fact that the livelihood of mankind depends on the avail-ability of clean drinking water”. The nature of water, and thus water

quality, is easily changed and negatively aff ected by both natural processes and human activities, and can vary across locations as sources and infl uences vary, such as seasonal changes, climatic changes and the types of soils, rocks and surfaces through which it moves. Human activities both intentional and unintentional, such as agricultural activities, urban and industrial

development, mining and recreation also have the potential to signifi cantly alter the quality of natural waters and changes the water use potential. In the following panel discussion,

Water&Sanitation Africa seeks to highlight sustainable water quality management in the South African context by interviewing key role players, such as the DWA, the Water Research Commission and Rand Water, as well as key private sector role players, on the importance of maintaining the quality and standard of our drinking water through continued testing, regulation and key sustainable water management initiatives, programmes and processes.

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DEPARTMENT OF WATER AFFAIRS

What would you say is the current water quality context in South Africa? According to the verifi ed analysis of 2011/12, the Blue Drop assessments results indicate that drinking water quality performance per supply system vary from ‘excellent’ to ‘unacceptable’. The report reveals a signifi cant improvement, which serves as evidence of the positive impact this Blue Drop incentive-based regulation approach has on the South African water sector.The national microbiological

compliance for South African tap water in 2009 was measured at 93.3% against

Ntombizanele Mary Bila-Mupariwadeputy director: Water Services Regulation

the South African National Standards 241; this increased to 97.3% in the 2012 reporting cycle. The overall national drinking water compliance fi gure is recorded at 98% (based upon microbiological, chemical, physical and organoleptic data).

How is this context changing? Between 2009 and 2012 there has been signifi cant improvement in the number of Blue Drop awards and Blue Drop scores (see Table 1). However, there are some towns that require improvement and further support in order to deal with the challenges that they are experiencing.

How is DWA contributing to this changing context? The department realises the need for local government support

in areas where there is a real drive to comply; however, the lack of capacity and resources compromises local government’s performance. Two of the major interventions by the department are the Regional Bulk Infrastructure Grant (RBIG), to ensure that rundown infrastructure is improved, and the Rapid Response Unit, which ensures the rectifi cation of mechanical and civil infrastructure faults.

What are the primary challenges to ensuring optimal water quality?There is need for improvement in the following areas:• commitment and competency in water managerial positions

• skilled process controlling• competent plant managers• asset management • fl ow management and planning (water quantity)

• disaster management• fi nancial management • high staff

turnaround within municipalities (skills)• plant operation and maintenance.

How do you envision these challenges being overcome?The department continues to undertake training and support initiatives to improve the skills of process controllers in order to improve operation and maintenance. Councillor’s induction training, which is run by the department, also improves the commitment and competency in water managerial positions.

Which water quality projects would you like to highlight?• the Blue Drop certifi cation programme ‒ measures, monitors and reports drinking water quality in South Africa each year

• Regulatory Performance Measurement System ‒ assesses, evaluates and reports overall water management business in municipalities

• funding for access to

Category 2009 2010 2011 2012 Trend

Number of municipalities audited 107 153 162 153 ↓

Number of water systems audited 402 787 914 931 ↑

Number of Blue Drop awards 25 38 66 98 ↑

National Blue Drop score (%) 51.4 67.2 72.9 87.6 ↑

WATER QUALITYPANEL DISCUSSION

30 MAY/JUNE 2013

TABLE 1 Blue Drop assessment analysis (national)

MAY/JUNE 2013 31

PANEL DISCUSSION

drinking water in urban and rural areas, including the Municipal Infrastructure Grant, RBIG and Accelerated Community Infrastructure Programme, which provides accelerated implementation of water services

• the National Water Resource Strategy 2 (NWRS-2) ‒ a key focus area is drinking water access and quality

• DWA and Water Resource Group partnership (Strategic Water Partners Network (SPWN)) ‒ water demand management, leak and loss reduction

• a water effi ciency assessment and evaluation tool (under development) ‒ to establish baseline water footprint and water effi ciency with a scorecard with incentive criteria to reduce water ineffi ciencies

• Water Off setting Policy Framework draft ‒ aligns with NWRS-2 for partnerships to reduce water ineffi ciencies in an incentive-based approach

How important are initiatives such as Blue and Green Drop? The approach to water quality changed in 2008 with the introduction of alternative regulation approaches, with the primary objective of improving the quality of water services. Blue Drop and Green Drop certifi cation were adopted as key regulatory programmes geared to recognise ‘excellence’. These

programmes have achieved signifi cant success and triggered a paradigm shift within the wastewater service and drinking water quality management domain.

How does the DWA feel the Blue and Green Drop awards have aff ected performance to date? It is encouraging to note the increase in the number of towns getting the Blue and Green Drop awards. This shows continuous commitment and improvement in both drinking water and wastewater management. The department is looking

forward to the release of the Green Drop Report in July.

What would you say is the current wastewater quality context in South Africa? The data in Table 2 projects a very positive refl ection of progress in wastewater treatment plants in South Africa. The overall picture is positive and it seems the country as a whole has managed to contain and then turnaround the risk. The regulator regards this trend as encouraging; however, plants that remain in or have digressed into critical and higher risk categories will be placed under regulatory surveillance.

How is this context changing? The 2013 Green Drop Assessment Report will be released at the 4th

Municipal Water Quality Conference, which takes place in Sun City from 7 to 11 July. The report will also indicate the trend of the risk profi le as well as the Green Drop Scores.

What are some of the DWA’s latest innovations in

the wastewater quality context? The Green Drop incentive-based regulation is an innovative means that seeks to identify and develop the core competencies required for the sector that, if strengthened, will gradually and sustainably improve the level of wastewater management in South Africa. The Green Drop system was also developed to

be used as a regulatory tool to be used by the water services institutions to upload their water quality data.The Wastewater Risk

Abatement Plan (W2RAP) for wastewater has a similar approach to water safety planning for drinking water supply systems. W2RAP is the fi rst of its kind globally. It’s an approach that allows institutions to identify and prioritise critical risks within the supply of drinking water and treatment of wastewater and to take corrective measures to abate these risks. Risk analysis is used by the regulator to identify, quantify and manage the corresponding risks according to their potential

impact on the water resource (and human health) and to ensure prioritised and targeted regulation of institutions.The following are water

and wastewater quality lessons learnt: • replication of successful models across diff erent disciplines

• fi nd someone doing something ‘right’ and share it/publish this achievement

• name and shame is a powerful awareness raiser to focus political principles attention and solicit resources support

• a risk-based approach helps to focus attention and resources to areas where most urgent action is needed

• (always) establish a reliable baseline from where progress can be monitored, then put incentives in place to reach reasonable targets ‒ a

scientifi c credible process is non-negotiable

• what is working for other countries does not necessarily provide a model for South African situations or scenarios

• put more emphasis on track record and performance guarantees when using services providers

• retain competent technical staff when investing in capacity building; appoint strong technical and project managers and ensure capacity building is a KPI in the agreement.

Performance category 2008 2009 2011 2012 Risk trend

Highest CRR 25 29 32 28 ↓

Average CRR 13.5 13.3 13.6 12.3 ↓

Lowest CRR 5 4 3 2 ↓

Average design rating (A) 2.5 1.4 1.4 1.4 →

Average capacity exceedance rating (B) 3.3 3.7 4.1 3.8 ↓

Average effl uent failure rating (C) 3.2 5.7 5.7 4.7 ↓

Average technical skills rating (D) 1.7 2.4 2.6 2.5 ↓

Average % deviation from maximum CRR

67.0 66.8 69.2 66.0 ↓

The Cumulative Risk Ratio (CRR) = A x B + C + D

TABLE 2 Cumulative risk comparitive analysis

What would you say is the current water quality context in South Africa?There are limited raw water resources and these are under increasing threat of pollution and a lack of skills required to perform water treatment. In addition, the increasing cost of chemicals is also having a negative eff ect on water quality.

How is this context changing? Further strains to the system are becoming apparent ‒ biological water pollution and waterborne disease is becoming an increasing threat, for example.

How is Rand Water contributing to this changing context? We aim to change the context by investing in research and development into the optimisation of treatment processes to ensure safe water in future.

What are the primary challenges to ensuring optimal water quality?I would have to say that the biggest challenge is access to adequate resources and the lack of buy-in to a holistic approach to water quality (by all parties in the water supply chain).

Which technology would you highlight as key to ensuring water quality at Rand Water? The roll-out of real-time/online water quality monitoring throughout the bulk water supply system has made a signifi cant impact.

Where do you think the industry’s focus should be to ensure continued water quality? On the protection of South Africa’s limited raw water resources, the optimisation of treatment processes and educating the population on wise water use.

How important is continuous testing and maintenance processes in ensuring water quality?Water safety plans promote the importance of good water quality through-out the water supply chain (catchment to tap). This requires continuous

monitoring ‒ resulting in corrective action when necessary ‒ and maintenance to ensure optimal functioning of the water treatment process.

How important are initiatives such as Blue and Green Drop? These are extremely important in the water industry as they give substance to the sustainable supply of water services and the importance of good water quality.

How has Rand Water performed in the Blue and Green Drop awards to date?Rand Water has been the top performing municipality/water board partnership nationally (Rand Water/Ekurhuleni) and is the water services provider to four of the top 10 municipalities, namely Johannesburg, Tshwane, Ekurhuleni and Mogale City.

RAND WATER

WATER QUALITY PANEL DISCUSSION

MAY/JUNE 2013 33

LEFT Zuikerbosch Water Purifi cation PlantBELOW Tweefontein Waste Water Treatment Plant

Supplying Superior Quality Water since 1903

34 MAY/JUNE 2013

WATER QUALITYPANEL DISCUSSION

WATER RESEARCH COMMISSION (WRC)

What is the current water quality context? The current concerns with water quality in South Africa are diverse, complex and dynamic. South Africa is a dry country, with an average rainfall of 450 mm per annum, which is far below the global average of 860 mm per annum. Apart from low rainfall, there are several other factors, such as climate change, population growth, an expanding economy, water pollution and international obligations, which limit the availability of freshwater resources in South Africa. In short, the scarcity of freshwater resources and impacts of water pollution (eutrophication, acidifi cation and toxic contamination) on water quality and ultimately on human health, cost of drinking water treatment and the impact on ecosystems are some of the challenges facing the South African water sector at present. Specifi cally, South Africa’s

water quality is at risk from poorly treated municipal waste, industrial effl uent and fertiliser run-off from agriculture. Most of the nitrogen and phosphorus released into the environment comes from these three sources. In high concentrations these nutrients can lead to eutrophication. Additionally, heavy metal and radionuclide contamination, acid mine drainage, salinity increases, increased suspended solids levels, bacterial and viral pathogens, pesticide/insecticide contamination, and contamination with estrogen and estrogen-mimicking substances are some of the other key water quality risks confronting the South African water sector. The current situation is further worsened by the inadequate water treatment and sewage treatment plant infrastructure and shortage of skilled plant operators.

How is this context changing? While there are clear indications that the water quality in South Africa has deteriorated over the past 20 years, there is at least hope for change moving forward. However, South Africa will need to adopt an advanced and smart water management approach. And indeed the revised version of the National Water Resources Strategy (NWRS-2) is expected to set the strategic direction for water resources management in the country over the next 20 years. With regards to drinking water, the latest results of the Blue Drop certifi cation programme have shown a signifi cant improvement in the management of drinking water quality. The overall national Blue Drop assessment score increased from 72.9% in 2011 to 87.6% in 2012.

How is the WRC contributing to this changing context?The Water Research Commission (WRC) has led and coordinated a wide range of research projects, tackling the many challenges facing the South African water sector. In an eff ort to address water quality degradation due to industrial pollution, the WRC has also entered into a number of strategic research partnerships with industry. Research conducted in this regard covers aspects of water quality and quantity, with special emphasis on mitigation of the eff ects of pollution. A number of research projects are also aligned to the government’s outcomes and directly support policy and decision-making in the water sector. For example, a recent study on the South African water sector institutional landscape identifi ed scenarios relating to the governance of water to assist policymakers and stakeholders to develop

strategies that will lead towards a desired future. Apart from knowledge generation, the WRC also fosters human capital development in the water sector. The WRC aims at providing South Africa with future researchers as well as a source of skilled human capital for other institutions within the water sector. Recently,

the WRC participated in the fi rst Local Government Sector Education Training Authority pre-scoping meeting for the occupational qualifi cation related to water, the purpose of the meeting was to determine and defi ne the curriculum scope for water-related occupational qualifi cations for the local government sector. Through research, important contributions have been made, such as production of user-friendly systems that help water service providers to deal with the various technical issues related to operation and maintenance of small water treatment plants, which impact upon the quantity and quality of potable water before distribution. We believe that such projects have had a signifi cant impact on social, health and economic issues, as well as on the sustainability of the environment.

What are the primary challenges to ensuring optimal water quality?Although the 2012

Blue Drop results indicate an improvement in the quality of drinking water in South Africa, the South African water sector still faces an array of water quality management challenges. Some of these issues include lack of capacity at purifi cation plants, both

in terms of numbers of staff and the skills of existing staff ; purifi cation plants are not able to cope with demand; and poor maintenance of purifi cation plants and infrastructure. In addition, there is a need to enforce measurement and reporting for all water service providers nationally to ensure compliance to the stipulated water quality standards.

How do you envision these challenges being overcome?There is a need for more specifi c strategic policy and localised actions to water quality challenges. The ongoing revision of the National Water Resource Strategy and ultimately the Catchment Management Strategies for water management areas and Catchment Management Plans for individual catchments is a step towards the right direction. Already plans

Dr Nonhlanhla Kalebailaresearch manager: Drinking Water Treatment and Quality

MAY/JUNE 2013 35

are under way for a multi-stakeholder and possibly sector-based engagement approach to formulate action plans to address water quality defi ciencies and identify appropriate monitoring programmes to assess progress. Compliance to the South African National Water Standards (SANS 241) must be enforced for all water users and service providers. Lastly, a national audit of water purifi cation skills and purifi cation plants capacity must be undertaken in order to address the gaps, and develop and implement preventive maintenance programmes for all purifi cation plants.

