IMIESA March 2020

www.infrastructurenews.co.za

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

I N F R A S T R U C T U R E D E V E LO P M E N T • B U I L D I N G • M A I N T E N A N C E • S E RV I C E D E L I V E RY

Municipal Feature

City of Johannesburg

Electrification & Renewables Powering the future energy mix

Water & Wastewater

South Africa’s master plan

Waste Management

Landfill closure and recycling

Inzalo Utility Systems Raising the benchmark in smart water metering ISSN 0257 1978

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

INSIDE

VOLUME 45 NO. 03 MARCH 2020

South Africa’s premier supplier of STS prepayment smart water meters, Inzalo Utility Systems, is rolling out its new AquaFlow and AquaData solution to the local and international market. P6

FOCUS ON In tabling the 2019/20 budget, the City of Johannesburg acknowledged several threats to the health of the economy. However, the city has still made some advances in infrastructure development and service delivery.

Regulars

Waste Management

Editor’s comment President’s comment Africa round-up Index to advertisers

3 5 9 63

Raising the benchmark in smart water metering

32

ENERGY Powering the future mix

Ways to commercialise waste E-waste industry worth billions Landfill closure and recycling

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Water & Wastewater Celebrating National Water Week 11 South Africa’s master plan 12 Pipes you can trust 15 Litter traps and pollution control 16 Water science can help municipalities sustain groundwater supply 18 20 Drilling for water Beneficiating sludge to the benefit of utilities 22 Community casting and Ndebele art 23 New sewer brings opportunity 25 Albany desalination plant gets an upgrade 26 Reshaping a vital plunge pool 27 New compact level sensors 29

Factoring in use-phase energy costs 42 Quarries grow communities 43

Vehicles & Equipment Working double time or extended hours?

Wirtgen unveils new advances in milling Power efficiency in the medium class

45 46 47

Construction Law Force majeure and the construction mafia

48

City of Johannesburg

ADF extension under way at Majuba 30 31 A brighter future with LED Powering the future mix 32 Roof cooling tech brings big benefits 35

Delivering Diphetogo Rehabilitation of the M1 double-decker Watt Street Interchange gains momentum Building safer connections Greening a city Transport facility to modernise travel New life for Brixton Social Cluster

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46

WASTE MANAGEMENT E-waste industry worth billions

36 38 40

Cement & Concrete

Cover Story

Energy

50

11

WATER & WASTEWATER Celebrating National Water Week

50 54 54 55 57 58 59

VEHICLES & EQUIPMENT Wirtgen unveils new advances in milling

IMIESA March 2020

1

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EDITOR’S COMMENT MANAGING EDITOR Alastair Currie SENIOR JOURNALIST Danielle Petterson HEAD OF DESIGN Beren Bauermeister CHIEF SUB-EDITOR Tristan Snijders CONTRIBUTORS Randeer Kasserchun, Peter Townshend PRODUCTION & CLIENT LIAISON MANAGER Antois-Leigh Nepgen PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Jacqueline Modise GROUP SALES MANAGER Chilomia Van Wijk FINANCIAL MANAGER Andrew Lobban BOOKKEEPER Tonya Hebenton DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Nomsa Masina DISTRIBUTION COORDINATOR Asha Pursotham SUBSCRIPTIONS subs@3smedia.co.za PRINTERS Novus Print KZN +27 (0)31 714 4700 ___________________________________________________

Building an effective and capable state

R

ightsizing strategies are designed to streamline organisations, operations and processes, making them more efficient and relevant. This adapt or die approach continues to define who succeeds and who fails in our fast-paced, technological world where there are no free lunches.

During the 2020 Budget Speech, South Africa’s Minister of Finance, Tito Mboweni, outlined the threats – spiralling public debt being the foremost one. He also referred to rationalisation measures for state-owned entities (SOEs), plus downward adjustments of around R160 billion on the public sector wage bill. Government expects to achieve remuneration savings of some R37.8 billion in the next financial year.

Whether some or all SOEs should be partly or wholly privatised is open to debate. The first step is to determine whether they still offer socio-economic value. If so, then we should remodel them so that they function effectively.

ADVERTISING SALES KEY ACCOUNT MANAGER Joanne Lawrie Tel: +27 (0)11 233 2600 / +27 (0)82 346 5338 Email: joanne@3smedia.co.za ___________________________________________________

PUBLISHER Jacques Breytenbach 3S Media 46 Milkyway Avenue, Frankenwald, 2090 PO Box 92026, Norwood 2117 Tel: +27 (0)11 233 2600 www.3smedia.co.za ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION: R600.00 (INCL VAT) ISSN 0257 1978 IMIESA, Inst.MUNIC. ENG. S. AFR. © Copyright 2020. All rights reserved. ___________________________________________________ IMESA CONTACTS HEAD OFFICE: Manager: Ingrid Botton P.O. Box 2190, Westville, 3630 Tel: +27 (0)31 266 3263 Email: admin@imesa.org.za Website: www.imesa.org.za

Empowering the youth As the public and private sector work together to rebuild and revitalise the economy, we must ensure that our younger members of society are not left behind. Currently, South Africa is home to approximately 20.4 million people in the 15 to 34 age band, according to Statistics SA’s Q4 2019 Quarterly Labour Force Survey. Approximately 40.1% (over 8 million) are not in employment, education or training.

That’s a staggering statistic and one that presents a real time bomb for South Africa unless government finds a way to rapidly upskill and employ the youth. They should never be referred to as a lost generation.

BORDER Secretary: Celeste Vosloo Tel: +27 (0)43 705 2433 Email: celestev@buffalocity.gov.za EASTERN CAPE Secretary: Susan Canestra Tel: +27 (0)41 585 4142 ext. 7 Email: imesaec@imesa.org.za KWAZULU-NATAL Secretary: Ingrid Botton Tel: +27 (0)31 266 3263 Email: imesakzn@imesa.org.za NORTHERN PROVINCES Secretary: Ollah Mthembu Tel: +27 (0)82 823 7104 Email: np@imesa.org.za

High- and low-tech solutions

SOUTHERN CAPE KAROO Secretary: Henrietta Olivier Tel: +27 (0)79 390 7536 Email: imesasck@imesa.org.za

Kick-starting the economy requires a multipronged approach that focuses on low- and high-tech industrialisation, which includes agriculture. In this way, we can ensure that no one is excluded from employment based on their education and skills levels.

Deregulating the renewable energy sector will attract local and foreign direct investors interested

WESTERN CAPE Secretary: Michelle Ackerman Tel: +27 (0)21 444 7114 Email: imesawc@imesa.org.za FREE STATE & NORTHERN CAPE Secretary: Wilma Van Der Walt Tel: +27 (0)83 457 4362 Email: imesafsnc@imesa.org.za All material herein IMIESA is copyright protected and may not be reproduced either in whole or in part without the prior written permission of the publisher. The views of the authors do not necessarily reflect those of the Institute of Municipal Engineering of Southern Africa or the publishers. _____________________________________________

www.infrastruct

Commercialising waste presents another excellent opportunity. Lead by the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries and partnering with industry, we can progressively transition to a circular economy that is inward focused.

Currently, the recycling sector is biased towards exports. In good times, that has been a sustainable approach. However, the recent international volatility in waste community prices – such as cardboard, plastics and scrap metal – has put local recyclers under pressure.

Sustaining a waste-to-landfill diversion strategy and stimulating a homegrown recycling and remanufacturing sector can be achieved. To succeed, though, it requires a complete change in mindset and formalised buy-back markets.

The possibilities range from baseline handsorting SMME initiatives to the building of materials recovery facilities. Electronic waste is another stream that could support the growth of specialist industries. The point to make is that, across the waste mix, there’s an entry point for skilled and unskilled categories.

That applies to a host of other possibilities in water and wastewater infrastructure that include build, own, operate and transfer schemes. Low-volume road construction using labour-based techniques is another example.

Without the corroding effects of corruption and wasteful expenditure, we could have achieved far more. We own it to the ‘Born Free’ generation to ensure we put things back on track.

Alastair @infrastructure4

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V E RY • S E RV I C E D E L I

Municip al Feature

City of Johannes burg

Electr ificati on & Renew ables

Powerin g the future energy mix

Water & Wastew ater

South Africa’s master plan

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IMIESA is ABC audited and certified.

Waste economics

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in becoming independent power producers.

Furthermore, it could potentially create job opportunities for the unskilled and experts, plus new career paths for technical employees existing the SOE space.

Waste Manage ment

Landfill closure and recycling

Systems Inzalo Utility ing in smart water meter Raising the bench

mark

8 ISSN 0257 197

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Cover opportunity

In each issue, IMIESA offers advertisers the opportunity to get to the front of the line by placing a company, product or service on the front cover of the journal. Buying this position will afford the advertiser the cover story and maximum exposure. For more information on cover bookings, contact Joanne Lawrie on +27 (0)82 346 5338.

IMIESA March 2020

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PRESIDENT’S COMMENT

IMESA

Municipal engineers need free rein

C

ome February each year, the State of the Nation Address (SONA) presents the roadmap for key macroeconomic objectives, with infrastructure always uppermost on the priority list. SONA 2020 was no exception, and government is committed to driving this process via mechanisms like the South African Infrastructure Fund, now imminent in terms of commercial mobilisation.

At SONA, it was announced that the fund’s implementation team had finalised a list of “shovel-ready” projects. It has further identified a project pipeline of over R700 billion in potential infrastructure investments spanning the next decade.

Government’s proposed build programme is welcome news for a hard-pressed construction sector that has seen a major contraction in work in recent years. It’s also a great opportunity for municipal engineers to deliver on their professional mandates.

Scaling the stumbling blocks One of SONA 2020’s objectives is to remove the red tape that constrains business and construction. SONA, for example, refers to massive improvements that allow for company registration in a single day, instead of months.

That’s a commendable step in the overall ‘ease of doing business’ strategy that will alleviate bottlenecks.

Within the local government system, rethinking how municipalities function is also needed to make them far more effective at implementation. Many municipalities, for example, have outdated organograms that don’t make sense. On top of this, critical

posts remain vacant or are occupied in an acting capacity by technical staff lacking the necessary years of practical experience and/ or professional registration.

As the planners and implementers of infrastructure strategy, municipal engineers in middle and senior management need freer rein to engineer, and more technical staff to effect implementation. At this stage, many are bogged down with routine compliance and reporting tasks. There is simply too much daily red tape to wade through and not enough time to engage and execute on technical matters.

Technical departments are often too thinly stretched or non-existent.

As IMESA, we are proactively engaging with our main stakeholders – comprising CoGTA, MISA, National Treasury and Salga – on improved ways to empower municipal engineering decision-makers.

This supports government’s District Development Model (DDM) initiative to establish an integrated service delivery approach.

The programme was piloted at eThekwini, and the OR Tambo and Waterberg district municipalities. During 2020, government plans to introduce the DDM to 23 new districts.

Talent retention and skills development are fundamental to ensuring that infrastructure planning can work effectively at the final delivery stage. Experience and qualifications should never be discounted. For this reason, IMESA is calling for public stakeholders to ensure that a minimum number of Pr Eng/ Pr Tech qualified engineers be employed and empowered at all municipalities. Including senior engineering managers at exco level will also greatly improve technical delivery.

Currently, there are approximately 40 municipalities where a section 154 intervention has been imposed. Working with CoGTA, IMESA’s members are committed to being part of the solution.

Meeting challenges To meet service delivery challenges, municipal engineering managers must have clear and dedicated focus. The bulk of their efforts should include: short-, medium- and long-term strategic infrastructure planning; operations and maintenance budgeting and execution; oversight and monitoring of capital projects; as well as quality control and compliance. There must also be time to mentor and transfer skills.

Randeer Kasserchun, president, IMESA

IMIESA March 2020

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COVER STORY

Raising the benchmark in smart water metering South Africa’s premier supplier of STS prepayment smart water meters is rolling out its new AquaFlow and AquaData solution to the local and international markets. It offers pre- and post-paid functionality.

E

stablished in 2001, Inzalo Utility Systems currently commands around 90% of the electronic flow limitation market in the SADC region. Growth has been driven by innovation, with Inzalo’s prepaid water metering systems becoming the first in South Africa to be approved by the global Standard Transfer Specification (STS) Association.

A BBBEE Level 1 contributor, Inzalo undertakes design and manufacturing in accordance

COMBATTING WATER LOSSES South Africa urgently needs disruptive smart water innovations to manage both technical and non-revenue water losses. According to available statistics (Salga, 2018), municipalities lose around R7.2 billion worth of water every year through irregular and/or inaccurate billing, while 61% of households don’t know how much water they use.

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IMIESA March 2020

to wirelessly transmit data to municipalities or water service provider (WSP) databases and receive commands remotely. Instructions sent to the device are flexible and can be tailored for optimum functionality.

The data transmission side is handled by SigFox’s secure cloud-based platform, which sends data through to Inzalo’s API (application

with ISO 9001: 2015 certification and IEC 62055-41 and 6205551 standards.

Inzalo’s prepaid water metering systems boast an open architecture, providing private and municipal clients with a level of flexibility in the choice of their vending partner.

Inzalo’s turnkey solutions encompass: • operational management of credit control • revenue management • revenue advancement.

Inzalo has a strong team of pioneering engineers and industry experts who have a clear focus on technological innovation. A dedicated product support team provides comprehensive training and after-sales support on a 24-hour standby basis.

Enter the AquaFlow Inzalo is proud to announce the launch of the AquaFlow, its latest water management breakthrough. An internet of things (IoT) enabled device, the AquaFlow forms part of Inzalo’s next generation of advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) solutions. It is designed

Inzalo Utility Systems’ Sbonelo Mazibuko, CEO, (left) and Sihle Ndlovu, executive chairman

COVER STORY

The AquaFlow is compatible with various pulse output water meters (digital or analogue), enabling municipalities to transmit data directly to their back-end database systems via the cloud. This modernises automated reading, crucial for reporting purposes.

Highly scalable

AQUAFLOW FUNCTIONALITY • Free flow management • Flow control management (drought supply management) • Indigent supply management • Prepaid water • Remote meter reading • Remote cut-off • Water scheme leak and tamper detection • Bulk water management programming interface), allowing WSPs to automatically update their billing systems, and produce reports.

The AquaFlow, which features a built-in tamper detection alert, can be utilised for bulk solutions across the following meter sizes: • 40 mm • 50 mm • 80 mm • 100 mm • 150 mm • 200 mm.

The solution enables the measurement of bulk water and facilitates flow management via an intelligent shut-off valve. When used in conjunction with downstream AquaFlow

devices, accurate water balancing can be achieved.

“AquaFlow has the potential to tackle the water management challenges faced by South Africa and the world, especially when it comes to non-revenue water (NRW),” explains Sbonelo Mazibuko, CEO, Inzalo. “Being able to instruct the AquaFlow to open, close or restrict flow of water remotely is a highly innovative leap forward for municipalities.”

Its capabilities include revenue realisation through pre- and post-paid water metering, leak detection, credit management, and flow limitation. Additionally, these units provide a sound return on investment, with an estimated 10+ years’ life in the field and come equipped with replaceable battery packs.

The AquaFlow uses an internationally recognised secure communication network, Sigfox, which is managed in South Africa

by Sqwidnet. Sigfox, available in 65 countries, with 1 billion people covered, enables greater meter interrogation. This includes retrieving meter readings, setting configuration parameters, and loading prepaid tokens. More importantly, perhaps, communicating via Sigfox is inexpensive, requires low power and enjoys wide area coverage.

The AquaFlow can be installed to simply meter consumption on a free flow basis.

This may be the preferred starting point for the roll-out of a scheme where the ultimate objective is flow limitation. The device can limit flow by: • volume • time of day • a combination of volume and time of day.

