Imiesa March 2013

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

INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT • MAINTENANCE • SERVICE DELIVERY

WINNER Non-professional writer of the yearHIGHLY COMMENDED Publishing Excellence

n professional wri2012

Infrastructure delivery

Finding its way again

oGagwini community

Water supply scheme

RustenburgRapid Transport

programme

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CONTENTS

IMIESA March 2013 1

VOLUME 38 NO 3 MARCH 2013CONTENTS

13 Watertreatment

RegularsEditor’s comment 3President’s comment 5

Cover articleDWA's Regional Bulk Infrastructure Grant Programme 6

InsightThe blueprint for our survival 9

Africa Africa in review 12New water treatment plant for Maun 13

Infrastructure deliveryHow infrastructure delivery can find its way again 17

Water and wastewaterCommunity water supply scheme 33Climate change 'hotspots' 35The importance of groundwater management 37

Pipes, pumps and valvesPVC pressure pipes for water supply project 43Ensuring quality 45Ductile iron pipes installed 47New handbook available 48

IMESAMunicipal benchmarking initiative 49

RustenburgRRT project well under way 51Road and sewer upgrades 54

PowerPV solar panel produced locally 56Courses for Eskom staff 57

HousingNorthern Cape housing provision 58Lephalale housing project launched 59

33 Waterprovision

47 Water infrastructure

49 Municipal benchmarking

14

Cover Story The Regional Bulk Infrastructure Grant Programme is a departmental financial resource mobilisation plan designed to facilitate availability of sufficient funds and expenditure management systems for the implementation of regional bulk infrastructure across the country.

in ttthhhe HOOOOTT SSEEEEATT

Panel discussionWater and wastewater quality

management 61

Shosalowe

Jurie Niemand63

Quality Filtration Systems

Herman Smit65

GLS Consulting

Erik Loubser67

Cascade Group

George Peters69

Amanz' Abantu

Oliver Ive71

“The principles of empowerment and transformation are interwoven into the company’s DNA and form part of its core business strategy.” Trueman Goba, CEO, GOBA

Roads and stormwaterA 25-year commitment to transport 60Bridging the gap 60

Products and servicesAlternate solutions for housing 72Thousands of solutions provided 73Retaining wall constructon 75

Industry newsKevin Wall wins esteemed award 76

CALL FOR PAPERSAuthors are requested to think innovatively, base new ideas on case studies (local and elsewhere), be practical in approach and indicate how their proposed paper will support the conference theme.

23 - 25 October 2013

Submissions of extracts in the prescribed format by Friday, 26 April 2013 to Dup van Renen

email: [email protected]

• Political and Legislation • Ecological / Environmental• Financial• Transport and Traffic • Water and Sanitation• Roads and Storm Water

Increased number of strikes against poor

services delivery in 2012, numerous

reported failures of water supplies,

sewerage conveyance & treatment systems, and poor road maintenance conditions,

are pointers of warning, that serious turn-around

strategies are required in South African municipal

service delivery.

This will be required from institutional structures and

financial management right up to the operation and maintenance of quality

service delivery to the people.

Hence the theme for 2013:

Municipal Engineering: Meeting Peoples’ Needs

THE EASTERN CAPE BRANCH HEREBY ISSUES THE 2013 IMESA CONFERENCE

CALL FOR PAPERS

Download abstract forms from www.imesa.org.za Tel: 031 266 3263

IMIESA March 2013 3

EDITOR’S COMMENT

A taste for lifePUBLISHER Elizabeth ShortenEDITOR Richard Jansen van VuurenHEAD OF DESIGN Frédérick DantonSENIOR DESIGNER Hayley MendelowDESIGNER Kirsty GallowayCHIEF SUB-EDITOR Claire NozaïcSUB-EDITOR Patience GumboCONTRIBUTORS Ron Watermeyer, Kevin Wall, Graham Pirie, Frank Stevens, Simon FouldsPRODUCTION MANAGER Antois-Leigh BotmaPRODUCTION COORDINATOR Jacqueline ModiseFINANCIAL MANAGER Andrew Lobban (ACIS, FCIBM)MARKETING AND ONLINE MANAGER Martin HillerADMINISTRATION Tonya HebentonDISTRIBUTION MANAGER Nomsa MasinaDISTRIBUTION COORDINATOR Asha PursothamSUBSCRIPTIONS [email protected] United Litho Johannesburg +27 (0)11 402 0571___________________________________________________

ADVERTISING SALESJenny Miller Tel: +27 (0)11 467 6223___________________________________________________

PUBLISHER: MEDIA No. 4, 5th Avenue, Rivonia 2056PO Box 92026, Norwood 2117 Tel: +27 (0)11 233 2600 Fax: +27 (0)11 234 7274/5 E-mail: [email protected] www.3smedia.co.za

ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION: R530.00 (INCL VAT) ISSN 0257 1978 IMIESA, Inst.MUNIC. ENG. S. AFR.© Copyright 2013. All rights reserved.___________________________________________________

IMESA CONTACTSIMESA Administration Officer: Ingrid BottonP O Box 2190, Westville, 3630Tel: +27 (0)31 266 3263Fax: +27 (0)31 266 5094Email: [email protected]: www.imesa.org.za

BORDER BRANCHSecretary: Melanie MatroosTel: +27 (0)43 705 2401Fax: +27 (0)43 743 5266E-mail: [email protected]

EAST CAPE BRANCHElsabé KoenTel: +27 (0)41 505 8005Fax: +27 (0)41 581 2300E-mail: [email protected]

KWAZULU-NATAL BRANCHSecretary: Rita ZaaymanTel: +27(0)31 311 6382

NORTHERN PROVINCE BRANCHSecretary: Cornel TaljaardTel: +27 (0)82 899 8341Fax: +27 (0)11 675 1324E-mail: [email protected]

SOUTHERN CAPE KAROO BRANCHSecretary: Henrietta OliverTel: +27(0)79 390 7536Fax: 086 536 3725E-mail: [email protected]

WESTERN CAPE BRANCHSecretary: Erica van JaarsveldTel: +27 (0)21 938 8455Fax: +27 (0)21 938 8457E-mail: [email protected]

FREE STATE AND NORTHERN CAPE BRANCHSecretary: Wilma Van Der WaltTel: +27(0)83 457 4362Fax: 086 628 0468E-mail: [email protected]

REST OF SOUTHERN AFRICARepresentative: Andre MullerE-mail: [email protected]

All material herein IMIESA is copyright protected and may not be reproduced either in whole or in part without the prior written permission of the publisher. The views of contributors do not necessarily reflect those of the Institute of Municipal Engineering of Southern Africa or the publishers.

Cover opportunity In each issue, IMIESA offers advertisers the opportunity to get to the front of the line by placing a company, product or service on the front cover of the journal. Buying this position will afford the advertiser the cover story and maximum exposure. For more information on cover bookings contact Jenny Miller on tel: +27 (0)11 467 6223.t

I’M WRITING THIS column from a Spur –

the Silver Cloud Spur in Port Elizabeth to

be exact. Readers will be well acquainted

with not only the Spur chain of restau-

rants, but also IMIESA’s long standing munici-

pal features.

The municipal features we publish are the

core of the magazine’s content – it is from here

that the remainder of the content published in

the magazine originates.

So as I sit and write this I feel compelled to

let you know that in the coming months we will

be publishing the following municipal features:

• May 2013 – Ekurhuleni

• June 2013 – City of Johannesburg

• July 2013 – Buffalo City

• August 2013 – eThekwini

The reason for my visit to Port Elizabeth is

to report on municipal projects happening

Certain advertisement jingles stay with you a long time. Red, yellow, blue… which one’s for you? The BMW beating the bends on Chapman’s Peak Drive remains firmly imprinted in my brain. “It’s not inside… it’s ON TOP” even more so.

in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan

Municipality’s domain. These projects will be

published in the April edition of IMIESA.

It is one thing to interview a person over the

phone or e-mail questions to them – which is

common practice – but interviewing someone

one-on-one on-site remains the best way to

write an article. It not only allows a journalist

to get the required information from people

regarding a project, but it also allows for a

greater understanding of what has been or

will be accomplished. There is no better way

of formulating and understanding knowledge

or information than the double input of aural

and visual stimulus. So please contact me

with regards to the municipal features listed

above and let’s arrange a project site visit. The

last journalist anyone should ever trust is one

chained to a desk. This goes against the natu-

ral instinct of a journalist as they are normally

the first to the door when the opportunity to

see something or somewhere new arises. The

journalist who comes to where you are, shakes

your hand and looks you in the eye is doing

their job right.

This brings me back to the Spur. Admittedly

there are more imaginative or exotic places to

dine when travelling for work purposes – but

Spur is solidly reliable whether here in Port

Elizabeth or in some town off the beaten track.

I’ve been to many in my 14 years of construc-

tion and engineering journalism all over the

country. They just get it right.

Richard Jansen van Vuuren

DOING IT RIGHT

On page 16 of the January 2013 edition of IMIESA we published an article titled “10 Mℓ wastewater reuse at Outeniqua WWTW.” Unfortunately we forgot to list Ovivo Aqua South Africa as one the project participants. For more information on the company’s involvement in the project please contact t: +27 (0)11 886 0266.

2 3 - 2 5 O C T O B E R 2 0 1 3

P O R T E L I Z A B E T H

nelson mandela bay

CONFERENCEIMESAIMESAIMESA

2013

Theme: Municipal Engineering – Meeting Peoples’ NeedsEARN 2.5 CPD POINTS BY ATTENDING

Included in conference fee:• Opening Cocktail Function with Presidential Address• 3 Day Conference with local and international experts• Techncial Tours• Access to 80 industry suppliers at their exhibition stands• Gala Function: the best networking opportunity

Additional fees for:• Golf Day at Humewood before Conference opens• Companion to join at social functions or to participate

in 3 Day Companion Tours

For information:Tel: 031 2663263 Email: [email protected]

The 2013 IMESA Conference will be hosted at the brand new Boardwalk Hotel & Conference Centre on the beautiful Port Elizabeth beach front. A variety of exciting technical tours are being arranged to

SA Breweries, Koega Harbour, VW Factory and Van Staden’s Wind Farm.

Register and pay early to qualify for excellent Early Bird Discounts!

PRESIDENT’S COMMENT

THE THEME for our

2013 IMESA confer-

ence is ‘Municipal

Engineering: Meeting

People’s Needs’.

Poor service delivery strikes,

ongoing failures in water

services as well as poor road

maintenance conditions are

pointers that a turnaround

strategy in South Africa’s

municipal service delivery

is urgently required, from

institutional structures and

financial management right up to

the operation and maintenance

of quality service delivery to the

people who need it most.

Trevor Manuel, in the executive

summary of the National

Development Plan 2030,

identifies the nine chal-

lenges facing South Africa

as being:

• too few South Africans are

employed

• the quality of education for

poor black South Africans

is substandard

• poorly located and

inadequate infra-

structure limit social

inclusion and faster

economic growth

• South Africa’s growth path is

resource-intensive and there-

fore unsustainable

• spatial challenges continue to

marginalise the poor

• the ailing public health sys-

tem confronts a mas-

sive disease burden

• the performance

of the public service is uneven

• corruption undermines state

legitimacy and service delivery

• South Africa remains a

divided society.

While local municipalities can-

not assist directly with most

of the underlying

IMESA CONFERENCE 2013: PORT ELIZABETH

A response to call for papers and attendance vital for successThe benchmarking for water services in South Africa through the national Municipal Benchmarking Initiative started in April 2011 (see my article on pages 49 and 50) is one of several partnership agreements that IMESA is involved with to address national issues affecting municipalities.

problems, there are several of

these challenges that municipal

engineers can input on. We

hope that the call for papers,

which has been publicised for

the abstract deadline of 26 April

2013, will attract innovative

ideas based on local and interna-

tional case studies for practical

and sustainable solutions to sup-

port the conference theme.

We are looking for papers that

offer innovation through leader-

ship, business value and busi-

ness interest in the

following categories:

• Political and legislation

• Ecological/environmental

• Financial

• Transport and traffic

• Water and sanitation

• Roads and stormwater.

One of the strengths of our

nation is our ability to reinvent

ourselves to meet the constantly

changing circumstances. In the

words of Charles Darwin: “It is

neither the strongest nor the

most intelligent of the species

that survive. It is the species

that is the most responsive

to change.”

I look forward to the solutions

that will emerge at our 2013

IMESA Conference.

IMIESA March 2013 5

We hope that the call for papers... will attract innovative ideas based on local and international case studies for practical and sustainable solutions to support the conference theme

6 IMIESA March 2013

COVER STORY

THE REGIONAL BULK Infrastructure

Grant Programme (RBIG) is a depart-

mental financial resource mobilisation

plan designed to facilitate availability

of sufficient funds and expenditure manage-

ment systems for the implementation of region-

al bulk infrastructure across the country. The

projects into which this grant injects funds aim

to develop bulk water infrastructure required to

connect or augment existing water resources

infrastructure serving extensive areas across

various municipal boundaries, or large regional

bulk infrastructure serving numerous communi-

ties over a large area within a municipal area.

The grant extends to sanitation through the

building of wastewater treatment works that

do not meet area requirements or that have

become inoperable. National Treasury is the

sole funder of the national programme and,

as a result, all projects and associated imple-

mentation, administration and management

processes are subject to numerous legislative

frameworks. Key among other legislative frame-

works that guide implementation of the grant

is the PFMA (Public Finance Management

Act), Treasury Regulations, DORA (Division of

Revenue Act), and procurement and supply

chain management (SCM) guidelines within the

public service context.

Key functionaries in the Northern Cape

region are the acting regional chief director,

Abe Abrahams; the director of Water Sector

Support, Dr Magda Ligthelm; and the regional

project manager, Keletso Kgarana. The National

Office programme manager: regional bulk infra-

structure is Lerato Mokoena.

Background dynamics of the regionAs in other provinces, the Northern Cape focus-

es on access to potable water service delivery

to disadvantaged communities. Through its

RBIG programme, the construction of bulk

infrastructure is paramount for the expansion

of reticulation systems to communities. After

the installation of bulk infrastructure, which

includes bulk pipelines, water treatment plants

and associated infrastructure, reticulation work

is undertaken by the relevant municipalities to

ensure water supply to communities within its

area of operations. Without viable bulk services

in place, reticulation work, which would supply

water to communities, could not take place.

Due to the vast distances between water sourc-

es, such as dams and rivers, towns and com-

munities in need of potable water were quickly

left behind. For this reason, the Northern Cape

was excited when RBIG came into effect in

2007 as this meant that the region could begin

to address the bulk infrastructure backlog

that had developed – with particular focus on

backlog eradication, higher levels of service

and growing settlements in remote areas. Due

to the population size of the province tradition-

ally, this meant that only 2 to 2.4% of the

national infrastructure programme budgets was

received. For this reason the province started

NORTHERN CAPE

Regional Bulk Infrastructure Grant

The RBIG is being implemented in all nine provinces. This overview features the Northern Cape province, where the distance between towns and previously disadvantaged communities was one of the challenges that needed to be overcome during the planning phase.

IMIESA March 2013 7

COVER STORY

out small, with a groundwater augmentation

project at Vanwyksvlei with a value of R5.7 mil-

lion. The department’s regional office quickly

realised though that if it wanted to increase

funding flows to the Northern Cape RBIG pro-

gramme, it would have to identify projects and

ensure that they are ‘implementation ready’.

For that reason, the province decided to

invest in the preparation of detailed feasibil-

ity studies that would identify and recognise

the growth and development needs and guide

it in future bulk project selection. During this

start-up phase, 18 feasibility studies were com-

pleted. Approximately half of these identified

key projects that were implementation ready.

The region’s project production line was now

in place, so that it could quickly direct funds

to these projects, if and when more funds

became available. This proactive approach by

the DWA regional office gave the region a head

start over many of the other provinces, which

had not focused on getting a project production

line in place.

The success of this tactical decision paid off

as the Northern Cape currently receives 8.5%

of the RBIG budget – which is a great benefit to

all sectors of its diverse communities. It also

proved the value of good planning and proactive

project preparation. At present, there are six

regional bulk projects under implementation,

three in design and tender phases, and work is

under way on 12 more feasibility studies.

The Northern Cape, like many other provinc-

es, has experienced particular challenges relat-

ing to the condition of municipal wastewater

treatment works (WWTW). These challenges are

clearly seen in the results of Green Drop com-

pliance assessments. The lack of investment in

the maintenance of existing infrastructure over

many years has also had negative results. Over

time, the infrastructure simply did not have the

capacity to keep up with treatment demands,

with the resultant negative impact on service

delivery and the environment.

The RBIG programme focuses on turning

around the water treatment capacity of selected

municipalities. While the province recognises

that bulk projects by their very nature are imple-

mented over a number of years due to their

size, the availability of funding, water sources,

local absorption capacity, the DWA is confident

that this impact will be clear in improved Green

Drop and Blue Drop results in the near future.

The Northern Cape municipalities struggle

with significant water scarcity challenges.

For many communities access to a sustain-

able supply of potable water is an uphill strug-

gle, as water is a scarce natural resource

throughout the province. However, careful plan-

ning and innovative thinking is addressing

these obstacles.

The department has assisted with the bulk

pipeline project at Kai !Garib Local Municipality

where water has been taken from Lennertsville

to Kenhardt. This project brought relief to

a long-suffering community that has had to

endure harsh conditions for many years. The

availability of a secure supply of water will also

allow development opportunities that were

not previously possible. This development has

resulted in the employment of six local citizens

who were trained to operate and maintain the

new infrastructure. Putting this technical capac-

ity into place will make a considerable contri-

bution to the sustainability of government’s

investment in this area.

Programme

Department of Water Affairs

Web: www.dwa.gov.za

IMIESA offers advertisers an ideal platform to ensure maximum exposure of their brand. Companies are afforded the opportunity of publishing a two-page cover story and a cover picture to promote their products to an appropriate audience. Please call Jenny Miller on +27 (0)11 467 6223 to secure your booking.

The construction of bulk infrastructure is paramount for the expansion of reticulation systems to communities

IME

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IMESAIMESA

Afri-Infra [email protected] Broom Road Products [email protected] SA [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Africa Group Holdings [email protected] Consulting [email protected] Bosch Stemele [email protected] Bosch Munitech [email protected] Consulting Engineers [email protected] Consulting Engineers [email protected] Consulting Engineers [email protected] Civil & Blasting Solutions [email protected] Manufacturers [email protected] Institute of Southern Africa [email protected] Built Environment [email protected] Lynn & Partners [email protected] Bank of SA [email protected] Plastics [email protected] Engineers [email protected] Kent Metering [email protected] Waste Management [email protected] [email protected] Consulting [email protected] [email protected] SA [email protected] Technology [email protected] Enterprises [email protected]@Consulting [email protected] Consulting [email protected] [email protected] and Green [email protected] Water [email protected] Consulting [email protected] Base [email protected]

Lektratek Water [email protected] Narasimulu & Associates [email protected] Consulting Engineers [email protected] Asphalt [email protected] Consulting [email protected] Engineering Systems [email protected] Naidoo & Associates Consulting Engineers [email protected] Construction [email protected] [email protected] Africa [email protected] [email protected] HaskoningDHV [email protected] SBS Water Systems [email protected] Consulting [email protected] Lines [email protected] SA [email protected] Inc [email protected] Water Company [email protected] [email protected] African Society for Trenchless Technology [email protected] Consulting [email protected] Pumps Wastewater [email protected] [email protected] Engineers East London [email protected] Consulting [email protected] Consulting [email protected] Consulting Engineers [email protected] Water Institute of Southern Africa [email protected] WorleyParsons [email protected] Group Africa [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Surfacing [email protected]

INSIGHT

IMIESA March 2013 9

IN ORDER TO IMPLEMENT the National

Water Resources Strategy II (2012) (NWRS-

2), it is important that South Africans

generally understand how the water cycle

works and how their actions impact on this

cycle. It is equally important to understand the

context of water resources in South Africa, and

the specific challenges that the country faces.

Water is a renewable resource that oper-

ates in a closed loop system.

Infrastructure, such as dams,

enables the provision of a reli-

able supply of water and

increases the quantity

available for use by stor-

ing water that would

otherwise run into the

sea. Storage of water

in dams enables a reli-

able supply of water

even during a drought.

Other technologies are

also available for increas-

ing water availability, such

as desalination, although

such technologies are still

relatively expensive.

The challenge is, however, that

dams and general use of water for

social and economic purposes have

negative impacts on aquatic ecosystems

that provide important goods and services.

The problem therefore comes in of how to

balance the use of water with the protection

of aquatic ecosystems. The NWRS-2 provides

strategies that aim to achieve this.

Understanding water scarcityWhile water is the most abundant resource

on Ear th, 97.5% of it is too salty for

The blueprint for our survival WATER RESOURCE STRATEGY – PART 1

Compiled by Richard Jansen van Vuuren

Effective water resources management is dependent on all water users and water managers playing their part. Government cannot do it alone. This article is the first of a series highlighting the key issues discussed in the National Water Resources Strategy II (2012).

human consumption and crop production.

South Africa has low levels of rainfall relative

to the world average, with high variability as

well as high levels of evaporation due to the

hot climate, and increasing challenges from

water pollution. All of these pose

constraints on the amount of

water available for use.