Which projects would you like to highlight? The WRC funds a number of water quality-related projects, with a major infl uence on public health. The threat to public health by emerging contaminants, particularly the endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs), present the most compelling reasons to be constantly informed about the quality of our water resources. In view of this, the WRC has maintained a focus on EDCs

in water since 1998 and has also been a partner in several global research initiatives relating to this topic. One of the studies completed recently was aimed at developing a framework for deriving EDC guidelines in drinking water, further providing water resource managers with a catchment perspective to EDC management. The proposed framework recommends a precautionary, risk-based, tiered approach, whereby trigger

values for oestrogen activity are derived and screening for active compounds in the water environment takes precedence over testing for specifi c target chemicals. Any indication of oestrogenic activity in excess of the recommended trigger value would necessitate further investigation and testing of the water in question. Another new WRC study is

focusing on the presence, levels and potential implications of HIV antiretrovirals in drinking, treated and natural water,

which is yet another critical WRC-funded project aimed at establishing the extent of water quality deterioration as a result of the HIV pandemic in South Africa. Results from this study will give an overview on the extent of antiretroviral-related contamination in our water. In addition, results from this study will be instrumental in assessing the risk of resistance development in HIV-positive people and most importantly give an insight on their removal

effi ciencies in wastewater treatment plants.With regards to drinking

water safety, the study entitled “Web enablement of a Water Safety Plan and Incorporation of Existing Similar Supply System Assessment Tool” introduces the concept of Water Safety Planning to water service providers and highlights key steps to be considered when developing a Water Safety Plan. This study also provides a step-by-step guidance as to how the Water

Safety Plan Tool can be used to ensure acceptable drinking water quality that does not exceed the numerical limits stipulated in the South African National Standard for drinking water (SANS 241). The Water Safety Plan Tool requires the implementation of an integrated water quality management plan, which includes a risk assessment and risk management approach from catchment to point of delivery. Once the risk has been identifi ed, control measures can be put into place to mitigate it. The process also needs to identify systems by which these measures are implemented and monitored. Management plans describing actions taken during normal operation or incident conditions and documenting the system assessment (including upgrade and improvement), monitoring and communication plans and supporting programmes, should be included. In so doing, the process allows for better understanding of water supply systems and ensures the safety of drinking water.

Where do you think the industry’s focus should be to ensure continued water quality? Mining is the industry sector with the largest water quality impact (by volume) in South Africa. Mining and industry can potentially have signifi cant impacts on water quality if effl uent release and water use are not appropriately managed. Thus a strong focus on effl uent management as means of reducing water quality impacts at a system or catchment level is encouraged. Industries need to constantly manage effl uent from the source prior to discharge, develop waste treatment and water reclamation systems, protect aff ected aquatic ecosystems, support water sanitation projects or provide fi nancial resources for waste treatment.

There is a need for more specific strategic policy and localised actions to water quality challenges

PANEL DISCUSSION

MAY/JUNE 2013 37

What is the current water quality situation in South Africa? Slowly but surely, South Africans are being forced to contemplate the inconvenient truth of water being on the endangered list. The increasingly limited access to this once plentiful resource is resulting in water taking centre stage in all our thinking.For the most part, we’ve been

a culture that just ‘turns on the taps’ ‒ at worst we need to walk to a tap, but something comes out. High water costs, especially in the commercial and industrial sectors, are forcing professionals and government alike to rethink their potable use. Not only is the bottom line aff ected, but the future of water security impacts on continued operations and expansion of South Africa as a nation. It’s no surprise that the

whole subject of water savings has now become a growing business and, as with any new and fashionable sector, there

are both experts and pretenders swimming in the same proverbial pond.

Should water conservation get more of a focus? How should South Africans approach the subject of water conservation? A strategic understanding is required by answering questions like: What your water is used for, how much is needed and where is your water being used? Answering these questions by means of a simple fl ow chart brings a visual perspective to what’s going on behind all the taps and the pipes in our walls.One of the key

fi ndings the fl ow chart will reveal is that many of our water uses don’t require the quality drinking water that they currently use, for example toilet fl ushing, washing and industrial cooling, to name a few.

This forces other questions... do you wish to own and operate the equipment required to take responsible courses of action and enjoy the savings they off er? Do you want to commit to a particular technology? What is the cost of water going to be?

How important is water security and water quality?All these questions impact on the decision to buy equipment or to partner with a company

to provide sustainable water solutions.As a company concerned

with water security, we take a strategic look at primary use, reuse, potential savings and

alternative sources of water. Factors that shape our thinking include the fact

that all our municipal water is treated to potable standards, but less than 1% is used for drinking.Also, wastewater from

domestic sources consist, on average, of 20% black (toilet) water and 80% grey (washing) water, which can be treated and reused. Then there’s the issue of rainwater harvesting, which proves to be fi nancially

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38 MAY/JUNE 2013

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MAY/JUNE 2013 39

REGIONAL FOCUSWESTERN CAPE

Sustainability has been a key focus in upgrading the Grabouw Sewage Treatment Works. Civil, water, and renewable energy engineering consultant at GIBB Dave Crombie discusses the unique and often challenging project with Chantelle Mattheus.

Sustainable solutions sought

GIBB tendered successfully to design the upgrades and exten-sions to the Grabouw Sewage Treatment Works, which will pro-

vide increased sewage treatment capacity for the residents of Grabouw,” says Crombie .The leading multidisciplinary engineering

company was chosen on the basis of its vast expertise and a proven track record in renewable energy projects.Grabouw forms part of the

Theewaterskloof Municipality, a local municipality that falls under the jurisdiction of the Overberg District Municipality in the Western Cape.The municipality identifi ed the need for

the upgrade in 2007 and appointed GIBB as the consulting engineer to design the works required. “Phase 1 is now complete and has been

commissioned. Phase 2 is currently under

way, and includes additional biological reac-tors and clarifi ers,” says Crombie.

Innovative insightAccording to Crombie, an innovative approach to the design was the inclusion of an unusual method for particulate COD (chemical oxygen demand) and suspended

solids removal for further treatment in a composting plant. The upgraded sewage treatment process makes use of a unique combination of equipment, in an innovative manner. “Specifi cally, the process of taking dewatered sludge from the incoming raw sewage directly to composting is being used for the fi rst time in the world,” says Crombie.

The upgrade has, however, not been without its challenges, one of which was the extended process for gaining environmental approval, which was surprising, considering the public support for the project, according to Crombie.A further challenge was phasing the work

to fi t in with several options for funding and the resulting cash fl ow con-straints. “We also successfully as-sisted a civil contractor through a diffi cult cash fl ow situation while he was busy on this site,” says Crombie.“The innovative nature of the

new process caught the imagination of the contractors, equipment suppliers and, most signifi cantly, the municipal offi cials and pro-cess controllers, and all have contributed to a successful team eff ort,” says Crombie.

The innovative nature of the new process caught the imagination of the contractors, and the municipal officials and process controllers

Phase 1 has been completed and at the time of going to print phase 2 was underway

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Rewarding progressFor Crombie, the project has a number of highlights. “Getting the support of the municipality for an unconventional approach to achieving the sustainability objectives they had set, was very encouraging. The commissioning was another highlight ‒ this was completed in a very short time, and achieving the correct operation did not pose many diffi culties.”According to Crombie, a further benefi t of this design approach

for the communities ‒ both in Grabouw and further afi eld ‒ is the energy effi ciency of the works. In addition, the method of directly processing the incoming sewage particulate matter to produce compost is sure to fi nd application elsewhere where there is a need for the upgrading of existing sewage treatment works and for new sewage treatment works. “The specifi c restraints and attributes of the Grabouw Sewage Treatment Works have leant themselves to this approach, but these circumstances are not unique,” says Crombie.Ultimately, the upgrade will mostly have a direct benefi t for the

local communities, as Crombie indicates. “The upgrading of the sewage works is set to unlock the moratorium on property devel-opment. With this, the local economy will receive a boost, as well as facilitate an increase in employment opportunities.“The fi nal product ‒ compost ‒ has use in landscaping, initially

along a barren constructed berm next to a major road running adjacent to the community. This will facilitate the establishment of vegetation to enhance the environment for them and for those travelling by. The product can also be used as a supplement in

BELOW The composting plant was supplied by subcontractor HotRot

REGIONAL FOCUS

MAY/JUNE 2013 41

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the fruit tree orchards.” The design fl ow is 8.5 Mℓ/d and produces some 5 to 10 t of compost per day.

A team eff ortThe client, or employer in this case, is the Theewaterskloof Municipality, with Lektratek Water Technology appointed as the mechanical and electrical contractor (including screens and composting plant), with subcontractors Salsnes for the screens and HotRot for the composting plant. “The hull of the composting plant was fabricated using precast concrete units specially manufactured by Cape Concrete,” explains Crombie.Subcontractor for the electrical work was

Service Electrical, the civil contractor was Nammic Engineering and GIBB was the project consultant.The entire team’s collaboration served to

ensure the project progress. “The embracing of the unusual aspects of this plant by the contractors facilitated the implementation and commissioning of the new plant,” explains Crombie. He says the most exciting aspect was the enthusiasm with which the process controllers received, and are

applying the training in the operation of this new plant. Approximately 30 people were involved at the peak of construction, both on- and off -site during fabrication and construction. “Eight permanent staff are re-quired to operate the plant, which operates 24 hours a day,” concludes Crombie.

WESTERN CAPEREGIONAL FOCUS

Monitoring of school boreholes under way

SRK Consulting, a leading group of consulting engineers and scientists, was part of the project commissioned by the Department

of Transport and Public Works, in which it un-dertook feasibility studies for 15 new schools in the province to establish whether enough groundwater was available. Through the drilling of production

boreholes and the conducting of pump-ing tests, SRK was able to recommend that 12 schools pursue the process of extracting groundwater.This year, a groundwater monitoring

programme using fl owmeters and pres-sure transducers has been initiated at eight schools .“A vital component of ensuring a sustaina-

ble supply of groundwater is to implement a monitoring programme,” said Leon Groenewald, principal hydrogeologist at SRK. “We installed fl owmeters to record the total volume of water that is being abstracted, and pressure transducers record the water level in each borehole on an hourly basis.”The aim of the monitoring, said

Monitoring of groundwater usage is under way at a number of schools in the Western Cape, following a programme to use less municipality-supplied water to irrigate sports fi elds and other open spaces at newly built schools.

Groenewald, is to set up a long-term record of groundwater abstraction at each school. “This record will assist in making informed

decisions regarding the sustainable abstrac-tion of the groundwater resources,” he said. “Once a record of water level and volumes pumped has been established, the client can be advised to either reduce the pumping rate or, if the impact of abstraction is acceptable, to increase the rate or leave it as is.”The initial irrigation demand levels used

during the planning process were based on a weekly irrigation application of 25 to 35 mm. “The monitoring has shown, however, that

the actual demand during the fi rst season of irrigation ranged between 40 and 60 mm,” he said. “This is information that will be impor-tant for future groundwater developments at new schools.”Groenewald adds that the monitoring has

also shown that the level of management of the abstraction should be related to the yield of the borehole. “The strong boreholes on this project do

not show an impact yet, mainly because the demand is lower than the supply, whereas

the lower yielding boreholes show a more immediate impact,” he said. “The lower yield-ing boreholes would therefore need stricter management guidelines.”For one of the boreholes in this programme

(illustrated in the graph), the recommended pumping rate was 0.9 ℓ/s, while the actual pumping rate was about 1.2 ℓ/s. “The result was that the water level in the

borehole reached the pump inlet after a cou-ple of hours of pumping,” said Groenewald. “The monitoring showed that the recovery of the water level is still good and that the main problem is that the pump is oversized.”He emphasised the importance of monitor-

ing as a strategy to improve decision-making. “To date, the monitoring has shown that deep pumping levels are caused by over-sized pumps and also possible biofouling of screens,” he said.The monitoring will continue for at least a

year, so that it spans a summer and winter season, after which time management rec-ommendations will be made.

Drilling of emergency water supply borehole for a rural school in the Grabouw area

42 MAY/JUNE 2013

REGIONAL FOCUS

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In implementing the initial studies, SRK conducted a hydrocensus and a de-tailed geophysical survey before drilling began to ensure the highest chance of striking groundwater. “We complete the groundwater investiga-

tion in the early stages of the overall project so that the landscaping planners know what volume of groundwater is available,” said Groenewald. “They can then plan the size of the school’s green areas accordingly.”Previously, he said, the design of the

sports fi elds and green areas was often done without a clear picture of the avail-able groundwater. “The way this school project has been planned allows the pro-ject managers to avoid a situation where the water requirements of the green areas are higher than the yield of the borehole,” he said.

In another project, SRK was requested to assist with establishing an emergency wa-ter supply for a rural school in the Grabouw area. The school was not connected to a municipal supply and no other source of water was available, so water was being trucked in on a daily basis. “The steel casing of the existing borehole

was starting to rust and clay was entering the cavity,” said Groenewald. “We followed the same process as we did at the other schools: conducting a geophysical survey to locate the best possible position for drilling the new borehole, rather than drill-ing blindly next to the existing borehole. We did this because no data was available on the old borehole, and we wanted to minimise the risk of drilling a dry or low-yielding borehole.”The blowout yield of the new borehole

was about 5 ℓ/s, indicating suffi cient fl ow for the purpose. The whole process ‒ from the geophysical survey to the equipping of the borehole, fi tting of a pump and connecting up to the existing reticulation infrastructure, took about two weeks.

