Water&Sanitation Africa Nov/Dec 2012

Water & SanitationComplete water resource and wastewater management

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

MEDIA

AfricaAfrica

Rapidly deployable, scalable and cost-eff ective solutions are required to address local water treatment needs. NuWater CEO, John Holmes

THE HOT SEAT P12

TT

Official launch celebrated

Rand Water Academy

November / December 2012 • ISSN 1990-8857 • Cover price R35.00 • Vol 7 No. 6

MED

cti

12

ive

2

NORTH WESTNORTH WESTVryburg supply upgradedVryburg supply upgraded

WATER DIALOGUESWATER DIALOGUESCommunities take Communities take centre stagecentre stage

300 000 metres of

TRENCHLESS PIPESuccessfully Installed

RENOVATE EXISTING PIPES BY:Pipe Bursti Sliplining CIPP UV Cure CIPP Ambient CureRibloc Expanda Ribloc Ribline Ribloc Rotoloc Pipe Eating

INSTALLATION OF NEW PIPES BY:Horizontal Directional Drilling Guided Rock Drilling Bores of 1200mm

Lengths up to 400 metres Microtunnelling

Countrywide 08600 66 344

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012 1

Vryburg bulk water supply upgraded

2020

44Rand Water Academy offi cially launched

REGULARS

Editor’s comment 3News international 16News Africa 18Trends & products 42

Krohne to deliver largest diameter fl ow meter in southern hemisphere

3131

New sludge handling facility2828

ON THE COVER The launch of the Rand Water Academy brings

with it a new era of skills capacity in the local water

sector.

CONTENTS Volume 7. No.6

COVER STORY

Rand Water Academy offi cially launched 4

WISA

President’s message 6Namibian WISA branch launched 8Process controllers celebrated 8YWPs make a global impact 10

HOT SEAT NuWater CEO, John Holmes:Closing the gap 12

REGIONAL FOCUS

Vryburg bulk water supply upgraded 20North West bulk water supply progresses 24

PROJECTS

New sludge handling facility for Johannesburg Water 28Krohne deliver largest diameter fl ow meter 31

TECHNICAL PAPER

Correlation of water quality with farming activities 33

INDUSTRY INSIGHT

Stressed supply: PWC Report 37WRC Water Dialogues 38Trends, milestones and challenges in the groundwater business 39

Proven Bioremediation Technology

SOUTH AFRICA

EDITOR’S COMMENT


Publisher Elizabeth ShortenAssociate publisher Ferdie PieterseEditor Chantelle MattheusHead of design Frédérick DantonSenior designer Hayley MendelowChief sub-editor Claire NozaicSub-editor Patience GumboContributors Refi lwe Khutswane, Peter Rosewarne, Dr Heidrun TippeMarketing & online manager Martin Hiller Production manager Antois-Leigh BotmaProduction coordinator Jacqueline Modise Distribution manager Nomsa MasinaDistribution coordinator Asha PursothamAdministration Tonya HebentonPrinters United Litho Johannesburg+27 (0)11 402 0571Advertising sales Avé Delport Tel: +27 (0)11 467 6224 • Cell: +27 (0)83 302 1342 Fax: 086 502 1216E-mail: [email protected]

Publisher

MEDIA Physical address: No 4, 5th Avenue Rivonia 2056Postal address: PO Box 92026, Norwood 2117, South AfricaTel: +27 (0)11 233 2600Fax: +27 (0)11 234 7274/5E-mail: [email protected]

ISSN: 1990 - 8857Annual subscription: R270 (SA rate)E-mail: [email protected] 2012. All rights reserved.All articles in Water&Sanitation Africa are copyright protected and may not be reproduced either in whole or in part without the prior written permission of the publishers. The views of contributors do not necessarily reflect those of the Water Institute of Southern Africa or the publishers.

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

Endorsed by

WISA CONTACTS:

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

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

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

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

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

www.ewisa.co.za

The fi nal issue of Water&Sanitation Africa for 2012 ‒ the November/December issue ‒ has a number of highlights in its pages, not least of which is the introduction of a new editor as the magazine bids

farewell to its founding editor, Debbie Besseling, whose wealth of knowledge in the industry will be missed.It is always daunting to face a new challenge, a new

beginning and as I pick up the reigns of editorship of Water&Sanitation Africa, despite previously having worked on titles of a similar nature, it is no less daunt-ing ‒ and yet stimulating. However, I believe the only way to get started though is to quit talking and begin doing and I hope this is evident throughout the pages of the magazine.Some highlights in this edition include a number of community-driven initiatives,

such as the Water Research Commission’s (WRC’s) fi rst Water Current’s Policy Series held on 14 August 2012 at the Leriba Lodge, Centurion, with a greater communi-

ty-centric focus as one of the primary solutions necessitated, according to delegates and speakers alike. The WRC dialogues are discussion-based

events on topical water issues aff ecting the South African public, the aim of which is to serve as a platform to exchange ideas and opinions related to water, and having been in attendance, I can defi nitely attest to the support for this initiative being ex-tensive and widespread throughout the water sector.In addition, “although strategic national water planning is critical, it has become

clear that tactical and more localised solutions are required to help close the ‘water gap’. Large centralised water infrastructure projects on their own are not suffi cient to address the challenge due to their costs, planning duration and execution complexi-ties,” believes NuWater CEO, John Holmes, as we talk to him in this month’s Hot Seat on the growing demand for clean water and the sustainable solutions available.A project that I think encapsulates all of the above ‒ a focus on community partici-

pation, as well as sustainable water resource management ‒ is featured in our region-al focus as we report on the progress of the upgrading of the bulk water supply to the town of Vryburg and the smaller communities in its immediate vicinity. I trust you will fi nd the mix of projects, processes and opinions both interesting

reading and inspiring, I look forward to your continued support and input into the magazine as it maintains its position as the complete water resource and wastewater management tool.

In the previous edition of Water&Sanitation Africa, the name of engineering and environ-mental consultant Royal HaskoningDHV was misspelt on the cover. Water&Sanitation Africaapologises for this error and any embarrassment caused.

A new chapter

mer

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

“Tactical and more localised solutions are required to help close the ‘water gap’ ”

RAND WATER ACADEMYCOVER STORY

Rand Water Academy

The Rand Water Academy, located in Zuikerbosch, Vereeniging, offi cially opened its doors on 12 October to 120 young graduates in the fi elds of science, artisanship, engineering and process

control. The academy aims to build skills and further local capacity development in the water and sanitation sector, and will initially cater for critical skills within Rand Water, and then focus on a larger Southern African scale.The launch of the academy is in line with one of Rand

Water’s strategic organisational objectives: to have a high performance culture and to specifi cally build ca-pability and capacity to meet changing organisational requirements. Molewa said: “The concept of an academy must be the special purpose vehicle to drive and sustain that particular strategic objective.” According to Molewa, it is important to take note that the Rand Water Academy

This is a momentous event in our endeavour as a sector to enhance capacity and ensure that as we deliver on our mandate, we also speak to the need for the development and skilling of our youth to employable levels.Minister of Water Affairs, Edna Molewa, at the launch.

4 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012

5

officially launched

The academy programmes cover

key areas where the water sector

is seriously under-capacitated

is borne out of the need to systematise the various pock-ets of excellence in training operating independently across the organisation into a single integrated unit. “This move is to integrate and create effi ciencies, and signals the broader intention to pursue a sector-wide infl uence within and outside the borders of the republic.”

Course contentsAs part of its objectives for the 2011/12 fi nancial year, the board of Rand Water articulated the establishment of a Rand Water Academy as a priority project for its HR portfolio. The course on off er is a three-year course and graduates will train for 18 months at the Rand Water Zuikerbosch Water Purifi cation and Pumping Station, before completing the remainder of the project with a recipient water services authority, namely a municipality. “Rand Water envisages that the acad-

emy will develop into an entity that will drive the capacitation and profession-alisation of engineers, artisans, process controllers, scientists, accountants and future leaders.”The Rand Waster Academy has fi ve key

focal areas:• a Centre of Excellence, which addresses one of the key challenges of process controller development and classifi cation around the Blue and Green Drop incen-tive-based regulations.

• a Centre of Competence, which addresses the chal-lenges around innovation in science and technology

• research & development, which seeks to address the shortage of key researcher capacity within Rand Water and in the water sector by increasing the pool of re-searchers within Rand Water, and the sector at large

• a professional exchange hub, which aims to address the challenges of exposure and international devel-opment by allowing trained individuals to practice in diff erent countries and cities outside South Africa and by inviting international water professionals to do the same within the South African water industry

• a water/sanitation solutions unit, to address the chal-lenges of science/engineering and operations solutions in the sector by utilising a team of trained water profes-sionals to provide ad hoc specialist solutions to chal-lenges that arise within the water and sanitation sector.

“We see this initiative not as a duplication of existing eff orts, but as a programme that addresses, among others, the dire need for work integrated learning,” said Molewa, adding that this would be provided by the two programmes on off er, namely the Graduate in Training Programme and the Process Controllers’ Development and Training Programme.

Programmes prioritisedThe Graduate in Training Programme seeks to not only ensure that young science and engineering graduates

get the on-the-job exposure and experience needed to make them employable, but will also address the issue of professional registration with the relevant professional bodies.The Process Controllers’ Development and Training

Programme aims to address the need for registered and qualifi ed process controllers who can be utilised in mu-nicipal water and wastewater treatment works, thereby ensuring that the plants can strive to obtain Blue and Green Drop status and, according to Molewa, “ maintain the status and improve the quality of operation and maintenance”.The academy programmes cover key areas where the

water sector is seriously under-capacitated, including:• assessment of water resources and determination of quantities of water available for use

• natural water resource monitoring and modelling systems

• compulsory licensing processes• water pricing reform• water effl uent treatment, compliance, enforcement and management

• Catchment Management Agencies;• monitoring and enforcement of water use provisions of licences and permits

• water infrastructure planning and construction• expertise in new water supply systems (e.g. desalination and recycling) and technology

• expertise in water saving and effi ciency op-tions for all sectors.

Further aspects highlighted by the minister at the launch include developing, and appre-ciation and understanding of how to increase water production and security through land restoration and land use change, as well as building productive collaborative relation-ships with all water users.

Looming water crisisThe minister also highlighted the multi-faceted “loom-ing water crisis” as a dominant feature in the industry. According to Molewa, there are three primary facets to the crises, namely water scarcity due to demographic and economic growth, a skills gap due to a recognised skills misalignment in the sector, and a lack of good management of the available good and well-intentioned supportive policy.The water sector urgently needs 4 000 artisans/

technicians to overcome the crippling challenges of poor operation and maintenance of infrastructure, according to Molewa, who added that this was nothing new. “I believe these are some of the reasons we have such academies that will ensure a smoother transition of particularly our youth and previously disadvantaged from just qualification to accreditation and expertise. We need these skills.”

COVER STORY

Opposite top Minister of Water Affairs, Edna Molewa cuts the ribbon at the launchOpposite below Minister Molewa unveils the commemorative plaque fl anked on the far left by Rand Water CEO, Dinizulu Kumalo

Mr. Dinizulu Kumalo Percival Sechemane the CEO of Rand Water

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


PRESIDENT ’S MESSAGE

• Amatola Water• Aveng Water• BIGEN AFRICA Services• BKS• Bloem Water• Botjheng Water• Bushbuckridge Water• City of Cape Town• City of Tshwane• CSIR• Dow Water & Process SA• Department of

Water Aff airs• ERWAT• ESKOM Holdings• eThekwini Municipality• Festo• Golder Associates Africa• Grundfos Alldos• Huber Technology• ITT Water & Wastewater South Africa

• Johannesburg Water• Magalies Water• Merck• Mhlathuze Water

• NCP Chlorchem • Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality

• Overberg Water• PD Naidoo & Associates Consulting Engineers

• Prentec• Rand Water• SALGA• SAME Water• Schneider Electric• Sedibeng Water• Siemens• SSI Engineers and Environmental

Consultants• Sulzer Pumps Wastewater SA• TCTA• Tecroveer• Umgeni Water• Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies South Africa

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

PATRON MEMBERS

We have to believe that as 31 556 000 seconds ‒ a year in total ‒ are almost gone and we look back, there could only

be huge satisfaction. WISA has made great strides in becoming this modern organisa-tion, and we will continue doing so by being creative and innovative in order to give the best benefi ts to our members.The WISA board recently held a very ex-

citing session to revisit the existing strategy with the intention of ensuring active and de-cisive participation of its members in the wa-ter sector ‒ even the term member has been changed to subscriber. The WISA strategic session fi nal report needs to be fi nalised and will be shared with our subscribers, but I would, in the interim, like to mention a few strategic decisions that have been made:• a review of the subscribers’ benefi ts• fi nalisation of our Memorandum of Incorporation and rules of the company

• upgrading of the WISA membership data-base and website

• professionalisation of the organisation• international exposure with our patron members and stakeholders.

• a new vision and mission for the company• a stronger emphasis on the activities of our branches and divisions

• stronger platform in the water sector in terms of support and oversight roles.

WISA would like to acknowledge the services of Dr Mandla Msibi, who resigned as a board member after years of contribution to the or-ganisation, and I would like to thank him for his role in the Education, Training and Youth Development Portfolio Committee and wish him well with his future endeavours.WISA, once again, formed part of the South

African delegation to the International Water Week in Stockholm, Sweden. This presented

who surpassed the off erings of all the other shortlisted candidates. Is it not time that we start talking to each other, build strong and healthy relationships with stakeholders and start regulating ourselves in terms of best practices and assessments, provide site-spe-cifi c training or recruit the retired profes-sionals to assist? The situation is so urgent that we cannot shy away from reaching out to others, especially in the water sector, and it sometimes need not cost anything, just a “thank you”. It sometimes feels that we all know our

challenges but the solution is beyond us for various reasons, especially red tape. We spend millions of rand on improving infra-

structure and technology, but shy away from training and c ap a c i t a t i n g the (our) people

operating and managing these facilities.WISA will endeavour to do so by taking the

fi rst strategic step, and by the next edition you will be informed on the progress of the professionalisation of process controllers and scientifi c services personnel.Let me take this opportunity to wish all

of you a blessed and joyous festive season. Wherever you will be, enjoy it, and come

back with an abundance of new energy for 2013 ‒ no matter what or how we celebrate, the festive season is best celebrated by giving the light of love to those who need it most.

WISA greetings.