Although the regulatory

framework and the insti-

tutional arrangements

have changed since the

advent of democracy,

one aspect remains

constant: water scarci-

ty – whether quantita-

tive, qualitative or both

– that originates as

much from inefficient

use and poor manage-

ment as from real physi-

cal limits. South Africa is

the 30th driest country in

the world and has less water

per person than countries widely

considered to be dry.

At present, there is a well-developed

infrastructure, with more than 4 395 regis-

tered dams in South Africa, of which 2 528

are water supply related. However, in many

parts of the country we have either reached or

are fast approaching the point at which all of

our financially viable freshwater resources are

fully utilised. Despite the good infrastructure,

the occurrence of floods and droughts are part

of the “normal” water cycle, and water restric-

tions and flood management are a critical

ABOVE Picture of Earth showing how, if all of Earth’s water (ice, freshwater, saline and water vapour) were put into a sphere, its diameter would be a little bit more than the flight distance from Johannesburg to Cape Town. Credit: Illustration by Jack Cook, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

The problem therefore comes in of how to balance the use of water with the protection of aquatic ecosystems

10 IMIESA March 2013

INSIGHT

part of the water business. And despite the

good infrastructure, the poor and marginal-

ised experience water scarcity most intensely,

particularly in underdeveloped rural areas and

areas such as the former homelands.

In many parts of the country, we are fast

approaching the point at which all of the

easily accessible freshwater resources are

fully utilised. All South Africans must recog-

nise this situation so that necessary steps

are taken to assess current and future

demands for water. This will not be an easy

task, but with the necessary resolve to plan

and implement the required interventions,

a secure water future can be achieved. The

present water supply situation has created a

false sense of water security within the privi-

leged sectors of the South African society.

Marginalised and poor communities, on the

other hand, have always experienced high

levels of water insecurity.

It must be noted that, as of 2012, South

Africa had 16 consecutive years of above-

average rainfall in the majority of summer rain-

fall areas and in these areas the last major

drought was more than two decades ago. This

trend is unlikely to continue.

Water quantityThe NWRS-1 showed that the majority of the

water management areas (WMAs) have water

deficits despite significant transfers from

other catchments. Only a few selected WMAs,

such as parts of the Eastern Cape, had sur-

plus water. There were already concerns that

more WMAs will have fresh water deficits by

the year 2025. There are a number of options

for reconciling water supply and demand,

which are dealt with in the technical strate-

gies, including improved water use efficiency,

development of new infrastructure, reuse and

recycling, desalination and the removal of

water-hungry alien invasive plants.

Surface waterFor the purpose of water planning, the

Department of Water Affairs (DWA) plans with

‘available water’ and uses a 98% assurance

of supply (DWAF, 2004). This means that

water can be abstracted at the determined

‘yield’, 98 out of 100 years on average.

There are about 10 billion cubic metres per

year available with this level of assurance. In

most areas where there are water deficits or

where the system is considered ‘in balance’,

the probability is that water shortages are

experienced more than 2 out of 100 years.

Water shortages have become part of life in

South Africa.

Approximately 25% of the mean annual

runoff (MAR) of 49 billion cubic metres per

annum needs to remain in the rivers and estu-

aries to support ecological functioning of the

catchments, depending on the specific river

systems. In many water management areas

the ecological portion of the reserve is not yet

fully implemented.

Most of the economically available yield

from sur face water resources over large parts

of the country have been fully developed and

At present, there is a well-developed infrastructure, with more than 4 395 registered dams in South Africa

INSIGHT

IMIESA March 2013 11

utilised. More than two thirds of the country’s

MAR is already stored in dams. Where addi-

tional water is still available, such as in the

uThukela, Mzimvubu and Pongola basins, it

is located in relatively remote areas far from

existing centres of demand. Opportunities for

economically viable new dams are few and

far between (DWA, 2010), and the costs of

transfer of water per cubic metre to locations

where water is needed are also rising with

longer distances. Sur face water from dams

and direct abstraction from rivers, accounted

for 9.5 billion cubic metres per annum, with a

significant volume of the sur face water yield

(3 billion cubic metres per annum) moved

via inter-basin transfers to areas in the

country where requirements exceed supply.

An example is the Lesotho Highlands Water

Scheme, which supplies water to Gauteng

through transfer from Katse and Mohale

dams in Lesotho to the Upper Vaal WMA. The

Mzimvubu to Keiskamma WMA is currently the

only WMA not subject to inter-basin transfers.

Many dams and associated water resourc-

es infrastructure were built more than 40

years ago. While the main structures may

have an extremely long life, spillways, gates,

pumps, pipelines and canals, and associated

infrastructure, need regular maintenance and

occasional major rehabilitation to extend the

lifespan of these assets for which funding

is required. There are also backlogs in the

rehabilitation of water infrastructure owned by

the municipalities.

GroundwaterGroundwater is a significant resource in many

parts of the country, although local yields are

usually quite low. The most recent estimate

of sustainable potential yield of groundwa-

ter resources at high assurance is 7.5 bil-

lion cubic metres per annum, while current

groundwater use is estimated at around

2 billion cubic metres per annum. Allowing

for an underestimation on groundwater use,

potentially about 3.5 billion cubic metres

per annum is available for further develop-

ment. This resource is, however, sparsely

distributed and often not readily available at

points of demand. This is exacerbated by the

levels of knowledge and information on the

groundwater resource.

Some of the most favourable areas/aquifers

regarding groundwater availability include: the

Dolomites of the West and far-West Rand;

Table Mountain Group Aquifers of the Western

and Eastern Cape; Coastal sand aquifers

in the Western and Eastern Cape, and

northern KwaZulu-Natal. Other high-yielding

aquifers include basement granites in the

Polokwane-Dendron-Coetzerdam area, alluvial

deposits along sections of major rivers such

as the Limpopo, and parts of the Karoo

Sequence associated with dolerite dykes and

ring structures.

*Source: Department of Water Affairs/National

Water Resources Strategy II (2012)/Water for

equitable growth and development.

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AFRICA

ANGOLACutembo River Bridge inauguratedA BRIDGE OVER Kwanza River

in the Bocoio Municipality was

recently inaugurated by the

municipal administrator, Deolinda

Valiangula. The bridge was built

with material and the logistical

support of Benguela’s province

Bocoio Municipality. Construction

spanned two months.

Source: Angola Press Service

KENYALaw to establish housing fundTHE DRAFT Housing Bill will

establish the National Housing

Development Fund (NHDF) once it

becomes law, which will facilitate

housing construction and related

infrastructure. According to

Kenyan housing permanent secre-

tary, Tirop Kosgey, the fund will be

allocated in excess of Sh10 billion

[Kenyan shillings] (R1.02 billion)

annually by the national govern-

ment in renewed efforts to plug

the widening demand-supply gap

for affordable homes across the

country. It will also raise funds

from the capital markets through

housing bonds. Funds will be

channelled through financial and

mortgage institutions, including

micro-financiers and cooperatives,

to facilitate low-cost housing

projects. The National Housing

Corporation will get direct alloca-

tion from the NHDF for public and

social housing and rural housing

loans, but other institutions will

have to apply to the fund for part

or full financing of low-cost hous-

ing development or onward lend-

ing. The fund will be administered

by the Kenya NHDF committee,

which will be set up once the law

is enacted.

Source: The Star/Kenya

NAMIBIAConstruction companies accused of collusionTHE ALLEGED collusion by four

Swakopmund contractors in

tendering for the construction of

a traffic circle at the entrance

to Swakopmund is heading to

the High Court. An investiga-

tion of the applicants and their

quotations for the project by the

council’s legal advisors, Kinghorn

Associates, suggested the pos-

sibility that local contractors DMA

Holdings, Precision Construction,

Pandora’s Construction and

Elite Construction colluded in

the submission of bids. The

investigation found that all the

tenders were allegedly filled in by

the same person for the same

construction period and at the

same price. The page listing of

previous work done also sug-

gested that the main partner of

DMA Holdings is a partner in

the other three companies. The

investigation further discovered

that based on the company

documentation, in particular the

amended founding statements, in

respect of DMA Holdings, a Deon

and Marlene Miljo each holds

45% interest, and Anita Marlene

Mijo owns 10%. In respect of

Elite Construction and Precision

Construction, Marlene Miljo

holds 100% interest in each of

these corporations. In respect

of Pandora’s Construction, no

partnership documents were

provided. According to the legal

advisors, Deon Miljo allegedly

misrepresented a number of facts

about each of the entities that

tendered for the paving works and

that there was alleged “collusion,

anti-competitive behaviour and

perhaps even tender fraud”.

The Swakopmund council

ordered the contractors to argue

why their actions should not be

regarded as collusion and why

the council should not blacklist

them from receiving future con-

tracts from council for the next

12 months. The contractors had

five days for their side to be

heard. They failed to take the

opportunity, resulting in a recom-

mendation by the management

committee to the council to dis-

qualify the contractors.

Source: The Namibian

NIGERIAThe state of the Third Mainland BridgeFOR USERS OF the Third

Mainland Bridge in Lagos, fresh

concerns over the bridge’s state

have emerged following the

repairs conducted between 7

July and 30 October 2012 by

the Federal Ministry of Works.

A report by Prof JHT Kim, head

of the Concrete Structural

Engineering Laboratory at Yousei

University in Seoul, Korea, who

conducted an underwater exami-

nation of the structures holding

the bridge last December, has

shown that the damages to the

structure are worse than what he

had initially thought. The report,

produced by a company experi-

enced in underwater surveys,

indicated that the underwater

metal casing housing the con-

crete piles on which the bridge

stands has rusted. He said this

may have accounted for the vibra-

tion experienced in some portions

of the bridge, which led to the clo-

sure of the bridge for repairs. The

professor’s report also indicated

that there was progressive steel

caisson deterioration in about

1 318 foundation piles and that

there was extensive reinforce-

ment bar deterioration in eight

piles. Source: Vanguard/Nigeria

TANZANIANHC to establish satellite townsTHE TANZANIAN National

Housing Corporation (NHC)

intends to establish two new

satellite towns in the Meru and

Arusha rural districts, the two

precincts where it owns more

than 1 000 acres of land. The

state-owned and Tanzania’s old-

est public real-estate developer

also has plans to build a total of

15 000 housing units country-

wide, with 70% of these houses

to be sold and the remaining 30%

to be rented out.

“We own more than 1 000

acres of vacant land in the local-

ity, which we intend to develop

into new satellite towns – not

to overshadow or make the

existing Arusha City obsolete,

but rather to complement

the fast-growing urban centre

that serves as the capital for

the East African Community,”

states the NHC director general,

Nehemia Mchechu.

Source: Tanzania Daily News

Africa in review


AFRICA

THE PLANT, located near the banks

of the Thamalakane River, is

scheduled to be commissioned in

September 2013 and will be operat-

ed and maintained by Veolia for a subsequent

six-month period.

The new plant will augment the supply

from existing underground water sources that

become impractical to maintain during the

nearby Okavango Delta’s flood season. To

maintain consumer demand during these peri-

ods, the plant will source water directly from

the river.

“River water is high in dissolved organic

compounds that give it its characteristic

brownish colour and earthy smell and taste,

despite its normally low turbidity,” says Peter

Healy, MD at VWS Envig Botswana.

“To make this water suitable for human

consumption, we opted for clarification by

means of ballasted flocculation to remove the

extremely light-weight organic particles that

would otherwise settle very slowly.”

Veolia will install its patented Actiflo high-

rate water clarification system. Featuring

footprints that are five times smaller than

conventional clarifiers, the Actiflo will achieve

rapid settling with the help of Actisand – a

ballast designed to rapidly flocculate and set-

tle organic particles. “After clarification, the

water will be polished with multimedia and

granular activated carbon filters, and finally

disinfected before being fed into the town’s

pipeline system,” explains Healy.

Veolia is also responsible for a booster pump

and delivery pipelines. “This involves replac-

ing the main distribution pump and connecting

the new station with

minimal disturbance

to the current water

supply,” main-

tains Healy.

BOTSWANA

Maun to get drinking water plantVWS Envig Botswana has been awarded a contract by the AEVVMI joint venture to design, supply and commission a 6 000 m3/d potable water plant in Maun, northern Botswana.

ABOVE The Veolia-developed Actiflo will use a ballast to gather and settle impurities in the water, allowing cleaner water to flow off the top of the clarifier

“After clarifi cation, the water will be polished with multimedia and granular activated carbon fi lters, and fi nally disinfected.”Peter Healy, the MD of VWS Envig Botswana – a subsidiary of Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies South Africa


HOT SEAT

Please provide an in-depth brief back-ground to the estab-

lishing of GOBA At GOBA we

are privileged that the company’s

continued trend of visionary think-

ing and innovation is deeply root-

ed in the South African consulting

engineering landscape.

The numerous infrastructure

projects that started to alter the

rural countryside of South Africa in

a big way over the past 50 to 60

years have contributed significant-

ly to the country’s economic devel-

opment. In the process, much

of the technical knowledge and

expertise gained or perfected has

been instrumental in the growth of

what is known today as GOBA.

Founded in 2001 through

the merger of Goba Moahloli

and Associates Inc and Keeve

Steyn, GOBA represents rec-

ognition of the powerful syn-

ergy inherent in merging the two

diverse companies.

GOBA is a reputable and pro-

gressive professional firm where

young potential built environment

candidates are identified, career

A PROVEN HISTORY

IMIESA speaks to GOBA’s CEO, Trueman Goba, about how the company has evolved over the years and what the future holds for it within the infrastructure construction sector.

Setting the scene for

opportunities are maximised and

professional people from diverse

backgrounds come and work

together through mutual respect.

The company continues to be

at the forefront of transformation

in the consulting engineering pro-

fession in South Africa and is a

Level 3 BBBEE contributor.

GOBA is a member of Consulting

Engineers South Africa (CESA)

and the International Federation

of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC). It

is ISO 9001-accredited and has

built up a reputation for service

excellence; this is reflected in the

numerous prestigious awards that

it has acquired over the years.

Please outline the growth of GOBA from its inception to its current status Since

the merger, GOBA has grown from

its initial staff complement of 180

in 2001 to 500 in 2012. GOBA

has also significantly grown its

presence in KwaZulu-Natal and

opened offices in the Eastern

Cape and Western Cape. The firm

currently operates out of eight

offices throughout the country and

stonework sections in 2015. The

scope of the contract entails the

development of the complete mine

complex including the shaft sys-

tems, the materials handling sys-

tem and all supporting infrastruc-

ture. GOBA, in a 50:50 joint ven-

ture with RSV ENCO Consulting,

has been appointed as EPCM

consultant for the project.

eThekwini Integrated Rapid

Public Transportation Network

(IRPTN): The eThekwini IRPTN is

intended to deliver to public trans-

port users within the eThekwini

Municipality an efficient, safe, reli-

able and affordable means of trav-

el. The project involved, inter alia,

undertaking extensive demand

modelling, network design, service

design and financial feasibil-

ity, as well as preparation of a

comprehensive implementation

plan and preliminary design for

all infrastructure components of

Phase 1 of the IRPTN. Goba is the

lead consultant on the project and

responsible for the overall project

management, coordination, plan-

ning and design of the IRPTN.

Transnet’s Bayhead Expansion

is active in projects in 12 coun-

tries on the African continent.

Please give a list of the top projects GOBA has been involved with and a brief description of each Mpumelelo: GOBA, in a 50:50

joint venture with RSV Enco

Consulting, has been appointed

as EPCM consultant for the

Brandspruit Colliery – Impumelelo

Shaft Project in Secunda, to be

completed early 2014. The scope

of the contract includes shaft

systems and surface shaft infra-

structure. GOBA will also design

and supervise the civil the con-

struction of Sasol’s Brandspruit

Colliery’s 28 km overland con-

veyor civil services. The design

includes the 28 km platform, the

crossings as well as the drainage

for the overland conveyor.

Thubelisha: The 10.6 Mtpa

Thubelisha Shaft Project is to

be designed and constructed to

accommodate the first produc-

tion section in January 2012 and

build-up to full production with

12 continuous miners and three


HOT SEAT

a new beginningContainer Terminal Feasibility

Study: The Bayhead Expansion

Project is a R37 billion project

to extend Durban Harbour some

2.5 km inland to enable a deep

water container terminal to be

constructed. The rail work involves

the relocation of some 135 exist-

ing rail lines in the operating

Bayhead Rail Yard, constructing

a replacement rail yard near

the Durban Airport and relocat-

ing the existing loco and wagon

maintenance workshops and

wagon cleaning facilities to other

locations in a phased approach.

GOBA, as part of the HMG JV, led

the study and engineering design

team for this 1.5 year-long mul-

tidisciplinary study and provided

the engineering, costing and

scheduling requirements to enable

Transnet to assess the next

location for their mega terminal

expansion strategy.

For years GOBA has had a vision to expand its already strong South African skills base into the global arena, and has partnered with global engineering com-panies on certain large projects in the past. How do you envisage achieving this moving forward?. GOBA

has worked in joint ventures with

large international firms, allowing

us to participate in most of the

large prestigious projects in South

Africa, from the Lesotho Highlands

Water project in the 1980s and

1990s to Transnet’s Capital

Works programme from 2008 to

2011. However, the consulting

engineering landscape is rapidly

changing in South Africa. Large

multinational engineering compa-

nies have purchased most of the

top-tier South African consulting

entities in the past five years.

As a result, GOBA’s traditional

partners, both local and interna-

tional, are increasingly unavailable

to work with us. The company

considered this a

potential risk that

would reduce its

opportunities to

continue to par-

ticipate in larger

projects and remain

relevant within

the country and

the continent. In

response to this

risk, GOBA initiated

discussions with a

large international entity in 2011

with a view to merging operations

in Africa.

Goba has achieved so much already. What is its secret to success? GOBA

is a value-driven company and

these values are aptly expressed

by the acronym 'EQUIP', which

stands for:

• Excellence

• Quality

• Ubuntu

• Integrity

• Professionalism.

The company is totally focused on

providing sustainable solutions

to its clients and places great

emphasis on staff development

and retention.

The principles of empowerment

and transformation are interwo-

ven into the company’s DNA and

form part of its core business

strategy. In other words, GOBA is

empowered by choice and does

not simply try to comply with any

statutory requirements.

Most importantly, all clients are

treated as true partners and this

is evidenced by significant repeat

business from long-standing cli-

ents of 50 years and more. New

clients who are attracted by this

service offering and dedication

to their needs, are viewed with

the same importance as existing

clients with the intention to retain

them as partners for the next

50 years and beyond.

How would you describe the company’s ongoing investment in developing staff? The government’s New

Growth Path advocates the promo-

tion and development of skills

and capabilities that are in short

supply as one of the means to

enhance growth, employment crea-

tion and equity within the South

African economy. GOBA subscribes

Belvedere Place, 5 Eglin Road, Sunninghill, Johannesburgf +27 (0)11 807 8535t +27 (0)11 236 3300 e-mail: [email protected] • www.goba.co.za

fully to this policy as well as to the

Supplier Development Programme,

which is an initiative of the

Department of Public Enterprises.

GOBA has a structured skills

development plan, which is based

primarily on the needs of its staff

and the company as a whole.

The plan includes partnering with

identified schools to assist with

the development of maths and

science, provision of bursaries to

qualifying candidates, mentoring

of graduates towards professional

registration as well as profession-

al development of technical and

administration staff. The company

often surpasses all statutory tar-

gets for skills development, both

in terms of the skills development

plan and requirements of BBBEE.

What is the next step for the company? As mentioned

previously, the

company is in

its final stages

of concluding

merger nego-

tiations with

a large multi-

national company. At the time of

going to press, these discussions

will have been finalised and

announced accordingly. The com-

bined entity will be a major player

on the African continent and will

have a strong local presence cen-

tred in South Africa, with the abil-

ity to draw on expert resources

from around the globe. This is

an exciting time for the company

and is the natural next step to

build on its 60 years of heritage

in delivering sustainable solutions

to its clients while touching every-

day lives.

The company is totally focused on providing sustainable solutions to its clients


IN 2011, THE National Planning

Commission (NPC) published a detailed

diagnostic report that set out the key

challenges that South Africans confront

in fighting poverty and inequality and in achiev-

ing constitutional objectives (NPC, 2011). The

implicit conclusion of this report was that a

business-as-usual approach will result in South

Africa failing to meet a great many of its objec-

tives. The National Development Plan 2030,

which was published in 2012, seeks to elimi-

nate poverty and reduce inequality by 2030

by drawing on the energies of South Africans,

growing an inclusive economy, enhancing the

capacity of the state, and promoting lead-

ership and partnerships throughout society

(NPC, 2012).

People are surrounded by economic infra-

structure (fixed capital investment including

construction works), including the homes in

which they live, the offices and factories in

which they work, schools that are essential

for the education of their children, and hospi-

tals and clinics that are fundamental for their

health and well-being. They are also surround-

ed by economic infrastructure that supports

the economy in its totality. Road and railway

infrastructure not only enable travel between

homes and places of work, schools and hos-

pitals, but also distribute goods and services

to people. Border posts, harbours and air-

ports are the physical links with neighbouring

countries and the world. Dams provide water

not only for human consumption but also for

agricultural and industrial purposes. Power

stations generate electricity. Networks delivery

water and electricity to homes, places of work,

schools and hospitals and convey industrial

effluent, soil water and wastewater to treat-

ment works. Economic infrastructure is foun-

dational to a better life for all.