ABOVE Irrigation of newly seeded sports fi elds in the Western Cape, using groundwater from a successful boreholeBELOW The groundwater level monitoring at a school where a low-yielding borehole was established

MAY/JUNE 2013 43

WESTERN CAPEREGIONAL FOCUS

Swartland Pipeline nears completion

According to Holderness, the project’s back-ground is fairly simple. A 525 mm Nominal Diameter (ND) steel pipeline currently runs between the Swartland Water Treatment

Works at Voëlvlei Dam and the Kasteelberg Reservoirs at Riebeek West. “The pipeline was constructed in the 1970s and is the main bulk water supply line for seven towns in the Swartland municipal area. The West Coast District Municipality’s 2010 Water Master Plan identifi ed the need for an additional parallel pipeline to meet future water requirements, mitigate the risk associated with having a single bulk supply line and to allow downtime for mainte-nance work on the existing pipeline,” says Holderness.The fi ve municipalities falling under the West

Coast District Municipality are:• Swartland Municipality• Bergrivier Municipality• Matzikama Municipality• Cederberg Municipality• Saldanha Bay Municipality.The Swartland Regional Water Supply Scheme supplies

Yzerfontein, Malmesbury, Darling, Riebeek West, Riebeek-Kasteel, Gouda and farms along the route with water it ab-stracts from the Voelvlei Dam, where it is treated as well. The allocation from the dam to the Swartland Regional Water Supply Scheme is 4.2 million cubic metres per year. Additionally, barring a few of the small towns that are

Construction of phases 1 and 2 of the Swartland Bulk Water Pipeline in Gouda, Western Cape, commenced in May last year and has reached the fi nal stages with an estimated completion date of mid-2013, Ehrane Holderness, UWP Consulting principal engineer, tells Chantelle Mattheus.

heavily reliant on fi shing, the majority of the economy is bolstered by agricultural endeavours in the region, for which a continued sustained supply is a necessity.Therefore the impact of the project on the local water

supply network and the surrounding communities’ continued ability to access good quality drinking water cannot be underestimated, with the project set to ensure that the district is able to meet water requirements of the current supply area until 2040.

Project outlineThe project, with an estimated cost of R70 million, in-volves the construction of a new 600 mm ND bulk water pumping main between the Swartland Water Treatment Works at Voëlvlei Dam and the Kasteelberg Reservoirs, ex-plains Holderness. “The new pipeline must be constructed in parallel with the existing pipeline and be located in the existing 10 m wide servitude.” The 17-km-long pipeline is a rising main with a static ele-

vation diff erence of 225 m. A surge analysis was conduct-ed during the design stage in order to determine the type and extent of surge mitigation measures required, as well as the class of pipes to be used. The high-pressure section of the pipeline will be constructed of continuously welded steel pipes and the low pressure section with ductile iron pipes. Four tie-ins must be provided between the old and new pipeline for maintenance purposes.“The pipeline incorporates surge mitigation measures

such as air valves and check valves. The upgrading of the pump station to meet future water requirements and the provision of surge protection measures at the pump station do not fall within UWP’s scope of work,” explains Holderness.

Phased approachConstruction of Phase 2 commenced in winter 2012 in or-der to optimise the use of funding in the applicable fi nan-cial year, says Holderness. She adds that above-average rainfall over a three-month period hampered construction progress and the works were therefore temporarily sus-pended for a one-month period. “This was necessitated by concerns over quality control as well as problematic access to site owing to the wet conditions.”Additionally, the pipeline route runs mainly across pri-

vate agricultural land and construction access had to be negotiated with landowners. “Although aff ected parties

44 MAY/JUNE 2013

The pipeline incorporates surge mitigation measures such as air valves and check valves

REGIONAL FOCUS

46 MAY/JUNE 2013

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were very forthcoming in this regard, careful planning around the movement of construction vehicles was re-quired during harvesting periods,” says Holderness.At the project’s peak, approximately 35 workers were

on-site, including operators and supervisory staff .

Diff erentiating factorsAccording to Holderness, what makes this project

diff erent is the use of ductile iron pipes for the low- pressure zones and continuously welded steel pipes in the

high-pressure zones. “Ductile iron was the preferred mate-rial from a fi nancial point of view. However, continuously welded steel pipe was used in the high-pressure zones as insuffi cient space was available in the servitude for the thrust blocks associated with ductile iron pipes.”In addition, phasing of the project was required in line

with the availability of municipal funds. “During Phase 1, 8 450 m of standard 600 mm ND Class K9 ductile iron pipes were ordered in advance. Phase 2, which will be completed in June 2013, entails the construction of 2 650 m of continuously welded 600 mm ND steel pipe and 9 050 m of 600 mm ND ductile iron pipe, of which 600 m was manufactured with restraining joints,” contin-ues Holderness.Phase 3 of the project will commence in 2014 and will

entail the supply and construction of 2 600 m of 600 mm ND steel pipe and 1 900 m of 600 mm ND Class 30 ductile iron pipe.However, the design for the entire project was complet-

ed prior to Phase 2 commencing, says Holderness.

PRIMARY ROLE PLAYERSClient: West Coast District Municipality (Contract Engineer: Nic Faasen)Consulting Engineers: UWP ConsultingContractor: JVZ Construction

The 17-km long pipeline is a rising main with a static elevation difference of 225 m

REGIONAL FOCUS

MAY/JUNE 2013 47

Challenging contextAlthough the civil engineering aspects of the project are fairly straightforward, with no new technologies, process-es or procedures really being implemented, this does not mean the project has been without its challenges.According to Holderness, these included diffi cult ac-

cessibility to the site via informal dirt roads, which was exacerbated by wet conditions during the Western Cape rainy season. In addition, all construction activities such as stringing of pipes, excavation and storing of the topsoil for reuse had to be accommodated on a narrow servitude, and commercial bedding and ready-mix concrete had to be transported through private farmlands.

“The highlight will be the successful completion of the interconnecting chambers and successful hydro-static pressure testing of all the installations,” con-cludes Holderness.

SUBCONTRACTORS & SUPPLIERSSubcontractors:• Donnies Steel – welding of pipe joints• Subtech – magnetic particle testing of fi llet weld joints• Khubeka – construction of valve chambers• RITC – radiographic testing of butt weldsSub-consultants:• IQS International – third-party welding inspections• Jeff ares & Green – environmental control offi cer• Hayleth Gunter & Associates – health & safety auditor• EnviroAfrica – environmental impact assessment• SRK Consulting – geotechnical investigation• RWCS – third-party ductile iron pipe inspections• Waterfl ow Systems Software (Pty) Ltd. – surge analysis Primary suppliers:• Vakala Construction/L&G Pipes JV – ductile iron pipes

for Phase 1• L&G Pipes – ductile Iron pipes for Phase 2

(manufactured by Xinxing Ductile Iron Pipes)• CSP Engineering and Fabrication – steel pipes

(manufactured by Capital Star Steel)• Ultra Control Valves – air valves (manufactured by

ARI valves)• Nolada 8 – gate valves (manufactured by DVD valves)

and check valve (manufactured by Noreva)• Blue Drop – manufacturing and supply of steel specials

The new pipeline must be constructed in parallel with the existing pipeline

WESTERN CAPEREGIONAL FOCUS

Pearly Beach uses ultrafi ltration membrane technology

The ultrafi ltration membrane plant, which is manufactured locally, was specially constructed to provide for both the town’s current and

anticipated future requirements, as well as for new developments in the area, such as a caravan park,” says Smit.Pearly Beach, which falls under the ju-

risdiction of the Overstrand Municipality, was historically supplied with water from the Pearly Beach Dam. The Pearly Beach Dam is supplied with water from existing fountains. This water is typical fountain water and is of very good quality, according to both Smit and Henk Aartsma, principal technical manager: Water Sector, AECOM. Treatment of this water comprised only

The need for two separate water treatment requirements at different locations in the Western Cape holiday town of Pearly Beach has been resolved with a single solution: the use of ultrafi ltration membrane technology, Herman Smit of Quality Filtration Systems tells Chantelle Mattheus.

fi ltration using sand fi lters located at the existing Pearly Beach Reservoir and disinfec-tion by means of chlorination. The existing sand fi lters, pipework and valves at the Pearly Beach Reservoir, however, were due for replacement.

Caravan park prioritiesThe caravan park in the region was not sup-plied with water from the Pearly Beach Dam, but was supplied with water from a diff erent dam referred to as “Koekemoer se Dam”. Aartsma adds: “Water supplied from this dam is typical of the Western Cape ‘brown’ coloured water due to organic matter and therefore treatment was required.”During the development of the Pearly

Beach caravan park in 2007, water supply to the caravan park would be integrated into the water supply system of the Pearly Beach town. To this eff ect, one condition in the services agreement between the developer,

PSP Properties, and the Overstrand Municipality was twofold:i) that untreated water be allocated from an existing dam on a sepa-rate property of PSP Properties to meet the water requirements of the said development due to the limitation in the yield from the Pearly Beach Dam

ii) PSP Properties was required to implement a water treatment facility for the treatment of water for the caravan park develop-ment as the water from its dam is typical of the Western Cape ‘brown’ coloured water (due to organic matter).

On completion, the water treat-ment facility and related infrastruc-ture for the development would be handed over to the Overstrand Municipality for the operation and maintenance thereof.“Based on the cost comparison,

water quality considerations as

well as operation and maintenance con-siderations, the construction of a single water treatment works (WTW) for both the Pearly Beach town and the new caravan park development was preferred to having two separate WTWs, which would require replacing the existing sand fi lters, pipework and valves for the Pearly Beach town,” explains Aartsma. According to both Aartsma and Smit, the

advantages of increasing the capacity of the required water treatment facility for the caravan park development include the following:• high water losses associated with back-washing the sand fi lters will be eliminated

• operation and maintenance costs of a single water treatment facility for Pearly Beach should be lower compared to two water treatment facilities

• treatment of water using membrane fi ltra-tion technology will produce higher quality water compared to sand fi ltration.

Overstrand Municipality therefore under-took a feasibility study of the diff erent options and this resulted in the selection of the ultrafi ltration plant.“Overstrand Municipality agreed to the

construction of a new single WTW with larg-er capacity to treat water for both the Pearly Beach town and caravan park development. To this eff ect the Overstrand Municipality agreed to contribute the diff erence in the costs between the smaller WTW required for the caravan park development and

TECHNICAL INSIGHT

Smit, together with Lizemarie Tolken of the Cape Peninsula University of Cape Town, has written a paper on the project entitled Pearly Beach potable water plant: The use of ultrafi ltration as the main treatment processes for the treatment of Cape brown water for potable use. The full paper can be requested from the editor at chantelle@3smedia.co.za or directly from Smit at herman@qualityfi lters.co.za.

48 MAY/JUNE 2013

With ultrafi ltration, only a pinpoint fl ock has to be formed; thus saving in costs and dosing chemicals

Standard for Drinking Water, the mem-brane fi ltration water treatment process is an alternative treatment process compared to conventional water treatment. “At the time (in 2008/09), however, using

the membrane fi ltration water treatment process for treatment of the Western Cape ‘brown’ coloured water was relatively uncommon, and the water was commonly treated using the conventional treatment process,” says Aartsma.A study was undertaken in conjunction

with the Cape Peninsula University of Technology to establish an optimum treatment procedure to produce constant, high-quality drinking water for the local

community from a blend of white and coloured water supplied from the two diff erent sources. “Establishment of the optimal treatment procedure included the determination of the most eff ective

MAY/JUNE 2013 49

REGIONAL FOCUS

a larger WTW for both the Pearly Beach town and the caravan park development,” says Aartsma.“It was logical to consider one WTW with

a larger capacity that would not only be able to meet the summer demand of both the town and the development, estimated at 1 440 kℓ/d, but also anticipated needs of an expected population increase of 5 000 people, which would have a major impact on local water resources. These future water requirements were assessed at 2 360 kℓ/d,” says Smit.

Signifi cant advantagesAccording to Smit, ultrafi ltration is able to remove the colloidal solids and large molecular weight organics by implementing the processes of coagulation and fl occulation before fi ltration. “With ultrafi ltration, only a pinpoint fl ock has to be formed; thus saving in costs and dosing chemicals. Ultrafi ltration is also less sensitive to pH changes in un-treated water, which can have a negative impact on water quality,” says Smit.Another signifi cant advan-

tage of utilising this tech-nology is that ultrafi ltration requires a smaller footprint, therefore having a smaller impact on the environment and resulting in minimised chemical usage.Additionally, given the current skills

context in the water industry, the choice of technology for the plant does not require highly skilled operation or full time supervision.“Deciding to construct just a single WTW

meant that the process was expedited, site assembly was fast and future upgrades ac-commodated due to the modular assembly capabilities,” explains Smit.

Studied solutionSince the water quality of the two water re-sources vary, the WTW had to be designed on the basis of a blend of the water from the two resources. According to Aartsma, based on the water quality information of the two water resources, conventional wa-ter treatment practices are commonly used when treating the Western Cape “brown” coloured water. What made this project unique, accord-

ing to Aartsma, was that in order to treat water to the Class I Standard as per the SANS 241: 2006 South African National

coagulant and the optimum dosing level combined with the most eff ective blend of the two types of water,” says Smit.The main conclusion of the study,

explains Smit, was that a 60:40 blend of white and coloured water, dosed with 1 to 1.8 mg/ℓ ACH-based coagulant and treated by ultrafi ltration can produce constant, high-quality drinking water.The fi nal design of the plant was based

on these fi ndings. “Chemical injection is done on the feed line, which feeds into a buff er tank for the ultrafi ltration plant. This feeds through a strainer that removes the coarse particles. The strainer is a protection precautionary measure for the

ultrafi ltration membranes. From the ultrafi ltration

plant the permeate fl ows into a fi ltrate tank. A waste sump is connected to the ultrafi ltration plant for backwash collection,” says Smit.He adds that the ultrafi l-

tration permeate can then be diverted through carbon fi lters to remove excess colour from the permeate until the plant setting can be adjusted to accom-modate the higher colour in the feed water.In line monitoring before and after

the ultrafi ltration plant ensures the contin-ued production of good quality drinking water. “Should the plant operate outside the specifi cations, it will automatically shut down,” says Smit. Overstrand Municipality reports that the drinking water is of a high quality and is now constantly available to the community.

