IMIESA September 2011 Low Res

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IMESAProject management

MangaungRoad rehabilitation

The revitalisation and beautification of Durban’s inner city and beautification of Durban’s inner city pp7171

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

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IMESAProject management

MangaungRoad rehabilitation

The revitalisation and beautification of Durban’s inner city and beautification of Durban’s inner city pp7171

InsightA delicate resource

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I N N O V A T I V E T E C H N O L O G Y

VOLUME 36 NO 9 SEPTEMBERER 2011Contents

22RuralRural waterwater

75TrenchlessTrenchless technologytechnology

As a leader in several vehicle market seg-ments, and as a local manufacturer for 63 years, Mercedes-Benz continues to give the South African motoring public an array of world-class mobility options. It entices cus-tomers with its technologically advanced vehicles; innovative finance, insurance and fleet options; as well as its service and af-fordable parts supply solutions

8451WWTWWWTW

upgradeupgradeDammedDammed

countr ycountr y

Waste63 Concrete masonry from recycled material

Women in engineering65 Making a contribution to people’s lives66 The dynamic dynamos69 WiEBE Award winner70 Technically and socially aware

Beautification71 Revitalising Durban’s inner city

Trenchless technology75 Sliplining of trunk sewer

CAPSA 201181 Advancing sustainable practice

Insight84 South Africa, a dammed country

Education and training89 Caterpillar dealer instructors Partnering with municipalities

People and events90 No-Dig Live 201291 IPCC reviewer appointment

Appointment at ThuthukaAurecon appoints new manager

Products and services93 The sky is the limit95 Sewage in, water out96 Water treatment solution for remote

locations

IMESA12 Project and business management

examined

Industry news15 Authorities urged to upgrade road

network

Government perspective17 Assessment of governance

Industry perspective19 Striving for quality

Water and waste water22 Ways to support water service authorities

31 Meeting the demand for water

33 Expertise for growth in KZN

35 Rapid gravity filtration simplified

36 Preserving the integrity of rivers

38 A decade of achievement

41 Environmentally friendly filter press

43 Advanced training in demand

Blue and Green Drop45 A brief look at the 2011 achievements

46 Tlokwe profile

48 City of Cape Town profile

Bloemfontein51 Increased capacity for Sterkwater

WWTW

54 Service delivery excellence

56 Intermodal public transport

58 Upgrade of Mangaung sewage systems

Regulars3 Editor’s comment5 President’s comment

Cover story6 Mobility concepts showcased

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IMIESA in your inbox!PUBLISHER Elizabeth ShortenEDITOR Richard Jansen van VuurenCREATIVE CHIEF EXECUTIVE Frédérick DantonSENIOR DESIGNER Hayley Moore MendelowCHIEF SUB-EDITOR Cindy MaulgueSUB-EDITOR Danielle HugoCONTRIBUTORS Johan Basson, Nathi Mthethwa, Jan Venter, Khuthalile Mahlaba, Karen van der Merwe, Cobus Oosthuizen, Robyn Tomkins, Edna Molewa, Garth Flores, Candice Landie, Tony Stone, Adele de LangePRODUCTION MANAGER Antois-Leigh BotmaPRODUCTION COORDINATOR Jaqueline ModiseFINANCIAL MANAGER Andrew Lobban (ACIS, FCIBM)ADMINISTRATION Tonya HebentonDISTRIBUTION MANAGER Nomsa MasinaDISTRIBUTION COORDINATOR Asha PursothamSUBSCRIPTION SALES Nomsa MasinaPRINTERS 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: R440.00 (INCL VAT) ISSN 0257 1978 IMIESA, Inst.MUNIC. ENG. S. AFR.© Copyright 2011. 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 opportunityIn 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 on pages and maximum exposure. For more information on cover bookings contact Jenny Miller on tel: +27 (0)11 467 6223.

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R86 million regional road project complete by May 2012 regional road project complete by May 2012 pp4242

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COLAS


The road forward

EDITOR'S COMMENT

IMIESA has been distributing a weekly newsletter for several weeks and the response from readers has been very positive. A digital weekly newsletter

allows us to keep you more informed and provides an avenue for a more personal-ised reader experience. If you would like to receive the newsletter, please e-mail me your contact details and you will be included on the mailing list – which I am proud to say is nearing 7 000 readers. Sections included in the editorial content are news and industry event listings.

On 26 August, the University of Johannesburg and Group Five hosted the Women in Engineering and the Built Environment (WiEBE) Awards. This was a national competi-tion celebrating women in engineering and technology to highlight and acknowledge the contribution women are making in engineer-ing and the built environment.

The competition included three categories:• Excellence at sector level for nominees

with a minimum of 15 years’ experience.• Excellence at company level for nominees

with a minimum of six years’ and a maxi-mum of 14 years’ experience.

• The most promising young woman engi-neer or built environment professional for graduate nominees with up to five years’ experience.

In this edition, IMIESA proudly profiles nomi-nees and winners from these awards in. A group of more committed and professional engineers and technologists will be hard to find gathered in one place!

IMIESA has also partnered with the Conference on Asphalt Pavements for Southern Africa (CAPSA) 2011. This confer-ence has been held for the past 42 years and is an established showcase for best practice in the construction, preservation, mainte-nance and management of asphalt pavement infrastructure. The conference, held from 11

to 14 September, will be conducted under the theme ‘Roads of the

future’: ‘Living within the carrying capacity of our planet’.

More than 60 reviewed papers will be pre-sented at the conference.

As this edition of IMIESA is a water-focussed one, we have made sure that there is plenty of informative and reliable information within our water and wastewater feature. We publish a paper titled ‘Designing an innovative way to support water service authorities’, in which the authors discuss municipalities that are resource poor in terms of human capacity.

In addition, Tony Stone has written an ‘Insight’ article on South Africa’s reliance on dams for its fresh water requirements. He highlights that, according to the World Commission on Dams Report, South Africa, with 539 major dams and approximately 4 000 dams in total, is the 11th most dammed country in the world. It is also the seventh in size in water supply dams and ninth in size in irrigation dams.

The article also poses a seemingly impos-sible scenario: a search on Google lists 3 180 000 articles about future wars between nations being fought over water. South Africa, one of the 30 most arid countries in the world, could well become a warmonger.


The Auditor-General’s recently released report on the local government audit outcomes for 2009/10 contains some depressing findings: only the

following seven municipalities received clean audits (with no adverse findings):• Mpumalanga: Ehlazini, Steve Tshwete and

Victor Khanye Municipalities• Gauteng: Metsweding District Municipality• Northern Cape: Frances Baard District

Municipality• Limpopo: Fetakgomo Local Municipality• Western Cape: City of Cape Town.Looking at our constitution again, it clearly calls upon us to promote service delivery and the financial well-being of our municipali-ties. Cities, in particular, are seen as crucial economic agents as, when they are financially healthy, they can become the catalysts for efficient delivery of services and employment, which in turn promote stability and general prosperity. When they are poorly managed, however, they induce general mistrust on the part of the public, which can and has mani-fested itself in service delivery protests.

A recent Institute for Democracy in South Africa (IDASA) survey, based on the views of persons in 21 municipalities, found that only a paltry one in ten citizens is satisfied with the quality of service delivery provided by his or her municipal council (it was four in ten in 2006). These findings are worrying in that it is stated that a local government crisis in South Africa is deepening and starting to become a systemic structural problem that seems likely to become more embedded in our system of local government for as long as the govern-ance issues raised in the survey persist. The

PRESIDENT'S COMMENT

outside the box and seek to understand what it is that we as engineers need to do to take our wonderful country to the next level.

Possible ways to assist service delivery were discussed at IMESA’s strategic planning meet-ing held in Johannesburg in January 2011. Vital to this was finding ways to improve supply chain management (SCM) and infrastructure management. For as long as processes and monitoring are focused purely on compliance, and not on practical ways to improve ser-vice delivery, we can expect service delivery protests to con-tinue.

Jannie Pietersen, president of IMESA

What are a municipality’s main functions?In my comment in the July issue, I said that we need to work together to find a proactive, innovative solution that could solve two major national problems, namely poor infrastructure asset management and large-scale unemployment. With this in mind, it is worth taking another look at our objectives in the IMESA constitution.

survey’s depressing inference is that local gov-ernment is widely considered by communities to have deteriorated in both service delivery and governance, which will inevitably lead to a continuation and intensification of social instability and protest.

Looking back to 2010, South Africans could proudly claim to have embarked on a journey to build what we believed were the best stadi-ums in the world in which we hosted, almost flawlessly, the world’s greatest sporting spec-tacle, the Olympics aside.

Every single person who contributed to these great projects made us very proud, and indeed the entire country felt a degree of involvement,

ownership even, in this massive achievement. While the time for celebration of that effort has now past, we need to retain the mindset which enabled the successes of 2010 and show through our words and deeds that we as a nation are truly capable of repeating that success. Obviously, there have been a lot of downs recently, but we will survive the current storms better than would otherwise have been the case, thanks to the lessons learnt during the World Cup.

Just as municipal engineers were essential to the World Cup effort, so they will be vital to the future well-being of South Africa, and I appeal to all municipal engineers to step

COMMENT

We need to retain the mindset which enabled the successes of 2010 and show that we are truly capable of repeating that success

6 - IMIESA SEPTEMBER 2011

COVER STORY

As a leader in several vehicle market segments, and as a local manu-facturer for 63 years, MBSA will continue to give the South African

motoring public an array of world-class mobil-ity options. It will entice visitors with its technologically advanced vehicles; innova-tive finance, insurance and fleet options; as well as its service and affordable parts supply solutions.

Following their claim of ‘inventor of the automobile’ 125 years ago, the company will demonstrate its commitment to vehicle perfor-mance, combined with cleaner technology that is kinder to the environment, whilst simultane-ously offering a wide motoring audience vehi-cles suited to each individual’s needs.

The company’s brand displays will be inte-grated into consolidated show stands for both passenger cars and commercial vehicles. The MBSA stands will again be the largest since the inception of the local forerunner exhibi-tion, Auto Africa, in 1998.

Latest mobility concepts from MBSA to be showcasedMercedes-Benz South Africa (MBSA) will have an exciting and dominant

presence at the Johannesburg International Motor Show in October, where it

will showcase high-performance state-of the-art trucks, vans and buses.

