WASA Nov/Dec 2016

Promoting professional excellence in the water sector

Water& Sanitation The official magazine of the Water Institute of Southern Africa

Complete water resource and wastewater management

Africa

SBS TANKS Tank contractor proves its metal

Panel discussion Packaged treatment plants

in the

hot seat

Industrial water Shondoni’s simple solution

Pipes, Pumps & valves Pipes X tackles leadership

“Besides the maintenance and improvement of ERWAT’s excellent 90% to 100% Green Drop status, we would like to put research and development high on the agenda.” Tumelo Gopane

Managing Director, ERWAT

P12

Nov/Dec 2016 • ISSN 1990-8857 • R50.00 (incl. VAT) • Vol. 11 No. 6

Contents

Vol. 11 No. 6

Promoting professional excellence in the water sector

Water& Sanitation The official magazine of the Water Institute of Southern Africa

Complete water resource and wastewater management

Africa

SBS TANKS

Tank contractor proves its metal

PANEL DISCUSSION Packaged treatment plants

IN THE

HOT SEAT

INDUSTRIAL WATER Shondoni’s simple solution

PIPES, PUMPS & VALVES Pipes X tackles leadership

“Besides the maintenance and improvement of ERWAT’s excellent 90% to 100% Green Drop status, we would like to put research and development high on the agenda.” Tumelo Gopane

Managing Director, ERWAT

P12

Nov/Dec 2016 • ISSN 1990-8857 • R50.00 (incl. VAT) • Vol. 11 No. 6

On the cover A recent infrastructure intervention by SBS Tanks® in the picturesque Overberg town of Riviersonderend has drastically improved residents’ quality of life. P4

14 wisa NEWS 22 industrial water

Regulars

Editor’s Comment 3 Africa Round-up 20 Product News 56

Cover story

4

Tank contractor proves its metal

WISA

CEO’s Comment 6 President’s Comment 7

YWP

9

Publishing and planning for impact HOT SEAT ERWAT’s new MD, Tumelo Gopane Building on solid foundations

WISA News

Speaking the same language

Mine Water

Managing water risk

Industrial Water

Pumping up power Novel system integration for Sasol

Wastewater management Water wars already here

Panel discussion

Packaged treatment plants

PIPES, pumps & valves

Pipes X tackles leadership

47 leak management

12

14 16 22 25 26 33 42

LEAK management

Developing a national leak management strategy 44 An urgent need for collaboration 47

Groundwater

Myths and truths

51

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Publisher Elizabeth Shorten Managing editor Alastair Currie Editor Frances Ringwood Head of design Beren Bauermeister Designer Ramon Chinian Chief sub-editor Tristan Snijders Sub-editor Morgan Carter Contributors Ernst Bertram, Lester Goldman, Ashton Maherry, Valerie Naidoo, Tony Stone Marketing manager Mpinane Senkhane Client services & production manager Antois-Leigh Botma Production coordinator Jacqueline Modise Distribution manager Nomsa Masina Distribution coordinator Asha Pursotham Financial manager Andrew Lobban Administration Tonya Hebenton Printers United Litho Johannesburg t +27 (0)11 402 0571 Advertising sales Avé Delport / Jenny Miller t +27 (0)11 467 6223 avedel@lantic.net / jennymiller@lantic.net

EDITOR'S COMMENT

Water rising

A

n earlier draft of this letter cited the recent vicissitudes of the rand, a fresh transboundary-project scandal alleging the involvement of top government figures and a water-related investigation being conducted by former Public Protector Thuli Madonsela. However, so many new scandals, new villains and new beacons of hope have emerged during the weeks it takes to put a magazine to bed that much of my earlier comment has become old news.

Suffice it to say that the South African water industry is in a state of turmoil largely due to poor leadership decisions and corruption. On a local government level, there are an unfortunate number of water and wastewater project irregularities being reported in the media and being discussed within the sector. Certain municipal leaders have called for greater transparency in the tender awards process to combat corruption. That may help. Those involved in the water sector will also be aware that the outstanding R300 billion, needed over the next four years, to maintain the country’s infrastructure has not yet been sourced by the powers that be.

More investment is needed in the country’s water – that’s a fact. However, there remain many reasons to feel optimistic about the growth and development of the sector moving into the new year.

Publisher

Physical address: No 9, 3rd Avenue, Rivonia, 2191 Postal address: PO Box 92026, Norwood, 2117, South Africa t +27 (0)11 233 2600 • f +27 (0)11 234 7274/5 frances@3smedia.co.za ISSN: 1990 - 8857 Annual subscription: R300 (SA rate) subs@3smedia.co.za Copyright 2016. All rights reserved.

All articles herein are copyright protected and may not be reproduced either in whole or in part without the prior written permission of the publishers. The views of contributors do not necessarily reflect those of the Water Institute of Southern Africa or the publishers.

WISA contacts: Head office Tel: 086 111 9472(WISA) Fax: +27 (0)11 315 1258 Physical address: 1st Floor, Building 5, Constantia Park, 546 16th Road, Randjiespark Ext 7, Midrand

Bright spots?

Again, in the earlier draft of this letter, I’d written about a strengthening rand – but the rand is a proxy for volatility, so it has since dropped again and may have dropped further or risen by the time this magazine is delivered. But commodity prices are at least enjoying a nascent revival and that’s something to cheer up those who work closely with the sub-Saharan African mining community. Oil prices and even coal prices are climbing, and the gold and platinum indices are up (depending on what you read). No, these figures are not yet where they need to be, but at least they aren’t continuing to decline.

BRANCHES www.ewisa.co.za Eastern Cape Chairperson: Selby Thabethe Tel: +27 (0)41 506 2862 | Email: ssthabethe@vodamail.co.za Secretary: Christopher Maduma Tel: +27 (0)41 506 7527 | Email: cmaduma@mandelametro.gov.za Free State Chairperson: Sabelo Mkhize Tel: +27 (0)53 830 6681 | Email: smkhize@solplaatje.org.za Secretary: Noeline Basson Cell: +27 (0)71 362 3622 | Email: ndb@malachi3.co.za

La Niña In South Africa, we either have too much water or not enough. After years of drought, the weatherman is predicting a La Niña event towards the end of 2016.

This may well mean flooding in some parts of the country, and while that does alleviate shortages resulting from drought, rainfall is never evenly distributed and not always exactly where it’s needed.

La Niña may well bring much-needed relief and enhance the local economy.

However, how widespread the positive gains will be, and the extent of the relief, are still up in the air. The weather change may buy government and administrators some much-needed space to move out of crisis mode – although flooding is always a concern. Hopefully, it will buy our leaders a bit of time to sit and have a think about where they’ll find the money to fund the country’s future water supply.

KwaZulu-Natal Chairperson: Vishnu Mabeer Tel: +27 (0)31 311 8684 | Email: vishnu.mabeer@durban.gov.za Treasurer: Renelle Pillay Email: PillayR@dws.gov.za Limpopo Chairperson: Paradise Shilowa Cell: +27 (0)79 905 9013 | Email: paradises@polokwane.gov.za Secretary: Salome Sathege Tel: +27 (0)15 290 2535 | Email: salomes@polokwane.gov.za Mpumalanga Chairperson: Susan van Heerden Cell: +27 (0)82 800 3137 | Email: susanvanhd@gmail.com Secretary: Theo Dormehl Cell: +27 (0)83 294 0745 | Email: dormehl@soft.co.za Namibia Chairperson: Dr Vaino Shivute Secretary: Kristina Afomso Tel: +264 61 712080 | Email: afomsok@namwater.com.na Western Cape Chairperson: Natasia van Binsbergen Tel: +27 (0)21 448 6340 | Email: natasia@alabbott.co.za Secretary: Wilma Grebe Tel: +27 (0)21 887 7161 | Email: wgrebe@wamsys.co.za WISA’s Vision The promotion of professional excellence in the water sector, through building expertise, sharing knowledge and improving quality of life.

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3

cover story

Tank contractor

proves its metal

A recent infrastructure intervention by SBS Tanks® in picturesque Riviersonderend has drastically improved the quality of life for the Overberg town's inhabitants.

R

iviersonderend has long struggled with increased water demand due to growth and expansion related to its position on the N2. The town’s single, ageing concrete reservoir could simply no longer cope with the increased demand.

The Theewaterskloof Municipality required a 2 Mℓ storage capacity expansion to effectively service this need. Its preferred solution was that of a bolted steel panel tank. Franciscus Laubscher, civil engineer, Theewaterskloof Municipality, states: “We were interested in this type

ABOVE 2 Mℓ bolted steel tank

4

NOV/DEC 2016

of solution for two reasons: the speed of erection and the cost of the structure.”

Main contractor Martin Barnard, sales and marketing manager, SBS® Water Systems, says, “What made this project unique from the way we generally undertake municipal business is the fact that SBS® was appointed by the Theewaterskloof Municipality as the main contractor. This implied that, other than just the usual tank manufacturing and installation, the company was also responsible for the fabrication of

pipework (steel and PVC); installation of valves; building of valve chambers and manholes; tying the installation in with existing infrastructure; and dealing with services. The contract also entailed an element of integrated telemetry.”

Harold Smook, contracted project engineer, Theewaterskloof Municipality, states, “SBS® Water Systems has to be commended for the fact that it agreed to undertake the project as the main contractor. There are usually a number of unknown factors and risks associated.”

Daniel Pulker, financial manager, SBS®,

reiterates: “From a contractual point of view, SBS® had to secure guarantees as well as ensure legal agreements with sub contractors to ensure compliance with the terms of reference for the contract.” A dedicated on-site contract manager, Denis Grace, was appointed. SBS® also prioritised the appointment of local Western Cape businesses to undertake various aspects of the contract, such as site security, civils and project documentation.

Open communication From the awarding of the tender in May 2016, SBS® was allocated 14 weeks to complete the project, which included a weather contingency allowance.

Fabio Grendele, operations manager, SBS®, explains, “The tight deadline was of concern, considering that the Western Cape is a winter rainfall area.

We responded to the challenge by immediately establishing an open line of communication between all parties involved, including using technology by creating a WhatsApp group (a communication app).

This facilitated quick and easy responses between parties and contributed to the overall success of the project. There was also a tremendous sense of spirit and buy-in from all parties involved, which resulted in a cooperative approach to the project.”

Site excavation Due to time constraints, on-site civil work had to run concurrently with the manufacturing of the SBS® Tank model ST 31-06 at the company’s head office in Pinetown. Technical requirements on-site required the top water levels of the old and the new tank to match. This implied on-site excavation to establish a new base level from which the new tank could be erected. Test pits prior to excavation indicated the presence of rock but,

fortunately, this did not present too much of a challenge. The high standard demanded of the civil works was suitably met.

worth of rain interruptions halting work in-between. With the critical part of the build over, one team was recalled to another installation and the remaining team of three men completed the build and commissioning of the reservoir.

Quality standards Appointed representatives from the client municipality’s procurement and Secure supply engineering departments visited SBS® The town of Riviersonderend suffered head office two weeks after the tender no downtime in supply during the was awarded, for a material verification entire installation, audit. Says Smook, “We except for a scheduled were extremely impressed What made this four-hour break in by the scale of the organproject unique service, during which isation and the way in the new reservoir was which SBS® conducted from the way tied in to the existing business. It was evident in we generally infrastructure. the level of quality control undertake Careful cost control within the operation. I municipal during the project think if anybody on the ensured that the muteam had any reservations business is nicipality had surplus up to that point, these the fact that funds to deploy into were summarily dispelled SBS® was non-critical after the visit.” appointed as the other, project areas, such as As an environmental the erection of a peconsideration, SBS® sug- main contractor rimeter fence around gested that the new reserthe entire site, the rehabilitation and voir be powder coated green to match stabilisation of the excavated bank, by the existing concrete reservoir and the means of a geomembrane, as well as surrounding landscape. the planting of indigenous succulents that would eventually cover the bank.

Site installation Delayne Gray, managing director, Materials and two dedicated installaSBS®, concludes: “We are extremely tion teams of six highly skilled SBS® proud of this project. installers were dispatched simultaneIt is a prime example of delivering on ously from Durban and met on-site. our business objectives, which are to The Theewaterskloof Municipality gradeliver our products and services withciously assisted SBS® with the speedy in specification, on budget and on time. offloading of materials on-site to enaI wish to extend my gratitude to all ble construction to begin immediately. parties involved in making this project Weather delayed the project for a resounding success.” a few days, but the two installation teams compensated for lost time by For total, affordable water storage working overtime to ensure that the solutions, contact SBS® Water Systems deadline was met. The ST31-06 2.2 Mℓ now on +27 (0)31 716 1820 or tank was installed using only SBS® proinfo@sbstanks.co.za. prietary lifting equipment and some manual labour.

The project was conducted under strict health and safety (SHE) requirements as outlined by the Theewaterskloof Municipality and the appointed SHE consultants. The marathon build was completed within www.sbstanks.co.za a record 13 days, with seven days’

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NOV/DEC 2016

5

CEO's Comment

WISA

Management highs and lows

Dr Lester Goldman, CEO, WISA

At the recent WISA Management and Institutional (M&I) Division Symposium, held at Emperors Palace, institute members tackled challenges and solutions to water-sector management in South Africa.

T

he recent WISA M&I Division Symposium featured truly multidisciplinary presenters and attendees, including members of the WISA board, council and the M&I Division.

Participants delivered a range of thought-provoking, challenging and even inspiring presentations, which were then discussed further in our post-session panels.

We enjoyed high-level and informative support and participation from representatives of the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS), including Maxwell Sirenya, former DWS director-general, who is currently assigned to the position of acting CEO at the Tsitsikama (Mzimvubu) Catchment Management Authority in the Eastern Cape.

Sponsors, water sector stakeholders and partners, as well as delegates, were given the opportunity to interact with one another to begin to openly and honestly solve some of the challenges that lie ahead regarding the management of the sector.

Talk topics Some of the macro trends identified by our presenters as driving the global water crisis are: Increasing population: Much has been made of falling birth rates, but analysis does not always take into account rising life expectancies. As is to be expected, this impacts water demand planning, and I hope that sufficient consultation happens between relevant departments in this regard.

6

nov/dec 2016

Rising middle-class: The population is not only growing, but people are also growing richer. In South Africa, this is coupled with increasing urbanisation rates. Daily showers, backyard pools and green lawns directly impact demand, but the much bigger water withdrawal comes from the eating and energy habits associated with a middle -class lifestyle. Raising a kilogram of beef uses 17 times more water than it does to grow a kilogram of corn. I hope that sufficient consultation happens in planning for this.

Climate change: I am sure you are all well aware that climate change causes the surface temperatures of lakes, rivers and dams to rise, which causes faster evaporation. Higher temperatures require more water to get the same amount of water to crops. Rain patterns, both frequency and intensity, have changed. Longer intervals between rains create harder ground, which also impacts on surface water availability because it cannot always permeate the ground.

Water pollution: This reduces the amount of water available for use.

Larger food requirements result in a corresponding need for more fertiliser and pesticides, and this of course increases the pollution of our water.

We need to benchmark our non-revenue water losses against international cities

Industrial processes, energy extraction techniques, poor sewage management, and more, contribute to a reduced availability of usable water.

Non-revenue water and leaks: A staggering amount of water is lost in our municipalities.

We should benchmark against international cities, to gauge our effectiveness in this regard. We should also guard against bulk users that are stealing our precious water, and ensure that legislation and processes assist with the issue.