PROJECT ROLE PLAYERSBKS was only rebranded as AECOM in November 2012, therefore this project was carried out under BKS. BKS was responsible for:• liaising with PSP Properties and Overstrand Municipality, and for a detailed evaluation of

alternative water treatment technologies• determining the current and future capacity requirements, the hydraulic design as well as

the design of the civil works, the bulk electrical supply system and some mechanical works. The detail design for the ultrafi ltration membrane fi ltration water treatment process was carried out by Quality Filtration Systems under the design-and-build concept

• overall project management in terms of project budget and costs, as well as contract administration and construction monitoring during construction. BKS was assisted by AVDM Consulting Engineers & Project Managers for the construction and monitoring of implementation of the civil works.

Construction work was carried out by the following contractors:• Quality Filtration Systems – mechanical contractor responsible for the design and

installation of the membrane fi ltration plant and mechanical equipment• Burmar Civils – civil contractor responsible for the construction of the civil works• Adenco – electrical contractor responsible for the upgrading of the bulk power

supply system• Spectrum – specialist contractor responsible for the implementation of the

telemetry system.

Ultrafi ltration is also less sensitive to pH changes in untreated water

50 MAY/JUNE 2013

MALAWIAFRICAN FOCUS

Pump company wins turnkey contract

This is the fi rst turnkey project to be announced by APE Pumps since the company was bought by Indian pump multinational WPIL in June 2012.

The scope of work comprises the supply, installation and commissioning of eight multi-stage pumps with electric motors, all motor controls and associated valves, and civil work, including demolishing and rebuilding all concrete plinths and bases in the pump house.A secondary contract provides for inspection of the

associated pipeline for leakage and examination of surge protection and sacrifi cial cathodic protection. APE Pumps will report back to Blantyre Water Board with recommendations on all three.The eight pumps for Chileka will be Mather + Platt

multi-stage units with capacities of 750 m3/h at heads of 550 m. Drive will be by eight 1 650 kW electric motors. The combined pump-motor effi ciency will exceed 75%.Pump manufacture will take place at the APE Pumps/

Mather + Platt Wadeville works, with equipment for the electrical arm of the project being supplied by WPIL from India. This will include fi ve 5 000 kVA transformers to lower the 11 kV supply voltage down to the 3.3 kV required by the motor controls.Besides the pumps themselves, APE Pumps will also

supply all other mechanical and fl uid handling equip-ment for the project, including valves and manifolds. The company will also oversee project implementation.The Chileka upgrade is the latest in a string of turnkey

project work undertaken in Malawi by PSV, now incor-porated into APE Pumps. The two companies are now operating as one entity under the APE Pumps umbrella,

WPIL/APE Pumps has won the R92 million contract to upgrade Chileka Pumping Station, in Malawi, as a turnkey project on behalf of the Blantyre Water Board.

off ering design, manufacture, ancillary equipment supply and project management as a turnkey service and obviating the need for the customer to employ a project house.The refurbished Chileka Pumping station is expected

to be commissioned in May 2014 and forms part of a broader, four-year project to rehabilitate the twin water pipeline supplying the city of Blantyre from Walkers Ferry on the Shire River. The €16 million (R186.87 million) project is funded by the World Bank, the European Union and the European Investment Bank.Completion of the overall project will improve water

availability in low-income areas through construction of 363 community water kiosks and will reduce water losses from the current 48% to below 25%.

BELOW A multi-stage pump similar to those being supplied to the Chileka Pumping station in Malawi

AFRICAN FOCUSMOZAMBIQUE

MAY/JUNE 2013 51

Ultrafl o for Chinanguanine

DPI Plastics supplied Irritech with a total of 72 km of mPVC Ultrafl o pipes, varying in diameters of between 63 and 500 mm,

which were installed at the privately funded Chinanguanine project, located approxi-mately 100 km north of Maputo. Irritech’s owner and head irrigation

specialist, Franek Raciborski, points out that the Ultrafl o range was selected due to its proven track record in the market. “Ultrafl o is a high-quality pipe that has been preferred by local contractors for a number of years. What’s more, mPVC is an excellent material for irrigation, due to its durability and ductility.”DPI Plastics technical and product manag-

er Renier Snyman highlights the fact that the Ultrafl o pressure pipe system off ers design engineers and contractors numerous advan-tages, including a lower mass, higher impact

DPI Plastics has assisted comprehensive irrigation solutions provider Irritech in completing a R4 million agricultural irrigation project in Mozambique.

resistance and increased hydraulic capacity. “The Ultrafl o pipes for this particular project were delivered in standard 6 m lengths and have a Class 6 pressure rating, with excellent frictional resistance and low wave celerity, thereby ensuring resistance to surges.”Raciborski notes that Irritech was appoint-

ed as the contractor to the Chinanguanine project in May 2012 and was able to suc-cessfully complete its scope of work within six months. “Having been a DPI Plastics client for 20 years, I can rely on the compa-ny’s professional and responsive approach towards Irritech. The Chinanguanine project was no diff erent, and all the piping products were supplied timeously, with support and service off ered on a round-the-clock basis.”

Challenges & constraintsHe does, however, admit that Mozambique’s tropical weather proved to be a challenge.

“Heavy rainfall resulted in on-site fl ooding but, as a result of innova-tive design, the infi eld equipment could be removed and the pump stations mount-ed on pontoons from the outset. As a result, the project was com-pleted in November 2012, and the offi cial handover took place in February 2013. A total of 130 local farmers

in the region are expected to benefi t from the project.”According to DPI Plastics’ exports man-

ager, Rajesh Naval, the Ultrafl o range of pressure pipes account for 90% of the company’s pipe export sales. “mPVC has proven to be highly popular in the African market due to a combination of its strength, durability and cost eff ectiveness ‒ which has resulted in sales worth more than R35 million in markets such as Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mauritius and Angola. I am confi dent that this trend will continue well into the future, with a strong possibility of expansion into new markets too.”Naval notes that the addition of new large

bore sizes, including 560 mm and 630 mm, will further benefi t the export customers as they currently have to import these sizes from overseas or run two pipes parallel to each other to fulfi l the requirements of large bore pipe.Pietermaritzburg-based Irritech surveys,

designs and installs all types of irrigation and prides itself on appropriate solutions that take into account the client’s particular circumstances. Raciborski believes that the company’s all-in-one solutions off ering of-ten take into consideration a client’s labour skills, transport costs, availability of spares and other factors that extend beyond the realm of traditional engineering. “Coupled with this is our proven ability to work in remote and distant locations, employing the resourcefulness of our energised staff to maximum eff ect.”

Pontoon located on-site at the Chinanguanine project

BOTSWANAAFRICAN FOCUS

52 MAY/JUNE 2013

Mines cleaning up wastewaterTwo of Botswana’s largest copper mining companies have contracted VWS Envig Botswana to supply containerised wastewater treatment plants to improve the quality of discharge water coming from mine camps.

at its mine camp in north-eastern Botswana.“This trickling fi lter plant, along with

all ancillary equipment, was completely containerised and delivered in March 2013. The customer opted to construct a separate septic tank, which means both modular and civil construction principles will be used to build this plant ‒ what we call a hybrid instal-lation,” explains Taljaard.Typically, Veolia will include the septic tank

within a standard 12 m container, which allows the entire plant to be transported via road to remote locations. Containers are cor-rosion protected and completely watertight, and with minimal moving parts that need maintenance, they are ideally suited for op-eration in remote African settlements. “Once installed, they are remote monitored and only need an operator to do a daily inspec-tion, making them incredibly cost-eff ective to run,” he adds.VWS Envig Botswana is growing

signifi cantly in the semi-arid country’s water market.Previous Veolia installations in the country

include a large-scale reverse osmosis plant for a diamond mine near Francistown, as well as a large-scale demineralisation plant at a high-capacity power plant.

Veolia’s modular water treatment plants address small-scale water problems in shorter time frames

Acopper mining project in north-western Botswana has already received its new 90 m3/d trickling fi lter treatment plant,

which we delivered in December,” says Wayne Taljaard, general manager at Veolia’s Engineered Systems & Services. “The entire solution was designed to be upgraded to 180 m3/d. We manufactured the second containerised plant at our factory

in Isando and delivered it in March 2013.” Together, the plants will treat domestic sewage generated by nearly 900 people to within legislated discharge standards, before being released into surface water streams.A second copper mining company has

commissioned a 75 m3/d trickling fi lter wastewater treatment plant to upgrade sewage generated by roughly 350 residents

MAY/JUNE 2013 53

Maun drinking water supply ensuredVeolia Water Solutions & Technologies South Africa’s subsidiary, VWS Envig Botswana, is to design, supply and commission a 6 000 m3/d potable water plant in Maun, northern Botswana.

The plant, located near the banks of the Thamalakane River, is scheduled to be commissioned in September 2013 and will be operated and

maintained by Veolia for a subsequent six-month period. The new plant will augment the supply from existing underground water sources that become impractical to maintain during the nearby Okavango Delta’s fl ood season. To maintain con-sumer demand during these periods, the plant will source water directly from the river.“River water is high in dissolved organic

compounds that give it its characteristic brownish colour and earthy smell and taste, despite its normally low turbidity,” says Peter Healy, MD at VWS Envig

AFRICAN FOCUSBOTSWANA

Botswana. “To make this water suitable for human consumption, we opted for clarifi -cation by means of ballasted fl occulation

to remove the extremely light-weight organic particles that would otherwise settle very slowly.”Veolia will install its patented Actifl o™

high-rate water clarifi cation system. Featuring footprints that are fi ve times

smaller than conventional clarifi ers, the Actifl o™ will achieve rapid settling with the help of Actisand™ ‒ a ballast designed to rapidly fl occulate and settle organic particles.“After clarifi cation, the water will be

polished with multimedia and granular activated carbon fi lters, and fi nally disin-fected before being fed into the town’s pipeline system,” explains Healy.Veolia is also responsible for a booster

pump and delivery pipelines.

The Veolia-developed Actifl o™ will use a ballast to gather and settle impurities in the water

IT IS TIME TO MANAGE RESOURCES MORE EFFECTIVELYAround the world, demands for water and energy continue to increase, making it essential to manage these vital resources more effectively in the long term. The ability to address this issue requires access to more frequent, accurate and integrated information about how water and energy are used. As a world leader in advanced metering and smart grid technologies, Itron helps utilities to overcome their ever-increasing operational, regulatory and environmental challenges.Effective management of resources is at your fingertips.

INDUSTRY INSIGHT

Is greywater recycling sustainable?

Water scarcity is, however, on the rise. Scientifi c projections draw attention to how predicted changes in rainfall,

limited resources for adaptation and lack of institutions and/or capacity to regulate river and stream fl ow are likely to leave communi-ties extremely vulnerable. Climate change is also predicted to have

profound implications on water resource supplies. Modelling by the Council for Scientifi c and Industrial Research (CSIR) shows that regions in Southern Africa will become hotter and drier over the next 50 to 100 years, putting farms, industry, domestic water supply and natural ecosystems at risk. Combined with the social changes aff ecting demand, quality and supply, these impacts have the potential to seriously disrupt water availability. As climate changes start to take eff ect, individuals and communities will take actions to respond to and accommodate changes in water availability. This may be by expanding supply in a way that reduces cli-mate variations, or addressing water use and demand to reduce the exposure to climatic variability and extremes.

Increasing demandSuch implications are especially pertinent for communities and countries that rely heavily on water for their GDP and daily subsistence. More than 70% of SADC’s population de-pends directly on farming ‒ and overwhelm-ingly so on rain-fed agriculture. Agriculture already accounts for almost 70% of the global water diversion, and the pressure for agricultural production is not likely to ease, as food security is one of the major Millennium Development Goals. But with an emerging economy and rapidly growing population, the demand for water by municipal and industrial sectors in many cities in Africa is likely to increase the competition for water. It is expected that water that has historically been reserved for agriculture will be diverted to the urban and industrial sectors.Growing global pressures for freshwater

resources and the increasing scarcity, cost

GREYWATER

Access to water is an urgent issue facing Southern Africa; nearly 100 million people lack adequate access to water. While access to water has become a global concern, solutions remain local, as scarcity varies from region to region depending on the combination of socio-economic factors, climate fl uctuations and infrastructure.By Timony Siebert, environment consultant at Talbot & Talbot

and political controversy associated with securing new sources of supply has encour-aged eff orts to fi nd new ways of meeting current water requirements. The sustainable reuse of greywater is a viable option that may help to lighten some of this pressure and could be a key strategy that reduces water demand and increases its availability for pri-mary users, such as domestic and animal life or agriculture.

A reusable resourceGreywater, although the defi nition varies in diff erent parts of the world, generally refers to water from all non-toilet household activities and includes baths, showers, washbasins and clothes washing machines or the laundry. Toilet water and water from kitchen sinks is considered black water, as this contains elevated levels of pathogens, nitrogen and other elements that require treatment at a sewage treatment works. Greywater con-stitutes the largest volume of water wasted through general consumption. An average household (family of four) will consume be-tween 200 and 300 ℓ of potentially reusable water on a daily basis. Between 50 and 80% of water wasted could be reusable greywater. By appropriately matching water quality to water need, the reuse of greywater can replace the use of potable water in non-pota-ble applications like toilet fl ushing and land-scaping. This could off er signifi cant savings in water usage as well as supplement basic water supplies during times of restriction or scarcity. The reuse of greywater will also reduce the requirement for wastewater treat-ment by reducing the hydraulic fl ow received by the utilities. This will become increasingly important as wastewater generation from cities is expected to reach unprecedented volumes in the coming decade due to rapid urbanisation in cities across Africa. Disposal of wastewater is a serious problem in African cities as many cities lack the infrastructure or

technology to eff ectively accommodate and treat wastewater or have functional water service utilities (or legislative frameworks) to assist in eff ective water management. For many rural communities, greywater can

provide valuable sustenance for agricultural crops as well as meet a wide range of other social and economic needs. It utilises a valu-able on-site resource and reclaims otherwise wasted nutrients. Many lower income or rural communities live without access to a household water connection. In these com-munities, women and children often have

to walk long distances or wait in line in order to access water, which then needs to be carried home. In these households, reusing water in the

home and for household gardens/horticul-ture is critical as it reduces the reliance on freshwater supplies while contributing to food production, thereby improving rural livelihoods. In developed countries, the use of greywater has already reduced freshwater demand, strain on wastewater treatment plants and energy consumption. Aquifer recharge is improved in some areas due to in-creased infi ltration fl ows and plant growth is supplemented from the additional nutrients present in the outfl ow water. Water savings are consequently increased and expenses reduced, as consumption of municipality controlled freshwater supplies in these urban and peri-urban areas is decreased.