The finest cars of impeccable quality have been carefully selected to ensure that each model is offered to the public in a man-ner designed to demonstrate its remarkable attributes. The company plans to substantiate its leadership in keeping the ‘engines of the economy’ running on multiple commercial vehicle wheels, as well as in the private and public transport sectors.

To whet visitors’ appetite, here is a peek into what will be on display:

MBSA commercial vehicles exhibition in Hall 5: The MBSA commercial vehicles stable (inclu-sive of trucks, vans and buses) makes a truly bold statement at the Johannesburg Motor Show this year. In addition to the German engineering of the Mercedes-Benz models, the company also showcases the best of its class-leading American and Japanese marques. • The ever-popular FUSO from Japan will have

three models on display – a must-see is the

latest (and greenest) addition to the family, the Fuso Canter Eco Hybrid.

• Of American origin, the Freightliner Argosy range will show the serious visitor what the powerful Detroit Diesel engines can do for their business.

• Trucks can also be glamorous! Making a real splash at the entrance to the truck show at Hall 5 is a highly-polished, chrome-finished Western Star model.

• Leading the Mercedes-Benz commercial vehicle exhibition will be its flagship Actros range, represented by two models. The first is an Actros Euro 5 BlueTEC, demonstrating that ‘the new green is BLUE’. The second is the Actros Special Edition, which comes with a host of fuel efficiency measures and safety systems – making the world’s safest truck even safer.

• The new Axor 6x4 is tough and can endure the harshest of conditions. No terrain or operating conditions are too rugged for this vehicle – a solid truck that can endure the toughest of environments.

• Also at the stand is a firm favourite in South Africa – the UNIMOG. This iconic brand has a rich and powerful heritage, having recently celebrated its 60th anniversary.

• An ‘environmental angel’ in the form of a Mercedes-Benz Econic NGT (natural gas technology) will ‘visit’ the truck stand. This advanced, environmentally-friendly, low-floor transport vehicle is successfully used for municipal and short-radius distribution applications internationally, which explains why it dominates the inner-city mobility vehicle system sector in Europe and some South American markets.

MBSA vans exhibition in Hall 5: Mercedes-Benz vans consistently invest in products and technologies and therefore has

INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY FOCUSED ON RESPECTING THE ENVIRONMENT


COVER STORY

a very new product range on display:• Premiering at the Johannesburg Motor

Show is the award-winning; lithium-ion-bat-tery powered Mercedes-Benz Vito E-CELL. A world-first, a van with an electric-drive system, supplied ex-factory, which supports Daimler’s claim to clean technology leader-ship. This vehicle has made strong inroads into the transport and logistics sectors with its impressive strength and performance.

• Continuing the focus on ‘clean tech-nology’, the Viano FUN with the latest BlueEFFICIENCY technology feature – the ECO start/stop system has exemplary functionality, as well as offering spontane-ity. It has a highly flexible variable system for seven-passenger seating configurations.

• Sprinter displays its versatility in the shape of a mobile office. Standard safety fea-tures, such as the ADAPTIVE ESP (elec-tronic stability control), ensure sensitivity and precision in critical driving situations.

MBSA bus and coach exhibition in Hall 5: ‘Rea tsamaya – We are going!’ This is the mantra of the Mercedes-Benz bus and coach team who will exhibit the Multego semi-luxury coach, together with the OF1730 commuter bus, specifically designed to meet South Africa’s tough road conditions. These models play an integral part in providing world-class transport services in both the public and private sectors.

MBSA value-add solutions exhibited in Hall 5: • TruckStore offers customers used trucks in

three product classifications - gold, silver and bronze – all with a roadworthy certifi-cate, and allows them to find the right vehi-cle for their business quickly and simply, and matched with their purchasing ability.

• Predictable mobility is one of the most important factors for success in today’s competitive transport and logistics sector. CharterWay allows the customer to operate with fixed monthly costs for the duration of the lease contract. This makes it possible to truly optimise vehicle use.

• FleetBoard offers effective control and management of a company’s fleet. With rising fuel, vehicle and maintenance costs, and increased time pressures, fleet manag-ers need to operate their fleets in the most economical and efficient way possible.

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.

FleetBoard from Mercedes-Benz is a world-leading telematics system that offers cus-tomers a safe, reliable and economical service to cut costs and ease the fleet management function.

The Mercedes-Benz South Africa group offers a tailor-made solution to every customer, whether an individual driver or a fleet owner,

whether in need of appropriate finance and insurance options, fleet management or after-sales service and support.

As is evident from the above-mentioned, MBSA is the largest exhibitor at the 2011 Johannesburg International Motor Show with its the vast array of vehicles representing both commercial vehicles, vans and buses; the smallest smart car to executive passenger car, as well as finance, insurance and fleet management solutions.

Although constructed under the over-all Mercedes-Benz South Africa banner, each display, with its own particular ‘vis-ual hook’, clearly defines every marque’s distinctive attributes.

As exciting as the show will be for the enthusiast and the family, it will also provide an ideal opportunity to promote automotive

trade opportunities and a chance to engage in one-on-one networking and business-building opportunities with local companies.

The Johannesburg International Motor Show will be held from 6 to16 October 2011 at the MTN Johannesburg Expo Centre in Nasrec, Johannesburg. For more information on the Johannesburg

International Motor Show visit: www.jhbmotorshow.

co.za. For more information on Mercedes-Benz

South Africa visit: www.mercedes-benzsa.co.za.

The Mercedes-Benz South Africa group offers a tailor-made solution to every customer, whether an individual driver or a fl eet owner

ABS [email protected] [email protected] Broom [email protected] Arup SA [email protected] [email protected] Group Africa [email protected] Consulting Engineers [email protected] Stemele [email protected] Bosch Munitech [email protected] Consulting Engineers [email protected] Consulting Engineers [email protected] & Blasting Solutions [email protected] Manufacturers [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]

Johannesburg Water [email protected] Consulting [email protected] Base [email protected] Engineers [email protected] Water [email protected] Narasimulu & Associates [email protected] Consulting Engineers [email protected] Asphalt [email protected] Consulting [email protected] Engineering Systems [email protected] Construction [email protected] Africa [email protected] [email protected] Water Systems [email protected] Consulting [email protected] Lines Pipe Survery Services [email protected] Inc [email protected] Water Company [email protected] Consulting [email protected] [email protected] Syntell [email protected] Engineers East London [email protected] Consulting [email protected] Consulting [email protected] VKE [email protected] Group Africa [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Surfacing [email protected]

25 October 2011 – 08.30 to 17.00 OR Tambo Conference Centre, Birchwood Hotel, Gauteng

Cost per delegate: R500 (1 CPD point applies) Registration through the IMESA office

Enquiries: IMESA Conference Secretariat: Judy Stephens @ 031 2663263 or [email protected]

Registration closes 7 October 2011

NNaattiioonnaall MMuunniicciippaall WWaatteerr SSeerrvviicceess BBeenncchhmmaarrkkiinngg:: ffoorr mmuunniicciippaalliittiieess,, bbyymmuunniicciippaalliittiieess,, ttoo tthhee bbeenneeffiitt ooff mmuunniicciippaalliittiieess

How best can you improve your operational efficiencies? How can you adoptbest practice efficiency innovations by your peers?

Municipal Engineers, Officials, Councilors, Service Providers and other practitioners are invited to workshop your involvement in SALGA’s new National Municipal Water Services Benchmarking Initiative - improving efficiency and effectiveness through comparative process benchmarking,

peer-to-peer operational knowledge sharing, and iterative performance improvements

PRE-CONFERENCE WORKSHOP ON NATIONAL MUNICIPAL BENCHMARKING INITIATIVE FOR WATER SERVICES

Tuesday 25th October 201112h00 - 16h00 REGISTRATION

19H00 MAYORAL FUNCTION: THE SERENGETI AT BIRCHWOOD

Wednesday 26th October 201107h00 REGISTRATION AND REFRESHMENTS IN EXPO AREA

08h30 Master of Ceremonies: Mr Moses Maliba, Past President, IMESA

SESSION ONE: WELCOME AND KEY NOTE ADDRESSESSession Chairperson: Mr Jannie Pietersen

08h40 Welcome: Mr Jannie Pietersen - President, IMESA

08h55 Keynote Address: Councilor Kgosientsho Ramokgopa - Executive Mayor, Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality

09h20 Introduction to Hon. Trevor Manuel: (to be announced)

09h25 Keynote Address: Hon. Trevor Manuel, Minister in the South African Presidency, National Planning Commission. (invited)

09h50 REFRESHMENTS AND EXPO VISIT

SESSION TWO: WATER ENGINEERINGSession Chairperson: Mr Frank Stevens

10h30 Improving Municipal Water Services Provision through the National Benchmarking Initiative: Mr William Moraka - South African Local Government Association

11h00 Using Performance Measurement and Management Information to Improve Water Service Delivery - Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow: Ms Sizani Moshidi,- Department of Water Affairs, South Africa

11h30 Sustainability through integrated Decision-making in WDM: Mr Kobus Du Plessis - University Stellenbosch

12h00 Questions from the Floor

12h15 Keynote Address “The Long White Night”: Mr Alex Harris

13h05 Lunch Sponsor’s Address

13h10 LUNCH IN EXPO AREA AND EXPO VISITS

SESSION THREE: SANITATIONSession Chairperson: Mr Ashley Pillay

14h00 Sustainable Low-cost Sanitation: Past, Present and Future: Dr Johan van der Walt & Max Pawandiwa - Ugu District Municipality

14h30 Innovative Procurement in a Municipal Environment to Achieve Elimination of Sanitation Backlogs: Mr Peter Allen - Peter Allen Inc. Professional Engineers.

15h00 Beaufort West: First Direct Water Reclamation (Toilet to Tap) Plant in South Africa: Mr Pierre Marais - Water and Waste Water Engineering. Risk Assessment and Risk Management for Beaufort West Water Reclamation: Mr Chris Swartz - Chris Swartz Water Utilization Engineers.