Flexibility is built into the system. Indigent consumers in all municipalities are entitled to free basic services. Daily allocation of water forms part of these. Through flow limitation, the AquaFlow ensures that indigent consumers receive the water they are entitled to. Furthermore, the AquaFlow allows consumers to purchase additional water on a prepaid basis.

For post-paid customers, the process efficiently and accurately automates the acquisition of readings, as well as invoice generation.

“This can be used as a powerful tool for credit management, which any municipality can utilise in post-paid environments,” Mazibuko explains. “By being able to limit call-outs, municipalities can further save on costs normally designated to the deployment of vehicles and human resources.”

Data generated by the AquaFlow is analysed and, through advanced machine learning, can generate exceptions and alerts. This capability can drastically reduce water lost through leaks, which is a primary concern for most municipalities.

“At Inzalo, we are committed to helping CFOs, municipal managers and government officials to source innovative automated processes that enhance service delivery, realise optimal revenue and conserve our precious natural resources,” Mazibuko concludes.

www.utility-systems.co.za

IMIESA March 2020

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IMESA

Joint Conference with IMESA & IAWEES

(The Institute of Municipal Engineering of Southern Africa & International Association of Water, Environment, Energy and Society) In Cooperation with RNTU & CVRU, India

EVENT: VENUE: DATES: THEME:

84TH IMESA Conference in collaboration with IAWEES Cape Town International Convention Centre 28-30 October 2020 Synergy through Engineering

Earn 2.5 CPD points by attending

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INFRASTRUCTURE NEWS

FROM AROUND THE CONTINENT

NAMIBIA Desalination feasibility study under way

LIBERIA Removing development constraints The African Development Fund has approved a US$34.74 million (R518 million) grant and loan to boost renewable energy access and promote an attractive investment climate in Liberia.

The funding will be used for two projects, the first of which is the Renewable Energy for Electrification in Liberia initiative. This will see the construction of a mini dam on the St John River in Nimba County, in north-eastern Liberia, and the development of the Gbedin Falls hydropower project, with a total capacity of 9.34 MW, to be transmitted through an 8 km, 33 kV line connecting 7 000 households.

The system will allow for grid expansion to isolated communities. Scheduled for completion by 2024, the project is expected to unlock one of the main constraints to economic development – access to a reliable, affordable and sustainable supply of electricity.

The second project – Support to Investment Promotion Agencies in Transition Countries – will promote business investment in Liberia and building the capacity of the National Investment Commission.

Windhoek and the coastal towns of Walvis Bay and Swakopmund are under pressure to meet their increasing water supply demands.

With this in mind, the German Federal Government – in cooperation with the German KfW Development Bank – has commissioned a feasibility study to provide recommendations for long-term solutions for the water supply to the central coast and central area of Namibia, including Windhoek as well as users along the route.

The desalination feasibility study is in the process of carrying out a detailed analysis of the projected water demand in the coastal and central region, and will develop a proposal for, among other things, the envisioned corresponding desalination option, water transfer system and power infrastructure required. Additionally, the study will provide a comparison of the desalination option for the CAN area, where the Namibian government has examined the possibility of sourcing water from the Okavango.

A concept workshop for the study was held in Windhoek in early January to evaluate the preliminary findings and guide the study. The final results of the feasibility study are expected before the end of 2020.

TANZANIA Railway to opportunity Standard Chartered Bank has arranged US$1.46 billion (R21.7 billion) in financing to fund the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) project.

Running approximately 550 km, the SGR project is one of the country’s biggest projects, connecting Dodoma to Dar es Salaam via Morogoro and Makutupora. Once complete, the SGR Rail project will provide a safe and reliable means for efficiently transporting people and cargo to and from the existing Dar es Salaam Port.

According to the Tanzania Railways Corporation, it is expected that the railway will address current congestion challenges and decrease freight service charges by 40%, as the railway will be able to haul up to 10 000 tonnes of freight, equivalent to 500 lorries, per trip. It will also connect Tanzania to Burundi, Rwanda and the DRC, thereby playing a key role in enhancing regional trade.

TOGO Driving electrification ambitions Togo has broken ground on the Moyamed Bin Zayed Solar PV Complex, led by AMEA Power, the company in charge of designing, financing, building, launching, operating and maintaining the facility.

The complex is West Africa’s largest ongoing solar PV project, and supports Togo’s ambitions to increase its rural electrification rate to 50% by 2022, and 100% by 2030.

“AMEA Power is a foreign investor who understands Africa and has demonstrated a commitment to supporting local content wherever it operates,” declared NJ Ayuk, executive chairman of the African Energy Chamber and CEO of the Centurion Law Group. “As public and private sector interest for Africa grows in the Middle East, such players are most welcomed. Their work in and with Africa contributes to the development of a sustainable and prosperous future.”

IMIESA March 2020

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WATER AND CLIMATE CHANGE Climate Change is upon us, use water sparingly.

National Water Week 16 - 22 March 2020 Umgeni Water is urging everyone to use water sparingly to ensure water for all. Water is a precious resource that sustains life. Therefore, everyone has a responsibility to protect and respect water resources such as rivers, dams and wetlands. The basic human right to access clean water should be realised. Preventing misuse of water and the polluting of rivers and wetlands is a fundamental responsibility of every citizen.

Did You Know?

Building houses close to rivers, wetlands and dams makes people vulnerable to floods.

The toilet is one of the biggest sources of leaks in the home and it wastes up to 100 000 litres of water a year

Littering and illegal dumping pollute water sources.

Taking 2 baths at a depth of 150mm uses 180l of water whereas a 5 minute shower uses 70l.

Collect rainwater to water gardens, to use in toilet and to wash, so to save potable water.

South Africa is ranked as one of the 30 driest countries in the world with an annual average average rainfall of 464mm. This affects the amount of water collected in dams. Currently out of eighteen dams operated by Umgeni Water, four dams across Umgeni Water’s catchment area are running at a capacity of below 50% while two dams are running under 60% capacity.

/umgeniwater

@umgeniwater umgeniwater

umgeniwater

310 Burger Street, Pietermaritzburg, 3201, Republic of South Africa / P.O Box 9, Pietermaritzburg, 3200, Republic of South Africa Tel: +27 (33) 341 1111 / Fax +27 (33) 341 1167 / Toll free: 0800 331 820 / Email: info@umgeni.co.za Web: www.umgeni.co.za

Improving Quality of Life and Enhancing Sustainable Economic Development

WATER & WASTEWATER

Celebrating National Water Week Today, a third of people – around 2.2 billion – live without safe drinking water. On 22 March ever y year, people and organisations mark World Water Day by taking action to tackle the water crisis.

2.2 BILLION 2.2 billion people live without access to safe water By 2040, global water demand is expected to double

A

s the world celebrates World Water Day and South Africa National Water Week, attention this year turns to water and climate change.

Climate change is inextricably linked to water, as it increases variability in the water cycle, inducing extreme weather events, reducing the predictability of water availability, affecting water quality, and threatening sustainable development and biodiversity worldwide.

The UN is therefore calling for climate policymakers to put water at the heart of action plans. Climate delay is almost as dangerous as climate denial, and action plans to tackle climate change need to be integrated across different sectors and coordinated across borders. And they must have one thing in common: safe and sustainable water management.

If we are to create a sustainable future, business as usual is no longer an option.

Adapting to the water effects of climate change will protect health and save lives.

Using water more efficiently will reduce

South Africa is facing a projected 17% water deficit by 2030 greenhouse gases. Fighting climate change will present vast opportunities for the economy in many areas. The world needs to embrace circular production systems and use water much more efficiently.

360 000 Climate-resilient water supply and sanitation could save more than 360 000 infants annually

Climate action in SA The South African Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries has announced that, this year, it will assist municipalities to implement their climate change response strategies. The South African Weather Service will also ramp up efforts to educate local communities so they can better understand climate change and respond appropriately.

Through the department’s environmental programmes, R1.9 billion is to be spent in 2020 to restore wetlands, estuaries and coastal dunes to better protect built infrastructure and human settlements from storms, floods and rising sea levels.

South Africa will also continue to lobby developed countries to provide for an adequate, reliable and predictable source of international funding for both mitigation and adaptation.

50%

If we limit global warming to 1.5°C, we could cut climate-induced water stress by 50%

South Africa is the 39th driest country in the world

5.7 BILLION

By 2050, up to 5.7 billion people could be living in areas where water is scarce for at least one month a year South Africans use

64 ℓ/DAY

more than the global average

IMIESA March 2020

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WATER & WASTEWATER

South Africa’s master plan Late last year, Minister of Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation Lindiwe Sisulu launched her department’s master plan to address a water crisis that it says is already significantly affecting economic growth and the well-being of all South Africans.

By Danielle Petterson

A

ccording to the National Water and Sanitation Master Plan (NW&SMP), South Africa is facing a water crisis caused by insufficient water infrastructure maintenance and investment, recurrent droughts driven by climatic variation, inequities in access to water and sanitation, deteriorating water quality, and a lack of skilled water engineers.

The impacts of the crisis will only be exacerbated if not addressed and could culminate in an estimated 17% water deficit by 2030. The NW&SMP, therefore, outlines a series of urgent steps to be taken by all water sector stakeholders to address systemic and infrastructural challenges and to secure continuous water supply.

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We need to address our own insufficient investment in water infrastructure and inadequate management of the water sources we have."

Minister Lindiwe Sisulu

The master plan also outlines immediate interventions that the Department of Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation (DHSWS) intends to make to respond to challenges including infrastructure investment and maintenance, capacity of municipalities, transformation in the sector, licensing of water use, capacity of the department and its agencies, and ensuring that communities and businesses have water security.

“We are faced with a backlog of challenges we need to address urgently if we are to achieve water security for community use and also business and economic development. We need to address our own insufficient investment in water infrastructure and inadequate management of the water sources we have,” stressed Sisulu.

Key objectives The NW&SMP indicates that South Africa can avoid a projected 17% water deficit by 2030 by taking bold action. However, this requires an additional investment of R33 billion each year over the next 10 years. The master plan therefore introduces a programme of action for the water and sanitation sector.

This has four key strategic objectives: 1.

To structure the DHSWS to make it fit for purpose, eliminate wastage and any loss due to corruption and mismanagement of resources.

2.

To address the water and sanitation goals of the country as envisioned in the National Development Plan, the Sustainable Development Goals and the African Union Agenda 2063.

3.

To support the President’s Economic

OVER 3 MILLLION

41%

R9.9 BILLION

Over 3 million people don’t have access to a basic water supply

41% of municipal water does not generate revenue and 35% is lost through leakage

Municipalities are losing ±1 660 million m³ per year through NRW amounting to R9.9 billion annually

IMIESA March 2020

WATER & WASTEWATER

Stimulus and Recovery Plan and give priority to its five broad parts.

4. To give effect to initiatives and programmes announced in the 2019 State of the Nation Address, specifically the Public-Private Growth Initiative (PPGI).

Big changes coming Institutional changes will see the finalisation of the establishment of catchment management agencies at local level, as well as a continuation of the process to transform the water boards into regional utilities that can act as water services providers when municipalities are unable to perform their water functions adequately.

A National Water Resources and Services Authority will also be established to finance, develop, manage and operate national water resource infrastructure and sanitation.

The DHSWS is currently expediting a review of all current infrastructure projects with the plan to complete them, as well as finalising plans for the development of national infrastructure projects to ensure timely completion and maintain the water security of large urban economic centres.

Notably, Sisulu promised to revitalise the Blue, Green and No Drop monitoring programmes, with the Blue Drop system to become effective from 1 April 2020.

The department and its agencies will also work to identify alternative sources of water and water that is not utilised, while working to implement new technologies and innovations that will ensure water security.

Making it a reality The NW&SMP received a great deal of criticism following its launch, particularly the roughly R1 trillion needed to achieve the plan.

Various drafts of the master plan were also criticised during consultations over the past three years for proposing far too many interventions. The result was that there were no clear priorities and a long list of proposals that were way beyond the capacity of the DHSWS and the water sector to implement.

They were also not affordable – as has been confirmed by the news that departmental budgets are more likely to be decreased

R33 BILLION R33 billion more is needed annually for the next 10 years to achieve water security

56% 56% of wastewater treatment works and 44% of water treatment works are in a poor or critical condition than increased, explains Mike Muller, former director general of the Department of Water Affairs.

These concerns appear to have been recognised by Sisulu who, when she launched the plan, said that the department had “prioritised a programme of strategic actions that will lay the foundation for the water sector to overcome its challenges and ensure a water-secure future.”

She added, “Given the limited public funding that is available through government’s budget, it is important to ensure that financially viable projects are financed using private sector funding. This will allow public funds to be focused on priority transformation projects.

The interventions to do this will build on the success to date of the TCTA and water boards, which, together, have mobilised over R50 billion in loan finance to undertake infrastructure development to supply urban and industrial use.”

Muller believes the acid test will come over the next few months, as we see whether these pronouncements are matched by action. “Will the minister be able to focus on long-term strategic interventions to fix the sector or will she continue to be distracted by a never-ending series of crises, as one municipality after another fails to do its job and leaves desperate communities looking for answers… and water?” he questioned.

Dr Anthony Turton, professor at the University of the Free State’s Centre for Environmental Management, believes there is no shortage of capital or technology, meaning the R1 trillion is an attainable target, provided that bankable projects are generated and trust is restored.

He points to the creation of the Business Water Chamber under the PPGI. This has seen the commercial players in the water sector organised into one coherent body that is working closely with the National Planning Commission to prioritise a set of key interventions to kick-start the economy.

This will see existing impediments being removed with the intention of making the water sector investable once again to enable the NW&SMP. “This is not the privatisation of water as some might suggest, merely the emergence of a new partnership between business, as creators of jobs and generators of taxes, and government that provides the enabling environment for job creation and human development,” Turton stresses.

Instead, he sees it as the game changer that will create an investment platform into the water sector. Implementation will be through a series of special-purpose vehicles designed to protect capital from theft, but also to provide the skills needed to make service delivery sustainable in an invigorated national economy.

This is what Turton believes will make the NW&SMP succeed. “Water is an economic enabler and the Business Water Chamber will work with all existing parties to make this happen.”

IMIESA March 2020

13

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WATER & WASTEWATER | PANEL

Pipes you can trust SAPPMA began to sound the alarm bells over declining water infrastructure a decade ago. IMIESA talks to Jan Venter, CEO, SAPPMA, about the current state of South Africa’s pipes.

What are the main contributing factors to South Africa's growing water crisis?

JV At SAPPMA, we saw signs of severe water losses caused by water leaks and wastage many years before the crisis reached its peak – a crisis that could have been reduced if not completely avoided.

Most of South Africa’s municipal pipelines were installed in the early 1950s and 1960s, and were manufactured from cement, asbestos or steel. These pipes have a maximum economic lifespan of 50 years and have long since corroded, disintegrated or developed serious leaks.

While external factors such as drought aggravated the problem, the major cause of water loss is the country’s failure to upgrade and maintain its water infrastructure. South Africa loses almost 40% of its potable water through leaks, incorrect metering and unauthorised consumption. By comparison, Australia (another dry country) loses less than 10% per year.

How do plastic pipes offer an ideal solution?

Corrosion and the poor joining of pipes are the two main causes of water loss.

HDPE and PVC pipes won't rust or corrode over time and the joints are leakproof, if installed correctly. The possibility of longer lengths further reduces the number of joints. They offer extended lifetimes of up to 100 years and are highly

Jan Venter, CEO, SAPPMA

suitable for the rehabilitation of old pipelines. For this reason, plastic pipes are the material of choice to replace ageing pipes in South Africa and globally.

They are available in various diameters and wall thicknesses, and are cheaper and more efficient to install. Plastic pipes offer superior flexibility, toughness, ease of handling, suitability for trenchless applications, and excellent long-term hydraulic properties. They also offer significant savings thanks to their lower friction, resulting in lower pumping costs, less maintenance and fewer interruptions.