Ronald M BrownPresident: Water Institute of Southern Africa

extremely good networking and strong rela-tionship-building opportunities with other organisations, including in our own country and the rest of Africa. It was most encourag-ing to see that Africa featured prominently during the conference, even highlighting the theme of the conference “Water and Food Security”. In the fi nal analysis, it will be in our interest to facilitate a similar conference of “Water and Food Security in South Africa” with all stakeholders, as it is the cornerstone of any society.WISA’s membership currently stands

at 3 394, but we still have very low local government representation. Hopefully, this will be addressed with the structuring of our new Events and membership section, which will provide marketing emphasis on local government.We have plenty of challenges in the water

sector and diff erent ways of addressing these challenges, sometimes successful and sometimes we need to go back to the drawing board, but we won’t become disillusioned, for it is our mission to turn these challenges into achievable objectives and opportunities. The amazing thing is that sometimes the answer or solution is or has been right under our nose. For example, for two years we were looking exter-nally for an assistant superintendent in my local authority, only to fi nd in the appointment of one of our own people, someone

The WISA board recently held a very exciting session to revisit the existing strategy

Taking it to the next level

kWh

Energy savings

Without solutionBaseline Energy@ measured@ recorded

Time

With solution

Implementation of Energy Management Solution

Measurements recorded for comparison to the reference

Measurements recorded during the reference period

©2012 Schneider Electric. All Rights Reserved. Schneider Electric, Make the most of your energy, and EcoStruxure are trademarks owned by Schneider Electric Industries SAS or its affiliated companies. All other trademarks are the 998-2574_ZA_B

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

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

Make the most of your energySM

Learn more about our water solutionsDownload our NEW water solutions guide today and stand a chance to win an iPad 2!Visit www.SEreply.com and enter the key code 20901pCall +27-11-254-6400

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

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

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

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

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

The difference an energy management solution makes

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


WISA NEWS

WISA branch launched in Namibia

Namibia has been experiencing a lack of a platform for water information, skills sharing, as well as net-working,” said Shivute at the launch. It is against this backdrop that NamWater spearheaded the

establishment of a branch in the country in order to promote the sharing and application of water-related scientific and engi-neering knowledge and management skills among interested and associated groups and individuals from public authorities,

industry, suppliers, consultants, development organisations and research organisations.“WISA is a well-established, not for profi t, volunteer professional

community, providing a wide range of benefi ts to its members and the water sector in general. It strives to be the inclusive and objective representative of the Southern African water sector in terms of the

mandates it holds from its about 3 266 members,” said Brown at the launch, which took place at Safar Court and Conference Centre, just outside the city centre.Zandberg credited

NamWater’s Kristina Afomso with driving the process with some help from her colleagues in the Training and Development division, as well as WISA’s head offi ce in Midrand, South Africa. NamWater covered all the costs of the launch, and the WISA Namibia branch will be situated at NamWater. The launch was well attended by a big delegation of NamWater management and staff , as well as the Namibian Ministry of Agriculture staff and the City of Windhoek staff . At the launch it was also suggested that Namibia should host the 2016 water conference, the possibility of which is being further in-vestigated, according to Zandberg. Meanwhile, the next conference ‒ the WISA 2014 Conference ‒ is set to take place in Mpumalanga, South Africa.

“

Dr Vaino Shivurte and WISA president, Ronald Brown, unveiling the symbolic plaque of the WISA Namibia branch, supported by John Shigweda, Kristina Afomso and WISA acting CEO, Dot Zandberg

Process controllers celebrated

The fi nal quarter of 2012 has seen a number of process con-trollers’ days take place. WISA has long acknowledged the vital role of all water and wastewater process controllers in the water sector in ensuring the provision of safe drinking

water to citizens and the treatment of wastewater to a standard that is not harmful to the region’s water resources and the envi-ronment. The process controllers’ days are therefore an initiative in the hope of creating platforms to stimulate and develop the country’s process controllers in a peer review environment where they can relate easily and professionally with each other.In aid of this, two Process Controllers’ Days have and will be

taking place over the last few months of 2012:• Mpumalanga Process Controllers’ Day ‒ 16 October 2012 This was the fi rst ever Process Controllers’ Day hosted in Mpumalanga and, according to a spokesperson from the Mpumalanga WISA branch, “from an operational standpoint, no resource is as important as the human resource.” As such, it is in an eff ort to ensure that the province’s district process controllers at all the water and wastewater treatment plants in the region have

every advantage necessary to excel as productive members of the WISA Process Controller’s division, which they have organ-ised this event to take place at the Lowveld Showgrounds in Nelspruit.

• Western Cape Process Controllers’ Day ‒ 29 November 2012 The third Process Controllers’ Day to be hosted in the Western Cape will be hosted at the Ceres Victoria Park by the WISA Western Cape branch, in collaboration with the Department of Water Aff airs Western Cape, SALGA, Overberg Water and the Witzenberg Municipality. The theme for the Western Cape Process Controllers’ Day, spe-

cifi cally, will address the crucial role of women in water, according to Western Cape Process Controllers division chairperson, Sydney Armoed, who added that interesting exhibitions by suppliers and key players in the sector “will also serve to enhance the outcomes of the day by aff ording delegates practical engagements with the suppliers and technical specialists”. All delegates receive a certifi cate of attendance.

Namibia is the fi rst country outside South Africa to join WISA. The launch, held on 30 July, was offi ciated by WISA president, Ronald Brown, WISA acting chief executive, Dot Zandberg, and CEO of NamWater, Dr Vaino Shivute.


WISA NEWS

During the past year, WISA has moved into the realm of capacity building and training within the water sector and has employed a training manager and coordinator to deal with these issues. The fi rst decision that was

made by WISA with regard to training was that it would not be pre-senting any short courses under its name as a training provider. The decision was taken due to the fact that WISA is not an accredited training provider and has no intention of becoming one due to a confl ict of interest with its various members.WISA, together with the Energy and Water Sector Education and

Training Authority (EWSETA) and the Department of Water Aff airs (DWA), held the fi rst of many capacity building and training work-shops during the WISA 2012 Biennial Conference and Exhibition. Each session of the workshop dealt with various aspects pertaining to capacity building and training, and were as follows:• coordinating water sector capacity build-ing and training in South Africa

• improving skills planning and career de-velopment opportunities

• improving capacity building and training and career development in water services

• improving capacity building and training and career development in integrated water resource management.

The workshop was well attended by various stakeholders who made valuable contributions to the outcomes of each session. The workshop also provided WISA a platform to share with the sector the WISA capacity building and training strategy. The strategy fo-cuses on three very distinct areas of training and capacity building that WISA will be involved in. These are coordination, quality assur-ance and professionalisation.Currently there is no institutional mechanism that provides cred-

ible information as well as analysis of the supply and demand for skills in the water sector. There have been many initiatives as well as skills audits and assessments conducted; however, there has been no coordination with regard to the sharing of information as

well as a standardised framework for determining skills shortages and supply. This has led to duplication of work, poor knowledge management as well as a low return on investments. With regard to coordination, WISA aims to consult with water sector partners in identifying training needs at all levels and to facilitate sector skills planning. WISA is currently working with the EWSETA in updating the sector skills plan and is in the process of signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the authority, which will give credence to the role that the institution is playing with regard to coordination.WISA aims to fulfi l its role of quality assurance through infl uencing

the development and quality of training for the water sector, as often numerous training programmes that remain questionable and lack

currency are seen. There is a need to develop appropriate mechanisms for the standardisation and quality assurance of training programmes within the water sector. WISA has started to work on forming eff ective partnerships with educational insti-

tutes, training authorities as well as employers. In this way it will be able to ensure that the training that is received will develop the skills required and therefore have real labour market relevance.During the past year, WISA has established a Process Controller

Division and has established branches of this division in various prov-inces as well. The establishment of this division will assist with WISA’s initiative of becoming the professional body for the water sector, as the designation of process controller will be the fi rst to be registered with the South African Qualifi cations Authority (SAQA). WISA has started the process on becoming recognised as a professional body with SAQA and has the full support of DWA and the EWSETA.Therefore, through these three key aspects of capacity building

and training, WISA aims to create an ethos that is embedded in its new vision of “Promoting excellence in the water sector, through building expertise, sharing knowledge and improving quality of life”.

Capacity building and training

WISA aims to create an ethos that is embedded in its new vision of ‘Promoting excellence in the water sector’

The Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) is committed to working with conference and event organisers to ensure that delegates and guests also understand the need to minimise their impact on the environment.

“At the CTICC, we have long recognised that sustainable business success requires that organisations make sound environmental practices a strategic imperative. As such, the CTICC has a dedicated environmental task team that advises management on trends and issues in environmental management. This ‘green’ commitment is nothing new to the CTICC. From the fi rst day of construction, the centre has worked hard to minimise its environmental impact, and its proposed expansion will build further on its reputation as a truly ‘green’ event destination.”It is therefore with great pride that WISA recently received a

“green” certifi cate from the CTICC to verify that the water institute recycled 1 340 kg of the conference waste stream during the May

2012 WISA conference, ensuring the organisation’s continued focus on the sustainable utilisation of the country’s natural resources.

WISA & CTICC go green


Making a global impact The Southern African Young Water Professionals programme has entered its fourth year of offi cial existence, with more than 800 student members and provincial chapters set up in the Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng and further afi eld, in Zimbabwe and Mozambique. Plans are also under way to launch the Mpumalanga and the Free State chapters this year.

The Young Water Professional (YWPs) are helping other young professionals and students in career development, networking, and technical skills training, but perhaps more importantly, having

a supportive network of individuals who are going through the same challenges that young people face when developing their careers. This is oftentimes the non-technical challenges ‒ such as networking at conferences and fi nding a mentor,

or sharing the challenges of being a young woman professional in a largely male-domi-nated sector ‒ to grow professionals that are equipped to deal with the technical but also non-technical chal-lenges that the water sector throws before them. In addition, the YWPs are making

an impact across the globe through their involvement in various inter-national conferences and events, most notably:• First East Africa YWP Conference in Uganda. Representing Southern African Young Water Professionals (SAYWP), Preshanthie Naicker attend-ed the fi rst East Africa Young Water

Professionals (EAYWPs) Conference in Uganda, where she conducted a podium presentation sharing SAYWP success stories and lessons learned. The conference occurred at the National Water and SC-International Resource Centre in Kampala, Uganda, from 11 to 13 December 2011, under the theme “Water for Tomorrow: A Collective Responsibility”. EAYWP is a regional forum that was established to bring

together YWPs below the age of 35 in the region, with the main aim of pooling competences in order to provide unifi ed approaches towards solving the challenges faced by the water sector in the region. The EAYWP operates under the auspices of the International Water Association (IWA) and the African Water Association. The objectives of the conference were to provide a forum for YWPs from across and beyond Africa to meet, share experiences and elaborate on their role in addressing the challenges facing the water sector in the region. Also, to provide an oppor-tunity to broaden the YWP programme by reaching out to more YWPs in Africa and working towards establishing the

African YWP umbrella. The conference was attended by over 250 delegates from over 12 other countries namely, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, Sudan, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Japan, Austria

and Germany.• The World Water Forum in Marseille in March 2012. The SAYWP programme was represented at the 6th World Water Forum held in Marseille, France, by Inga Jacobs and Tobias Barnard. This event, themed ‘Time for Solutions’, took place from 12 to 17 March 2012 and drew people from all sectors related to water, with a strong presence of young professionals wanting to make a diff erence in the water sector.Inga and Tobias assisted the IWA and the IWA YWP with

their ‘Dialogue Café Session’ by facilitating discussions on global water challenges and, more specifi cally, the role that YWPs around the world can play in addressing these challenges. Inga, in a traditional African outfi t, proudly represented South Africa in a fashion show themed ‘Women leadership in Water: presenting new thinking new challenges’.

The YWPs are making an impact across the globe through their involvement in various international conferences and events

ABOVE YWPs made a strong representation at the recent WISA conferenceBELOW Inge Jacobs at the World Water Forum in Mareilles, held in March 2012

WISA NEWS YOUNG WATER PROFESSIONALS


The youth showed their passion towards the water sector by voicing their opinions and solution in sessions for ‘Youth Solutions’, ‘Emerging Academic Perspectives: Water for Food’, and ‘Youth debate on climate change’, which were all combined in creation of a youth vision for the water sector and the launch of the ‘Water youth movement’ that aims to bring together all youth organisa-tions and programmes in the world.The French Young Professionals programme,

‘Projection’, recreated a slum that was eff ectively used as a venue to discuss water problems and solutions in an environment that ensured you never forgot the real world situation faced by millions of people living in such conditions.

The WISA 2012 Conference in May 2012 YWPs also made a strong representation at the WISA Conference, where they were able to network and take part in Wetskills 2012. Twenty Dutch and African students presented their two-week water challenge pitches, which they had worked on prior to the conference collaborative-ly, to a jury of professionals. Congratulations go to Linda Zulu, Nadine Wacka, Sanne Muis and Peter de Jong, who won this year’s challenge with ‘Sewage treatment: a walk in the park’.Hard work also paid off when Umvoto Africa was

awarded the YWP Professional Development Award, while D Ikumi won the Dr GG Cille Award for the student with the best contribution to the understanding of anaerobic and sludge handling, with a paper on modeling of struvite precipitation in anaerobic digestion.The best paper on mine water

management by a student went to J Gorimbo, for work on investigation of the regeneration of natural zeolite used to absorb heavy metals, while the Foundation for Water Research Award (UK) went to F Mhlanga for his work on infl uent character-isation of wastewater.

The Africa Youth Summit in June 2012South Africa, through the Department of Water Aff airs, hosted the Africa Youth in Water Summit. The event created a platform for young people participating in various school-based and out of school projects to share experiences of being in the water sector. Over 500 young people attended the summit from the nine provinces of South Africa. For the YWP network, the out of school youth session was an important platform attended by young leaders from all over Africa. This session focused on the development of Africa Youth Water Strategy and Implementation Plan, which will be presented to the technical committee of African Ministers Council of Water (AMCOW) and subsequently to the AMCOW for approval. The SAYWP president, Inga Jacobs, formed part of the Out

of School Task team, responsible for the fi nalisation of this strategy. The main purpose of the Out of School Youth stream was to provide a platform for governments, civil society organisations and key partners in Africa to share experiences and understand what countries are doing with regard to youth engagement in the water and sani-tation sector. The meeting also provided government offi cials with

an opportunity to review previous declarations and com-mitments, and consider strategic direction for operation-alising the Africa Youth Programme against the backdrop that young persons have the right to participate in all spheres of society, and that governments are encouraged to facilitate the creation or strengthening of platforms

for youth participation in decision-making at local, national, regional, and continental levels of governance, as stipulat-ed in Article 11 (Youth Participation) of the Africa Youth Charter.

The IWA International YWP conference in Budapest in July 2012 Between 10 and 13 July 2012, YWPs from more than 30 diff erent countries met in Budapest, Hungary, for the 6th IWA YWP conference. This conference provided an international forum for

young researchers and professionals working in water and wastewater research, technology and management sectors, to present their work and meet their peers from all over the world. The South African YWPs were well represented at this

event and proudly took the podium for fi ve presentations and a poster session. The Gauteng YWP chairperson, Shanna Nienaber, did a presentation at the conference looking at the role that river basin organisations play in eff ectively governing transboundary rivers in Southern Africa. Raymond Siebritis, the Western Cape YWP chair-man, also presented at this event. He explored the impact that water research is having in South Africa.

Governments are encouraged to facilitate the creation or strengthening of platforms for youth participation in decision-making

ABOVE YWP delegates at the WISA 2012 Conference

WISA NEWS


NUWATERHOT SEAT

Closing the gap

In this month’s Hot Seat, NuWater CEO John Holmes talks to Chantelle Mattheus on the growing demand for clean water and the few companies able to offer the technology, expertise, creativity and fi nancing capability required to

meet the challenge.

In twee

mmm

I

What other challenges abound? JH The treatment and handling of waste streams from the water treatment process remains a major challenge. In order to maximise the potential of water reclamation and reuse, further technology improvements are required to fully dewater waste streams and extract value from them to help off set overall treatment costs. The development and

The gap between demand for clean water and supply contin-ues to grow in South Africa and across much of the globe as population, industrial and agricultural growth continues. “Although strategic national water planning is critical, it has

become clear that tactical and more localised solutions are required to help close the ‘water gap’. Large centralised water infrastructure projects on their own are not suffi cient to address the challenge due to their costs, planning duration and execution complexities.“Rapidly deployable, and in some cases redeployable, solutions that

are scalable and cost-eff ective are required to address local water treatment requirements. Effi cient and eff ective technology needs to be supplemented by creative thinking on symbiotic water reuse scenarios and fi nancing alternatives,” says Holmes.