15h45 REFRESHEMENTS IN EXPO AREA

SESSION FOUR: ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERINGSession Chairperson: Mr Danie Nothnagel

16h10 An Integrated Solution to Solid Waste Handling and Service Delivery in Rustenburg: Mr Darryl van der Merwe - BKS (Pty) Ltd

16h35 Determination of Additional Resources to Manage Pollution in Stormwater and River Systems: Mrs Nicole Nel - PD Naidoo and Associates


17h15 IMESA ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

EVENING AT LEISURE

Draft Programme

Venue: The Birchwood Hotel and OR Tambo Conference Centre, Gauteng

To register visit www.IMESA.org.za or contact [email protected] Tel: 011 - 023 8001/8005

Thursday 27th October 201107h30 REGISTRATION AND REFRESHMENTS IN EXPO AREA

08h15 Master of Ceremonies: Mr Moses Maliba

SESSION FIVE: ROADSSession Chairperson: Mr Johan Basson

08h30 Generally Acceptable Minimum Principles of Road Design and Maintenance Proceedures: Prof. Wynand Steyn - University of Pretoria

09h00 Job Creation Potential of Infrastructure Maintenance: Dr Kevin Wall - CSIR Built Environment

09h30


10h15 REFRESHMENTS IN EXPO AREA : BEST LARGE AND SMALL STAND PRIZE PRESENTATION

SESSION SIX: STORMWATER MANAGEMENTSession Chairperson: Mr Gerhard Fritz

10h45 The Proposed South African National Guidelines for Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) : Prof Neil Armitage - University of Cape Town

11h15 Stormwater Systems Modelling, CCTV inspection and Data Capturing Project for eThekwini Municipalitiy’s Coastal Stormwater & Catchment Management: Mr -

11h45 A Stormwater Management System for Ekurhuleni Metro Municipality: M - Aurecon Group


12h30 Keynote Address: : Dr Tjaart van der Walt - IMESA

13h00 LUNCH IN EXPO AREA

SESSION SEVEN: TRANSPORTATION / TRAFFIC ENGINEERINGSession Chairperson: Mr Duncan Daries

13h45 The Application of Integrated Rapid Public Transport Networks (IRPTNS) in smaller cities: Ms Pauline Froschauer - Namela Consulting

14h15 The Gautrain - Past, Present and Future: Mr William D chs - Gautrain Management Agency


15h00 TECHNICAL TOUR DEPARTS FROM BRICHWOOD RECEPTION

19H00 GALA FUNCTION IN OR TAMBO CENTRE, BIRCHWOOD

Friday 28th October 201107h30 REFRESHMENTS IN EXPO AREA

08H15 Master of Ceremonies: Mr Moses Maliba

SESSION EIGHT: FINANCIAL ASPECTS OF PROVIDING INFRASTRUCTURE / SERVICESSession Chairperson: Mr Leon Naude

08h20 Financial Sustainability and Management of Public Infrastructure: Mr Chris Champion - International Federation of Municipal Engineers (IFME)

08h50 Neighbourhood Development Partnership Grant: Technical Assistance to Emfuleni Local Municipality (via Sedibeng District Municipality) - Mr Richard Kruger - WorleyParsons

09h20 Challenges of Global Urbanisation - Advantages of Trenchless Microtunneling: Mr Udo Gerstmann - Herrenknecht AG

09h50 The Engineering Profession - Regulation and Strategy: Mr Christopher Campbell - Engineering Council of South Africa


10h30 REFRESHMENTS IN EXPO AREA

SESSION NINE: PANEL DISCUSSION: ENGINEERING OF THE FUTURESession Chairperson: Mr Jannie Pietersen

11h00 Panel Members: Mr Jannie Pietersen (Chairperson), Dr Kevin Wall, Mr Dawie Botha, Ms Allyson Lawless and Prof. Romano de Mistro

12h15 Presentations and Appreciations

12h30 CONFERENCE CLOSURE

12H45 LUNCH IN CLOVERS GREEN, BIRCHWOOD


IMESA

Some old portfolios were done away with and new ones created at the 2010 conference. This particular portfolio gives IMESA the opportu-

nity to focus attention on some technical matters outside of the traditional technical working groups on water and wastewater, roads and storm water, computers, etc. and includes national priorities such as job crea-tion, asset management and project and busi-ness management.

In thinking of what to focus on in the Project and Business Management Portfolio, it became clear that, besides the conventional technical skills of management and running projects, IMESA should also look at the wider environment and the issues we are facing. Although this will obviously be too much for our limited voluntary members to deal with, we are becoming involved with the priority issues placed on our table, so to speak, by members and other participants in the municipal envi-ronment. This includes, among others, the challenges with service delivery, procurement, asset management and job creation. Through consultation with different role players, IMESA is trying to find new solutions and best prac-tices to inform and assist our members and the municipal engineering environment.

Common objectivesBefore focusing on some of the issues, we need to look at the common objectives I believe we should share in our discussions. When considering the objectives of the insti-tute listed below, it becomes clearer how IMESA should interact with its members, the government, engineering and the social and economic environment, in order to:• Promote the knowledge, art, science and

practice of infrastructure engineering in all its aspects.

• Promote and support the interests of infra-structure engineering professionals and the engineering fraternity involved.

• Operate over a broad infrastructure engi-neering membership base to increase indi-vidual membership and affiliation.

• Seek local and international partnerships and recognition and market itself among broad target audiences to improve aware-ness levels, its image and reputation.

• Promote and exchange views and ideas on all aspects of infrastructure engineer-ing, whether among engineers in the infra-structure engineering environment or others associated with, or having an interest in, its field of operation.

• Develop knowledge products and services to support members in their profession.

• Grow the revenue base and source funding for development and research.

• Develop strategic partnerships with gov-ernment, semi-government and academic, research and other institutions to the ben-efit of the institute, its members and the profession in general.

I believe we should always ask ourselves what our ultimate goal in government is, meaning that we should keep our goals in mind in dis-cussing how, when, what and by which means

we support and do whatever is needed to achieve these goals. This is probably summa-rised in serving the people by providing, main-taining and managing services and a healthy, sustainable economic and social environment, or as IMESA president Jannie Pietersen some-times states, it is about services delivery, asset management and good governance.

Strategic planningThe environments we operate in and do our projects and conduct our business within are filled with many different role players and this surely demands management and coordinating. Sometimes municipal engineers feel frustrated by other sectors losing focus or chasing other priorities by not understanding this bigger picture. To some it feels like some of these actions, rules and programmes are making it even harder for municipal engineers to fulfil their functions properly. We are some-times too closely focused on short-term suc-cess, with a maximum of three to five years’ vision. This, together with five-year terms, does not give enough support to proper long-term planning. Yearly performance evaluations with the emphasis, for example, on percent-age spending as main criteria should play a part, but seen in the context of longer-term sustainability it is not necessarily a criterion, as it could be that everyone gets short-term

performance bonuses, clean audits, etc. but meanwhile there is raw sewer running into a river or there are people remaining without healthy conditions and clean water.

The lack of technically skilled professionals in the top two to three levels of municipalities and other spheres of government limits the role of engineers, who are principally trained

Project and business managementIn accepting the challenges of engineering in Southern Africa, IMESA has restructured some of its executive council portfolios. One of the new technical portfolios is the Project and Business Management Portfolio. By Johan Basson, IMESA technical director

We are sometimes too closely focused on short-term successes, with a maximum of three to fi ve years' vision


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not only to find short-term answers and solutions, but are by nature also future-planning orientated to play a significant part in providing strategic vision to their employers. IMESA tries to promote the notion of ‘The customer is the next process’ in aligning the different parts of the municipal sectors to keep the public customer in mind in all our different projects and daily functions.

InteractionIMESA can play more of an important role in trying to get the engineer-ing perspective across within the government. We have limited time and resources in this country and especially in local government, and there-fore cannot afford not to be successful and passionate in trying to work towards achieving the common goals of service delivery, asset manage-ment and good governance. Some of the actions IMESA is currently tak-ing in playing pivotal roles in achieving our objectives are in running our business as municipal engineers. This includes getting involved in inter-governmental consultations with other role players such as the South African Local Government Association, the Construction Education and Training Authority’s treasury, the Development Bank of Southern Africa and various national and provincial departments.

ProcurementOne of the dialogues that IMESA is required to participate in is around the issues involved with service delivery and procurement. With chang-ing regulations, legal interpretations and the continued quest to quell corruption, municipal engineering is being pressured into finding new methods to provide and maintain services on time, to acceptable qual-ity and sustainable standards.

The evaluation of service providers and contracts with life cycle costs, sustainability, maintenance and operational risks of failure, technical and social acceptance and value for money are currently proving to be extremely difficult. Continued consultation with all role players is required for better understanding, changing perceptions and finding new solutions. IMESA will have to be part and parcel of this consulta-tion and training process on best practices.

Asset managementIMESA has also embarked on providing a service to municipalities through IMESA’s Infrastructure Management System (IIMS) – an initia-tive to assist municipalities with GRAP 17 compliance and the manage-ment of their infrastructure assets. Free IIMS asset management software is provided to municipalities to assist with the prioritising of infrastructure maintenance, development of asset maintenance budgets and many other aspects of infrastructure asset management. IMESA is currently involved in a number of municipalities in the Free State with the IIMS, and is also becoming more involved in the training of municipal staff and others in asset management throughout the country.

A project and business management focus gives IMESA the oppor-tunity to get involved in the wider environment that affects our daily operations, project cycles and the business environment we are operating in. If you would like to bring any other burning issues or comments in this

regard to our attention, you are most welcome to send an e-mail to the

IMESA head office or to Johan Basson at [email protected].

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The Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project (GFIP) is the first urban toll road to be tolled on such a large scale. Consulting Engineers South

Africa (CESA) understands the significant impact of toll fees on the Gauteng economy, and given Gauteng’s economic significance, even on the South African economy, and there-fore considers it imperative that the secondary road network receives urgent attention.

Without a toll this high-capacity freeway sys-tem will potentially become congested, which will negate the benefit to the users. If the gov-ernment decides to pitch the quantum of the

toll at a level lower than that required to repay the borrowings in the required time period, in order not to harm the Gauteng economy unduly, the shortfall may have to be made up through a fuel levy or by making an allocation from the fiscus.

The debate about a dedicated fuel level has to be held with the National Treasury and the government. CESA believes that the GFIP project is not only very necessary to prevent the smothering of the local economy, but that the road widening and interchange improve-ments are appropriate and commensurate with demand.

CESA believes that SANRAL had no alterna-tive but to borrow money in the open market and opt for tolling. SANRAL does not have the power to impose a fuel levy, be it regional or national, be it ring-fenced or dedicated, be it to cover all capital cost, or be it to reduce toll fees to lower levels.