Summary Each of the above problems can be overcome but this will require focus, political and social will, creativity, trained personnel, and money, among others.

The WISA M&I Divisional Symposium discussed some of these solutions and I hope that future symposiums serve to further enhance their implementation.

Thank you,

Lester

WISA

War on Leaks

President ’s COMMENT

Dr Valerie Naidoo, president, WISA

Water Institute of Southern Africa president Valerie Naidoo addresses the need for long-term programmes (not short-term panaceas) to address water security threats from climate change.

L

et me state that many politicians, but not all, are too frequently thinking about short-term gains to show that they are doing something. While this provides great sound bites and media moments and keeps the attack dogs away, the truth is that it usually fizzles away and all the effort and time the individuals who run those programmes put in never really amounts to anything significant. Furthermore, the citizens eventually stop believing that the interventions are making any difference Let’s take the case in point – the “War on Leaks”. I understand its elevation to the status of being a war in order to create awareness and gain support, but the truth is that the water-loss programme is only one of the important tactical steps in the broader war we are facing in South Africa – against water insecurity and access issues. In the regions of KZN and Gauteng, currently, the drought has exacerbated fears amongst water sector stakeholders and communities. This will continue to be the norm with the anticipated challenges expected from climate change predictions around drought and flood events and their frequency and intensity.

Systems change So what should we be doing? Well, we should be looking at a system change in order to effect a game-changer. We should be driving long-term national programmes in the water sector (not three-year plans), operationalising current solutions, incubating new solutions and putting the correct investments in place to explore, test and deploy at a national level.

If I take the example of one operational challenge, such as water loss, then the recommendation should be that all municipalities create a long–term, non-revenue water programme with an elite team leading the first three years until the programme becomes an established practice integrated within the relevant departments of water boards, utilities and municipalities. Such a programme must target physical water loss and commercial losses (billing).

The Department of Water and Sanitation, together with the South African Local Government Association, The Ministry for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs and National Treasury, should create incentive-based funding programmes that are more open-ended for private sector

participation. Such programmes would support non-revenue water programmes, which will accelerate improved public awareness, metering, billing, management, detection, repair and replacement.

Moreover, the Water Research Commission’s (WRC) ‘Non-revenue water report’ demonstrated an estimated annual loss of R7.2 billion. If we do nothing, then we continue to lose R7.2 billion annually and we will need to reinvest in large infrastructure programmes to compensate.

However, if National Treasury were to invest even 50% of the R7.2 billion, the return on investment could be massive in terms of volume of water saved, upgraded infrastructure, local enterprise development, local jobs, capability build, and innovative solutions.

More info can be found in the following reports: The State of Non-revenue Water (2012) (TT512/12), and Compendium of Water Conservation and Water Demand Management Interventions and Measures at the Municipal Level in South Africa (TT519/12).

Mapping for support In terms of incubating new solutions, for example, if we want to tackle water

President ’s COMMENT

WISA

supply, then we should map the water mix not only per catchment but per municipality and community. By investing in a 10-year research water supply planning platform supported by the public and private sector, every part of the country could be mapped and every municipality could be supported from a service-oriented centre of excellence.

Where there are gaps or “wicked problems”, we should create “innovation playgrounds or spaces” to support alternative sources or approaches to managing water where recycling, reuse and reclamation are part of the mix. We should become highly competent at using centralised, decentralised, advanced and low-end technologies and we should be open to managing risk.

Such an open-ended approach with strategic, long-term-defined programme and platform budgets for R&D and innovation (RDI) will signal the municipalities, industry, innovators and large- and medium-sized water sector companies to co-invest towards long-term solutions.

The Water Research Commission has demonstrated nonrevenue water losses adding up to an estimated annual loss of R7.2 billion It will also signal existing water sector companies to drive innovation options rather than just sticking to what’s safe and conventional. Playing it safe is not the only option for securing water, providing access and operating and maintaining water and wastewater systems.

RDI Roadmap The Water RDI 10-year Roadmap encourages coordination across the RDI system and notes knowledge, capacity and innovation built into the water RDI system with alignment to sector partners as critical for deployment. It speaks of rolling out solutions targeting critical water cluster areas such as: alternative

water sources, governance, management and planning for both the supply and demand side of water, the effective use of ecological and built infrastructure leading the way to “new and sustainable infrastructure”, and robust water-efficiency interventions followed by effective systems such as metering, pricing, billing and monitoring of water in our systems to close the supply and demand system (WRC Report K5/2305).

Being bold Finally, my ‘take home’ message is that incremental and silo-based interventions are not necessarily giving us the big strategic changes we require in the water system. That change will only come when we invest strategically and significantly, not only in infrastructure but in large programmes aimed at financing, coordinating, researching, innovating, partnering and deploying. After all, as David Lloyd George said, “Don’t be afraid to take a big step if one is indicated; you can’t cross a chasm in two small jumps.”

WISA

YWP

Publishing and planning for impact YWP-ZA (South African Young Water Professionals) reports back from its Publications Workshop Roadshow and strategic planning session held earlier this year. By Ashton Maherry*

Y

WP-ZA successfully ran the Second YWP-ZA Publications Workshop Roadshow during August 2016 and held the annual strategic planning session for the newly elected YWP-ZA national committee in September 2016.

Gustaf Olsson, professor emeritus at Lund University, Sweden, former editor-in-chief of the International Water Association (IWA) publications Water Science and Technology and Water Science and Technology/Water Supply, and ex-IWA board member, facilitated the four-day workshops with assistance from Tamsyn Sherwill, editor of the Water SA journal, with myself representing the YWP-ZA. The YWP-ZA Publications Workshop roadshows were held in Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and Durban during August this year. Funded by the Water Research Commission (WRC), they were also sponsored by the University of the Western Cape (UCT), Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU), Rhodes University and Universal Water Solutions, with support from WISA, IWA and the Western Cape, Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal’s YWPZA provincial committees. Over 50 YWPs attended the workshop series, which was well supported by students from UCT, Rhodes University, NMMU, University of Fort Hare, Durban University of Technology, University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) and Umgeni Water.

Workshop topics Workshop participants were exposed to a number of important questions, such as: why do we publish; who are we trying to communicate our research to; and what makes a scientific paper?

The workshops highlighted the current pressure that supervisors, students and early career professionals are under to publish in highimpact journals Other writing-related focuses included: language and style; how to select the best (not highest impact factor) journal for your paper; writing the paper; plagiarism and cheating; submission processes; review processes and how to respond to reviewers; and how to present a paper at a conference.

Olsson and Sherwill provided the editor’s view on what editors look for in a good, publishable paper and how to handle reviewers’ comments to satisfy the editor. I assisted Olsson during the

Participants at the KwaZulu-Natal workshop for the Second Young Water Professionals Publications Workshop

workshops and ran a session on popular article writing, which included an exercise where the participants had to use an analogy in order to better explain their research.

Presentation overview Olsson also presented public lectures on his recent books available from IWA Publishing, Smart water utilities – complexity made simple and Water and energy – threats and opportunities.

YWP-ZA would like to thank UCT’s Prof Kevin Winter, deputy vice-chancellor Prof Andrew Leitch and Prof Janine Adams (NMMU), Prof Chris Buckley (UKZN) and Dr Adnan Abu-Mahfouz (CSIR) for hosting Olsson. The three-week roadshow nov/dec 2016

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culminated in a public lecture with a spirited panel and public debate hosted by the Faculty of Health Sciences and the Water and Health Research Centre of the University of Johannesburg, on the topic of ‘The value vs cost of water: Can we still afford free water for all?’, with support from IWA and YWP-ZA. Publish or perish The workshops highlighted the current pressure that supervisors, students and early career professionals are under to publish in high-impact journals and gave participants the opportunity to present some candid questions to Olsson, Sherwill and myself that they may not have felt as comfortable asking their supervisors.

YWP-ZA is currently producing a ‘Guideline for Publishing for Young Water Professionals’, which will address the issues of how to construct a paper (in particular the skeleton/bullet outline), roles and responsibilities of lead author, co-authors and supervisors, and what a journal editor looks for in a paper. The guideline will be published through the WRC and IWA, and made freely available to YWPs, supervisors and any interested parties.

YWP-ZA is also in the process of establishing the YWP-ZA peer review network to allow YWPs to submit their papers for peer review by other YWPs before submitting the article to their supervisor or a journal for publication.

YWP-ZA would like to thank supervisors who attended the workshop for their time and effort spent on supporting our young water professionals and would like to encourage supervisors to continue to support them and not to leave them on their own.

I15056

Strategic plan The YWP-ZA national committee met at the WISA offices in Midrand from 17 to 18 September this year to volunteer their time for the annual strategic-planning weekend. The office bearers and the provincial chairs were all present to discuss the strategic goals and objectives of the YWP programme to make sure that the events planned meet the objectives and the programme remains relevant to young water professionals.

Lester Goldman, representing WISA, and Kirsten de Vette, representing IWA, gave presentations during the course of the weekend. Some passionate and lively debate took place around the goals and objectives of YWP-ZA and how best to achieve impact as a volunteer organisation. The provincial chairs were honest about the challenges that they face in trying to secure sponsorship for events and to make sure that YWPs support and attend their organised events.

Rocla is South Africa’s leading manufacturer of pre-cast concrete products. Surpassing 99 years of product excellence, including pipes, culverts, manholes, poles, retaining walls, roadside furniture, sanitation and other related products within infrastructure development and related industries.

Word of thanks YWP-ZA would like to extend our gratitude to our sponsors, both financial and in kind, who support our events; and to the young, and not so young, water professionals who attend the events we organise and make sure that YWP-ZA continues to fulfil our mandate and achieve distinction (excellence and greatness) by connecting people and setting in motion transdisciplinary networking for all YWPs striving for personal and professional growth. *Ashton Maherry is the national secretary of YWP-ZA. Nov/dec 2016

11

Visit us on www.rocla.co.za for our nationwide branches

Building on solid foundations ERWAT, a truly indigenous South African company, which provides bulk wastewater conveyance and a highly technical and proficient wastewater treatment service to some 2 000 industries and more than 3.5 million people, has a new managing director.

O

ne man’s loss is another man’s gain. In this case, it’s two municipalities.

Tumelo Gopane, an electrical engineer, and previous deputy municipal manager: Infrastructure and Technical Services at Richards Bay Municipality, is ERWAT’s new managing director. Equally at home as a technical visionary and as an administrator, Gopane knows exactly where he wants to take the company and what he wants to accomplish.

What do you wish to achieve over the next five years?

TG Besides the maintenance and improvement of ERWAT’s excellent 90% to 100% Green Drop status, we would like to put research and development high on the agenda. ERWAT has implemented some of the latest technologies and processes in the world, e.g. the Nereda wastewater treatment process.

In brief, the bacteria used to treat the wastewater in the Nereda process produce compact granules rather than flocs (flocculent sludge), which then settle much quicker in the wastewater.

There is no need for pumps to drive in

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nov/dec 2016

bacteria for each different process. With Nereda, the different bacteria do their job of removing pollutants at the same time. This means the process is faster, less energy intensive and much more compact in terms of the size of the plant.

The system uses a PC-based controller to control reactors and optimise the batch process depending on water flow and temperature. With a significantly smaller physical footprint and reduced operating costs, Nereda is a smart solution.

This innovative technology was developed in Europe. ERWAT is quite capable of developing its own innovative technologies and processes. To do this, it needs to exploit its own extensive knowledge base and its decades of experience and put itself out there, collaborate, do the R&D, present its findings at conferences and forums, and continuously develop, test and improve its own innovations.

Tumelo Gopane, ERWAT’s new managing director

ABOVE ERWAT’s Hartebeestfontein wastewater treatment plant

Why is this so important?

Wastewater treatment is a key issue – even ahead of electricity generation. It talks to hygiene and, if poorly managed, negatively impacts the environment.

ERWAT needs to be a model example and a leader in the field of how to manage wastewater treatment and how not to damage the environment. In so doing, we can share with the rest of South Africa, even Africa, and perhaps the world. Given the complexities of Africa, with its multidisciplinary socio-economic issues, this desire to influence and effect positive change is well placed.

What can be done about poor management?

Most problems involve people, some within municipal administration and others in the application and operation of wastewater treatment plants. For example, in many rural and peri-urban areas, there is no proper spatial planning,

hot seat

which results in inadequate facilities. And, looking across the wider spectrum of wastewater treatment, the very people who are on the ground and operating wastewater treatment plants – those with the hands-on knowledge and experience – are least likely to be consulted when it comes to budgeting. Typically, financial people set the budgets without consulting the people on the ground. As 80% of budgets are spent operationally, adequate budgeting would resolve 95% of the problems.

figure 1 The Nereda cyclical process (Source: Royal HaskoningDHV)

Can education and training resolve some of the challenges?

In South Africa’s public sector, one of the most important changes needed is in its work culture – the way in which things get done, typically in a relaxed and unhurried manner. Performance management’s focus on compliance rather than productivity and compliance nurtures this inefficient culture. Setting goals and objectives to meet IDP requirements isn’t a problem. But, measuring individual performance against time-based goals and objectives is a problem, along with understanding the impact of project overruns, exceeding budgets, poorquality deliverables or not delivering at all.

Being technically competent is fine, but being attitudinally challenged isn’t. This has to change.

Skills development and training, to empower workers and effect change, includes soft skills, not just hard skills.

Training needs are best identified by operational management and engineers, not executives in unrelated departments where adherence to the standard chart of accounts takes precedence over everything else. This is an instance in which bottom-up management applies.

Getting back to R&D... in practical terms, in which direction would you like to see ERWAT going?

The foundation obviously has to be natural science but we also have to look to innovation. We need to beneficiate.

FOG trap with baffle (Source: Endura)

Wastewater treatment plants process two natural components – water and solid, carbonaceous waste, both of which can be beneficiated. As South Africa is a water-scarce country, innovations in water reuse must be a priority.

As for solid waste, this can be processed to produce a non-toxic, virus- and bacteria-free agricultural fertiliser or used as is to generate electricity, using a DC plasma arc furnace. The Hartebeestfontein plant uses approximately 14 MW. If we are smart, we could become our own independent electricity producer.

However, the underlying principle and driver of R&D innovation is that it must always be application oriented. For example, the municipality is responsible for the customer-to-pump-station pipeline. ERWAT is responsible for the pump station to its wastewater treatment plant.

Installing a FOG (fat, oil and grease) trap at the point of entry to the plant, FOGs can be recovered and sold as additives to the fuel industry.

No matter what the innovation, it demands that the man-machine interface also be put under the microscope, the purpose of which, in working together, is to achieve greater efficiencies and reduced costs – the ultimate goals.

This takes us back to the education and training issue, does it not?

effect. Experts also do not know what it is they do not know. The same can be said of people with part knowledge and who have an ego problem. As a developing nation, and to be effective, we need multiskilled, mission-directed work teams. That must and will be a key focus. We should also remember that success is achieved through people. The wellness of employees is critical to performance and the effective management of human capital.

Summing up, how, then, do you see the future?

In five years from now, ERWAT will be seen as a highly successful and internationally recognised innovator in wastewater treatment. For this, we have Joe Mojapelo, ERWAT’s chairman, and the board of directors to thank, for presenting the future as an opportunity to develop and grow. And, in knowing what we can achieve, given this opportunity, ERWAT can only but flourish – technically and commercially.