Investment in economic infrastructure

occurs in expectation of demand or in reac-

tion to demand for capacity. When it hap-

pens, it has the following three impacts

(Watermeyer, 2011):

• an initial growth in demand for people,

equipment and materials on the project,

which lasts as long as it takes to create

the asset

• a demand on resources over the lifespan of

the project to maintain the asset

• a productivity impact in the overall economy,

either producing more or producing it better,

due to more efficient infrastructure (or sim-

ply the availability of capacity like harbour

capacity and electricity).

Expenditure on economic infrastructure will

not necessarily lead to economic growth.

Infrastructure that provides improvements or

efficiencies in services, production or export

capabilities and is delivered and maintained

in a manner that minimises waste of materi-

als, time and effort in order to generate the

EXPERT ANALYSIS

How infrastructure delivery can fi nd its way againThe National Planning Commission, chaired by the Minister in The Presidency for National Planning, was mandated to take a broad, cross-cutting, independent and critical view of South Africa in order to help define the South Africa its people seek to achieve in 20 years’ time and to map out a path to achieve those objectives.

INFRASTRUCTURE DELIVERY

maximum possible amount of value, is most

likely to contribute to economic growth.

Given the linkage between infrastructure

investment and economic growth, it is not

surprising that five of the nine priority areas

identified in the NPC’s diagnostic report have

a direct bearing on infrastructure. The tackling

of poverty and underdevelopment is, how-

ever, being hampered by shortcomings in the

delivery and maintenance of infrastructure

as evidenced in a recent World Bank report

(Foster, V (2008)) that examined infrastructure

in 24 countries that together account for 85%

of GDP, population and infrastructure aid flows

of sub-Saharan Africa. This report found that:

• in some countries infrastructure provision is

not focused where it is most needed

• countries typically only manage to spend

about two-thirds of the budget allocated to

investment in infrastructure

• about 30% of infrastructure assets are in

need of rehabilitation.

The inability of many South African municipali-

ties and provincial governments to spend all of

their capital budgets each year has for several

years been a sore point with National Treasury

(Wall et al, 2012).

The McKinsey Global Institute estimates that

the world needs to increase its investment

in infrastructure by nearly 60% over the next

18 years, from US$36 trillion (R320.65 trillion)

to US$57 trillion, simply to support projected

Graham Pirie (Consulting Engineers South Africa)

BY Ron Watermeyer (Soderlund & Schutte)

Kevin Wall (CSIR)

INFRASTRUCTURE DELIVERY IS top of

the governmen t’s agenda and will be

spearheaded by the National Planning

Commission, which is chaired by the

Minister in The Presidency.

On page 17 of this issue, expert authors

Ron Watermeyer (Soderlund & Schutte), Kevin

Wall (CSIR) and Graham Pirie (CESA) provide

detailed proposals for the effective imple-

mentation of infrastructure delivery within the

context of the national plan.

The Public-Private Infrastructure Forum, to

be held on 19 and 20 June at the Killarney

Country Club, Johannesburg, affords a further

critical platform for addressing the important

topic of infrastructure delivery and how it can

be implemented.

Ron Watermeyer and Abe Thela (depu-

ty president of CESA) will be among the

high-profile speakers.

The Public-Private Infrastructure Forum will

focus in greater depth on how the public and

private sectors can work together to ensure the

successful implementation of the Infrastructure

Plan, spear-headed by the Presidential

Infrastructure Coordinating Commission (PICC).

EXPERT SPEAKERS from government,

state-owned entities and the private sector

The experts speak out on infrastructure deliveryRead the paper on page 17. Attend the Public-Private Infrastructure Forum to unpack the issues further.

will be invited to give presentations on what

the challenges are, what progress has

been made to date and what future solu-

tions are being proposed. Delegates from

the public and private sector will be able

to pose questions to the expert speakers.

Thereafter both speakers and delegates will

participate in workshop sessions to identify

sustainable solutions to the issues affecting

infrastructure development.

THE FORUM WILL FOCUS ON

• problems and solutions for government

implementation of the infrastructure plan

• problems and solutions for capacity building,

skills development and job creation

• problems and solutions for delivery of the

infrastructure plan by the private sector.

FIND OUT

• how government plans to transform

the built environment and main-

tain current structures through

its Presidential Infrastructure

Coordinating Commission

and Infrastructure Delivery

Improvement Programme

• how the Infrastructure Delivery

SAVE BY BOOKING EARLY!

To fi nd out more, please contact Tazz Porter tazz @connect.co.za t +27(0)11 467 6224 f 086 502 4906www.infrastructurene.ws

Management System (IDMS) has been devel-

oped and will be rolled out across the country

• how the cidb’s National Contractor

Development Programme will develop skills

to deliver on infrastructure goals

• how IMESA and SAICE are assisting with

capacity building to ensure that there are the

necessary engineering skills in municipalities

and on tender boards

• how ECSA is repositioning the organisation to

align with the goals of the infrastructure plan

• how CESA, SAICE and SAFCEC can solve

problems with execution and delivery,

and assist government in rolling out the

Infrastructure Plan

• what future opportunities will be available in

the construction sector

• how the public and private sector can work

together… AND MUCH MORE!

Watermeyer will fur ther

explain the Infrastructure Delivery

Management system (IDMS)

and its ISO standard developed

from the cidb toolkit and stand-

ard for uniformity. He will explain

how this system will be rolled out

in Cape Town and other metros.

THE EXPERTSNazir Alli,CEO of South African Roads Agency Limited (Sanral)

Dr Oswald Franks, CEO of the Engineering Council of South Africa

Frank Stevens, President of the Institute of Municipal Engineering of Southern Africa

Gerard Naidoo, Programme manager for growth and contractor development at the cidb

Abe Thela, Deputy president of Consulting Engineers South Africa

19 to 20 June 2013 Killarney Countr y Club, Jhb.

Expert speaker at the Forum:

Ron Watermeyer, co-author of How infrastructure delivery can find its way again – page 17

Public-private infrastructure forum.indd 4 2013/03/12 09:18:40 AM


economic growth (Dobbs et al, 2013). This

institute suggests that boosting infrastructure

productivity could save US$1 trillion dollars

a year and cites the following main levers to

deliver potential savings:

• improving project selection and optimising

infrastructure portfolios

• streamlining delivery

• making the most of existing

infrastructure assets

• upgrading infrastructure governance sys-

tems to capture potential savings.

Government expenditure can account for a

significant portion of GDP. A recent study of

the 40 countries having the largest GDP in

the world found that government expenditure

accounted for approximately 29 and 45% of

GDP for developing and developed countries,

respectively (CUTS, 2013). This study found

that government expenditure in South Africa is

approximate 31% of GDP. Public procurement

forms a significant portion of such expendi-

ture. It is therefore not unexpected that pro-

curement is a recurring topic throughout the

National Development Plan.

The case for a separate supply chain for the delivery and maintenance of infrastructureProcurement is “the process that creat es,

manages and fulfils contracts” (ISO 10845,

2010). Procurement deals with activities sur-

rounding contracts, i.e. the development of

a procurement strategy and a procurement

document, the solicitation of tender offers,

the evaluation of submissions, the award of a

contract and the administration of a contract.

On the other hand, supply chain management

(SCM) in the public sector may be regarded

as “the design, planning, execution, control

and monitoring of supply chain activities in

the delivery of goods, services or works,

with the objective of creating net value and

providing oversight and coordination of infor-

mation and finances within the supply chain”

(Western Cape Provincial Government, 2012).

SCM is the management of all activities at a

portfolio level that relates to a supply chain

i.e. the management of all the interconnected

activities from the point of origin to the point of

consumption. SCM is accordingly far broader

than procurement.

Government procurement that is unrelated to

the delivery and maintenance of infrastructure

typically relates to goods and services that are

standard, well-defined and scoped. Once pur-

chased, goods invariably need to be taken into

storage prior to being issued to employees.

Services most often involve routine, repetitive

services with well understood interim and final

deliverables that do not require officials to

provide strategic inputs, or require decisions

to be made regarding the fitness for purpose

of the service outputs. Accordingly, the supply

chain for procurement that is unrelated to the

delivery of infrastructure involves one of two

basic types, which relates to consumption and

operational needs (see Figure 1). They are the

procurement of:

• general goods (i.e. manufactured products

or materials), which involve demand man-

agement, sourcing, purchasing, receipt,

storage and issuing of goods to employees

(end users)

• general services, which involves demand

management, procurement, verification and

payment for the services provided.

In contrast, procurement relating to the deliv-

ery and maintenance of infrastructure cov-

ers a wide and diverse range of goods and

services, which are required to develop or

maintain fixed assets on a site. Accordingly,

the supply chain for the delivery and mainte-

nance of infrastructure involves the initial and

subsequent recurring updating of planning

processes at a portfolio level flowing out of

service delivery and accommodation needs

assessment. Thereafter it involves planning at

a contract level and the procurement and man-

agement of a network of suppliers, including

subcontractors to produce a product on a site

(i.e. works) (see Figure 1). There is no need for

an organ of state to store and issue materi-

als or equipment unless these are issued to

officials responsible for maintenance, or are

issued free of charge to contractors for incor-

poration into construction works.

There are also differences in the approach

to the procurement of construction-related

goods and services, and general goods and

services. Non-construction procurement deals

with direct acquisitions, which involve stand-

ard, well-defined and scoped services, off-the-

shelf items and readily available commodities.

The business need is commonly achieved

through the production of a specification,

which then forms a requisition for the procure-

ment of goods or services. An immediate

choice can generally be made in terms of the

cost of goods or services satisfying specified

requirements. Construction contracts differ in


Demand management

Procurement

General services

General goods

Standard, well defined and scoped services

Demand management

Sourcing

Purchasing

Receipt of goods

Storage of goods

Issuing of goods to

employees

Delivery and maintenance of infrastructure

Management processes

Procurement processes

Portfolio planning

processes

Contract planning

processes

Detailed design

processes

Site processes

Close out processes

Off the shelf product/ readily available commodities

Works (products) developed or maintained on a site

FIGURE 1: Commonly, public sector encountered supply chains (Wall et al, 2012)

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that each contract is unique and there cannot

be direct acquisition of infrastructure. Each

contract has a supply chain that needs to

be managed and programmed to ensure that

the project is completed within budget, to the

required quality, and in the time available.

Many risks relate to the “unforeseen” that

may occur during the performance of the con-

tract. This could, for example, include unusual

weather conditions, changes in owner/end-

user requirements, ground conditions being

different to what was expected, and market

failure to provide materials or accidental dam-

age to existing infrastructure. Unlike non-

construction procurement, there can be sig-

nificant changes in the contract price from the

time awarded to the time of completion. Key

persons responsible for managing a contract,

particularly in complex services or works,

have a major impact on the outcome of these

changes. The procurement of supplies and

equipment within the construction industry is

also different as requirements are frequently

established in terms of desired performance.

As a result, a range of goods and services (or

combinations thereof), with different character-

istics, costs, time for delivery, etc., may satisfy

such requirements.

The following practices, which are commonly

encountered in non-construction procurement,

do not sit well with construction procurement:

• awarding tenders on the basis of the lowest

price for meeting a minimum standard

• applying generic conditions of contracts

that only describe the rights and obligations

of the parties and lack agreed procedures

for the administration or management of

the contract

• negotiation of terms of contract after the

evaluation of tenders

• lack of standardised structuring of compo-

nent procurement documents

• reliance on completing standard schedules

that are applied indiscriminately to procure-

ment transactions

• standard, inflexible allocation of risks

in contracts that require the drafting of

extensive special conditions of contract

to amend.

In construction procurement, a procurement

strategy (selected packaging, contracting,

pricing and targeting strategy, and procure-

ment procedure for a particular procurement)

needs to be developed for each transaction

and an appropriate form of contract select-

ed to support that strategy. There are far

more permutations and options available for

construction-related procurement than there

are for non-construction procurement.

The risks that need to be managed, the skills

sets that are required and the performance

metrics for a supply chain involving the delivery

and maintenance of infrastructure are very

different to those relating to general goods

and services. There is an urgent need to have

a separate supply chain for the delivery and

maintenance of infrastructure.

The NPC’s proposals for a new procurement systemThe NPC’s Diagnostic Overview (2011) made

the observation that: “It is vital for public serv-

ants to have the skills and motivation they

need to do their jobs. Yet, there is a shortage

of staff and specialist skills in many aspects of

the public service.” The report makes specific

mention of the shortage of skilled profession-

als, especially in health, policing, infrastructure

planning, engineering, finance and information

technology. It furthermore makes the observa-

tion that: “Transformation in the post-apartheid

state required that the racial monopoly over

skill be challenged and dismantled. Policies

designed to improve the representation of the

public service work best when accompanied by

effective management, training and recruitment

processes… The result has been a reduction

in the number of professionals available to the

state, and a looming crisis in the generational

reproduction of professional expertise as the

ageing cohorts continue to leave the system.”

The NPC’s diagnostic overview also points

out that: “Many short-term responses to skills

shortages do little to address long-term capac-

ity constraints. Consultants can be brought in

to design and build infrastructure, but without

in-house technical expertise, provincial and

local governments lack the capacity to ensure

that the work is done to an adequate standard

or to maintain the infrastructure once the work

has been completed.”

The National Development Plan 2030

requires the following, among other things

(NPC, 2012):

• the state to purchase what it needs on time

at the right quality and for the right price

• an improvement in the quality of spending

through better planning, sound procure-

ment systems and greater competition in

the economy

• greater efficiency in all areas of govern-

ment expenditure as the overall envelope

is likely to grow relatively slowly over the

medium-term

• the employment of more effective pro-

curement processes that result in robust

contracts and move away from an overly

bureaucratised process with the emphasis

on compliance by box-ticking

• the engagement of supply-chain manage-

ment staff to support technical and other

specialists in a manner that does not

displace the involvement of the later in pro-

curement processes.

The plan proposes that the following five

areas be focused on in designing a procure-

ment system that is better able to deliver

value for money while minimising the scope

for corruption:

• differentiate between the different types of

procurement that pose different challenges

and require different skills sets

• adopt a strategic approach to procurement

above the project level to balance compet-

ing objectives and priorities rather than

viewing each project in isolation

• build relationships of trust and understand-

ing with the private sector

• develop professional supply chain man-

agement capacity through training

and accreditation

• incorporate oversight functions to assess

value for money.

The plan, when considering different forms of

procurement, recognises that: “Infrastructure

procurement involves conceptual design,

structuring contracts and ensuring sustainabil-

ity. As these decisions involve long-term lock-

ins, the quality of decision-making is vital.”

The plan also makes specific reference to the

work being done between National Treasury

and the Construction Industry Development

Board (CIDB) to establish an infrastructure

delivery management system that better

accommodates the particular challenges of

infrastructure procurement.

Government’s Infrastructure Delivery Management SystemThe Infrastructure Delivery Management

System (IDMS) is a government management

system for planning, budgeting, procurement,

delivery, maintenance, operation, monitoring


“It is vital for public servants to have the skills and motivation they need to do their jobs”


and evaluation of infrastructure. It comprises a

set of interrelating or interacting elements that

establish processes that transform inputs into

outputs (see Figures 2 and 3).

The IDMS comprises the following systems

(Watermeyer et al, 2012):

• an infrastructure planning system

• an infrastructure gateway system (IGS)

• a construction procurement system (CPS)

• a programme and project management

system

• an operations and maintenance system.

Risks are managed within each of

these systems.

The IDMS is designed to be linked to the

Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF).

It has a strong focus on outcomes, value for

money and the effective and efficient function-

ing of the procurement and delivery manage-

ment system in compliance with relevant legis-

lation. It includes a supply chain management

(SCM) system that can be readily integrated

into the various systems that accounting offic-

ers and accounting authorities are required

to implement.

The IDMS contains a number of systems

each comprising a set of processes that need

to be managed. These systems are interrelat-

ed and contain interacting elements as shown

in Figure 3. The planning of an institution’s

infrastructure projects at a portfolio level is

not only influenced by the strategy and plan-

ning processes conducted at a national, pro-

vincial and local level, but also by the asset

management plans developed by custodians

(caretakers of infrastructure throughout its life

cycle) and users (those who operate allocated

infrastructure) in the operation and mainte-

nance of infrastructure. The infrastructure

gateway system, which provides the workflow

for the delivery of projects involving the con-

struction, refurbishment, rehabilitation, exten-

sion, alteration or scheduled maintenance

of infrastructure, cannot be implemented

in isolation from the construction procure-

ment and programme and project manage-

ment systems. Likewise, the operations and

maintenance system cannot be implemented

in isolation from the procurement system

and certain outputs (e.g. record informa-

tion and user manuals) of the infrastructure

gateway system.

The construction procurement system includ-

ed in the IDMS comprises not only procure-

ment processes but also:

• rules and guidelines governing procedures

and methods as embodied in the CIDB

Standard for Uniformity in Construction

Procurement and the ISO 10845 Standards

for Construction Procurement

• procurement documents, which include

terms and conditions, procedures and

requirements embodied in the CIDB, FIDIC,

JBCC and NEC3 families of contracts and

SAICE’s GCC standard form of contract

• risk/quality oversight (governance and per-

formance) controls

• organisational policies, which deal with

issues such as:

• the usage and application of particular

procurement procedures

• requirements for recording, reporting and

risk management

• procedures for dealing with specific pro-

curement issues

• the usage of procurement to promote

social and developmental objectives

• the assignment of responsibilities for the

performance of activities.


FIGURE 2: The linkages between systems and subsystems within an institution (Watermeyer et al, 2012)

FIGURE 3: Interacting systems and processes embedded within the IDMS


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Recent developments in the SCM regulatory environment Draft Public Finance Management Act (PFMA)

regulations issued for public comment in

Government Gazette 35939 of 30 November

2012 separate the supply chain management

system for the delivery and maintenance of

infrastructure from that for general goods and

services. Reference is made in these draft

regulations to a National Treasury standard

for an IDMS and a National Treasury standard

for a Construction Procurement System, which

draws extensively on the work of the CIDB.

The scope of these standards is indicated

in Table 1.

Government’s IDMS, which is embedded in

the two standards referenced in Chapter 30 of

the draft PFMA regulations, addresses four of

the five focus areas identified in the National

Development Plan around which future pro-

curement systems need to be designed. The

NPC envisaged that the focus area “build

enabling support structures” would result

in a professional supply-chain management

capacity, which would be developed through


TABLE 1: Scope of the draft National Treasury standards for the delivery and maintenance of infrastructure

National Treasury standard

Scope

Infrastructure Delivery Management System

This standard establishes an IDMS comprising processes, procedures and methods within an institution for the delivery or maintenance of infrastructure in a staged, systematic, disciplined, uniform integrated and auditable manner. It covers the manner in which projects involving the construction, refurbishment, rehabilitation, extension, alteration or day-to-day, routine, scheduled and emergency maintenance of infrastructure are conceived, budgeted for and delivered.

Construction procurement system

This standard establishes a CPS within an institution for the procurement of:a) goods, services, engineering and construction works, and disposals

relating to the construction industryb) goods or services necessary for a new facility as delivered to be

occupied and used as a functional entity andc) temporary facilities.The standard does not apply to: a) the storage of goods and equipment following their delivery to an

institution, which are stored and issued to contractors or to officialsb) the procurement of non-construction industry related goods and

services or land, except as specifically provided c) the sale, exchange, donation or letting of landd) public-private partnerships contemplated in Regulation 16 of the

Treasury Regulations for Departments, Trading Entities, Constitutional Institutions and Public Entities, issued in terms of the PFMA, 1999

e) the conclusion of any form of land availability agreementf) leasing and rental of assets.


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training and accreditation, and supported by

a database of registered supply-chain manag-

ers and a central list of those who have been

barred from working in supply chain manage-

ment roles in the public sector. This has yet

to be established.

The relationship between the various built environment professions and the IDMSISO 9000 defines quality as the “degree to

which a set of inherent characteristics fulfils

requirements”, and a quality management

system as a “management system to direct

and control an organisation with regard to

quality”. ISO 9001 establishes the require-

ments for a quality management system

relating to the establishment, documentation,

implementation and maintenance of a quality

management system and continually improv-

ing its effectiveness.

The star ting point is to determine the

processes needed for the quality manage-

ment system and their application throughout

the organisation. Thereafter, the sequence

and interaction of these processes need to

be determined, as well as the criteria and

methods needed to ensure that both the

operation and control of these processes are

effective. Once this is in place, resources

and information need to be made available

to support the operation and monitoring of

these processes. This enables actions nec-

essary to achieve planned results to be

implemented and continual improvement of

these processes.

The IDMS as contained in the draft stand-

ards identified in Table 1 documents the

essence of a quality management system

as it addresses most of the requirements

established in ISO 9001 for a quality manage-

ment system. It also establishes the compli-

ance framework. What it does not address

is the availability of resources to support

the operation and monitoring of processes.

ISO 9001 in this regard requires that “person-

nel per forming work affecting conformity to

product requirements shall be competent on

the basis of appropriate education, training,

skills and experience”.