The national Department of Transport and SANRAL has, over the years, constructed or upgraded a number of intercity toll roads. In contrast to these intercity freeways that carry long-distance traffic, the Gauteng freeway system is the first urban commuter route to be tolled in South Africa.

CESA urges authorities to upgrade secondary road networkCESA has urged authorities to budget for the upgrading of the secondary road network in Gauteng, which has not been adequately developed to serve as a viable alternative to the primary freeway system that will shortly be tolled.

ADVERTORIAL

CESA will be hosting its annual conference this year in East London at the ICC from 13 to 15 November 2011. The primary goal of this year’s conference is to promote the theme adopted by CESA for 2011 of “Partnering for Growth” between the private and public sectors.

Beside strategic inputs from both national and international speakers, the programme will include practical methods and examples for achieving partnerships. During the conference,

national and international engineering trends will be explored with a view to optimising the pace and scale of infrastructure service delivery.

The conference offers excellent networking opportunities in the form of golf at the East London Golf Club, welcome cocktails and a formal gala dinner. Our Exhibition will ensure that you have access to the latest in product development.

Two CPD points will be awarded for the full attendance of this conference.

NB: For those wishing to learn more about the `Procurement of Consulting Engineering Services´ and the `Road to Registration (Pr Eng)´, one-day workshops have been arranged for the day following the conference for the convenience of the delegates and to minimise travelling costs.

This is a `not to be missed´ event for clients and service providers in the Infrastructure Service Delivery sector.

CESA 2011 CONFERENCE AND EXHIBITION13 to 15 November, ICC, East London

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GOVERNMENT PERSPECTIVE

For many years, the affairs and insti-tutions of traditional leadership remained in the periphery of devel-opment. That situation often led to

marginalisation of traditional leaders and their institutions with regard to meaningfully influ-encing the critical policy and programmatic matters pertaining to development. The con-sequence thereof has been that the com-munities that live under traditional leadership, most of which reside in rural areas, have not had their development needs given the neces-sary attention.

Through assessing governance in traditional affairs, CoGTA will also look at ensuring that, like any public representatives tasked with the mammoth responsibility of serving the public, the leaders and members of the houses nationally and provincially be guided by princi-ples of good governance.

The principles of good governance include:• promotion of service delivery• fostering unity and partnerships• accountability• clarification of roles• transparency. The assessment exercise also seeks to estab-lish the status quo in the various provinces on issues such as the budget allocated to tradi-tional leadership, resources allocated to hous-es, traditional leadership and local government structures, relationships among structures of traditional leadership and implementation of legislation on traditional leadership.

The assessment process will help identify the discrepancies with regard to dealing with traditional leadership in the provinces, with a view to devising an effective traditional affairs-wide strategy to deal with identified challeng-es. The turnaround strategy will result in the

Assessment of governance in traditional affairsThe assessment of the state of governance within traditional affairs in the provinces by CoGTA constitutes a historic milestone in the efforts of government to place all matters pertinent to traditional affairs, including their institutions, at the centre of social, political and economic development.

Acting minister of cooperative governance and traditional affairs, Nathi Mthethwa

development of a partnership model between traditional leadership and local government. The discrepancies with regard to the salaries and resources of traditional leadership will also be addressed. At this juncture, we would like to commend the leadership of the national and provincial houses for being part of this assessment process. This gives credence to the stance that ‘nothing for traditional leaders without traditional leaders’.

A report will be compiled after these assess-ments and this will help give a clear picture of the state of traditional affairs in the country. That, in turn, will help inform policy and the strategic interventions required to ensure the strengthening of traditional leadership and affairs in the provinces, and across the coun-try as a whole. In order to effectively address the challenges facing traditional leaders and communities, including rural development, it is important to strengthen traditional institu-tions, especially with regard to governance

With the establishment of the department of traditional leadership, matters of traditional leadership are being dealt with more broadly, systematically and in a focused and sustain-able manner. One of the major responsibilities of this department is to reclaim the ground lost to other departments and structures. This includes issues of heritage, traditional medi-cine and healing and indigenous knowledge systems, to mention a few examples.

The new department will, in a constructive manner, vigorously engage with other national departments and organs of state to ensure that it plays a leading coordinating role on all relevant matters. It is the role of the depart-ment of traditional affairs to ensure that tradi-tional leaders are effectively and meaningfully involved on matters of rural development.

We are here to provide the necessary political leadership. Administratively, the director-general, Professor Nwaila and his team of capable officials, will play a coor-dinating role on matters of allocation of roles by national departments to traditional leadership and ensuring that the necessary legislation and policies are in place and implemented accordingly.

One of the critical areas that the depart-ment of traditional affairs, with its expanded mandate, is also busy amending is legislation in order to create an enabling legislative and regulatory environment for dealing effectively and efficiently with traditional affairs. We aim to ensure that matters of traditional leaders are dealt with holistically and in a sustainable manner. Accordingly, the National Traditional Houses Act and Governance Framework Act have been consolidated into one. This will help simplify the governance processes.

ABOVE The acting minister of cooperative governance and traditional affairs, Nathi Mthethwa


INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE

The past year (financial period July 2010 to June 2011) was an excep-tionally difficult one for the plastic pipe industry, with big decreases

in volumes and increasing pressure on gross margins of manufacturers. It even resulted in the demise of one of the biggest pipe producers in South Africa.

In spite of these and other difficulties, the

Southern African Plastic Pipe Manufacturers Association (SAPPMA) managed to operate normally and generally achieved all the objectives set for the year.

Product quality is at the core of SAPPMA and much of our activi-ties are therefore focused on it. It

became necessary to formalise the asso-ciation’s position on quality, which led to the Position Paper on Quality of June 2011.

Because of experience in the market relat-

ing to inferior p r o d u c t

Striving for quality plastic pipesThis year marks the seventh anniversary of SAPPMA and I can look back with satisfaction over a period of activity and constructive interaction with the plastic pipe industry of Southern Africa. By Jan Venter, chief executive officer of SAPPMA

Small-diameter plastic pipe is a popular choice for domestic applications

INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE


quality in spite of the SABS mark of approval, a small pilot survey was conducted on PVC pipe drawn at random in the market.

The result was shocking, with 56% of SABS mark-bearing pipes (not SAPPMA members) failing the most basic tests in accordance with the relevant national standards. It was therefore decided to

launch another project with a much bigger sample size and that was more representative of available products on the market. At the time of writing, this project has just been star ted, with final results expected to be available soon. As with the first test, the results will again be made public. We are prepared to repeat this action until the market takes proper notice and the culprits are weeded out.

During the year constructive interaction took place with the gov-ernment in the form of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). As a result, we could manage some positive input in the depart-ment’s Strategy for the Development of the Plastics Industry.

Another spin-off was contact with the National Cleaner Production Centre (NCPC). The centre provides (free) surveys of factories in terms of energy usage and other relevant matters.

We have identified several challenges that require attention and resources. These include:• There is insufficient appreciation of the critical importance of

pipes in the infrastructure of the country. We need to continually emphasise the message that a plastic pipe is not just another plastic product, but that it is a crucial element in the conveyance of water and sewage and that it needs to last at least 50 years.

• We need to ensure that key decision makers in the industry are aware of the activities of SAPPMA and that there is a big differ-ence between ‘good’ pipe and good pipe!

• We will continue interaction with SABS and press for more and quicker action against transgressors.

• Members need to resist all temptation to cut corners on quality, particularly in light of the pressure on gross margins.

• The SAPPMA Technical Manual must be distributed to all large users of plastic pipe.

The decision seven years ago to launch an association for the plastics piping industry has proven to be a wise one. SAPPMA was launched without any advice, guidance or blueprint from anywhere in the world, but with the enthusiasm and support of a couple of key players in the South African market.

We now find ourselves with an established presence in the industry and with a lot of constructive achievements behind us. The SAPPMA brand is recognised and respected widely in the industry and has proven to have strong commercial value. We have a solid foundation to continue our work towards the well-being of this industry and as market leaders we have the responsibility to embrace it.

“SAPPMA will continue to eliminate inferior quality within the plastic pipe industry,” says chief executive offi cer, Jan Venter

LEFT Large-diameter plastic pipe

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WATER AND WASTEWATER

However, many of these municipali-ties, particularly those located in rural areas, are resource poor in terms of human capacity, their abil-

ity to attract and retain technical capacity in remote areas and their financial sustainability based on people’s ability to pay for services is important. In addition, there is a worldwide and national scarcity of technical expertise, including that of the water sector. Technical capacity in the form of engineers, planners and

Designing an innovative way to support WSAsWater services authorities such as the Cacadu and Siyanda district municipalities have a responsibility to ensure delivery in their area of jurisdiction, as mandated by the Municipal Water Services Act (No. 108 of 1997).

By Khuthalile Mahlaba, Karen van der Merwe, Cobus Oosthuizen and Robyn Tompkins of Jeffares & Green

technicians is very limited in the country as available capacity is made up of professionals who are either approaching retirement or are very young, with little or no experience.

Water services delivery is increasingly com-ing under scrutiny by the general public and the Department of Water Affairs (DWA) as the national regulator, as new projects are commissioned while existing infrastructure requires effective operation and maintenance. Since South Africa is a semi-arid country, water

services require effective management and use to meet the increasing demand from the socio-economic and environmental sectors. Therefore, the concept of a shared services centre (SSC) in the context of water services delivery in the municipal sector is becoming an increasingly attractive option.

What is an SSC?An SSC is regarded as a business unit that performs consolidated functions or services across municipalities or water services author-ity (WSA) boundaries. It brings together func-tions that are common to multiple business units under a single delivery organisation (Bergeron 2003; Schulman et al. 1999). These functions include human resources,

Rural water supply projects often provide employment opportunities for local residents




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technical operation, procurement, financial management and equipment.

In the context of local government and specif-ically water services functions, an SSC forms a unit in which scarce skills, capacity and ser-vices that are currently unaffordable to WSAs on their own can be made available. Skills and services such as engineering, strategic and project management, plant operators and financial and audit management can be made accessible to each of the participating WSAs, with clear key performance areas (KPAs) and key performance indicators (KPIs). Therefore, the implementation of an SSC could be seen as one possible way to assist resource-poor municipalities with delivering on their mandate.