Conscious controlThe use of greywater needs to be carefully controlled and monitored, as the inherent nature of the outfl ow water will vary

“An average household will consume between 200 and 300 ℓ of potentially reusable water on a daily basis.” Timony Siebert, environment consultant, Talbot & Talbot

MAY/JUNE 2013 55

INDUSTRY INSIGHT

56 MAY/JUNE 2013

Excellence in Chemical Dosing

sera DoseTech SA [PTY] Ltd.Unit 3-4 Airborne ParkCnr of Empire & Taljaard StrBartlett Boksburg, PO Box 15474South AfricaTel: +27 11 397 5120 Fax: +27 11 397 5502info.za@sera-web.com www.sera-web.com

For more than 65 years sera products have represented the highest measure of quality, safety and reliability in the treatment of drinking water, process water and wastewater.

Chlorine dioxide preparation and dosing systems, for up to 1,000 g/h

Compact vertical dosing systems for all kinds of fluids

Preparation and dosing stations for polymers and flocculation aids

Dosing and feeding pumps Dosing systems and disinfection systems Process measuring and control technology Fittings and accessories Extensive pre- and after-sales service

according to the source. The temperature and nutrient value contained in greywa-ter provide the perfect environment for anaerobic bacteria to breed and produce by-products such as methane and hydro-gen sulphide. Furthermore, the original constituents used ‒ such as phosphates or boron in washing powder, which may be toxic to plants at high concentrations; or salts, which may impact on the saline lev-els of the soil ‒ may cause soil contamina-tion or, worse, leach into the groundwater. Unchecked, the use of greywater has the potential to cause harm to both human health and the environment. The receiv-ing environment cannot neutralise and assimilate all greywater pollutants, so the responsibility lies with users to ensure that the quality and quantity of their greywater meets the appropriate requirements.

Good education, management and monitoring policies will be required to ensure eff ective community greywater usage; however, the benefi ts will still greatly outweigh the input required. However, if used in an environ-

mentally friendly manner, the risks associated with the reuse of grey-water to the environment are low. The topsoil is the most biological active layer of the soil profi le and if the system is not overloaded, it can effi ciently remove excess nutrients from the greywater, including organic material, nutrients, salt and sediment. This preserves natural ground-

water sources and may result in additional recharge of groundwater sources in areas where the water table is suffi ciently high. Greywater therefore off ers a variety of op-portunities as well as challenges. Greywater technologies do exist, but the availability, use and policies for such technology vary widely around the world. Many regions lack clear regulations or standards regarding greywater capture and reuse. Rural communities certainly may not have access to adequate knowl-edge, infrastructure or funds to assess and treat greywater before reuse, should this be required.Therefore the implementation of grey-

water reuse benefi ts from a participatory approach and an understanding of the inherent nature of the source of the water, as well as the direct needs and concerns

of the user or surrounding community. At a smaller, more local scale, the benefi ts cannot be underestimated. These include reduced reliance on potable freshwater for non-potable related activities, supple-mentation of basic water supplies in times when demand outstrips supply or during times of restriction or scarcity, reduced loads on wastewater disposal systems and reductions in costs. Small demonstration projects and new,

more fl exible, greywater policies have demonstrated the successful use and ben-efi ts of greywater at multiple scales.

TIPSTips on reducing health and environmental risks for small-scale application of greywater from households (adopted from www.oasisdesign.net/greywater):• avoid sprinklers to distribute greywater,

rather use subsurface irrigation systems• do not put greywater on food plants• do not allow pets to drink the greywater• do not allow greywater to leave your

block or enter stormwater systems• do not irrigate with greywater during

periods of wet weather• monitor nuisances such as odours

or ponding• carefully select soaps and detergents for

household use that contain fewer toxins and are environmentally friendly

• do not store greywater for more than 24 hours before reuse.

MAY/JUNE 2013 57

SPECIAL FOCUS

A specialised solution

The technology is perfectly posi-tioned for upgrading all the over-loaded treatment works locally. It is akin to putting a turbocharger on a

car,” explains Pickering.Due to the nature of the equipment and

Headstream’s focus on effi ciency, it can be deployed very rapidly. “We can do a 50% upgrade on a plant in three to six months without major civil works,” says Pickering.

SMART technologyThe HYBACS process is a combined fi xed biomass reactor working in conjunction with a traditional-type suspended biomass reactor ‒ two very specifi c components. The HYBACS core, which we call the SMART (shaft mounted advanced reactor tech-nology) unit, is the fi xed biomass reactor.

NORTH WEST PROVINCE

“The fi xed biomass reactor operates at a very high MLSS, or rather an eff ective MLSS because of the way it works. You have a large surface area reactor that is relatively small in physical terms, but through it you have an MLSS in the region of 50 000, which is huge,” he continues.The eff ect of having this large biomass is

there is a signifi cant shift in the mass trans-fer characteristics that control the core of wastewater treatment, which is the transfer of oxygen into water. “That is the rate limiting factor in all current

effl uent treatment systems. Surface aerators are very popular with sectors of the industry in this country. They are virtually unused anywhere else in the world because they are ineffi cient as they only deliver an oxygen transfer ‒ and I will use an approximate

number here ‒ of about 1 kg of oxygen per kilowatt. The newer systems for suspended biomass, which would be fi ne bubble dif-fused air and similar, run at 2 kg of oxygen per kilowatt. The HYBACS core can run in the region of 6 kg of oxygen per kilowatt as each SMART unit only uses on average 1.5 kilowatts per hour (one SMART unit treats approximately 8 000 population equivalent).

Signifi cant advantagesAccording to Pickering, the system delivers a signifi cant reduction in power consumption, with a recent analysis done by a consulting engineer showing a 28% reduction in electrical power for the complete secondary and tertiary treatment. “If we can reduce the power consumption by 28% on the aeration system alone, we not only reduce our ex-posure to ever increasing energy costs, but also reduce demand on our already strained electricity supply,” says Pickering.However, power saving does not yet seem to be the primary focus within the industry although awareness is increasing, according to Pickering, and recent experience also shows a preference for large civil structures and an aversion to mechanical equipment. This is despite the robust nature of the equipment, better cost effi ciency and operational advantages modern mechan-ical equipment can deliver. “Changing mindsets and encouraging people to be innovative is certainly a challenge for us.” The solution also seems to have signifi cant

A specialised SMART technology was recently implemented at the newly constructed 2.5 Mℓ Swartruggens plant in the North West. Headstream Water Solutions’ chief consulting engineer, Stephen Pickering, tells Chantelle Mattheus that the technology will revolutionise the local water sector.

58 MAY/JUNE 2013

SPECIAL FOCUS

cost-saving implications ‒ theoretically. “In-depth analysis has been done by our principals in the UK on this, but they are only theoretical analysis and their estimation is that on a greenfi eld site you can be looking at a 30% reduction in capex and a 40% re-duction in opex,” he says, adding that on an upgrade cost savings are signifi cantly higher because the HYBACS technology is then leveraging existing infrastructure to provide a signifi cant increase in treatment capacity and performance. “You don’t replace the entire infrastructure, you reuse it and add certain mechanical modifi cations and the SMART reactors.”

Straightforward and simpleAnother advantage of the HYBACS process ‒ and the installation of the SMART bioreactors ‒ is the minimal maintenance necessitated. “Generally, the maintenance on the SMART

units is minimal: grease the bearings and change gearbox oil once a year. Very simple,” says Pickering.The system does, however, use dissolved

oxygen probes for speed control to optimise the process and although there is a built-in cleaning system, these probes should be checked manually every three months. “However, it does not impact on the general operation of the system. There are so many fail-safes built in that if the probes are not reading it still operates, it is just not fully optimised,” notes Pickering.

Swartruggens investigatedOn the Swartruggens Wastewater Plant specifi cally, the consultant is a convert. “He saw the energy advantages, the cost savings in plant and as a result he specifi ed the process,” he explains. The end product is discharged into local water course, so

reliability of treatment was also critical ‒ no diff erent to any other plant in the country.The town is

located near the Elands River and an old sewage works was already in existence at

the location. Apart from the ageing infra-structure, the development in the Bojanala Region under the jurisdiction of the Bojanala Platinum District Municipality, meant that the plant was now also under capacity. “The biggest problem across the country, in my view, is the rapid increase in service delivery in certain areas to certain sectors of the pop-ulation that didn’t previously have services. Many new homes, properties and buildings have had reticulated sewage brought in and of course that increases the load on the works,” continues Pickering.Unfortunately, in a large majority of the

cases the increased load has not been ad-dressed and the plants are therefore signifi -cantly too small. The consultant in this case opted for the construction of a new plant, utilising HYBACS technology at the core as the specifi ed process. “We then provided to him the process designs and the consultants did the detailed design around that, includ-ing the intake works, the civil design and the plant layout, to accommodate the process.”As Pickering explains, Swartruggens is not

a big plant; it is a very small 2.5 Mℓ/d plant treating predominantly domestic sewage. There is not a lot of industry and not even a lot of agro-industry in the region. “There is, to a degree, a lot of tankerage coming in, which is generally quite high in concentration as opposed to the normal waterborne sewage.”Aside from the operational advantages de-

scribed, a big advantage from Headstream’s side is that instead of the traditional mechan-ical equipment requiring the contractors to be on-site for weeks to install it, they were in and out within a number of days because of the high degree of off -site pre-assembly with the SMART units being assembled off -site. “That is the physical core component that we supply for the HYBACS process. We supply the technology, which is the design, and the core component,” he says.The Swartruggens plant comprises two

SMART reactors and has been up and running for over a year now. According to Pickering, the effl uent quality visually is ex-cellent , with the highlight having been “just the simplicity of going in and switching it on and leaving it running. And then no come-backs after that ‒ it was as simple as that.“At Headstream Water, we are very

interested in having a very long-term rela-tionship with clients and the plants that we build. We are not a contractor whose ser-vices cease at the end of the responsibility period. Although we are not under contract to do so, I regularly go out to the plant to check that there are no hiccups, and that the required level of service will continue,” he concludes.

Ideal upgrade solution to expand treatment capacity of existing overloaded wastewater treatment works (WWTWs) in a cost effective manner while delivering

signi cant energy savings.

JHB offi ce381 Surrey Avenue, Ferndale 2194

Tel: 011 886 7805Stephen Pickering

stephen@headstreamwater.co.zaXoliswa Motsohi

xoli@headstreamwater.co.za

Cape Town Offi ce:17 Loader Street, Cape Town, 8001

Tel: 021 418 4080Julian Moore

julian@headstreamwater.co.za

Introduction to HYBACS® wastewater treatment technology:

HYBACS® is Bluewater Bio’s patented HYBrid ACtivated Sludge process for nutrient removal. The process consists of two biological stages followed by clarifi cation.

• The fi rst stage comprises Bluewater Bio’s Shaft Mounted Advanced Reactor Technology (SMARTTM) units, containing attached biomass

• The second stage is conventional activated sludge, with suspended biomass

The very high biomass concentration in the SMARTTM unit removes up to 50% of the COD / BOD in the wastewater at high effi ciency. The reduction in load enables an activated sludge process to achieve better effl uent quality, particularly the removal of ammonia.

HYBACS® is especially applicable to upgrading existing activated sludge plants to treat increased loads and improve effl uent quality.

HYBACS® is commercially proven with over 25 international reference sites and 2 operating in South Africa and a third under construction. It has been demonstrated that HYBACS® can produce effl uents with qualities that comply with the most stringent South African nutrient removal standards.

Key bene ts of the HYBACS® process:The core benefi t of HYBACS® is that it delivers like-for-like nutrient removal performance, at reduced capital and operational costs, compared with conventional activated sludge (AS) processes (see diagram).

• Removes up to 50% COD in the fi rst stage SMARTTM units

• Reduces physical footprint by up to 50%

• Intrinsically odourless

• Reduces power consumption associated with aeration by up to 50%

• Reduces chemical consumption for nutrient removal

• Reduces embedded & emitted carbon

• Ideally suited to upgrade treatment capacity of existing AS plants

• Signifi cant CAPEX savings on retrofi t applications

• Modular construction enables rapid deployment

• Scaleable from 0.2mℓ/d to >100mℓ/d

Introduction to Headstream Water Solutions:

Headstream Water’s mission is to provide practical and sustainable WATER technologies to protect the environment, uplift communities and make a meaningful contribution towards the effi cient use of water and energy resources in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Headstream Water Solutions is the exclusive distributor of the HYBACS® process in Sub Saharan Africa and is a member of the Thebe Investment Group.

SMARTTM units with highly concentrated

Fixed Biomass

Suspended Biomass Aeration Reactor Secondary Settlement Tanks (Clarifi ers)

HYBACS Process

HYBACS vs Tr AS

SMART

units

AS Aera TanksAn xic Clar er

2xQ

1xQ

HYBACS Pr

An xic Clar erAS Aera Tanks

2xQ

1xQ

vated Sludge Pr

1. Up t 50% f COD rem ved SMART at very high aera e – 3x that the AS aera t

2. AS aera t vredu d by 50%

3. Aera m redu d by 50%

12

3

60 MAY/JUNE 2013

GAUTENGSPECIAL FOCUS

Pipe repair prioritised

Many insurance companies have removed coverage on water damage from houses, body corporates, homeowner

associations, fl ats and complexes due to continual water damage claims as a result of failing pipe systems. System failure in aged pipe networks is inevitable and in order to bring the networks back to life, one can either choose to re-pipe or rehabilitate.Replacing pipes is costly and time consum-

ing, and involves mess, noise and rubble as

well as scarring to the building or structure’s original state, especially when the pipes are within historical buildings. It is no wonder property owners are looking for alternatives to re-piping in order to avoid the downtime and destruction. In order to avoid these damages and reconstruction costs, pipe rehabilitation technologies are a solution to update the systems. Nu Flow relining systems are able to

reline 15 to 300 mm pipe diameters on AC, copper, PVC, HDPE, earthenware and galvanised pipes.Nu Flow has two diff erent relining systems:

epoxy coating (the red system), which is specifi cally tailored for potable water pipe networks, and structural lining (the blue system) designed for relining drainage pipe.