Packages (works that have been grouped

together for delivery under a single contract or

a package order issued in terms of a frame-

work agreement) can in terms of the IDMS

be delivered as a programme of projects or

an independent project. The draft National


The IDMS is designed to be linked to the MTEF. It has a strong focus on outcomes, value for money and the effective and effi cient functioning of the procurement and delivery management system


Treasury standard for an IDMS identifies the

roles associated with the implementation of

a package and assigns responsibilities for

such roles. Roles are identified for a principal

programme/project manager, project leader,

lead designer, designer, cost consultant,

procurement leader, contract manager, super-

vising agent and health and safety agent. The

draft National Treasury standard for a CPS

also assigns technical responsibilities to a

documentation review team and an evalua-

tion panel, and governance responsibilities to

a construction procurement committee and

delegated authority.

The basic lines of reporting for each pack-

age within a programme of projects or an inde-

pendent project are set out in Figure 4. There

are many options available to an implementer

in assigning functional responsibilities to par-

ticular persons (officials, professional service

provider or contractor). This ensures flexibility.

For example, in some programmes of projects

different individuals will be assigned func-

tional responsibilities for each of the identified

roles. In other programmes it may be desir-

able to combine functional roles and respon-

sibilities, e.g. the project leader can also be

the procurement leader and the same person

can be appointed to function as project leader,

lead designer, designer and cost consultant or

the contract manager and supervising agent.

There are a number of Acts which establish

statutory councils to regulate the architectural,

project and construction management, engi-

neering, landscape architectural and quantity

surveying professions through:

• the setting of standards of professional

qualifications and practice

• the keeping of a register of qualified per-

sons and the awarding of titles

• determining the conduct of registrants

• the investigation of complaints and discipli-

nary sanctions for professional misconduct.

Persons registered with the statutory body

governing a profession have the necessary

generic skills that are required to implement

the IDMS. Categories of registration within a

profession can easily be linked to some of

roles and responsibilities in Figure 4. There

are, however, overlaps in the services offered

by different professions when it comes to the

roles relating to principal programme/project

manager, project leader, procurement leader

and contract manager.

Registration in a relevant and appropri-

ate category of registration with a relevant

council is a good starting point in meeting

the ISO 9001 requirement for “personnel

per forming work affecting conformity to prod-

uct requirements shall be competent on


Persons registered with the statutory body governing a profession have the necessary generic skills that are required to implement the IDMS


the basis of appropriate education, training,

skills and experience”. There is, however,

a need to establish a system that recog-

nises demonstrated ability to per form specific

outcomes relating to the IDMS in order to

ensure that those who per form key tasks

associated with the IDMS not only have

appropriate education, training, skills and

experience, but also the necessary contextual

knowledge to do so. What is required is for

categories of registration to be established,

for example:

• IDMS practitioners to apply

the draft National Treasury

standard for an IDMS

• construction procurement

practitioners to undertake

a range of activities in

accordance with the draft

National Treasury stand-

ard for an IDMS and the

National Treasury standard

for a CPS

• construction procurement

evaluators to serve as

members of a documen-

tation review team or an

evaluation panel

• contract managers to undertake the admin-

istration of a contract strictly in accordance

with the provisions of the form of contract

selected by the client, i.e. FIDIC, JBCC, NEC3

or SAICE’s GCC, and any targeted procure-

ment procedures included in the contract.

The categories of professional registration pro-

vided by the South African Council for Project


Principal programme manager/principal project

Project leader

Leaddesigner

Designer

Cost consultant

Procurement leader

Contract manager

Supervising agent

Health and safety agent

Package

Package

Package

Package Package

FIGURE 4: Basic lines of reporting for assigned functional responsibilities for each package



and Construction Management Professions

(SACPCMP) have the sharpest focus of all the

built environment councils on supply chain

management and contract management.

It is also the council with the most dual

registrations as many of its members are also

registered with other councils governing other

professions. The SACPCMP is empowered in

terms of its governing legislation to create

specified categories of registration in terms of

its governing legislation to support the effec-

tive implementation of government’s IDMS

and CPS. The SACPCMP is currently exploring

the establishment of additional categories of

registration to support the implementation of

government’s proposed IDMS.

Extending the IDMS to municipalitiesThe principles for the procurement and delivery

of infrastructure expressed in the National

Development Plan 2030 need to be extended

to the relevant municipalities. There is no rea-

son why the draft National Treasury standards

for an IDMS and a CPS cannot be implemented

within municipalities. There are many benefits

in doing so, particularly if accreditation is

linked to standards. It makes no sense in hav-

ing separate standards for different spheres

of government involved in the delivery and

maintenance of infrastructure. Any specifics,

for example, that relate to portfolio planning

processes, can be accommodated by making

minor variations to some of the activities within

these standards.

The draft PFMA regulations embed the stand-

ards in the regulations and in so doing link the

standards to the PFMA. These standards also

need to be linked to the Local Government:

ACCOUNTABILITY Quality management Transparency Performance monitoring

TRUST Shared values and vision Mutual trust between

stakeholders Confidence in fairness of

procurement processes

CAPACITY Finance, staff and

equipment Operating procedures Skills and experience

Enable institutional and legal SETTING

Capacity development encouraged

Accountability mechanisms applied Good performance

NOTE: A weakness in any of these elements gives rise to a risk of n

A C T

S

FIGURE 5 The ACTS framework for the drivers of performance (After Goldie-Scot, 2013)

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References• Consumer Unity & Trust

Society (CUTS (2013). WTO

Plurilateral Agreement on

Government Procurement

Market Access Opportunities

and Challenges for India

Executive Summary.

• www.cuts-citee.org/GP/pdf/

Executive_Summary-National_

Consultation_Meeting_

Government_Procurement.pdf

• Dobbs, R; Pohl, H; Lin, D;

Mischke, J; Garemo, N;

Hexter,J;, Matzinger, S;

Palter, R; and Nanavatty,

S. (2013). Infrastructure

Productivity : How to save

$1 trillion a year. McKinsey

Global Institute www.mck-

insey.com/insights/mgi/

research/urbanization/

infrastructure_productivity.

• Foster, V. (2008). Overhauling

the Engine of Growth:

Infrastructure in Africa. World

Bank, September.

• Goldie-Scot, H. (2013)

Personal communications with

RB Watermeyer.

• ISO 9000:2005, Quality

Management Systems – fun-

damentals and vocabulary.

• ISO 9001:2008, Quality

management systems

– requirements

• ISO 10845-1:2010.

“Construction procure-

ment – Part 1: Processes,

methods and procedures.”

International Organisation for

Standardisation, Geneva.

• National Planning Commission

(2011). Diagnostic over-

view. The Presidency of the

Republic of South Africa.

www.info.gov.za/view/

DownloadFileAction?id=147192.

• National Planning

Commission (2012). National

Development Plan 2030:

Our future - make it work.

Department: The Presidency

of the Republic of South

Africa. www.npconline.co.za/

pebble.asp?relid=758

• Wall, K; Watermeyer, R and

Pirie, G. Wagging the dog’:

How service delivery can

lose its way in the procure-

ment maze -- and could find

it again. 76th Conference

of the Institute of Municipal

Engineering of Southern

Africa, George, October.

• Watermeyer, RB. (2011).

The critical role of consult-

ing firms in the acceleration

of infrastructure delivery

and the improvement of the

quality of life. In Ofori , G

(Ed) New Perspectives on

Construction in Developing

Countries (Cib). Routledge

(July 7, 2011) - Chapter 11:

The critical role of consulting

firms in the acceleration of

infrastructure delivery and

the improvement of the qual-

ity of life

• Watermeyer, Ron; Nevin,

Graham; Langenhoven, Klaas.

2012. “The supply chain

management system for the

delivery and maintenance of

infrastructure by organs of

state”. “Civil engineering”,

South African Institution of

Civil Engineering, July 2012.

• Western Cape Provincial

Treasury 2012. Provincial

Treasury Instructions: Supply

Chain Management (www.

westerncape.gov.za/eng/

publications/regulations/

prov/2012/246420).

Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA)

of 2003. Section 111 of the MFMA requires

that “each municipality and each municipal

entity must have and implement a supply chain

management policy that gives effect to the

provisions of this part.” Section 112 requires

that the supply chain management policy of a

municipality or municipal entity comply with a

regulatory framework for municipal supply chain

management, which, as a minimum, must

cover a number of areas identified in the MFMA.

Regulation 3 of the Supply Chain Management

Regulations issued in terms of this Act requires

that the accounting officer prepare and submit

a draft supply chain management policy to the

council for adoption, review the policy annually

and, where necessary, submit proposals to the

council for adoption. The accounting officer

may make use of any National Treasury guide-

lines determining standards for such policy

and submit such policy or any modified version

as a draft for adoption. Where the policy devi-

ates from the guideline standard issued by

the National Treasury, the accounting officer

is required to develop such a policy so that

it complies with the constitution, the MFMA,

the Regulatory Framework contained in the

regulations and other legislation, and does not

undermine the objective for uniformity in supply

chain management systems between organs of

state in all spheres. The accounting officer is

also required to report any deviations from the

guideline standard to National Treasury and the

relevant provincial treasury.

National Treasury in 2005 issued a Municipal

Supply Chain Management Model Policy in

terms of the MFMA. National Treasury needs

to issue a Municipal Supply Chain Management

Model Policy for the Delivery and Maintenance

of Infrastructure to enable the National Treasury

standards to be adopted within municipalities.

Consideration may also have to be given to

making some minor amendments to the MFMA

SCM regulations.

ConclusionsStrengthening the drivers of per formance

can reduce corruption as indicated in the

Accountability Capacity Trust Setting (ACTS)

framework presented in Figure 5. In terms

of this framework, “accountability” makes it

happen. “Capacity” makes it possible. “Trust”

makes it flourish. Enabling institutional and

legal “setting” allow it to continue (Goldie-Scot,

2013). The National Treasury standards, read

together with the draft PFMA regulations, not

only establish the “setting”, but also the

“accountability” and part of the “capacity” and

feed into “trust”. The SACPCMP has the oppor-

tunity to complete “capacity” in a meaningful

way should it accredit practitioners through its

governing legislation.

The National Development Plan sets a clear

agenda for the redesigning of the current pro-

curement and SCM systems to deliver value

for money, while minimising the scope for

corruption so that the needs of South Africans

are better met. National Treasury has aligned

the revised Public Finance Management Act

regulations for the delivery and maintenance of

infrastructure with this agenda, but still needs

to extend this to municipalities through the

Municipal Finance Management Act. In order

to effectively implement the agenda, set by the

NPC, statutory councils for built environment

professionals need to focus on providing gov-

ernment with the right skills set to effectively

implement the new system.

In terms of this framework, “accountability” makes it happen. “Capacity” makes it possible. “Trust” makes it fl ourish

30 IMIESA March 20133300 IMIESSAA Maaarch 20133

PROFILE

THIS IS ONE of the main recommen-

dations of a recent study into the

state of non-revenue water (NRW) in

South Africa, commissioned by the

Water Research Commission (WRC).

NRW refers to all the water that is lost

through physical leakage or commercial

losses as well as any unbilled authorised

consumption. The WRC, in collaboration with

the Department of Water Affairs (DWA), has

launched the latest investigation into the

state of NRW in South Africa.

In the most comprehensive and detailed

study of its kind to date, data was gathered

from 132 municipalities throughout South

Africa, representing over 75% of the total

volume of municipal water supply. The study

follows on on similar WRC assessments

undertaken in 2001, 2005 and 2007. This

is the first time the country has a single rep-

resentative estimate of NRW as opposed to

various estimates in previous years.

According to Jay Bhagwan, WRC executive

manager of water use and waste manage-

ment, many of the country’s municipalities

are realising the value of undertaking a proper

and reliable water balance. They were there-

fore happy to cooperate with the project

team as it also helped them to formalise

their water balance, a requirement of DWA.

“Unfor tunately, we also have several

municipalities operating in crisis mode,

which were not prepared to deal with

requests for information,” adds Bhagwan.

More than half of municipalities were

unable to provide any data on NRW, and

many lacked even the most basic bulk

meter readings, which means they do not

know how much water they are consuming

let alone how much is being lost through

physical leakage or commercial losses.

South Africa’s present level of NRW is

estimated to be in the order of 37%, which

SA’s study into NRW shows we can do more

is vir tually at the world average of 36,6%. Of

this, a quarter is considered to be losses

through physical leakage. According to the

MD of WRP Consulting Engineers, Ronnie

Mckenzie, while South Africa compares well

to the world average we do not compare well

to other developed water scarce countries

such as Australia, whose NRW levels are

often less than 10%.

“There is still much scope for improvement.

As a water scarce country we cannot afford

to waste so much water.”

The study also indicates that South Africa

still has a relatively high per capita water

use (around 273 ℓ/d per person), which is an

indication that the average citizen still does

not realise the scarcity of this resource. The

current volume of NRW is around 1 580 mil-

lion cubic metres per annum – roughly equal

to the annual supply of Africa’s largest water

utility, Rand Water. At a nominal production

cost of R4.50/m3, this loss represents about

R7.2 billion a year.

“All of the large metros and most

of the large cities and towns are now

monitoring their water use and trying to

establish a proper and reliable water balance

in line with international recommendations,”

notes Mckenzie.

“Progress in this regard is cer tainly being

made and both the DWA and the WRC are

creating awareness and encouraging proper

water auditing at the municipal level.” The

category A municipalities (metros) achieved

NRW levels of around 34.3% compared

to 72.5% (on average) achieved by B4

(small) municipalities.

Unfor tunately, despite the progress being

made, it seems that South Africa’s NRW

levels have remained stagnant at best over

the past five to ten years. “It appears that

the overall level of NRW throughout South

Africa is not reducing, with indications that

it may in fact be increasing,” says Dhesigen

Naidoo, WRC CEO.

“Unfor tunately, it is currently not clear

whether the slight increase is due to more

reliable data from a larger data set or due

to a real increase in the NRW. We require

another year or two of reliable data to estab-

lish if the trend is really increasing or not.”

While the Second National Water Resources

Strategy (NWRS2) sets a target to reduce

NRW in municipalities to 15% by 2014,

the study indicates that that this may be

difficult to achieve without the injection of

many billions of rand into the necessary

water demand management interventions

countrywide within the next two years.

BELOW Non-revenue water

To order the report, The State of Non-Revenue Water in South Africa (Report No. TT 522/12), e-mail: [email protected] or visit: www.wrc.org.za to down-load a free copy.

While South Africa’s non-revenue water levels compare well

internationally, as a water scarce country we need to do all we

can to prevent the unnecessary loss of this precious resource.

WATER INDUSTRY EXPERT PROFILE


PROFILE

Q. Please outline your history at Nu-Water. JN I joined NuWater at the beginning of

2011 after having spent nine years in the field

of industrial research and consulting within the

Department of Chemical Engineering at the Uni-

versity of Cape Town.

Please discuss your current position at NuWater and what it entails. My role

encompasses both technology development

and thought leadership, which are both central

to driving the company’s competitive strategy

and vision. From the technology perspective,

I am responsible for continuously assessing

and refining our existing technologies as well

as for creating and taking to market new tech-

nologies resulting from our research and de-

velopment initiatives in both South Africa and

Singapore. I am also tasked with ensuring that

NuWater’s executive team and customers are

in the best position to make optimal decisions

on the adoption of technology for specific ap-

plications. I actively participate in a number of

industrially relevant professional communities

through platforms such as the Water Research

Commission, and I am continuously forging new

relationships with key stakeholders. In addition,

I also retain operational responsibility for pro-

cess engineering aspects of the business.

Please outline some of NuWater’s technology and the associated ap-plications. NuWater pioneered the use of

large-diameter reverse osmosis (RO) with its

patented 16 inch RO technology at one of the

world’s most advanced sewerage wastewater

reclamation plants at Singapore’s Public Utili-

ties Board (PUB). This technology has proven

to be significantly more effective and efficient

than conventional RO technology and is also far

more compact. This has allowed us to combine

our RO technology with other technologies to

address unconventional applications such as

mine drainage water treatment and reclama-

tion where rapid deployment, plant scalability

and cost-efficiency are considered critical. Our

proprietary technology portfolio has been ex-

tended to cover brine treatment and zero liquid

discharge, areas that are becoming increas-

ingly critical for effective wastewater treatment

and reclamation.

What are NuWater’s current focus areas? We are focused on specific sub-

sectors of the water treatment market, namely

mining, oil and gas, power and heavy industry,

and wastewater reclamation for potable reuse.

Can you share your medium-term vi-sion for NuWater going forwardIn the medium term, NuWater will consolidate

its position, both in South Africa and globally,

as a key player in the provision of innovative,

mobile and modular, rapidly deployable water

treatment solutions customised to our custom-

ers’ diverse requirements. We will continue to

develop our flexible plants, services and project

funding models to help our customers address

their increasingly complex and changing water

treatment and reclamation requirements. Our

R&D focus will remain on refining and extending

our product suite through rigorous identification,

experimentation and piloting of new and poten-

tially disruptive technologies.

What are the largest water challenges facing South Africa? South Africa’s water

scarcity is already a major issue and increas-

ing demands from growing populations, agricul-

tural and industry will compound the challenge

of providing a safe and reliable supply of water

to all. In addition, we are faced with water qual-

ity issues, such as the very topical acid mine

drainage (AMD) challenge, which impact on the

usability of the country’s ground and surface

water resources.

Can you outline how you think these should be dealt with? Protection and sus-

tainable reuse of localised water resources has

a critical role to play in South Africa’s broader

water management strategy. The use of non-con-

ventional water resources such as industrial and

domestic wastewater reclamation and reuse, as

well as seawater desalination, need to form part

of the broader strategy.

Driving technology development and thought leadership

t +27 (0)21 531 0641 • www.nuwaterglobal.com

BELOW NuWater’s 20Mℓ/d water treatment plant at Anglo New Vaal Colliery

Jeeten Nathoo, NuWater’s Chief Technology Officer

Richard Jansen van Vuuren speaks to Jeeten Nathoo about his role at NuWater,

highlighting the company’s technology and its research and development.



PROFILE

THE INITIAL COMBINATION of experi-

ence in the design and management

of reticulation networks and expertise

in measurement and instrumentation

proved to be extremely successful and has

grown into a considerable and respected pres-

ence in the market.

The JOAT Group of Companies has mould-

ed itself into an efficient and market lead-

ing solutions-orientated team that primarily

addresses the optimisation of water supply to

consumers through the minimisation of water

losses, application of appropriate technology,

revenue improvement and energy efficiency.

The group’s key focus areas of operation are

consulting and operations engineering (essen-

tially the reduction of non-revenue water and

stabilising of water supply), product sales and

support, energy efficiency and mentorship.

Shepherd heads up the consulting division

of JOAT and is responsible for the overall

management and quality assurance of the

division’s output, together with two other direc-

tors, Vishal Poona and Ignacio Peña. He is an

acknowledged expert in the field of non-revenue

Effi ciency and market-leading solutions

water reduction and has been used as a lead

consultant in non-revenue water reduction pro-

grammes, developing and guiding non-revenue

water reduction and operational strategies as

well as developing and implementing custom-

ised mentorship programmes for water service

authorities. JOAT’s passion and vision is to

ensure that municipalities become as efficient

as possible in delivering water to consumers

and has adapted its approach towards an

outcomes-based partnership that has shared

responsibility and accountability. The ultimate

objective of any successful partnership with

JOAT is to provide water service authorities

with an efficient distribution system that they

are fully equipped and trained to continue to

operate. In response to this approach, JOAT

has invested in wide-ranging technology and

partnerships that can be harnessed for the

benefit of municipalities. Flow metering solu-

tions (permanent or temporary, monitoring or

revenue-generating), data management solu-

tions (data loggers, GSM data loggers), control

valve solutions (pressure reducing valves, pres-

sure controllers, surge control), leak detection

solutions (leak detection equipment and ser-

vice) and energy efficiency solutions (variable

speed drives and system optimising) are all

available to be presented into cost-effective,

custom-made packages.

One of the recent technologies that JOAT

has invested in is the i2O intelligent control

system, which is a state-of-the-art self-learning

pressure controller. JOAT is the exclusive dis-

tributor for this system, which is undoubtedly

the marketleading controller and has already

been successfully installed and commissioned

in most of the major centres around the

country. JOAT is also the exclusive distribu-

tor for the LeaksSuite software packages,

developed by Allan Lambert. These power-

ful software packages allow municipalities to

properly benchmark their performance through

the development of water balances, as well as

determine the impact of pressure management

and leak detection and repair programmes. The

most recent development in software model-

ling is the introduction of predictive modelling

capability for burst frequency reduction and

the extension of pipeline asset life through

pressure management. This unique module,

developed and calibrated using local informa-

tion, now allows water operators to predict

the reduction in mains and service connection

bursts and the corresponding savings in opera-

tional expenditure, as well as predict estimated

extended field life of AC and cast iron pipes

through pressure reduction, including cost of

deferred capital.

JOAT has also expanded into the optimisation

of energy consumption in the water cycle and

has a number of in-house experts that can

undertake energy audits and design energy

efficiency solutions for pump stations and

treatment works. This forms part of its overall

approach to making the distribution of water as

efficient as possible.