Why is it important for engineers to specify plastic pipes bearing the SAPPMA logo?

A good-quality plastic pipe is designed and manufactured to have a minimum lifespan of 50 years (with 100 years a realistic possibility), thanks to the long-term strength of the polymer. However, if this strength is compromised in any way, the necessary requirements will not be achieved.

SAPPMA’s mandate is to ensure absolute confidence and trust in the quality of pipes manufactured by our members.

Through close monitoring, SAPPMA ensures full adherence to all relevant national standards. Only pipes that are independently tested and audited are allowed to bear the SAPPMA logo as assurance that they meet international benchmarks of safety and quality.

SAPPMA therefore urges municipalities and engineers to specify that only HDPE and PVC pipes bearing the SAPPMA mark may be installed. Any other pipe will be untested, runs the risk of being of inferior quality, and could contain dangerous heavy metals or contaminated recyclate.

IMIESA March 2020

15

WATER & WASTEWATER

Litter traps and pollution control Unless tackled head on, river pollution poses a greater immediate threat to our water supply than current and future storage capacity. Litter traps help to contain and combat the problem, and are sometimes combined with artificial reed beds. By Peter Townshend*

O

ur water courses, par ticularly those emanating from urban and peri-urban areas, are conduits for all sorts of pollution and litter, and this has a major knock-on effect on our dams. Over the years, these vital

An automatic control gate for a litter trap

containment facilities become increasingly clogged with filth and debris.

We do not have enough water to flush pollution from our dams. Subsequently, this water can become toxic due to the establishment of blue-green algae, as well as a breeding ground for alien vegetation.

Hartbeespoort is a classic example of a dam faced with these types of environmental threats, thanks to accumulated pollution from the Gauteng region. The dam is infested with water hyacinth, which thrives on the contaminated nutrient inflows.

Most of the litter and pollution emanates from the built environment and is concentrated in high-density urban areas.

Informal settlements, as well as vagrant communities, populate the watercourses and use these rivers for their ablutions and washing, unaware of the hazards.

The daily reality is that poorly maintained wastewater treatment plants, as well as overloaded and blocked sewer outfalls, continuously spew raw sewage into these systems.

After flood events, it’s common to see riverbanks, weirs and storm channels strewn with rubbish, most of it nondegradable, especially plastics. An overconcentration of biodegradable waste, like foods and wood flotsam, also ends up depleting the oxygen in the water, presenting a threat to aquatic life.

Dead rats, cats and dogs are also swept into the watercourses. These, together with human excrement, produce exceptionally high E. coli loads. Industrial chemical waste and oils are also frequently discharged into rivers.

Within urban spaces, litter further poses major challenges for safe and effective stormwater management. Sur face drains and stormwater pipes become blocked with wind- and waterborne debris, some of which will eventually find its way downstream to the ocean.

In coastal areas, plastics and oils pollute pristine beaches – a crisis gaining more attention via local and international environmental interest groups. In response, community clean-ups have become the norm, for both inland and coastal initiatives.

Trap it at source

Litter trap full after one rainfall event

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IMIESA March 2020

There are, however, systems that can go a long way in cleaning up our watercourses of litter, organic and chemical pollution.

One such system is the litter and pollution trap.

The system consists of an automatic control gate, which remains closed for

WATER & WASTEWATER

The overall scheme of how the litter trap combines with the reed beds for pollution control

all flows up to about the 1:10 year flood line. Flood waters over flow a side wall into a series of specially designed screens, which are easy to clean, before flowing out under a baffle wall as relatively clean, debris-free water.

The litter trap is designed for easy cleaning. The basin just upstream of the canal gate also ser ves as a sediment trap and can be cleaned out with a TLB. For floods exceeding the 1:10 year flood event, the canal gate will automatically open to release excess flow under the gate and so prevent the litter trap from surcharging and washing away the trapped litter. It also reduces the potential for upstream flooding along the canal.

Low flows and high pollution levels For low flows with high pollution levels,

which is the case more than 90% of the time, an automatic control diaphragm valve diverts the low flow out of the river along the bank(s) into a series of artificial reed beds. The latter provide natural treatment of the polluted water before flowing back as ‘clean’ water into the watercourse.

There could be a series of reed beds, as well as reed beds on both banks.

The automatic valve will close off the flow when there is a flood, so the reedbeds are not clogged with sediment and litter. It will open automatically once the water level has subsided. Both the control gate and automatic valve are fully automated and do not rely on an electrical or mechanical means to operate them. They are also suitable for urban watercourses with a short run-off time.

A series of these types of traps should be used along urban watercourses to provide

a reasonable water quality as it flows into the dam or estuary. A similar type of trap can be used to prevent unsightly discharges into harbours and yacht basins. *Peter Townshend, Pr Eng, is the managing director of Amanziflow Projects.

Overflowing sewer

Litter and debris after a storm on the Hennops River

Informal settlers using urban watercourses

IMIESA March 2020

17

WATER & WASTEWATER

Water science can help municipalities sustain groundwater supply Indiscriminate borehole drilling is undermining the future water supply, food security and economic survival of South Africa’s small towns.

W

ith several small towns running out of water, there have been many borehole drilling projects initiated by municipalities. However, where these are conducted without the professional input of a qualified geohydrologist, there is the danger that the water supply is not sustainable, said Gert Nel, partner and principal geohydrologist at SRK Consulting.

Without proper scientific planning and management, Nel said boreholes can deplete the underground aquifers, leaving local residents and businesses vulnerable. Speaking after the recent Groundwater Conference in Port Elizabeth, he said the solution is to better control groundwater use and manage the expectations of the water users in these towns. Hosted by the Groundwater Division (GWD) of the Geological Society of South Africa (GSSA), the conference focused on groundwater’s potential as a sustainable water supply source.

“There is too large a gap between groundwater science, on the one hand, and implementation and management on municipal level, on the other,” explained Nel, who is also chairman of the GWD’s Eastern Cape branch and chaired the groundwater conference.

“There are several competent groundwater consultancies based in the Eastern Cape and countrywide who are more than able to provide sustainable solutions, if allowed to do so.”

Nel noted that there remained a widespread perception that groundwater use was simply a matter of appointing drilling contractors to drill more boreholes, and then pumping as much water as users required. He highlighted that this was not a sustainable approach, and that groundwater development and management required specific expertise and experience.

In her opening address to the groundwater conference, Eunice Kekana, executive mayor, Sarah Baartman District Municipality, made a plea to the over 200 attendees, including experienced geohydrologists, asking them to assist in solving the desperate water shortages currently being experienced in large parts of the Eastern Cape, including her own district.

Closer public and private engagement needed Nel said the time had come for government to engage more closely with the various groundwater organisations and private geohydrological businesses in South Africa.

Funding agencies could play a valuable role in ensuring water sustainability by insisting

Gert Nel is a partner and principal hydrogeologist at SRK Consulting in East London, with 28 years’ experience in the field. His expertise includes groundwater resource evaluation at local and regional scale, groundwater supply, groundwater management, on-site sanitation, as well as environmental impact assessments. Nel is also involved in groundwater exploration drilling and borehole construction, waste disposal investigations and environmental hydrogeology, groundwater contamination investigations, groundwater awareness training and education, and hydrocarbon contamination risk assessments and remediation.

Recently drilled artesian boreholes, drilled on the Coega Fault near Port Elizabeth.

(They spray water when their gate valves are opened.) These boreholes were drilled for Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality by Dr Ricky Murray

18

IMIESA March 2020

WATER & WASTEWATER

Delegates at the Groundwater Conference in Port Elizabeth

that every borehole drilled with their funds should be accompanied by a geohydrological report, signed off by a qualified and registered geohydrologist.

“Government has already made efforts to ensure that water projects are more sustainable, and these need further development,” he said. “The term tender issued three years ago by the Department of Water and Sanitation, for example, identified those consulting geohydrological firms that had the necessary expertise and experience to ensure sustainable water projects.”

This was a valuable tool at the service of municipalities, so that projects could rely on a registered scientist to sign off in their capacity as a ‘Competent Person’. Nel said the use of a Competent Person in designing and implementing projects was a well-established requirement in the mining sector and made sure that an accredited professional took responsibility for project results. Often, the same requirement for a Competent Person to sign off on projects does not apply to water projects at municipal level.

The intention of the department’s term tender, he said, was to make the procurement process simpler for a municipality when it initiated a groundwater supply project. The department leveraged its extensive in-house technical expertise to set standards and requirements, and to screen the service providers who could meet these demands. Unfortunately, not many municipalities took advantage of this to guide their own groundwater projects.

“The department is the custodian of the nation’s water resources, so it is committed to ensuring sustainability in the way that these resources are managed,” he said. “For instance, the department stipulates in its term tender that production boreholes be accompanied by monitoring boreholes, which continuously assess the borehole’s usage so that the source is sustained.”

Role of funding agencies One of the options for rolling out the necessary best practice in groundwater management could be for the agencies providing waterrelated funding to play an integral role in setting out a range of technical requirements or parameters for these projects, he said. This would help to guide the standards applied at project level, and give the public confidence that funds were being well employed while safeguarding sustainability.

“There is a tendency for groundwater projects to be viewed simply as borehole drilling contracts – leading some municipalities to require only contracting experience and expertise from service providers,” he said.

“These projects are far more than this, as our water resources are not infinite and there needs to be substantial planning and monitoring involved.”

He highlighted that geohydrology was a niche sector with highly specialised skills, qualifications and experience required by practitioners. As demonstrated by the attendance at the Port Elizabeth conference,

L to R: Seen at the Groundwater Conference in Port Elizabeth were Matthys Dippenaar (2019 chairman of the GWD SA), Jaco Nel (executive committee of the GWD), Eunice Kekana (executive mayor, Sarah Baartman Municipality), Gert Nel (conference chair, chair of the Eastern Cape division of the GWD, and partner and principal hydrogeologist at SRK Consulting), and Julian Conrad (SA chair of the International Association of Hydrogeologists)

there were many well-equipped professionals ready to make their contribution in the field of groundwater management and utilisation.

“The event reinforced our conviction that government could gain substantially by recognising and utilising the scientists in the groundwater sector and their respective professional bodies,” Nel continued. “We constitute an important intellectual asset in the country and are available to work with the public sector to find solutions to our various water challenges.”

He noted that some municipalities have even purchased adjacent farms purely for their boreholes and warned that this could cause a breakdown in the agricultural production on these purchased farms.

“It is time that the agricultural sector realised the damage caused by municipalities when they buy out productive farms for their groundwater potential, but do not maintain the existing agricultural activities,” he added.

“The farming and business communities must engage closely with municipalities and politicians to help arrest the negative economic growth in small towns as a result of water insecurity,” Nel concluded.

WATER & WASTEWATER

The Nor thern Cape town of Loeriesfontein is wholly dependent on groundwater for its water supply. In 2013, a lack of rain resulted in water restrictions and intermittent supply, and this situation had to be maintained for several years until a new project boosted water supply.

Completed pipe bridge

Drilling for water Excavation for pipe trenches

Construction of settling sump at water treatment plant

L

oeriesfontein is a small town located in what is known as the Hantam Karoo, with a population of around 3 800 people. The region’s long-term average rainfall is 219 mm per annum, but in 2013, a lack of rain caused the town’s existing boreholes to begin sequentially failing as groundwater supplies diminished.

Water restrictions were implemented in October 2013 and the town moved over to intermittent supply, where water was supplied only between 16:00 and 21:00 daily. This situation was to be maintained until May 2018 when a new project commenced deliver y of water to the town.

Finding new water

Completed filter pump station

20

IMIESA March 2020

BVi Consulting Engineers was appointed to help address the situation, seeking to develop a medium- to long-term solution to provide potable water to the town in a sustainable manner, ensuring that the local authority would be able to afford the maintenance of the completed system with minimum technical capability and capital inputs over the design life of the system.

Extensive groundwater exploration was conducted between May 2013 and November 2015. Exploration initially focused on a radius of 20 km around the town and then later within a radius of 40 km in an effort to find sustainable groundwater sources for the town.

Stellenbosch-based consulting hydrogeologists GEOSS were contracted to find suitable geological structures in which boreholes could be drilled. By October 2015, some 30 boreholes had been drilled and 24 boreholes were pump-tested to determine sustainable yields. Water samples were also analysed for quality, as groundwater in this part of the Karoo is predominantly saline.

On completion of the drilling and determination of sustainable yields and water quality, nine boreholes were selected for future production wells. The town’s water demand was calculated to be 7 litres per second at peak summer demand, and the boreholes selected for production could deliver a total of 22 litres per second, providing a reasonable factor of safety.

A feasibility study was conducted in August 2015 to compare the available engineering solutions and water supply options in terms of practical viability and estimated construction costs, as shown in Table 1.

The development of further groundwater sources for Loeriesfontein was found to be the most feasible option, being both practically executable and returning the lowest unit cost. This option comprised the construction of the bulk water supply scheme for Loeriesfontein, including: • nine borehole pump stations • 1 2 km of small-diameter collector pipelines • 940 kℓ sectional steel reser voir • booster pump station • 23 km of 200 mm diameter rising main, comprising 12 km of ductile iron

WATER & WASTEWATER

TABLE 1 Options considered during feasibility study

No. 1 2 3 4 5

OPTION INVESTIGATED Cartage of water Storage dam at Rondekop Pipeline from Orange River Pipeline from Oliphants River Groundwater development

CAPITAL COST R100 000/month R125 288 000 >R300 000 000 >R235 000 000 R95 441 939

UNIT COST R47.62/kℓ R7.45/kℓ R10.71/kℓ R8.39/kℓ R6.61/kℓ

COMMENTS Not sustainable Capital cost excessive, rainfall erratic Capital cost excessive Capital cost excessive Only feasible option

6

Rainwater harvesting

R12 427 000

<R1.00/kℓ

Too dependent on rainfall, not sustainable

pipe and 11 km uPVC pipe of various pressure classes • Loeriesfontein water treatment plant comprising hydrogen sulfide removal, filtration and chlorination (1 Mℓ/day) • high-lift pump station abstracting water from existing concrete storage reser voirs to new elevated water reser voir • 180 kℓ sectional steel elevated reser voir • 40 km long 11 kV medium-voltage power supply line to supply electricity to the borehole and booster pump stations • t elemetr y system comprising a 23 km fibre-optic cable between the Loeriesfontein water treatment plant and the Rheeboksfontein booster pump station – telemetr y between the Rheeboksfontein reser voir and the boreholes by means of VHF radio link.

The project team faced numerous challenges in the construction of the Loeriesfontein bulk water supply scheme and had to develop several out-ofthe-box solutions.

Water needed to be pumped to the Loeriesfontein reser voir from the well field located in the Rheeboksfontein Valley, which sits 310 m lower than the town. The existing water supply system utilised the borehole pumps, but these experienced a high failure rate.

Instead, BVi opted for a low-pressure collector network from each borehole, pumping into a local collector reser voir close to the boreholes, with the total system pressure never exceeding 4 bar.

The water is then transferred from the collector reser voir to Loeriesfontein using robust, multistage centrifugal pumps through a 200 mm diameter high-pressure pipeline instead of utilising the borehole pumps, which would have operated at significantly higher pressures.

In addition, each borehole pump motor was equipped with variable-speed drive switchgear and a small PLC. An algorithm was developed for each borehole pump station to keep the pump at

its designed-for-duty point on the per formance cur ve.

Several of the boreholes were also found to contain hydrogen sulfide gas, presenting a water quality issue. To address this, the engineer custom-designed a unique threestep cascade aerator and provided chlorine dosing and pressure sand filtration to remove the hydrogen sulfide and yield water safe for human consumption.

Emergency water supply During the exploration drilling, BVi sourced funding from the Department of Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation (DHSWS) to construct an emergency water supply system.

This system comprised the use of three boreholes equipped with solar-powered submersible pumps, three solar-powered booster pump stations and approximately 39 km of temporar y above-ground HDPE pipelines. This emergency system supplied 120 m3/day – approximately one third of the town’s normal demand.