Why should resource-poor municipalities implement an SSC?Resource-poor municipalities often require additional resources, such as human capac-ity and additional funding, to improve ser-vice delivery effectively. In a water services unit, an SSC could provide such additional resources on a shared or part-time basis to support municipalities.

SSCs are often established to improve servic-es, manage costs and improve organisational efficiency (Searle 2006). The survey conducted by A.T. Kearny in 2005 revealed that 70% of senior executives have claimed success in the implementation of their shared services programmes. Further research conducted in New Jersey BEA (2006) and Deliotte (2005) has revealed an increased demand for shared services in the public sector. The participating government institutions responded that shared services support their strategic goals and that more than half of the government agencies have implemented or are in the process of implementing an SCC (A.T. Kearny 2005).

This research is largely based in the United States. However, being business-sector orien-tated, the operational needs and challenges faced by both the private and public sector in South Africa are similar and cannot be ignored. Furthermore, with increasing encouragement from various spheres of government and the need for WSAs to manage water services as a business, while faced with capacity and afford-ability challenges, an SSC could be regarded as a possible solution. Therefore, there is

great potential for the establishment of an SSC to allow municipalities to access addi-tional resources, which would provide various opportunities, such as cost reduction, process improvement, standardisation and consolida-tion of goods and services, increased effi-ciency and quality of service, improved system control, the creation of a service-orientated culture and better-trained employees.

According to Bergeron (2003), the effective establishment and implementation of an SSC requires the consideration of various key fac-tors and lessons learnt from other public sec-tor organisations that support sustainability and the positive impact of shared services.

Key factors for successful implementation of an SSCInternational research conducted by Bergeron (2003) has identified key factors that create the foundation for a successful SSC in the public sector. These include: • senior management support• strong project management skills• strong change management.Furthermore, local research conducted by



Siyanda DM SSC case studySiyanda DM, located in Upington in the Northern Cape, is characterised by remote municipali-ties, with communities being predominantly rural and living in semi-arid areas. Currently there are four out of six LMs participating in the Siyanda SSC programme. These are the Kgatelopele, Kheis, Mier, and Tsantsabane local municipalities, all of which have WSA status. (Siyanda DM SSC Business Plan, 07).

The establishment of the SSC resulted from constant requests to the DM by LMs to provide technical and financial support. The LMs face the common challenge of a lack of technical expertise to operate and maintain plants, limited financial resources, which makes it dif-ficult to attract and retain appropriate technical skills and sparsely located rural communities with a low population, a proportion of which is highly indigent. Kheis LM has a 70% indigent population and this contributes significantly to increasing operations and maintenance costs.

The establishment of the SSC is being man-aged and housed by the Siyanda DM, with the objective of providing support to local munici-palities for water services operations. The Siyanda SSC is a joint initiative between the Northern Cape Local Government, the DWA, the Northern Cape Department of Housing, the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA), the South African Local Government Association (SALGA), the Swedish institutions SIDA and SIPU International and the Frances Baard DM. Funding was provided upfront over a three-year period, from 2007 to 2010. The fund-ing amount declined each year, from R1 million to R750 000 and then to R500 000, with the difference expected to be made available by the DM (Siyanda DM SSS Business Plan, 07). Key components of this study are discussed below.

Functions and opportunitiesFunctions:The Siyanda SSC provides the following opera-tions and maintenance functions to the LMs:• technical staff, including engineers, plant

operators (for operations and maintenance), planning and supervision

• a water quality management specialist for operations and capacity building of plant operators and on-site training.

Opportunities:The support given through the SSC has pro-vided various benefits to participating LMs:

Van der Linde et al. (2006) has revealed that another key success factor for an SSC is the adoption of a customer-driven focus, and that the success of a shared services unit is

largely dependent on its ability to add value to the organisation.

Conversely, South African research has iden-tified challenges in the implementation of an SSC that are as follows:a. A lack of up-front investment, which may

cause the project to be under-funded: • Most WSAs lack funds to contribute to the

establishment of an SSC. • WSAs lack the required information to

determine the type and level of technical and financial support needed.

b. A lack of commitment to long-term change, which may result from election cycles and/or shifting political agendas:

• WSA change in both political and adminis-tration structures over a five-year period. This often contributes to poor long-term planning, where management such as municipal managers, technical or infra-structural directors, councillors and may-ors (the decision makers) leave the organ-isation, so affecting continuity.

c. The shift from a demand-driven philos-ophy to a supply-driven service culture proves to be difficult to implement in a government sector:

• WSAs are often faced with a demand-driven society, where services are to be provided to consumers free of charge. However, this demand-driven philoso-phy has also been exacerbated by the

implementation of free basic water (FBW) policies, which require review (free basic water and sanitation policies in relation to indigent communities).

• Most WSAs have not implemented, or would find it difficult to implement, busi-ness principles as political will and buy-in are not there. So there is no support for the need to drive water services as a business.

d. The implementation of a shared services business unit is in itself a daunting experi-ence, as it requires the transformation of business and operational processes, peo-ple and technology:

• Developing political buy-in and support from participating WSAs requires a great deal of time, particularly to introduce the SSC concept to ensure a common under-standing and goal.

• Additional resources, such as human capacity, management systems and leadership, require more funding, which affects time frames for implementation.

The implementation of a successful SSC is highly dependent on the above-mentioned key success factors. The Siyanda District Municipality (DM) in the Northern Cape is one WSA that has managed to overcome some of these challenges in the establishment of an SSC. Cacadu DM in the Eastern Cape is another WSA which, through its S78(3) assessment, is in the process of establishing an SSC for its Karoo Cluster WSAs, namely the Blue Crane Route, Camdeboo and Ikwezi local municipalities (LMs).

LEFT Laying pipes for a water supply system in rural areas can provide logistical challenges

The LMs face the common challenge of a lack of technical expertise to operate and maintain plants


• The DM has managed to access financial support to coordinate and support water services delivery to LMs effectively, which is its key role.

• The DM has sourced human resources to support the LM, which include the procurement of an engineer, a technician and a water quality specialist, all of whom are available to all four LMs.

• Formal arrangements have been developed with the four LMs for operational support through service level agreements. One WSA has signed it at this stage.

• Opportunity has been provided for the DM to transfer skills to the LMs for financial management, technical services planning and human resources development.

• The DM, as the supporting municipality, has been able to build better relations and understanding of the technical needs and challenges of the LMs.

Although the Siyanda DM has benefited from establishing a shared services centre for operations and maintenance services, as outlined above, there are several challenges that have been encountered in the implementation processes.

Siyanda SSC challenges The establishment of the Siyanda SSC involved challenges, which can be attributed to a lack of knowledge and/or poor consideration of the identified key success factors. These challenges include the following:• Poor co-operation and support from the LMs, which led to a lack of

communication and participation. This could be linked to poor sup-port from senior management, poor change management and a lack of commitment to long-term change, which may result from election cycles and/or shifting political agendas.

• A limited project budget owing to LMs being unable to make a con-tribution, because of a lack of finance. Therefore, funding is limited to what is made available by project donors and this led to the pro-gramme being under-funded.

• Non-existence of shared service payment plans for WSAs, which would identify resources and costs to be paid for and so assist the programme to sustain itself and improve ownership by participating municipalities.

• Poor planning by LM technical units on their organograms and infra-structure maintenance. This could be attributed to a lack of project management skills, which led to poor coordination and support from the DM.

• High travelling and accommodation costs, rather than actual opera-tional and maintenance costs, owing to the widespread locations of the LMs (Kgatelopele Municipality is 300 km away from Siyanda District Municipality).

• A lack of progress reports for submission to the council, which would facilitate decision-making and financial support and improve service delivery to communities.

• A lack of programme monitoring and evaluation by the DM and LMs to assess the impact and value of the SSC.

These challenges have provided lessons to the Siyanda SSC partici-pants from which to improve their shared service implementation pro-cess with the rest of the LMs, as well as benefiting other municipalities that may be interested in establishing an SSC.

Siyanda SSC lessons learnt The lessons learnt from the establishment of the Siyanda SSC have provided insight into the processes involved in implementing an SSC within local government. These lessons are as follows:

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• The establishment of an SSC requires more time for project/concept introduction to LMs than the initially planned 12 months. This is a result of the fact that it took more than two years to get all four LMs to understand and support the SSC, and only one LM has managed to sign the services contract with the DM. Factors that contributed to the delayed establishment of the SSC include the following:

• a lack of knowledge and understanding of the objective of establish-ing an SSC

• political boundaries, where other WSAs would not be comfortable to share resources with neighbouring WSAs

• a lack of understanding that the powers and functions of WSAs are not affected.

Key factors that would contribute to the effective establishment of an SSC of local government water services delivery include:• sourcing political buy-in, including mayor and provincial officials, and

council resolution that would promote decision-making by LMs• identifying the required services, support and training needs and

budgeting for them as part of the operating and maintenance budget • developing clearly defined roles, responsibilities and expectations• developing an effective communication system to raise and

resolve issues• establishing, implementing and monitoring service level agreements.

Cacadu DM proposed SSCThe Cacadu DM in Port Elizabeth is in the process of establishing an SSC, which has been recommended through S78(3) options assess-ment. An SSC is one of the options that have been identified as a potential solution for the Cacadu DM’s Karoo Cluster WSAs in support-ing water services delivery and self-sufficiency going forward.

The Cacadu DM Karoo Cluster of LMs comprises Baviaans LM, Blue Crane Route LM and Ikwezi LM. They all have WSA status, but with lim-ited capacity. This cluster of municipalities faces challenges similar to those of Siyanda DM including remote and sparsely populated munici-palities, the inability to afford payment for services and to attract and retain appropriate skills, a lack of planning and strategic management skills, a lack of water quality management expertise and a lack of operational backup (J&G S78(3) Options Assessment Report 2009)7.

The proposed Cacadu – Karoo Cluster SSC would be a unit where water services scarce skills and capacity, currently unaffordable to each of the WSAs independently, can be made accessible to them, with clear KPAs and KPIs.

The DM has an established District Information Management System (DIMS), to which all LMs have access. Therefore, centralisation of resources has already been introduced, which should add value to the proposed water services SSC for the Karoo Cluster.