There are currently very few companies able to off er the technol-ogy, expertise, creativity and fi nancing capability required to supply reliable and cost-eff ective decentralised water treatment solutions. This is particularly true for unconventional water treatment require-ments, such as mine drainage water and produced water in oil and gas, as well as ‘indirect potable reuse’ where wastewater is recycled as high-quality drinking water. NuWater was set up specifi cally to address this gap in the market and to bring a new focus to decen-tralised water treatment and localised water reuse applications. We identifi ed three critical success factors for NuWater from the start: access to superior technology, the ability to provide fl exible fi nancing options to our customers and a passionate commitment to customer service.

refi nement of technology in the areas of zero liquid discharge and ‘value from waste’ are a major focus for NuWater.

What solutions can NuWater off er? NuWater is able to off er a broad range of water treatment solutions based on multiple technologies. We specialise in membrane technologies, and in particular reverse osmosis (RO) ‒ the

leading technology for desalinating large volumes of sea and brackish water. The superiority of NuWater’s proprietary large-diameter (16 inch) RO has been proven with some of the world’s most demanding customers and at high profi le sites. NuWater is also a pioneer in completely modular, rapidly deployable and redeployable, water and wastewater

treatment plants. Aside from technology, NuWater off ers a range of fi nancing options to its customers, ranging from equipment supply through to ‘water as a service’ where the customer is charged only for the water cleaned by NuWater.

How important is continued R&D? NuWater is a technology-led company with proprietary technology. We, however,

recognise that technology continues to evolve and that further investment and creativity is required to maintain a competitive advantage. We work very closely with academic research institutions and our Singapore offi ce is based at the Nanyang Technological University, a globally recognised centre for water technology. At NuWater, we also believe that you need to continue to look outside the company for the best and most suitable solution to a specifi c application. We therefore also invest time and eff ort in developing strong relationships with international technology providers.

What “cutting edge” technologies has NuWater brought to the market? NuWater’s predecessor company, GrahamTek, pioneered large diameter (16 inch) RO technology and proved that this technology surpasses conventional 8-inch technology both in terms of produced water quality, and capital and operating costs. Our fl ow distributor and electromagnetic fi eld technologies allow NuWater plants to achieve greater sustainable fl ux rates than conventional technology without the commonly associated fouling and scaling. NuWater’s technology was proven in Singapore, considered to be one of the most sophisticated global water hubs. Our technology is deployed at Singapore’s fl agship wastewater reclamation plant, the Bedok NEWater factory.

What are some of NuWater’s projects? NuWater’s primary regional focus is on sub-Saharan Africa and Asia Pacifi c, operating from its bases in Cape Town and Singapore. Some of the most high profi le projects we have executed include the 15 Mℓ/d completely modular and mobile mine drainage

signifi cantly to the NuWater team’s skills and experience.

Current projects? NuWater has recently secured a major contract in Ghana for a leading mining company to provide two mine wastewater treatment plants. These plants will ensure reclaimed and discharged water meets the highest international standards. We have a number of similar mining projects in the pipeline as well as unconventional industrial and drinking water projects.

Market focus? Extractive industries, such as mining and oil and gas, represent major opportunities for NuWater as our technology and business model is very well-suited

to addressing the requirements of these industries. In addition, our modular and mobile plants position us well for the growth in decentralised water treatment. Increased enforcement of environmental discharge limits on mining and oil and gas companies and a growing public awareness of the importance of managing water supplies will help drive growth in our target markets. Necessity will also help drive

new business for our distributed water treatment solutions, and NuWater aims to become a trusted brand name in this space. NuWater is a young high-growth company without the common legacy issues of conventional water companies. We are focused on the growth opportunities already identifi ed, which present real and immediate business.

What key benefi ts are there on off er? There is always a small number of key questions a customer asks a supplier or service provider. First, is your technology and delivery capability proven in demanding environments? Second, how much does it cost over the life cycle of the requirement? And fi nally, are you able to provide the required technical and commercial services and service levels over the duration of the requirement? Quite simply, NuWater is able

to provide simple and clear responses to all these questions supported by project and customer references. NuWater’s willingness and capability to take on performance risk also provides further reassurance to customers where the applica-tion is unproven.

water reclamation plant at Anglo American Thermal Coal’s New Vaal Colliery, near Vereeniging; the seawater 1 Mℓ/d desalination plant at Sedgefi eld, supplying drinking water; the 55 Mℓ/d wastewater reclamation plant for Singapore’s Public Utility Board (PUB), providing high-grade water for industrial and drinking purposes and the 10 Mℓ/d seawater desalination plant providing high-grade process water to Singapore’s PowerSeraya power station.

What were some of the highlights of these projects? The projects mentioned provide a good idea of the scope of application of NuWater’s technology and expertise, particularly in unconventional water treatment applications. RO is central to all the plants mentioned, as is specialist pretreatment using the latest media fi ltration and membrane technology. What is also signifi cant is the range of capacities of the diff erent

plants and feed water sources, which range from seawater to secondary sewerage water and contaminated ground and surface water. The nature of the plants also ranges from world-class infrastructure, such as the PUB Bedok plant in Singapore, to the pioneering large-scale modular and mobile plant at Anglo American Thermal Coal. All of these projects have had their own unique challenges, which have contributed

NuWater is a technology-led company with

proprietary technology

i ifi l h N W b i f di ib d


HOT SEAT

OPPOSITE NuWater’s 15 Mℓ/d Wastewater Reclamation Plant

at Anglo American Thermal Coal’s New Vaal Colliery

RIGHT NuWater Small Mobile Plant for Drinking Water

BELOW RIGHT NuWater Modular & Mobile/Re-

deployable Plant

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

AUSTRALIA Former Sydney Water CEO appointed to NBN board

FORMER CEO and MD of Sydney Water, Dr Kerry Schott, has been appoint-

ed to the board of NBN Co. “Schott has extensive experi-

ence in infrastructure delivery and fi nance, both in the public and private sectors, and will be a valuable addition to the NBN Co Board,” the Australian minister for Finance and Deregulation, senator Penny Wong, said.Schott has spent 15 years in

investment banking, including as a MD at Deutsche Bank responsible for infrastructure work in Australia and Asia, and as executive vice president of Bankers Trust Australia.She also has signifi cant

experience in the public sector, including as CEO of the NSW Commission of Audit.She is a member of the

Infrastructure Partnerships Australia Board, Whitlam Institute and the New South Wales Treasury Corporation (TCorp).Schott’s appointment is

eff ective immediately.Source: ARN

INDIA Frequent fl oodsCentre plans to restructure Brahmaputra Board

AGAINST THE backdrop of fre-quent fl oods in Assam and al-legations of its failures to deal with the situation, the centre has decided to restructure the

Brahmaputra Board and turn it into a body to develop and manage water resources of the entire north-eastern region.The Water Resources

Ministry sought feedback from chief ministers of the seven north-eastern states, on the draft proposal to restructure the board, which came into being 32 years ago.The government may bring

in a new legislation to trans-form the Brahmaputra Board into the Brahmaputra River Valley Authority and replace the current Brahmaputra Board 1980 Act.“A review of the functioning

of the Brahmaputra Board reveals that it did not have a mandate to provide a strong framework for the holistic de-velopment of the Brahmaputra River,” said the draft.It also said the board failed

to build up competent engineering cadre to support its activities, which remained largely concentrated in the state of Assam.According to the draft, the

proposed authority will be mandated to coordinate de-velopment and management of water, land and related sources to maximise economic and social welfare without compromising the ecosystem of the Brahmaputra valley.It will have two parts ‒ a

policy-making apex council and an executive wing.The council will be headed by

the Water Resources minister as chairman and include the chief ministers and ministers for water resources of the north-eastern states.The executive board will be

responsible for implementing the decisions of the council.After the authority is set

up, the centre will create a fund called the Brahmaputra Fund. The fund will be used to fi nance the water resources activities in the member states.The centre will be the custo-

dian of the fund, which will be controlled by the authority, the

draft said.Source: Businessline

Ryan Lochte campaigns for clean water and sanitation in India

AMERICAN OLYMPIC swimmer Ryan Lochte, along with fellow gold medalist Conor Dwyer,

has fi lmed a public service announcement urging support for greater access to clean water in developing countries, including India. The campaign is for Water

for People, which is a Denver-based NGO.According to Politico, the

organisation describes its mission as helping ‘people in developing countries improve quality of life by supporting the development of locally sustainable drinking water resources, san-itation facilities, and hygiene education programmes’. They currently work in

Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Malawi, Rwanda, Uganda, and India. The organisation is in the

midst of a fundraising drive for its Time Well Spent challenge, seeking to help women spent time doing what they love, the report added. “Donate now to Time Well

Spent and give women and girls time to do things they love,” Lochte said. Source: the Indian Express

OMAN Date palm leaves can help clean wastewater

DATE PALM leaves can help purify wastewater from hospitals of chemicals and dyes before it is discharged into the municipal sewers, scientists claim. Researcher Al Said Al Shafey, from Sultan Qaboos University in Oman, intends to establish basis for a physico-chemical unit for the treatment of hospital wastewater. Al Shafey said they could

extract dehydrated and activated carbons from date palm leaves, which is a cheap and sustainable resource in Oman. Around 180 000 t of date palm leaves are estimat-ed to be produced annually in the country, the Times of Oman reported.Scientists tested diff erent

carbons for removal of certain pharmaceuticals like ciprofl oxacin, paracetamol, fexofenadine, lisinopril, diphenhydramine and chlor-pheniramine maleate from aquatic solutions. The chemists also examined the removal of heavy metals and dyes.The results showed that the

cheap dehydrated carbon from date palm leaves proved to be as efficient as activated carbon for removing pharma-ceuticals and dyes. According to Al Shafey, the findings would be soon utilised in a pilot project in hospital wastewater treatment.Hospitals consume a

significant amount of water in a day, ranging from 400 to 1 200 ℓ/d per bed. It generates significant amounts of wastewater, usually loaded with microorganisms, heavy metals, hormones, radioactive isotopes and other impurities, the researchers said.The main challenge of

pharmaceuticals was that many of these substances are not easily biodegradable as they bypass the biological wastewater treatment and become ubiquitous in the environment. Source: Money control


bidim R

AFRICAN NEWS

KENYAWater wars kill scores

WATER SCARCITY is fuelling deadly inter-ethnic wars that continue to claim lives in Kenya, according to government offi cials. And if nothing is done to educate communities on how to conserve the valuable resource, the situation will escalate, governance experts and environmentalists warn.On 9 September, 38 people

were killed in revenge attacks in Kenya’s Tana River Delta district. The deceased included eight children, fi ve women, 16 men, and nine police offi cers. The incident occurred as the

government announced that it would conduct a disarmament exercise in the Tana River Delta, following clashes over water and pasture that have left more than 80 people dead.But confl ict over resources

is not confi ned to this region. North Eastern provincial offi cer, Ernest Munyi, also the region’s assistant commissioner of police, said that the attacks were becoming more frequent. “These are nomadic pastoralists who depend on livestock for survival. They rustle livestock and fi ght over water and the few grazing fi elds,” he said.Peter Mangich, director of

water services at the Ministry of Water and Irrigation, stated that due to the eff ects of climate change, the country now only received one quarter of its previous rainfall. “The average annual rainfall is 630 mm, which should be four times

this fi gure to be enough. The National Development Plan 2002 to 2008 recognised Kenya as a water-scarce country where the water demand ex-ceeded renewable freshwater sources,” he said.Source: ipsnews.net

SOUTH AFRICAMintek’s new water atomising plant launchedMINERAL RESOURCES Minister, Susan Shabangu, has launched Mintek’s R44 million water atomising plant. Situated at Mintek’s Randburg campus, the will provide an eff ective means for the production of solid metal powder from 6 t batches of molten metal. The atomiser plant was designed and built by MDM Engineering, which sourced the atomisation technology from UK-based

metals processing company Atomising Systems.Unveiling the new plant,

Shabangu said the facility represents an ongoing collab-oration between Mintek and the platinum industry. She said the technical collaboration was aimed at lowering the costs and environmental burden of the sector, and consequently represented one of the tangible areas where government was working with the industry to remove technical impediments and reduce risk in the sector.“As a department, we always

strive towards working hand in hand with the mining sector, in a joint eff ort to solve problems that may exist,” she said.According to Mintek, the

new plant will initially be used for a two-year research and development project for Anglo American Platinum. Source: SAnews


20

BULK WATER SUPPLYREGIONAL FOCUS • North West

Hydro-Pyro Metallurgical Project Managers| Mineral Processing Engineers |

T

F

E

+27 11 498 6000

+27 11 498 6060

[email protected] www.kenyuka.com

Need expertise with effluent and wastewater treatment?

K' Enyuka produces affordable, workable and effective solutions tailored to specific

requirements, whether dewatering or the treatment of wastewater and effluent. Its

offering includes design, engineering and construction of wastewater treatment and

effluent plants as well as dewatering installations.

Coralynne & Associates +27 (0) 11 422 1949

Vryburg bulk water supply upgraded

The construction of a new pump station at Vryburg in the North West is part of the upgrading of the bulk water supply to the town and its immediate vicinity. Chantelle Mattheus spoke to the relevant role players regarding the project’s progress and what it will mean to the local community.

The Vryburg area in the North West has been ex-periencing what has been termed ‘serious water shortages’ by those involved in the upgrade of the town and the surrounding areas’ bulk water

infrastructure during the past seasons due to “the absence of sustainable water supply systems to the town and townships”. There are also a further 3 500 houses planned through local housing projects that will increase the de-mand substantially in the area.“The new bulk water supply line was designed to supply

bulk water from Pudimoe to Vryburg. The total length of the supply line will be 56 km, with three new reservoirs and two new pump stations. NEP Consulting Engineers has been appointed by Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District Municipality as the consulting engineers for the bulk water project to supply water to the town of Vryburg, as well as Huhudi, Colridge and Kismet. This will include the complete design of the bulk water system, putting it out for construction tendering and ensuring the project is running as planned during construction by the appointed

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012

REGIONAL FOCUS • North West

contractors and ensuring the quality of work is maintained throughout the project,” says Rayno Booysen of NEP Consulting Engineers.Current infrastructure includes an existing 250 mm

diameter pumpline from Pudimoe water works to supply the Vryburg area and the villages along the pumpline route, as well as 20 existing boreholes used to supply wa-ter to the Vryburg reservoir. “The existing water resources are already over-utilised and the long-term sustainability thereof is seriously impacted. The results can be seen in the areas mentioned where water shortages occur reg-ularly,” says Booysen. The new supply line will have the capacity to supply the Vryburg area for the next 20 years.According to Booysen, key factors that had to be

considered during the planning and design stages were the current capacity with regards to bulk water supply from treatment plants, as well as population growth patterns, the continually growing water demands from communities, the topography of the system, bulk wa-ter storage facilities and pipeline capaci-ties “for current and future demands”.