Water supply was also augmented from time to time by carting water 60 km from Nieuwoudtville. The DHSWS and a local mine also provided further funds to fit 80 households with rainwater harvesting tanks.

over a long period of time due to difficulties in finding enough water of suitable quality, and constraints with funding. However, the final result is sustainable water supply at an affordable unit price.

Groundwater sources in the Hantam Karoo are very fragile and need to be managed with extreme care. Due to the dependence on rainfall to recharge underground aquifers, the engineer insisted that at least three times the maximum demand was required.

This ensures a sustainable water supply system for the drought-affected region.

Completed booster pump station and sectional steel reservoir

Completed cascade aerator structure

Site-specific solution Given the lack of technical exper tise prevalent in rural local municipalities, BVi found it essential to find a balance between complexity and sophistication, and ease of operations and maintenance. The project is therefore fully automated and requires minimal operator inter vention.

This is achieved through intelligent electronic instruments and control systems suppor ted by manual backup systems.

The keys to the success of such systems are training and the transfer of knowledge to the operations and maintenance staff during the trial operating period after construction. This project was developed

IMIESA March 2020

21

Beneficiating sludge to the benefit of utilities The by-product of wastewater treatment – sludge – is considered a problem for most utilities. However, partnership opportunities can be developed to allow private companies to turn that sludge into valuable fertiliser, saving municipalities time and money.

A

22

commonly held view is to see sewage sludge as lowvalue waste that needs to be disposed of at the lowest possible rate. Transporting this sludge to be disposed of at landfill or on agricultural land comes at a significant, ever-increasing cost, as rapid urbanisation continually increases wastewater volumes.

As a result, utilities often seek to dispose of sludge in land applications at the highest possible application rate, as close as possible to the point of generation, complying with the minimum level of compliance possible.

thereby also improving gas exchange and soil permeability. The material retains up to 20 times its own mass in water, preventing drying and shrinking of soils, while also dramatically increasing cation exchange capacity and the formation of chelates.

However, from a nutrient perspective, excessive amounts of biosolids are often applied when municipalities opt for the highest possible application rate as a means of lowering costs. According to Francois Burger, managing director, Agriman, biosolids have far more value if applied at the right rate, in the appropriate relation to other nutrients, and in the right physical format.

Sludge for agriculture

Compliance

If correctly treated to A1a requirements, sludge can be hugely beneficial to agricultural land. Biosolids from the wastewater treatment processes consist almost entirely of dead and decomposed microorganisms.

O n c e stabilised and processed, the resultant product is rich in humus and humic substances, as well as plant macro- and micronutrients.

The organic fertiliser that can be produced offers many measurable, positive effects on crucial soil processes. It improves soil structure through the formation of aggregates,

“Unfor tunately for sludge producing authorities, the agricultural industr y has developed into a highly scientific environment with the current trend of precision farming practices, which requires any new entrants to the market to provide all the services in the value chain,” says Burger. This includes agronomical advice, the evaluation of chemical soil analyses, the prescription of fertiliser programmes, formulating and blending prescribed mixes, after-sales service, and problem-solving.

The producers of fertiliser products to be used in agriculture need to comply with legislation (Fertilizers, Farm Feeds, Seeds and Remedies Act (No. 36 of 1947)), as well as standards regarding physical properties, e.g. density, particle

IMIESA March 2020

size, hardness, chemical stability and flow properties. To compete in the conventional fertiliser market, the product must be fit to be applied by conventional equipment and implements.

Aiding municipalities Although sludge is often considered a burden, companies like Agriman partner with municipalities to transform their sludge into fertiliser for the agricultural industry.

The products and services developed by Agriman for the beneficial utilisation of wastewater sludge cover the entire value chain – from sludge dewatering right through the process of fertiliser manufacturing and sales, up to after-sales service to the farmer in his fields.

The benefit to the local authority is that they bear no responsibility for the ‘waste’ product once it leaves the gate, as the product becomes a registered fertiliser.

They do not incur any transport costs and, due to the value proposition, the distribution radius of the product exceeds the borders of our country. This, says Burger, is a true example of a viable circular economy.

“Municipalities should focus on producing a top-quality sludge, investing in proper on-site dewatering and drying facilities.

Then they can pass their sludge on to organisations like Agriman to produce fertiliser products, without incurring the ever-increasing cost of off-site disposal,” concludes Burger.

WATER & WASTEWATER

Community casting and Ndebele art The Ndebele-themed Easy Flush unit

Rocla’s precast sanitation units are ideally suited for in situ construction by community members

B

y means of supporting the Linking Heritage Art to Sanitation Innovation campaign, Rocla recently handed over an Easy Flush sanitation unit adorned by King Makhosoke II’s own Ndebele artists.

“This unit was donated to the Royal Office complex of King Makhosoke II in KwaNdebele,” comments Andre Labuschagne, product development manager, Rocla. “It was also used to demonstrate how job creation and the resulting improved sanitation for the Dr JS Moroka Local Municipality and adjacent regions can be achieved.

“The Ndebele king is supportive of local economic development in his region and Rocla believes it can play a role in this kind of development through demonstrating how members of the community can be trained to both manufacture and construct the Easy Flush sanitation unit,” Labuschagne continues.

In 2017, Rocla launched the Thuthukisa Initiative (meaning ‘to share’), which works towards making the precast industry accessible to rural communities and SMMEs. As part of this ongoing programme, Rocla is currently setting up a precast toilet manufacturing facility on behalf

of a local SMME within Mkhondo Local Municipality, Mpumalanga. More such facilities are due to be rolled out across the province.

Rocla’s cost-ef fective standalone unit can be set up either in leach pit configuration or as a full waterborne system.

Safe and hygienic Addressing critical infrastructure backlogs in sanitation for both urban and rural communities, Rocla’s Easy Flush unit is a far safer and more hygienically viable alternative to the dangerous pit toilets still prevalent across South Africa.

As demonstrated by the Ndebele-themed example, the use of creative art and painting can be used to brighten up community areas.

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WATER & WASTEWATER

New sewer brings opportunity The newly completed Helderfontein Outfall Sewer forms a major part of the infrastructure for Riverside in Gauteng, enabling new development for the area.

T

he R12 million Helder fontein Outfall Sewer, situated in Riverside close to Four ways, Johannesburg, is expected to create economic growth and ser ve as a catalyst for fur ther development and job creation for local communities in the region.

The project was completed by Icon Group on behalf of Century Property Developers and was handed over to Joburg Water upon completion. The pipeline will serve as the main line for the area, allowing Century Property to start the development of Phase 2 of the Helderfontein housing estate on the northern side of the Jukskei River.

The contractor made use of various ecological construction methods to prevent flooding and protect the ecology of this sensitive area, including a restricted method for clearing the site to minimise damage and relocating trees where necessar y.

Environmental considerations “This ver y sensitive site runs along the flood plain of the Jukskei River and during excavation we had to be conscious of how we approached this job in order to protect the flood line and ensure that there was no damage to the surrounding environment,” explains Wayne Near y, managing director, Icon Group.

The right pipe for the job This eight-month project included the excavation and laying of 3 km of HDPE pipeline 500 mm in diameter, backfilling of the line, construction of 53 manholes, and the excavation and backfill of 10 000 cm³.

The pipe used, supplied by Southern Pipeline Contractors, is spigot and socket

Icon’s hydraulic hammers excavated substantial amounts of rock at depths of up to 7 m

HDPE sewer pipe that is lightweight and durable, with a longer lifespan than traditional concrete sewer pipes.

The use of HDPE pipe, which is more cost-effective, easier to install and, overall, a better product for the application, has resulted in reduced maintenance and a longer lifespan for the project.

In addition, these pipes are lighter to transport, resulting in a lower project carbon footprint.

IMIESA March 2020

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Albany desalination plant gets an upgrade

The upgraded Albany Coast reverse osmosis desalination plant in the Eastern Cape

A newly upgraded desalination plant in the Eastern Cape has brought welcome relief to parts of the droughtstricken region.

A

matola Water contracted Quality Filtration Systems (QFS) to upgrade the Albany Coast Reverse Osmosis Plant at Ndlambe in the Eastern Cape. Completed in eight weeks, Phase 1 of the upgrade increased the plant’s capacity by 1.4 million litres, to a total of 3.5 million litres, serving a population of over 11 000 people.

The desalination plant, located between Bushman’s River and Kenton-on-Sea, was opened by Minister of Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation Lindiwe Sisulu in December 2019.

Officials from Ndlambe Municipality, Amatola Water, the local business forum, the ratepayers’ associations and the Kenton Development Forum joined forces to implement a plan that included maintenance and repairing leaks and the Amatola-funded upgrade of the treatment works.

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IMIESA March 2020

Drought relief With many rivers in the region running dry, the upgrade of the Albany Coast plant brought welcome relief to holidaymakers and residents impacted by water shortages.

“This is the oldest and one of the few facilities in the Eastern Cape that draws water from the ocean via reverse osmosis and converts that water to drinkable World Health Organization-standard water,” said Herman Smit, managing director at QFS. “As one of the most experienced membrane technology suppliers in South Africa, we were extremely proud to be selected by Amatola Water to provide the much-needed water for this area in the Eastern Cape,” he added.

The plant was originally built in 1982 and became the first desalination plant in South Africa. Amatola Water has allocated R80 million for the plant to be upgraded.

Alternative solutions Smit believes that small- to medium-sized membrane-based plants delivering up to 5 million litres per day will play a major role in emergency drought alleviation for cities and towns.

Along the coast, this will take the form of desalination, while inland users can take advantage of wastewater reuse.

Both these applications require speciality membrane plants including ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis.

Minister of Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation Lindiwe Sisulu (right) with Musa Ndlovu, director, QFS, at the opening of the plant

L to R: QFS’s Justin Wilmot, Shawn Chaney and Werner Diener testing the water at the upgraded plant

WATER & WASTEWATER

Reshaping a vital plunge pool A multimillion-euro engineering project is now under way to reshape the plunge pool at the base of the Kariba Dam wall, incorporating specialist concrete admixtures from Chryso to ensure optimal results.

W

orking closely with main contractor Razel-Bec is Mart Solutions, the Zambian distributor for Chryso Southern Africa.

“Any large and complex project like this demands ongoing collaboration, which started about two years before the concrete work began in October 2019,” says Martie Coulson, director, Mart Solutions. “Teamwork is vital between Mart Solutions, Chryso and Razel-Bec to ensure the specified concrete mixes are achieved to the consultants’ exacting standards.”

The world-class project will see the building of a temporary coffer dam downstream of the main wall, allowing the deep plunge pool to be drained, reshaped and stabilised. This will reduce the backward scour in the pool, created by water released by sluices in the dam wall. The concern is that this scouring is edging towards the dam foundations.

The innovative admixture Chryso Aquabeton ZA is playing a key role in allowing concrete to be placed underwater to create a foundation for the coffer dam’s seven piers. “This highly specialised admixture assists in minimising washout and segregation of fresh concrete when placed underwater,” explains Coulson.

Among the range of solutions provided

by Mart Solutions is Chryso Omega 162 superplasticiser, which is an important component of the concrete mix design for the seven piers. These large pier structures will range in weight between 250 tonnes and 700 tonnes. The first of these, currently under construction, will measure 5.5 m tall when complete.

“Chryso Omega 162 reduces the need to add extra water, and so increases the durability of concrete,” she continues. “This admixture also improves cohesion and lowers viscosity in the concrete mix, leading to

Mart Solutions is also supplying the Kariba project with construction chemicals from Chryso’s a.b.e. range. The polymer bonding liquid a.b.e. Duralatex is applied to the cone holes in the piers, and these are then filled with a.b.e. Duragrout – a non-shrink grout for sealing.

improved homogeneity and superior offshutter finishes.”

Chryso Fuge B, which is a pore-blocking permeability reducer for mass concrete, is also being used. This reduces the size of the capillaries, thereby almost completely eliminating the penetration of water under pressure. This is important for the piers on this project as they are constantly in contact with water.

Slip-forming The piers are being slip-formed as hollow structures from a specially built rig in the Zambezi River. When the piers have achieved the minimum required height, they are floated into position, secured to the foundation and filled with concrete.

Facilitating the release of formwork from the concrete piers is Chryso DEM S, a versatile mould-release oil for timber or steel.

Martie Coulson, director, Mart Solutions, on-site at Kariba

The first concrete pier set to float

IMIESA March 2020

27

BIENNIAL PROJECT EXCELLENCE AWARDS

TUESDAY 27TH OCTOBER 2020 CAPE TOWN

CALL FOR ENTRIES To recognise outstanding achievements in municipal infrastructure, we are calling for entries

Planning and design Construction methods Innovation and originality

that showcase projects that demonstrate the best of civil engineering as a science and how engineering

Meeting social and technical challenges

enhances the lives of the local communities, through excellence in:

Contributing to the well-being of communities

CATEGORIES

1

ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE IN STRUCTURES & CIVILS E.g. Projects demonstrating engineering science, use of alternate materials, innovative construction processes, etc.

2

COMMUNITY UPLIFTMENT & JOB CREATION E.g. Projects demonstrating labour-intensive construction, skills development, community awareness/participation, etc.

3

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE E.g. Environmental rehabilitation, renewable energy, drought solutions, coastal initiatives for rising sea levels, pollution control, educational/ technical initiatives, etc.

CLOSING DATE FOR SUBMISSIONS 13 JULY 2020

Only projects that have reached practical or substantive completion by 30 June 2020 will be accepted for the Excellence Awards.

Adjudicators reserve the right to reallocate entries in the 3 categories.

ENTRY FORMS AND AWARD CRITERIA Available for download on the website: www.imesa.org.za

IMESA THE INSTITUTE OF MUNICIPAL ENGINEERING OF SOUTHERNÂ AFRICA (IMESA)

QUESTIONS Contact Debbie Anderson on +27 (0)31 266 3263 or email conference@imesa.org.za

WATER & WASTEWATER

New compact level sensors VEGA has extended its portfolio of radar level sensors with a new series ideal for the water and wastewater industry.

V

EGA’s new 80 GHz technology sensors are ideal for more price-sensitive applications such as those in the water and wastewater industry. Using precision focusing, they deliver reliable measurements regardless of internal obstructions or prevailing ambient conditions, such as temperature or fouling.

The new VEGAPULS instrument series is a standalone loop-powered sensor available as both a compact version with cable connection housing as well as a standard version with fixed cable connection (IP68).

APE SA IMESA Add.pdf 1 2020/01/21 1:20:21 PM

The instrument series is complemented by optional VEGAMET controllers.

All instruments and controllers can be conveniently adjusted via Bluetooth with a smartphone or tablet. This makes setup, display and diagnostics considerably easier, especially in harsh environments or hazardous areas.

Broad application range The compact sensor can be used in a wide range of applications, from water catchment to water treatment and distribution. For example, the sensor is used to measure in

front of coarse and fine screens – regardless of ambient conditions such as temperature or sensor deposits and build-up. The new instrument series is also ideal for deployment in precipitant and chemical treatment stations.

It can measure a wide variety of media and gases reliably – even through the tops of plastic vessels if necessary. The new VEGAPULS sensors also deliver a convincing performance in elevated storage tanks for water distribution: their compact design and the fact that they are not even influenced by condensation make them perfect for this task.

IMIESA March 2020

29

ENERGY

ADF extension under way at Majuba

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oncor has kicked off the year strongly, winning a significant Eskom contract for the extension of Majuba Power Station’s ash disposal facility (ADF).

“This award signals the faith of the market in Concor’s stability, depth of expertise and engineering heritage,” says newly appointed Concor CEO Lucas Tseki. “As always, there is considerable urgency to complete this project.

We look forward to completing it on time and on budget, with our well-established commitment to safety and project delivery excellence.”