Epoxy coatingEpoxy coating process for water and me-chanical systems begins with an inspection to determine the problematic areas and pipe dimensions. The piping system is

What do you do with a leak that is wreaking havoc on your potable water network? There are only two options. A person can either re-pipe, or repair it with Nu Flow’s trenchless relining technology , says SA Leak Detection’s David Wade.

inspected for integrity and spot repairs are made to excessively worn out joints and fi ttings; temporary bypass water piping may be installed. The system is drained and air-dried. After testing for leaks, the pipes are prepared for cleaning.Pipes are dried with heated, compressed

air and a safe abrading agent is blown through the pipe system, sandblasting it clean. After cleaning, the epoxy coating is applied to the pipes by using conditioned air to uniformly distribute the epoxy

throughout the pipe segment. Following the coating application, continuous controlled air fl ows through the pipe to facilitate epoxy curing. When the epoxy is cured, valves and couplings are refi tted and a fi nal leak test and inspection confi rms the integrity of the line. Water quality,

volume and fl ow tests can confi rm the func-tionality of the system.

Added advantagesPipe relining is primarily used to repair leaks in pipe, but has other benefi ts, including increased fl ow rate. In addition, because the water is no longer in contact with the metal, no rust and corrosion can occur in the relined pipeline.

Structural liningThe structural lining system is used for re-pairing drainage pipes. “The diff erence with this system is that you can fi x large holes in pipes. A whole section of missing pipe can

be repaired with this system,” 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 then 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 basi-cally making a new pipe inside the old pipe.”With plastic pipes specifi cally, the epoxy

relining is stronger than the original pipes and this system can be applied to pipes with diameters measuring between 2 and 12 inches (300 mm).

Residential and commercial applicationsBoth systems can be applied to both residential and commercial applications, with the team recently having complet-ed a residential project in Morningside, Johannesburg, with minimal intrusion for the owner. “The copper pipes were running under a slab on the property. By using this system, the owner avoided having to break open the slab to identify the source of the leak,” says Wade.

The Nu Flow relining technology, which has been imported from Canada where it has been used for more than two decades now, involves two systems: one for potable water pipes and the other for drain pipes. The systems rehabilitate the inner infrastructure of deteriorated or failing pipes by using an epoxy resin to reline the inside of such pipes.

EXCITING IMPORT

In the potable water pipe relining system, the pipe network is fi rst sand-blasted to clean the pipe interior before the red epoxy is air blasted through the network. The epoxy unfolds itself evenly due to the air pressure, attaining an even lining throughout. The potable water system can be applied to pipe diameters from 15 to 300 mm. According to Wade, the steps are as follows:Step 1: the pipeline is tested for leaksStep 2: use utility location equipment to trace the lines and locate the pipes in questionStep 3: remove all taps and valves on the network.Step 4: hoses running from the compressor are attached to each of these pointsStep 5: introduce epoxy to the pipe networkStep 6: the epoxy takes about 8 hours to cureStep 7: the result is a relined pipe repaired from the inside.

PROCESS UNPACKED

The introduction of the red epoxy into the pipe network also substantially reduces build up in the pipes

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Step 2An abrading agent is then air blasted through the pipe to remove all rust and corrosion.

Step 3An epoxy mixture is then blasted through the pipe with conditioned air to uniformly distribute the epoxy lining through out the pipe segment.Result The result is a relined pipe, repaired from the inside.No damage to structures! No chasing walls!No digging!

Step 1The pipe is tested for leaks.

On a larger scale, Nu Flow recently relined the main wa-ter line to Transnet-owned property in Wolmarans Street, Johannesburg. “The 50 mm galvanised potable main line into the building and header tanks was leaking and fl ooding the basement of the building,” he explains. The preparation for the project included the team fi rst tracing the pipe using their utility location equipment. The pipe runs beneath a concrete slab and within the basement walls. Replacing the pipe was not an option. “We relined the 50 mm main line with an epoxy coating

without having to chop through the concrete slab and base-ment walls,” says Wade. “The job took Nu Flow a fraction of the time that replacing the pipes would have taken.”

Ensuring successNu Flow provides a 10-year warranty on the sections of pipe that have been relined. Both relining systems are capable of relining around bends eff ortlessly, as well as Ts in pipes. The technologies are available for plumbing and mechanical con-tractors to acquire and off er to their customers.

BELOW The Transnet building in Wolmarans Street, Johannesburg

RESERVOIRS & BOREHOLESFEATURE

Storage capacity doubled

The 45 Mℓ reservoir, which will be built at Longridge in the south of the city, will nearly double the 47 Mℓstorage capacity of the two existing

reservoirs there. “The metro realised that the current storage capacity was insuffi cient to meet the expected 2015 demand due to the

rapid expansion in the city’s southern sub-urbs,” says Bigen Africa’s civil engineering principal, Robert Moff at. “These include the recently awarded housing projects in Hillside View and Vista Park Extensions 2 and 3, as well as expected demand from the planned Liege Valley suburb.”Both the reservoir and the pipeline will

be the largest projects in their respective categories for Bloemfontein. They will serve

about 16 000 households in Liege Valley and Hillside View, with further capacity to pro-vide water to the Grasslands area (12 000 households).Always looking for ways to

improve existing technology and reduce expenses, Bigen Africa has taken a fresh ap-proach to the project and con-sidered various design options. For the reservoir, both a rec-tangular and a circular design

were considered, but the latter was found to be the more eco-nomical and optimal dimensions were es-tablished. These are a diameter of just under 75 m and wall height of 11.4 m, with the wall post- tensioned both circumferen-tially and vertically, and tapering from a 700 mm thickness

at the bottom to 350 mm at the top. The initial roof slab design ‒ a 300 mm thick post-tensioned fl at slab on a column grid of 10 x 10 m ‒ was rejected by the contractor, Ruwacon, in favour of precast columns and slab panels, so that wall, fl oor and roof can be constructed separately and therefore simultaneously. The result is a considerable saving in construction time, from an envis-aged 22 months to 16 months. The whole project, in fact, has progressed so rapidly since commencement in September 2011 that completion is due in December. A separate tender is required for the

distribution main from the new Longridge reservoir, which will be 11.3 km long, with the pipeline diameter starting at 800 mm and tapering to 500 mm. Various draw-off s will occur along the way. The tender should already be out by mid-2013.According to Annette van Zyl, communi-

cations manager at Bigen Africa Services, Bigen Africa does not only involve itself in massive supply projects such as this, but also gets its hands dirty by managing con-tractors working on various water conser-vation and demand management projects to curb losses and improve billing on the demand side. “These projects range from repairing leaky residential water meters to fi xing leaks on larger diameter pipelines, valves or reservoirs, and refurbishing ageing infrastructure in pump stations. Such smaller projects are, nevertheless, vitally important to Mangaung’s water loss reduction plan to ensure that there is enough water for all the people of Mangaung.”

Mangaung Metro has appointed infrastructure solutions company Bigen Africa to monitor the design and construction of a reservoir that will meet the 2015 water requirements of Bloemfontein’s rapidly growing southern suburbs. The company will also design the bulk supply pipeline from the reservoir to planned suburbs.

62 MAY/JUNE 2013

Erection of the reservoir’s internal columns and precast roof sections

64 MAY/JUNE 2013

FEATURE

20 kℓ KwaZulu-Natal tank installation successful

The installation of a 20 kℓ tank at Ndwedwe Clinic in Ndwedwe, KwaZulu-Natal, by SBS Tanks has been completed successfully, Mava Gwagwa, SBS Tank’s new business and key accounts director, tells Chantelle Mattheus.

The tank was sized to hold 20 kℓ of water and SBS Tanks was respon-sible for the manufacture and installation of all tank parts,” says

Gwagwa, adding that the tank installation was successfully completed in July 2012 and has performed extremely well to date.According to Gwagwa, the ring beam was

completed last year, which allowed SBS Tanks to complete the manufacture of the tank in the same month. This meant delivery and installation was on time for July 2012. This was further assisted when, according to Gwagwa, no challenges arose during the installation on-site or with the client. “All deadlines were met as agreed,” he says.Manufacture of the SBS Tanks of this size

and nature takes less than fi ve days from confi rmation of the order being received, says Gwagwa. “It takes two people to install the tank, which is complete within a day. This is not a very big tank, therefore manufacturing and installation time is rapid. All tank parts are trans-ported on our vehicles to the site which provides a cost-eff ective option for the client.”The entire cost of the

project invoiced to client was less than R10 000, including materials and installation. “The client was API Pumps, and KJM

Construction was appointed to build the ring beam. The reservoir was used to store water for use in the clinic,” explains Gwagwa.He proudly adds that all installers have

all necessary health and safety training, in addition to installation training.

SBS launches new rangeSBS Water Systems formally announced its new Proudly South African SBS Tanks product range at a recent launch event held in Durban on 19 March 2013. The launch was a huge success with over 75 guests attending, ranging from clients and suppli-ers to representatives from various district municipalities, business partners and some international guests.“We have made a point of sourcing local

raw materials from suppliers in the Durban area, resulting in prompt delivery, rapid im-provements and response times to any crises that may occur. We are also gearing our operations for ISO 9001 accreditation, which we expect to achieve by the end of this year,” said Delayne Gray, managing director of SBS.The tanks are made out of premium quality

Zincalume panels with internal liners rang-ing from 12 kℓ to a staggering 3.3 Mℓ measur-ing 21 m in diameter and 9 m in height. They are targeted at a diverse user base, including the rural/domestic market, food and bever-age, mining, fi re protection, municipal and water conservation.Designed by leading structural engineers

(to mention one in particular: Jim Martin from Jim Martin & Associates) and manufac-

tured using proven tech-nology and high-quality materials, SBS Tanks have a range of standard and special fi ttings available to meet many industrial and engineering requirements. The wall panels and roof sheets are made of hot-dipped steel and coated with a molten alloy, mak-ing them highly resistant to corrosion. The tanks carry a 10-year non-leak warranty and ongoing manufacturer support, but have an estimated life span of more than 60 years under normal climate and operational conditions.

RESERVOIRS & BOREHOLES

66 MAY/JUNE 2013

FEATURE

Ramos attributes the success of the organisation to the quality of the product. “We have one of the best water tanks in the market and with

this quality product we have maintained touch with our customers and been able to provide excellent backup service. Through hard work we have been able to lay the groundwork for our long-term growth op-tions,” says Ramos, adding that throughout the past 30 years Abeco has also endeav-oured to constantly fi nd new and innovative ways of doing business. As proof of its continued growth and

sustainability, the organisation is currently in

Celebrating 30 years of successIn 1983 Abeco’s founder , Mannie Ramos, started the company with the aim of satisfying the ever-increasing need for hygienic storage of one of life’s essentials: water. “30 years on, we have erected more water tanks in Southern Africa than anyone else,” Ramos tells Chantelle Mattheus.

the process of designing its new offi ce block. “Once completed, we will be having a big function celebrating how far the business has come and thanking both clients and staff members who have been with us from day one, as well as loyal clients who have supported us since,” says Ramos.

Then and nowAccording to Ramos, Abeco has installed in excess of 20 000 water tanks over the past 30 years on almost every continent. “One of

the most interesting memories has to be the installation of fi ve 500 m3 tanks on 25-metre stands located on the north-eastern coast of Central America,” says Ramos, explaining that this was because the structure had to be designed to withstand hurricanes, which had historically played a devastating role in area.The next frontier for him is dominating

north Africa. “Africa is the future, but it is not for the faint-hearted and we have been able to stick it out and, to date, have supplied over 30 countries with our tanks.” It is also the continent that will defi ne the water in-dustry of tomorrow, according to Ramos, be-cause it is the second driest continent after Australia “and in order to address this issue of water scarcity, investment will be required to improve wells, rainwater catchment sys-tems and to install more Abeco tanks”.Ramos adds that he believes the industry

will become even more competitive than it is today and most companies will continue to try to increase their global footprint.

Focusing on the future“Currently Abeco is going from strength to strength and our vision, mission, objectives and strategy are well aligned. Our brand is well-known throughout Africa and we have structured ourselves to ensure we retain our competitive position in the market place,” says Ramos.According to him, the reason for this is

threefold. “Firstly by capitalising on all my experience gained over the last 38 years in the pressed steel tank market and with my youngest son joining 10 years ago and then more recently my eldest son, after studying overseas, there are future leaders dedicated to building the organisation and secondly by increasing our manufacturing facility from 1 000 m2 in 1983 to the current 25 000 m2 to meet the demands of forecasted produc-tion. Finally, we have adapted our product range to take us into the wastewater, dry bulk storage and digester markets. “With this in place, we are able to adapt to

the changes in the industry and meet future growth projections,” concludes Ramos.

BELOW An example of a recent Abeco elevated tank installation

RESERVOIRS & BOREHOLES

ELEVATED TANKS: ABECO off ers full-service design, manufacture and installation of support towers steelwork. Basic towers consisting of the support steelwork with a caged access ladder to the roof of the tank are off ered in the absence of further specifi cation. Walkways around the base of the tank or rest platforms on access ladders are available on request. Access is required all around pressed steel tanks to tighten bolts. The recommended minimum space around the four sides and above the roof is 600mm and 450mm beneath the tank

CIRCULAR SECTIONAL STEEL TANKS: In developing sectional steel tanks, ABECO recognised a need for tanks that have the following features: • Low cost hygienic water storage • Rugged and easily transportable • Minimal site preparation and foundations • Quick and easy to install • Can be installed using basic equipment • Durable and long lasting • Can be dismantled and re-erected at new sites.