District perspective“With reference to the existing infra-structure, Vryburg town is getting bulk treated water from the Pudimoe Water Treatment Plant, which is approxi-mately 50 km from

Vryburg, adjacent to the N18 road. This treatment works consists of two plants, with a new water treatment works planned,” says municipality spokesperson, Molefi Chwene.The old water treatment works, which is currently

operational, was commissioned in 1967 and has been refurbished with a design capacity 6 Mℓ/d. The second treatment works, which is currently under refurbishment and only partially operational, was commissioned in 2003 with a design capacity of 8 Mℓ/d. The fi nal water treat-ment works currently being constructed is the newest edition, with a design capacity of 8 Mℓ/d.Chwene explains that the Naledi Bulk Water Supply

Project is mainly set to benefi t the Naledi Local Municipality, which is one of fi ve local municipalities

PHASE 1: Reservoirs Budget (ZAR including vat) Main contractors

SECTION A New 10 Mℓ concrete reservoir at Vryburg

16 427 309.71Lepogo Construction JV

Mphumelelo

SECTION B New 1 Mℓ concrete reservoir at Dryharts 11 600 928.38 Ultimate Dynamic

SECTION C New 1 Mℓ steel tank at Brussels 3 397 112.33 HT Pelatona JV Ora and Ore

PHASE 2: Pipelines

SECTION A1Pumping main diameter 500 mm from new Pudimoe Pump station to turn off at Dryharts (13.1 km)

36 179 477.26 Balekane JV Esorfranki

SECTION A2Pumping and gravitational main of diameter 500 mm from new turn off at Dryharts to Dryharts reservoir (4.1 km)

13 181 468.65 KD Civils/Uncle Paul JV

SECTION BGravity supply line diameter 500 mm from turn off at Dryharts Reservoir to Brussels booster pumpstation (17.5 km)

52 115 186.64 Udumo Trading t/a Ultimate Dynamic

SECTION C1&2Pumping main diameter 500 mm from Brussels Pumpstation to new 10 Mℓ concrete reservoir (21.3 km)

C1: 50 835 722.04 Balekane JV Esorfranki

C2: 10 013 695.41 Balekane JV Esorfranki

SECTION DGravity supply line diameter 400 mm from new 10 Mℓ reservoir to existing Vryburg reservoir (6 km)

12 238 362.84 MIS Pipelines

SECTION EGravity supply line diameter 400 mm from new 10 Mℓ reservoir to existing Huhudi reservoir (4 km)

8 581 059.30 MIS Pipelines

PHASE 3: Pumpstations

Section a Pumpstation at New 10 Mℓ Reservoir, Vryburg

7 365 140.77 HT Pelatona

Section b Brussels Booster Pump Station 14 382 117.95 HT Pelatona

TABLE 1 The phases of the new bulk water scheme


22

that fall under the district municipality’s jurisdiction and only constitutes 14% of its population.“Up to the end of 2007,

most of the portable water supply to the Naledi Local Municipality was from groundwater sources through a series of bore-holes. The groundwater was augmented by a pumped supply from the 2003 water works in Pudimoe via a 315 mm uPVC pipeline with the design fl ow of 6 Mℓ/d. Currently the water requirement for the Naledi Local Municipality is about 9 Mℓ/d and peak require-

ment of 13 Mℓ/d ‒ and this will be addressed with the new bulk water pipeline which will be constructed parallel to the existing water line,” explains Chwene.He adds that bulk water is currently being abstracted from the

Vaalharts irrigation scheme with a maximum of 3.1 million cubic metres per annum, which equates to 8.99 Mℓ/d (including 20 days’ storage) to be withdrawn for use by the Naledi Local Municipality.

New pump stations and reservoirs plannedPart of the project, valued at R17.8 million, involves the con-struction of a new pump station at Vryburg next to an existing pressure tower, as well as the construction of a booster pump station at nearby Brussels in the North West. HT Pelatona Projects has been appointed at the main contractor on site, with NEP Consulting Engineers continuing their role as the appointed civil engineers on the project.The bulk water pipeline, with its pump station and reservoirs,

will form part of the total supply project that will supply water from the Taung Dam up to Pudimoe Water Treatment Plant, from where it will be treated and supplied to the Vryburg area.“These reservoirs and pump stations were strategically placed for the most feasible option,” says Booysen. This was achieved by dividing the bulk water supply system into three sections, namely:• pumping main from Pudimoe to Dryharts• gravitation line from Dryharts to Brussels• pumping main from booster pump station at Brussels to Vryburg.“The sections were divided in this manner to reduce the total energy cost of the bulk water supply line. With the positioning of the 1 Mℓ concrete reservoir close to Dryharts, we were able to gravitate water for 20 km from Dryharts up to the new 1 Mℓ steel reservoir at Brussels. Water is then pumped from a new booster pump station at Brussels to Vryburg,” says Booysen, add-ing that the new supply line will also be designed to be utilised in future to supply water to Ganyesa and Stella as well.

Localised labourHe adds that the project commenced in January and , at the time of writing, was almost 50% complete. The targeted completion date of March 2013 is still in place and “all seems to be in line to be completed by the specifi ed date”, says Booysen.

Bulk water is currently being abstracted from the Vaalharts irrigation scheme with a maximum



REGIONAL FOCUS • North West BULK WATER SUPPLY


Excellence in Chemical Dosing

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

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

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

Compact vertical dosing systems for all kinds of fluids

Preparation and dosing stations for polymers and flocculation aids

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

North West project progressesThe Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality in the North West province has secured R10.2 million for the upgrading of bulk water supply in Braklaagte (Lekubu). Worley Parsons’ civil engineer, Lebogang Moinwe, spoke to Refi lwe Khutswane about the projects progress to date.

Braklaagte (Lekubu) is a formal settlement approximately 20 km north of Zeerust and consists of 1 422 stands with a total population of 5 401 benefi ciaries. The existing water sup-

ply consists of 12 boreholes: three new drilled but not equipped and nine equipped boreholes. Eight of the equipped boreholes are electrically operated and one is driven by diesel power. The two of the newly drilled boreholes are in the main villages and one in Modisa section of the settlement.The borehole equipped with a diesel motor and one

driven by electrical power are in the Modisa section of the settlement and are connected to a steel storage tank of 40 kℓ. The water is then fed into the existing distribution network from elevated steel reservoir, which ensures a minimum system inlet pressure of 10 m (static) into the distribution network.The remaining seven boreholes supply the main

village. Five of them are connected to a 600 kℓ steel res-ervoir by means of 75 mm diameter uPVC pipes and two directly supply the network. One of the seven boreholes has dried up and has broken rods, while another has very small pipes as well as broken rods. The water from these boreholes is fed into the existing distribution network from the reservoir by means of a network of uPVC pipes varying in size between 62 and 200 mm in diameter.

Upgrade neededThe current combined safe yield of the nine production boreholes serving Braklaagte is 3.5 ℓ/s. However, only seven are in operation currently. According to Moinwe, this means that the entire bulk infrastructure needs to be



With a solid track record spanning over half a century, GIBB has established itself as a partner of choice. Backed by a Level 2 BBBEE rating, GIBB provides engineering solutions to a diverse range of markets across the African continent.

[email protected] | www.gibb.co.za | +27 11 519 4600

The Intelligent Choice

rehabilitated to enable suffi cient water supply and distri-bution to the village, which was the primary reason for the municipality initiating the project.The scope of the works includes the erection of a new

550 kℓ steel reservoir on concrete footings, the provision of a chlorination unit at the existing elevated reservoir, the installation of a new 110 mm diameter Class 9 uPVC connector pipe line between the existing 600 and 40 kℓ reservoirs (±4.5 km), the installation of 110 and 75 mm diameter Class 9 distribution pipe line (±6 km) and 12 standpipes and the equipping and rehabilitation of four boreholes. Additionally, provision of two cattle drinking points, the

electrical connection to reservoir, fencing and site works have also been included in the scope of works outlined in the tender.

Contracts and constructionConstruction is still in its early stage, with a focus on tried and tested technology being upheld throughout the proj-ect rollout. The project, valued at R10.2 million, is set to be completed February 2013. Moinwe outlines the portions of the works that still need to be subcontracted to CIDB registered contractors, in accordance with the municipal-ities procedures, as being:• the supply and erection of a new 550 kℓ steel reservoir

• the equipping of three new boreholes• the electrical connection to the reservoir.“Competitive tenders shall be invited in respect of each of the above portions of the works in accordance with the relevant provisions of the latest edition of the CIBD Standard for Uniformity in Construction Procurement.

“The contract data in the associ-ated procurement documents will be based on the use of Building Industries Federation South Africa’s (BIFSA) standard industry contracts with minimal project

specific variations and amendments that do not change their intended usage. “Furthermore the municipality, together with the

contractor once appointed, is to proceed inaccor-dance with the provisions of the Standard Conditions of Tender contained in Annex F of Standard Condition Procurement,” Moinwe explained.According to Moinwe, an accredited training provider

will be appointed to provide the required skills training on site. “Thrity-five people will be appointed on the project peak and they will be the indirect beneficiaries of the R70 000 that has been set aside in the project budget for accredited training courses for selected local and other labourers,” he maintained.

OPPOSITE The WorleyParsons team laying pipes in the Braklaagte village

Construction is still in its early stage, with a focus on tried and tested technology being upheld

THE AIM of the course, in line with Buckman’s broader purpose as a company, is to

make the world more sustainable. This contribution to sustainabil-ity comes from providing the technical training that will help local business partners reduce their risks, improve their efficiencies and be good stewards of both the environment and the bottom line, explains Buckman Industry Technology Manager, Peter Wheeler.“The current challenges with regards to handling wastewater

treatment have highlighted a need for skills improvement in the sector, which is what prompted this course,” says Wheeler.The course, which was presented over a three-day period from

19 to 21 September 2012 at the Kopanong Hotel and Conference Centre in Benoni, Gauteng, was targeted at chemical engineers, water treatment practitioners, plant supervisors and oth-er technical person-nel involved in the field of wastewater treatment. The 29 delegates who attended all received a certifi-cate of attendance for the short course in wastewater treatment on the final day.According to one of the course presenters, Technical Consultant

to Buckman and Industry, Pam Allison, an added benefit was the networking that was facilitated between the delegates. This was further promoted by provision being made for short interactive breakout sessions where delegates participated in choosing suitable unit operations and processes for the practical design of a wastewater treatment facility to treat a specific water quality. “They were able to apply the theory and practical, as well as their own experience and find solutions amongst themselves.”

ADVERTORIAL BUCKMAN

Committ ed to wastewater First Buckman wastewater treatment course a success

Global water treatment innovator, Buckman, recently organised and hosted a three-day training course aimed at developing an understanding of the basic physical and chemical unit operations and biological processes used to render wastewater safe for discharge, recycling and/or reuse for industrial purposes and processes.

COMPREHENSIVE FOCUSPlanning for the course began in March this year, with a signifi cant amount of time going into the construction of the course material. Buckman Industry Specialist: Water Technologies ‒ and the second expert presenter for the course ‒ Alfonso Palazzo added that the course content was carefully compiled in accordance with well-rec-ognised reference material on wastewater engineering, chemistry and microbiology, with the course also being ECSA accredited for three full points. Palazzo and Allison’s fi elds of expertise include industrial microbi-

ology, water chemistry, liquid-solid separation, membrane technol-ogies, biotechnology and wastewater treatment. The course content sought to provide a technically structured overview of wastewater treatment principles and technologies that will enable delegates to gain insight into the decision-making criteria that are used to match wastewater treatment

operations and processes with specifi c wastewater contaminants. The course also added insight through referencing industrial case studies and practical knowledge from the course presenters’ own experiences.The course outline included:• an overview of wastewater treatment• constituents in wastewater• physical unit operations (including screening, grit removal, fl ow

equalisation, mixing and fl occulation, primary sedimentation, high rate clarifi cation and fl otation)

• chemical unit operations (including coagulation and fl occula-tion, chemical precipitation, chemical oxidation and chemical neutralisation)

The course content sought to provide a technically structured overview of wastewater treatment principles and technologies


G

a

a

w

ADVERTORIAL

training and skills transfer

• biological processes (including microbial metabolism and growth, aerobic biological oxidation, biological nitrifi cation and denitrifi -cation, biological phosphorous removal, primary sedimentation, anaerobic fermentation and oxidation)

• advanced wastewater treatment processes (including fi ltration, absorption, ion exchange, membrane separation and disinfection)

• reuse of water and biosolids.In addition, the course presenters also indicated they aimed to enable the attendees to assess the advantages and disadvantages prevalent in traditional wastewater treatment technologies, process-es and operations in comparison with the more sophisticated newer wastewater treatment technologies.

SIGNIFICANT VALUE IN ATTENDINGPalazzo indicated that due to the interactive nature of the course, an attendee was even able to come forward with their own material and demonstrate how they had made money through a focus on zero liquid discharge. “Many people are fi nding ways in which they can increase their effi ciency and make a profi t from wastewater, which is hugely exciting and encouraging,” said Buckman’s Palazzo, indicating that course participants came from a wide range of sec-tors, including food, metals and mining, refi neries, pulp and paper, consulting and textiles. “I found the course highly informative, especially because I fi nd

myself in charge of an effl uent plant at the moment and I have no specifi c background in this fi eld,” said course attendee, Mariska van Eeden.Her main aim in attending the course was to gather information on

the diff erent types of methods and technologies available currently to address wastewater in industry contexts such as her own. “The course coordinators highlighted a lot of processes and procedures I was not aware of, so in this way I found it most defi nitely worthwhile to attend,” said Van Eeden, adding that the interaction across the board with other industrial role players was an added advantage in that she was given a unique perspective into their challenges and how those industries addressed it in their cases. “This will be of great help in managing my plant eff ectively and effi ciently going forward.”Van Eeden adds that although she came to the course with a lot of

questions, “I haven’t had to ask a single one because between the course material and presentations they seem to know what I want to ask and answer it before I even get to asking.”The team has indicated that more courses will be off ered in 2013,

the fi rst being in the fi rst quarter, focusing on subjects that have been raised during this initial course. “Some subjects that can have more focus include ion exchange, reverse osmosis and membrane bioreactors. There is defi nitely a huge need out there and we expect the attendance will keep growing over the courses to come,” con-cludes Wheeler.



PROJEC T

New sludge handling facilityEnsuring the continued optimal performance of the Bushkoppie Waste Water Treatment Works, a new approach for the reliable and effi cient stabilisation, dewatering and disposal of sludge has played a key role in the design and construction of the new sludge handling facility, fi nds Chantelle Mattheus.