Shepherd graduated from the University of

Natal, Durban, in 1993 with a BScEng in Civil

Engineering and has spent his entire career

in the water sector, achieving his Professional

Engineer status in 1998. He is actively involved

in the field of water demand management and

non-revenue water management both nation-

ally and internationally. He has served on the

International Council of the American Water

Works Association and is currently a member of

the Repair or Replace, Pressure Management

and Transient-Induced Leakage Committees of

the International Water Association’s Specialist

Group on Water Losses. He is also involved

in WISA’s KwaZulu-Natal Division of Water

Distribution Committee.


t +27 (0)31 700 1177 • www.joat.co.za

Mark Shepherd started JOAT with Daryl Spencer in 2005 as there

was a need for a company that could respond to the operational

problems experienced in the delivery of water services.

BELOW installation of pressure reducing valves help reduce leaks

BOTTOM ensuring that the correct consumer meters are in place help revenue streams

MMa

www


WATER AND WASTEWATER

THE OGAGWINI COMMUNITY Water

Supply Scheme is situated in the

Mkhambathini Local Municipality,

which is in the extreme south of the

uMgungundlovu District Municipality boundary,

south of the Provincial Road 21, approximately

1 km west of Umbumbulu. The project is

approximately 30 km2 in size. The northern

footprint of the project abuts the Durban Metro

boundary and the east side of the project

abuts Ugu District Municipality.

Kantey and Templer Consulting Engineers

was appointed by the uMgungundlovu District

Municipality to design and implement the

contract for phases 1 and 2 of the oGagwini

Community Water Supply Scheme.

Hydrotech Infra was appointed for the con-

struction of Phase 1 and Icon Construction

were appointed for the construction of Phase 2

The aim of the project is to provide the

community with a stable supply of potable

water, create employment opportunities, train-

ing and transfer professional skills to the

local community.

The Ogagwini Community

Water Supply Scheme is sourcing bulk water

from the Eston/Umbumbulu bulk pipeline

(Umgeni Water pipeline), which is located on

the northern border of the project footprint.

Water from an existing bulk supply line sup-

plies all the reservoirs via a 150 mm steel

pipe. From the source bulk line, two separate

chambers are provided for Umgeni Water

and uMgungundlovu District Municipality to

WATER PROVISION

Community water supply schemeThe days of walking long distances to collect water in 20 ℓ bottles will soon come to an end for the oGagwini community. The community has finally won its battle for clean water, with the uMgungundlovu District Municipality now bringing clean water closer to its people.

Water from an existing bulk supply line supplies all the reservoirs via a 150 mm steel pipe

ABOVE Fixing of steel for the reinforced concrete reservoir

BELOW A 750 kℓ reservoir during construction



monitor the volume of water supplied. Phase 1

reservoirs have a capacity of 350 kℓ and

750 kℓ, both feed to 47 km of domestic reticu-

lation ranging in size from 32 mm to 250 mm

diameters and 124 stand pipes

Phase 2 reservoirs have a capacity of

300 kℓ, 100 kℓ and 75 kℓ, all feeding to 61 km

of domestic reticulation ranging from 32 mm

to 160 mm diameters and 144 stand pipes.

The reservoirs are constructed with a rein-

forced concrete roof covering to prevent con-

tamination and evaporation of the stored

water. The storage reservoirs are provided with

a scour valve and scour chamber to facilitate

removal of the reservoir contents for clean-

ing and maintenance purposes. The level of

water in the storage reservoirs is controlled

by a valve.

High-level chambers have been constructed

at the reservoir to maintain pressure from

the bulk line and then be able to feed future

stands pipes that are higher than or at a simi-

lar level with the storage reservoirs.

Water from the storage reservoirs is gravity

fed via the network of different types and size

piping to feed the project area. Isolation valves

are provided at the entry and exit of the reser-

voir for maintenance purposes.

A security fence with a double opening gate

for vehicles has been erected around each

reservoir to prevent acts of vandalism and/

or theft.

Beside the ISD capacity building workshops

and training of the PSC members, an accredit-

ed skills development training course was held

on-site, where local community members were

selected based on their education, employ-

ment and poverty level.

In each phase, a total of 10 people from the

community were trained, which varied from

plumbing, pipe laying, concreting and steel fix-

ing. In addition, two student technicians were

also appointed in each phase, which enabled

them to gain practical experience in the engi-

neering field.

This contract was operated under the auspic-

es of the Expanded Public Works Programme

(EPWP) and, as such, the majority of the tasks

were undertaken using labour-intensive meth-

ods on a task work basis. Unskilled labour was

employed from the local community, with an

emphasis on gender and youth equality.

The days of using river water for domestic

use are long gone for some part of the oGagwi-

ni community since the completion of Phase 1

earlier last year.

The remaining parts of the community will

soon be enjoying the benefits of this project

as the focus is now on Phase 2, which will be

completed at the end of March 2013.

This project has created employment

opportunities for the community. Skills were

imparted to the local community through active

participation in the construction and manage-

ment of the project through various employ-

ment opportunities. The project reduced unem-

ployment and assisted in promoting local

emerging contractors.

The Ogagwini Community Water Supply

Scheme has assisted in creating an infra-

structure that will cater for the basic needs

of the community. It is envisaged that this will

promote the growth of economic activity within

the community.

ABOVE A typical stand pipe

In each phase, a total of 10 people from the community were trained, which varied from plumbing, pipe laying, concreting and steel fi xing


Mornay de Vos – Business Development [email protected]

George van der Merwe – Technical [email protected]

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Technical assessment • Spare parts

COMMITTED TOGETHER FOR WATER, A SOURCE OF LIFE

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

and an important contributor towards sustainable development.

CLIMATE CHANGE

Research shows risks faced by climate change ‘hotspots’


A Water Research Commission study confirms that communities with low socio-economic status are most vulnerable to climate change as they do not have the capacity or resources to protect themselves or their properties from possible impacts.

AAAAAAAA WWWWWWWWaaaaaaaattttttteeeeeeeerrrrrrr RRRRRRRReeeeeeeesssssssseeeeeeeeaaaaaaaarrrrrrrcccccccchhhhhhhh CCCCCCCCoooooooommmmmmmmmmmmmmmmiiiiiissssssssssssssssiiiiiioooooooonnnnnnnn sssssssstttttttuuuuuuuuddddddddyyyyyyyy ccccccccoooooooonnnnnnnnffffffffiiiiiirrrrrrrmmmmmmmmssssssss ttttttthhhhhhhhaaaaaaaattttttt ccccccccoooooooommmmmmmmmmmmmmmmuuuuuuunnnnnnniiiiiittttttttiiiiiieeeeeeeessssssss wwwwwwwwiiiiiittttttthhhhhhhh lllloooooooowwwwwwww ssssssssoooooooocccccccciiiiiioooooooo------eeeeeeeeccccccccoooooooonnnnnnnnoooooooommmmmmmmiiiiiicccccccc ssssssssttttttttaaaaaaaatttttttuuuuuuussssssss aaaaaaaarrrrrrreeeeeeee mmmmmmmmoooooooosssssssstttttt vvvvvvvvuuuuuuullllllnnnnnnneeeeeeeerrrrrrraaaaaaaabbbbbbbblllleeeeeeee ttttttttoooooooo cccccccclllliiiiiiimmmmmmmmaaaaaaaatttttteeeeeeee cccccccchhhhhhhaaaaaaaannnnnnnggggggggeeeeeeee aaaaaaaassssssss ttttttthhhhhhheeeeeeeeyyyyyyyy ddddddddoooooooo nnnnnnnnoooooooottttttt hhhhhhhaaaaaaaavvvvvvvveeeeeeee ttttttthhhhhhhheeeeeeee ccccccccaaaaaaaappppppppaaaaaaaacccccccciiiiiitttttttyyyyyyyy oooooooorrrrrrr rrrrrrrreeeeeeeessssssssoooooooouuuuuuuurrrrrrrrcccccccceeeeeeeessssssss tttttttoooooooo pppppppprrrrrrrroooooooottttttteeeeeeeeccccccccttttttt tttttthhhhhhheeeeeeeemmmmmmmmsssssssseeeeeeeelllllvvvvvvvveeeeeeeessssssss oooooooorrrrrrr ttttttthhhhhhhheeeeeeeeiiiiiiirrrrrrrr pppppppprrrrrrrrooooooooppppppppeeeeeeeerrrrrrrtttttttiiiiiieeeeeeeessssssss ffffffffrrrrrrroooooooommmmmmmm ppppppppoooooooosssssssssssssssiiiiiibbbbbbbblllllleeeeeeee iiiiiiimmmmmmmmppppppppaaaaaaaacccccccctttttttsssssss.....

A Water Research Commission study confirms that communities with low socio-economic status are most vulnerable to climate change as they do not have the capacity or resources to protect themselves or their properties from possible impacts.

Communities with low socio-economic status are most vulnerable to climate changePhoto credit: Lani van Vuuren, Water Research Commission


THIS EMANATED from a Water

Research Commission (WRC) research

project contracted by the Centre for

Water Resources Research (CWRR) at

the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN).

Environmental hydrologist Sabine Stuart-Hill

of the CWRR presented the research findings at

the 16th National Hydrology Symposium.

The project aimed to, firstly, identify which

communities are most sensitive to climate

change due to their socio-economic status; sec-

ondly, investigate how able those communities

are to respond to the risks imposed on them;

and, thirdly, define what risks these communi-

ties are most exposed to.

The importance of a community’s ability to

make informed decisions about the risk climate

change imposes on it and its ability to use

this information to protect itself against the

threats, or react and recover from the effects

of the threats.

“People who are directly dependent on

resources around them are more likely to be

affected by any changes in the availability and

distribution of those resources,” says Stuart-

Hill. Those living next to a river, for example, are

at greater risk to increased runoff and flooding.

The research was done on the Mgeni catch-

ment, in KwaZulu-Natal, where a projected

increase in annual rainfall is predicted and

on the Berg catchment, in the Western Cape,

where decreases in annual rainfall is predicted.

The Mgeni catchment includes two major cities,

i.e. Pietermaritzburg and Durban, while the Berg

catchment includes Cape Town. Both catch-

ments comprise a mixture of land uses, includ-

ing urban settlement, rural areas, subsistence

and commercial farming, as well as various

open spaces to degraded areas.

Both catchments have high-density settle-

ments characterising urban settlement patterns,

implying that a large number of people, living in

a relatively small area, are vulnerable to climate

change impacts.

“Urban migration may have a negative

effect on people’s ability to adapt to climate

change as they experience disruptions in

social structure and lose traditional practices,”

explains Stuart-Hill.

“This presents a challenge to city managers

and decision-makers to help protect a large

number of highly vulnerable people.”

Furthermore, the research showed that often

the communities least able to adapt were also

those most sensitive and exposed to climate

change, partly also due to patterns of urban

migration, legacies of past legislation and the

urban structure of society.

Families in traditional or informal households

are at greater risk due to flooding as the build-

ings materials and structures lack the struc-

tural integrity to withstand the pressures of flood

water. This is of particular concern in the Mgeni

catchment where large projected changes in

three-day flood events are predicted, especially

in the interior around Pietermaritzburg, where

a large number of informal houses are still to

be found.

Communities in the Mgeni catchment were

found to be more reliant on open sources of

water than communities in the Berg catchment.

While stream flow is predicted to increase in

the Mgeni catchment as a result of projected

climate change, this stream flow may become

more variable. In the Berg catchment, the prob-

lem is rather of too little water as annual stream

flow is projected to decrease between 10 and

20%, resulting in less water being available in

rivers and dams.

Using open water also has various social and

health issues, such as risk to waterborne dis-

eases. In Mgeni catchment, many communities

have a major river running through them, leaving

them vulnerable to risks of flooding.

“The need to reduce the number of people

relying on open water sources is imperative in

both catchments as these people are using

unsafe water sources and are at risk to changes

in water quality and quantity,” says Stuart-Hill.

While rainwater tanks and groundwater extrac-

tion may be viable alternative water sources in

Mgeni catchment, the latter may not be a viable

option, even to those already making use of

boreholes in the Berg catchment, as a decrease

in recharge of groundwater is predicted due to

climate change.

Overall, the results showed far higher levels

of vulnerability in the Mgeni than the Berg

catchment. This is based mainly on low income

and education levels as well as high population

densities in the Mgeni catchment. However,

each catchment presents a different set of

challenges to municipal managers and different

adaptation plans will be required.

By identifying which communities are vulner-

able to climate change researchers can provide

planners with a starting point on where to focus

specific adaptation options and offer insight into

which adaptation strategies are most viable for

each location.


“People who are directly dependent on resources around them are more likely to be affected by any changes in the availability and distribution of those resources.”Environmental hydrologist Sabine Stuart-Hill of the CWRR



MUCH OF SOUTH AFRICA’S water supply originates from

groundwater sources. These occur widely and geographi-

cally and almost two thirds of South Africa’s population

depend on it for their domestic water needs1. On a global

scale, groundwater is an essential freshwater resource for both socio-

economic and environmental systems, and forms a critical buffer during

periods of drought. This makes the protection of groundwater supplies

(management, pollution control and remediation) essential, particu-

larly in developing countries where groundwater management is neither

strongly emphasised in national water legislation, nor implemented

where it is needed.

Groundwater is water that exists in the pore spaces and fractures in

rock and sediment beneath the Earth’s surface. It is naturally replen-

ished by surface water from precipitation or snow, and then moves

through the soil into the groundwater system where it recharges the

water table. Groundwater sources are generally extracted through the

construction and operation of extraction wells or boreholes. In areas

where rural infrastructure is minimal, rural communities will often rely

on more informal, traditionally developed groundwater sources such as

hand-dug wells, springs and sand abstractions. Currently, South Africa’s

groundwater resources supply approximately 15% of the total volume of

water consumed nationally2. Of this, almost 64% is used for agricultural

irrigation purposes, while exploitation for mining and domestic consump-

tion constitutes 8%.

Despite the country’s reliance on groundwater, it has remained a poorly

understood and managed resource, most likely due to its ‘hidden’ nature

and the lack of adequate knowledge and physical data pertaining to aqui-

fer characteristics and behaviour such as recharge, discharge, base flow

and aquifer dependent ecosystems. Most groundwater quality and quan-

tity problems in South Africa are related to human activities such as indus-

try (e.g. infiltration of chemicals and toxins) and mining (e.g. acidification

and increased metal content), urban development (e.g. salinisation,

eutrophication and microbial effects) and the intensification of agricultural

practices (e.g. sedimentation, infiltration of agro-chemicals and salinisa-

tion through irrigation return flows). Deteriorating standards in wastewater

treatment, agricultural drainage, land use patterns and waste disposal

intensify the problem. Contaminants either seep through the soil to reach

1 Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF), 20002 DWAF, 2002

The importance of groundwater management

WATER RESOURCES

the water, are washed into the ground by rainfall or surface run-off, or

leach from contaminated landfills and other buried hazardous wastes, all

of which affect both human well-being and ecosystem functioning.

Millions are spent every year on control and remediation measures

even, though remediation is difficult and extremely costly. Remediation

South Africa is a water-stressed country. Being semi-arid with limited annual South Africa is a water-stressed country. Being semi-arid with limited annual rainfall supply and a lack of perennial streams, the future implications of rainfall supply and a lack of perennial streams, the future implications of population growth combined with the uncertainty of climate change are likely population growth combined with the uncertainty of climate change are likely to have significant financial, human and ecological impacts on already scarce to have significant financial, human and ecological impacts on already scarce water resources.water resources.

South Africa is a water-stressed country. Being semi-arid with limited annual South Africa is a water-stressed country. Being semi-arid with limited annual rainfall supply and a lack of perennial streams, the future implications of rainfall supply and a lack of perennial streams, the future implications of population growth combined with the uncertainty of climate change are likely population growth combined with the uncertainty of climate change are likely to have significant financial, human and ecological impacts on already scarce to have significant financial, human and ecological impacts on already scarce water resources.water resources.

ABOVE Talbot Laboratories routinely analyses groundwater samples and can provide interpretative data to assist in remediation measures


Johannesburg Tel: +27 11 345 5600 Cape Town Tel: +27 21 957 5600 www.dpiplastics.co.za [email protected]

[email protected]@dpiplastics.co.za





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of soil and groundwater is usually carried out by

government agencies or environmental compa-

nies, with the first step being the identification

of the contaminants. The analysis and clas-

sification of the pollutant(s) is critical in that it

enables identification of appropriate solutions

for remediation. Analyses are performed by

internationally recognised environmental labo-

ratories that can provide expert interpretative

data to consultants who are then able to make

recommendations and implement remediation

measures. Reliable data is vital for mak-

ing informed decisions. Once identified, the

contaminant is either physically removed to a

landfill site or subjected to chemical oxidation

methods, which remove the pollutant from the

soil before it is reintroduced back into the envi-

ronment. Specialised mechanical techniques in

the form of pump-and-treat methods are used,

or the area is rehabilitated in-situ with the use

of microorganisms.

Although groundwater is a vital source of

water for many and has given rise to several

short- and medium-term socio-economic ben-

efits, the additional pressure on the resource

has put many aquifers at risk due to high

extraction rates. Until 1998, groundwater was

considered a privately owned asset (under the

traditional riparian system). However, after the

promulgation of the new National Water Act,

groundwater was declared a public resource

with shared entitlements to use, therefore

exposing the resource to further exploitation.

Although provision was made for the manage-

ment of groundwater resources under the

Department of Water Affairs, the motivations

behind the regulations and guidelines have

been difficult to account for and implement on

a regional level and subsequently are largely

overlooked or neglected3. Thus, there are still

many challenges to overcome to achieve the

sustainable management, appropriate alloca-

tion and protection of South Africa’s ground-

water resources. Perhaps the most significant

challenge is education and awareness, and

the collaboration between stakeholders on the

importance of sustainable and efficient ground-

water use (and monitoring). Greater awareness

and understanding, as a first step, will allow for

the timeous assessment of the occurrence and

extent of pollution and assist with the proac-

tive management of groundwater pollution in

South Africa.

3 Knüppe (2010): The challenges facing sus-tainable and adaptive groundwater management in South Africa. www.wrc.org.za

BELOW The company also analyses industrial effluent, landfill leachates, marine water, marine sediments and solid waste for classification for disposal to landfill sites

25 YEARS OF THE EXTRAORDINARY

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Komati Water Scheme Augmentation Project (KWSAP)

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

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

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

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

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

Social Responsibility Initiatives through Project Implementation

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

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

the contract value to them.

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

(iii) Employment targets

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

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

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

Environmental Sustainability

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

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

PIPES, PUMPS AND VALVES


DPI PLASTICS'S technical and

product manager, Renier Snyman,

points out that the company’s

range of Ultraflo pipes are

manufactured from modified polyvi-

nyl chloride (mPVC), which is specifi-

cally designed to provide similar tensile

strength and greater resilience than stand-

ard PVC piping products.

“The Ultraflo range of pressure piping sys-

tems is ideally suited to bulk water supply

projects, due to the fact that mPVC is con-

siderably more ductile than industry stand-

ard unplasticised polyvinyl chloride (uPVC),”

he explains.

Snyman notes: “The product being supplied

to the water supply line project is the 500 mm

Ultraflo system, which is the largest in the DPI

Plastics range. It boasts a pressure rating of

12 bar with a design stress of up to 18 mPa,

making it ideally suited as a large underground

piping system.”

According to Snyman, Ultraflo pipes offer

environmental advantages too.

“Due to its superior toughness, the wall

thickness of mPVC is less than that of uPVC.

PVC pressure pipes used on large water supply project

BULK WATER SUPPLY

The ductility of the Ultraflo uPVC piping system ensures that the pipes have exceptional resistance to crack propagation under pressure.

This ensures that less

material is used dur-

ing the manufacturing

process, which ultimately

results in a lighter product

that is easier to transport and

install, thereby minimising the car-

bon footprint of the pipe.”

The DPI Plastics range of Ultraflo piping

products is available in pressure classes

varying between 6 and 25 bar, and supplied

in standard 6 m lengths, complete with spigot,

integral socket and rubber ring seal for user-

friendly installation. Snyman highlights that

DPI Plastics was the first company in South

Africa to manufacture mPVC piping systems

in the 1970s.

“DPI Plastics is recognised as a pioneer in

the local development of mPVC products and

to this day remains an international market

leader in mPVC product development, having

sold numerous licences to manufacturers in

markets as far afield as Australia, Asia and

South America. All Ultraflo mPVC products in

South Africa are compliant with SANS 966

quality standards,” he adds.

The range of

pressure piping systems

is ideally suited to bulk water supply

projects, due to the fact that mPVC is considerably

more ductile than industry standard unplasticised

polyvinyl chloride



IN A MOVE to ensure consistent high quality of welding and introduce

transparency and accountability in the industry, the Installation

and Fabrication Plastics Pipe Association (IFPA) has

issued all of its welders with identification stamps.

According to the IFPA chair-

man, Mike Smart, its welders

were required to be recertificated

before they were issued with their

unique stamps.

“The annual recertification of weld-

ers was instituted by the Plastics

Federation (now Plastics|SA)

in 2000 in an effort to better

ensure quality of practical work.

However, in September 2010 it was decid-

ed that IFPA members would have the benefit of

only having to recertify their welders once in a three-year

renewal cycle, while non-IFPA members would be required to certify

their welders annually,” says Smart.

As part of IFPA’s mandate and mission to ensure that its members

adhere to the association’s objectives of ensuring consistently high

standards of plastic pipe fabrication and installation, they felt it neces-

sary to also develop a mechanism whereby a welder could be traced

back to every weld he has ever done.