While power stations are generally designed for a life of around 50 years, support facilities like ADFs are often built in phases to optimise initial capital costs. The design for this ADF extension has also considered the changes in environmental legislation.

The contract secured by Concor includes three lined ash platforms and two lined rehabilitation dams; each of these requires subsoil drainage systems, intakes and spillways. The scope of work also includes clearing, bulk earthworks

Lucas Tseki, CEO, Concor

and embankment construction required for the new ash deposition liner terrace, with a subsoil herringbone drainage network.

In addition to constructing a liner system to the terrace area, Concor will install a leachate collection network and system draining to a pollution control dam. The whole contract will include various associated access and other civil works, including extending the ash conveyor route canals on the existing ADF. The liner systems for the ash facility and the various dams comprise 300 mm of clay as a primary impermeable layer, with a 1.5 mm HDPE geomembrane liner as a barrier. For the ADF, this will be topped with a 300 mm screened coarse ash ballast or protection layer; for the dams, it will be ballasted with a 300 mm layer of cement-stabilised sand and topped with Armorflex blocks.

The contract will involve over 1.3 million cubic metres of bulk earthworks, almost 540 000 m2 of HDPE lining, 11 600 m of HDPE drainage piping and 14 000 m3 of concrete.

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AWARDS

2020

ENERGY

A brighter future with LED Saving energy and improving street safety form part of an overall sustainability programme being rolled out by Drakenstein Municipality.

P

roof of its commitment to sound evironmental practices, Drakenstein Municipality recently won the 2019 Greenest Municipality Award in the Western Cape. Drakenstein Municipality (comprising the towns of Paarl, Wellington, Mbekweni, Saron, Hermon, Gouda and Simondium) also walked away with the Western Cape award for the Most Improved Municipality for Climate Change, achieving 96% in 2019 (the highest percentage measured in any category since the inception of the competition). In addition, Drakenstein won the regional award for the Most Improved Municipality for Waste Management, achieving 79.8% in 2019, up from 61.8% in 2017.

Drakenstein’s drive to retrofit streetlights with LED (light-emitting diode) units forms part of its overall sustainability drive. In the first wave, selected streets across Mbekweni, Paarl and Wellington have been converted. Drakenstein initiated the project after being allocated a conditional grant of R5 million from the 2019/2020 Energy Efficiency and Demand Side Management programme, managed by the Department of Energy. The municipality purchased 1 399 LED streetlight fittings, using the remainder of the funds for raising energy efficiency and demand-side management awareness.

A total of 23 streets – 11 in Mbekweni, seven in Paarl and five in Wellington – were identified to benefit from this project. These are streets most used by pedestrians and motorists. In areas where

streetlight poles had been placed too close together, it was only necessary to fit every alternate pole with an LED light to create sufficient illumination.

“In much the same way that replacing energy-hungry incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) at your home can significantly reduce your electricity bill, retrofitting these streetlights (250 W high-pressure sodium (HPS) vapour lamps) with 138 W LED lamps will result in remarkable savings,” explains Alderman Conrad Poole, executive mayor, Drakenstein Municipality.

For this project, the total energy cost saving is estimated at around R550 000 annually. Using LED lamps is also expected to result in an annual reduction in carbon emissions of approximately 500 kg. This is a meaningful contribution to Drakenstein Municipality’s climate change mitigation measures.

Better visual acuity The benefits of retrofitting LED lamps doesn’t end there. Although considered highly efficient in their heyday, HPS lamps are known to have the worst colour rendering of any bulb. LED lights by comparison, produce light with a high colour-rendering value, which means colours remain true and natural, and the light quality does not deteriorate as the lamp ages. Better-quality light makes for better visual acuity – a great safety benefit for drivers.

HPS lamps are also omnidirectional. This requires a fixture housing with reflectors to direct a large portion of the emitted light to the target area. LED lamps, by comparison, emit light over the desired target area, 180 degrees around the luminaire, resulting in a smaller, less-complex light fitting.

In addition, since an LED lamp consists of a number of emitters, the loss of one or two emitters does not result in failure of the entire luminaire. HPS lamps can, by comparison, fail dramatically, presenting an end-of-life phenomenon known as cycling, where the lamp goes on and off without human input before eventually failing completely.

Fur thermore, HPS lamps contain mercury, a highly toxic substance that has carcinogenic properties. They need to be recycled in a facility that can safely remove and sequester the mercury. In contrast, LED lamps are far more environmentally friendly and more easily recyclable.

“It’s up to every person and institution to make whatever contribution they can to ameliorate the impact of climate change. By replacing HPS with LED lamps, Drakenstein Municipality is taking one more step towards mitigating the climate crisis,” Poole concludes.

IMIESA March 2020

31

ENERGY

Powering the future mix South Africa’s energy mix is evolving, as are the end-user requirements.

Jerome Schroeder, function manager: Power and Energy at SMEC, expands on the key issues and possible responses. By Alastair Currie

S

ince 1994, great strides have been made to connect all South Africans to the electricity grid, in line with government’s goal to provide universal access within rural and urban communities. The end goal of providing power largely depended on coal-fired plants and a national grid supplied system. Grid connectivity remains for the foreseeable future the main model catering for countr ywide demand, including for industrial and mining customers.

Jerome Schroeder, function manager: Power and Energy, SMEC

Then there’s the evolving alternatives of self-generation and renewable energy, which can work as a stand-alone or supplementar y solution. Metros like the City of Cape Town are particularly keen on going the independent power producer (IPP) route.

Adaptability and future-preparedness are key, given the pressing factors of escalating migration from the rural hinterland to South Africa’s towns and cities. Historically, most urban centres have a mature infrastructure network in place, but it is ageing to a greater or lesser extent. Its maintenance and replacement are currently constrained by shrinking budgets, project management deficiencies, and skills capacity gaps to implement operation and maintenance (O&M) targets.

While the goal of universal electricity access is being strived for, South Africa’s national power utility, Eskom, has the responsibility of maintaining stability of the grid. The balance between access to electricity and maintaining supply availability must ensure the integrity of the grid. Capacity constraints cannot be maintained due to the long-term negative effects on growth.

Funding and reinvestment The current critical aspect is reinvestment,

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IMIESA March 2020

but in what form? Funding an Eskom revival is a national priority; however, that needs to dovetail with a rethink on energy models across the value chain.

Municipalities are a critical priority, as they are the final transmission point and ser vice deliver y outlet to consumers.

Future planning at municipal level needs to factor in both O&M spend and commercial and residential spatial development.

“Budget allocation needs to follow both maintenance and development aspects of the business, even though it is subject to funding availability and nontechnical motivations. That’s the reality,” says Schroeder.

“Whether funding can be achieved via public-public and/or public-private partnership arrangements has to be fully investigated on an individual basis,” he continues. “Either way, the proposals need to be bankable and the projects rigorously ring-fenced. Project models must identify sustained revenue streams and measures to ensure consumer payment.”

From a public-public perspective, metros and district municipalities with easier access to funding and engineering skills could establish regional utilities that support local municipal distribution networks to consumers, even including power generation. Generation options

ENERGY

range from renewables to biogas, natural gas and landfill waste-to-energy.

Schroeder says major industries could expand their cogeneration capacity, in partnership with public entities, by selling their excess electricity to municipalities via either the national grid or localised microgrids. SMEC has the experience and exper tise to implement custom energy solutions at ever y stage of the value chain.

“At SMEC, we continue to engage with South African municipalities in developing prefeasibility and bankable projects in line with government’s guidelines such as the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP),” he explains. “The IRP was well received by industr y as an energy mix roadmap.

Now we need to remove the red tape around IPP procurement and approvals to get the renewables sector moving, which represents the fastest route to ending capacity constraints.”

Solar is one of the solutions that has already seen traction in South Africa but may need some acceleration in terms of IPP project approvals to make itself felt on a larger scale.

Thanks to technological developments in batter y storage capacity, going this route is growing increasingly attractive for smaller towns or as a localised solution. Many industries are also advocating for this

approach as a business contingency in the current load-shedding environment, or as a complete future stand-alone option.

“South Africa’s network is mature and historically met and exceeded international benchmarks. The measures now put in place by Eskom aim to regain this level of functionality, but achieving success requires a significant investment response and potentially a reimagining of the utility landscape. The world and its climate have changed, technology has evolved, and sustainable solutions have moved on from fossil fuels,” says Schroeder.

International engagement Fur ther afield, SMEC is working with public stakeholders, as consor tium members, in countries that include Rwanda and Tanzania, where it is helping to map out their urbanisation strategy and infrastructure planning within the envisaged future urban models. That clearly includes electricity as part of a broader countr y development vision.

Within Rwanda, SMEC South Africa, led by its holding company, Surbana Jurong, is working with government to develop a coordinated urbanisation plan for its capital, Kigali, as well as the countr y’s secondar y cities, including transportation and utility planning.

Municipalities are a critical priority as they are the final transmission point and service delivery outlet to consumers Rwanda is home to Lake Kivu, which has a major gas reser ve, alongside hydroelectric, wind and solar potential. The only energy source not available is coal, but that’s not a constraint.

Meanwhile, in Tanzania, SMEC has been appointed to implement distribution-level planning and designs for specific regions, city-wide as well as for rural areas. The objective is to develop a best practice electrification model to meet current and projected peak demand.

“Across ever y infrastructure sector, and ever y countr y, SMEC has an engineered response. More importantly, though, we are committed to delivering financially viable, sustainable and workable solutions.

Within the energy space, there are many ways to achieve the end goal, and utilities, as a business, should address it in that fashion. That’s the future of engineering right now,” Schroeder concludes.

IMIESA March 2020

33

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ENERGY

Roof cooling tech brings big benefits The South African National Energy Development Institute (Sanedi) is rolling out a low-tech home cooling solution to communities across the countr y.

T

he Kigali Cooling Efficiency Program (K-CEP) is driving effor ts to rapidly scale up the deployment of highly solar-reflective ‘cool’ roofs in developing countries suffering heat stress and lacking widespread access to cooling ser vices.

Driven by K-CEP, Sanedi is now deploying solar-reflective roof coatings to homes across South Africa with the assistance of a US$100 000 (R1.5 million) grant from the international Million Cool Roofs Challenge.

“We were thrilled when we received the grant last year and couldn’t wait to get under way with rolling out this initiative.

Starting in August, the grant came just in time for the scorching South African summer, which is felt most in the Limpopo province, reaching an average of 35°C,” said Denise Lundall, project officer: Energy Efficiency Cool Sur faces, Sanedi.

The institute has found that indoor daytime temperatures in low-cost housing can be reduced by almost 10°C by applying the reflective coating, making a substantial difference to the daily lives of many South Africans.

Strong competition Deployment has been smooth thus far, with sights set on the next large Million Cool Roofs Challenge grant to be awarded in 2021. The next grant of $1 million will be awarded to the countr y-team that has demonstrated the best sustainable and transferable model for rapid deployment of cool roofs and best meets the judging criteria.

“With nine others competing for this grant, we have our challenge set out for us,” says Lundall. Teams from Bangladesh, Indonesia, Ivor y Coast, Kenya, Mexico,

Niger, the Philippines, Rwanda and Senegal and are hard at work rolling out thousands of square metres of cool roofing, while meeting certain standards and criteria.

Uplifting communities “Developing countries are a clear target for the Cool Roofs initiative, as it is not just about lowering ambient air temperatures but also supporting socioeconomic development in those affected communities,” says Lundall.

For South Africa, the project has been undertaken with local municipal authorities, to coat no less than 25 000 m2 of roof area. Sanedi provides energy-efficiency awareness training to the communities for their buy-in. In each community, a group of unemployed local residents is selected, professionally trained and certified, and then employed by the project to apply the specialised coating.

“Through awarding these grants, part of K-CEP’s aim is to demonstrate the benefits of cool roofs and stimulate demand so that

a market can be developed and eventually self-sustained in these developing countries,” Lundall notes. This makes South Africa an ideal candidate, as the countr y faces the highest unemployment rate out of the 10 countries aiming for the larger 2021 grant.

Benefits abound While the reflective coatings can make life more comfortable for people living in rural areas where there is no access to cooling technology, cool roofing also brings benefits to urban areas. Substantial energy savings can be achieved in buildings that make use of air conditioners, as the inter vention reduces base and peak demand for cooling energy.

Added to that, the environmental benefits are clear. “The whitening of 100 m2 of grey roofing cancels the warming effect of 10 tonnes of CO2 emissions. Globally, this cancels 500 medium-sized coal power stations’ worth of greenhouse gas emissions,” concludes Lundall.

IMIESA March 2020

35

WASTE MANAGEMENT

Ways to commercialise waste Materials recover y facilities (MRFs) are integral in shaping today’s and tomorrow’s circular economy, and form par t of an overall waste strategy. However, to function effectively and affordably, a feasibility study must be under taken, since each site is unique, says Richard Emer y, executive associate manager, JG Afrika. By Alastair Currie

M

RFs are becoming increasingly common in South Africa, given the pressing need to shift waste streams away from landfills and focus on recycling as a key activity. MRFs come in many shapes and sizes, ranging from large-scale industrial set-ups for bulk interventions to smaller-scale operations that make provision for communitybased and labour-intensive projects. The latter provide much-needed employment while preserving the environment, but the caveat is that specialist management and a constant source of saleable waste streams are essential.

“Commercial facilities are typically set up to handle tonnages ranging from 1 200 to 1 500 tonnes per month and require multimillion-rand investments, given the high level of mechanisation likely required,” explains Emery.

“However, there’s plenty of opportunity for more grassroot facilities in the 300 to 500 tonne per month range, costing anywhere from R2 to R40 million, where manual sorting is the central production process and the barrier to entry is relatively low,” he continues. “This is definitely an area where municipalities should focus on implementing workable systems.

That could include paying a subsidy to MRF operators.”

JG Afrika has extensive experience in designing small and large MRFs. At the top end of the scale, current examples include the design of a privately owned clean packaging plant in Cape Town. This will handle products that include paper, plastics, metals and glass.

As Emery points out, the secret to survival in the waste business is waste stream flexibility. Part of the reason for this is the present commodity price volatility of

the international recycled waste industry.

Large global buyers like China have a major influence. Therefore, to remain competitive, MRF owners need to ensure that their facilities make provision for multiple and parallel production lines and commodity price changes now and in the future. In this way, they can shift the focus away from paper to metals, for example, according to buyer demand.

Given the right scale, MRFs can present excellent opportunities for public-private partnerships (PPPs), either as standalone operations or in conjunction with existing and new landfills. However, the opportunity needs to be big enough.

“JG Afrika provides transactional advisory services for a wide range of waste management interventions,” Emery explains. A case in point is a new initiative being rolled out by Eden District Municipality. This PPP project entails the

WASTE MANAGEMENT

the extraction of paper and sale of the residual organics for incineration in a waste-toenergy plant.”

To effect change, people and businesses need to be ready when it comes to recycling; however, one of the key stumbling blocks is that disposal to landfill is still relatively cheap in South Africa.

Emery says that policy needs to make this more costly to help incentivise a permanent culture shift.

South Africa also needs to add value to waste in promoting a vibrant recycling sector, by, for example, implementing a deposit on recyclable plastic bottles, and establishing more buy-back centres. Perhaps some of the funds generated from the carbon tax could be channelled into formalised MRF initiatives. establishment of new domestic solid waste and hazardous waste sites. A waste diversion model forms part of this.

the low-hanging fruit. For example, plastic bottles are easy to source and transport, while glass is heavy and expensive to ship to a waste buyer.”

Waste characterisation assessment To facilitate the process at municipal level, JG Afrika has developed a series of Excelbased tools to assist in conducting waste characterisation studies. These are vital for a successful outcome. Based on the type and volume of saleable recyclable materials, such as cardboard and aluminium, municipalities can punch in the numbers and then estimate the size and scope of each MRF in terms of product throughput, which then leads to the calculation of potential sales turnover.