The Bushkoppie Waste Water Treatment Works (WWTW), located in the South of Johannesburg, Gauteng, is one of the largest wastewater facilities currently operated by Johannesburg

Water. It has a nominal treatment capacity of 200 Mℓ/day employing conventional biological nutrient removal (BNR) treatment process strains such as screening and grit removal, as well as primary and secondary clarifi ca-tion and disinfection, before discharging into the local Harrington Spruit. The plant therefore produces primary and waste acti-

vated sludge streams. However, before commencing the construction of the new sludge handling facility ‒ which was 95% complete when Water&Sanitation Africa visited the site in early August and set to be commissioned at the end of August this year ‒ no on-site sludge treatment facility existed, resulting in the sludge being pumped to the Olifantsvlei and Goudkoppies WWTWs for treatment.“The Bushkoppie Works is currently dependent on the

Olifantsvlei and Goudkoppies WWTWs’ availability to receive sludge. The long sludge conveyance pipelines to

the other two works in the south have been an ongoing source of maintenance and reliability problems. The sludge pipeline to Goudkoppies works is routed via an in-formal settlement, which makes access for maintenance a

challenge and can put people’s health at risk when pipe blockages lead to pipe bursts,” said Thapelo Teane, Johannesburg Water

capital investment spokesperson, at the site visit on 8 August 2012. Teane added that while the sludge pipeline to the

Olifantsvlei works is also prone to grit settlements and therefore poor reliability, part of the motivation for the new sludge handling facility was because the anaerobic digesters at the Olifantsvlei WWTW are also overloaded. “Hence the digester performance is compromised due to the additional sludge from the Bushkoppie works.”Johannesburg Water owns and maintains six WWTWs

of varying capacity. “The challenge is to operate these treatment works optimally through the reduction of costs and the effi -cient use of chemicals, while at the same time maintaining compliance standards in line with the require-ments of the Department of Water Aff airs,” said City of Johannesburg MMC, Councillor Matshidiso Mfi koe.The new sludge facility is set to cre-

ate additional infrastructure redun-dancy and regional back-up facilities once commissioned. Operation and maintenance will also be undertak-en, according to Teane, in a reliable and cost-eff ective manner. “The project will therefore adhere to the Johannesburg Water Standards in terms of process selection, mechan-ical/electrical equipment selection, and control or instrumentation installation. This will ensure use of standardised equipment and sys-tems for which Johannesburg Water has proven operating procedures and maintenance protocols.”

The challenge is to operate these treatment works optimally through the reduction of costs and the effi cient use of chemicals

Construction in progress on the new sludge handling facility in August 2012

JOHANNESBURG WATER


Focus on communityThe community had heartily accepted the project, ac-cording to Teane, who noted that the diff erent regulatory processes require public participation and stakeholder consultation in order to obtain the necessary permits and licenses.He noted: “A project cannot be considered sustainable

without developing a positive and cooperative relation-ship with the local and downstream community ‒ to this eff ect the community has been engaged in a constructive and sustained manner.“I am pleased to announce that, to date, the upgrading

of the facility has provided employment for more than 132 people and jobs such as paving, painting, steel fi xing, bricklaying and carpentry are carried out by the local SMMEs appointed by the civil contractor,” noted Mfi koe on her visit to the site. She added that youth constituted 72% of the workforce on site and accredited training was also provided, in line with Johannesburg Water’s empow-erment and upliftment initiatives.

Development goals consideredThe new sludge facility is also to consider the regional and environmental aspects to develop a state-of-the-art facility, with the deployment of robust and reliable treatment technologies that have a proven record of accomplishment being a primary technological goal. Specifi c environmental consideration has been given to, among others, the treated wastewater discharge quality, stabilisation of the sludge that will aid with its ultimate benefi cial use and the elimination of the potential for sludge spillages into the environment due to pipeline bursts. “The project will be executed in accordance with all the key regulatory requirements related to water, waste and environment,” said Teane.The facility is also aimed at being in line with the nation-

al drive for the effi cient use of energy, with the technolog-ical selection criteria also being infl uenced by energy effi -ciency. “It is a target to reduce the energy usage per unit of wastewater treated with the works expansion project,” explained Teane.

Facility featuresThe new facility, which is located on the existing work’s footprint, will entail a new sludge screening channel in order to eliminate downstream blockages, three sludge thickeners to ensure the sizing of the digesters are op-timised and four anaerobic sludge digesters for sludge

stabilisation. A digester heating system is also to be included to enhance the performance of the digesters, as well as a gas collection and cleaning system (including hot water boilers and gas holders). The dewatering facility in-cludes six belt presses and polymer storage and make up. Also part of the projects are the standard associated

pump stations, electrical substation rooms, motor con-trol centre rooms, effl uent monitoring rooms, workshops and stores, as well as the fi nal effl uent pumping and irrigation system.In addition, the facility will also be making use of a lime

dosing and mixing system to increase pH and assist with phosphate precipitation from the fi ltrate, while a sludge out loading station is to assist with the removal of digest-ed sludge from the site.“All infrastructure where odour may originate from is

to be located in buildings or covered, such as the screening area and existing volatile fatty acid fermenters,”

added Teane.

Rands and centsAccording to Teane, the design, construc-tion and commission-ing of the new sludge handling facility has an

estimated fi nal cost of R310 million, which was broken up into four tenders, namely:• the civil works tender• the mechanical works tender for the dewatering facility• the mechanical works tender for sludge stabilisation• the electrical and control instrumentation tender.The civil works tender, which was valued at approximate-ly R120.8 million, was awarded to Eigenbau in March 2011. The mechanical works tender for the dewatering facility was awarded to SAME Water in July 2011 and the mechanical works tender for the sludge stabilisation por-tion of the project was awarded to Aqua Engineering SA in May 2011. The projects were estimated at R53.61 mil-lion and R45.3 million respectively.The fi nal tender for the electrical and control instru-

mentation portion of the project closed in April this year and the contractor is expected to be appointed by October 2012.

Moving forwardAccording to Teane, Eigenbau completed the construc-tion of the dewatering facility ‒ Phase 1 of the project ‒ at the end of June this year and commissioning was to take place in September, after the installation of mechanical and electrical equipment. The mechanical, electrical, and control and instrumentation contractors (Phase 2) are set to establish on site at a later stage, with Phase 2 of the project expected to be completed by December 2013.

“A project cannot be considered sustainable without developing a positive and cooperative relationship with the local and downstream community”

Above Current functioning infrastructure on the Johannesburg Water Bushkoppie Wastewater Treatment works site

PROJEC T


FLOW METERS

ABOVE A relative example of the diameter of the fl ow meterBELOW The site where the fl ow meter is to be installed in 2013

Krohne to deliver largest diameter flow meter in southern hemisphereDelivering a fl ow meter 3.5 m long with an inside diameter of 3 m is no easy feat, but Krohne South Africa, the local division of the global manufacturer of industrial process instrumentation solutions is well up to the task, fi nds Chantelle Mattheus.

We have been working on this particular project, which Rand Water refers to as BG3, for the past three and half years. The pro-ject essentially is to upgrade the amount

of water Rand Water can transport from the Vaal Dam to the Suikerbos Water Treatment Plant, which is one of the biggest water treatment plants in the Southern hemi-sphere,” explains Krohne South Africa sales and marketing manager, John Alexander. Hence the need for what will be ‒ when installed ‒ the

biggest fl ow meter in the southern hemisphere, accord-ing to Alexander. The previous record was also held by Krohne, with the installation of a 2.5 m diameter fl ow meter for the Lesotho Highlands Water Project in the late 1990s. The value of the meter is in excess of R8 million.

o

The right choiceThe fl ow meter to be installed is an electromagnetic one ‒ the most popular measurement tool of all kinds of liquids at the moment. The electromagnetic fl ow meter’s design is based on

the utilisation of Faraday’s law for accurate and precise measurement and off ers several advantages over the other fl ow meter options, such as variable area fl ow meters, mass fl ow meters and ultrasonic fl ow meters. The technology allows for measurement that is independent of pressure, density, temperature and viscosity, short inlet and outlet runs, and no additional pressure losses.An added advantage, especially when considering

future maintenance programmes, is the lack of moving parts in the meter. “There is actually no maintenance on the product as such because of its design,” says Alexander, adding that the lifespan for installed meters such as these can be in excess of 20 years.The only thing that could result in maintenance being

necessary is the electronics, but even so the mean time before failure for this part of the meter has been estimat-ed at 297 years. “So not in our lifetime,” he states.

Ebb and fl ow“This fl ow meter is really to measure the amount of water that Rand Water will be extracting from the Vaal Dam; because the water will be eff ectively purchased from the Department of Water Aff airs, it is a very important measuring point for the water utility to actually be able to monitor the volumes with regards to billing.”It is therefore easy to understand how a seemingly

small error in measurement could inevitably lead to con-siderable fi nancial losses over a sustained period of time, necessitating extreme accuracy ‒ which Krohne believes

PROJEC T


it can supply with this installation. “The measuring accuracy in this case is aimed at 0.2%,” says Krohne South Africa project manager, Deon Rampathi.According to Rampathi, the fl ow rate is estimated at

3 500 Mℓ/d.

Uniquely suitedAlthough the local market is increasingly competitive, Alexander believes that Krohne is uniquely suited to being able to deliver on such a large scale locally, thanks to its Shanghai-based calibration facility.“The meter is going to be manufactured in the Krohne factory

in Shanghai, primarily because the calibration is to be a wet cali-bration, which means putting a known quantity of water through the meter and being able to prove the meter is reading accurate-ly. Apart from our calibration facility in Holland, the Shanghai facility is the only other one that can handle a calibration of this magnitude,” explains Alexander.The calibration, which involves repeated calibration processes

at 20%, 47% and 100% of the estimated fl ow rate of 3 500 Mℓ/d, will also be witnessed by members of the Rand Water team.Another reason for the meter being manufactured in Shanghai

is the particular fl ange specifi cations. “These are special counter fl anges to enable them to be able to remove the meter if they have to and put in a new meter at a later stage. It could also be referred to as a dismantling joint and it is a special design as per Rand Water’s specifi cation,” says Rampathi.

Part way through the process“We are still busy with the fi nal approval of the drawings. We should probably start manufacturing in the next few weeks, possibly in late October, and then delivery is roughly a year from then,” says Alexander.Alexander notes that Krohne will be assisting Rand Water with

the installation and commissioning of the meter. One of the primary challenges in this will be transporting the meter from the Durban harbour, as it will be transported to the harbour via sea freight. In addition, a special crane is needed on-site to posi-tion the meter in its chamber. “You can imagine having to lift a meter weighing 11 t; it’s a huge meter and a huge undertaking,” states Alexander.“From our point of view, it is a real accolade for Krohne South

Africa to be chosen. This size meter project is very rare ‒ the time span between such projects is often a good 15 to 20 years ‒ but we are hoping this will stimulate interest on our ability to deliver smaller scale meter projects as well, locally. To manufacture a me-ter of this diameter requires really special skills and facilities ‒ and we have them,” concludes Alexander.

Current project in progress on site

PROJEC T


Africa ’s

leader in

natural

resource

and

development

solutions

Tel: + 27(0) 11 441 1111 www.srk.co.za

Africa ’s

leader in

natural

resource

and

development

solutions

Tel: + 27(0) 11 441 1111 www.srk.co.za

Correlation of water quality with farming activities

1. IntroductionSouth Africa has a robust agricultural indus-try, comprising of a well-developed com-mercial sector and a predominantly sub-sistence-oriented sector in the rural areas. Agricultural activities range from intensive crop production and mixed farming in win-ter rainfall and high summer rainfall areas, to cattle ranching in the bushveld, and sheep farming in more arid regions. However, ag-riculture has both direct and indirect eff ects on the quality of surface and groundwater and is among the leading causes of water quality degradation, mainly from nitrate, in many parts of the country. Agricultural prac-tices can cause pollution of water bodies and lead to the depletion of water quality over time due to the cumulative eff ects of

TECHNICAL PAPER • Dams

AN Shabalala1, 2, 3, WL Combrinck2, 3

1 CGS, P/bag x112, Pretoria, 0001t +27 (0)11 841 1170 • f 086 679 8441 •[email protected]

2 Space Geodesy Programme, HartRAO, South Africa, [email protected] Department of Geography, Geoinformatics and Meteorology, University of Pretoria.

Hydrochemical characteristics of

the Bonsma Dam, KwaZulu-Natal

several years of practice (Addiscott et al, 1992). Typical sources of water pollution associated with agricultural systems include livestock grazing, nitrates and phosphates in fertilisers (also K, Na, Mg and Ca), metals, pathogens, sediments and pesticides. To address the increased concerns about water quality degrada-tion due to agricultural practices, water quality investigations were carried out with an aim of investigating the impact of farming activities, mainly dairy farm-ing, on the Bonsma Dam.

2. Study area backgroundBonsma Dam is situated in Underberg, which is a town located beneath the Southern Drakensberg mountain, on

AbstractPressure to increase productivity of agricultural systems in order to meet domestic and international demand has resulted in the intensifi cation of agriculture, exploitation of more land and greater reliance on pesticides, fertilisers, and imported animal feedstuff . Sources of pollutants from agricultural systems include livestock grazing, nitrates and phosphates in fertilisers, metals, pathogens, sediments and pesticides. Excess Nitrogen and phosphates accelerate algal production in receiving surface water, resulting in a variety of problems including fi sh kills and reduced recreational activities. To investigate the impact of farming activities (mainly dairy farming) on water quality, water samples were collected from the Bonsma Dam in KwaZulu-Natal and analysed for hydrochemical variables. The study showed that the concentrations of most of the metals, TDS as well as the pH and electrical conductivity values, met the water quality requirements for domes-tic, agricultural, livestock and aquatic ecosystem uses. Of concern were nitrates, chloride, aluminium and iron as they exceeded the guidelines set by the Department of Water Aff airs and Forestry (DWAF) (1996) for irrigation and aquatic ecosystem uses. The iron and aluminium content of the dam water also did not meet the requirements for domestic use. Metals such as iron and aluminium could be detrimental to the health of humans and animals when they are present in excessive quantities.Keywords: Agriculture, water quality, nutrients, eutrophication

Engineered Solutions for Africa

thuthuka group limited

TGL designs, manufactures,

disciplinary turnkey projects for the chemical, mining, renewable energy, metallurgical and industrial markets in Africa.

TGL has projects in:Zambia, Madagascar, D.R. Congo, Botswana, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Ghana, Namibia, Mauritius, Mozambique

Lead anode plant for Kamoto Copper mine, DR Congo.

Adding value to your African project

Contact: tel: +27 (0)11 468 5956 e-mail: [email protected] / www.thuthukagroup.com

CCD Thickeners for SNC Lavalin, Madagascar

35-million litre reservoir, North West Province, South Africa

V Sq

uare

d V2

/116

96 J

un20

12the Umzimkhulu River. It started out as a single store built to serve the settlers who had started farming there in 1886. It is a predominantly farming community whose livelihood depends on activities such as grazing, dairy, crops and timber farms, with its main economic activity being cattle and sheep ranching. Much of the grassland is grazed by livestock, providing its people with meat and dairy products, employment and a source of income, which is central to the local economy. The Bonsma

Dam provides drinking water for stock and irrigation waters for crops to the surrounding farms. Its location, among farmlands, makes it vulnerable to pollution associated with agricultural activities, and this raises the probability that the quality of the dam water has also been compromised.

3. Methodology The sampling of the Underberg Dam was conducted in March 2011 (after the wet season) and October 2011(after the dry season). This was done in order to monitor chang-es in water quality brought about by seasonal hydrolog-ical cycle. Results obtained will be useful in determining the relationship between water quality and seasonal pat-terns. A total of 100 samples were collected in and around the dam using the global positioning systems (GPS) to locate appropriate sampling points. Water samples were collected at a depth of 30 cm below the water surface using previously acid-washed high density polyethylene (HDPE) bottles, chilled to between 3 and 5°C and des-patched in a cooler box to the Council for Geoscience and the Tshwane University of Technology laboratories for analysis. Physical parameters such as pH, electrical conductivity (EC) and total dissolved solids (TDS) were measured in the fi eld using portable, multi-sensor me-ters. Cations were analysed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and anions by ion chromatography (IC). The Oasis montaj software was used for mapping and processing of data. The results are presented in the following section.