A Welder Identification System was implemented by Plastics|SA and

IFPA in 2010.

“Since then, IFPA welders have been issued with a unique number,

printed on an identification card, along with a photograph. Each IFPA

member company is expected to complement the system of traceability

with the use of a stamp on each weld, displaying the IFPA company

number, the unique welder number and the IFPA logo,” Smart explains.

The stamp is made of special hardened steel and can be used next to

a weld if the weld surface is too small.

Members are tasked with the responsibility of ensuring the stamps

made for their welders are kept up to date, to verify the specific dis-

cipline that the welder has been qualified for and to control employee

activities such as moonlighting. These are not the responsibility of IFPA.

“IFPA is an initiative of SAPPMA (Southern African Plastic Pipe

Manufacturers Association) and was formed with the view to expand

regulation of the plastic pipe industry in Southern Africa. We fully sup-

port and endorse this programme that proves our commitment to go

further on the quality value chain. This move has also been welcomed

and applauded by customers who appreciate the level of transparency

and accountability we try to introduce and maintain in this highly spe-

cialised industry,” maintains Jan Venter, CEO of SAPPMA.

ID stamps to ensure quality installationsA welder identification system allows for a welder to be traced back to every weld he has ever done.

WELDER IDENTIFICATION

astics Pipe Association (IFPA) has

ders with identification stamps.

chair-

welders

rtificated

with their

n of weld-

Plastics

cs|SA)

better

al work.

10 it was decid-

uld have the benefit of

ir welders once in a three-year

FPA members would be required to certify

ABOVE A welder applies his unique IFPA identification stamp after completing a weld

INSET A closer look at the IFPA welder identification stamp

HEAD OFFICE: BLOCK C - Menlyn Corporate Park C/O Garsfontein Road & Corobay Ave. MENLYN - PRETORIA Tel: +27 (0) 12 940 1111 FAX: +27 (0) 86 743 3100 E-

www.bvigroup.co.za

Civil Engineering

Structural Engineering

Electrical Engineering

Mechanical Engineering

Project Management



THE PROJECT INFRASTRUCTURE

involves the construction of two pump

stations, two 3 Mℓ concrete reser-

voirs, a 1 Mℓ concrete reservoir and

15.4 km of water pipelines.

Incledon's national product manager for civ-

ils, Kelly Wilson, points out that the company

supplied the appointed civil contractors, Gabby

Construction and Thakitsi Construction, with

9.5 km of 300 mm and 4.5 km of 250 mm

Hydroclass ductile iron pipe, in addition to

1.4 km of 110 mm uPVC pipe, waterworks

valves and water meters steel specials in order

to complete the contracts.

Construction work began in January 2012 and

is due for completion in February 2013.

“The Hydroclass ductile iron pipes and fitting

systems are produced by internationally rec-

ognised French manufacturer St Gobain PAM,

which is one of the first companies worldwide

to comply with international EN 545:2010 and

ISO 2531:2009 quality standards. These quality

standards were set as a benchmark to ensure

that all ductile iron products comply with pre-

ferred pressure classes, in addition to reducing

their environmental footprint during the manu-

facturing process,” he explains.

Wilson highlights the fact that Hydroclass

is fully compliant with the local equivalent

SANS 2531:2009 standard. “This ultimately

means that Hydroclass ductile iron pipes are

manufactured with increased accuracy, and in

accordance to specific classes and wall thick-

nesses,” he continues.

Nathi Mnyaka, project manager at Monde

Consulting Engineers, the appointed consultant

for the project, points out that Hydroclass was

selected as the piping product of choice for the

25 bar bulk line due to the fact that it is easy to

install. “The project is located along mountain-

ous terrain, which is always more challenging

when it comes to installation. Hydroclass ductile

iron pipes are considerably easier to install

than industry standard steel pipes, as they are

simply slotted into one another. What’s more,

ductile iron is also very competitively priced and

easier to transport on-site.”

WATER INFRASTRUCTURE

Ductile iron pipes installedThe R41 million project entails the construction of bulk lines from Khombaso to Tsambokhulu and Mbuzini.

Wilson notes that all Hydroclass pipes come

standard with an external 200 g/m2 metallic

zinc coating, thereafter bitumen coated and an

internal sulphate resisting cement (SRC) mor-

tar lining, which increases the lifespan of the

pipe by up to 55%, when compared to the older

minimum metallic zinc coating requirement of

only 130 g/m2.

In addition to the high-quality product offer-

ing, Mnyaka points out that Incledon has

also provided Monde Consulting with excellent

after-sales service and support. “The service

from Incledon has been outstanding, and

the company’s sales representatives did not

only educate us on the advantages of using

Hydroclass, but have also kept us up to date

with the progress of the orders, in addition to

offering support services to us on an around-

the-clock basis.”

With this in mind, Mnyaka is confident that

the Mbuzini bulk water augmentation scheme

will be completed by its stated deadline.

ABOVE Incledon supplied the appointed civil contractors with 9.5 km of 300 mm and 4.5 km of 250 mm Hydroclass ductile iron pipe, in addition to 1.4 km of 110 mm uPVC pipe, waterworks valves and water meters

BELOW Hydroclass pipes with diameters of between 100 and 1 000 mm are available as standard to the South African water supply market

“A good working synergy between the com-

panies involved in the project will play a sig-

nificant role in ensuring that the community

is served with potable water in a timeous and

efficient manner,” he continues.

Hydroclass pipes with diameters of between

100 and 1 000 mm are available as standard

through Incledon. Wilson concludes by adding

that larger sizes are available to the market

on demand.



SELECTION AND SPECIFICATION

New pipe and culvert handbook available

The Concrete Manufacturers Association

(CMA) has published the sixth edition

of its Precast Concrete Pipe and Portal

Culvert Handbook.

AIMED AT

m u n i c i -

pal and

c o n s u l t -

ing engineers, the

handbook provides

designers of con-

crete pipes and culverts with basic guidelines

on most aspects of selection, specification

and testing.

CMA's executive director, Wally Armstrong,

says it essentially covers the pre-construction

activities associated with precast concrete pipe

and portal culverts, but installers will also find

it useful.

“The handbook makes no attempt at replac-

ing textbooks or codes, but rather comple-

ments them by providing designers and speci-

fiers with sufficient detail to ensure that all

aspects of precast concrete pipe and culvert

usage are considered.

“The book also includes some basic theory

on determining product size, strength and

durability, as well as some theory on special

features. Chapter headings include: Product

Classification, Hydraulics, Loads on Buried

Pipelines, Concrete Pipe Strengths, Bedding,

Pipe Jointing, Floatation, Sewer Corrosion and

Portal Culverts.

Armstrong says the book’s formulas, diagrams

and tables are more than adequate for most

product applications. “However, they are by no

means all-encompassing, and the book provides

a list of useful publications for further reading.”

Three groups of standards are appli-

cable to precast concrete pipe and portal

culverts, namely:

• Codes of practice, which detail how prod-

uct size, strength and durability should

be selected.

• Product standards, which prescribe the prod-

uct requirements to be met.

• Construction standards, which prescribe how

products should be installed.

The handbook uses the Standards South Africa

(StanSA) certification codes, and all products it

covers comply with the relevant SANS specifica-

tions. These ensure that the products meet the

necessary performance requirements and use

the same basic layout, which are:

• scope

• normative references

• definitions

• materials used

• requirements to be met

• sampling and compliance

• inspection and test methods

• marking

• normative and informative annexures.

There are currently two South African nation-

al standards applicable to concrete pipes –

SANS 676: Reinforced concrete pressure pipes

and SANS 677: Concrete non-pressure pipes.

The code of practice for the selection of pipe

strength is:

SANS 10102Part 1: Selection of pipes for buried piplines:

general provisions

Part 2: Selection of pipes for buried pipelines:

rigid pipes.

There are no standards for determining the size

or durability of concrete pipes. The standards for

the installation of concrete pipes are included

as sections in SANS 1200 standardised speci-

fication for civil engineering construction. These

sections are:

• SANS 1200 DB – Earthworks (pipe trenches)

• SANS 1200 L – Medium pressure pipelines

• SANS 1200 – Bedding (pipes)

• SANS 1200 – Sewers

• SANS 1200 – Stormwater drainage

• SANS 1200 – Pipe jacking.

ABOVE Precast concrete stormwater pipes during installation

BELOW Precast concrete stormwater pipe sections prior to installation


THE SOUTH AFRICAN

Local Government

Association (SALGA)

and the Water Research

Commission (WRC) re-estab-

lished (with IMESA’s assistance)

water services benchmarking

in South Africa through the

national Municipal Benchmarking

Initiative (MBI) for Water

Services in April 2011. For

municipalities, the key benefits

of benchmarking are access to a

support network of peers where

they can share common experi-

ences, achievements and chal-

lenges in a manner that enables

improved per formance. The MBI

offers a bottom-up focus on the

per formance measurement capa-

bilities of municipalities, with

the provision of appropriate sup-

port to strengthen per formance

reporting systems and affirm

their importance for effective

service delivery.

The MBI aims to:

• Support improved efficiency

and effectiveness in water

services delivery through com-

parative per formance bench-

marking, peer-to-peer knowl-

edge sharing and iterative

per formance improvements.

• Strengthen per formance

measurement, monitoring and

management in municipal

water services provision.

• Forge relationships of

mutual respect and trust

between municipalities,

thereby strengthening the

development of per for-

mance tracking, report-

ing and comparative

assessment systems.

• Build communities of

practice within and

between municipalities.

Key elements of the MBI pro-

gress are:

1. water services master classes

2. development and implementa-

tion of benchmarking web-

based tool (Munibench)

3. establishment of peer work-

ing groups with focus on city

working groups.

Water services master classes The primary target audience is

senior water services technical

IMESA’s involvement with the Municipal Benchmarking InitiativeIMESA is – together with SALGA, the Water Research Commission,

eThekwini Water and Sanitation, the Municipal Institute of Learning

and the DWA – an active member of the team involved with the

Municipal Benchmarking Initiative. by Frank Stevens

IMESA workshop with SALGA and WRC

and management staff. To date,

the following master classes

have taken place:

Master Class 1 (in KwaZulu-

Natal, Gauteng and Western

Cape), with topics including:

Blue Drop Certification, Green

Drop Certification, and Water

Loss and Demand Management

Master Class 2 (in KwaZulu-

Natal, Gauteng and Western

Cape), with topics including:

Green Drop Certification,

Operations and Maintenance,

and Service Delivery

and Backlogs

MunibenchData collection for MBI is via an

online system, www.munibench.

co.za. The aim of the system is

to both measure per formance

(through facilities for data input,

comparison of per formance

indicators via appropriate

dashboards and checking par-

ticipation progress) and improve

per formance (through access to

material associated with shared

learning, peer networks, case

studies, guidelines, methodolo-

gies/techniques, training, etc.).

Peer working groups: feedback on the city working groups City Working Groups (CWGs)

have been established to

OM TE MEET IS TE WEET!


For more information on the Municipal Benchmarking Initiative please contact:

SALGA: William Moraka ([email protected]; +27 (0)12 369 8000)

WRC: Jay Bhagwan ([email protected]; +27 (0)12 330 9008)

IMESA: Frank Stevens ([email protected]; +27 (0)31 3118549)

MBI project manager: Grant Mackintosh ([email protected]; +27 (0)21 880 2932)

structure peer learning among

the nine cities (the eight

metros plus Msunduzi Local

Municipality). A CWG is held for

each of the existing six initial

modules currently included

in the MBI (namely service

delivery and backlogs, opera-

tions and maintenance, product

quality, water conservation

and demand management, HR

and skills development and

financial management).

Three rounds of CWGs have

taken place to date, in October

and November 2012, and in

January 2013, hosted by eThek-

wini Metropolitan Municipality,

Johannesburg Water and the City

of Tshwane, respectively. These

CWGs covered water conserva-

tion and demand management,

HR and skills development and

service delivery and backlogs.

Eight of the nine cities have

attended at least one of the

meetings. The meetings have

been very well received, with

open sharing of current prac-

tices, issues of concern and

how challenges are addressed.

The Working Groups for the

operations and maintenance and

financial management modules

are planned for March 2013.

In conclusion, I include a com-

ment from Eddie Delport (an

IMESA Council member) who is

very involved

with and close to

this project:

“The coop-

eration between

IMESA and the

Emanti team has

really helped

South African

municipali-

ties to provide

sustainable

water services

over the last decade. Starting

3 Free participation by all

3 Technical overviews3 Case studies3 Best practices3 Share common

issues/challenges faced

3 How did they do that??

3 Performance measurement

3 Networking

off with the very successful

Electronic Drinking Water Quality

Management System (eWQMS)

in 2005, for which it received an

International Water Association

Global Award, much has changed

for the better in the municipal

water services sector. (There is

no doubt that this was the fore-

runner to the DWA’s Blue/Green

Drop systems).

IMESA has always been ada-

mant that with

the absence of

a benchmark-

ing system for

municipalities

– run by munici-

palities – it will

always be dif-

ficult to improve

local government

service delivery.

To measure is to

know. To share

experience and knowledge is

the basis of individual improve-

ment. In this, SALGA and the

WRC have helped by becoming

the sponsors of the project. It is

welcomed and appreciated.

IMESA looks forward to the full

and successful implementation

of the MBI and urges all munici-

pal technical managers to coop-

erate fully with the programme to

ensure its success.”


THE SMEC South Africa-UWP-Phatwe

JV comprises UWP Consulting, SMEC

South Africa and Phatwe Consulting

Engineers, a 100% black-owned com-

pany based in Rustenburg.

This project forms part of the national

Public Transport Action Plan to improve pub-

lic transport networks in 12 cities in South

Africa. It aims to provide a high-quality and

affordable public transport system that will

enhance the social and economic development

of Rustenburg.

The development and construction of the RRT

was planned to take place from 2011 to 2014,

with implementation of the public transport

services envisaged by 2015, explains UWP

Consulting director, Friedrich Slabbert. The total

construction value of the infrastructure develop-

ment is expected to be more than R1.3 billion.

The tender, awarded to the SMEC South

Africa-UWP-Phatwe JV, incorporates two bus

Construction started last year on the Rustenburg Rapid Transport (RRT) project in the North West province, following completion of detail design by the SMEC South Africa-UWP-Phatwe JV, which won the R40.8 million tender for planning, design and construction supervision.

URBAN TRANSPORTATION

RRT project well under way

BELOW Compaction of concrete for pavements

RUSTENBURG


RUSTENBURG

rapid transport (BRT) corridors over a distance

of 34 km that overlap in the Rustenburg CBD,

with 37 proposed stations.

“We completed detail design for a fast-track

section between the Rustenburg CBD and

Phokeng town of the Royal Bafokeng in a

very short time and the 15-month construc-

tion contract was awarded to M Civils on

18 June 2012,” says Slabbert.

SMEC South Africa's head of the Rustenburg

(Nor th West province) division, Tshepo

Matshego, highlights the fact that the JV

was able to complete the design of a section

of the trunk route, consisting

of new concrete bus lanes

and rehabilitation of existing

mixed traffic lanes, within

five months – four months

ahead of schedule, due to

municipal requests.

“We started with the concept

in October 2011, and the ten-

der was advertised in March

2012. In that time, we had to

fast track our design, in order

to ensure that the municipality

met its budgetary obligations.”

Matshego believes that the

strong working relationship

within the JV ensured that the

conceptual design of the bus

lanes was completed success-

fully, despite the considerable

time constraints.

“Both SMEC South Africa and UWP, in the

joint venture, have in-depth experience from

working on previous BRT systems nationwide,

and we were able to rely on that experience to

make accurate assumptions.

“From appointment to construction award,

the JV team completed all planning and

inception through award processes within

eight months for a project with a total value of

R392 million,” continues Slabbert.

“Planning and design of the remaining sec-

tions of the contract, involving the Rustenburg

CBD and Phokeng town, have commenced and

we plan to call for tenders early this year.”

ABOVE Concrete placement under way next an operational section of road

RIGHT AND BELOW A trial section of concrete pavement

The tender incorporates two bus rapid transport corridors over a distance of 34 km that overlap in the Rustenburg CBD, with 37 proposed stations


RUSTENBURG

Most of the route will have a dedicated bus

lane in each direction with an additional passing

lane at the stations. Along the regional routes

outside the CBD, the road will consist of a

dedicated bus lane and one to two mixed traffic

lanes per direction with paved shoulders and

non-motorised transport facilities. In the CBD,

two existing lanes will be dedicated to the BRT.

All the intersections will be upgraded, either

to a left in/left out access or to a full intersec-

tion with BRT traffic signals and turning lanes.

Unique video technology is being used in

the planning, design and construction phases

to assist with accurate on-site details. This

allows detail planning and design sessions to

be held off-site with all role players present.

30% of the contract value is being spent with

local contractors and materials suppliers.

Public transport is closely linked to the future

spatial development of Rustenburg, which

aims to:

• integrate the existing urban structure

• provide a greater housing typology mix

• provide social amenities in an

equitable manner

• protect commercial agriculture and natural

open spaces

• enable the cost-effective provision of bulk

municipal services

• rationalise transpor tation infrastruc-

ture and services provision, specifically

public transportation

• capitalise on the economic competitive

advantages in the region, such as mining.

The Department of Transport has made it clear

that BRT is crucial to the success of South

Africa’s transport system. BRT is a mass road-

based public transport system that mimics rail

systems. The aim is to provide a high-quality,

customer-oriented transport system that deliv-

ers fast, comfortable and low-cost urban mobil-

ity to public transport users.

Through improvements to infrastructure, vehi-

cles and scheduling, a BRT system uses buses

to provide a service that is of a higher quality

than an ordinary bus line. The BRT will play a

leading role in transforming public transport

within Rustenburg to a point where it will

become the preferred mode of travel for most

and make a major contribution towards the more

efficient development of Rustenburg as a whole.

The public transport priority measures to be

implemented will reduce travel times, with an

enormous economic impact. Immediately after

completion of the construction work, journey

times for all road users will reduce, saving on

vehicle operating costs and time in vehicles.

ABOVE A visual test of a rock fill layer

BELOW Stabilisation of the road layer


RUSTENBURG

Bigen Africa Services is currently working on a number of road projects for the Rustenburg Local Municipality. IMIESA reviews four of the projects.

Vital road and sewer rehabilitation

ROAD AND SEWER UPGRADE

BOITEKONG AND MERITING are

located north-east of Rustenburg

with access afforded on the

Thabazimbi Road P20-2 nor th-

wards. All of the extensions in these areas

are joined through a network of main collector

roads. Developments in these areas address

the housing shortage for the middle- and

low-income groups and provide housing and

adequate services to residents.

The upgrading of the street system in

Boitekong and Meriting was divided into the

five development areas of wards 18, 19, 20,

21 and 22.

The streets and stormwater system areas

are mainly governed by the choosing of loops

within the wards.

The land sur face of the areas is worn down

due to erosion to a broadly undulating plain.

Soils are fairly impermeable and stormwater

run-off tends to be near the ground sur face

down the gentle slopes to the Hex River.

Residential black clayey silts and silty clayey

soils form the predominant soil type with the

exception of the south-western sector, where

the norite bedrock has been mantled by trans-

ported reddish and olive to khaki coloured

clayey or silty sands, silty or sandy clays, and

sandy or clayey silts, all of mixed origin.

The design criteria and standards are sum-

marised in Table 1 and are in accordance with

the standards of the guidelines for the provi-

sion of engineering services and amenities in

residential township development.

All streets will be surfaced afterwards by

the municipality and provision will be made for

the installation of sleeve pipes for the internal

electrical cables and Telkom cables.

Lethabong (Har tbeesfontein) was estab-

lished as a township under the previous

dispensation with dust streets, no stormwater

system, no water connections to stands and

with pit latrines only.

Over the past 15 years, the municipal-

ity provided 18.8 km of tarred streets,

water yard connections to 6 300 stands,

sewer reticulation with yard connections to

2 150 strands as well as toilet structures to

1 650 stands.


Lethabong was divided into the two develop-

ment areas of Ward 27 and Ward 28.

The streets and stormwater system areas

are mainly governed by the choosing of loops

within the wards.

During the past 15 years sections were

developed into tarred streets with a

stormwater system.


marised in Table 1.

Kerb inlets are provided at low points in the

roads to intercept the stormwater run-off from

the road and road reserve. These kerb inlets

will also discharge the stormwater into the

stormwater system.

The roads will be designed to accommodate

the 1:2 year flood recurrence with allow-

ance of 80% flooding of the roadway without

kerb overtopping.

Fifteen years ago, the municipality construct-

ed a sewer treatment works for Lethabong;

however, to date it was not put into operation

because of the limited number of toilets con-

nected to the sewer reticulation system.

During the long period that the plant was

not in operation, some of the equipment

was vandalised.