Africa is the new frontier; thereafter, it’s the world.

www.erwat.co.za

Yes, it does. The problem with many developed nations is that they have experts in specific fields. If crosscommunication, collaboration and teamwork do not exist, it has a negative, counterproductive NOV/DEC 2016

13

Speaking the same language At the recent Water Institute of Southern Africa Management and Institutional (M&I) Division Symposium at Emperors Palace, industry leaders gathered to discuss industry responses to the drought, such as funding and future planning solutions.

T

he recent WISA M&I Symposium affirmed the industry’s confidence in its own ability to be cooperative and resilient. Two of the first presentations were delivered by Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) representatives on the latest facts regarding dam levels and the effects of drought, as well as the country’s responses and mitigation efforts.

Some of the discussions that followed covered the important issue of communication, and the need for industry leaders to “talk the same language” in order to make the changes necessary to propel local knowledge and technologies into the future. There were also a number of presentations on applying for water infrastructure funding and visionary future projects – these were not only informative but also inspirational.

Drought update

Early in the programme, Dr Magda Lighthelm, director: Strategy, DWS, presented her division’s latest updates regarding the country’s current drought.

She noted that low rainfall levels have been slowly spreading across the country since about April 2014.

Then, in March last year, “an El Niño event was declared globally. The drought has, however, started to dissipate since

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late December 2015/early January 2016,” explained Lighthelm.

She added, “Associated with the drought, dam levels started a general steady downward trend since March 2014 (from a level of 93.3%) and have been hovering below 55% since mid-February this year. It is expected that the average dam levels will decrease by a further 10% (approximately) before starting to recover with the onset of the rainy season.”

In her presentation, Lighthelm characterised the current situations as “devastating”, with states of disaster being declared in eight out of nine provinces, while a drought declaration is in its final stages for Gauteng. Earlier at the symposium, in the keynote address, Maxwell Sirenya, a former director general at the DWS and current acting CEO for the Tsitsikama (Mzimvubu) Catchment Management Authority, spoke on the department’s mitigation steps taken in the current environment characterised by climate change and resulting extreme weather.

“The range of measures we have taken include planning international treaties and agreements with our neighbouring

countries, development of big, new water resources and inter-basin transfers, and promotion of water conservation and demand management (WC/WDM) programmes for water-use efficiency interventions. In addition, the DWS is improving skills and capacity within the sector through learning academies and accredited training centres, and is also looking at legislative reviews.”

Future forward

An extremely thought-provoking presentation was delivered by WISA board member Prof David Taylor, who spoke on the importance of the industry communicating effectively so that industry members can learn more about the law and effectively implement new methods and technologies.

“The dominant ways of perceiving water, technology and law shape how many people in the water sector think about water issues. I want to ask: when is this thinking on course? When does

ABOVE A satellite view of a paleochannel can reveal the previous course of a river

WISA News

A billabong is a branch of a river forming a backwater or stagnant pool

it meander and when does it become fossilised like a paleochannel? A rapidly changing water sector requires a different approach to law, water and technology,” he pointed out.

During the course of the presentation, Taylor explained his usage of several terms including: billabong, meander and paleochannel. A billabong refers to a loop in a river that has become cut off. Taylor used this as an example of why it’s important not to become so set on following one particular course of conversation that one becomes cut off from the real issues.

He also explained that a meander is a river that flows in a winding course, showing how the original Maiandros River – from which the term derives its etymology – is now in modern-day Turkey and how its course has effectively changed the coastlines of antiquity. Finally, he provided an example of a paleochannel, which is a dried-up river bed, often containing valuable minerals in the sediment. “Just because a river used to run somewhere doesn’t mean it has to continue on that course

– although there may be something of value in the sediment,” explained Taylor, pointing to the fact that actively breaking out of engrained thinking does not mean throwing out valuable past lessons.

“We may be in a billabong when it comes to the adoption of general technology. We need to engage with technology in a broader sense.

Predictions for newly emerging technologies, which will come to dominate the sector, include smart machines, the internet of things and smart grids.

“Without explaining what each of these is in too much detail, places like the UK are now legislating to ensure household appliances like toasters don’t use too much electricity. In South Korea, they’re so far ahead that they’ve started adopting digital mesh smart grids. They’ve created laws and set aside resources to test the development of grids, which they are selling internationally to governments. That is real forward thinking,” he said.

Taylor believes that making use of future-forward technologies will grow South Africa’s economy – but we have to start by breaking free of old, habitual ways of thinking and taking what’s valuable forward to effect real, cultural shifts regarding how the country thinks about water. “Are we so set on being self-referential that we’re not opening ourselves up to these possibilities?” asked Taylor.

Finding the money

Another topic dealt with at the symposium, which is becoming increasingly relevant, is the fact that when it comes to building water infrastructure in Southern Africa, funds are available. The problem is that many people within the sector are not practiced enough at writing bankable proposals to secure funding from investors who have earmarked substantial funds for infrastructure development in Africa.

Speaking on behalf of the Climate Resilient Infrastructure Development Facility (CRIDF), water infrastructure economist Kim Adonis pointed out, “Some of the challenges we face, when mobilising leverage finance from the private sector, include the lack of viable financing models

Dam levels started a general steady downward trend since March 2014 (from a level of 93.3%) and have been hovering below 55% since midFebruary this year

The word “meander” is derived from the Maiandros River, in modern-day Turkey

– that speaks directly to the tariff structure within the sector. Then we have management and capacity constraints within implementing authorities. Then there’s the asset profile, which requires a massive upfront investment and which takes a relatively long time to realise a return on investment.

“Also, water is a politicised commodity, introducing a range of different risks for the private sector. Regarding inadequate project preparation, all of these other challenges feed into, and are related to, how we prepare projects for this sector. We need to ask if the projects we prepare actually speak to the needs of potential financiers; the way we in the local water sector prepare our projects indicates we’re not even considering finance until we’re too far down the road,” she explained.

Adonis added that, sometimes, what’s needed is to make a project proposal large enough to achieve the type of economies of scale required by bigger funders like the CRIDF. The CRIDF is currently involved in 30 major multidisciplinary infrastructure projects drawn from the SADC priority lists, with a combined estimated value of R15 billion.

Event round-up

There were many other fantastic presentations by representatives from prestigious engineering, implementation and research bodies such as Rand Water, Eskom, the University of Cape Town and Sobek.

No doubt, all who attended the event will have found something relevant to take forward into their own projects and organisations, for further sector growth and cohesion.

NOV/DEC 2016

15

Mine water

Managing water risks

Dr Andrew Wood, principal scientist, SRK South Africa

At SRK Consulting’s 360° Mining Perspective seminar, engineers and scientists looked at the positive face of the mining sector, including new opportunities resulting from the commodities upturn. Water risks were presented as an emotional issue requiring a measured approach. By Frances Ringwood

“W

e are upbeat about the future. In the last quarter, the mining industry in South Africa has grown 12%,” said South Africa’s Deputy Minister of Mineral Resources, Godfrey Oliphant, at this year’s Paydirt Africa Down Under Conference in Australia.

Investec's Hanré Rossouw, fund manager: Commodities and Resources, said, in a recent article for Mineweb, “I think this past year, for us, has been pretty much a turning point in the commodity cycle.”

These statements highlight that commodity prices are starting to pick up again after a five-year slump. The slump resulted from oversupply exacerbated by weakening demand from China.

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Some gold and platinum shares have doubled in price over the past few months and demand for oil is still there.

Rossouw explained that Russia, Saudi Arabia and the US are close to their upper limits of production, creating a shortfall that will further strengthen the oil price. He added that, by about the end of the year, prices for oil will reach as high as US$50 per barrel. Into next year, these prices could climb as high as $60 per barrel. Analysts are saying that US interest rates are not going up quite as fast as everyone thought they would and that’s going to support gold prices, which will then roll over to positively affect the platinum price. Rossouw opined that management’s ability to differentiate their companies in the sector is critical.

According to Lesley Jeffrey, principal geologist, SRK South Africa, that’s the reason SRK held its 360°Mining Perspective seminar: to show that the company differentiates itself from the rest in terms of its ongoing commitment to the mining sector.

Commodities prices According to a trends analysis by Jeffrey, “In March this year, gold was about $1 240 per ounce; it dropped to about $1 210 in June, then picked up in July to about $1 340. Since then, it’s been trading in the range of between $1 320 and $1 350.

“The iron ore picture has been somewhat different. It was down at a low of less than $40 in December last year and

currently it’s in the mid-50s and, depending whose analysis one reads, it may go up or down, so there are a lot of different factors at play affecting the iron ore price.

“Coal has been through a tough time lately but it’s picking up. Coal prices were declining for four years, and a year ago, it was $55 per tonne. In January this year, it was $46. In June this year, the price was back up to $54 and, in fact, the September price is $65. So, there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Additionally, there is no new supply for coal so everyone’s been cutting back, and experts are predicting the onset of a La Niña event. The last time such an event occurred, the coal mines in Indonesia and Australia were flooded and there was a supply shortage. Also, China is importing more coal because it’s cut back on domestic production,” she explains.

Jeffrey added that zinc has been the star of the last year. “Zinc prices went up by 43% and look set to continue to rise.

In fact, Bloomberg’s commodity index, which looks at 24 raw materials, has gone up by 7.3% this year.”

She also pointed to these statistics as reasons to feel optimistic about the recovery of the Southern African mining sector, and stated that people should be prepared for an uptick.

Water risk At the seminar, Dr Andrew Wood, principal scientist, SRK South Africa, presented a paper, entitled ‘Water Risks to the Mining Industry – Where are we at and where do we need to go?’ In it, he pointed out that South Africans have been raising the spectre of an imminent water crisis for the last decade.

“We may now be in the midst of the worst drought in a century and many of the dams throughout South Africa are at desperately low levels. We knew that the effects of El Niño would precipitate a water crisis and now it’s here and it’s real,” he said.

Wood argued that although mines’ water usage is relatively low, at only 3.3% (according to the National Water Resources Strategy), it attracts a disproportionate level of attention from the media and government. “Agriculture uses the greatest percentage of water out of all sectors, at 60% for irrigation.

Power generation, which is dominated

by Eskom, is 4.3%, being the only company that has a strategic right to water as most power stations are water-cooled.

Mines, on the other hand, are obliged to comply with stringent water use licence conditions, which require the implementation of ongoing water conservation and demand management measures, and, in many cases, the mines cannot comply with all the onerous conditions of their licences,” said Wood.

Acid mine drainage In Wood’s view, although acid mine drainage (AMD) is a material problem, mines are often being unSouth Africa is a global leader in the application of mine fairly vilified for the probwater treatment to purify AMD to potable standards lem, and the response has been disproportionate to the scope of the problem and the areas it affects. “A lot has been put out in the press about the AMD saga, which is largely exaggerated and emotionally charged. For instance, I’m sure many of you will have seen the picture of children swimming in acidic mine water in Soweto – in my opinion, this type of Are images such as these used by the mainstream media reporting exaggerates the to make people overly emotional about AMD? (Photo: situation to drive up circuKevin Crowley, Federation for a Sustainable Environment) lation,” he explained.

In May this year, Minister of Water and Sanitation Nomvula Mokonyane allocated R12 billion to address the Witwatersrand AMD problem.

“The short-term measures have already been implemented; the long-term measure will cost R12 billion,” stated Wood. “One of the reasons the implementation of the long-term strategy has been late in being implemented has been the difficulty over the allocation of responsibility. The responsiAlthough the AMD problem has been in bility for payment was laid at the door of the public domain as a result of affecting the mining industry – whilst many of the Johannesburg, Wood pointed out that it original polluters have gone out of busiisn’t isolated to Gauteng. Mpumalanga, ness decades ago. Nevertheless, the minthe Free State and KwaZulu-Natal also ister has stated, in the public domain, that have material AMD challenges. the mines will pay 66% of these capital “But major mining houses are taking costs,” he added. action. The mines have learned that they NOV/DEC 2016

17

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“Bloomberg’s commodity index, which looks at 24 raw materials, has gone up by 7.3% this year.”

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will need more effective water management. Anglo America and BHP Billiton initiatives in the Witbank coal fields have gained international support – they treat water and AMD in Witbank to drinking water standard, making it available to the local municipality,” he said.

This is currently happening primarily in Witbank but Wood anticipates there will be a lot more of this type of investment in future.

“South Africa is leading the application of AMD treatment to potable standards, globally. Nowhere else in the world are there such significant problems regarding the volumes of AMD and the requirement to treat it to drinking water standards.

“These treatment plants will be there after the big mines have closed and they will be there to supply drinking water to local communities – action is being taken,” explained Wood.

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

Water management for sustainable business

360˚ perspective In short, commodities are up and there are reasons to feel optimistic about continued growth. From the perspective of those working inside the mining industry, it’s understandable that there are some who feel that too much of the burden for water management is falling on the shoulders of too few.

Nonetheless, some of the larger mining houses have been investing in becoming leaders in water pollution management and treating the AMD problem. These mines have differentiated themselves by managing water risk head on, even going beyond compliance, to become leaders not only in their own sectors, but among other water-using sectors as well.

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AFRICA ROUND-UP

Water and sanitation in Africa SUDAN

ANGOLA

Drinking water quality concerns

Luanda residents have been warned of the dangers of drinking water sourced from unknown origins from water trucks, over fears that their contents do not meet requisite quality standards.

Taitiana Medina, an environmental engineer, was speaking at a lecture on water treatment systems in buildings and dwellings at Cinfotec.

Medina said that insufficient water quality could cause illnesses such as cholera and typhoid fever.

She felt the need to stress that the population should consume water that meets the legal and scientifically desirable parameters and added that such qualities are not found in the product distributed by water tankers in Luanda.

Source: Angola Press Agency

ETHIOPIA

Donations pour in for GERD

The Office of National Council for the Coordination of Public Participation for the Construction of GERD has stated that Br1.3 billion (around R800 million) has been secured from various income-generating schemes for the construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) last fiscal year.

Revenue streams for GERD construction include the sale of government bonds, private donations, national lottery proceeds, 8 100 text messages and sports activities, as well as other schemes. The Ethiopian public is actively supporting the dam’s construction through the provision of

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nov/dec 2016

funds, knowledge, material and labour. The Ethiopian government’s plan is to raise Br1.8 billion (R1.1 billion) from bond sales, lottery proceeds, exhibitions, music concerts and sports festivals this fiscal year.

Close to Br8.8 billion (R5.5 billion) has been collected for the project so far, with pledges amounting to Br12.4 billion (R7.7 billion) pledged up to the last fiscal year. The Ethiopian public also show support for the dam’s construction by participating in conservation activities on the 4.7 ha of land along the site.

Source: The Ethiopian Herald

NAMIBIA

New advisory council on water

Namibia’s Minister of Agriculture, John Mutorwa, has announced the appointment of a new advisory council on water in Windhoek. The council will advise the minister on water policy development and review, water resources management, water extraction and use, as well as any other matters relating to the administration of the Water Resources Management Act of 2013.

“We also have alternates to stand in for those who cannot make it. We do not want meetings to be cancelled because we did not meet the quorum,” Mutorwa says. The council is different from the cabinet committee appointed by President Hage Geingob earlier this year, as the council is a statutory body, while the committee has other specific duties.

The two committees will have complimentary functions, with the cabinet committee focusing on the current water crisis the country is experiencing, while the statutory body, made up of a group of experts, is tasked with advising the minister on water affairs.