4. Results and discussionThe suitability of water for any particular use can be determined by the total concentration of dissolved min-eral constituents in that water. The macro elements are partly used for determining the water quality as well as what the concentrations of constituents in the water is doing over a time frame period (trend analysis) or over an area (spatial analysis). Measurements showed that the electrical conductivity of the dam was still within the minimum and maximum allowable limit (70 to 300 mS/cm) as set by the DWAF (1996, with higher values being observed in the wet season and lower values in the dry season (Fig 4.1)). The high EC values can be attributed to the recharging of the dam during the wet season, which can lead to a build up of salts and nutrients, and therefore increased conductivity (Brainwood et al, 2004). Low EC values following the dry season can be caused by the dilution eff ect of groundwater as it enters the water body, as well as the uptake of nutrients by aquatic plants. Discharge into streams can also change the conductivity. Agricultural runoff s would raise the conductivity because of the presence of chloride, phosphate and nitrate.Measurements done following the wet season showed

that pH values were within the South African water stan-dards, which is a pH between 6 and 9 (Fig 4.1). Following high rainfall in summer, the dam is diluted with rainfall and runoff thus explaining the low pH values. In the dry season the dam water was highly alkaline (pH>9). This indicates that the water was hard and can cause aesthetic problems. A possible explanation for the highly alkaline

FIG 2.1 Picture of the Bonsma Dam. The insert is the map of Underberg




water is the use of calcium-based fertilisers by farmers in the area, as well as addictives such as agricultural lime.Nutrients, mainly nitrogen (N), potassium (K), and

phosphorus (P), are applied in croplands in a form of fertilisers to promote plant growth. Excessive amount of these nutrients causes water quality problems when they enter the water systems. Analysis of the water samples from the Bonsma Dam showed that the concentration of N, K and P was within the target water quality range (TWQR) for domestic, irrigation and aquatic ecosystem uses. Nitrate concentrations were slightly elevated follow-ing the wet season (fi g 4.3a), when compared to the dry season (fi g 4.3b). This can be attributed to the combined use of livestock manure and mineral fertilizer by farmers in the Underberg area, which results in considerable enrichment of surface soils with salts and nutrients (Daniel et al, 1993) that are then washed into water bodies during runoff events. Therefore, nitrate concentrations tend to be highest in spring in conjunction with high runoff events/rainy season (Brainwood et al, 2004). This also ex-plains why potassium concentrations were higher after the wet season (fi g 4.3c). In the dry season (fi g 4.3d) where there is no rainfall, nutrients (N, P, K) level remain within the ranges for natural waters. The nitrate content of the inlet streams leading to the dam were also high following

a

ad

c

FIG 4.2 Nitrate content of the inlet stream leading to the dam, wet season

FIG 4.1 Seasonal variation of the EC and pH in the dam: (a) EC – wet season; (b) EC – dry season; (c) pH – wet season; (d)pH – dry season .Red lines indicate the minimum and maximum allowable limit

FIG 4.3 Proportional symbol map showing the distribution of the concentrations of nitrate and potassium along the dam: (a) nitrate – wet season (b) nitrate – dry season (c) potassium – wet season (d) Potassium – dry season. At the background is the satellite image of the dam

a

c

b

d



the wet season (fi g 4.2), which rendered the water body eutrophic (2.5 to 10 mg/ℓ). During periods of high rain-fall, these streams carry nutrients leached from soils, fer-tilisers from crops and animal faecal matter into surface

waters, which explains the elevated nitrate concentration found in them.The concentration of major metals such as Mg, Ca and

Na were within their TWQR for domestic, irrigation, live-stock and aquatic ecosystem uses, as set by the DWAF (1996). Of concern was the Al, Fe and Cl content of the dam (Fig 4.4.), which did not meet the TWQR for some of the uses shown in the table below.

5. ConclusionThe analysis of nitrate occurrences in the Bonsma Dam showed that agricultural applications of manure and fer-tilisers are a potential source of nitrate contamination of the water. The highest nitrate concentrations were found in the inlet streams leading to the dam. Probable explana-tion is that overland fl ow from areas that are intensively

fertilized, manured and grazed contains relatively high levels of nutrients such as N, P, K, organic matter and sus-pended particles (Khaleel et al, 1980). Macro element anal-ysis showed that nitrates, potassium, calcium and chloride

were more concentrated in the dam after the wet season. The overall ionic conductivity and total dissolved solids values were also higher in the same season, while the pH was lower in the dry season. High intensity storm events that occur in the wet months (spring) mobilise more salts and nutrient laden sediments than low intensity rainfall experience in

the dry months (winter), which explains the elevated concentrations of the nutrients, organic matter and sus-pended solids found in the dam following the wet season. The geology of the area can also have a great infl uence on the overall water quality, as the weathering processes of rocks may contribute to the content of metals, nutrients and sediments in the dam.Overall, the concentrations of most of the metals, TDS,

pH and electrical conductivity values met the water qual-ity requirements for domestic, agricultural, livestock and aquatic ecosystem uses as set by the Department of Water Aff airs. On the other hand, nitrates, chloride, aluminium and iron were a concern, as they exceeded the guidelines set by the DWAF for irrigation and aquatic ecosystem uses. The iron and aluminium content of the dam water also did not meet the requirements for domestic uses.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTHartRAO is gratefully acknowledged for fi nancial support during the course of the project.

REFERENCES1. B Singh and GS Sekhon, Nitrate pollution of groundwater from nitrogen fertilizers and animal

wastes in Punjab, India. Agriculture and environment 3, p.57-67(1976)2. Department of Water Aff airs and Forestry, South African Water Quality Guidelines (fi rst edition).

Volume 8: Field Guide, (1996)3. DG Hadjimitsis, MG. Hadjimitsis, L Toulios and C Clayton, The use of space technology for assisting

water quality assessment and monitoring of inland water bodies. Physics and chemistry of the earth 35, p.115-120 (2010)

4. FAO Irrigation and Drainage Papers. Control of water pollution from agriculture. FAO Irrigation and Drainage Papers, (1996)

5. GS Bilotta, RE. Brazier and PM Haygarth, The impact of grazing animals on the quality of soils, vegetation, and surface waters in intensively managed grasslands. Advances in Agronomy, Vol 94, (2007)

6. Hooda, P S, A C Edwards, et al, A review of water quality concerns in livestock farming areas. The Science of the Total Environment 250: p.143-167 (2000)

7. Impact of dairy farming on Well Water Nitrate level and soil content of phosphorus and Potassium. Journal of Dairy science Vol.82, No.10, (1999)

8. J Bartram and R Ballance, Water Quality Monitoring - A Practical Guide to the Design and Implementation of Freshwater Quality Studies and Monitoring Programmes. United Nations Environment Programme and the World Health Organization. (1996).

9. L Volterra, M Boualam et al, Eutrophication and health. World Health Organization and European commission. (2002).

10. MA Brainwood, S Burgin and B Maheshwari, Temporal variations in water quality of farm dams: impacts of land use and water sources. Agriculture water management 70, p.151-175, (2004)

11. M Sall and M Vanclooster, Assessing the well water pollution problem by nitrates in the small scale farming systems of the Niayes region, Senegal. Agricultural water management 96, p. 360-1368, (2009)

12. M Ribaudo, Water quality impacts of Agriculture. Agricultural Resources and Environmental Indicators. Retrieved 21 February 2011 from http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/arei/ah722/arei2_3/arei2_3waterqimpacts.pdf

13. MN Almasr and JJ Kaluarachchi, Assessment and management of long-term nitrate pollution of groundwater in agriculture dominated watersheds. Journal of Hydrology 295, p.225-245, (2004)

14. P Irwin, J Akhurst and D Irwin, A Field Guide to the Natal Drakensberg - Published by the Natal branch of the Wildlife Society of Southern Africa. (1980).

15. RD Walmsley,JJ Walmsley, Mzuri Consultants, and M Silberbauer, National State of the Environment Report - Freshwater systems and resources. Department of Water Aff airs and Forestry. (1999).

16. S Li, S Gu, W Lui, H Han and Q Zhang, Water Quality in relation to land use and land cover in the upper Han River basin, China. Doi:10.1016/j.catena.2008.06.0052, (2008)

17. TR Cumby, AJ Brewer and SJ Dimmock, Dirty water from dairy farms: biochemical characteristics. Bioresource Technology 67, p.155-160, (1999)

18. VS Russell, 1974 Pollution: concept and defi nition. Biological Conservation. Applied Science Publishers Ltd, England. Vol. 6, No. 3, (1974)

TWQR (ppm)

Element

Concentration range of

element in the dam (ppm)

Domestic IrrigationLivestock watering

Aquatic ecosystem

Al 0.1 – 1.4 0 – 0.15 0 – 5 0 – 5 0.005

Fe 0.01 – 1.7 0 – 0.1 0 – 5 0 – 10 NA

Cl 0.7-18 0-100 0-1 0 – 3 000 NA

Table 4.1: Target water quality range for Al, Fe and Cl, DWAF (1996).

FIG 4.4 Colour map showing the distribution of the concentrations of selected elements in the dam: (a) Al – wet season (b) Al – dry season (c) Fe – wet season (d) Fe – dry season (e) Cl – wet season (f) Cl – dry season.

a b c d


STRESSED SUPPLY INDUSTRY INSIGHT


Autonomous, No control system, Economical,No wearing parts, Low maintenance!

This autonomous valveless gravity sand filter can be installedand forgotten. AGF has proved to be a huge success inmining, industry and water treatment were it is importantto have water free of fine solids.

If you want a hassle free system, contact:

THE ULTIMATE SAND FILTER

Valve & Allied CCTel 011 - 789 4110, Fax 011 - 886 4398email: [email protected]

Valve & allied blue.indd 1 2011/02/28 10:15:53 AM

Tackling the ripple effect of a clean supply of waterWorldwide, the shortage of water is expected to transform corporate and industrial practices, according to a report issued by professional services firm PwC.

PwC’s 2012 Water challenges, drivers and solu-tions study shows that the dwindling supply of safe drinking water throughout key regions, such as South Africa, China, India and the US, is under

major threat from unsustainable domestic, industrial and agricultural demands. The report anticipates that virtually every industry worldwide expects to undergo major trans-formation in the next decade in their business, production and planning models in the wake of a stressed water system and a lack of sanitary facilities.Luther Erasmus, a senior manager and water expert at

PwC, says: “Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia remain the key regions in the world with the lowest use of safe drinking water and a lack of sanitary facilities.“Sanitation and water stress pose major economic and

social challenges as these inevitably have an eff ect on consumers’ disposable income, businesses’ profi ts and economic growth.”Globally, one in three people is aff ected by water

scarcity and if current trends continue, nearly half of the world’s population will live in areas of high water stress by 2030, according to statistics issued by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Erasmus says that the management of water has become an increasingly diffi cult and complex task for govern-ments worldwide. The main challenges lie in providing access to safe drinking water for a global population that has risen from 1.5 billion at the beginning of the 20th century to seven billion today. The report states that the management of water has become both diffi cult and complex. The complexity arises from the multifaceted

aspects of water management, beginning with technical, institutional and organisational issues; the application of new technologies; legal and regulatory concerns; and regulatory eff ectiveness. Other aspects include standards, investment, costs, fi nancing, pricing, governance, fi nan-cial, social and environmental sustainability. The supply of water has also become inseparable from the issue of sani-tation of facilities needed for the treatment of wastewater prior to its discharge back into the environment.Erasmus says that water stress and a lack of sanitary

facilities can cause major challenges for businesses, such as regulatory and reputational risks leading to signifi cant business disruptions, higher costs, and even the loss of licence to operate in regions experiencing water inse-curity. In a recent global study issued by PwC, 41% of CEOs said that freshwater scarcity would have a negative eff ect on their company’s long-term success. He says that investors and other stakeholders are also calling for better disclosure of water performance and risks. “There is in-creasing pressure from investors and regulators for public companies to provide better disclosure on water-related

performance and risks.”Although no clear standards for water disclo-

sure have been implemented, some leading companies are making use of sustainability and emerging water-specifi c voluntary reporting frameworks for guidance, such as the global reporting initiative water indicators and the carbon disclosure project water guidelines.To manage the risks of water, companies need

to be proactive and develop plans to minimise their eff ect on water resources, while still sup-porting growth through strategies to do more with less, explains Erasmus. “They need to con-

sider reducing reliance on conventional drinking water supply options by way of treating and recycling industrial process water and captured rainwater, as well as by using innovative strategies.

“Sanitation and water stress pose major economic and social challenges.” Luther Erasmus, senior manager and water expert, PwC


INDUSTRY INSIGHT

Communities to take centre stageA greater community-centric focus is one of the primary solutions identifi ed at the WRC’s fi rst Water Current’s Policy Series, held on 14 August 2012 at the Leriba Lodge, Centurion. Chantelle Mattheus attended the event, which also featured discussions on job creation in the water sector.

The South African government is currently deploy-ing a number of eff orts towards employment creation through focusing a big portion of their eff orts and their budget on large-scale infrastruc-

ture development projects, as well as on a number of water-related projects, such as the Working for Water and the River Health Programme. According to the debate at the recent inaugural Water Research Commission (WRC) Dialogues, entitled ‘New opportunities for water-related jobs and asset creation’, the problem is that many of these projects are all top-down and very specialised.According to the WRC, it is increasingly being realised

that there should be more community-driven projects undertaken in collaboration with local government. However, these projects also have their own challenges.“We intend the dialogues to be a solution-orientated

discussion to address our challenges. We have a rich repository of smart people in our science and technol-ogy system who need to be tapped into to apply their research capability beyond the laboratory,” said the WRC CEO, Dhesigen Naidoo, in his opening address, adding that water and water availability are critical factors in the growth and development of the country.“The issue of jobs is a critical issue of our time, both

nationally and internationally,” continued Naidoo. He added that this had been brought into particular focus in light of the recent economic meltdown, and that the WRC was hoping to use the dialogues to bridge

the divide between research, economics and society in order to inform future agendas. “In every crisis there is opportunity.”The launch of the Water Currents Policy Series attract-

ed more than 150 registered delegates, ranging from scientists and water users, to policy makers and senior programme managers.

Righting the wrongs of the past‘Wrongs’ of the past, relating to the topic at hand, includ-ed a focus on top-down planning for passive benefi ciaries, exacerbated by a silo mentality and the proliferation of once-off projects ‒ all of which played a role in the ulti-mate abandonment of a number of projects, according to Barbara van Koppen.Van Koppen, who is a recent addition to the WRC board,

added that in some cases this was even worse in the water sector, as a large majority of the projects rolled out were technology driven, with communities hardly involved in the planning and largely playing a role in the operation and maintenance. This, she said, further resulted in a lack of ownership by the communities of the projects.“South Africa should start looking at using innovative

robust and scalable methodologies for community-driven water development, linked to municipalities Integrated Development Plans, with solutions for inclusive planning, informed technology choices and democratic account-ability,” said Van Koppen.