BELOW (1, 2, 3) Boitekong Road

1

2

3

BELOW (4, 5, 6) Lethabong Road

4

5

6

BELOW and OPPOSITE (7, 8, 9, 10) Lethabong sewer

7


RUSTENBURG

PARAMETERROAD CATEGORY

ACCESS COLLECTORCLASS 5A

ACCESS LOOPCLASS 5B

Road reserve width 16 m 13 m 10 m

Carriageway width 6.0 m 6.0 m 6.0 m

Minimum centre line radii for angles of deflection less than 60°

50 m 30 m 30 m

Minimum centre line radii for angles of deflection 60° and >

15 m 15 m 12 m

Roadway verges Low side: Mountable kerbHigh side: Mountable kerb

Low side: Mountable kerbHigh side: Mountable kerb

Low side: Mountable kerbHigh side: Mountable kerb

Desired maximum speed 40 km/h 40 km/h 40 km/h

Minimum stopping distances 65 m 65 m 65 m

Minimum gradient 0.5% 0.5% 0.5%

Maximum gradient 12.5 12.5 12.5

Minimum K-value 6 6 6

Minimum vertical curve 30 m 30 m 30 m

Cross fall 2% single cross fall 2% single cross fall 2% single cross fall

Super elevation None None None

TABLE 1 Road design criteria

Bigen Africa Services’ contract is for the pro-

vision of 21 km of sewer reticulation to 2 100

stands as well as for 2 500 toilet structures

in Ward 28.

The main objective of this upgrade is to sup-

ply safe and hygienic facilities to the community

of Lethabong. The upgrading of sewer system

in Lethabong was divided into the two develop-

ment areas of Ward 27 and Ward 28.

Monnakato Township falls under the juris-

diction of the Rustenburg Local Municipality

and is situated approximately 42 km north

of Rustenburg. Access to the township is

from Rustenburg via the Provincial Road 510

to Thabazimbi.

Due to the existing developments, most of

the bulk services for roads, water and sewage

have already been provided. Adequate meas-

ures have been taken to provide connections

from the bulk supply to the internal draw off

points and discharge points.


Monnakato is covered by Ward 25.

The design norms adopted for the provi-

sion of internal infrastructure to Monnakato

are those recommended in Guidelines for

the Provision of Engineering Services for

Residential Townships, generally known as the

‘Blue Book’, and Guidelines for the Provision

of Engineering Services and Amenities in

Residential Township Development.


marised in Table 1.

All streets will be surfaced afterwards by

the municipality.

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

BELOW and RIGHT (11, 12, 13, 14) Monnakato Road


POWER

ART SOLAR – which is the only South

African-owned photovoltaic (PV)

manufacturer – specialises in the

manufacture of solar PV modules

for the sustainable generation of electrical

power. The company is set to play a significant

role in renewable energy – initially in South

Africa, followed by the sub-Saharan African

market and the African continent.

“ART Solar uses the latest PV technol-

ogy to convert solar energy to electricity. By

utilising this environmentally friendly technol-

ogy to generate electrical power, the company

provides long-term solutions to the current

and predicted electricity issues facing South

Africa,” says Dr Ronald Lange, chief operating

officer for ART Solar.

“PV modules, which use daylight to gener-

ate electricity, are gaining popularity globally

as a form of renewable energy that is clean,

emission and noise-free, sustainable, safe

and cost-efficient.

“These modules are easy to install and

require no maintenance, apart from occasional

cleaning. Other important features are the

25-year guarantee offered by ART Solar and an

estimated 40-year lifetime of the module. The

company also offers a technical advisory and

support service throughout the country.

“Customers value the flexibility of our highly

skilled team, which designs and produces

modules according to exact requirements.

Important factors also include local con-

tent, black economic empowerment and the

enhanced aesthetics of these modules.”

The company has made a significant invest-

ment in the latest equipment from Swiss

equipment manufacturer Meyer Burger Swiss

Solar Systems and benefits from shared tech-

nology with global PV specialists.

PV modules, which adhere to stringent

International Electro-technical Commission

(IEC) specifications, are certified at ART Solar

by the leading and independent test institute

TüV Rheinland in Germany.

The establishment of ART Solar gives the

South African market access to high-quality,

aesthetically pleasing and locally manufac-

tured PV panels.

Local PV solar panel manufactureSOLAR ENERGY

The first photovoltaic solar panel manufacturing plant in KwaZulu-Natal has recently been established in New Germany.

ABOVE The first photovoltaic solar panel manufacturing plant in KwaZulu-Natal has recently been established in New Germany

LEFT The modules are easy to install and require no maintenance, apart from occasional cleaning

POWER


A HIGHER YIELDMedium Size Excavators. Our current range offers excellent controllability and reliability, impressive lift capacity, better fuel effi ciency, simplifi ed service and a more comfortable operator station to increase your productivity and lower your operating costs.

For more information contact our call centre on 0800 21 22 48 or visit www.barloworld-equipment.com

320D 323D 329D

Follow us on Twitter@Barloworldequip

Follow us on Facebook Barloworld Equipment Southern Africa

THE COURSES FORM part of the company’s current seven-year

frame contract with Eskom for manufacture and supply of

power transformers ranging from 5 MVA to 80 MVA at 132 kV.

“The course content is tailor-made to suit the Eskom people

attending it, who range from skilled site personnel through to engineers,”

says Ronnie Russell, divisional CEO of Actom Power Transformers.

“The courses have been very well received. We have run four five-day

courses to date since November last year, each course being attended

by up to 12 people at a time.”

The courses, which include hands-on experience in the factory and

test facility, are run at the company’s Wadeville premises. The course

structure and content were designed by Paul Rodgers, the company’s

former chief draughtsman, together with Louis Liasides, technical man-

ager; Vincent Thorpe, engineering manager; Mohamed Alli, QA manager;

Sabelo Mahlobo, test manager; and John Duncan, safety, health and

environment manager, all of whom are course presenters.

“The course content is aimed at enabling commercially orientated

employees in Eskom to fully understand the range of power transform-

ers they are required to purchase against various contracts. In addition,

although the course material is fully structured, it allows for maximum

interaction between all participants,” explains Russell.

Power transformer courses for Eskom personnel

Special courses for Eskom technical personnel to familiarise them with the design, manufacture and installation of power transformers and all related aspects, including health, safety and environmental considerations, have been launched by Actom Power Transformers.

ABOVE Actom Power Transformer’s test manager, Sabelo Mahlobo, explains the active part assembly of one of the 13 x 110 MVA unit transformers being manufactured for Eskom’s Kusile power station. The Eskom personnel seen here are all from the central Gauteng region


HOUSING

PRODUCTION VOLUMES among the

two biggest players in the region’s

mining sector – Assmang and Anglo

American – continue to increase at a

tremendous speed. To cater for new employees

and respond within the ambit of the revised

mining charter published by government in late

2010, both mining giants are in the throes of

creating new and upgrading existing accommo-

dation with a number of housing projects both

on the drawing board and under construction.

Gary Westwood, sales manager for the Free

State and Northern Cape region, says that

Corobrik took pride in being a part of the pro-

gress of a sector that was the greatest contrib-

utor to the country’s gross domestic product.

“Kumba is currently building 60 mine

management houses with our Blue Barley

Travertine and Roan Travertine face bricks.

A contract for the construction of a further

479 50 m2 houses has been awarded to

Steffanuti Stocks,” he says.

In addition, production at the new Kolomela

mine in Postmasburg came on stream in May

2012 and is expected to add additional pro-

duction of 13 Mtpa.

Mine housing in the Northern CapeSouth Africa has the largest known deposits of manganese ore in the world and is the largest producer of iron ore on the continent, making mining operations in the arid Northern Cape critical to the national economy and the largest employers in the region.

“This Kolomela mine expansion saw Corobrik

delivering some two million Corngold Satins for

the building of 400 staff houses. This project

has been divided into three projects, namely

Postdene, Air field and Boichoko,” he adds.

Westwood also explains that one of the most

critical housing projects in the Northern Cape

– and one of the greatest challenges faced by

the mining industry as a whole – was the reset-

tlement of residents to facilitate the expansion

of a mine.

“Plans are currently being finalised to relo-

cate the entire town of Dingleton, situated

12 km south-west of Kathu, to allow fur-

ther expansion at the Sishen mine. This

will require the building of more than 500

houses, as well as schools, police stations

and commercial properties.”

“The recent fall in manganese prices has

forced them to delay their capital projects in

Black Rock and Hotazel. However, we believe

these – 200 mine houses, a gym, a new guest

house and accommodation for 40 students

– are expected to go ahead towards the mid-

dle of 2013. In Postmasburg, construction of

some 700 new houses is currently under way.

In Kuruman, 800 houses will be built. The first

phase, which comprises 89 units, commenced

in January 2013 . A combination of Nevada

Traver tine, Nebraska Traver tine, Corngold

Satin and Opal Satins has been specified by

Assmang for these projects.”

“In Kathu, there are plans to build 700

houses. Group 5 has already started con-

struction of 300 houses using our Sapphire

Satin, Nevada Travertine, Montana Travertine,

Nebraska Travertine and Opal Satin. VHB

Developments is also busy with 60 houses

which are being built with Sapphire Satin

and Corngold Satin. Approximately 200 have

already been completed and there are plans

to extend the total number of houses to

about 1 000.”

BRICK SUPPLY

ABOVE Corobrik Blue Barley Travertine bricks have been used in the mine houses built for staff working at Anglo American’s Kumba Iron Ore mine in Kathu

BELOW Corobrik Corngold face brick has been used in the 400 houses built for staff at Kolomela mine near Postmasburg. Two million Corngold satin bricks were used in this project

HOUSING


THE LIVIERO/MAGODA joint venture’s (JV’s) contract forms

part of a major human settlement project being undertaken

in Lephalale, as the area gears up for the development set to

unfold around the new Medupi Power Station. Liviero's CEO, Neil

Cloete, elaborates: “Lephalale Local Municipality is situated in Waterberg

District Municipality and is the largest in the Limpopo province, but with

a small population and low settlement densities. It consists of just one

formal town, which is Lephalale, along with 38 rural villages and a number

of small settlements. The area is characterised by game, cattle, vegetable

farming and tourism as the major economic activities, but future develop-

ment will see a major expansion in coal mining,” he says.

“It is also anticipated that the coal-fired Medupi Power Station will lead

to the expansion of industrial activity, as well as substantial population

growth. Water and sanitation services therefore need to be expanded

and upgraded. In addition, the development of 30 000 new housing units

is planned.”

The Liviero/Magoda JV’s contract includes the design and construction

of 17 km of bulk water line, 8 km of bulk sewer line, two pump stations

with associated infrastructure and three 4.5 Mℓ reservoirs. All of these

will supply the Lephalale Municipality, Cloete explains. Environmental con-

siderations will take high priority during construction, since the Lephalale

district is an ecologically sensitive area.

Lephalale housing project launched

HUMAN SETTLEMENTS

A R234 million bulk services contract, which is being undertaken by Liviero in joint venture with Magoda Construction, kicked off with a sod turning ceremony attended by Human Settlements Minister, Tokyo Sexwale.

ABOVE The Human Settlements minister, Tokyo Sexwale, turns the first sod at Lephalale

ROADS AND STORMWATER

THE INTEGRATED Transport Master

Plan is aimed at delivering a world-

class, sustainable transport system

that supports Gauteng province’s eco-

nomic, social, cultural and environmental goals

for the next 25 years.

GIBB transportation technical executive,

Kollan Pillay says that GIBB’s involvement

in the project illustrates the company’s abil-

ity and willingness to contribute to the growth

and sustainability of transport infrastructure

and efficient service in the province. Gauteng

must emerge as a globally competitive region,

and the potential energy challenges, technol-

ogy advances, and population and economic

growth scenarios over the next 25 years,

motivated the province to develop a transport

master plan.

The Integrated Transport

Master Plan is intended to

prioritise an integrated

transportation system, including road- and

rail-based public transport, and associated

non-motorised transport. The final report will

be available in July 2013.

Committing to transport over 25 yearsConsulting engineers GIBB is one of the member companies in the 2 037

consortium for the implementation of Gauteng’s 25-year Integrated Transport

Master Plan, spearheaded by the Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport.

The Integrated Transport Master Plan is intended to prioritise an integrated transportation system

INTEGRATED TRANSPORT

Bridging the gap in road upgradeInnovative concrete coring, sawing and scanning expert QA Coring has become the

first company in South Africa to successfully drill through three concrete bridges with

pinpoint accuracy.

THE FIVE-WEEK project was completed

by QA Coring in August 2011 and

involved the drilling of 560 holes –

each measuring 32 mm in diameter

and 2 m in depth – into the bridges along the

Rietfontein Interchange where the R21 and

N12 freeways cross.

QA Coring's MD, Henry Dippenaar, believes

that the company was able to complete the

project on time and within budget by making

use of custom-designed core barrels supplied

by Diamond Products.

BELOW Three drilling machines running 2.4 m long, 41 mm diameter barrels



PROVIDING QUALITY DRINKING

water is a critical aspect for every

municipality, and this month Simon

Foulds facilitates a panel discussion

among various companies that are key players

in ensuring quality drinking water is produced

in South Africa. We look at the importance of

providing water and sanitation infrastructure,

as well as the importance of the correct

pipes, pumps and valves within the water and

wastewater sectors. We also take a look at the

ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis processes

in the treatment of water and also speak to key

companies involved in wastewater treatment,

management and reticulation process. How are

these vital components being utilised in their

appropriate applications? What technology is

being used? What products enhance waste-

water and water treatment, water delivery and

reticulation sectors?

Several water catchments are recognised in

South Africa as the country’s ‘water factories’,

yet we still lack efficient water supply and

proper sanitation services in both urban and

rural areas – we also look at how this area is

being addressed.

It is important for municipalities to utilise the

best equipment and processes ensuring the

quality of drinking water is always at an opti-

mum. This panel discussion provides municipal

engineers involved in wastewater management

with options at their disposal in ensuring waste-

water is treated effectively.

URBAN AND RURAL WATER AND WASTEWATER DISTRIBUTION

by Simon Foulds

Waste and wastewater quality management

PANEL DISCUSSION • Intro

Since its foundation in 1997, SHOSALOWE INV has specialised in the design, manufacture and supply of equipment for water treatment industry. With about 60 employees, the company has a modern factory in Pretoria with a total area of 25 000 m². About 11 000 m² of this is used for production and stores, while 1200 m² is used fSHOSALOWE INV is sensitive to the needs of the continuously evolving market, and for this reason is con-stantly engaged in the study, research and development, of new equipment and applications, with particular attention to suitability for the South Africa market. Thanks to the use of the most modern technologies and software, the company can swi velop new products.A sound organised stock allows instant response and prompt delivery to the highest quality standards.

A well organised equipment support team allows SHOSALOWE INV to react to any equipment problems within the shortest time.

The site repairs, maintenance and installation work are performed by WAMECHSI.

CFD Analysis

What do we offer:Shosalowe/Wamechsi offers a comprehensive range of mechanical equip-ment for the use in Sewage treatment plants as well as some industrial applications, as listed below:

All inlet works equipment Screw pumps Waste bin trailers and waste skips Mechanical screens Screw conveyors and Screw press Hydro conveyors and Wash screw press Full range of de-gritting equipment Digester CFD analysis and mechanical mixers Surface Aerators Belt press equipment Mobile and containerised Belt press units Remote controlled dredgers

Mobile dewatering plant in operation

International partnerships

Teknofanghi Vandezande Biolak

Sewage Treatmentand Sludge Handling

e Treatmente TreatmentTT t tTShosalowe

5off Monobelt Belt press installation

Start-up before dredging

Mixing in Digester VesselsContact Jurie Niemand: [email protected] 302 9703 | +27 12 808 0682

www.shosa.co.za

co.za

TeknofanghiekSave the nature with


Jurie Niemand | Managing Director | SHOSALOWE

URRBANN AND RUURRAL WATERR ANND WASTEWATERR DISSTRIBUTIONN

PANEL DISCUSSION

What products and ser-vices do you offer that enhance the wastewater and water treatment and management sectors? JN

Municipal wastewater treatment

plants require a large variety of

mechanical equipment in all the

different parts of the process.

We manufacture a large range

of customised machines in

our own mechanical engineer-

ing workshop. The inlet of a

treatment plant consists of

mechanical screens, washers

and screw presses to wash and

compact the removed screenings.

Elevating the water is commonly

done with screw pumps. We also

manufacture surface aerators for

the biological process and the

mechanical equipment for the

clarifiers. Biological processes

produce excess sludge, which

can be further treated by digest-

ers where equipment is also

required. Finally, the sludge

needs to be removed by dewater-

ing machines. Thickening and

dewatering of the sludge is a very

special field and a process on its

own. We have extensive experi-

ence in head of works equipment

and sludge dewatering, and we

also supply turnkey installations.

Besides supplying all the afore-

mentioned machines, we also

supply consulting services and

after-sales service.

What projects have you recently supplied your expertise and products to? We have supplied equipment

to numerous wastewater treat-

ment plants in South Africa and

other countries, either directly

or indirectly as a subcontrac-

tor. At the Rooiwal wastewater

treatment plant outside Pretoria,

we erected an emergency sludge

dewatering plant, consisting of

five belt presses, in a very short

time. Some other projects are:

the Delmas sludge dewatering;

upgrading of the Baviaanspoort

Wastewater Treatment Works

(WWTW); upgrading of the Parys

WWTW – screw pumps and di-

gester mixers; the design and in-

stallation of a 10 Mℓ/d BNR plant

at the Ekangala WWTW; supply

and delivery of screw pumps for

Rooiwal WWTW; and the supply

and delivery of digester mixers;

PST equipment and belt press for

Rustenburg WWTW.

Several critical water catchments are recog-nised in South Africa as the country’s ‘water factories’, yet we still lack efficient water sup-ply and proper sanitation services in both urban and rural areas – how can your company help address this? Both drinking

water and wastewater are part of

the same water cycle. Waste-

water eventually ends up in the

ground or in catchment areas via

rivers from which drinking water

is reclaimed. For this reason, the

treatment of wastewater needs

very special attention. Cutting

back the treatment of wastewater

finally results in higher costs to

produce potable water. As the

water demand in South Africa is

constantly increasing some areas

are experiencing shortages and

will eventually need to produce

drinking water from the treated

wastewater. We have suitable

technology that is available that

has not yet been applied in South

Africa. In general Shosalowe is

expanding to new technologies to

cope with these challenges.

What divisions within the water and wastewater sectors are you most prevalent in? Municipal and

industrial waste-water treat-

ment plants.

What do you think the significant challenges are to the water and wastewater sectors? Since

the general water situation is

deteriorating every day, the big-

gest challenge is to upgrade and

build plants in a very short time.

Decision-makers should prioritise

funding and rapid construction for

more sustainability.

Please highlight three recent projects you have been involved with, out-lining what you supplied and how it was used?A. Rooiwal WWTW – Emergency

Sludge Dewatering plant,

where we supplied, delivered,

installed and commissioned

five belt presses

B. Bultfontein WWTW – we

supplied, delivered, in-

stalled and commissioned

a complete 6M ℓ/d BNR at

the Bultfontein WWTW

C. Baviaanspoort WWTW

– we supplied and

delivered the mechanical

equipment for the new

20 Mℓ/d upgrade of the

Baviaanspoort WWTW.

How does your equip-ment or products fair in terms of purchase price, efficiency, maintenance and war-ranty? Since we develop

and produce most of the

machines, we are very com-

petitive. Our workshop has

Shosalowe is an engineering company that specialises in the design

and manufacturing of mechanical equipment for the wastewater treat-

ment industry. Although it is able to provide equipment for an entire

sewage plant, the company specialises mainly inlet works screens and

sludge handling by means of mechanical equipment such as belt press

equipment. The two areas, i.e. screening, and sludge handling and

dewatering, are the ones where waste is produced.

Shosalowe also has small and superlarge dredging systems. The dredg-

ing systems can be supplied as manual or fully automatic and can

dredge any size dam, pond or sludge lagoon.

extended the scope of machines

so that we can do most of the

work in-house. In this way we are

less dependant on subcontractors

and this improves our internal

management and quality. We also

export some of our equipment

and this ensures that we stay

on top with regards to efficiency,

maintenance and warranty.

Since we work with machines

in a difficult environment, after-

sales service is crucial for good

operations. We are well-known for

our service and can even do refur-

bishments on other machines in a

very short time. We have little red

tape and are flexible.

BELOW Design, manufacturing and installation of screw pumps


Herman Smit | Managing Director | QUALITY FILTRATION SYSTEMS

What divisions within the water and wastewater sectors are you most prevalent in? HS Potable

water, municipal wastewater and

industrial wastewater, especially

for reuse.

Where and how are your products used within the water and wastewater sectors? To convert municipal

wastewater

for reuse to

drinking water

standards, we

make use of

ultrafiltration

and reverse

osmosis. For

industrial wastewater reuse,

we make use of clarification,

microfiltration, ultrafiltration and

reverse osmosis.

For the desalination of brackish

water, converting it to drinking

water standards, we use ultra-

filtration and reverse osmosis.

Then for the colour removal from

source water to drinking water, we

use clarification and ultrafiltration.

How does your company contribute to these sec-tors? The new technology we

have introduced will improve both

the life cycle costing and final

water quality. We take care in the

correct implementation of mem-

brane equipment along with the

applicable training for engineers

and operators not familiar with

the technology.

What do you think the significant challenges are to the water and waste-water sectors? Challenges

related to membrane plant installa-

tions are mostly related to reverse

osmosis membrane fouling. We

focus our efforts into pretreatment

before the reverse osmosis mem-

branes to minimise and prevent

fouling. Biological fouling is one of

the major challenges in the opera-

tion of desalina-

tion systems

and we have

reduced this by

using the correct

ultrafiltration

membrane,

selection and

design as prefiltration technology.