Source: The Namibian Herald

Technical committee reviews diarrhoea cases

Following reports from several state hospitals about the outbreak of diarrhoea cases in a number of states, Sudanese vice-president Hassabo Mohamed Abdel-Rahman has convened a meeting between a technical committee and the Ministry of Health.

So far, reportedly affected states include Blue Nile, White Nile and Nahr El-Neil. The meeting heard reports by states’ heads of health on the situations following the outbreaks, including a look at water chlorination levels.

During the meeting, Abdel-Rahman confirmed the availability of funding from Sudan’s Ministry of Finance to limit the cases of diarrhoea, stressing the need for strategic treatment focusing on safe water resources. Abdel-Rahman also gave directives for working out a national project for environmental sanitation to reduce the negative health impacts of waste.

Source: Sudan News Agency

TUNISIA

Water shortages to spark “thirst uprising”?

Activists are warning of a potential “thirst uprising” in Tunisia, following protests over severe water shortages, after one of the North African nation’s driest summers on record.

Residents in the interior are suffering prolonged water supply cuts, reservoirs are running dry and farmers are seeing significant losses, adding to social tensions in a country still struggling with instability since its 2011 revolution. The Tunisian citizens’ water observer, known as Watchwater, warned last month that the country could face a “thirst uprising” reminiscent of the protest movement that spread across Tunisia nearly six years ago. “The failure to find urgent and serious solutions will increase protests across the country,” it said. This year has seen the country particularly hard-hit, with rainfall down

Africa round-up News from around Africa – including the latest industry, project and development news.

by some 30%. Groundwater levels in areas without dams have also fallen, in some cases by 25%, says Mohamed Dahech, CEO, SONEDE – the national water supply authority. With consumption increasing by an average of 4% a year, SONEDE has urged Tunisians to use less water.

Activists are warning of a potential “thirst uprising” in Tunisia, following protests over severe water shortages, after one of the North African nation’s driest summers on record

Source: AFP

ZANZIBAR

Project improves lives in rural communities

“I no longer need to waste hours fetching water. I have more time to help my husband with our cattle – which was quite difficult without access to clean water. It’s such a relief,” Zuena, a Zanzibari farmer, said of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Water and Sanitation Project, completed in 2015. Her household recently benefited from the project in the Machui region. “It has changed our lives,” she said.

“Your testimony provides us with further incentive to continue supporting the efforts of your country in providing safe and reliable water and sanitation services to the population of Zanzibar,” responded Mohamed El Azizi, director: Water and Sanitation, AfDB, while visiting the project.

The project’s positive effects were confirmed by all the beneficiaries encountered during the project site visit.

All of them confirmed the reduced burden of fetching water from long distances, freeing time for women to engage in other, productive activities.

The Zanzibar Water and Sanitation Project has further provided a boost to entrepreneurial activities and healthier livestock, thanks to improved supply access.

“My cows are producing more milk now. I have more money for my family,” said Maida, a farmer in the same region. Other socio-economic activities such as vegetable farming have also benefited. Schoolchildren, too, were reported to be learning more effectively as a result of improved sanitation facilities.

Mohamed El Azizi, director: Water and Sanitation, AfDB, visiting a livestock farm in Zanzibar

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Industrial water

Pumping up power The multidisciplinary, mass concrete Medupi pump station is on track for completion. By Frances Ringwood

A

joint venture between Stefanutti Stocks Civils and its strategic enterprise development partner, Mathomomayo Holdings, was awarded the construction of a raw water pump station and substation for the Medupi Power Station in October 2015.

The pump station will supply all raw water to the six turbines at the power station, and is situated adjacent to the two recovery dams. The project scope includes earthworks, massive civil construction, building and finishing, mechanical and structural steel erection, electrical and instrumentation, heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), and gantry crane design, supply and instrumentation.

Construction on this multidisciplinary contract started on-site in Lephalale

Standing on the massive pump station foundation are Francois Vermeulen, contracts director, Stefanutti Stocks Civils; Abram Mashabela, CEO, Mathomomayo Holdings; and Graeme McIntyre, commercial director, Stefanutti Stocks Civils

on 20 January 2016 with site establishment and the dewatering of the current excavation at the pump station site. This was followed by blasting, bulk rock excavations, dental cleaning and mapping.

Mass concrete The pump station’s concrete elements are considered mass concrete and, therefore, require the implementation of special measures to ensure quality and compliance with Eskom’s specifications and requirements. The excessive heat in Lephalale is also a key consideration, as the high temperatures (sometimes reaching up to 44° C) experienced in the region influence the design, mixing, placing and curing methods of concrete.

The pump station’s 1.7 m deep, 51.3 m x 33.1 m raft foundation was the first mass concrete element of the project. First, a total of 785 m3 of mass concrete

blinding was placed at the underside of the foundation. Some 516 tonnes of reinforcing was installed over a period of 44 days, with an average of 11.6 tonnes installed each day. The first 34-hourlong concrete pour, of 1 215 m3, took place on 20 and 21 July 2016. The second concrete pour, of 1 869 m3, took place on 26 and 27 July 2016, and took a total of 44 hours.

“We had day and night shifts while the pours were under way, and to ensure controlled and adequate flow of concrete to our two mobile pumps, we stationed quality officers and pointsmen at various intersections en-route to the site,” says Hendrik Möller, construction manager, Stefanutti Stocks Civils. “Both mass pours ran smoothly and were completed without any incident or injury on-site. There were strictly controlled quality procedures on-site.”

A further unusual aspect of the pump station is the reinforcing design for the columns and walls, as Bar-Tech couplers

Industrial water

are detailed for the column extensions. This reduces the amount of splicing between reinforcement, and creates more cover to ensure concrete cohesion around the reinforcing bars within the columns and walls. The BarTech couplers also allow for ease of construction as construction joints are created on various sections of the walls and columns, without the requirement for starter bars.

On track At the beginning of October, the first lift of the walls and columns section was progressing well, with only four external walls still to be constructed for the underside of Ring Beam 1. The mass concrete backfilling began in

the middle of September 2016, with 1 100 m3 of the required 9 000 m3 placed. “We are aiming to have the centre walls with beams, all external ring beams and some of the second lift wall and column sections completed by the December builder’s break,” says Möller.

The goal is to complete all civil construction elements by mid-May next year, to ensure that the follow-on disciplines (structural steel, isolation and sheeting, building and electrical works) have enough time to complete work before the end date.

“The various construction disciplines and subcontractors working alongside one

LEFT View of the pump station site from the access ramp into the construction area

another make this a very busy site,” says Möller. “We are progressing well, and we all have the same objective, namely: the competent and high-quality execution of the project while maintaining a lost-time injury frequency rate of zero.”

The project is due for completion in November 2017.

BELOW The nightshift on the first pour for the 1.7 m deep, 51.3 m x 33.1 m raft foundation

nov/dec 2016

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Novel system integration for Sasol

A

s operations at Sasol’s new human-machine interface control sysShondoni coal mine near tem. “The STP requires a considerable Secunda, just off the N17, amount of integrated instrumentation come on-line, mine manfor the purposes of careful plant moniagers will have complete peace of mind toring for extra assurance that the speregarding the site’s sewage treatment, cial limits are met,” says Visentin. thanks to a unique sewage treatment Site features include an inlet works plant (STP) that integrates biological with screens and grit channels and a nutrient removal (BNR) into the design main raw sewage sump, which acts as of its sequential batch reactors (SBRs). a buffer for incoming sewage. There Original equipment manufacturer are two 8.6 m diameter SBR tanks with Prentec was responsible for the detailed surface aerators, which lead into a surge design, procurement, project managetank that, combined with the sump, asment, construction, commissists with buffering and handling sioning and operation of the peak flows.

Sasol plant plant. The company’s op“We have also incorpoeration contract is for two rated tertiary treatment years, with an option for by means of deep-bed renewal. WorleyParsons upflow filters and final provided consulting serdisinfection with chlovices on behalf of Sasol to rine. The plant’s waste ensure seamless integration handling is conducted with the mine’s infrastructure. entirely on-site by means of Kathy Visentin, senior process sludge drying beds and a small engineer, Prentec, explains what makes incinerator – thus drastically reducing the STP novel, “The plant is required sludge volumes while also eliminating to meet SANS special limits for treated the need for sludge-transport logistics,” effluent, ensuring that phosphate and explains Visentin. nitrate released back into circulation are lower than for conventional STPs. Timeline “To achieve these standards, we inteMechanical completion of the plant was grated BNR into the design of our SBRs. reached in April 2016 and Prentec has By scheduling regular sludge recycles been in charge of its operation since and specific chemical dosing, this beJuly. “People tend to associate SBRs comes an effective, reliable solution with conventional domestic sewage for handling sewage from the mining treatment but projects such as this show complex, as well as soapy water and coal that the technology is also applicable for fines from change houses, workshops certain technically exceptional applicaand offices,” she explains. tions,” says Visentin.

“I believe the BNR-SBR integration is Design features quite a unique feature. We, as Prentec, The plant treats 200 m3/day of sewage haven’t done many of these types of on a 50 m x 30 m footprint, and is plant and it’s a novel capability in the fully automated via its comprehensive local market,” she concludes.

Industrial water

When integrated energy and chemicals giant Sasol needed a domestic wastewater treatment plant for its new Shondoni coal mine, Prentec provided an elegant, yet simple, solution.

By Frances Ringwood

Prentec’s deep-bed upflow filters provide tertiary treatment

nov/dec 2016

25

wastewater management

Water wars already here

W

ater insecurity is not an issue that can be understood from the perspective of one discipline only. Water is everybody’s problem. Apart from the technological, scientific and engineering dimensions, there is an essential social dimension to water insecurity,” pointed out Dr Afshin Shahi, lecturer: International Relations and Middle East Politics, University of Bradford, UK. Shahi’s presentation at the workshop focused on how water scarcity is related to the rise of sectarian violence in the Middle East. The Middle Eastern region is widely known for its recurring conflicts and aggressions.

These include current conflicts in Syria, Iraq and Yemen. “There is an

26

nov/dec 2016

ecological dimension to most of these conflicts, particularly when it comes to water security. We cannot even begin to explain what’s happening in Yemen or Syria without paying some attention to these issues,” explained Shahi.

For context, from 1998 to 2012, the Levant region, where Syria is located, has been facing the driest period since the 16th century. Syria is not the only country in the region affected by environmental issues. Droughts are predicted to increase in the region due to climate change and, according to the World Resource Institute, out of 30 countries expected to face extreme water stress by 2040, more than half of them are in the Middle East. “Seven out the ten most water-stressed countries in the world

In September, the University of the Witwatersrand held its Workshop on Water Management, bringing together scientists, engineers and political scientists from South Africa, Egypt and Britain to look at the water-energy nexus and explore the implications for global peace and cooperation.

By Frances Ringwood are in the Middle East. Moreover, the Tigris-Euphrates basin has been rated the second-fastest-drying water basin in the world. A great deal of political violence and instability can result from this degree of water insecurity,” says Shahi.

Sectarian commitments He went on to explain that most of the nation states in the Middle East (with the exception of places like Egypt and Iran) are relatively new – these countries having emerged after the end of the First and Second World Wars. The

wastewater management

process of nation-building – creating a national consciousness and national framework – has been extremely unsuccessful in the region.

Water insecurity is linked to nation-building because, in the region, premodern identities (tribal, sectarian, ethnic and linguistic) remain important in the age of the nation state. Elsewhere in the world, religious, ethnic and linguistic diversity has been channelled towards building stronger societies, but in the Middle East, the objective of creating a national consciousness has been relatively unsuccessful.

“So, when there are harsh environmental conditions, and especially water insecurity, these premodern identities can mobilise in order to challenge the state. I have undertaken a number of interviews in Syria and Yemen, where, over the last few years, there have been an increasing number of water shortages and environmental problems.

It is not surprising that when you talk to farmers in the Syrian region of Al Jazeera, they say that the environmental and ecological problems all probably have something to do with the state. Further exacerbating the problem, many of these farmers believe that their government has a sectarian

OPPOSITE PAGE Afshin Shahi, lecturer in international relations and Middle Eastern politics at the University of Bradford

approach to water shortages and water of sectarian identities and affiliations security. For example, they claim that were extremely weak, if not non-exthose tribes and those language villag- istent. However, over the past few es that are ethnically and religiously years, sectarian identities and tensions affiliated with the government get have been increasing. Shahi explains preferential treatment. that the main reason is when some of “Of course, it is extremely difficult to the Houthi movement in the north of substantiate these claims but when the country started to face a massive dealing with a society drought they beFATAL FACTS where there is a lack gan to pressurise • More than 2 million tonnes of of a sense of a nathe government, wastewater and agricultural waste tional consciousness, resulting in the are discharged into the world’s and a pronounced exile of the legitiwaterways each year. Over half of the world’s hospitals are occupied sense of distrust mate government by people suffering from illnesses towards the govunder Abdrabbuh related to waterborne diseases ernment, when the Mansour Hadi to resulting from polluted water (this government doesn’t Saudi Arabia. is high in comparison with the have the capability to At the same time, number of people killed as a result of formulate a cohesive most of the water violence, including wars). and comprehensive sources in the • Almost 90% of all wastewater in developing countries is discharged, programme to southern region untreated, directly into rivers, lakes address water insecuare monopolised and oceans. At least 1.28 million rity, it is not too surby al-Qaeda, which children under five years of age die prising when people is using water each year from water-related disease formulate theories sources and distri– that’s one every 20 seconds. such as this to make bution in order to sense of the probgain some kind of lems they experience,” explained Shahi. legitimacy. “You have to remember that, Over the past year and a half, a Saudi- on a yearly basis, about 4 000 people led coalition against the Houthis in are dying in the region due to water Yemen has been making headlines. This disputes – and that was even before the society is divided between north and conflict,” explained Shahi. south, because the northern regions Those who control and consolidate are primarily populated by Shiites and water resources tend to win popularity those living in the southern regions are with the local people. Both Houthis and primarily from Sunni schools of thought. al-Qaeda are significantly undermining Until about 15 years ago, these kinds the sense of national consciousness

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“Cleaning the environment one structure at a time”

wastewater management TABLE 1 Damietta Harbour plant treatment results

Northern Plant

Southern Plant

Parameter

Unit

Influent

Effluent

Removal

Influent

Effluent

Removal

5(BOD)

Mg O2/ℓ

1 500

14

99.1%

24 000

17

99.93%

COD

Mg O2/ℓ

4 400

32

99.3%

50 000

38

99.92%

TSS

Mg/ℓ

1 800

16.2

99.1%

21 000

20

99.9%

Nitrogen

Mg/ℓ

168

12

92.9%

325

14

95.69%

Phosphorus

Mg/ℓ

2.5

0

100%

6.5

0

100%

Oil/greases

Mg/ℓ

4 600

5

99.9%

12 2000

5

99.96%

in Yemen, pushing the country into a bloody civil war and there is no end in sight. “Those are some very general examples about the ways in which water insecurity can contribute and pave the way to major conflicts and violence,” he added.

Technology’s role One of the other commentators at the workshop, Dr Iqbal Mujtaba, also from the University of Bradford, made the point, “Some of the technological problems being faced regarding water security and water management could easily be resolved in a matter of decades, or even a matter of years.

“However, the narratives that are created over these issues, particularly in countries such as Yemen and Syria, are not going to disappear on a short timeline – these will stay with us for generations to come.”

There is an obvious political and social dimension to water insecurity. It used to be said that, when it comes to the Middle East, future wars will be fought over water rather than oil. Looking at current conflicts, it appears that that time has come – the future is already here.