The Indian perspective: a self-targeting programmeIn Naidoo’s opening address, he noted the WRC has been inspired by India’s National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (2005), which aims to

enhance the rural Indian communities livelihood security through legally guaranteeing one hundred days of wage-employment in a fi nancial year to a rural household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual labour. Through this scheme the Indian government provides

employment to 55 million rural households, with commu-nities deciding how to best utilise the labour.Elaborating on the Indian project, Shilp Verma of the

International Water Management Institute (IWMI), noted

“We intend the dialogues to be a solution-orientated discussion to address our challenges”

From left to right Kate Philip, Trade & Industrial Policy Strategies; Shilp Verma of the International Water Management Institute India; and Barbara van Koppen, new WRC board member

WATER DIALOGUES

INDUSTRY INSIGHTWATER DIALOGUES

Ranked among the 20 most water-scarce countries, South African water scientists and engineers have good reason to be interested in the extent, location and suitable management

of the country’s groundwater resources and how much of it may be sustainably developed into benefi cial water supply. Because of the nature of 95% of South Africa’s aquifers (hard rock, so-called secondary aq-uifers), hydrogeologists have long struggled to quantify how much groundwater is present and, more importantly, what is sustainably exploitable. This has often been much to the frustration of not only hydrogeologists, but also engineers, who are used to

Trends, milestones and challenges in the groundwater business

that the primary success of the project to date lay in the fact that it was self-tar-geting, in that the benefi ciaries applied of their own will, eradicating the need to identify benefi ciaries.Verma added though that despite the

advantages of an employment guarantee, eventually a well-implemented public works programme should crowd itself out. This needs to be internalised in performance assessment and long-term planning, accom-panied by high levels of transparency and accountability being built into the project design. “There remains plenty of scope for improvement.”Coincidentally, the IWMI found that com-

munities prioritised water asset creation in over 60% of the works.

CWP under the spotlightKate Philip, a leading expert on inequality and economic marginalisation in Trade &

Industrial Policy Strategies (TIPS), used the Community Work Programme (CWP) as an example of a project that can result from the communities being involved in a participa-tory project.Philip noted that in the current South

African context, the opportunity does exist to use local labour to address social chal-lenges at the local level through the CWP, with the large number of unemployed citi-zens being viewed as an untapped resource. However, this needed to be undertaken as part of a participatory process, which is the essential logic of the CWP.According to Philip, although the CWP is

a component of the EWP and encompasses the same working conditions, it has a diff erent delivery modality in that it is an area-based programme, which is partially responsible for its success to date. However, the demand to participate still exceeds the programme capacity. The CWP currently has

After 37 years as a scientist in the fi eld of groundwater – 30 of them with SRK Consulting – partner and principal hydrogeologist Peter Rosewarne looks at some developments in the quantifi cation, use and perception of this often elusive resource.

30 YEARS’ REFLECTION

74 sites running, but is set to start 80 new sites in the current fi nancial year.

Closing commentsWRC research manager Inga Jacobs con-cluded by emphasising the key points of the dialogue, which included public aware-ness as a key driver to the sustainability of environmental interventions. According to Jacobs, cross-sectoral collaboration and joint resource mobilisation for implementation and access research off ered many possibil-ities to solving a number of the challenges discussed on the day. The discussions high-lighted that while it is government’s current job creation focus, public employment is not a ‘fi x-all’ solution, despite the obvious advantages of employment guarantees ‒ as highlighted in the Indian experience. Rather, according to the WRC, there is a more desperate need to address the underlying structural, social and economic issues.

getting straight answers to straight questions. When I became involved in

hydrogeology in 1976, the estimates of South Africa’s exploitable groundwater re-sources, by the local pioneers of hydrogeology like [JP] Enslin and [JR] Vegter, were largely educated guesses (2.5 billion m3 by the way). By contrast, the publication, Surface Water Resources of South Africa, was already well established and new editions were regularly being produced. Groundwater was perceived as being out of sight, unreliable and a poor relation of surface water,

DIAGRAM 1 Quantifi cation of South Africa’s Groundwater Resources (GRA2 Project) – utilisable groundwater exploration potential (UGEP). Source: DWAF 2005 Comprehensive


except where there was no alternative but to develop local groundwater resources. In this respect, there are over 300 towns in South Africa that rely on groundwater as their main source of water supply.

The quest for quantifi cationIn the 1970s and 1980s, we were still drawing maps using Letraset and Rötring pens, and the early researchers in this fi eld had to do manual calculations, whereas today we de-rive very rapid estimates from Geographical Information Systems (GIS). An average hydrogeologist today can do in a few weeks what it took the early pioneers a lifetime’s to achieve.

In my early years in the sector, a key concern among hydrogeologists was about the lack of systematic coun-trywide groundwater data collection, interpretation and quantifi cation. This concern led to a series of groundwater mapping

projects initiated by the Directorate of Geohydrology in the then Department of Water Aff airs and Forestry (DWAF) and the Water Research Commission in the 1990s. The former programme consisted of a series of 21 hydrogeo-logical maps covering South Africa at a scale of 1:500 000, each with an explanatory booklet. The latter, by senior author JR Vegter, comprised of two A0 map sheets con-taining various scale maps depicting a more quantitative approach, including inter alia borehole prospects, saturat-ed indices and recharge, also with an explanatory booklet. In 2003 to 2005, I was part of a team of hydrogeologists

appointed by the DWAF to carry out the fi rst compre-hensive quantifi cation of South Africa’s groundwater resources in the Groundwater Resources Assessment Phase 2 Project. Using the full power of computing and GIS packages then available, new estimates of exploitable groundwater resources ranged from 19/16 billion cubic metres (wet/dry years) to 10/7 billion cubic metres ‒ the latter, lower fi gures taking into account constraints on exploitation such as quality and maximum allowable drawdown due to environmental issues. Computers have brought great advances to the science,

making the use of numerical models for predictive pur-poses both second nature and almost mandatory. The lack of this technology certainly goes some way to explaining why the estimates of groundwater resources made in the 1970s are so vastly diff erent to those arrived at in 2005. In my early days at the DWAF, I remember a pioneer of nu-merical modelling in South Africa, Dr Dave Bredenkamp, going about his arcane craft and sifting through reams of computer printouts. Nowadays, anyone can download a software package, press a few keys and get stuck into a user-friendly menu and start ‘modelling’.One of the key challenges in the application of numerical

models and other computer-based programmes today is to educate the inexperienced hydrogeologist to not just accept any old answer that the computer generates.

Importance of groundwaterThere have also been changes in the way that groundwa-ter use is viewed by authorities; earlier in my career, I made a proposal to the Water Engineer for Cape Town to look at the groundwater resources of the Table Mountain Group (TMG) sandstones. These rocks form one of the few major aquifers in South Africa. It was dismissed. I thought, it may be a drop, relatively speaking, but it’s on our doorstep, not in the ocean! It therefore came as no surprise when the city embarked on a comprehensive groundwater explora-tion programme of the TMG Aquifer in 2002.Heading down the home straight of my career there are

some exciting developments ahead. One is the very de-tailed assessment of Karoo Aquifers that will be required as part of the exploration for shale gas in the Great Karoo. This research work has the potential to add immensely to our understanding and use of these unique aquifers, and potentially inspire a new generation of hydrogeologists.

Peter Rosewarne at a training session with local DWA scientists in Maputo in 2002

INDUSTRY INSIGHT


Domestic and Commercial

Often copied - never equalled

Elster Kent / Telbit Pre-Paid Metering Systems

6802/11/2011

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

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

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

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

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

PORT ELIZABETHCell: 082 458-3439

Elster Kent Metering’s vast experience both locally andabroad make us the perfect partner for your pre-paidmetering programme.

Our range of FOUR prepaid metering options cover yourneeds from standpipe to individual unit metering.

Our pre-paid meters have:• excellent low-flow metering capabilities• secure software• lowest service-life cost• robust components• capacity to feed three bathrooms• different options for flats• reliability you can trust• superb after-sales service• SANS 1529-9:2008 approval• the name you can trust

For the best pre-paid metering advice and trusted, cost-effective metering solutions call:

Copyright © Elster Group. All Rights Reserved. Elster and its logo, are trademarks of Elster Group.

Elster Kent Meteringyour trusted partnerin Pre-Paid Metering


TRENDS & PRODUC TS WATER METERS

Poor choice can increase revenue lossesChoosing cheap water meters imported from the East can directly affect a municipality’s revenue base due to their inaccuracy in local water conditions. This is according to the MD of Elster Kent Metering South Africa, Mark Shamley, who discussed the effect of local water conditions on meter performance and accuracy with Chantelle Mattheus.

Water losses in the distribution system can often be separated into two types: the real losses from leakage or the apparent commercial

losses that often result from inaccuracies in metering, meter reading errors or even billing errors. These losses can have a very real ‒ and negative ‒ impact on the municipality or utility’s revenue, despite these apparent water losses being easily reduced through choosing the best performing meter for the specific local water landscape.“The reason cheap meter options aren’t

as accurate locally is because installation practices in South Africa result in a lot more suspended solids or grit in the water,” says Shamley. As proof of this statement, Shamley quotes recent

suspended solids laboratory testing undertaken in a controlled environment. “We tested our meters against a meter imported from the East and the tests show the import does not respond well to suspended solids. After approximately 500 hours of testing, with water contain-ing suspended solids, the compared meter was reading on average 9.95% less than the Elster Kent meter.”These fi gures indicate that if a household were to use,

for example, an average of 30 kℓ a month, and the

installed meter was under reading by 9.95%, the mu-nicipality would only be charging the household for 27 kℓ a month ‒ a 3 kℓ monthly loss. According to

Shamley, at current Johannesburg Water rates this equates to approximately a R45.82 per month loss per household. Extrapolated for a municipality with 100 000 households and/or meters, this

equates to annual losses of over R55 million. Roughly the equivalent amount of capex that an average sized metro in South Africa has to spend on replacing domestic and commercial meters in a year.“If you take into consideration that our

meters cost an average of R164, this means they could buy a whole new meter every four

months,” says Shamley. Depending on the household usage, the revenue losses could be a lot

less or a lot more, leading to shorter time periods before the return on investment is garnered.

Man and machineAdditional factors may also impact performance, but the impact is less if a good-quality meter has been installed. “When the meters are installed, the installers often don’t flush the pipes properly. Additionally, if you have had a burst pipe in your area, this will often also lead to a lot more suspended solids in the water,” explains Shamley.He adds that most domestic meters in this country

are mechanical devices and, as such, have mechanical limitations to continuous accurate measurement. “These mechanical devices’ performance and accuracy deteriorates over time and that’s really dependant on two things: the volume of water that goes through the meter and the quality of that water.”Air can also play a factor in water meter accuracy.

“When there is a burst pipe, air does affect the accu-racy of readings somewhat. However, we do tend to overlook this to some extent locally, because in South Africa it is not a major problem as it is in some African countries,” says Shamley.It is not wise to buy the cheapest meters on the

Elster Kent KSM volumetric meter

-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-10123456789

10

10 100 1000 10000

1.5 Class C

Good Revenue Meter Poor Revenue MeterFlow rate (Flow rate ( /h)/h)

Acc

urac

y (%

)

-

GRAPH 1 Grit test after 500 hours.

TRENDS & PRODUC TS

Assisting water conservationConsulting engineering company Vela VKE, part of the SMEC Group, was recently commissioned to assist a number of South African municipalities in implementing effective water demand management strategies in order to reduce wastage.

The Vela VKE head of water services for Johannesburg, Rowan Griffi oen, notes that some municipalities in South Africa have up to 50% of their water supply unaccounted for on a continuous basis. “Unaccounted

for water is water that the municipality pays for, but does not generate revenue from. This can result from leakages or poor management strategies, and has a considerably negative envi-ronmental and fi nancial impact on communities.”Griffi oen highlights the fact that the water services section has

the capabilities to reduce that number to a sustainable 25% by implementing a long-term solution that is based on in-depth research and studies. “The benefi ts of an effi cient water de-mand management strategy are that it saves capital and, more importantly, conserves the country’s most precious resource.”Griffi oen adds that the Vela VKE water services team is also

currently playing a major role in upgrading the bulk and domes-tic water meter infrastructure across Johannesburg. “With re-gards to bulk meters, we have developed a model to determine the correct meter sizing related to water fl ow. A large amount of meters are currently sized based on the pipe diameter, rather than the velocity and fl ow inside the pipeline. By installing the correct sized meters, we are able to reduce meter inaccuracies from as high as 15%, to less than 8%. In most instances, how-ever, it is reduced to within 2 to 5% inaccuracy, which is in line with the meter’s own inaccuracy.”

Johannesburg in focusWith regards to domestic water meters, Griffi oen points out that Vela VKE is working in conjunc-tion with Johannesburg Water

market as this could end up costing the municipality or utility more in revenue than was saved initially over the meters’ life cycle. “It’s not the cost of the meter, but the cost of metering that’s important,” says Shamley. Elster Kent Metering’s inno-vative water metering solutions include a complete metering and automated meter reading portfolio. The company’s South African contingent manufactures a meter locally for use through modifying volumetric polymer meters originally de-signed by the UK arm of the group for local South African and African water conditions.According to Shamley, a meter has an average lifespan of 20

to 30 years, but because of local water conditions, the optimal meter replacement period in South Africa is probably every 8 to 10 years, depending on the household’s water consumption patterns and the quality of water going through it.“Although quality water meters have a longer service life,

regular meter replacement can also be a very good thing, but you have to replace it with a good quality meter,” con-cludes Shamley.

Making rands and cents of water meteringA localised case studyA project undertaken for an Mpumalanga municipality in 2001 perfectly highlights the possible savings when choosing the correct water meter and maintaining the water meter network. The project aimed to replace all water meters older than 10 years through a two-phase approach, focusing on two regions in the same municipal jurisdiction. “In this case a numberof the meters were even as old as 30 years,” says Shamley. In Phase 1, 40% of the meters were replaced – a total of 1 688 out of a possible 4 250 meters in the demarcated area. This resulted in additional billing income of 8 kℓ/month on average across all meters in the area for the municipality involved.In Phase 2, 1 071 (48,7%) meters out of the 2 200 meters in the second demarcated area were replaced. This resulted in additional revenue collection of 10 kℓ/month for each household.“These increases were all due to increased water meter accuracy and the payback on these meters at that time was 2.81 months, including the cost of the meter and of installation off set against the additional revenue from the more accurate meters,” says Shamley.

R-

R200

R400

R600

R800

R1 000

R1 200

R1 400

10 15 20 30 40 50

Annual lost revenue due to meter inaccuracy

-2.0% -5.0% -10.0%

Meter inaccuracy (under-reading)

Ann

ual l

ost r

even

ue

NON-REVENUE WATER

An example of a PRV

installation by Vela VKE

GRAPH 2 Annual Lost revenue due to meter inaccuracy. At 30 m/month consumer consumption, a 9.95% measuring difference covers the R30 difference in price between Elster Kent meter and ‘cheap’ Chinese imported meter in just 0.7 months


TRENDS & PRODUC TS

on a R15-million four-phase project to relocate household meters that are inaccessible for read-ing and replace those that are either damaged, cannot be located or have been installed underground. “All meters are replaced with an above-ground meter

in order to improve their accessibility and to ultimately provide more accurate water usage fi gures. The fi rst two phases entailed the replacement of 200 domestic and bulk water meters, before Vela VKE was commissioned to replace and relocate more than 28 000 domestic water meters across Johannesburg,” says Griffi oen. “Working closely with two contracting fi rms, we are

currently responsible for implementing the replacement of water meters. To ensure that data is not compromised, readings and serial numbers of both the old and new meters are recorded, before compiling and submitting the information to the service provider, thereby diligently closing off the job cards,” he continues. Griffi oen notes that more than 13 000 domestic and bulk

water meters have been replaced since the project started in March 2011, and he anticipates a further 5 000 to be

replaced by December 2012. “The biggest challenge facing us with this particular project is locating the meter, which can prove to be time-consum-ing, as most homeowners are unaware of its location. We do, however, have two teams of contractors each replacing

approximately 20 meters per day, which places us on track to complete the project within the deadline.”