“The point to emphasise is that an MRF must operate as a business and be run by specialists with a working understanding of the waste recycling market. So, size isn’t the issue: a small MRF can run as a going concern and then scale up to greater things,” Emery continues. “To start with, for example, a model as basic as 1 tonne per day of compost could work. Prospective entrepreneurs need to target

Dirty MRFs Clean, source-separated waste is vital as an avoided processing cost at a recycler.

Dirty MRFs are not sustainable on their own, currently. That’s because clean waste is far easier and less costly to capture and repurpose. A prime example is paper: if it’s clean and baled, then it’s ideal for shredding back into pulp. If it’s contaminated by liquids or food wastes, or mixed with other material types, like plastics, it’s more costly for a downstream buyer to do their own separation.

“There are places for dirty MRFs, but not from a sole business plan viewpoint; rather as a precursor to something else,” says Emery. “Even if the volumes are there, the current market is generally priced too low.

For this reason, dirty MRFs need alignment with a bigger-picture approach, where the end game has a dual purpose – for example,

Multipronged approach South Africa’s Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries (DEFF) embraces the value of MRFs in the mix, and has been engaging with JG Afrika in the development of workable recommendations. A key MRF study was recently conducted by Emery, together with JG Afrika technical consultant Aiden Bowers and DEFF project manager Malcolm Mogotsi.

This was the subject of a presentation at Landfill 2019.

“Based on our experience, one of our first observations is that the development of a onceoff blueprint is not possible,” Emery asserts.

“Our recommendations are that all prospective MRF operators plan and understand what can be achieved for each specific site, what’s reasonable and appropriate.”

In the future, old landfill sites in South Africa could be mined for their commodities, as is the case in other parts of the world.

As prime greenfield opportunities become scarcer in urban centres, there’s also a local and international trend towards remediating contaminated brownfield and waste sites, and placing the land back into productive use. In fact, JG Afrika is currently working on a project where the intention is to build a housing development on an old industrial landfill site.

“Basic economics dictate that underpricing landfilling will continue to lead to its overuse, while alternatives like MRFs are still being overlooked as part of a municipal waste diversion strategy. MRFs are definitely part of the solution,” he adds.

“Either way, as older landfills close and licences are not issued for new ones, waste diversion and recycling could become commonplace but we need to have the culture change. But why wait?” Emery concludes.

IMIESA March 2020

37

When it comes to protecting the environment, recycling waste has an invaluable benefit. On top of this are the major commercial opportunities. Keith Anderson, CEO and founder of the e-Waste Association of South Africa (eWASA), talks about challenges and opportunities in the electronics sector. By Alastair Currie

E-waste industry worth billions

E

stablished in 2005, eWASA is South Africa’s oldest and largest electronic waste (e-waste) association, with Anderson instrumental in writing a definitive e-waste management plan for the industry in 2010. eWASA members include OEMs, distributors and specialist recyclers. “eWASA’s membership is voluntary and, within our own association, we commit to a code of conduct, but we want the whole industry to come on board and to treat and recycle e-waste responsibly. In this way, we can ensure uniform standards and grow the sector in line with international best practice,” says Anderson.

“One of our key challenges in moving this agenda forward is that e-waste is still not regulated in terms of any specific legislation in South Africa, although it is broadly covered under the National Waste Management Act (No. 59 of 2008),” Anderson explains. “eWASA is working hard to change this and is engaging with key stakeholders that include

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IMIESA March 2020

the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries (DEFF).”

The DEFF recently called for the development of an extended producer responsibility (EPR) plan for the waste sector, which alongside paper, packaging, plastics and lighting includes e-waste. “The EPR is an initiative that eWASA fully supports,” says Anderson.

“In the interim, eWASA is forging ahead with the roll-out of its own industry-led and -managed voluntary e-waste EPR initiative as a proactive measure and in full compliance with current legislative requirements. It’s a form of self-regulation,” he continues.

Industry symposium During 2020, eWASA will call for an industry symposium of all OEMs, distributors, dismantlers and allied groups falling under the definition of e-waste. All members coming on board will agree to comply. eWASA, as a PRO (producer responsibility organisation), will manage the EPR take-back scheme based on agreed-upon levies.

Within eWASA’s plan, the conservative estimate is that 10 800 new jobs could be created across all levels – from a waste picker to the head of a fully compliant recycling facility. Working with an external partner, eWASA has also developed SAQAcompliant training programmes from Level 1 through 5.

Gathering statistics In the absence of a regulated e-waste sector, gathering accurate statistics is currently problematic; however, Anderson estimates that South Africa generates around 360 000 tonnes of e-waste per annum. Of this, approximately 12% is recycled and the balance either goes to landfill or is exported, predominantly to Asia and Europe. How much is exported is not known at present.

Collating accurate data via a voluntary eWASA export register will provide a clearer picture of the scale. This will then form the basis for an assessment of the potential opportunity to shift from exports to local beneficiation, given investor support for the high-tech plants required. Based on the information available, eWASA estimates that mobilising a formal e-waste recycling economy in South Africa could translate into an approximately R3 billion industry.

“One of our planned initiatives is to research the future potential for recycling lithium-ion batteries, especially with the

WASTE MANAGEMENT

Worldwide, e-waste is one of the fastest growing waste streams.

South Africa is at the early stages, but there are massive opportunities

future increase in electric vehicles. This study will help us identify the size of the market and establish a pilot plant,” says Anderson.

Diverting e-waste from landfill is also an environmental imperative. Most if not all e-waste products contain heavy metal elements, such as mercury and lead, and need to be contained at a hazardous landfill site as a result. Disposing of e-waste within a general landfill environment could pose a risk to groundwater sources if not effectively contained.

Internationally, the EU’s Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive

is regarded as one of the key benchmarks for e-waste management. WEEE was passed into European law in 2003. According to the WEEE Directive, set collection, recycling and recovery targets per EU country needed to be achieved by 2009. The goal was set at a minimum of 4 kg annually per person. eWASA is mirroring this and has formed the WEEE Africa Forum. Anderson says the end

goal would be to establish a standard for the handling, treatment and processing of e-waste on the African continent.

“For any legislation to be effective, though, it needs an enforcement agency,” Anderson continues. “In the EU, for example, e-waste legislation has been in place for around 17 years, but our findings show that some EU countries still struggle to meet 50% compliance.

“The point is that some form of selfregulation will always be needed and we appeal to industry to support our EPR initiative, especially in growing the e-waste economy,” Anderson concludes.

Specialist Waste Management Consultants • • • • • •

Waste Collection Optimisation Waste Transfer Station design General Waste Landfill design Hazardous Waste Landfill design Landfill Rehabilitation Landfill Auditing and Monitoring

Contact Numbers

Telephone:+27 (0)21 982 6570 Fax:+27 (0)21 981 0868

• • • • • •

Landfill Closure Leachate Treatment Regional Waste Studies PPP Involvement in Waste Management Alternative Technologies for Waste Reduction Integrated Waste Management Plans

Physical Address

60 Bracken Street, Protea Heights South Africa, 7560

www.jpce.co.za

Postal Address

P.O. Box 931, Brackenfell South Africa, 7561

WASTE MANAGEMENT

Worcester MRF nearing completion

Landfill closure and recycling Many municipalities, especially the smaller ones, do not have any form of engineered landfill or formal waste collection and disposal processes in place. Equipped with the necessar y knowledge base and financial resources, however, there are viable oppor tunities to transition to a circular economy. Reon Pienaar, professional engineer at JPCE (Pty) Ltd, discusses the possibilities.

Construction of Cell 4 at the Karwyderskraal regional landfill site

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IMIESA March 2020

D

eveloping a practical waste diversion strategy is complex and hinges on key factors such as ongoing education and access to funding for infrastructure development. Landfills that are often little more than uncontrolled dump sites don’t incur operational costs; however, the expense of closing them is often substantial.

For example, a landfill site for a small town servicing several thousand people can cost R5 million to R10 million to rehabilitate.

For a small municipality facing pressing infrastructure priorities like roads and water and sanitation upgrades and maintenance, landfill closure is going to be one of the last items on the agenda and is very rarely done.

“Landfills will be part of the South African landscape for many years to come,” says Pienaar. “The goal, though, is to progressively reduce their number and make sure they’re all environmentally compliant. Essentially, we must manage landfills as part of an integrated waste management solution rather than the primary solution.”

JPCE is a specialised waste management consulting engineering firm whose work

includes the engineering of landfill closures, as well as the compilation of Integrated Waste Management Plans (IWMPs). In accordance with the National Environmental Management: Waste Act (No. 59 of 2008), municipalities are required to develop regular IWMPs to incorporate into their Integrated Development Plans.

JPCE also assists municipalities with obtaining waste licences for the closure of their smaller landfill facilities and helping them establish materials recovery facilities (MRFs), public waste drop-off facilities, solid waste transfer stations, composting facilities, and other waste-related infrastructure.

A regional strategy From an industry perspective, the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries (DEFF) supports the move towards closing small municipal dump sites and shifting to a regional approach. There are already various working examples nationally. Within this scenario, MRFs in smaller towns will focus on separating recyclable waste at source and transporting the balance via transfer stations for disposal at engineered regional landfill facilities.

WASTE MANAGEMENT

Working predominantly in the Western Cape, JPCE has successfully worked with several district and local municipalities to re-engineer their landfill operations in this fashion. For Overberg District Municipality, headquartered in Bredasdorp, JCPE has assisted in further developing the Karwyderskraal regional landfill site. This landfill services other local municipalities in the district, which currently include Theewaterskloof and Overstrand.

Overberg has a successful composting facility at the landfill, processing garden and some fruit waste. Meanwhile, in towns like Gansbaai and Hermanus, MRFs recover recyclable materials, with the remaining waste sent to Karwyderskraal.

“The first prize to achieve the highest rate of recycling is clean separation at source,” explains Pienaar. “Dirty waste, whether paper or recyclable plastics, has a reduced commercial value, as there’s the added cost of removing contaminants like dirt and food residues.

“Across the board, we work with municipal waste managers to develop an implementation strategy that will help stimulate the local waste economy,” he continues. “As part of this process, we encourage municipalities to engage with private industry at local waste forums. As with any business, determining commercial viability is a critical starting point, and that depends on the market and potential buyers for recyclable materials.”

JPCE is currently working on municipal organic waste studies to determine the optimum economies of scale for the treatment of this waste, in order to divert it from landfill.

The proposed norms and standards for the development of composting facilities will greatly facilitate the process for municipalities. These norms and standards have been in draft form

Riebeeck West’s public solid waste drop-off during construction

for some time and currently the development of a composting facility still requires an environmental authorisation and waste licence application, which can be a costly and timeconsuming exercise.

To develop an MRF is much easier. In October 2017, the DEFF removed the environmental authorisation and licensing requirement from the list of waste management activities that have, or are likely to have, a detrimental effect on the environment. Although an MRF still needs to be registered and operated according to the norms and standards set by the DEFF, it no longer requires a waste management licence and environmental authorisation process.

Removing landfills In some cases, landfills can be completely removed and the ground rehabilitated to make way for urban development. This process depends largely on the volumes of waste involved and the costs of excavations, testing and transport, etc. A case in point is a project recently completed by JPCE for the town of Riebeeck West. During the removal of the landfill, everything that could potentially be recovered and reused was assessed.

During the screening process, mostly clean soil and builders’ rubble were recovered for reuse.

The remaining contaminated material was then transferred to a licensed regional landfill for disposal. The feasibility of rehabilitating the land by removing the landfill is very site-specific and cost-dependent, so each situation needs to be assessed on its merits.

Waste parks In developed regions, like the EU and UK, a common trend is the establishment of integrated waste treatment facilities (IWTFs).

“These tend to work very well, principally because waste management is a culture that these communities have grown up with, so it’s ingrained,” says Pienaar. “I believe IWTFs have significant potential in South Africa within the larger metro environment.”

IWTFs work on the basis that sourceseparated materials arrive at the gate for assessment. From there, this is either directed to the tipping area, or a materials recovery, composting, or builders’ rubble stockpiling area.

Electronic waste is another stream with major revenue potential.

“A further step in the IWTF model is potentially the establishment of an anaerobic digester for the treatment of organic food waste,” he continues. “Then, at the far end of the scale is a direct combustion, thermal waste-to-energy facility. These are very costly to establish, but successfully treat virtually all non-recycled wastes. The ash residue generated from a waste-to-energy plant is then landfilled in a controlled manner.”

South African metros like Cape Town, Ekurhuleni, Tshwane and Johannesburg have all conducted feasibility studies for alternative waste treatment technologies. These projects are theoretically bankable through a publicprivate partnership model but need political drive, extensive public participation and an increase in separation at source to be successful.

“Given the obvious long-term economic and environmental benefits, recycling is the right thing to do, but it’s well understood that it’s not a simple process, and is definitely more expensive than landfilling currently,” he adds.

The gate fee for landfilling in South Africa is still less expensive than any other form of waste treatment and this is one of the reasons why almost all our locally generated waste still goes to landfill. The long-term environmental and economic benefits of investing in alternative waste treatment justifies the short-term financial costs in order to stimulate the circular economy.

Establishing needed waste infrastructure, buy-back centres and formalising offtake agreements are key to making the process financially sustainable. Building a local recycling and remanufacturing economy would also make South Africa less dependent on an export-driven waste model, as well as less vulnerable to international volatility in commodity prices.

“Lowering operating costs and providing better access to markets is essential, and it can only work as an integrated process with combined public and private cooperation. Sustainable waste management includes landfilling, but only as a part of an integrated solution,” he concludes.

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CEMENT & CONCRETE

Factoring in use-phase energy costs Architects who strive for sustainability in the design of concrete structures should pay more attention to lowering energy usage during the full life of the new buildings they create, says Br yan Perrie, managing director of The Concrete Institute (TCI).

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lobally, the level of sustainability of a new building is often heavily judged on its design. Rating systems such as the Green Star system of the Green Building Council SA and the Leadership and Energy in Environmental Design system in the USA bestow points for various sustainability initiatives during the design stage of a building.

“However, these systems often lead to chasing points for a particular rating rather than concentrating on real sustainability stretched over the entire life cycle of a new structure,” Perrie contends.

There are substantial economic benefits in considering life-cycle costing right from the outset 42

IMIESA March 2020

Bryan Perrie, managing director, TCI

He says there are substantial economic benefits in considering life-cycle costing right from the outset. “The potential increase in cost during the design and construction phases of a ‘green’ structure will generally be more than offset by the savings from reduced energy consumption during the use phase of the concrete structure,” Perrie expands. “The architect or designer needs to assess the inter-relationship of all factors while the owner or user needs to understand the sustainability features incorporated in the structure.”

Design considerations Perrie lists some important design considerations to ensure sustainability in concrete structures: • Ensure that the building is oriented to take advantage of natural elements to provide natural lighting, heating during

winter, cooling during summer, and natural ventilation.

• Ensure correct window and door type and placement to take advantage of sunlight during winter, as well as the flow of air from prevailing winds. Eave depths should be designed to shade the inside of the building during summer but allow winter sun to warm rooms.

• Use atriums, wind/stack ventilators or ventilation panels to assist natural ventilation, and under-floor vents or permeable ceilings to unlock the thermal mass in the upper part of concrete slabs.

• Choose roofing and external wall material and colours that will reflect heat away

CEMENT & CONCRETE

Atriums could provide natural lighting in any type of new structure, particularly heavy electricity consumers such as shopping malls

(lighter colours) from the building or absorb solar energy (darker colours, dark floor tiling) to reduce energy demands for heating or cooling.

• Choose the correct insulation type and location. A well-insulated roof and floor may keep the interior temperature cooler

in summer and cut air-conditioning costs, but may prevent winter solar heat from being absorbed into the interior of the building.

• Air- and weather-proofing will ensure that draughts do not negatively affect energy usage for heating and cooling.