Why should the Cacadu – Karoo Cluster establish an SSC?The Cacadu – Karoo Cluster requires additional resources to improve its water services delivery. These include technical skills in the form of engineers, a water quality specialist, financial and planning manage-ment and plant operators. These WSAs are category B3 rural, low salary scale-level municipalities, which makes it difficult for them to attract and retain appropriate skills. The municipalities are located far from one another, which leads to high operational costs owing to travel-ling and accommodation. They have high water resources management issues and water and wastewater quality management resources are



critically required in order to ensure the deliv-ery of water to appropriate standards.

The establishment of an SSC at Siyanda District Municipality has produced positive outcomes.

The DM has managed to achieve the fol-lowing, which are some of the resources that the Cacadu DM – Karoo Cluster intends on obtaining:• sourced and coordinated funding to support

LMs in their water services delivery needs• sourced human resources to support the

LMs, which include the procurement of an engineer (made available by the DBSA Siyenzamanje Project), a technician and a water quality specialist, all of whom are available to the participating WSAs

• developed formal arrangements with the four LMs for operational support through services level contracts

• developed strategic systems to transfer skills to LMs for financial management, technical services planning and human

resources development• better relations and understanding of water

services needs between the DM and the participating LMs.

Cacadu DM – Karoo Cluster proposed SSCTaking into account the identified key success factors and lessons learnt from the Siyanda

FIGURE 1: Proposed SSC establishment process for local government (WSA)

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DM SSC establishment, the Cacadu DM in the Eastern Cape is in the process of establishing an SSC for its Karoo-based WSAs.

This Cacadu – Karoo Cluster SSC is being proposed with the aim of attracting and shar-ing the cost of skills to enhance the current operational capacity on the ground. However, the success and sustainable establishment of this cluster would need to take into account the key success factors identified above, as well as lessons learnt from the Siyanda SSC.

A five-year strategic plan is proposed, which would guide and facilitate the establishment of its shared service from year one and beyond. The plan includes mandatory areas of support, human resource and capacity development (technical, financial, and administration), facili-ties and support unit costs.

The areas of operational support are:• water and wastewater quality management• infrastructure inventory development• revenue enhancement• water demand management • coordinated planning for the Karoo Cluster

with respect to water services • material standardisation and efficiency • monitoring and evaluation of service delivery. The proposed five-year plan has recommended a financial contribution from each participating WSA, which could be an upfront nominal fee sourced from equitable shared or grant funding into the programme. This nominal fee would increase each year based on an agreed opera-tional contract for the first five-year period. After this, a membership fee is recommended from the participating WSAs. A drawdown list of services would be available to participating and non-participating WSAs at different costs.

An SSC has a strong potential to address the

existing water services challenges within the Cacadu – Karoo Cluster as the process could be more positive and productive in relation to that of Siyanda DM. An SSC could promote a move towards the development and enhance-ment of sustainable water services practices by LMs.

How could an SSC be established by resource-poor municipalities?Figure 1 below represents the process that could be followed by WSAs to establish a SSC. Starting from the bottom, council owner-ship of the project is key to the success and sustainability of the project. Then identification of water services needs would have to be conducted by a WSA, with agreed KPIs. An agreement would need to be in place (ser-vice level agreement) in order to clarify roles, responsibilities and expectations between the two parties. Reporting, monitoring and evalu-ation would then be required to assess the impact of the SSC.

ConclusionBased on a review of international literature, there is strong evidence that an SSC could greatly improve water services delivery in resource-poor municipalities. This has been evident at Siyanda, where the four partic-ipating WSAs, namely Kgatelopele, Kheis,

Mier and Tsantsabane, have benefited and improved water services delivery through the establishment of the Siyanda DM SSC.

The four participating municipalities have had challenges, including the lack of techni-cal expertise for plant operation and main-tenance, limited financial resources (which hinders the attraction of appropriate technical skills), sparsely located rural communities, which increases operations and maintenance costs, small populations with a high propor-tion of indigent communities unable to pay for services, and a lack of water and wastewater quality management expertise.

The Siyanda SSC has provided resources to address the operational needs of the partici-pating LMs, such as the sourcing of budget to enable LMs to deliver their water services func-tions, the provision of technical skills (such as an engineer and a water quality specialist) for operations and maintenance, planning and management and water quality manage-ment, as well as the acquisition of additional equipment for infrastructure repairs and main-tenance. Furthermore, the SSC has provided opportunities for all stakeholders, particularly the DM and the participating LMs, to develop formal service level agreements rather than ad hoc local municipality support, to transfer skills to the LMs on financial management, techni-cal services planning, and human resources development issues, and has allowed the DM to build better relations and understanding of the technical needs and challenges of the LMs as the supporting municipality.

The incorporation of the identified key suc-cess factors and lessons learnt fromthe Siyanda SSC (such as the need for political buy-in for effective decision-making, clearly defined roles and responsibilities for stake-holders, the implementation of service level agreements and the development of an effec-tive communication system to address water services issues), has provided clear evidence that the establishment of an SSC is a via-ble, practical and recommended option for resource-poor municipalities to improve water services delivery.

References• Bergeron, BP. Essentials of Shared Services. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons (2003)• Searle, P. Shared Services Implementation: Survey Results. SharedXpertise (2006)• A.T Kearny, Inc. Shared Services in Government: Turn private-sector lessons into public-

sector practices (2005)• Van der Linde, TN, Boessenkool, AL and Jooste, CJ. Key success factors for the

management of a shared services business unit. Acta Commercii Journal, p.198 (2006)• Siyanda DM Shared Services Centre for Operations and Maintenance Business Plan (2007)• Jeffares & Green Cacadu DM S78(3) Options Assessment Report (2009)

ABOVE A reservoir nears completion in a rural area



The company was commissioned by civil engineering construction company Entsha Henra in December 2010 to supply the pipeline products to the

project, which include 11 455 m of 500 mm K9 Saint Gobain ductile iron pipe, 5 185 m of 500 mm CL9 uPVC pipe, numerous AVK gate valves, butterfly valves, air valves and Klamflex pipe couplings.

Entsha Henra contracts manager, Bruce Blacklaws, explains that the water supply line is designed to pump water from the abstrac-tion pumps at nearby Orange River to a water purification plant in Colesberg, before being transported directly to homes through an exist-ing water supply network.

“The increased infrastructural development of Colesberg has necessitated the need for an upgraded water supply network. After being commissioned to construct the supply line, Entsha Henra selected Incledon as its pre-ferred supplier as it proved to be the most price-competitive option.”

Incledon national product manager for civils, Kelly Wilson, notes that the ductile iron pipe being used on the Colesberg water supply line is imported from globally-based Saint Gobain Pipelines, the world’s leading manu-facturer of ductile iron piping and fittings. He also points out that extensive on-site training was provided to the team from Entsha Henra by Gordon Olfin, technical manager at Saint Gobain South Africa.

“Incledon has been an exclusive distributor for Saint Gobain Pipelines for the past four years, and the company’s ductile iron product has proven itself to be the best on the market, meeting with ISO 9001 and EN 545 qual-ity standards. What’s more, the Saint Gobain Pipelines K9 ductile iron pipe offers increased durability and reliability, due to an internal

Helping to meet the demand for waterLeading fluid conveyance solutions supplier Incledon has supplied more than 16 km of piping solutions to a new water supply line project in Colesberg, which is being constructed in order to deliver potable water to over 2 000 newly developed homes in the area.

cement lining and an external zinc and bitumen coating. The product is also quick and easy to install, thanks to an innovative spigot socket system,” he explains.

Entsha Henra began work on the project in February 2011, and has been supplied with the entire range of products through Incledon’s Bloemfontein branch.

“Incledon provides distinct advantages over its competitors, as the company’s range of products are proven to be tried-and-trusted in the industry, and are backed by excellent after-sales service and technical support,” says Incledon Bloemfontein civil representa-tive, Juan Taljaard.

Wilson notes that the biggest project-related challenge facing Incledon to date has been the transportation of the products. “Ductile iron requires special handling as each pipe is

6 m in length and, in this case, weighs approxi-mately 860 kg each. The internal cement lining and zinc coating of the pipe are sensitive to impact and, as a result, have to be handled with extra care while being transported from Durban harbour to Colesberg by means of super-link trucks,” he continues.

Wilson notes that a number of municipali-ties are increasing their investment in water infrastructure and he believes that Incledon is strongly positioned for growth. “Numerous municipalities are experiencing rapid growth and development and, as a result, the demand for water supply is increasing. Incledon has a number of major contracts lined up for 2011 and I am confident that this can lead to meas-urable growth in the future,” he maintains.

BELOW Extensive on-site pipe laying



As local and provincial government pursue their plans for maintaining or extending infrastructure, SRK has been involved in the technical side

of urban renewal projects and the asset man-agement of urban drainage systems that allow local government to prioritise its public works.

“In these projects, we study and measure the status of infrastructure assets – such as storm water drains – to find out what needs attention, and by when,” says Vis Reddy, principal scien-tist and partner in the KwaZulu Natal (KZN) office of SRK.

This work constitutes a vital part of the urban renewal projects being undertaken in various cities and towns around KZN.

The range of skills in the KZN offices also allows them to take the planning work through to the design and construction monitoring phases of a project.

Reddy says SRK is also often called upon to help provide high-level environmental planning – for instance, through strategic environmental assessments and developing environmental management frameworks for municipalities – which various levels of government are required to do. The company is currently developing a provincial hazardous waste man-agement plan for KZN and has developed inte-grated waste management plans for various municipalities in the past.

Working from offices in Durban and Pietermaritzburg, that together house 35 staff members, SRK Consulting tackles projects around KZN by providing expertise in civil engi-neering, geotechnical engineering, environmen-tal management, hydrology, hydrogeology and air quality management and monitoring.

In KZN, SRK’s strong geotechnical services are now also increasingly reaching into a grow-ing stream of public sector projects, such as housing developments, schools, hospitals and general construction.

“This has been a growing sector for us due to our offices’ specialist skills in tailings manage-ment, engineering geology and geotechnical areas,” says Reddy.

“We also do a lot of air and water quality work for mining operations and are called upon more

Expertise for services and growth in KZNPlanning for sufficient clean water and providing better services to KwaZulu-Natal is among the range of technical inputs ploughed into the province’s development each day by consulting engineers and scientists.

and more to assist clients with their capacity to monitor air and water quality on their sites.”