GROUND LEVEL TANKS: Ground level tanks are commonly supported on reinforced concrete dwarf walls fi tted with steel capping strips. The purpose of the capping strip is to spread the load over the full load of the support wall and to provide a level platform on which to erect the tank. For practical reasons concrete cannot be cast with suffi cient accuracy of level. The capping strips should be positioned in place before the installation of the tank starts. Recommended tolerance is ±2mm. Care should be taken to ensure that foundation walls are parallel and square to each other. Foundation walls must protrude beyond the edge of the tank by a recommended distance of 150mm. The tapered top section of the wall assists in providing access for the tools to fasten.

Bringing water to Africa and the rest of the world for

6A Bradford Road

Bedfordview 2007

South Africa

PO Box 751781

Gardenview 2047

South Africa

Tel.: +27 11 616 7999

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abeco@icon.co.za www.abecotanks.co.za

68 MAY/JUNE 2013

FEATURE

Incledon’s product manager for pumps and irrigation, Bruce Crystal, notes that the Italy-manufactured Nastec range is ideally suited to the local irrigation, con-

tracting, residential and agricultural sectors, due to the fact it can be used to irrigate directly from a borehole, while the pump will yield the duty required within its range. “This eliminates the need for an expensive

and unsightly water tank and a pressure booster pump, which have to be installed with standard borehole pumps. The reduc-tion of these components does not only save the user on overhead costs, but also reduces the power bill in a country that has unprecedented electricity rate hikes annu-ally,” he explains. For end users with potable borehole wa-

ter, the stainless steel Nastec pump range can be connected directly to the property and serve as a pressure booster pump for properties that lie in low municipal mains pressure areas. Crystal says that it is also important to note that the variable speed drive motor only uses the amount of power required for each specifi c application.“Frequency modulation of the VSD pump

motor ensures that when demand is low, power consumption will reduce accord-ingly. On the whole, the Nastec range can be used in any borehole application that requires on-demand fl ow, at an on-demand pressure that falls within its specifi ed range of fl ow and pressure,” he continues.

Wide fl ow range Crystal highlights the fact that another impressive feature of Nastec is the indi-cation of the wide fl ow range granted by the pumps for each set pressure. “For example, if you take the 4HS 04-03 pump

Borehole pumps prioritisedNumerous industries across South Africa can achieve measurable savings on electricity consumption by making use of a range of energy effi cient Nastec borehole pumps, distributed by leading fl uid conveyance and pumping solutions provider Incledon.

Model 4HS – 02/04

Model 4HS – 02/08

Model 4HS – 04/03

Model 4HS – 04/05

Model 4HS – 06/02

Model 4HS – 06/04

• Flow range: 8.3 to 50

ℓ/min• Head

range: 1 to 105 m

• Flow range: 8.3 to 50

ℓ/min• Head

range: 12 to 190 m

• Flow range: 16.7 to 100 ℓ/min

• Head range: 12 to 83 m

• Flow range: 16.7 to 100 ℓ/min

• Head range: 19 to 126 m

• Flow range: 33.3 to 150 ℓ/min

• Head range: 6 to 56 m

• Flow range: 33.3 to 150 ℓ/min

• Head range: 12 to 104 m

NEED TO KNOW

TABLE 1 The Nastec borehole pump models available through Incledon

RESERVOIRS & BOREHOLES

and set a pressure of 4 bar, you may have a fl ow range from 0 to more than 90 ℓ/min at a constant pressure of 4 bar. This characteristic is exclusively achieved by the 4HS, thanks to its wide frequency modula-tion from 50 to 110 Hz. Industry standard submersible pumps controlled by an external inverter typically have a frequency modulation range of just 36 to 50 Hz. In other words, extremely small compared to the 4HS. In addition, with fewer models you cover a wider range of hydraulic per-formances; to do the same with fi xed speed pumps, you need several motor sizes and several wet end models to be combined.”Incledon has been an offi cial distributor of the Nastec range in South Africa for approximately one year, and Crystal notes that the company plans to increase its range of models from six to 13 during the course of this year in order to provide a more compre-hensive off ering to the local market. “By expanding the product range, Incledon can ensure that it covers a broader spectrum of the market.”According to Crystal, Nastec has the

internationally recognised CE quality mark and is compliant with numerous additional certifi cations, including EN ISO 12100, EN 55014-1, EN 55014-2, EN 61000-3-2, EN 61000-3-3, EN 60335-1 and EN 60335-2-41. “Nastec sets itself apart from the competition due to the fact that it boasts superior quality and advanced tech-nology that is competitively priced.” In conclusion, Crystal believes that Nastec

has the potential to dominate the local market, as end users begin to fully under-stand the power consumption benefi ts of the range.

Water&Sanitation Africa recently interviewed Incledon’s product manager for pumps and irrigation, Bruce Crystal, on the local applicability of the new Nastec pumps.

How big a role would you say borehole water plays in the current South African water context? Borehole water has always played a vital role in the South African market. In some

parts of South Africa, where there is no supply of water due to the costs of utilising metered water from a council or water utility, it is the only source of water. Many residences throughout South Africa use borehole

water as it translates to a long-term saving on utility costs; farmers use borehole pumps as a source of water for irrigation purposes, as the cost of irrigating with processed water would be unfeasible.

What is the best application for the Nastec pump?The best application is where a client does not want to have an unsightly water tank in their garden or on their premises. This variable

speed drive (VSD) borehole pump eliminates the need for a water tank,

as well as a “booster pump”, common with a traditional borehole pump without VSD. It gives you water on demand at a constant pressure.

Which industries is the pump most relevant for?The pump is suited to all industries, as well as residential applications, that have a borehole and require water on demand at a constant pressure. Because the pump is manufactured from stainless steel, it is ideal for pumping potable drinking water as well.

How is it suited to the local context?It is ideal in the sense that the borehole pump only delivers what is required by the consumer in terms of water fl ow at a constant pressure, meaning the VSD will only consume the amount of electricity required to pump what the consumers need; it therefore uses less power than a conventional borehole pump, which consumes its full capacity of power, regardless of the water requirement.

We drive the water industry

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SEW-EURODRIVE, a BEE company, leaders in the fi eld of geared motors are now able to supply an Industrial Gear Unit that offers moreeffi ciency for mixing and agitating applications with their MC range of Extended Bearing Distance (EBD) Industrial Gear Units.

In process plants, large axial and radial forces occur at the agitator shaft during agitating processes. Traditional designs solve this problem with separate, external bearings that take on the function of the agitator shaft bearings, a solution that very often proves cost intensive. Our new EBD concept extends the bearing span across the low speed shaft and offers stronger bearings within the gear unit itself, which means that in many cases separate bearings are no longer required in the agitator or an over sizing of the gear unit can be avoided. These high torque MC Industrial Gear Units can be used for the reliable operation of mixers, mounting fl anges, agitators and

surface aerators.

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RESERVOIRS & BOREHOLESFEATURE

70 MAY/JUNE 2013

After 23 years in this industry, 11 of which were as MD of the South African subsidiary of a major international

pump company, I believe that we have a winning product on our hands. The smooth walls of this product ensure water fl ows at low friction losses, con-tributing to a high ‘water to wire’ ratio and reduced energy costs. In these days of rapidly rising energy prices and limit-ed margins in farming and mining, every cent saved on production costs helps,” says Cornelius.The product is also rustproof and resistant

to corrosion and build-up of solids in the pipe. Being light in weight, it is easy to handle on-site, thus reducing time and cost,

New product well-positionedCorde Africa, a company founded by Errol and Debby Cornelius, has launched a range of uPVC borehole column piping to the Southern African market.

and, due to the square thread design, has excellent high-tensile load handling charac-teristics. “Because the pipes do not react to acid or alkaline water, they have an extreme-ly long life in the well,” Cornelius says.

With a safe allowable hydrostatic pres-sure (dependant on class) of between 18 and 50 kg/cm2, a maximum of 500 m pump delivery head is catered for, allow-ing the product to be used in extremely high-pressure applications.Available in 3-m lengths, the piping

can be varied in class as the pressure declines, allowing for an extremely cost-eff ective installation.Having been successfully used in more

than a million installations worldwide, this technology has been proven to off er

the benefi ts of improved performance and electrical cost savings over the lifetime of the installation.Due to the robust nature of the product, a

two-year warranty is off ered.

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Water & SanitationComplete water resource and wastewater management

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

AfricaAfrica

We have reached the point where GRP composites cannot be ignored. Jan Krüger, technical manager, Fiberpipe P22

THE HOT SEAT

TT

January/February 2013 • ISSN 1990-8857 • Cover price R40.00 • Vol 8 No. 1

posites er,

Is water an untapped commodity?

PANEL DISCUSSIONPANEL DISCUSSIONDeliberating on desalinationDeliberating on desalination

REGIONAL FOCUSREGIONAL FOCUSIncreasing Eastern Cape capacityIncreasing Eastern Cape capacity

MEDIA

Water & SanitationComplete water resource and wastewater management

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

AfricaAfrica

We have reached the point where GRP composites cannot be ignored. Jan Krüger, technical manager, Fiberpipe P22

THE HOT SEAT

TT

January/February 2013 • ISSN 1990-8857 • Cover price R40.00 • Vol 8 No. 1

posites er,

Is water an untapped commodity?

PANEL DISCUSSIONPANEL DISCUSSIONDeliberating on desalinationDeliberating on desalination

REGIONAL FOCUSIncrIncreasing Eastern Cape capacity

MEDIA

mposger,posites er,

REGREGGIONAL FOCUSGIONAL FOCUSGIONAL FOCUSRREEGGGIIIOOONNNAAALLL FFFOOOCCCUUUSSSCape capaCape capaCape capap p icitycityyg Easasasing E stetern tern rn Cn Casingg EEaasstteerrrnn CCCaapppee ccaapppaacciiittyyy

AMEDIAM

Water & SanitationComplete water resource and wastewater management

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

AfricaAfrica

We have reached the point where GRP composites cannot be ignored. Jan Krüger, technical manager, Fiberpipe P22

THE HOT SEAT

TT

January/February 2013 • ISSN 1990-8857 • Cover price R40.00 • Vol 8 No. 1

posites er,

Is water an untapped commodity?

PANEL DISCUSSIONPANEL DISCUSSIONDeliberating on desalinationDeliberating on desalination

REGIONAL FOCUSREGIONAL FOCUSIncreasing Eastern Cape capacityIncreasing Eastern Cape capacity

MEDIA

Water & SanitationComplete water resource and wastewater management

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

AfricaAfrica

We have reached the point where GRP composites cannot be ignored. Jan Krüger, technical manager, Fiberpipe P22

THE HOT SEAT

TT

January/February 2013 • ISSN 1990-8857 • Cover price R40.00 • Vol 8 No. 1

posites er,

Is water an untapped commodity?

PANEL DISCUSSIONDeliberating on desalinationDeliberating on desalination

REGIONAL FOCUSREGIONAL FOCUSIncreasing Eastern Cape capacityIncreasing Eastern Cape capacity

MEDIA

WAYS TO RECEIVE

bidim R

MEASUREMENT & MONITORINGTRENDS & PRODUC TS

More stringent environment protection leg-islation and implementation will ensure future water quality for generations to come. Without this, we must realise the

dangers of possible water shortages of a quality suitable for human and animal consumption or industry require-ments,” says Mol.He adds that the Trace2o heavy metal analysers are

particularly suited for on-site analysis and remote water quality monitoring. The DataLink-Instruments (dtli) equipment’s main application fi elds include river water monitoring, drinking water and sewage treatment plants,

and effl uent monitoring in any industry using potable water (e.g. power plants, car industry, paper mills, petrochemical industry, food/dairy industry or any oth-er user of water in general). The dtli equipment is installed for either on-line or in-situ analy-sis and includes various measurable water parameters depending on the type, model or indus-try of particular application.“The portable WIZ probe is particularly

suitable in the fi sh farming industry as it monitors four of the most important wa-ter parameters concerning fi sh health ‒ NH3, NO2, NO3 and PO4 ‒ in a single probe design. Measurements can be done every three to four hours (or shorter intervals) unattended, and can be done remotely or manually if so desired. Other

parameters like silica, ions, etc., are availa-ble as well. All required reagents are stored on-board the analyser and collection of waste is taken care of as well, in order not to pollute the water resource,” adds Mol.

ROI regroupedAccording to Mol, return on investment (ROI) will depend on the customer’s outlook on preserving the environ-ment or the future of available water resources in the country. “With a limited quantity of suitable water for irrigation, drinking and industrial applications, we should preserve and return used water in a state that is environ-mentally friendly. Although we have access to water from two oceans, using this water is currently not fi nancially

Ensuring water’s futureThe equipment to measure the required accurate and sensitive parameter data is available now and should be used to improve the quality of water resources for future generations, Guido Mol, managing member of Quadrex Technologies tells Chantelle Mattheus.

viable, except as an emergency measure. So the need to preserve or protect our water available from inland resources is a top priority and should be done at all costs for current and future generations,” says Mol.

Innovation essentialInnovation is key; however, it is not only about the tech-nology involved, but how that technology is packaged and made accessible for users. “The electrochemical measuring technique used in the Trace2o fi eld analysers, anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV), has been around for some time but has never been implemented in a portable analyser. The ASV technique features very accurate and repeatable levels of analysis, as well as low level detec-tion, of the most common heavy metals in the ppb range in small sample volumes,” says Mol.

He adds that the equipment can be used by any technician after only a single 30-minute training period. “The dtli equipment uses conventional spectroscopy methodology rather than wet chemistry

techniques to obtain the required parameter result. As these units are installed near the customer’s factory effl u-ent outlet point or at various points in process plants or at river banks, lake, dams, shores, etc., total autonomous working is required and available,” says Mol, adding that this should include automatic sampling and discarding of the sample as well as cleaning of measuring cells of water fl ow-paths, etc. All these features, as well as manual operation, are standard. Remote alarm conditions can be activated if so desired. The advantages are immediately apparent. “Measured

parameters by the various equipment allows for immedi-ate response and/or action to be taken by the manager responsible for the water quality in process usage or prior to release of water back into the environment. For fi sh farmers or other users of the WIZ probe, the system can alert them of worsening water quality due to faulty water circulation pumps or air pumps, and thus safe valuable fi sh stock.”