Quarries grow communities

T

he formal quarrying industry in South Africa is technically advanced and able to supply materials for modern construction techniques. However, many of the country’s registered quarries are under threat due to illegal operations and ill-considered borrow pits, which are undercutting market prices. The result is that mining experts, blasting professionals, mineral processing engineers and skilled workers are being forced to leave the industry as many formal quarries close their doors.

Nico Pienaar, director of surface mining industry association ASPASA, warns that

QUARRIES CREATE EMPLOYMENT

without well-managed quarries, the cost of construction will become unaffordable. “If allowed to disappear, we will see similar problems arise as with the Eskom energy and water crises, where too little is done too late and the citizens will bear the brunt,” he says.

Compliance matters Legal quarries that are members of ASPASA must obtain mining, water usage and environmental permits and abide by strict rulings. Once in operation, they are heavily regulated in terms of the impact on surrounding communities in areas such as noise, dust and water pollution. An

• Design buildings to use solar energy and tap into the benefits of thermal mass to save energy.

• Design structures to reduce the requirements for maintenance or to make maintenance simple and cost-effective.

• Design structures to promote saving of finite resources by, for example, designing systems to promote rainwater harvesting, reuse of grey water, and other water-use efficiencies.

TCI believes that while a focus on structural design, construction materials and the construction process itself – as well as recycling, resource conservation and embodied energy – is commendable, minimal attention is still paid by designers to the use phase and full life-cycle assessment of new structures.

“Research has shown that a building’s lifetime operating energy consumption could range between 87% to 97% of the structure’s total energy requirement, while the embodied energy accounts for only between 3% to 13% of the total energy. This makes it clear that the use phase of a building is the major contributor to sustainability,” Perrie adds.

Nico Pienaar, director, ASPASA

additional benefit is the creation of direct and indirect jobs that are sustainable over a long period of time.

“We are calling for government, contractors, developers and the formal construction industry to recognise the important roles played by well-resourced, wellequipped, formal quarries and to support them in the interest of sustainable construction,” Pienaar concludes.

Research conducted in the USA by the Phoenix Center for Advanced Legal and Economic Public Policy Studies showed that quarries are major contributors to the building of strong local economies.

Furthermore, it showed that the benefits lasted for an extended period of at least 20 years.

IMIESA March 2020

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VEHICLES & EQUIPMENT

Working double time or extended hours?

Your shift just got easier with the 2020 ISUZU D-MAX 2.5 automatic range

These days, bakkies should provide the same level of comfor t and convenience in dense urban environments as they do on demanding off-road trails that are less travelled.

O

ver the last few years, the demand for automatic bakkies has more than doubled in South Africa, welcoming the introduction of various automatic 4X2, 4X4 and SUV options into the market.

And just when you thought you have seen, heard and done it all, ISUZU arrives to handle reliable like never before. The ISUZU D-MAX 2.5 automatic range is here to change the way you work, with improved safety and fuel efficiency – a great business boost for commercial applications.

“The new D-MAX 2.5 automatic gearbox was developed to suit the performance characteristics of ISUZU’s competent, reliable and fuel-economic 2.5 litre intercooled turbodiesel engine, thus giving our customers great performance matched to low running costs, superb comfort and outstanding driving convenience,” says

Dominic Rimmer, senior vice-president: Technical Operations, ISUZU Motors South Africa.

Thanks to the new ISUZU D-MAX 2.5 automatic range, the driver can focus entirely on the job at hand without the risk of stalling or burning the clutch. Depending on driving style and commercial application, the automatic boasts economic fuel consumption of 8.1 litres for every 100 km – giving business owners even more reason to take a closer look at this practical commercial workhorse.

Not to mention its 2 100 kg towing capacity or its heavy-duty load compartment carrying just over a tonne. The new 2020 ISUZU D-MAX 2.5 automatic range offers an affordable automatic that is equipped to get the job done.

If you’re ready to automatically take your business to the next level, book a test drive at your nearest ISUZU dealership today.

IMIESA March 2020

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VEHICLES & EQUIPMENT

Wirtgen unveils new advances in milling

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The W 250 Fi flagship model is intended for maximum milling performance

elebrating their world premiere at Conexpo-Con/Agg 2020, Wirtgen’s new W 220 Fi and W 250 Fi large milling machines ser ve a wide range of applications, working to a maximum milling depth of 350 mm.

The W 220 Fi is equipped with a two-speed Dual Shift powershift

A WIRTGEN GROUP COMPANY

The W 220 Fi is setting new standards in performance and machine efficiency

transmission, while the W 250 Fi has an Active Dual Power dual-engine drive. With an engine power of 801 hp (W 220 Fi) and 1 010 hp (W 250 Fi) respectively, the two flagship models are exceptionally power ful.

The machine operator can preselect a working strategy via three modes, namely: Cost-optimised, Per formance-optimised, or Milling texture quality. For example, at the touch of a button, it is possible to define the required milling texture quality on a scale of 1 (coarse) to 10 (ver y fine).

Mill Assist In automatic mode, the Mill Assist standard assistance system provides the optimal balance between per formance and operating costs. This improves milling per formance and reduces diesel, water and pick consumption, plus CO2 emissions. Mill Assist also automatically controls the Dual Shift function on the W 220 Fi. Together with the diesel engine, intelligent control of the two-speed powershift transmission extends both the upper and lower range of possible milling drum speeds. At lower speeds, fuel and pick wear can be significantly reduced.

Depending on the project situation and the pre-selected working strategy, the Mill Assist setting on the W 250 Fi automatically controls just one or both motors. In addition, the engines operate efficiently at optimally adapted speeds. This significantly reduces costs for diesel and cutting tools.

WPT benefits

Unbeatable team. www.wirtgen-group.com/technologies

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On both units, the Wir tgen Per formance Tracker (WPT) calculates the precise sur face milling per formance, milling volume and consumption values for the machine. All-important per formance and consumption data are displayed on the operator’s platform in real time for the milling machine operator.

These are also sent to the machine operator via email in an automatically generated report immediately after completion of the milling work.

Power efficiency in the medium class

2 - 4 JUNE

GALLAGHER CONVENTION CENTRE

Africa’s largest occupational health and safety show turns 10 years old!

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he latest-generation 21.9 tonne Hyundai R220LC-9S tracked excavator comes equipped with a two-stage auto deceleration system and a fuel-efficient Tier 2 Hyundai HM 5.9 engine delivering a net output of 107 kW. In the economy, standard and power modes, average fuel consumption is 15, 16.62 and 18.17 litres per hour respectively.

“What’s also important to customers is the long undercarriage design, with nine rollers on each side of the machine, for greater stability in tough operating conditions,” explains Ross Collard, managing director of HPE Africa, sole distributor in Southern Africa for Hyundai Construction Equipment.

The undercarriage has tapered side frames for efficient debris clean-out, a sealed track chain with urethane seals, a track rail guard, a grease-type track tensioner, and safe and comfortable bolt-on steps.

The advanced operator cluster, with a colour LCD screen and toggle switch control, allows the operator to select machine preferences for precise control during various operations. These include boom or swing priority, power mode, machine diagnostics assessment, and optional work tool deployment. A computeraided power optimisation function automatically selects the ideal hydraulic flow balance for boom and swing motions, smooth operation and reduced fuel consumption.

Ground-line access to critical ser vices and grease points ensures easy ser viceability and reduced maintenance time.

The robust Hyundai R220LC-9S excavator has a bucket digging force of 133.4 kN and an arm crowd force of 144.2 kN (2 m arm)

We invite you to share the experience as A-OSH EXPO celebrates its first decade of bringing together occupational health and safety (OHS) professionals and decision-makers.

Being part of A-OSH EXPO’s ‘2020 Vision’ brings you a truly holistic experience: • BE EXPOSED to the latest workplace health and safety products and solutions; • ENGAGE with professionals from the sector’s most important associations; and • HEAR ALL ABOUT the latest thinking and legislative updates from the experts.

Embrace 2020 vision at Africa’s leading OHS trade show!

Free entry to all shows register now at www.aosh.co.za Three co-located shows = triple the value!

For more information, please contact: Ross Dyer - Tel: +27 010 003 3049 Email: rossd@specialised.com

Brought to you by:

IMIESA March 2020

47

CONSTRUCTION LAW

Force majeure and the construction mafia Sanral’s new road tenders contract exposes contractors to higher risks if they fail to adhere to five clear conditions that define force majeure.

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anral began to roll out tenders wor th millions last year for upgrades to the N2/N3. This is great news for contractors in a sector that is in the doldrums. But construction and technology law specialist MDA Attorneys warns that amendments to Sanral’s standard contract make it much more difficult for contractors to deal with disruptions related to the construction mafia. The latter is an increasingly common situation, where local communities and business forums disrupt sites, demanding that they be awarded work under threat of violence. The end results include costly construction delays.

Sanral has added five conditions to the clause on which contractors rely when dealing with strikes and riots, including constructionmafia-type circumstances.

Called force majeure, this clause entitles contractors to claim time extensions, costs and termination of the contract.

“In South Africa, there is a high possibility that local communities and business forums will disrupt the works, Kelly Meijers, senior associate, MDA Attorneys

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IMIESA March 2020

which causes prolonged delays and could necessitate ending the project,” says Kelly Meijers, senior associate, MDA Attorneys.

“Sanral’s previous contract made it difficult for contractors to define these disruptions as force majeure events, but Sanral’s new contract makes it even harder, posing significant risks for contractors,” she continues.

Five conditions Under the new contract, contractors need to have five conditions in

place for an event to be considered: • The contractor needs to have engaged with those responsible for the disruptions. Specifically, they need to have met with leadership: recorded details, grievances, and any threats made; and asked them to cease the unlawful conduct.

• The contractor must have proof of the riot, commotion, disorder, strike or lockout, and of any unlawful conduct.

• All threats and unlawful conduct must have been repor ted to the South African Police Ser vice.

• An urgent application must have been launched in court that correctly identifies the par ties and defines the unlawful conduct to be interdicted.

• The contractor must have ensured that the cour t order is enforced.

Meijers says that contractors who are not aware of the additional requirements are at risk of being unable to obtain time extensions, which may result in delay damages and penalties.

“If the conditions do not meet the definition of force majeure, contractors cannot terminate the contract for that reason” she concludes.

City of Joburg

joburg.org.za

CITY OF JOHANNESBURG | MUNICIPAL FEATURE

Delivering Diphetogo

In tabling the 2019/20 budget, the City of Johannesburg acknowledged several threats to the health of the economy. However, the city has still made some advances in infrastructure development and service delivery.

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uring the 2019/20 budget process, it was recognised that the country’s low economic growth in the preceding years has a potential downside risk on the size of fiscal resources at the City of Johannesburg’s disposal and the general health of the economy.

The country is experiencing alarming levels of unemployment, low levels of capital formation, low growth of key sectors of the economy, a shrinking tax base, and underperformance of state-owned entities.

In approaching resource allocation for Johannesburg’s 2019/20 MTEF cycle, its focus was coined under the Sesotho word ‘Diphetogo’ – a desire to improve the customer’s experience through defining the end state. For each priority area, there are defined areas that are part of the Diphetogo that should be prioritised by each department/entity.

Through the Diphetogo Project, the city aimed to direct its limited resources towards the most important priorities:

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IMIESA March 2020

• economic growth and job creation • basic services delivery • infrastructure development, repairs and maintenance • public safety • housing provision.

CITY OF JOHANNESBURG | MUNICIPAL FEATURE multidimensional and involves a combination of RDP housing, social housing, informal settlement upgrades, site and service projects, as well as partnerships with the private sector. In terms of mixed housing space, the city has provided 6 261 units over the last three years, despite declining grant funding from national government.

Water infrastructure maintenance

Delivering Diphetogo In his end of term address, titled ‘Delivering Diphetogo’, outgoing mayor Herman Mashaba highlighted the progress that has been made.

In practical terms, Mashaba said Diphetogo has meant a shift in the city’s approach to the budget, with necessary trade‐offs being made to allow for a greater focus on infrastructure investment and service delivery, in order to start making significant inroads into the city’s R170 billion infrastructure backlog.

Over time, this saw a shift in spending on infrastructure and housing – from 58% of the capital budget in the 2016/17 financial year to 71% in 2019/20.

Housing opportunities During the 2018/19 financial year, 15% of the city’s capex budget was allocated to housing – this is the largest housing budget in the city’s history.

There has been significant financial contribution to ensure that the provision of housing is a priority for Johannesburg, particularly addressing apartheid spatial planning. To this end, Council adopted the Inclusionary Housing Policy in 2019, as well as conducted a Nodal Review that seeks to create a more inclusive and integrated city over time. The Inclusionary Housing Policy demands and incentivises private developers to dedicate 30% of new residential developments to affordable housing. The city’s strategy to addressing the complex housing challenges is

From 2016/17 to 2018/19, a total of 198.6 km of water pipes and 125.9 km of sewer pipes were replaced.

This reduced the city’s total pipe bursts between 2016/17 and 2018/19, marking the first sustained decline in the number of bursts over the past seven years. In 2018/19, the city also saw the first decline in the number of sewer blockages experienced since 2012/13.

In November 2019, the city launched the newly completed balancing tank at the Bushkoppie Wastewater Treatment Works in Soweto. This R152 million project was initiated to improve compliance with effluent standards and allow for better control of the incoming flow of sewage to the plant.

In addition to this, Johannesburg has reached 99% compliance with the SANS 241 drinking water quality standard on E. coli.

Stabilising the electricity grid Electricity remains a major risk to the economy and municipal finances in general. In response to the unreliable electricity network in Johannesburg, City Power introduced a bulk infrastructure renewal programme. This included upgrading substations, high-voltage overhead cables and underground cables, as well as replacing copper cables with aluminium bundled conductors, which are less prone to theft.

Many of the city’s substations were built decades ago and have not been able to keep up with the increasing demands. In fact, 27% of the city’s transformer network had exceeded its useful lifespan by 2017, with the next 45% at 75% of its useful lifespan. Major substation upgrades and the construction of new substations were prioritised as a result.

In addition, 6 336 public lights were installed over the last three years.

training opportunities and to benefit from waste minimisation value chain projects. Sorting facilities for waste pickers have been provided at targeted sites.

Johannesburg won the prestigious Waste Pickers Integration in the Municipal System 2019 award, which recognises local and metropolitan cities that have excelled at all levels of sustainable development.

Mashaba also spearheaded the launch of A Re Sebetseng in August 2017, which has become a monthly city-wide cleaning campaign.

The initiative has received wide-ranging support.

Improving road conditions In 2016, the City of Johannesburg was faced with an R18 billion transport network backlog. It was found that 32% of roads’ surface conditions were in a poor or very poor condition, against a target of less than 10%. Similarly, 27% of roads’ structural condition were in a poor or very poor condition compared to a target of less than 5%.

The city’s bridge network also needed attention.

Since 2016, a total of 938 km of roads have been resurfaced, and 88 km of gravel roads have been upgraded to surfaced roads; 902 bridges have been maintained.

Attention has also been placed on patching potholes and managing signal downtime at traffic lights.

Waste management

A solid foundation

To alleviate strain on the city’s landfill sites, mandatory separation at source has been implemented in parts of the city, increasing waste diverted from landfill from 14.2% in 2016/17 to 15.7% in 2018/19.

The city has also sought to incorporate informal waste pickers into its waste economy and Pikitup has embarked on a process to register them.

This will assist in providing waste pickers with

Council believes that the 2018/19 budget has laid a solid foundation for the next three years.

This will enable the municipality to make a meaningful difference to the backlog if paired with improved revenue collection and general cash-backed surpluses.

Through the Diphetogo Project, there has been a clear shift in spending towards infrastructure delivery and the provision of priority services.

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REIMAGINING WITS, REVITALISING BRAAM

There is a new energy emerging in Braamfontein – affectionately known as Braam – sparked by vibrant young people who are rejuvenating public and private spaces to create trendy hubs throughout the district.