“Our hydrogeology skills base has tradition-ally been applied in land contamination work in the petrochemical sector primarily, where retail petrol stations need to characterise, decon-

taminate and remediate their sites to comply with the law,’ says Reddy.

“We are currently involved in a ground water reserve determination project for the Umvoti to Umzimkhulu Water Management Area. This is vital for the assessment of current and future water use licence applications where ground water use is required.

“We don’t know how much water is available until we quantify both the surface water and groundwater,” says Reddy.

“While we generally have information on the quantity of surface water available, the scale of groundwater resources is still largely unknown, so this needs more extensive and thorough research within catchments.”

More information on what groundwater is available in a particular rural area, for instance, would improve the quality of decisions and

expenditure on providing water services to the region. It would not make sense to pipe water long distances to a rural area that needs it, he says, if it was possible to use local groundwater.

The law requires certain listed activities, including those undertaken by parastatal agen-cies in expanding the province’s infrastructure, to be assessed in terms of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) legislation, says Reddy. Although SRK has been active in numerous large-scale industrial projects in the province over the past 10 years, changes in environmental legislation and development demands have resulted in SRK undertaking numerous additional EIA studies in infrastruc-ture-related projects for electricity network and port expansions, low cost housing develop-ments and road projects.

As global warming and carbon emissions become more of an issue for business, the company has also been requested by clients to determine the greenhouse gas footprint of projects; if the impact is significant, strategies to off-set that impact can then be explored.

There is also huge opportunity in renewable energy projects, according to Reddy; the com-pany is currently providing engineering services to one such project, and has an increasing number of queries in the field of renewable energy.

An area that a number of SRK’s clients are already exploring is substituting grid power for their own energy solutions, thereby gradually reducing their dependence on Eskom. A project that the company recently completed involved the use of heat from furnace off-gas to gener-ate electricity or power other processes.

“Companies benefit in a number of ways from these innovations,” says Reddy. “Their electricity costs can be reduced, their carbon emissions and general environmental impact is cut, and often these new ideas can help optimise their business processes.”

ABOVE Vis Reddy, principal scientist and partner in the KwaZulu-Natal office of SRK

The company has also been requested by clients to determine the greenhouse gas footprint of projects

Did you know less than 1% of the world’s fresh water is readily accessible for direct human use?Of all water on earth, 97.5% is salt water and of the remaining 2.5% fresh water some

70% is frozen in the polar icecaps. The other 30% is mostly present as soil moisture or

lies in underground aquifers. In the end, less than 1% of the world’s fresh water (or about

0.007% of all water on earth) is readily accessible for direct human use.

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The range of solutions is avail-able from ITT Water & Wastewater and includes underdrain systems, submerged sludge collectors

(Leopold CT 2) and floating sludge collec-tors (Leopold Clari-Vac).

The Leopold Type S underdrain is ideal for designs requiring longer laterals, while the Type SL features a lower profile, mak-ing it well suited to shallow filters, where greater media depth is desired. Both are made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) for strength and corrosion resistance and are lightweight

for easy handling. The underdrain sys-tems are quick to install, sav-ing both time and manpower.

The underdrain sys-tem is suitable for operating in conjunction with existing filter controls and backwash systems and is ideal for installation when refurbishing existing filter beds and structures. Both the S and SL underdrain technologies are developed for superior air sourcing and water backwash per formance, making them truly ‘universal’.

The Leopold CT2 is a submerged sludge collector that uses a simple differential head to remove sludge from the basin. It is automatic, simple and cost-effec-tive, dealing with residuals, offering low

Innovative and cost-effective rapid gravity media filtration and clarification solutions are now available from Leopold, which has pioneered and acquired a number of unique technologies used for improving water quality.

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The main aim of the study was to determine the state of the health and integrity of rivers within the eThekwini Municipality area and to

provide a management implementation plan for an aquatic bio-monitoring programme.

In an operational context, the term bio-monitoring is used to refer to the gathering of biological data in both the laboratory and

the field, for the purpose of making some sort of assessment or determining whether regulatory standards and criteria are being met in aquatic ecosystems.

The water-quality-based approach to pollu-tion assessment requires different types of data. Bio-monitoring techniques such as rapid bio-assessment protocols (e.g. SASS) are best used for detecting aquatic impairments

and assessing their relative severity. Once impairment has been detected, however much additional chemical and biological tox-icity is the source of it, appropriate remedial action is implemented to mitigate the impact. Following mitigation or management actions, bio-monitoring is important to evaluate the effectiveness of such control measures. Bio-monitoring may be used within a planning

Health and integrity of rivers within eThekwinieThekwini Municipality has undertaken an extensive aquatic biomonitoring study of all the rivers within its area of jurisdiction. Approximately 200 sites were sampled during both the wet and dry seasons.

and management framework to prioritise water quality problems for more stringent assessments and to record and document environmental recovery following manage-ment action and rehabilitation activities.

In terms of the National Water Act (No. 36 of 1998), all water users are required to register their water use and make application for a water use licence. One of the require-ments of any water use licence, whether it is for water storage, water abstraction, water discharge, etc., is that the water user must implement a monitoring programme, which is defined as: “A programme for taking regular measurements of the quantity and/or qual-ity of a resource, waste or wastewater dis-charge, at specific intervals and at specific locations to determine the chemical, physical and biological nature of the water resource, waste or wastewater discharge”.

Municipal agencies have a social responsi-bility to ensure that resources are preserved and used responsibly to ensure sustain-ability. The public is no longer ignorant of environmental issues and information shar-ing concerning problem areas allows for the sharing of responsibility and buy-in from the public. The cost-effective collection of important environmental information, which is easily understood by the layman, can best be done through a scientifically designed, long-term bio-monitoring programme.

The purpose of the National Water Act (No. 36 of 1998) is to ensure that the national water resources are protected, used, developed, conserved, managed and

controlled. The act provides for the protec-tion of aquatic and associated ecosystems and their biological diversity and the reduc-tion and prevention of pollution and deg-radation of water resources. Furthermore, the National Environmental Management Act (No. 107 of 1998) requires that the environ-mental principles as set out in Section 2 of the act be applied in decision-making. These principles include, for example, the actions required to achieve sustainable development (socially, environmentally and economically) and guide stakeholders in the integrated management of the environment.

The results of the study, using the five-class classification system described in the report, are as follows:• Six sites were classified as in near-natural

condition.• Five sites were near natural – good.• 44 sites were classified as in

good condition.• 12 sites were good – fair.• 23 sites were classified as in fair condition.• 14 sites were fair – poor.• 42 sites were classified as in

poor condition.• 13 sites were poor – very poor.• 16 sites were classified as in very poor

condition.The plan now is to continue this programme, addressing the more critical rivers first, before moving onto the others. It is intended to have both 50 sampling points in the dry season and 50 sampling points in the wet season.

ABOVE Neil Dennis and David Gallagher of eThekwini Water and Sanitation collecting samples from the Umlazi River for the eThekwini Aquatic Bio-monitoring Report



WWT project marks a decade of achievement

The Durban Water Recycling (DWR) plant treats domestic and indus-trial sewage and wastewater to near potable standards for use in indus-

trial processes by high-volume customers, such as Mondi Paper and SAPREF.

“As a water-stressed country, we need initiatives that can assist in preserving our natural water resources. This public-private partnership project is a prime example of how innovative approaches to water resource and environmental management, wastewa-ter treatment technology and institutional arrangements can yield exceptional results. It harnesses the energies of the partners and highlights the potential role that the pri-vate sector can play in water management, treatment and distribution,” says Arnaud Gisclon, managing director, DWR, and deputy managing director, Veolia Water Solutions (VWS) South Africa.

The various stakeholders of this

A wastewater treatment project in Durban that was designed, supplied and commissioned by Veolia Water Solutions and Technologies South Africa celebrates its 10th successful year of operation this year.

public-private partnership include municipal utilities eThekwini Water Services (EWS) and Umgeni Water, the Marubeni Corporation, Khulani Holdings and Zetachem, part of the Omnia Group.

Located in the south of Durban, on the grounds of the EWS sewage water treatment works (SWTW), the 47.5 Mℓ/day capac-ity plant is not only environmentally friendly, but brings significant advantages to all its stakeholders. The potable water that indus-trial consumers previously drew from the municipal system is now redistributed to previously disadvantaged peri-urban commu-nities, without needing to invest in major bulk water supply and treatment infrastructure. The pollution load on the marine environ-ment caused by recycling water that was previously discharged into the sea is also reduced significantly.

The plant employs state-of-the-art water treatment processes and technologies.

Wastewater enters the SWTW, where the EWS carries out various treatment steps. These steps include screening, degritting and primary settling. The effluent from the prima-ry settling tanks, termed feed water, is fed into the activated sludge plant that is oper-ated by VWS South Africa. The feed water undergoes lamella settling in the first of three stages of the Veolia-patented Multiflo® treatment process. To coagulate solids in the feed water, a metal salt is dosed before polymers are added to enhance flocculation.

Thereafter, the flocculated water is fed into lamella settling tanks. As the water leaves this area, it is dosed with polyaluminium chlo-ride to remove residual iron and enhance the filtration process. The dosed water is sent to the dual media filtration stage, where ozonis-ing occurs to break-down remaining non-bio-degradable organic compounds. The water is then polished using activated carbon filters, chlorinated and transported to a storage tank



for distribution to industrial customers. “The production of potable-quality recycled

water from domestic and industrial wastewa-ter to a guaranteed standard is a showcase for advanced water process technology and process engineering,” maintains Gisclon.

VWS has also been awarded a R187 mil-lion contract by the City of Cape Town’s Department of Water and Sanitation to upgrade and extend the treatment capac-ity at Bellville’s wastewater treatment works (WWTW).

With this upgrade, the Bellville plant will feature the largest membrane bio-reactor (MBR) in the country to date; and its capac-ity will increase by 20 Mℓ/day to 70 Mℓ/ day average dry weather flow (ADWF). The 20 Mℓ/ lday MBR will be separate from the existing activated sludge plant. So, during the construction period, the existing plant will not be impacted upon.

In addition, the design and build contract, including all mechanical and electrical works, will see VWS supply a new inlet works for the MBR plant, new biological reactors and six membrane trains. A new sludge dewatering facility will also be supplied, as well as an upgrade of the existing electrical and control systems infrastructure at the Bellville WWTW.