Technology will not resolve sociopolitical issues related to water insecurity, but new techniques and technologies can begin to address the root problems that

lead to these situations. One of the most powerful ways to improve water security is to treat wastewater effectively so that it doesn’t pollute waterways.

Wastewater reuse Organised with the support of the British Council, the workshop focused on water across a globalised context, including the UK, Egypt and South Africa.

Presentation topics included: the cost-effective and sustainable production of fresh water from saline water by desalination; wastewater (water being polluted due to industrial use) treatment and reuse; efficient and cost-effective water network for distribution; and effective use of water in agriculture and industries Another important focus area was the water-energy nexus, and how it’s evolving as the main challenge in resources management.

This concern combined with the issue of sustainable supply meant that a number of the papers presented dealt specifically with indirect and direct wastewater reuse, as well as the energy required for these processes.

For example, Mujtaba presented a paper on using an industrial three-phase reactor for wastewater treatment, and the energy requirements involved when removing phenols – a type of organic pollutant typically found in effluent

streams receiving effluent from refineries or otherwise high in cooking oils.

Damietta Harbour plants Another paper that looked at tackling the costs, qualities and environmental impacts involved in treating wastewater was Mahmoud Dahroug’s presentation on ‘Electrolytic treatment of wastewater for reuse purpose – a case study of the new Damietta Harbour plants’.

Representing the Egyptian Water and Wastewater Regulatory Agency (ERWA), affiliated to Egypt’s Ministry of Housing, Utilities and Urban Development, Dahroug presented the successful case study of Egypt’s North and South Damietta Harbour plants.

Dahroug began his presentation stating the facts as to why wastewater treatment and reuse are important in developing countries (see Fatal Facts).

He argued that people need to change the way they approach wastewater treatment technology, explaining that new innovations are necessary to achieve high-quality water for reuse purposes and maintain existing resources, in a sufficient quantity, at an affordable price.

“Biological treatment has long treatment timelines and requires an extensive land area. It is also difficult to eradicate sludge. Electrochemical permutation methods, however, can be used as an

nov/dec 2016

29

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wastewater management

alternative technology for the purificaemissions. “The highest operational cost tion of wastewater contaminated by toxis the electricity, costing 11.7 Egyptian icants,” he said. After presenting the scipiastres (about USD 0.01) per cubic entific formulas for the electrochemical metre,” Dahroug explained. Further cost oxidation of toxicants and the advanced savings are achieved through automaelectro-Fenton technique, Social scientists tion, meaning that only Dahroug went on to one engineer and one are needed illustrate how the total sustechnician are required to pended solids, biological manage the plants. to mobilise oxygen demand, chemical While titanium is expenmembers of oxygen demand, nitrogen, sive, capital costs for the society to take plant are comparably low, phenols and other water quality measures had sig- care of their own with operational costs nificantly improved at the affairs when it being considerably lower North and South Damietta compared to biological Harbour plants. The two comes to water methods, peaking interplants treat 500 m3/day each and take up est from many of the engineers in the very little space – each occupying 60 m2. audience. One of the many remarkable He also illustrated the low operational aspects of the process is that no sludge costs of the plants compared to systems is produced. using biological treatments – underlining that the electrolytic plants required no Conclusion maintenance due to the use of high-qualMujtaba summed up the workshop’s ity titanium electrodes. This also makes opening sessions, saying, “When it the plants much greener, requiring no comes to rehabilitating water on a small chemical additive and producing no toxic scale, at reduced costs, this is where

social scientists are needed. They are needed to mobilise society to take care of their own affairs when it comes to water – to have their own localised, small-scale systems. The more of these systems we have, the more we’ll be able to avoid political interference.”

The electrolytic method has been tested and proven ideal for small-scale treatment and reuse purposes, but it is only a pilot at this stage. A trend this type of plant feeds into that could have a massive impact on preserving water resources across all developing countries is that of decentralisation, i.e. having smaller plants more locally situated.

“Selecting the best method for supplying energy to the plants – like the abundant solar energy available in the Middle East region – would then also be something that social scientists would need to educate local populations about, so they can make informed choices about the energy supply methods and technology they choose for their plants,” Mujtaba concluded. nov/dec 2016

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31

WATER RESTRICTIONS IN JOHANNESBURG

The City of Johannesburg is required by the Department of Water and Sanitation to reduce its water usage by 15% with immediate effect, as water levels at our source (Integrated Vaal River System) have dropped to alarming levels.

This mandatory mitigation measure on water usage has been triggered by on-going drought and unusual warmer conditions.

1

Level-2 water use restrictions according to section 44 (3) of the Water Services By-law states that consumers are compelled: • Not to water their garden between 06:00 and 18:00; • Not to use irrigation systems, only a hand held hose or bucket is permitted during watering times; • Not to fill swimming pools with municipal water; and • Not to use hosepipes to wash their cars or to clean paved areas and driveways with water.

2

Water demand restriction tariffs on domestic users effective on water usage from September 2016. Full tariff schedule: www.johannesburgwater.co.za

3

Implementation of water supply restrictions through reduction of outflows from our reservoirs will take place during off peak times (20:00 – 04:00) in selected areas daily.

For more information and water saving tips visit www.johannesburgwater.co.za.

Please subscribe on our website, to our SMS notification service for planned or unplanned service interruptions.

Panel Discussion

Quality Filtration Systems (QFS) Herman Smit Managing director

What products does QFS provide in a packaged plant option and what applications are they used for?

sources. For example, UF is the

HS QFS provides mostly

(RO) also plays a big role in

membrane-based equipment

the solutions for water reuse

in package plant format.

and desalination.

biggest growing membrane technology being offered also as an alternative to conventional treatments. Reverse osmosis

Membranes are used for

of our Memcor ultrafiltration

What partnerships has your company established to amplify your product offerings?

(UF) technology makes it

QFS has formed valuable

particularly suitable for package

partnerships with international

plant configurations.

technology suppliers providing a

applications from seawater desalination to industrial water purification. The modular nature

pre-engineered solution. Locally,

How do your technologies, the GEM product in particular, stand out when compared to more traditional approaches?

QFS partners with contractors to supply our technology package for bigger projects.

For example, our GEM system is

Can you briefly mention a recent case study where a packaged treatment plant produced high-quality effluent at a remote or otherwise unusual site?

the next-generation floatation

We recently designed,

technology, requiring only 25%

engineered, manufactured,

of the footprint compared to

installed and commissioned a

a conventional dissolved air

3 Mℓ/day wastewater reuse

floatation plant.

plant in Ballito.

What key technologies does your company offer?

town needed water quickly,

QFS’s focus on advanced

in full swing. QFS selected sand

technologies ensures that

filtration, UF, RO and chlorination

we offer world-leading

technologies, among others,

solutions, proven and tested

to provide a total, tailored,

on the international market.

packaged solution. The plant

Membrane-based technologies

adhered to its scheduled delivery

form the basis of our offering

and operation dates, as well

as these are the core treatment

as the relevant SANS drinking

methods for alternative water

water standards.

QFS offers advanced treatment technologies that provide a more compact footprint – especially attractive for package plants.

Struck by drought, the seaside before the holiday season started

Nov/dec 2016

33

Panel Discussion

AquaPlan Water Treatment Engineering Can you describe a case study where one of your packaged treatment plant solutions was deployed to assist an industrial client with their water treatment needs?

this approach shorten site work but it also ensured outstanding manufacturing quality and ultimate benefit to the client.

benefits and is, therefore,

What was it about this particular plant that made it stand out, in terms of ease of operation and overall client benefits?

not a prime focus in various

The treatment process in

industries. However, Pioneer

this case was fairly simple,

Foods considered wastewater

yet efficient, and requires no

treatment not only from a

control – taking full advantage

financial point of view but also

of the wastewater and upstream

from an environmentally friendly

plant dynamics. Further plant

point of view – with the aim to

advantages included fully

treat wastewater to comply to

automatic control with a

municipal discharge limits in

standalone programmable

the most eco-friendly manner.

controller and easy operator

AquaPlan was contacted by

interface through a touchscreen.

Pioneer Foods to do an effluent

The plant was also designed and

investigation and to propose a

constructed in such a way so

suitable treatment solution.

as to allow for future upgrades

RvS Wastewater treatment seldom offers financial

Wastewater treatment – using inherent system dynamics in conjunction with optimised buffering

Buffer tanks with a total of 200 m3 active volume with closed-roof design, access platforms and ultrasonic level control

with regard to added capacity,

What technology was required to achieve the desired standard?

In this case, the effluent rate of release and chemical composition was such that treatment could be achieved

throughput and additional treatment options.

Riaan van Schalkwyk Process design engineer

with simple buffering. In other words, the various wastewaters would balance each other out, without the need of dosing with additional chemicals. The prime constituent in this case was the pH of the effluent that needed to be corrected.

What components were constructed and how were the advantages of this method translated to the client?

AquaPlan constructed a full stainless steel 316 treatment plant, most of which was fabricated at our own manufacturing facility. The fabricated equipment included three buffer tanks, having a combined capacity of 200 m3, one custom built inlet sump and valve pit assembly, and the majority of the pipework, all in stainless steel 316. Not only did Nov/dec 2016

35

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Panel Discussion

ImproChem ‘MAKING WATER WORK FOR AFRICA’ – this is not just an ImproChem slogan

Sepadi Mohlabeng Director: Engineering

How do your company’s plants and services offer convenient, cost-effective and sustainable solutions?

including the full range

as a licence to manufacture GE’s

include products, services,

of General Electric (GE)

extensive range of specialty

equipment and innovative

products, used for the

chemicals at ImproChem’s

technologies. We serve any

treatment of all water- and

manufacturing facility in

industry where water and energy

SM Drinking water remains

process-related opportunities

Umbogintwini, South Africa.

are of primary importance,

a major concern in Africa and ImproChem is proud to say that it has a solution to not only provide safe drinking water but also to ensure reuse and recycling opportunities of process water. ImproChem doesn’t just sell equipment – we sell value-added solutions.

The company prides itself on saving the customer money by reducing water and energy use.

Our range of products is designed to “Make Water Work”.

From Reverse Osmosis (RO) to Membrane Bioreactors (MBRs),

• Mechanical equipment and custom-engineered systems, including the GE ZeeWeed Ultra Filtration (UF) and MBR technology • Ultra Filtration • Nano Filtration • Reverse Osmosis • Desalination Plants • Clarifiers • Filtration Units (including sand, carbon and dual-media filtration) • Water softeners and demineralisation plants • Pre-treatment Plants.

including; Public Water,

What services does your Upstream Oil & Gas, Refining, company offer and how does Chemical Processing, Mining, your customer engagement Industrial, Food & Beverage, and deliver client Engineering Solutions.

“After the assurance? first year of Could you provide ImproChem offers our customers a using treated an example one-stop service; groundwater, of where an this includes the the customer ImproChem has engineering, saw a 100% solution produced massive procurement and ROI. The customer savings? construction of water treatment plants. Our customers know that the team

ImproChem offers products to

second year showed a 43.2% reduction in costs.”

We have a gold mine customer in the North West that needed a softening and

includes process,

water treatment plants for the

What specific products and components does your company manufacture/ provide and what are the quality indicators that your clients must know about?

exactly the same. Therefore, each

treated groundwater, the

harsh African environments.

GE plants include pre-treatment

customer will undergo a water

customer saw a 100% ROI.

units, brackish RO platforms, UF

analysis and ImproChem will

The second year showed a

What types of water do your plants treat? Are they adaptable and how are they specialised?

and RO combinations. These

make recommendations based

43.2% reduction in costs, using

systems comply with NEMS,

on its outcome.

an ImproChem-designed

Most of our customers require

with SANS 241, SANS10142-2

packaged plants to treat surface

suit its clients’ needs. Our plants can be designed and built as per customer requirements and specifications – from specialised construction to containerised

mechanical and

disinfection plant to treat 540 m3 per hour

electrical engineers. For each

of groundwater. The customer’s

new customer, a site survey will

Rand Water bill was very high.

be done, as no two plants are

CE, NSF44 and ISO 9001. The

After the first year of using

plant. We have many more value-generation projects like

for electrical specification,

Which applications and markets does your company cater to?

water. We also have packaged

and the various mechanical

ImproChem provides total

really does MAKE WATER WORK

plants treating borehole and

specifications, such as SANS 347

management solutions that

FOR AFRICA.

sea water to potable standards.

for pressure vessels.

ImproChem range complies

Effluent and process water is also catered for through our pre-audit and audit capabilities, as well as our process design engineering expertise.

What key technologies does your company offer?

this one. These all provide great proof that ImproChem

Reverse osmosis units in stock

What complementary partnerships has your company established to enhance your product offering?

In 2012, the company acquired the Water and

We build relationships with

Process Technology business

our customers and solve their

of General Electric (GE W&PT)

water treatment challenges.

in sub-Saharan Africa. The GE

ImproChem offers a full range

deal included an exclusive

of world-class chemical and

distribution agreement for

engineering technologies

GE chemical, equipment

that include:

and monitoring and control

• Chemical technology,

solutions in the region, as well Nov/dec 2016

37

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Resourcing the world

Panel Discussion

veolia Water Technologies South Africa Ian Lemberger General manager: Engineered Systems

How has government’s drive towards the decentralisation of water treatment influenced Veolia’s technology offering?

BELOW The pump station at the Politsi Water Treatment package plant, feeding raw water to packaged clarifiers for treatment

IL A key trend we’ve identified is that containerised, packaged

We are about to commission a

and modular treatment plants

5 Mℓ/day packaged treatment

mines anymore.

Yes, these solutions have

Veolia has positioned itself to

dominant perception is that

look at the whole life cycle of

plants over a certain size have

water in order to provide a

to be civils based, we want

solution and not a product.

the quality standards of our

treatment plant option to meet its needs?

aren’t just about the

shift in the market. While the

plant for the Lepelle Northern Water (LNW) board at its Politsi Water Treatment

If you look at the industrial

packaged plant solutions to

market, for example, waste

prove that it’s not the case.

is the hot-button issue. As

Our internal quality checks and

a result, the entire sector is

solutions-oriented approach

becoming more aware of the

ensure clients get the treatment

need to limit waste and handle

option they need, rather

it responsibly throughout

than some mass-produced,

supply chains, as part of

off-the-shelf option that’s not

corporate responsibility. This

necessarily for fit for purpose.

is being done partly due to

been highly

Plant, and

successful in

are currently

that market,

building another

Technologies South Africa has

but also through a greater

due to their

10 Mℓ/day

become a leader in terms of

general commitment to

its knowledge and experience

the environment.

convenience,

plant for LNW.

affordability and

These plants

sustainability, but

provide sustainable

the nature of a packaged plant design-and-build project means it can be executed much

drinking water solutions for Limpopo villages.

The two packaged plants are

In fact, Veolia Water

delivering packaged treatment

the cost benefits involved

To this end, our plants are

plants across Veolia’s global

easy to maintain and produce

brand presence. We are

minimal sludge, which can

frequently consulted on

be disposed of easily. They

delivering our local solutions

require little electricity and can,

faster, delivering value to the

prefabricated here, at the Veolia

in Asia, South America and

therefore, operate effectively

municipal market on much

workshop in Sebenza, where

many other developing and

and efficiently in even the

shorter timelines.

we test them in-house as far as

developed regions.

harshest, remotest locations.

How do packaged treatment plants fit in with the rest of Veolia’s strategy in Africa?