Local demand and supply“Each of the products available from us has its own ap-plication fi eld. Various equipment types and models can be used in more than one industry or application fi eld,” says Mol. They all provide a measure of quality of water, expressed in concentrations of pollutants in the water

72 MAY/JUNE 2013

The portable WIZ probe is particularly suitable in the fish farming industry as it monitors four of the most important

water parameters concerning fish health

LEFT WIZ Probe automatically manages the well-known spectropho-tometric wet chemistries

Applications include:River water, Drinking water treatment plants, Sewage treatment plants and Industrial effl uents, including food, car, dairy, petrochemical and paper mill industries, as well as power plants

Available parameters:- Online nitrate- Online-UV COD- Online dual nitrate/UV COD- Online ammonium- Online sulphide- Online chlorophyll-a, fl uorescein,

rhodamine and oil in water- Online UV COD in-situ probe- Online phosphate- Online hexavalent Cr- Multi-parameter e.g pH, conductivity,

redox, DO, TSS, temperature- Metals like Ni, Zn, Fe, Cu, etc.

The innovative design allows for easy handling and fi eld deployment by a single user.

In its standard confi guration, the WIZ probe detects trace levels of the main four nutrients compounds:• ammonia (N-NH)• orthophosphate (P-PO3)• nitrate + nitrite N-(NO)• nitrite (N-NO234+NO2).

WIZ probe automatically manages the well-known spectrophotometric wet chemistries and an advanced fl uorimetric method for ammonia measurement.

Contact: Guido MolMobile: +27 083 629 2625 • Fax: 086 672 2805

Tel Offi ce: +27 (0)11 882 5051 • E-mail: gdjm@mweb.co.za

www.quadrex-technologies.co.za

Portable fi eld-kit and benchtop Metalyser systems for precise analysis (to ppb levels) of heavy elements in water and soils.

Depending on the models, the following elements are measurable: Al, As, B, Bi, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sn and Zn

ONLINE WATER MONITORING ANALYSIS EQUIPMENT

PORTABLE AND LABORATORY HEAVY ELEMENT ANALYSIS EQUIPMENT

PORTABLE WATER ANALYSER

and can thus be used by various types of customers either using or providing water.“We expect a steady growth in demand for this kind or

equipment, due to the need arising to monitor available water recourses as well as growing demand in effl uent monitoring points in various industries. Government has indicated that industry will be penalised for pollution of water recourses; this will result in higher demand for this type of equipment. Our company is capable of providing the number of required equipment and specifi cations,” he says.Mol believes that we all realise the importance of preserving

and maintaining our current limited water resources for a variety of uses, and modern equipment has revolutionised the measurement of and collection of various parameter data in diff erent water resources, be it rivers, lakes, dams, wells, water treatment or process plants, effl uent outlet points from factories, etc. ‒ either in-fi eld or in on-line applications, and even in remote places.“The possibility of the equipment to run autonomously

and unattended for a period of time either on solar, battery or electrical line power supply are features that should allow us to focus more on ensuring that corrective measures and/or actions to be implemented result in the sustainability of our water recourses and or life stocks,” he concludes.

The DataLink-Instruments equipment’s main application fields

include river water monitoring, drinking water and sewage

treatment plants, and effluent monitoring in any industry using

potable water

MEASUREMENT & MONITORINGTRENDS & PRODUC TS

Whether corrosive chemicals, heat or impossible-to-access application areas, sensors from Endress+Hauser are

known for withstanding many extremes. However, we all know that those ambient conditions are unfavourable for optimally calibrating sensors. Wouldn’t it be better to calibrate all sensors from the process conveniently in the lab under constant conditions and retrieve all calibration values, measuring values and sensor information without any eff ort, simply by clicking a mouse? Thanks to Memobase Plus and in-ductive Memosens sensors, this is now pos-sible ‒ for up to four sensors simultaneously.

Memosens and Memobase Plus ‒ the whole packageMemosens is based on non-contact data

At the click of a mouse...Measuring, calibrating and documenting – from the lab to production, by Jessica Nentwich, transmitter product manager at Endress+Hauser.

transmission between sensor and cable that makes the system robust against external infl uences such as moisture, corro-sion and salt bridges. Unpleasant surprises from measuring point failures caused by these factors are a thing of the past ‒ and maintenance work such as calibration and sensor replacement can be planned in advance.Moreover, sensors with digital Memosens

technology are intelligent. In addition to calibration data, they save information such as operating hours under various con-ditions and the tag name. As a result, their use is not tied to a specifi c transmitter. Sensors can be calibrated under optimal

conditions in the lab and all associated data is stored in a database. Reports are created simply by clicking a button. These options are unheard of for calibration on a

process transmitter or would in-volve time- consuming and error-prone work by hand.

The Memosens package is rounded out by pH buff ers manufactured in a buff er lab accred-ited by German agency DAkkS and made by M emo c h e c k p r o d u c t s .

These Memocheck products can simulate Memosens sensors (choice of measuring values, calibration and status) and thus make an essential contribution to simple validation of the measuring point and troubleshooting. These little tools make every day work easier ‒ that’s why many users of these products carry them around at all times.Memobase Plus consists of a software

program with a database and correspond-ing interfaces, which you can use to con-nect the sensors directly to any standard PC via USB, turning the computer into a calibration and measuring station. Sensors for the parameters of pH/ORP, dissolved oxygen (amperometric), conductive and toroidal conductivity, and chlorine can be operated in any desired combination. The individual tasks can be freely chosen: calibrate four sensors at the same time or calibrate one sensor while a second is measuring and a tag is written to the third ‒ anything is possible.Plug and play Memobase Plus is based on

the plug-and-play concept that has already brought success to the Liquiline transmitter platform. The software identifi es the digital Memosens sensors automatically and off ers the right functions for the sensor. The program is simple and easy to understand, and is sorted by the work tasks of measure-ment, calibration, reports and sensor man-agement. The intuitive operation and self- explanatory system, which also provides many helpful resources and instructions, allows every user to master the program af-ter just a short time. This prevents operator errors from the beginning.

Reaching savings goals quicklyMemobase Plus operates up to four sensors simultaneously in any combination. This speeds up measurement and calibration of all Memosens sensors with an inductive plug-in head and ultimately saves time and money. For each user, there is the right package at the right price. Memobase Plus consists of basic software with avail-able upgrades. Even “MemoLink” sensor connection boxes, and thus the means of determining the number of channels, are

74 MAY/JUNE 2013

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

Our combined security, SCADA, and power monitoring solution yields the highest efficiency

When you can see the whole facility, you’ll see the savings

Make the most of your energySM

Learn more about our water solutionsDownload our FREE water solutions guide today and stand a chance to WIN an iPhone 5!Visit www.SEreply.com and enter the key code 34678pCall +27-11-254-6400

Energy is a major part of water’s price and, of course, your facility’s operating costs. In addition, energy is the single largest contributor to the carbon footprint of the water process. Fortunately, Schneider Electric™ has the solution to manage and optimise your energy in line with your process obligations — and to reduce your carbon foot print.

Our comprehensive approach to energy management, along with combined power and process services, can yield an energy cost reduction of up to 30 per cent of your existing installation. And with visibility across your entire water network, you’ll be able to optimise the management of your process, reducing and avoiding energy waste in real time.

Flexible software, reliable services make upgrading easyWhen you partner with Schneider Electric all along the life cycle of your facility, you’ll gain access to our expertise as a world leader in electrical distribution, motor control, and process automation.

We encourage you to directly involve our experts and engineers by inviting them to conduct a thorough on-site audit and diagnosis of your facility, allowing them to propose informed solutions for improvement.

Improve productivity and safety at onceAdd to this, integrated security and remote management capabilities, and you’ve got a scalable, flexible solution to reduce energy costs, lower your carbon footprint, and provide a safer, more productive work environment for your employees.

The difference an energy management solution makes

Presenting EcoStruxure™, a solutions approach to the energy needs of the water industry that combines advanced power management with a proven automation control system to improve your energy effi ciency and help yield a holistically optimised plant.

76 MAY/JUNE 2013

TRENDS & PRODUC TS

Index to AdvertisersAbeco Tanks 67

Aquadam 53

Aquainnovate 36

ASW 13

Aurecon 18-20

Buckman Laboratories 38

Dynamic Fluid Control 45

Ecochem Pumps 50

Elster Kent 17

Endress & Hauser 21

Erwat 2

Festo 16

GIBB Engineering 41

Headstream Water Solutions 59

Itron 54

Kaytech 71

Krohne 40

KSB Pumps 7

Mather & Platt 51

Quadrex Technologies 73

Rand Water 32

Royal HaskoningDHV OFC

Royal HaskoningDHV 6

SA Leak Detection 61

Saint-Gobain Construction Product SA 11

SBS Water Systems 65

Schneider Electric 75

sera DoseTech SA 56

SEW Eurodrive 69

SRK Consulting 43

Swan’s Water Treatment IBC

Tenova Bateman Technologies 9

Tracker Connect 27

Trenchless Technologies IFC

Uhde 47

University of Johannesburg 25

Verder Pumps 52

Vermeer Equipment Suppliers 46

Videx Storage Tanks 63

Water & Sanitation Services OBC

available individually and can be retrofi tted at any time. The system also saves work space in the calibration lab as only one interface is needed for all types of sensors ‒ no bulky transmitters and software for measuring, calibration and documentation. And fi nally, you have continuous savings on personnel costs in your operations, since analysis specialists only have to calibrate, while sensor replacement, which also had to be done by specialists, can now be done by non- specialist staff in a few minutes. Maximised availability of measuring points is a free extra.

Calibrate reliably and attain high qualityMemobase Plus actively pro-vides reliable and error-free work. Because the sensors are calibrated in a labora-tory, calibration is always performed under optimal conditions ‒ a critical factor for its accuracy and thus for the quality of measurements as well. The user administration also provides security and, with the confi gurable password specifi cations, adapts to the requirements of a company and pertinent standards and regulations. In addition, the lab environment is much safer for workers. In the process environment, where workers are often ex-posed to heat or cold, dirt and vapours, the required work steps have been minimised to replacing the sensor.

Compliant and audit ready With complete automation, the program creates data records of operating condi-tions, measurements and calibrations, and

documents all of the associated information. This ensures seamless traceability and audits are prepared quickly and easily. Reports can be created in PDF form at the click of a but-ton. The data records can also be exported as CSV fi les and reused, without paperwork, for optimisation and analysis in Excel, for example. In addition, higher-order systems such as LIMS (Laboratory Information Management System) can access the CSV fi les.Memobase Plus enables you to work

in conformity with FDA CFR 21 Part 11

thanks to the audit trail and three-level user administration with electronic signature. Settings, serial numbers, software version, commissioning date and manufacturer, tar-get value, batch and service life of reference solutions, user, time stamp (accurate to the second) and sensor history are part of each data record and thus have a fi xed associa-tion with a calibration. This leaves no room for speculation.All of the information is stored in a local or

central database that, thanks to a checksum, reveals any tampering and labels it in a man-ner that is impossible to overlook. The cen-tral database also enables multiple access at diff erent locations, optimising the fl ow of information and making work more effi cient.

Automated as found/as left deviation monitoringHow was the measurement quality of the sensor immediately before calibration and, in comparison, what was it like immediately af-ter calibration? With the automated as found/as left measurement, this can be carried out easily and documented as an optional part of all calibration procedures. Based on the iden-tifi ed delta values, diff erences in measured values before and after a calibration can be explained and the application-related sensor load can be better estimated and tracked.

First-time reproducibility of laboratory and process valuesFor the fi rst time, the same calculation, cables and sensors as those in the process are used in the lab with Memobase Plus. This makes the measuring values genuinely comparable, since

diff erences due to the measuring system are eliminated. Therefore, up-scaling is also easier than ever: the sensors in the process are guar-anteed to measure identically to those in the test system. With automatic temperature and medium compensation, the only explanation for diff erent results can be the medium’s reaction with air. The sensors can be validated at an early stage and accompany the product development process from the beginning ‒ with consistent results from start to fi nish.This allows Memobase Plus to enable you

to centralise maintenance of Memosens ana-lytical sensors, thus making it more effi cient ‒ while giving you improved calibration quality and automated documentation that leaves nothing to be desired.

Because the sensors are calibrated in a laboratory, calibration is always

performed under optimal conditions – a critical factor for its accuracy and thus

for the quality of measurements as well

Water Purification Plant & Equipment

Swan’s Water TreatmentProp. Swansa (Pty) LimitedReg. No. 80/11814/07Plot 91, Honingklip, MuldersdriftP O Box 777 Muldersdrift 1747Tel: 010 594 9999 Fax: 086 609 1595

P Swan

INTRODUCTIONSWANSA (PTY) LTD trading as SWAN’S WATER TREATMENT is a privately owned South African company specializing in the design and manufacture of the full spectrum of water puri cation equipment.

Cost effective innovations are incorporated in our process and equipment designs with the plant being customised for each installation.

Our extensive in-house expertise, ensures that out advanced technology is applied to the clients best advantage.

PRODUCT RANGE• Water lters• Moore Airlift Rapid Gravity lters• Steel pressure lters• Steel rapid gravity lters

Liquid/Solid Separation• Sludge Blanket Vertical Up ow Clari ers• Diminishing Intensity Floc Conditioners• Incline Sheet Clari ers• Upgrading of Horizontal Flow Clari ers Chemical Dosing • Helical screw feeders• Rotary disc dry feeders• Water operated dry feeders• Gravity solution feeders• Metering pumps• Gas Chlorinators

Ef uent Treatment• Bio lter rotary distributors• Aerators• Clari ers

Miscellaneous• Package plants• Ammoniators• Sulphonators• Pilot operated diaphragm valves• Laboratory oc testers• Automatic pH control• Comparators• Domestic and industrial cartridge lters