Please outline any unique technologies used in your product or service. Through

our collaboration with Siemens

WT, we have technologies avail-

able that are internationally rec-

ognised and able to meet most of

the water treatment challenges.

Please highlight three recent projects you have been involved with outlin-ing what you supplied and how it was used. • Steel Mill effluent: Water was

fed to the plant through a high

rate clarifier, which acts as a

high turbidity protection step,

utilising two ultrafiltration skids

and three two-stage reverse

osmosis skids.

• Brackish water: Through a

water treatment plant, blended

water from two borehole sourc-

es underwent iron oxidation by

aeration through ultrafiltration,

followed by a two-stage brackish

water reverse osmosis and a

partial blending of reverse os-

mosis permeate with ultrafiltra-

tion filtrate.

• Municipal wastewater: Through

a direct reclamation plant we

used ultrafiltration and a two-

staged reverse osmosis. The

RO permeate are treated by

ultraviolet light and hydrogen

peroxide as an advanced oxida-

tion step.


RIGHT Memcor UF skid for 6 Mℓ/dBELOW Memcor UF skid for 2 Mℓ/d

PANEL DISCUSSION

Quality Filtration Systems specialises in membrane tech-

nology, and is the representative for Siemens Water Technologies

Memcor in South Africa. The company has been manufacturing

membrane, based plants since 1999 after obtaining the Siemens

Memcor agency for the industrial sector in South Africa. Since

2006, the company has been representing Siemens Memcor in both

the industrial as well as municipal markets. Quality Filtration Sys-

tems has the capability to design, manufacture, install, commission

and maintain membrane plants and general water treatment equip-

ment in South Africa.

The new technology will improve both the life cycle costing and fi nal water quality

Phone +27 21 880 0388

Fax +27 21 880 0389

Email [email protected] www.gls.co.za

OUR CLIENTS

Johannesburg Water City of Tshwane City of Cape Town Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality Buff alo City Emfuleni Municipality All the

municipalities in the Western Cape Province Randfontein LM Midvaal LM

Lesedi LM Renosterberg LM Ubuntu LM Emthanjeni LM Siya Themba LM

“Leaders in providing solutions related to the optimal planning and management of water and

sewer reticulation systems”


URRBANN AND RURRAL WATERR ANDD WASTEEWATER DISTTRIBUTIONErik Loubser | Director | GLS CONSULTING

What services do you offer that enhance the wastewater and water treatment, water delivery and water reticulation sec-tors? EL Our core business is

the computer modelling and mas-

ter planning of water distribution

and sewer reticulation systems,

using (mostly) our own in-house

software. The data in the hydraulic

models is extended to represent

a (near) complete information

system on the infrastructure,

which is then also integrated with

other systems/data such as bill-

ing and bulk metering (for water

demand management purposes),

maintenance and management (for

pipe replacement prioritisation),

asset registers, SCADA, and data-

logging websites. We are not water

treatment experts and therefore

do not propose

or analyse processes on treatment

plants. We do, however, report on

the required plant capacities in the

context of the master planning.

What projects have you recently supplied your ex-pertise to? Our modelling and

planning processes culminate in

a GIS-based information system

(IMQS), which our clients use to

access all their data. The informa-

tion has to be continuously updat-

ed and for this purpose we enter

into a “bureau” type contract with

most of our clients. Most of our

projects (after the implementation

phase) therefore become an ongo-

ing service rendered to the client.

Our main clients are four of the

metros in South Africa, namely

Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni, Tsh-

wane and Cape Town. But we also

service many (±50) medium to

small municipalities in the same

way, e.g. George and Mbombela.

Several critical water catchments are recog-nised in South Africa as the country’s ‘water factories’, yet we still lack efficient water supply and proper sanitation services in both urban and rural areas. How can your com-pany help address this? The planning and allocation of

water resources are the domain of

the Department of Water Affairs

and its consultants. Our planning

processes determine very accu-

rate water demand projections and

return flows from sewer systems,

which are inputs into the water

resource planning studies. The

water and sewer master plans

and other information that we

maintain allow our clients to iden-

tify spare capacities and deficien-

cies in their systems and ensure

efficient capital expenditure on

required infrastructure.

What are some of your most recent project suc-cesses? Our main success

lies in the fact that we retain all

our clients through uncompromis-

ing professional service! As a

specific item, the recent exten-

sion of our services to include a

new unique algorithm to prioritise

the replacement of pipes can be

mentioned. We have already suc-

cessfully applied this algorithm

in Tshwane and Ekurhuleni, and

are currently busy with a similar

project for the largest water utility

in the Netherlands.

skills in the water and wastewater

sectors. The challenge would

be to redress this situation by

depoliticising the appointments of

technical staff. Together with this,

the procurement processes have

also been centralised and taken

out of the hands of the technical

departments. This often leads to

critical delays and the appointment

of unsuitable consultants and

product suppliers. Skilled technical

staff, professional consultants

and suppliers of quality products

are required to efficiently plan,

manage and operate our water and

sanitation systems.

GLS Consulting is a consulting engineering firm specialising in the analysis and master planning of water and sewer reticulation systems as well as all aspects of water demand analysis. The main area of work for GLS is providing consulting services related to the establish-ing and implementation of management information systems for the supply of water and sewer services by local authorities.

What divisions within the water and wastewater sectors are you most prevalent in? The planning

sectors within municipalities

usually commission our work, but

the information is widely used in

a vertical and horizontal sense

within the organisations. The

information is available from the

municipal manager down to the

plumbers, and from head office

through all the sectors (bulk, retic-

ulation, operations, water demand

management, asset management,

and finance) to the remote depot

locations of the municipality.

What do you think the significant challenges are to the water and wastewater sectors? As

documented by Allyson Lawless

in her Numbers and Needs SAICE

publication, we have witnessed

the dire shortage of professional

PANEL DISCUSSION

TOP Integration of pipe and billing info in one system

BOTTOM Pipe replacement prioritisation by township

MANUFACTURERS & SUPPLIERS OF PIPE FITTINGS SINCE 1984

Cascade has a full range of Couplings and Flange Adaptors from 50mm to 800mm.

Larger sizes up to DN 1600mm and higher pressures up to PN40 are available on request

Tel: +27 (11) 824 3943Fax: +27 (11) 827 0556Email: [email protected]: www.cascade.co.za


URRBANN AND RUURRAL WATERR ANND WASTEWATERR DISSTRIBUTIONNGeorge Peters | CEO | CASCADE GROUP

What is your core busi-ness function? GP We

manufacture stainless steel pipe

repair clamps, socketed and

flanged off-take clamps, a wide

range of couplings and flanged

adapters along with related

products for the convenience of

our customers.

What divisions within the water and wastewater sectors are you most prevalent in? Our business

was developed to service a gener-

al need for the easy maintenance

of the water supply infrastructure.

Accordingly, we work closely with

both the water and sewer mainte-

nance divisions.

Where and how are your products used within the water and wastewater sectors? They are extensively

used by municipal plumbers to

repair burst or leaking pipes,

eliminating the need for expen-

sive and time-consuming pipe

replacement. Our saddles and

flanged off-take clamps allow for

“hot tapping” to be undertaken

(tapping off while the line is still

under pressure).

How does your company contribute to these sec-tors? Since we supply

prod-

ucts that

are used in

emergencies, we carry substan-

tial stocks. This enables us to

offer a “same-day” service to

our customers, which eliminates

costly downtime. Our products

can generally be fitted without

having to switch off the mains,

which, besides the time saving,

eliminates the damages caused

when the water mains are

switched on again.

What do you think the significant challenges are to the water and wastewater sectors? The

lack of maintenance to existing

pipelines and sewerage works, or

the development of new facilities

will put pressure on the potable

water resources of our country.

Please outline any unique technologies used in your products or service. Our stainless steel

pipe repair clamps provide a

quick, easy and permanent repair

solution for problem pipes, elimi-

nating the need for costly pipe

replacement. They are a simple

to use product and do not require

any special expertise.

They are designed to be fitted

while the line is still under pres-

sure, which:

• avoids the situation where

homeowners and businesses

have no water while the repair

takes place

• saves time and also eliminates

the damages that are caused

when the water mains are

switched on again.

What makes your products advantageous for specification? As an

ISO 9001 certified company,

Cascade continually strives

to improve the quality of our

products and achieve total cus-

tomer satisfaction.

Our products meet SANS 1808-

45, and are approved by the

JASWIC committee for supply to

all municipalities in South Africa.

For our Australian customers,

products for use in the Australian

market meet Australian Standard

AS 4181 and are approved by

Cascade has been distributing stainless steel pipe repair clamps and related fittings since 1984, with full manufacturing capability being introduced in 1986. We understood immediately that the supply of high-quality products alone would not provide complete customer satisfaction. It needed to be coupled with a first-rate service to accommodate the emergency nature of customers’ requirements. Our success has been the result of addressing these key customer requirements and we have built up and maintained an enviable reputation in the market place since then.

PANEL DISCUSSION

Water Services Australia for use

by all municipalities throughout

Australia and New Zealand.

Please highlight three recent projects you have been involved with, out-lining what you supplied and how it was used. Our

products are not project based,

but we are suppliers in good

standing to all the major munici-

palities in South Africa.


Amanz’ abantu Services commits itself to providing sustainable water and sanitation services to developing communities in partnership with government, along with the development of human settlements for rural and developing communities.


What are your greatest project successes? OI Amanz’ abantu Services was

initially established in 1997 to act

as the Programme Implementation

Agent on behalf of the Department

of Water Affairs to implement its

rural water supply and sanitation

programme in the Eastern Cape

province. This programme, often

referred to as the “Build, operate,

Train and Transfer Programme”

(BoTT), required our consortium of

consulting engineers, contractors,

operators, and institutional and

social development consultants to

team up to undertake the full proj-

ect development cycle from plan-

ning, design and building the in-

frastructure through to operating,

training and transferring working

projects to the municipal authori-

ties. The programme successfully

provided water supply infrastruc-

ture for more than 1.5 million

people living in rural communities

across the Eastern Cape.

What water and sanita-tion infrastructure and services do Amanz’ abantu Services supply

to local com-munities? Since

2004, following the

completion of the BoTT

Programme*, Amanz’

abantu has undertaken

a range of projects and

programmes associated

with water and sanitation

infrastructure including:

• rural household sanita-

tion, which involves planning

and the provision of ventilated

pit latrines (VIPs) along with the

associated health and hygiene

education for the beneficiaries

• construction of basic water sup-

ply schemes

• refurbishment, operation and

maintenance of water sup-

ply schemes

• audits of existing water services

infrastructure

ABOVE Amanz’ abantu is a key member of the Zana Manzi Joint Venture, which is currently undertaking the construction of the Mndwaka Dam for the Amathole District Municipality

Oliver Ive | MD | AMANZ’ ABANTU SERVICES

• installation of ablution facilities

for rural schools and clinics

• construction of boreholes, weirs

and dams for raw water abstrac-

tion and storage.

What is your role in government’s commu-nity water and sanitation programme? Amanz’ abantu

Services is a private company,

and we contract with all spheres

of government. The company

tenders for work in terms of the

public procurement processes,

and our role includes the mobilisa-

tion of private sector expertise

and the procurement and direction

of the resources required for

successful implementation of the

government’s water and sanita-

tion programmes.

What skills development programmes do you offer? Government’s policy, in

its roll out of infrastructure and

service delivery, is to provide a

number of associated outcomes

including skills development, em-

ployment, job creation and black

economic empowerment.

Amanz’ abantu seeks to act

as a development partner to our

government clients by supporting

these objectives. We follow labour

intensive approaches to construc-

tion wherever possible, and over

the past few years we have been

piloting a water services franchis-

ing programme whereby small

locally based service providers

are established, trained and

supported to provide operation

and maintenance services for

community water supply and

sanitation infrastructure.

Where do you operate? Amanz’ abantu Services is

based in the Eastern Cape

where the majority of our work

is undertaken.

*The BoTT approach was an

innovative way of implementing

projects through a partnership

between the Department of Water

Affairs (DWA) and private sec-

tor consortia or groups, called

Programme Implementing Agents

(PIA), with the involvement of the

local community and local authori-

ties. The main objective is to

combine the skills and resources

of the private sector with the vision

and financial strength of the public

sector, in this case DWA.

The BoTT programme successfully provided water supply infrastructure benefi tting more than 1.5 million people in the Eastern Cape

PANEL DISCUSSION


THIS IS ACCORDING to Adéle de

Lange, human settlements technical

marketing advisor at the Cement &

Concrete Institute (C&CI). “It is com-

mon knowledge that concrete masonry is the

building material of choice in the subsidised

housing market. Yet, the exciting range of

innovative variations that has been developed

around the conventional block design aimed at

improving, among other aspects, the thermal

performance, speed and quality of construction

and water resistance of the masonry units, is

less known. The potential for these innovations

to revolutionise the concrete masonry industry

in South Africa has not yet been fully explored,”

she explains.

“When it comes to alternative building tech-

nologies (ABTs), there is literally no limit to the

creative opportunities that concrete presents.

These concrete solutions aim to provide supe-

rior quality and increased speed of construction

through factory-controlled precision

or unskilled labour-intensive pro-

cesses. Precast, cast in-situ or

tilt-up concrete panels dominate

the ABT market, often incor-

porating the reuse of industry

by-products to reduce the use of

limited resources and improve

the durability of the concrete

system. The systems are also

frequently designed to achieve superior thermal

resistance compared to conventional building

systems through the effective combination of

high-insulation products with the inherent ther-

mal mass of concrete. This

can ultimately contribute to

the most optimal energy-

and cost-saving results over

the lifespan of a building.

“However, due to the vast

number of ABTs on the mar-

ket, it can be a challenging

task to choose the most appropriate sys-

tem. Apart from the cost considerations, C&CI

advises specifiers and potential homeowners to

ensure that the system complies with the neces-

sary SANS regulations or, alternatively, holds a

valid Agremènt SA certificate. They should also

request a visit to a completed project where

the system was used, firstly as a validation of

the end product that is promised and, secondly,

to serve as a benchmark for the quality that

PRODUCTS & SERVICES

Alternative concrete solutions rise to housing challenge

CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY

Most of the increasing number of alternative building technologies on offer to help reduce the increasing backlog of housing in South Africa are essentially concrete systems.

can be expected. Finally, when local unskilled

labour is incorporated, they should ensure that

proper training and skills transfer takes place

and that adequate site supervision and techni-

cal support are provided

on-site during the entire

construction process.

“ABT or conventional

concrete can provide a

building material solution

to address the challenges

that face the South African

housing backlog. But it remains essential to

bear in mind that, while increased speed of

construction through ABT solutions will certainly

contribute towards diminishing the housing

backlog, building technology cannot solely pro-

vide a solution to this. The availability of suit-

able land, affordable finance and the provision

of infrastructure services constitute the greater

issues that contribute first and foremost to the

backlog and these issues need to be resolved

before a reduction in the actual construc-

tion period through advanced building technol-

ogy will be able to contribute significantly to

increased housing delivery. The significant role

of the construction industry in the job creation

process can also not be ignored and it is there-

fore important to evaluate the contribution of

ABTs towards the socio-economic development

of South Africa,” De Lange adds.

TOP Concrete dominates most alternative building technologies

LEFT Adéle de Lange, human settlements technical marketing

advisor at C&CI, says the potential for these ABTs to

revolutionise the concrete masonry industry in South Africa has not yet been fully explored

“There is literally no limit to the creative opportunities that concrete presents”


Tens of thousands of solutions providedThe Cement and Concrete Institute’s advisory role in the field of concrete technology has been highlighted again in statistics supplied at its annual general meeting.

BRYAN PERRIE, MD of the Cement

and Concrete Institute (C&CI), told

the AGM that the institute had han-

dled over 68 000 telephonic queries

about cement and concrete matters during

the last financial year. This total excluded cell

phone inquiries.

“The C&CI furthermore provided technical

input for 47 consulting projects focused on

concrete during the past year,” added Perrie,

who chairs the SABS committee on cement,

concrete and concrete products.

“The institute also participated in the revision

of the national cement and concrete related

standards; managed proficiency schemes,

including the audit of 16 concrete technol-

ogy laboratories; and maintained contact

with the National Regulator for Compulsory

Specifications regarding the quality of imported

cement reaching South Africa.”

Regarding training by the C&CI School of

Concrete Technology (SCT), Perrie reported that

91% of the students, who had attended the

32 SCT courses in the 2011/12 financial year,

had expressed satisfaction with all aspects of

the training provided. A pass rate of 76% was

achieved by the 1 225 students who attended

the courses over 3 057 student days.

ABOVE Bryan Perrie, MD of C&CI, reports that the C&CI handled over 68 000 telephonic queries about cement and concrete matters during the last financial year

PRODUCTS & SERVICES

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KLS CONSULTING ENGINEERS, with Martin & East as

the civil subcontractor to Stefanutti Stocks, approached

Decorton and Terrafirma to help with the construction of a

few level platforms.

Karien Visser, engineer with KLS Consulting Engineers, says:

“Due to the slope of the ground and the size of the platforms,

natural cut/fill slopes were not possible. The objective was to

allow Shoprite Checkers Properties maximum space to enlarge the

existing Freshmark distribution warehouse and build a new flow

through facility.”

Both retaining wall contractors proposed the Terraforce Retaining

System, a cost-effective earth retaining product that combines more

advantages than other systems available.

Paul Kennedy of Terrafirma says: “The block is relatively lightweight

for transport, interlocks on a horizontal as well as vertical level, is

reversible to display a smooth round face, smooth straight face or

split straight face appearance, is fully plant supportive with an open

horizontal surface structure, and has a closed vertical surface struc-

ture to prevent progressive erosion of compacted backfill.

“In addition, the wall inclination and curvature can be adapted at

will to suit site conditions, and blocks can be filled with soil, gravel or

concrete as required by the design engineer.”

When asked why KLS chose the Terraforce system, Visser affirmed

that it is a very well-known product, adding that the retaining wall

was a design and supply item, with Fred Laker, Terraforce associated

engineer, providing the design and Terraforce recommended contrac-

tors installing the walls.

Two months later, 14 400 blocks had been installed on-site, at an

angle of 65 degrees, placed on concrete foundations and secured

with geo-grid tie backs or concrete poured into blocks where needed.

Around the two high-lying boundaries of the property, an open storm-

water channel had to be installed, using erosion control blocks that

were reused from a previous, now redundant, installation. In addition,

it was essential to install subsoil drains in the back-fill of the walls at

foundation level with free-draining outlets at regular intervals.

To finish off the project and to soften the overall concrete feel, GBI

Landscape Consultants specified that the blocks be filled with topsoil

and planted.

Erwin Bartsch of GBI Landscape Consultants states: “Even at a

65 degrees slope, pockets in the Terraforce were able to be planted

allowing multiple rows of plants to cascade down, playing down the

strong vertical element with different textures and colours.”

RETAINING WALL CONSTRUCTION

Making room for retailThe professional team at retail centre construction project was faced with a challenging retaining wall design.

ABOVE A view of the completed retaining wall


INDEX TO ADVERTISERS

Amanz’ Abantu 70

Barloworld Equipment 57

Bigen Africa IFC

BVI Consulting 45

Cascade Group 68

Cement & Concrete Institute 73

Corobrik 16

Degrémont 35

Department of Water Affairs OFC

DPI Plastics 38

Echocem Pumps 43

ELB Equipment 42

Elster Kent Metering 20

Fiberpipe 37

Franklin Electric 11

GLS Consulting 66

GOBA 13 & 14

Hall Longmore 44

Incledon 46

JOAT Group 32

Kantey and Templer Consulting

Engineers 34

Krohne SA 59

Murray & Roberts Building Products 24

National Asphalt 27

NuWater 31

Quality Filtration Systems 64

SBS Water Systems 36

Shosalowe 62

SIKA 26

Stalcor 25

TCTA 40 & 41

Terraforce 75

Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies

South Africa 39

Videx Storage Tanks 22

Water Research Commission 30

Water & Sanitation Services OBC

Watertec Africa/Pumps Valves & Pipes

Africa 2013 61

WRP Consulting Engineers IBC

Xylem Water Solutions SA Bellyband

Kevin Wall wins esteemed awardIn the spirit of recognising talent and research at the CSIR, the coveted 2012 JD Roberts Award recently went to CSIR Built Environment’s Dr Kevin Wall.

THE AWARD WAS given in recog-

nition of Wall’s leading role in

developing innovative solutions for

alternative housing, infrastructure

asset management and the maintenance of

sanitation systems.

A registered professional engineer and town

planner, Wall’s lifelong career in urban and

regional engineering, and planning and city

management afforded him substantive experi-

ence in civil engineering and town planning

in low-income urban areas and forward plan-

ning for development at the metropolitan and

regional scale.

The recognition for his expertise included the

development of a franchising model for the rou-

tine maintenance of municipal infrastructure.

INDUSTRY NEWS

JD ROBERTS AWARDS 2012

ABOVE 2012 JD Roberts Award winner, Dr Kevin Wall (centre), at the award ceremony with Dr Conelius Ruiters, unit head of CSIR Built Environment (left) and Murray & Roberts CEO, Henry Laas (right)

Documents

Imiesa March 2013