From clarifiers to dosing stations, Veolia’s packaged plants operate efficiently in even the harshest, remotest locations

Solutions such as these have been critical, given the current drought. Where a plant upgrade

possible, resulting in minimal installation time.

Since the 10 Mℓ/day plant is

to meet increasing demand

designed on the same principles

might have taken several

as the smaller plant, it can be

years, we can now provide

designed and built on a much

interim solutions that bridge

shorter timeline, even though

the gap effectively in a matter

it qualifies as a medium-

of months.

sized plant. Additionally, by

Not only that but our

implementing a modularised

packaged plant options are

system, WSAs can save up to

of sufficient quality that they

75% on capital costs. Consider

can become a permanent

that a civils structure will cost

part of existing plants and can

between R7 million and R10

be set up in a modularised

million per 1 Mℓ/day, based on

fashion or as a whole new

standard engineering pricing

plant – growing through the

guidelines. By taking a modular

addition of process components

approach, we can reduce costs

as the communities they

to about R2 million per Mℓ/day.

service require. In practice, this functions a lot like a Meccano set, where clients can add and extend their plants as needed.

Can you provide an example of a municipality or other water services authority (WSA) that has chosen the packaged

There was an old market perception that packaged treatment plants are “cheap” and something of a quick fix – what is Veolia’s response?

Overcoming that perception has been a major drive at Veolia; we’re trying to effect a mental Nov/dec 2016

39

WESTECH ENGINEERS AND MANUFACTURES ABOUT US

PACKAGED SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANTS

WesTech engineers and manufactures process equipment to provide solutions for customers in the industrial, mineral, municipal water, and municipal wastewater industries.

Leaders in process expertise, WesTech designs and builds systems for seamless integration into our customers specifications. The technologies we advance and apply benefit not only our customers, but society as a whole.

• BioDrum treats up to 100m3/d.

• MBBR treats up to 300m3/d.

• BioTreater for larger applications.

MBBR

TRIDENT® HS • Pre-engineered for difficult water sources.

• 5 Million litre per day modules.

• 4 barrier treatment system. Tube Settler, Adsorption Clarifier, Mixed Media Filter & UV. • Small footprint.

• Automatic operation.

• Expandable.

Trident 365CC

CONTAINERISED PACKAGED PLANTS FOR POTABLE WATER • Trident 365TS, 2 Million litre per day Tube Settler.

• Trident 365CC, 2 Million litre per day Adsorption Clarifier, Mixed Media Filter & U.V. • Dissolved Air Flotation.

• Oil/Water Separator.

• Polymer Make Up & Dosing.

• Ultra-filtration & Reverse Osmosis.

Trident 365TS

Follow us on

CONTACT

Unit 31 & 32, Wild Fig Business Park, Cranberry Street, Honeydew

Tel: +27 11 794 5205 Fax: +27 11 794 5819

Email: sales@westech-inc.co.za Web: www.westech-inc.com

Panel Discussion

WesTech

“Our packaged water plants require far less civil works, time and cost significantly less than more conventional water works doing similar duties.”

You offer a wide range of packaged treatment plants for water and wastewater.

What are your most popular products and why?

ABOVE WesTech recently delivered two Trident HS plants treating 10 Mℓ/day to Parys

Can you discuss your packaged wastewater treatment option and what makes it unique?

There are a number of modules

Stephen James

that can be used depending

Business manager

on the feed and desired treated water qualities. For need a packaged dissolved air

plant offering in Southern Africa and Africa?

example, river water may flotation plant to remove algae,

Westech Africa’s main office is

then remove high-suspended

in Johannesburg and we have

solids using a packaged

a regional office in Morocco

tube clarifier, followed by

covering North Africa and the

polishing using a packaged

Middle East.

international company. WesTech

What applications does your Trident HS package treatment plant cater to and what makes the product stand out?

has a number of standard,

The Trident HS is just one of

with multimedia filter, and

looking into partnering with

pre-engineered packaged

the packaged water plants that

completed by either UV

a number of potential agents

water plants for treating surface

WesTech offers. WesTech’s pre-

sterilisation or disinfection.

and licensees in countries

groundwater, sewage and

engineered containerised plants

Need chemicals? WesTech also

where we currently don’t have

industrial wastewater. The

comprise modules that can treat

has this covered with a pre-

representation and where we

majority of these plants are either

up to 2Mℓ/ day of surface or

engineered polymer make-up

believe we can add value.

built into or will fit into standard

groundwater and up to 5Mℓ/

and dosing system as well.

20’ or 40’ shipping containers.

day with our Trident HS plant.

WesTech’s larger plants, such as

Higher flows can be achieved

the Trident HS, can treat high

by installing additional modules

volumes of surface water per

in parallel.

SJ We see a demand for plants that are standardised, economical, rapidly deployable and backed by a reputable

up flow adsorption clarifier

Also, the company is

Can you provide a case study where one or more of your plants solved an important client’s water-treatment needs effectively?

What other water treatment applications do your range of plants cover?

Which sectors purchase your packaged treatment plants and how do your plants cater to these sectors’ needs for durability, flexibility and ease of transport?

We also have a range of modular

WesTech’s plants cover potable,

the Parys water works in

sewage plants that fit into

wastewater and sewage

the Free State. This plant is

standard shipping containers

applications, so the market

comprised of two Trident HS

for ease of transport. The

sectors are diverse – from

plants operating in parallel,

WesTech has built up a team

containerised sewage plants

small communities to

each producing 5 Mℓ/ day.

of suppliers and fabricators

cater for small communities,

municipal potable and

Our packaged water plants

over the past few years,

schools, hotels and camps, but

sewage water plants.

require far less civil works,

which enables us to produce

WesTech also offers municipal-

consistent-quality products to

scale plants such as our compact

international standards.

BioTreater wastewater plants.

module for potable use and can be transported, essentially fully assembled, on a flat-bed truck.

What partnerships has your company established that enhance your product offering?

A 10Mℓ/ day potable water plant has been installed at

time and cost significantly less

What is the footprint of your packaged treatment

than more conventional water works doing similar duties.

Nov/dec 2016

41

pipes, Pumps & Valves

Pipes X tackles leadership The Southern African Plastic Pipe Manufacturers Association (SAPPMA) held its 10th annual conference, Pipes X, on 6 September this year, at the Bytes Convention Centre in Midrand. The gathering took on the issue of leadership and the responsibility plastic pipe industry leaders have towards South Africa.

J

an Venter, CEO, SAPPMA, opened the event, which has become an established part of the plastic pipe industry’s calendar, by saying, “Over the last 10 years, we’ve presented more than 130 technical papers, 30% of which were delivered by international experts, and we’ve exposed more than 1 300 decision-makers to good technical information about pipes.”

SAPPMA was established 12 years ago with the mission of playing an everincreasing role in Southern Africa’s plastic pipes industry, making a difference where it matters.

“For me, the most important message for participants to take home is that this

is arguably the most important industry in the country; we cannot do without water and we cannot do without the means of disposing of waste. Without a sound piping infrastructure, a country is a shambles and that’s a fact. Another fact is that the need for clean water and sewage disposal is ever increasing, especially in a developing country such as ours. Furthermore, we live in a water-scarce country, with frequent news messages regarding water restrictions across the country. Bearing that in mind, it’s almost criminal to hear that up to 40% of treated water is lost from leaking municipal pipes. The last fact I want to mention is that we in the industry estimate that more than 60 000 km of pipe FAR LEFT Rugby legend and former Springbok captain Corné Krige delivered an inspiring presentation on leadership LEFT Ralph Triebel, managing director, LHA, concluded the opening session with a trends analyses of the local pipe industry

42

nov/dec 2016

ABOVE Jan Venter, CEO, SAPPMA

is produced each year – that’s enough to go around the circumference of the earth.

In light of these facts, SAPPMA’s role is to ensure that those 60 000 km of pipes don’t form part of the problem, but part of the solution, when it comes to conserving our precious water resources.”

Given the central role piping plays in water conservation, the piping industry is indeed one of the most important in South Africa. If the leaders of the industry become disillusioned by the challenges they face, then the whole country will suffer as a result from declining water security. That is why it’s important for the local plastic piping industry to stand together and take responsibility for the role as leaders, continuing to fight for good quality, standards and best practice in pipe manufacturing, installation and repair.

Inspired leadership

For the past decade, SAPPMA has generally brought in an economist for its annual Pipes conference, to describe market conditions and highlight growth opportunities for the local plastic pipes industry.

While the past couple of years provided economic outlooks full of doom and gloom, this year, SAPPMA took a different

pipes, pumps & Valves

tack, lightening the mood by welcoming a an inclusive leadership style, based on beloved South African sports icon to delivopen and honest communication. The er an inspiring presentation on leadership. youth of today don’t want to follow autoFormer Springbok captain and rugby crats. They question everything and they legend Corné Krige, who now owns an want to be able to ask why, which is why outdoor advertising company and is most it’s important to set an example, set the recently known for his participation in the tone, and be the change. In South Africa, Survivor television series, emphasised the we tend to feel isolated and helpless, but need for true leaders to be genuine and making change happen in our communispeak from the heart. He said that fosterties is incredibly rewarding and I want to ing a sense of inclusivity and confidence inspire people here today to stand up and in one’s employees is one of the most imtake the lead,” he added. portant lessons he’d learned in the course Plastic pipes market of his career.

The opening session of Pipes X was “As leaders, it’s important that we learn concluded by a trends analysis of the to lead ourselves first. I’ll never forget the South African pipes situation by Ralph day when I started my own business and it Triebel, managing director, LHA. LHA has was just me in the office with a telephone. been collecting statistics and information This was a wholly different experience about the pipes industry in earnest since to working as a team. There are a couple about 2011, with the result that Triebel areas in our lives where we have to lead could identify growth ourselves, whether it be fitness, family, religion, social “Making change markets in plastic pipes and demonstrate where life or work,” explained Krige. happen in our stagnation is occurring.

He emphasised the need communities “In our graph plotting not to let emotion get in the is incredibly indexed market volume way, to set it aside and focus trends in polyvinyl chloon the facts and what needs rewarding and I ride (PVC), high-density to be done. “I used to tell the want to inspire polyethylene (HDPE) and new, young guys that if they people to stand up concrete, it is evident that could control their emotions and focus on the task at and take the lead.” all materials dropped off after the highs of 2008 hand, half the battle was alCorné Krige and 2009. The only real ready won. This would often recovery since then has been in the HDPE result in them coming back and saying market and we believe this has a lot to it had helped them a lot once out on the do with the roll-out of fibre-to-the-home field,” said Krige.

(FTTH) and -business (FTTB) networks,” exToday’s workforce also requires a differplained Triebel. Very little growth is hapent approach from those of the past. “I pening in the other materials categories, also want to talk about the need to foster figurE 1 Indexed market volume trends

Glimpse into the future: Pipes XI ext year, Pipes XI will be an extremely N special event. SAPPMA has come to an arrangement with international plastic piping industry body PPCA (the Plastic Pipes Conference Association) to send 10 of its best speakers from its biennial conference to present here in South Africa, making it a truly international event.

Bringing together the PE 100+ Association, the Plastic Pipes Institute, PVC4Pipes, and the European Plastic Pipes and Fittings Association, the PPCA arranges a prominent biennial pipe conference in either Europe or North America. This year’s conference took place in Belin in the middle of September.

Pipes XI will be held in September 2017. Watch the press for details.

with the rate of steel pipe being sold actually dropping. “At the moment, this is driven by a lack of investment in water infrastructure and also sewer infrastructure.

“From our research into Africa, we foresee substantial growth in the telecommunication fibre network. This is growing from under half a million route kilometres, to over 1 million route kilometres – and that’s a growth of in excess of 10% per annum per year. Coupled to that, once the route kilometres are in, the next steps are FTTH and FTTB,” said Triebel.

The biggest new growth markets for plastic pipe manufacturers are most likely FTTH and FTTB, gas network development opportunities opened up by Operation Phakisa and commercial opportunities arising from shale gas exploration – if this plan goes ahead.

Conclusion

The statistics speak for themselves.

Underinvestment in water and sewerage infrastructure is resulting in more and more leaks in the system. Given these facts, members of the plastic pipes manufacturers’ fraternity who’ve consistently committed to the water and sanitation market face two options: look for other opportunities or fight for water conservation, thereby taking it upon themselves to play a leadership role in terms of active and engaged citizenship.

Given Venter’s opening statements and Krige’s inspirational speech, it appears that SAPPMA’s message is that the industry needs to continue fighting for high-quality, reliable water and wastewater conveyancing infrastructure. nov/dec 2016

43

Leak management

Developing a national leak

management strategy Water conservation and demand-side management (WC/WDM) has never been more topical, given Southern Africa’s ongoing drought, El Niño and urban population density. But it’s not about quick fixes or easy answers, it’s about long-term vision and investing in people.

P

resenting his paper at the Sixth Regional African Water Leakage Summit 2016 held in Midrand in August, Willem Wegelin, director, WRP, noted that many of the papers presented at the two-day event highlighted the fact that WC/ WDM is not being implemented at an adequate rate in South Africa. “I’ve travelled around the country for many years finding out what works and what doesn’t and I believe one of our key shortfalls is that there’s no strategy in place. What follows are some of my observations in the field and I will make some recommendations based on those observations,” he explained.

Field issues Despite the current drought, water shortages and intermittent supply, some of the issues that Wegelin discussed include community standpipes running at 11 bars of pressure (and these being left open), toilet leaks, leaks resulting in the creation of bogs, and only 51% of South Africa’s Water Service Authorities (WSAs) having a comprehensive WC/WDM Strategies and Plans in place. “Of concern is that 62% of

44

nov/dec 2016

our WSAs do not have WC/WDM contained within their Integrated Development Plans, and if we’re not budgeting for WC/WDM, how can we hope to implement it correctly?” asked Wegelin.

Among those WDM business plans that have been compiled, many include a large amount of superfluous information without including the basic and essential facts necessary for financial organisations to grant the necessary funding for WC/ DSM implementation. “I’ve been doing benchmarking for government’s No Drop programme and, as a result of that work, I can say that there is a lot of thumb-sucking going on out there. Investment banks such as the Development Bank of Southern Africa and the European Investment Bank cannot be expected to invest millions of rands to assist WSAs with repairing their leaking infrastructure based on assumptions,” he added.

Costs have been a barrier to implementation on a number of levels, one of which is the creation of unrealistic expectations visà-vis actual cost savings estimated to get a business case in place, compared with limited results achieved after implementation.

This is one of a number of factors resulting in WSAs struggling to secure either internal or external funding.

“We also go into ‘analysis paralysis’ – spending the whole budget indicating what’s wrong, rather than spending on implementation,” Wegelin added. Another major problem is the lack of human resources. The person at a WSA tasked to manage WC/ WDM needs to have enough time and resources at their disposal to manage their programme properly. Without adequate funding and the right human capital in place,

these plans seldom get implemented and that is why national leak management has been slow to take off in the way that it should.

Implementation barriers There are a variety of reasons for unsuccessful implementation or interventions that are not sustainable. These include poor pressure management, slavish adherence to textbook procedures (without looking at the unique conditions of a situation), check meters not being used properly and poor community involvement. “Pressure Please provide caption for easy imageas above management is not as installing a few pressure release valves (PRVs) and then walking away. It’s a full-time job. A thorough knowledge of the number of households serviced in a district management area is an important start. Then there is the installation of check meters.