Wits is leading the way in transforming Braamfontein into a young, vibrant precinct notable for its tech-savvy and innovative community. Together with its partners in government, business and industry, the Tshimologong Digital Innovation Precinct is Johannesburg’s newest high-tech address, where the incubation of start-ups, the commercialisation of research, and the development of high-level digital skills for students, working professionals and unemployed youth take place.

“Our aim is to transform Braam into a vibrant, cosmopolitan academic neighbourhood that attracts Africa’s best young minds as well as talented scholars, and to create an environment in which talented people can excel, both within and beyond the classroom,” says Professor Adam Habib, Vice-Chancellor and Principal of Wits. “Wits’ location in the economic heartland of the continent, its close access to networks, influencers, partners and resources, provides the cultural capital that young people require to give them a head start in life.”

Wits’ urban renewal strategies include: • Partnering with investors and developers to revitalise the ‘fringe areas’ of the University, including the completion of new gateways. This includes reimagining new spaces for retail, restaurants, music clubs, bookshops, and other offerings attractive to the Wits and Braam community.

• Supporting the development of the Tshimologong Digital Innovation Precinct, Wits’ tech hub, including the R700 million IBM research lab.

• Creating a safer, more attractive precinct in partnership with the City of Joburg and the Johannesburg Development Agency, including assisting with lighting, security and the general upliftment of Braam.

tech creativity, an entrepreneurial spirit and unmatched enthusiasm that is seeing Braam emerge as a trendy neighbourhood that will serve as a nexus, a hub, for developing creative solutions to the problems of the 21st Century,” says Habib. “We are at the forefront of change.

For more information: Yael Horowitz E:yael.horowitz@wits.ac.za

• Working with the Gauteng Provincial Government, private developers and entrepreneurs to develop more quality, affordable student accommodation.

“Initiatives need to take cognisance of the socio-economic dynamics of Braam and inner city complexities, and ensure that entrepreneurial opportunities align to university objectives,” says Habib.

The University is part of Joburg’s cultural arc that spans Constitutional Hill, via the Nelson Mandela Bridge, to Newtown. Wits is an anchor in this cultural precinct as it is home to the Wits Art Museum, the Origins Centre, the Wits Theatre Complex, the Planetarium and a host of other museums and cultural amenities.

“We are at the cusp of a new lifecycle for Braam. There is a vibrant energy – a new flow of ideas coupled with high-

www.wits.ac.za 52

IMIESA March 2020

CITY OF JOHANNESBURG | EDUCATION

Wits - Building Impact Beyond 100 The University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) is a leading higher education institution in Africa, committed to research and academic excellence, social justice and the advancement of the public good.

In 2022, we celebrate 100 years of making change happen and we will use this moment to advance further far-reaching transformation. The Centenary is an opportunity for our global community to celebrate the impact that Wits has had on their lives, on society, and on humanity. As Wits has shown over the decades, a university education is uniquely transformational in its ability to address inequality and enhance social mobility.

100 globally in clinical

medicine, public health, and mining engineering

top two Home to universities in Africa and amongst the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

top 250 universities in major global rankings

96 internationally of our research is published in

Percent competitive jour nals

>200 000 graduates

Wits Alumni

100

1922 2022

48%

One of the

38 000 students

52

Research Entities

6

DST/NRF Centres of Excellence

*Highest of all SA universities

of undergraduates are from township or rural locations

Almost 50%

of Wits graduates are first-generation university students and 56% are black women

400 29

OVER

Ranked in top

*NRF-rated researchers * National Research Foundation

A-rated researchers Recognised by peers as leaders in their ďŹ eld globally

Wits. For Good.

IMIESA March 2020

53

CITY OF JOHANNESBURG | ROADS & BRIDGES

Rehabilitation of the M1 double-decker Stronger with Sika

J

ohannesburg’s M1 overpass bridges (double-decker bridges) between Carr Street and the Crown Interchange were recently given a major overhaul to maintain their structural integrity. This follows an intensive project completed by main contractor Khato Civils, on behalf of the Johannesburg Roads Agency.

A section of the M1 double-decker bridge structure bypassing the city

These bridges comprise two reinforcedconcrete deck superstructures directly above each other supported on trestle-like piers. They carry substantial traffic volumes travelling past and into the city’s central business district.

Sika products formed a core part of the remediation works for structural repairs, structural strengthening and coatings. These included SikaTop Armatec-110 EpoCem, which was used as a rebar protective coating in the structural repairs, and Sika Monotop-615 HB. The latter is designed for thick-layer concrete repairs, especially for overhead and vertical applications.

SikaWrap-300 C was used for the structural strengthening of reinforced concrete structures, and to increase sheer load capacity.

The concrete surface area was treated with Sikaguard-705 L silane water repellent and SikaTop Seal-107, a waterproof, chlorideand carbonation-resistant, liquid-applied membrane coating for concrete.

To ensure that all product applications were executed correctly at every stage, all those involved in the project were provided with training and on-site support by the Sika team. This included training in processes such as surface preparation, product mixing and product application.

Watt Street Interchange gains momentum Mass earthworks, columns and reinforced steel can be seen from Arkwright Avenue to Chadwick Avenue along Old Pretoria Road in Johannesburg, as the construction of Watt Interchange forges ahead.

54

IMIESA March 2020

W

att Interchange, along the Louis Botha Development Corridor, forms par t of the Rea Vaya bus rapid transit (BRT) system, Phase 1C. This phase includes a trunk route from Sandton to Alexandra, along Rivonia Road and Katherine Drive, and a route from Parktown in Johannesburg to Alexandra, along Louis Botha Avenue.

The Watt Interchange will also connect, through minibus taxis, the greater part of Alexandra township to the Rea Vaya system, which is important for the integration of the different modes of transport in the city.

The upgrade will also see the construction of new BRT lanes and an underground

station with associated structures, and bulk earthworks. Construction work at the Watt Interchange completed so far includes the demolishing of the previous bridge and the interchange at Watt Street, upstand concrete beams, viaduct columns, the allocation and relocation of services construction, and retaining wall construction.

Once completed, the Watt Interchange will stand as a high-quality integrated public transport interchange that will consist of the following key elements: • underground basement loading and offloading bays • commuter information area • designated trunk route • universal accessibility.

CITY OF JOHANNESBURG | ROADS & BRIDGES

The newly completed Milpark pedestrian bridge connecting the Milpark precinct to the Rea Vaya Phase 2 trunk route promotes safe pedestrian movement.

Building safer connections

T

he Milpark pedestrian bridge, which crosses Barry Hertzog Avenue, is situated in an area that encompasses a combination of land uses including retail, commercial offices, residential, health facilities, education, hotels, social facilities, public open spaces, and informal retail.

Traffic volumes on Empire Road, Barry Hertzog Avenue and Annet Road acted as strong barriers obstructing pedestrian movement, placing pedestrians at risk and creating poor pedestrian connectivity to peripheral institutional precincts such as Wits University, the University of Johannesburg and Milpark Hospital.

The Milpark pedestrian bridge forms part of the Milpark Precinct Urban Design Framework, which forms part of the Empire Perth Corridor.

The Milpark Precinct has been identified by the City of Johannesburg as one of the main precincts of this corridor.

Building a bridge The construction of the pedestrian bridge took eight months and included the relocation of stormwater drainage, the establishing of the bridge deck, ramps and staircases, the installation of handrails, columns, footings, lights and guard rails, as well as environmental upgrades, including paving and kerbing.

Axton Matrix Construction was appointed as the main contractor, and two emerging subcontractors were appointed to execute portions of the work. A total of 30% of the contract value was awarded to SMMEs to facilitate job creation and skills development.

Urban design framework The City of Johannesburg has embarked

on a new spatial vision for the city in line with its Growth and Development Strategy 2040, based on corridor transit-oriented development (TOD).

Through this approach, it is envisaged that the growth of the future city will be guided towards well-planned transport arterials, with a focus on retail mixed-use developments, higherdensity residential accommodation, supported by office buildings, retail developments, and opportunities for leisure and recreation clustered along these routes.

TOD spaces are integrated, vibrant, highdensity developments that seek to enhance pedestrian access to public transport options

that will transform Johannesburg into a peoplecentred city.

Based on the above objectives and development goals, the Milpark Precinct Urban Design Framework was adopted as a vision for the precinct. New developments should build on the large institutional presence in the area and the high level of public transport accessibility. Substantial new development is envisaged for this precinct, the majority of which should ideally be high-rise buildings.

The Milpark Urban Design Framework was approved as Council policy in 2016 and contains principal propositions for the transformation of the Milpark Precinct.

IMIESA March 2020

55

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GAUTENG

CITY OF JOHANNESBURG | PARKS

Col Prime layer sprayed prior to placement of the BSM layer

Greening a city Despite being a densely populated financial capital, Johannesburg is one of the greenest metros in the country.

J

ohannesburg City Parks and Zoo (JCPZ) has placed a big emphasis on planting trees and greening the city. Solidifying this, the city received the Arbor City Award 2019 from the national Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries during last year’s Arbor Month celebrations.

In celebration of Arbor Day, JCPZ planted 2 000 trees in two hours in Riverside View, Fourways, and a further 1 260 in various areas of Johannesburg during Arbor Month.

“Many of Joburg’s ageing trees are reaching their full life expectancy and have become more vulnerable to opportunistic diseases. This amplifies the critical need to plant trees, today, for a healthy future,” says Cllr Margaret Arnolds, MMC for Community Development.

In 2020, JCPZ is hitting the ground running with an accelerated campaign to plant 1 000 indigenous trees in the newly developed residential areas of Countr y View and Noordwyk in Midrand.

A man-made forest

Best state-owned entity

Around 1.3 million of Johannesburg’s trees, with an estimated value of R30 billion, are situated on the city’s sidewalks. This has earned Johannesburg the status of one of the most street-tree-lined cities in the world.

The management of this man-made forest within the City of Johannesburg is undertaken through an integrated approach that combines planting, maintenance, care and management within all parks, cemeteries, conservation areas, streets, nature reserves and urban agriculture areas.

However, the municipality is having to expand its efforts to address the city’s ageing tree canopy, some of which is being lost as a result of urbanisation, inclement weather, attacks by the polyphagus shothole borer, and natural attrition.

JCPZ’s success is highlighted by it winning the coveted Best State-Owned Entity at the Vision 2030 Awards for 2019. In line with the mandate of the National Development Plan 2030, the annual Vision 2030 Awards recognise the strides made by organisations and individuals alike from all sectors, which have impacted positively on the lives of ordinar y South Africans.

The entity’s developmental stance on the backdrop of a growing portfolio with large-scale social challenges has seen it interrogate new revenue streams and engage more meaningfully with its stakeholders, including business, residents and the media, to redress disparities.

This is underpinned by strict fiscal management, with two successive clean audit outcomes and various peer

recognition awards, including being presented with the prestigious national Arbour City Award 2019, the Transformation Award 2019, and six awards scooped at the 2019 South African Landscape Institute (SALI) Awards of Excellence for various park developments.

JCPZ has, over the years, provided platforms for young entrepreneurs in the inner city, rolled out CCTV-monitored ablution facilities, and secured resourced resident associations to maintain visible presence in area-based parks.

The Johannesburg Zoo’s visitor numbers have increased to over 500 000 a year. The facility acts as a gateway for environmental education and caters for many marginalised schools that will unlikely afford or enjoy the big five experience outside Joburg. Joburg Zoo also continues to spearhead several breeding programmes aimed at increasing and preser ving endangered species.

Greening continues in new low-cost housing developments such as Riverside, with lined sapling trees, which will eventually grow into fully fledged tree canopies, complementing the area as well as offsetting the city’s carbon footprint.

“On behalf of the city, I would like to congratulate JCPZ on being presented with such a high-ranking and prestigious award.

The efforts, commitment and passion of ever y JCPZ employee in making our city a green and liveable one speaks to their dedication to both the environment, and to the people of Johannesburg,” stated Nonhlanhla Sifumba, former MMC for Community Development.

IMIESA March 2020

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CITY OF JOHANNESBURG | TRANSPORT

Transport facility to modernise travel After being on the City of Johannesburg’s agenda for 15 years, the stateof-the-ar t, 50 000 m² Johannesburg International Transpor t Interchange is nearing completion.

W

ith CCTV cameras thr oughout the facility, good lighting and wide corridors, the world-class, high-tech Johannesburg International Transpor t Interchange

58

IMIESA March 2020

(JITI) facility is designed to be safe and attractive, transforming long-distance and cross-border travel.

“The City of Johannesburg continues to experience an increase in demand for road space. The state-of-the-art JITI will be one of the critical projects that will ensure that efficient mass public transport networks and connections, transit-oriented multi-use precincts, together with strategic land-use planning and zoning regimes are realised so we connect our people to opportunities to live, work and play in the city,” says Cllr Nonhlanhla Makhuba, MMC for Transport.

The international transport and shopping hub offers 3 300 m² devoted to retail space. This is to feature ever ything from large retail outlets, banks, ticketing offices and food cour ts to informal traders. The facility will also create a variety of economic oppor tunities and provide social amenities for inner-city users and residents.

To banish the long waiting periods faced by long-distance travellers when catching buses and taxis in the inner city, the facility includes a bus terminal for cross-border buses as well as

ranking and holding space for 648 taxis, ranking space for 158 taxis, and ranking for 20 buses.

Security of the facility will be managed from a control room equipped with a building management system, including CCTV cameras and access control.

Construction work The project’s construction started in July 2016; in May 2019, a new contractor was appointed to ensure completion of the project.

The scope of works includes bulk earthworks, water and sewer reticulation, concrete superstructure, electrical works, mechanical works, wet ser vices and fire, exterior works, road works, and furniture and artwork.

The construction of the project is also playing a role in job creation and skills development, with 30% of the contract value being awarded to SMMEs. A total of 18 SMMEs and 34 local labourers have been appointed for the execution of portions of the works in the infrastructure project.

The project, which is expected to be completed in May 2020, will be handed over to the City of Johannesburg’s Department of Transport upon completion.

CITY OF JOHANNESBURG | HOUSING

New life for Brixton Social Cluster

With Phase 1 nearly complete, the Brixton Social Cluster has been transformed into a vibrant and sustainable location that will offer a range of uses to residents and visitors.

A

s part of the City of Johannesburgâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s strategy to meet the demand for new social infrastructure, the Johannesburg Development Agency began the upgrade of the Brixton Social Cluster in January 2018.

The clustering of social facilities represents a key strategy in providing a basis for growth and densification within the Empire Perth Corridor, which is anchored by the Phase 1B BRT route linking Soweto to Parktown.

Brixton, an old and well-located suburb of Johannesburg, was identified as a priority precinct on the basis that the area has an existing social cluster and the potential

to elicit short- to medium-term growth and densification within the corridor.

Cluster will ensure that the communities and neighbouring areas of Brixton enjoy a better outdoor and social life.

Phase 1 Through a combination of catalytic interventions and upgrades, the Brixton Social Cluster has been transformed from its previous underdeveloped and deteriorating state into a vibrant and sustainable social cluster.

Phase 1 of the project involved constructing a new multipurpose recreation centre, new and upgraded sports fields and combicourts, parking, landscaping, lighting, fencing and artwork.

With additional sports and recreational facilities, the upgraded Brixton Social

Phase 2 Phase 2 of the project, which is expected to commence in April 2020, will see the creation of a new public square, library, coffee shop, and an upgraded green open space and kids play area, and swimming pool facility.

The construction of the facility thus far has played a critical role in job creation and skills development, with 30% of the contract value being awarded to SMMEs in the ward. A total of 17 SMMEs and 118 EPWP job opportunities were created during Phase 1 of construction.

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IMIESA March 2020

59

I M E S A A F F I L I AT E M E M B E R S

IMESA

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