Moving forwardLooking to the future, Griffi oen believes that the demand for integrated water resource management services will continue to increase, particularly among municipalities.

“The expansion of South Africa’s infrastructure and population, as well as water scarcity, has made local authorities increasingly aware of the need for more eff ective water demand management strategies that provide long-term and sustainable solutions. With this in mind, I am confi dent that Vela VKE has the necessary experience and expertise to add measurable value to the country’s future water supply infra-structure,” he concludes.

“All meters are replaced with an above-ground meter.” Rowan Griffi oen, Vela VKE head of water services Johannesburg


Left An above-ground municipal bulk meterRight An above-ground domestic meter


SLUDGE TREATMENT TRENDS & PRODUC TS

Finding sustainable solutions Sewage sludge is the end product of wastewater treatment and its processing represents a crucial economic and environmental challenge. Chantelle Mattheus discusses with Degrémont South Africa’s deputy MD, Dumi Luthuli, the technologies that could offer sustainable solutions.

The quantities of sewage sludge produced are steadily on the rise due to both demographic change and increasing urban sprawl, in parallel with the increasing rate of connections to a

network and wastewater treatment works. In addition, new international regulations have been introduced that require higher volumes of effl uent to be treated to even higher standards, according to Luthuli. Having built approximately 10 000 plants worldwide, sludge treatment is one of Degrémont’s fi ve areas of expertise, along with drinking water purifi cation, desalination by reverse osmo-sis, wastewater treatment and treated wastewater reuse, and industrial water treatment. Degrémont developed a comprehensive range of

technologies adapted to all the elementary processes being a part of the whole sludge treatment line. All those “sub-processes” have been largely enhanced in the recent years. Among them, Luthuli cites the following:• Anaerobic digestion: This is a stabilisation process,

which can be boosted by a preliminary thermal hy-drolysis resulting in boosted energy production and an improved fi lterability of digested sludge. From 5 to 10% additional cake dryness may be obtained on the downstream dewatering devices. Degrémont’s Cannon Mixer is the perfect solution to get excel-lent process conditions and to avoid long-term maintenance problems.

• Mechanical dewatering: Classical mechanical dewater-ing technologies like fi lter belt presses, centrifuges and plate fi lter presses are well-known. The benefi ts and drawbacks of these technologies are also well-known. In order to enhance the dewatering effi ciencies and to meet international trends, Degrémont developed the Dehydris Twist dewatering technology. This technolo-gy greatly reduces the sludge transportation costs but, more importantly, brings benefi ts to the upstream pro-cesses like thermal drying or incineration, due to high cake dryness.

Using the Dehydris Twist allows gains of 8 to 10% in cake dryness compared to conventional fi lter belt press-es, and 2 to 6% compared to Plate Filter Presses, de-pending on sludge quality and chemical conditioning.

• Sludge drying: Sludge drying basically serves the pur-pose of reducing the fi nal sludge volume and therefore helps to minimise the disposal costs.

Solar or thermal drying are the two main routes employed by Degrémont; the fi nal choice being dependent on the climate, energy costs and plant size.As far as solar drying of dewatered sludge is concerned,

Degrémont has developed and installed dozens of Heliantis or greenhouse facilities equipped with adapted turning machines ‒ the so-called “scarifi ers”. The Heliantis is a simple, clean, ecological and economical technology that utilises 20 to 100 kWh per tonne of water evaporated.

Degrémont has built more than 70 ther-mal drying facilities in the past 60 years. Thermal drying is a very sensitive process that could be dangerous if not properly designed. After extensive research, Degrémont came up with two reliable and effi cient processes, namely: The Evaporis LE (low energy), which

consumes 700 to 750 kWh per tonne of water evaporated to be compared with 600 to 1 100 kWh for other processes. It is a two-stage process.

The Evaporis LT (low temperature) is a single-stage band dryer that uses waste heat (low temperature calories that are generally lost).• Incineration: Incineration of dewatered cake by high

temperature fl uidised bed is now an internationally recognised process. Degrémont’s incineration tech-nology ‒ the Thermylis ‒ has numerous outstanding references, mostly in North America.

Current strategies are to get autogenous conditions, in or-der to avoid an injection of external fuel. This can be easily achieved, either by installing an enhanced dewatering de-vice (Dehydris Twist) upstream or by pre-drying coupled with heat exchangers.For large plants, a direct valorisation of energy with

steam turbines driving electrical generators is very interesting ‒ the Galindo Plant in Bilbao, Spain, being an excellent example.

Evaporis LE – a low energy thermal dryer

International regulations require higher volumes of effluent be treated to higher standards


TRENDS & PRODUC TS AERATION CONTROL

Plant reliability versus energy effi ciency

Current legislative demands have led to an increase in the complexity of modern waste-water treatment adhering to effl uent limits at the plant’s outlet. Furthermore, energy cost

trends show that energy effi ciency is growing in impor-tance in wastewater treatment. The challenge and (future) key to success for operators will be their ability to manage required plant reliability, reduce complexity and optimise energy effi ciency. Linked to actual energy benchmark dis-cussions for wastewater treatment plants, this contribution demonstrates, in the case of aeration control, how control strategies based on online data support increased plant safety by optimising energy input. Furthermore, the aim of energy monitoring systems and an implementation strategy is to provide energy savings in a strategic and sustainable manner.

Aim of nutrient online measurement for controlling aerationThe aeration step in a biological wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) is the key process step as well as the main cost factor regarding energy demand. Approximately 60% of the energy demand of a municipal WWTP is attributable to aeration to eliminate chemical oxygen demand (COD) and nutrients. Independent of the process layout, there are several parameters with the potential to contribute sig-nifi cantly towards process optimisation. When considering the main microbiological elimination reactions in aeration and non-aeration periods, three parameters are typically tracked: oxygen, ammonia and nitrate.

The outstanding importance of oxygenGraph 1 shows that oxygen is a very important param-eter for successful wastewater treatment via biological processes. Because the degradation of organic matter as

With approximately 60% of a municipal WWTW’s energy demand attributable to aeration, process optimisation could contribute signifi cantly towards effi cient energy use. by Dr Heidrun Tippe, Endress+Hauser

well as the conversion of ammonia to nitrate (nitrifi cation) is done by aerobic bacteria, a suffi cient aeration of the basin is a must. The activity curve (black line) of Graph 1 demonstrates that the microbiological activity of the nitrifi -

cation bacteria is strongly infl uenced by the oxygen (O2) concentration, even in low O2-concentration ranges below 1 mg/ℓ O2. Between 1 and 2 mg/ℓ O2 the curve levels off and oxygen > 3 mg/ℓ means that no signifi cant activity increase of the bacteria will be visible.WWTPs have to meet outlet limits that are legis-

lated. Plant operators have to guarantee a suffi cient oxygen concentration in the aeration basin. On the

other hand, over-aeration off ers no benefi ts since sig-nifi cant improvement concerning the load emissions is not given. A signifi cant increase in the specifi c energy demand of the plant would be the only result of over-aeration. Current legislative demands have led to an increase in the complexity of modern wastewater treatment in ensuring adherence to effl uent limits at the plant’s outlet. Online measurement of oxygen is used to limit over-aer-

ation as well as under-aeration. Several examples demon-strate the positive eff ect of online oxygen measurement in the aeration basins or basin zones. The prevention of under-aeration by a minimum set-point makes the whole treatment process more reliable and improves the outlet situation independent of the inlet load. Furthermore, ineffi -cient energy usage due to over-aeration is avoided.

GRAPH 1 Illustrating the importance of the oxygen parameter in wastewater treatment via biological processes

Left ISEmax (also below) in sludge basin

TRENDS & PRODUC TS

Verder Pumps ‒ an internationally recognised market leader in the production and distri-bution of a wide range of industrial strength pumps ‒ introduced a new range of pumping

products at the 2012 Electra Mining Exhibition, which was held at the Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg from 10 to 14 September 2012. Verder South Africa marketing manager, Laetitia

Möller said the company offi cially launched a new range of Verderhus screw channel pumps and Verderfl ex Dura 45 peristaltic hose pumps at the event, in addition to exhibiting tried-and-trusted models such as the Verdermag magnetic drive centrifugal pumps and Verderair air-operated double Diaphragm pumps. “Verder South

Africa was established


Verder SA launches new range of pumps

ISE sensors for ammonia and nitrateThe positive eff ect of using oxygen to avoid under-aera-tion and over-aeration is well demonstrated. But today, modern solutions additionally use nutrient parameters like ammonia and nitrate for real-time aeration control. The main benefi t is dynamic control of the aeration rate in relation to the detected change of load situations and again, optimised energy effi ciency. This means that only online information regarding load and nitrifi cation/denitrifi cation situations from the process allow for the consequent exploitation of existing energy savings potential in the plant. The basis is a new measuring principle for ammo-

nia and nitrate. Wet-chemical analyser systems are not the best choice in these applications because the implementation into control strategies requires fast reaction times from the measuring system. The so called ion-selective measuring method (ISE) was developed specifi cally for these applications and off ers accurate, reliable and fast measurements in aer-ation basins. The sensor is available as a one-parameter sensor (ammonia or nitrate) or as a two-parameter sen-sor for both parameters in parallel. The two-parameter

The aeration step in a biological wastewater treatment plant is the... main cost factor regarding energy demand

version fi ts perfectly for the intermittent process or for SBR (sequence batch reactors), because both processes have aeration and non-aeration phases in one basin.

Process reliabilityAfter considering the various aspects surrounding energy effi ciency, we also look at overall plant reliability. Adhering to legislation for the outlet is a factor of the effi ciency of the biological treatment step, i.e. in the aeration basins. Water temperature, load situation and potentially disturbing substances can all infl uence the specifi c activity of bacteria.The idea is to use the online ammonia concentra-

tion for an adjustment of the oxygen concentration. In the case of a high load situation, the bacteria can be supported by higher oxygen concentrations. In those situations the energy effi ciency is weak, but the outlet limits are guaranteed. In the case of an under-load situation, the control strategy with

ammonia adjusts the oxygen set-point to a (very) low level. These are the process situations where energy savings potential are employed, without negatively aff ecting the limits.

Verder South Africa has celebrated one decade of success in the South African market by launching two new pumps at the 2012 Electra Mining event.

from humble beginnings in Johannesburg in 2002, with just four employees operating on a modest budget. Today, the local division has distinguished itself as one of the fastest-growing companies within

the Verder Group over the past decade. We have found it fi tting to celebrate our 10th year in the country by launching new products at Electra Mining, as the mining industry is our largest market, and the event serves as the ideal platform to engage with some of the largest and emerging names in the industry,” she explained. Verder sales engineer, Hannes Liebenberg highlight-

ed the fact that the new Verderhus range is ideally suited to the gold and platinum mining sectors. “The local gold and platinum mining industries have major problems in dewatering shafts and sumps where there is a high content of solids and abrasive products with a low water pH level. The Verderhus pump is perfect for removing this slurry, due to the fact that it is specifi cally designed for discharging highly abrasive, corrosive and high fl ow materials.”Verder also launched the Verderfl ex Dura 45 peristaltic

hose pump at Electra Mining, added Möller.

a

b

c

d

a) Dura 45b) Model T Submersible verderhusc) Model B Close coupled Verderhusd) Model L Long coupled Verderhus

PUMPS, PIPES & VALVES


TRENDS & PRODUC TS PUMPS, PIPES & VALVES

Index to AdvertisersIndex to advertisers

Blue Planet South Africa (Aquaclean) 2

Buckman Laboratories 26-27

Dynamic Fluid Control 22

Elster Kent Metering (Pty) Ltd 41

Fiberpipe 40

GIBB ENGINEERING 25

Kaytech 17

Keller AG Fur DRUCKMESSTECHNIK IBC

K’enyuka 20

KROHNE South Africa 32

NEP Consulting Engineers 21

NU WATER 12-13

Rand Water OFC

Royal Haskoning SSI 19

SBS 14-15

Schneider Electric 7

Sensus South Africa 44

Sera Dose Tech SA (Pty) Ltd 24

SRK Consulting Engineers 33

Thuthuka Projects Managers 34

Trenchless Technology CC IFC

UWP Engineering 18

Valve & Allied 37

Videx Storage Tanks 23

Water & Sanitation OBC

Xylem (ITT Water & Wastewater) 29

Specifically suited to the harsh con-ditions prevalent on mining and construction sites, the ABS sub-mersible dewatering pumps are

available in two series, one for drainage (the XJ pump) and one for sludge (the XJS pump). “The ABS submersible dewa-tering pump range is the world’s toughest and smartest dewater-ing pump,” said Jonas Enevold, Sulzer Pumps spokesperson, at the event held at the Expo Centre, Nasrec, Johannesburg, South Africa.

Unique conditionsConstruction sites are notori-ously difficult places to work, as are surface and un-derground con-ditions of mines. Some of the harsh challenges include mud, slurry, stones and rocks, which are often found in surface water on construction sites. On

a mine there are also large volumes of water that need to be removed in order to keep production moving.This, according to the team, is the real

world and therefore has necessitated the introduction of a range of dewatering pumps ‘made for the real world’.

Unique pumping solutionAccording to Enevold, the ABS submersible dewatering pump range offers stable operation, long life and high portability, and is also packed with electronic in-telligence called AquaTronic and AquaPlug. These two features save energy, reduce wear and allow pump condition to be checked

without disassembly. Further major ben-efits include: • correct motor rotation every time as the pump electron-ically adjusts for incorrect phase order

• motor protection as the

pump stops in the event of a power over-load and/or high temperature• rapid assessment of operation/fault his-

tory through a USB port, which allows the pump condition to be checked with a PC, without disassembly• no control panels required as the built-in pump electronics eliminate traditional electrical panels

• reduced energy consumption and wear as the pump can be set to stop at dry run-ning and start again at a specified level.

‘Intelligent’ meteringEnevold explained that “building the world’s most intelligent dewatering pump” means eliminating electrical control panels. The AquaTronic unit integrates electronic intelligence into the pump, while the AquaPlug control and monitor-ing module integrates it into the power supply. Furthermore, the AquaTronic unit

ensures that pumping with the ABS sub-mersible dewatering pump range starts immediately with full capacity and runs consistently. Although the pump can be run continuously, the AquaPlug ‒ an optional control and monitoring module ‒ can also be used to stop it when snoring. In addition, the AquaTronic unit also

has internal software that presents the pump’s service history and can assist in monitoring ‒ and managing ‒ the pump’s performance over its life cycle.

New intelligent dewatering pump for local marketsChantelle Mattheus attended Sulzer Pumps’ recent launch at the Electra Mining Conference, in September 2012.

ABS submersible dewarange is the world’s smartest dewater-

aid Jonas Enevold,ps spokesperson,held at the Expo

ec, Johannesburg,

ditionssites are notori-

t places to work, and un-

con-nes. the

nges mud,andare

in r on sites. On

pumps made for the real w

Unique pumping soAccording to Enesubmersible dewrange offers stable life and high poalso packed withtelligence called AquaPlug. These twenergy, reduce wpump condition

without Furefits• crtpiio

• motor p

The days when you had to run from measuring station to measuring station every day

tively a thing of the past.

www.keller-druck.com

GSM-2

Level Sensor

Picture:

GSM-2 system for water level measurements

1x INSTALLED, ALWAYS INFORMED.

REDUCES YOUR COSTS. GUARANTEED.

Water&Sanitation Africa Nov/Dec 2012

Documents

Transcript of Water&Sanitation Africa Nov/Dec 2012