“In this country, we spend millions of rands on check meters each year but I have only seen one municipality that keeps a spreadsheet comparing its bulk water service provider’s readings with its own.

So, we’re spending money on this technology but we’re not using it as intended,” explained Wegelin. Moreover, community involvement is crucial for getting people to pay for services. “If we can take anything away from the #FeesMustFall movement, it’s that it’s important to get communities involved from the beginning. Communities need to be partnered with from the start with the right attitude, otherwise it will not work,” he adds.

When the basics go wrong Apart from bizarre installations in the field, simple inefficiencies like leaking standpipes LEFT Pavement watering is not an efficient use of water

Leak management

creating ponds, not cleaning chambers, not replacing broken air-valves, not doing basic maintenance and intermittent supply add to non-revenue water (NRW) losses.

“I mention intermittent supply because, when people don’t get water, they leave taps on waiting for it and then forget to close the taps,” explained Wegelin.

Theft is another issue. “We’ve got to deal with vandalism – people steal valve hand wheels and nuts and bolts to sell them as scrap metal. There are also security issues – people steal manhole chamber covers and then others come along and throw trash into the holes,” he added.

Illegal connections, metering and billing inefficiencies and apathetic staff that don’t report visible leaks for repair further exacerbate the situation. “Simple solutions like new washers on the taps and toilets can make the biggest difference,” Wegelin added.

Hope in sight In a study undertaken in Tokyo, Japan, it was found that leakages had been brought down from levels higher than those currently experienced in South Africa to just

figurE 1 Indexed market volume trends

3.6%. “If I look at a graph charting this course, the two things that stand out are that it’s a gradual process, taking 50 years, and a consistent lowering of NRW over that time,” said Wegelin.

When Wegelin spoke to the Tokyo experts who conducted the study, they said

that controlling NRW is not dependent on economic development but on business strategy. It’s people who develop the services, not the machines or the technology.

“They invested more in their people than they invested in the infrastructure – building universities and sending their staff

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leak management

there to learn about operating water distribution systems. To repeat, appropriate technology alone doesn’t solve problems; people solve problems.”

Wegelin then proceeded to cite some of the best performing NRW municipalities in the country, saying that Drakenstein, Baviaans and Tshwane each stand out for different reasons. Drakenstein sticks to the basics, installing PRVs and promoting community awareness. What it does that’s different is that the relevant person at the municipality keeps a spreadsheet detailing how many valves have been replaced and when, as well as maintenance schedules, pipeline installation, and other granular information useful for lowering demand.

Baviaans Municipality, having recently won Vuna Awards for service delivery and payment rates, simply makes service delivery a top priority, to the point that the efficacy of the municipality is driving tourism to the area. Tshwane’s secret to success is that its WC/WDM programme is integrated into every aspect of what the rest of the

municipality is doing, meaning that a lot can be achieved with only a small budget.

Keep it simple Over and over again, these case studies show that municipalities that succeed aren’t doing anything fancy; they are sticking to the basics, making informed decisions and taking action. In summary, the characteristics of a good plan at municipal level are: adequate human resources, good skills, and good record keeping. Good collaboration between departments can be added to that list – finance departments and engineering departments should have a shared vision.

This results in WSAs that know how to spend their budgets.

“We need to start with the basics, such as the IWA Water Balance, get that information pinned down and

then move from there. This won’t result in overnight results but it sets the foundation for long-term and sustainable NRW loss management,” concluded Wegelin.

Some of the installations in the field are so bizarre that the average plumber would have a difficult time knowing where to begin

An urgent need for collaboration The public and private sectors need to develop entirely new paradigms of practice and collaboration that supersede prevailing prejudices, so that our infrastructure serves the needs of the people – especially water infrastructure. By Tony Stone

T

he question of how industry can help municipalities was asked at a recent academic debate on the current and anticipated water crisis this country faces.

Within context of South Africa being in the grip of the worst drought in 30 years, and the fact that we are losing 25.4% of our water, or R8.5 billion at current prices, to water leaks, it is a very relevant question.

But, like all problems, what we see is only the tip of the iceberg. To solve our problem, we need to look a little deeper.

Four years ago, in the National Treasury’s 2012 Budget Review, director-general Lungisa Fuzile said that South Africa’s water demand will outstrip its supply by 2030.

Three years ago, the Department of Water and Sanitation’s research into water losses at 132 of the 237 municipalities, which, in water volume, represents 75% of the total volume of municipal water supplied, shows that the current level of non-revenue water is estimated at 36.7%, of which 11.3% is illegal water usage and 25.4% is considered to be losses through physical leakages. The department attributed this to technical ineptitude (incompetence) and ageing infrastructure, which are problems countrywide.

“Inadequate maintenance and repairs

of existing infrastructure, long response times to water leaks and a culture of water wastage are among the challenges facing the South African water sector,” it said.

Technical ineptitude In looking at the Engineering Council of South Africa’s (ECSA) latest survey of qualified and registered civil engineers – wherein it states that 74% are white, 14% are black, 8% are Indian and 2% are coloured – the immediate outcry is that transformation is not happening. While this is true on paper, the deeper problem is the country’s education system, with poor tuition in mathematics and science, and a lack of motivation to attract black people to the engineering disciplines. This is the real problem.

The importing of Cuban engineers, strongly criticised by Consulting Engineers South Africa (CESA), and allowing foreigners and others with questionable qualifications and experience to take up public sector engineering posts in South Africa, while other South African engineers are largely ignored because of prejudicial government policies, is a travesty and must be condemned. So, too, should the efforts to short-circuit the qualifications process just to reach quotas be condemned. This is especially true of the civil engineering

Water spraying skyward next to the banks of the Klip River (Photo: Ladysmith Gazette)

field, where the quality of work has a direct correlation with bridge, building and other structure collapses wherein people have been killed or injured. One life lost is one too many.

Former CESA President Abe Thela warned that Cuban engineering skills are not recognised by ECSA because they are not part of the Washington Accord, which governs international engineering qualifications. Fraud, corruption, nepotism and cronyism are other contributors to the technical ineptitude of various municipalities to effectively manage, maintain and develop water services.

While the Department of Water and Sanitation cannot be everywhere at once, in order to provide effective oversight, it must be commended for its Blue Drop, No Drop and Green Drop reports. If maintained, these will have a positive effect on improving the poor situation we now have to live with. “Our suggestion is that government makes use of South African engineers and consulting engineering firms to address this acute shortage of nov/dec 2016

47

leak management

Asbestos cement pipes are increasingly becoming a huge problem (Source: Oceanside Plumbing)

skills in the public sector. CESA has over 500 member firms – qualified, professionally registered and with high ethical standards and integrity – to accelerate the development of infrastructure and, in particular, assist in the development of competent municipal engineers in the long term,” Thela says.

Ageing infrastructure Usually, when you have a problem, you enlist the help of many people with the right skills and experience to resolve the problem as speedily as possible. South Africa’s ageing infrastructure problem is not unique; other countries around the world have a similar problem.

Infrastructure spending is considered to be one of the major catalysts of economic growth, development and economic activity. It can be regarded as a mechanism for generating employment opportunities for millions of unskilled, semi-skilled and skilled workers. Yet this is not happening. As far back as 2007, the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) stated that the most common problem experienced with

48

nov/dec 2016

found that many municipalities did not water reticulation systems is leakage. A possess reliable knowledge of the extent variety of reasons could contribute to this, and capacity of the infrastructure assets in including the use of incorrect procedures their possession. at the time of laying the pipes, damage The CSIR also stated that South Africa, due to excavations taking place near pipes, particularly in the older centres, not only use of inappropriate pipe materials (and has many instances of inadequate munictheir consequent corrosion), inappropriate ipal infrastructure and service delivery, but repair procedures, and the ageing of the also an increasing proportion of deterioratpipes. Illegal connections exacerbate the ing infrastructure, together with the poor situation. And yet, little is and has been and often unacceptable done, with the exception of the eThekwini Municipality, The key to water quality of maintenance where a R1.6 billion as- loss remediation, services. This was confirmed by the 2014 Blue Drop and bestos cement (AC) pipe through pipe Green Drop reports. replacement project was leakages, is It was concluded that completed in June 2010. A total of 1 750 km of ageing knowing what you the great majority of muAC water pipe was replaced are dealing with nicipalities are not making with 160 mm modified polbefore initiating adequate provision for the long-term preventive mainyvinyl chloride (mPVC) and refurbishment high-density polyethylene pipe replacement tenance, projects and eventual replacement (HDPE) pipe. of their infrastructure.

In 2013, the South African “The majority of the old water pipes were Plastic Pipe Manufacturers’ Association installed in the early 1960s or earlier, and (SAPPMA) warned that the replacement have undoubtedly reached the end of of old water pipes around the country their effective lifespan. Unless urgent was long overdue. Speaking at the then attention is given to the replacement and launch of National Water Week (March maintenance of the water infrastructure, 2013), SAPPMA chairman Jan Venter the end result is predictable – daily bursts warned that the existing steel and asbeswill occur, followed by catastrophic tos cement pipe infrastructure in South component failure and regular and proAfrica has undoubtedly corroded and longed disruptions in service delivery,” developed leaks during the last 50 years Venter said. since their installation, and recommended The relevance of the CSIR’s research and that other municipalities should follow eThekwini’s example are driven home eThekwini’s example. when we appreciate the reality that A project proposal submitted to the nothing lasts forever! This is true of pipe Emfuleni Municipality in 2015 stated systems, which are exposed to friction, that Vereeniging had acquired the status corrosion and wear over time. Even so, if of a major municipality in 1912 and properly installed, galvanized steel pipes Vanderbijlpark had become a municihave a life expectancy of 30 to 50 years, pality in 1952. Sharpville was established copper pipes 40 to 75 years, and cast in 1942 with Sebokeng established in iron pipes 50 to 75 years. But these are 1965. It is well recorded that the Emfuleni just generalities.

Municipality’s water loss problem is It is not unusual to see pipes failing at serious, not just in losing water but also 30 to 40 years or even earlier. Even with a a significant amount of revenue for the financial forecast horizon of 30 years, it is municipality. This is happening despite the rare for South African municipalities and successful 2005 Sebokeng/Evaton Pressure building owners to plan for pipe replaceManagement Project, which saved the ment. Of course, the best time to replace municipality an average of 10 million m3 of water per annum. At the time, the Water pipes is just before they fail, avoiding Supply Commission had also suggested water damage to infrastructure, buildings that the Emfuleni Municipality implement and personal property, and also the loss of a water loss remediation project as soon as water and concomitant revenue. possible – not just in fixing leaking plumbing and toilets in townships. Yet nothing Pipe deterioration, distress indicators has been done. and failure modes The CSIR, in publishing its paper: ‘The Pipe condition is the cumulative effect of state of municipal infrastructure in South many contributing factors and their action Africa, and its operation and maintenance’, on a pipe. Al-Barqawi and Zayed classified

figurE 1 Factors contributing to water system deterioration (Al-Barqawi and Zayed, 2006)

contributors to water system deterioration Physical Factors • Pipe age and material • Pipe wall thickness • Pipe vintage • Pipe diameter • Type of joints • Thrust restraint • Pipe lining and coating • Dissimilar metals • Pipe installation • Pipe manufacture

Environmental Factors • Pipe bedding • Trench backfill • Soil type • Goundwater • Climate • Pipe location • Disturbances • Stray electrical currents • Seismic activivty

these factors into three categories: physical, environmental, and operational, as depicted in Figure 1.

The factors in the first two classes can be further divided into static and dynamic (or time-dependent).

Static factors include pipe material, pipe geometry, and soil type, while dynamic factors include pipe age, climate, and seismic activity. Operational factors are inherently dynamic. Many of the factors listed above are not readily measurable or quantifiable. Moreover, the quantitative relationships between these factors and pipe failure are often not completely understood. Consequently, contemporary practices of pipe condition assessment use two types of indicators, namely distress indicators and inferential indicators. Given the traditionally poor record keeping of municipalities, it can only be estimated, through extrapolation, that the extent of AC piping in Emfuleni is at least 267 km.

But, given the age of Vereeniging and Vanderbijlpark, whatever else is “down there”, probably cast iron or steel, should be past its service life. Emfuleni Municipality is no different to most other municipalities out there.

The key to water loss remediation, through pipe leakages, is knowing

Operational Factors • Internal water pressure transient pressure • Leakage • Water quality • Flow velocity • Backflow potential • Operation and maintenance practices

what you are dealing with before you embark on any pipe replacement project. If a municipality does not know quite what it is dealing with, the best thing to do is an audit of its pipeline network, which good asset management demands anyway.

Discovering what is there Various physical audit methods exist.

Among the better methods is to use long-distance CCTV and leak detection within pressurised trunk mains. Such a system is capable of a 1000 m survey and includes state-of-the-art, high-definition CCTV technology coupled with ultra-high response hydrophone technology along with a high-powered sonde for precise leakage and acoustic surveys. In this instance, all three technologies are compiled into one small sensor head that dramatically increases survey distances per day. Maximum operating pressure is 16 bar. Due to the efficient design of the system, results are achievable in very low flow scenarios.

Key benefits of this technology include the ability to launch the system through small pressure fittings, air valves, gate valves and pillar-style fire hydrants.

Utilising such network components

figurE 2 Condition assessment of large-diameter transmission mains

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The Ditch Witch TK Series HDD Guidance System: You can cut through noise and complete bores with an unprecedented level of confidence, thanks to the TK Series’ dual locating methods (peak and null), four-frequency beacon, depth range of up to 33.5 m, high-contrast graphics, and much more.

The JT9 combines the simplicity and easy operation of smaller horizontal directional drills with the advanced features of bigger drilling machines.

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Distribution and Product Support by:

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Table 1 Leak size water loss table

leak size mm

bar

l/s °C m3/h

m/s

fact Precise monitoring of water flows and leak detection in irrigation networks WATERFLUX 3070 – technology driven by KROHNE • Electromagnetic water meter with integrated temperature and pressure measurement • Line pressure monitoring for leak detection or pump efficiency control • Multiple power concept for any location • Remote transmission of readings and meter status as option

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litres per Min

Hour

Day

0.5

Diameter

0.33

19.8

475.2

1.5

1.82

109.2

2.620.8

3.0

8.15

489.0

11.736.0

5.0

22.30

1.338.0

32.112.0

7.0

39.30

2.358.0

56.592.0

drastically reduces implementation costs and eliminates excavation requirements, which has been a huge driver for the technology. This type of technology has no match when it comes to on-board technology, reliability and quality.

For example, the JD7 PipeScan+, a component of the JD7 LDS1000™ system, is an internal ultrasonic manipulator incorporating focused ultrasonic probes coupled with a high-resolution camera system.

The system allows pipework of all materials to be scanned, allowing for a full dimensional survey to be achieved, including multiple wall thickness measurements, corrosion and flaw identification along with lining thickness.

Acquiring thousands of measurements in mere minutes, this system allows for the accurate calculation of a pipework’s remaining life expectancy. This allows pipework to be scanned along its full length, giving reliable data on true asset condition.

The system will not be matched with regards to the quality and detail of data captured from the technology and, unlike magnetic flux leakage tools, PipeScan+ not only gives average wall thickness readings, but also fully detailed structural assessments.

As a product of the audit process, a geographic information system and asset register will answer the following questions: • What pipe materials have been used in the past?

• From what point to what point (by GIS reference)?

• What is the overall condition of the pipe, with pipe thickness measurements?

• What is the estimated remaining lifespan of the pipe?

• What leaks are there, and where (by GIS reference)?

• Are the flange joints of differing pipe materials still intact, and where are they (by GIS reference)?

In conclusion, to gain a perspective of how much water will be lost, depending on the BAR pressure at which a line operates, could be as much, if not more, than the quantities shown in Table 1.

Minister of Finance Pravin Gordhan reaffirmed government’s commitment to national infrastructure development in his 2016 Budget, noting that R870 billion would be invested in infrastructure over the next three years. As stated by Gordhan, the Regional Bulk Infrastructure Grant programme was allocated R15 billion over the medium-term for the construction of the bulk water and sanitation infrastructure.

But, what of maintenance? Let us hope that an allocation will be made for this critical and urgent national need – before we have a catastrophe.

GROUNDWATER

Myths and truths There is a perception that groundwater is underutilised. This is despite the fact that more than 420 small and medium-sized towns and around 22 600 rural settlements in South Africa are largely or totally dependent on groundwater.

By Ernst Bertram*

it is abstracted. This process is called recharge.

• Based on the abovementioned fact, groundwater is a finite resource.

• Groundwater use has benefits but also drawbacks.

• Groundwater’s availability for use in South Africa on an annual basis is

S

o, in light of this, it’s fair to ask, “What’s the problem?” Is the saying “unseen is unloved” so powerful that it prohibits people to try to understand groundwater? Is it the fact that the groundwater community members sit in their ivory towers and think that the ordinary people must climb those ivory towers in order to understand the subject? Is it the water diviners that maintain the myth of underutilisation in order to cover their mistakes and failures? In all probability, the answer lies somewhere between all these myths and half-truths – as well as the inability of geohydrologists to communicate their science in layman’s terms. However, this last statement applies to science in its broadest sense.

Facts about groundwater • As with surface water, groundwater will, under the force of gravity, flow from a high point to a low point.

• Generally, groundwater quality is good, but once polluted, rehabilitation is difficult and expensive.

• Groundwater does not appear from nowhere – every drop ever pumped out of the subsurface has fallen on the surface of the earth and infiltrated soil layers into voids in the underlying rocks up to the point where

in the same order of magnitude as surface water.

• No method for choosing a place to drill, whether scientific or non-scientific, is infallible.

• There is no magic involved in scientific borehole siting – all methods used to site borehole positions harness known physical properties of the earth, i.e. magnetism and gravity, or the interpretation of different layers of rock in relation to each other.

• The legal status of groundwater has changed radically under the National Water Act (No. 36 of 1998) as opposed to the 1956 Water Act. This entails many opportunities to use groundwater that weren’t available under the old Act. The following article elaborates on each of the above bullets separately, ultimately demonstrating groundwater’s reliability as long as it is managed correctly.

We need to benchmark our non-revenue water losses against international cities

another example of deep water circulation.

As water percolates downward, it gets warmer, absorbing the rocks’ heat. The speed with which the temperature increases is called the geothermal gradient and this differs from place to place.

At a depth of 400 km and more below the earth’s surface, the rock becomes molten (see Figure 1). The geothermal gradient is used to calculate the depths to which water percolates – for the Brandvlei Spring, with a temperature of 56° C, this depth is calculated as a depth of about 1 200 m.

The fact that water flows out at the Brandvlei Spring means this is the Figure 1 Temperature profile of the inner earth – schematic view (estimated)

Gravitational force Water occurring in mines at depths of 2 000 m and even deeper shows that as long as there are connected openings (interstices) in the overlaying rocks, water will gravitate downwards. Hot springs, like the Brandvlei Spring near Worcester in the Western Cape, one of the most well-known and hottest springs in the country, is nov/dec 2016

51

GROUNDWATER

lowest gravity point in that flow system.

Ultimately, water flows because of gravity and this applies in the same way for both surface and groundwater. This relates to where to drill a borehole. For instance, having a borehole on the top of a mountain is rare, as groundwater drains down gradient. This is also a handy heuristic for drilling boreholes in a new or unknown area. A useful rule of thumb is that groundwater flows follow topography.

Groundwater quality Figure 2 depicts the natural quality of groundwater as measured in electrical conductivity (EC) for South Africa.

Pure water cannot conduct electricity; however, as more and more elements are dissolved in groundwater, water’s EC increases.

It is a known fact that rain water, which is the source of all our groundwater, is fresh, i.e. it has a low EC. As a result of water’s excellent properties as a solvent, it easily dissolves any soluble elements when staying in contact with rocks, which increases EC values. Comparing Figure 2 Figure 2 Groundwater quality in South Africa

52

nov/dec 2016

with a map of the rainfall across the country (Figure 3), it becomes evident that a steady decline in rainfall from the east coast to the west coast mirrors EC trends.

This is no coincidence.

One of the most soluble chemical substances on earth is salt, (NaCl) and the most common chemical constituent in groundwater in the western parts of South Africa is NaCl. Unfortunately, the groundwater in South Africa, as a whole, is not pristine anymore.

Mining, agricultural and industrial activities, as well as human settlements, have taken their toll. Acidic mine water decant out of defunct mines (with some cases of radioactive elements), nitrate and phosphate enrichment, volatile bio-chemicals and nitrate, phosphate and E. coli contaminations exacerbate the problem.

Some naturally occurring chemical substances like arsenic, selenium and uranium are toxic and carcinogenic.

Also, fluorite (high concentrations cause deformations in the teeth and bones of young and old people) appears on a limited scale in South Africa.

Rainfall and recharge Rainfall provides all the water that is ever pumped out of the subsurface that is groundwater.

This is evident from the fact that springs’ flow rates wax and wane with the seasons. Sometimes, high flows will occur soon after rainfall; sometimes, there is a lag and higher flows will appear only in the dry season. Due to groundwater’s small openings and contorted flow paths, the flow speed underground is much slower than on the surface – this manifests as higher flows in the off-peak rain season.

In dams and rivers, water levels rise in summer and decline in winter (for a summer rainfall area and vice-versa in a winter rainfall area like the Western Cape). If a river’s flow feeding a particular dam decreases, the dam’s level will be low; as the river flow increases, the level of the dam will rise. If the inflow and outflow are in balance, the water level will be stable – this concept is called water balance.

The water balance concept also

GROUNDWATER

applies for groundwater. Spring flows mentioned above are one manifestation of an underground dam, called an aquifer, filling up and depleting due to losses, abstractions or both. Water balance is, therefore, essential for groundwater management. Figures 2 and 3 show groundwater level inclines and declines in two areas of the country. Graph 1 shows water levels in boreholes measured over long time periods spanning dry as well as wet periods, as shown by the bar at the bottom of each graph. The rise and decline in water levels in high and low rainfall periods are clear.

A steady decline in rainfall from the east coast to the west coast mirrors electrical conductivity trends Figure 3 Mean annual rainfall

Finite resource It’s a fact that dams and rivers cannot be abstracted indefinitely, as these resources have a limit. For a dam, the restriction lies in the volumes of water flowing into it via a river or rivers. For a river, its volume will depend on rainfall.

Once the water in a river has passed a particular point, it is of no use to anyone.

For a dam, this applies as long as the water level of the dam is sufficient for

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GROUNDWATER

Graph 1 Borehole level measurements correlating with high and low rainfall periods

use. For aquifers, the same rule applies.

There are, however, some complications – the main one being to determine an aquifer’s spatial extent (width, length and depth). The depth is especially difficult to determine, as it can only be determined accurately by drilling boreholes – which is relatively expensive.

The examples mentioned above regarding the deep groundwater occurrences are extreme exceptions and were only used to show that groundwater will keep on percolating deeper and deeper under the force of gravity. In South Africa, little research has gone into deep drilling – the largest percentage of borehole records (251 000 records in the National Groundwater Archive) show depths of much less than 200 m.

Benefits and drawbacks Some of the benefits have already been mentioned but groundwater is not the panacea for all water problems, so the drawbacks should also be understood.

Benefits: • generally of potable quality • general availability • only about 20% of the currently available volume is used – thus a large resource base is still available • much more affordable to develop compared to surface water sources • it is possible to develop a groundwater source incrementally, which, according to economists, is far more cost-effective than large upfront investments • there is no evaporation from the

54

nov/dec 2016

and Sanitation) started mapping South Africa’s groundwater resources. A set of 20 hydrogeological maps covering the country resulted from the project.

Building on the maps, the Groundwater Resources Assessment Phase II (GRAII) was launched. GRAII attempted to characterise the groundwater occurrences in the third (depth) and fourth (time) dimensions. For GRAII, the volume of groundwater available for abstraction on an annual basis is calculated as being the same order of magnitude as surface water.

The methodology used to calculate this volume was not heavily criticised, although it cannot be emphasised enough that this figure is of a low confidence, due to large gaps in the data sets used. The only way to improve the figure would be to systematically collect relevant data sets and extend current monitoring networks to get an even spread across the country.

GRAII also attempted to quantify the volume of groundwater currently being used. The best possible estimate amounted to 16% of the abovementioned figure, hence there is a large groundwater resource base available for additional development. There are proponents who guestimate this figure to be as much as 20%; however, the bottom line is there is ample scope for future development.

subsurface, just transpiration from those plants whose roots reach either the water table or the capillary zone above the water table • internationally, it is recognised that irrigation from groundwater makes for better food security than irrigation from rivers – especially in drought conditions • the areas where toxic and radioactive elements occur naturally are largely known and thus can be taken into account in any groundwater development projects.

Drawbacks: • once polluted, it is very difficult, if not impossible, to remediate • much more expensive and complex to manage than surface water • the spatial delineating of an aquifer is complex and requires the services of professional geohydrologists, which are inevitably expensive • the best position for production boreholes will not necessarily lie on municipal lands • pumping equipment is subject to wear and tear, thus operation and maintenance must be part of any groundwater abstraction scheme’s budget.

No flow Groundwater does not flow in underground veins. This is one of the most enduring misconceptions.

Interstices (openings), formed by various geological processes and natural agents, allow water to percolate through the geological layers. Sometimes, there is a concentration of these openings in rocks and that would be the point where higher-yielding boreholes are encountered. It is for this reason that the yield of a borehole has no relation to the volume of water available in the aquifer being developed. Geohydrologists’ task is to find these concentrated openings by learning to understand the mechanisms or processes at work – for example, roots penetrating large boulders.

Available volumes In 1992, the Department of Water Affairs (now the Department of Water

ABOVE Scientific borehole siting is based on investigating geological properties

Borehole siting Scientific and non-scientific (water divining) siting methods are not infallible. The correct interpretation of the geophysical methods that scientists use is dependent on the knowledge of the hydrogeologist and their skill in applying that knowledge. Some of this knowledge is contained in about 2 700+ technical reports in the Department of Water and Sanitation’s Groundwater Information Subdirectorate.

Information such as this can be collated to conclude that water diviners have five “time-honoured” reasons why boreholes are unsuccessful. These are: • the hole should have been drilled deeper • the borehole was not drilled on exactly the spot they indicated • the hole was drilled skew – the last two were the reasons for missing the “vein” • with the advent of compressed air and rotary percussion drilling method, “veins” have become clogged, preventing water ingress to the borehole • the “cross-veins”, supposedly providing the highest yield, occur right under someone’s garage, sitting room or some other totally inaccessible point.

All the excuses boil down to one factor – assigning blame.

No magic There is no magic involved in siting boreholes scientifically. All scientific methods used are based on the physical properties of the rock layers being investigated. Below are some of the methods used to find water. The resistivity method uses the ability of rocks to conduct electricity, just like iron, copper and most metals. Changes in the ability of rocks like solid granite to conduct electricity are used to find the deepest point of weathering in granites, which is the basic method of water occurrence underground in granitic terrains.

The difference in the density of solid and weathered dolomite is measured by the gravitational attraction and thus cavities (caves and solution channels in dolomitic terrains) can be identified. It is known that chert-rich dolomitic layers are more prone to the development of solution channels and, therefore, mapping these layers geologically may even obviate the use of the gravity method.

The magnetic method uses the difference in the magnetic properties of rocks to identify potential drilling sites. From all the above, it is clear that an understanding of the principal mode of groundwater occurrence precedes and even dictates the geophysical method that will be used in a specific rock environment. A further method that uses rock layers’ ability to transmit alternating electric current, which generates magnetic fields, is called the electromagnetic (EM) method.

Conclusion If groundwater facts are accepted and the fictions eliminated, then it should be possible to accept that it is a manageable source. Once groundwater sources (aquifers) are managed scientifically, it becomes a dependable and trustworthy source for municipal water supplies.

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*Ernst Bertram is a groundwater practitioner that has worked for the Department of Water and Sanitation in the Directorate of Geohydrology, initially, and later in the Directorate of Surface and Groundwater Information.

produc t news

Liquid measurement

T

he first radar level sensor for liquids that operates at a transmission frequency of 80 GHz was recently launched at Montecasino, Johannesburg, by VEGA Instruments SA. John Groom, group director, together with Frikkie Streicher, business development manager, presented the capabilities of the VEGAPULS 64.

This included, among others, a demonstration of the radar beam’s excellent focusing. The presentation showed that, with an 80 mm antenna, the VEGAPULS 64 emits a radar beam angle of only 3 degrees. This means the sensor delivers reliable measurements even in vessels with internal installations, such as heating coils and agitators.

The demonstration included that of the dielectric constant in relation to the volume of oil in a recipe. The VEGAPULS 64’s dynamic range, with increased sensitivity from 96 dB to 120 dB, was also shown. At the end of the evening, guests were left in no doubt that the VEGAPULS 64 is revolutionising the liquid level measurement market.

The first radar level sensor for liquids that operates at a transmission frequency of 80 GHz

Finding the perfect valve

A

Swiss innovation makes finding the right valve faster and more convenient

Swiss valve manufacturer is simplifying the the process of matching products and applications. GF Piping Systems offers more than 15 000 different standard valve configurations to its customers. Finding the right one can take time.

To simplify this process, the company introduced a new online tool for its online catalog: GF Valve Finder.

It helps the customer to find the right valve for their application, quickly and conveniently. The tool guides the customer through the valve selection process, offering three selection criteria: type of valve, type of actuation and/ or type of material. By selecting at least one of the options, GF Valve Finder will guide the customer directly to a page with matching valves. On this page, the customer can use the extended search to further narrow their search results.

When the matching valve is found, the customer is provided with comprehensive documentation like dimensions, technical data, approvals, planning assistance, brochures and product videos. Direct product inquiries can be made with the help of a virtual shopping cart, which will be answered by the appropriate sales company. In addition to that, numerous other online tools are available on GF Piping Systems’ website.

Index to Advertisers

56

Aquaplan

34

Krohne South Africa

50

SBS Water Systems

Aqua Resources

28

KSB Pumps & Valves

30

SEW-Eurodrive

18

APE PUMPS

45

Lektratek Water Technology

IFC

Stefanutti Stocks Structures

23

Atlas Copco

46

LG NanoH20 Water

24

Structa Group

21

Degremont

31

Lonza Water Products

53

UWP Consulting

ELB Equipment

49

Messe München SA (MMI)

ERWAT

12

Miwatek

Gezamanzi

27

Monash South Africa

10

Water & Sanitation Services

ImproChem

36

Quality Filtration Systems

33

WesTech

40

Johannesburg Water

32

Rocla

11

WorleyParsons

19

nov/dec 2016

2 IBC

OFC

8

Veolia Water Technologies South Africa 38 Vega Controls

55 OBC

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