“The water produced has to meet strict

quality requirements with regard to organ-ic matter, virus and bacteria removal and ammonia and suspended solids content. The submerged ultra-filtration membrane technol-ogy will increase capacity while producing excellent quality treated water, which will be reused as process water to industrial and commercial clients in the area,” explains Abrie Wessels, regional general manager, VWS South Africa.

The raw wastewater to the new plant will pass through coarse screens for degritting,

before passing through fine screens and undergoing anaerobic, anoxic and aerobic treatment and ultra-filtration and dewatering of sludge. OTV France, another subsidiary of VWS, will be providing design and commis-sioning support.

Currently in the basic engineering design phase, the plant is due for commissioning in 2013. VWS South Africa will provide training and maintenance support for the first year of operation.

RIGHT A membrane bioreactor plant at an installation in EuropeBELOW RIGHT An aerial view of the Durban Water Recycling plantBELOW An artist’s impression of the planned new membrane bioreactor plant at the Bellville WWTW

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Traditionally hydraulically operated filter presses are used in metallurgi-cal processes and water reclama-tion plants, but these conventional

products are associated with a high risk of contamination from oil and other lubricants during operation. It has become essential to overcome this challenge to protect the envi-ronment and assist mining companies with complying with the ever-tightening environ-mental legislation confronting the industry.

Multotec has developed an environmentally friendly filter press believed to be a world first, in response to the increasingly critical need to recycle wastewater from mining operations in SA; specifically acid mine drainage.

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technical and economic solution, up to and including financing.

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RIGHT The cloth wash system in the Seprotech Rapid Filter Press features spray bars that are permanently installed at the top of every plate

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Delegates who have attended programmes at Dynamic Fluid Control’s advanced valve training facility now number over 500.

Big demand for advanced training

Having been instructed in optimal valve operation, installation and maintenance, the delegates have passed through what is believed

to be the most advanced training room of its kind outside of the United States of America.

The facility was commissioned in July 2009 to support theory with practical demonstra-tion of valve operation and its effects on flow.

End users make up some 65% of delegates to date, with consulting engineers totalling 30%. Resellers make up the balance.

At the heart of the facility lies a reticulate set of closed pipe loops fitted with the full range of DFC valves. Flow and pressure throughout this network can be varied at will, and the loops either isolated or inter-connect-ed to allow demonstration of valve operation.

Delegates are shown the operation of air release and vacuum break valves, as well as control valves during in-line operation.

The performances of air valve accumulators and non-accumulators are compared, and delegates are taught how to operate and set pressure-reducing valves, electronic control valves, pressure relief valves, level control valves and isolating valves.

Instruction includes demonstrations of typi-cal non-return valve slam.

DFC marketing manager, Charl Myburgh, says that delegates from municipalities had found demonstrations of demand manage-ment particularly instructive because of their need to reduce water pressure during periods of low demand.

“If you can reduce the water pressure in reticulation systems when demand dimin-ishes, you are able to minimise water losses caused by leaking pipes,” explains Myburgh.

“Our facility allows simulation of three alternative methods of demand management using variants in the Cla-Val range of control valves: dual-stage pressure reducing, elec-tronic full range pressure reducing and the flow-modulated fully hydraulically controlled pressure-reducing valve,” he continues.

Besides exhibiting the various valves in operation, DFC’s new facility is able to dem-onstrate hydraulic phenomena such as cavi-tation and water-hammer, which delegates can see occurring under controlled condi-tions within sections of transparent pipe.

Delegates can also see how air enters the air valves.

“The digital flow indicators and pressure gauges in the loops create a feel for how hydraulic conditions change in pipelines according to varying demand – in other

words, what happens to the pressure in a water network when the flow changes,” explains Myburgh.

“During a typical training session, we first cover the theoretical operation of the valves and then move across the room to see a live demonstration. In the case of demand man-agement, we induce high flow and observe the pressure; we then reduce the flow to simulate the lower demand which occurs at night and let students see how the valve modulates based on this lower flow to physi-cally seal the loop, all while actually noting read-outs of flow and pressure.

“We can run a typical day’s cycle in five minutes and watch the valve change the flow according to the pressure within the loop.”

Myburgh emphasises that expertise in valve operation and maintenance is as important as knowledge of the products available for any particular application.

“Our new facility can be used for both. It’s a comprehensive capability which we expect to use with increasing frequency,” he maintains.

BELOW DFC’s advanced valve training facility

BLUE AND GREEN DROP


The Department of Water Affairs takes its role as custodian of water resources very seriously and is always exploring ways in which it can facilitate the conserva-

tion and protection of this precious resource. The regulation of wastewater services and drink-ing water quality is done with the core objec-tive of protecting the environment and public health respectively.

The Blue and Green Drop certification pro-grammes are flagship innovations of the depart-ment of Water Affairs. In 2008, as water sector regulator, we introduced this incentive-based

regulation system, the Blue Drop and Green Drop Certification Programmes, to improve municipal drinking water quality and wastewater manage-ment and I am happy to say that our municipali-ties are embracing this approach more and more.

Our standards for drinking water quality are aligned with the best international practice. The latest South African standards currently being revised by a team from the SABS follows interna-tional guidelines as set out by the World Health Organisation (WHO). A team of international water regulators met last week with officials from my department to share best practice information.

59% of water supply systems score more than 50% on Blue Drop evaluationWater services delivery is performed by a number of stakeholders, water services authorities, water boards and service providers across the country. Water is the life-blood of our country - without it there is no life, no economic growth and no development. By Edna Molewa, minister of Water and Environmental Affairs

Edna Molewa, minister of Water and Environmental Affairs


What are the Blue and Green Drop requirements?

BLUE AND GREEN DROP PROFILE

The country’s municipalities have a responsibility to ensure that they provide clean and safe drinking water to their residents.

To ensure that municipalities continue to comply with drinking water and wastewater legislation, the Department of Water Affairs (DWA) in 2008 launched the Blue Drop (for water quality management) and the Green Drop (for waste management) Certification Programme for wastewater care works.

This year’s awards were presented at the 3rd Municipal Water Quality Conference, held in Cape Town from 27 June to 1 July 2011. Tlokwe City Council occupies the first position in the country’s top 10 best per-forming municipalities under the Green Drop category. The municipality also obtained the first place in the Blue Drop category in the North West province and the sixth in the top 10 list of the country.

Tlokwe City Council’s score of 97% for the Green Drop Award saw the municipality beat-ing the metros and all other municipalities to occupy the first spot. Plettenberg Bay’s Bitou Municipality came second with 96.4%.

The two municipalities of Tlokwe and Bitou were earlier this year selected as pockets of excellence in the municipal sec-tor and invited by the Water Information Network – South Africa (WIN-SA) to share critical success factors, good practices and challenges with other municipalities at a workshop the former had hosted. The out-comes of this workshop culminated in the

release and launch of a booklet on the les-sons from Tlokwe and Bitou at the awards conference in Cape Town.

Ben Nell, the chief chemist at Tlokwe City Council, again made a presentation on good practice in wastewater treatment and shared practical lessons with par tici-pants during the conference in Cape Town. According to Nell, the municipality will continue to make itself available to share its experiences and success factors with

all other municipalities in the district that need such engagement.

Tlokwe City Council has also improved its Blue Drop score from 95.11% last year to 96.87% this year. The minimum scores required to obtain the Blue and Green Drops are 95% and 85% respectively. The Blue Drop system itself has stringent conditions that are annually reviewed to

upgrade the standard on an ongoing basis and municipalities are expected to keep on improving every year.

The daily analyses done by municipali-ties are audited by the DWA on a monthly basis to ensure strict compliance to the set criteria.

Apart from the quality of drinking water, var-ious other factors are also assessed, such as the credibility of sample analyses, pro-cess control, maintenance and management

Cleanest water supply and TLOKWE

Tlokwe City Council has, for the third successive year, retained its Blue Drop status and received a Green Drop Award.

Green Drop status implies excellent wastewater management and a respect for the environment and the health of the community at large. In late 2008, the DWA launched a Green Drop Certification Programme for wastewater care works. This initiative is an effort to ensure that municipalities progressively improve their operations so as not to impact negatively on the water bodies into which they discharge their product.

The proposed system aims at awarding water services authorities with Blue and/or Green Drop status if they comply with drinking water and wastewater legislation and other best practices required by the DWA. This incentive-based regulatory approach is a first for South Africa and is internationally regarded as unique in the drinking water regulatory domain.

Green Drop status is given to municipalities that comply with good wastewater discharge standards 90% of the time for the following criteria:• operational staff • wastewater quality monitoring

• wastewater sample analysis • submission of wastewater quality results • wastewater quality compliance • management of wastewater quality failures • storm water management • by-laws • wastewater treatment capacity • publication of wastewater quality performance • wastewater asset management.The Blue Drop Certification Programme aims to see qualifying municipalities receive what is known as Blue Drop status. This status will signal that the town's drinking water is excellent and consumers will be secure in the knowledge that wastewater is managed and discharged in a sustainable, environmentally-acceptable manner. The status will reflect the water regulator and water services authority's level of confidence in the town's drinking water quality management levels per service system in towns and cities.

The two municipalities of Tlokwe and Bitou were earlier this year selected as pockets of excellence in the municipal sector



sewer systems in SAskills, as well as water safety planning pro-cess and incident response management.

A total of 164 municipalities and 914 water supply systems took par t in the Blue Drop 2011 assessments, compared to 153 municipalities and 787 systems in 2010. In addition, 156 municipalities and 821 wastewater systems took par t in the assessment for the current Green Drop Award results.

RIGHT PC Labuschagne, manager of community services; JF Kleinhans; K E Mogoemang, MMC for Infrastructure; I Stoltz, MMC for Community Services; B Nell, chief chemist; L Mafojane; C de Jager; Mathebe Mokae and L Carson at the Blue and Green Drop Awards

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Please provide a background to the City of Cape Town’s record and his-tory of Blue and Green Drop certifica-tion, stating when certifications were first achieved, how they are main-tained and the work and initiatives that take place to maintain the good effort being made in this regard.The City of Cape Town is the water services authority (WSA) in the area and performs the functions of a water services provider (WSP) itself. It also provides bulk drinking water to adjacent local authorities, namely the Drakenstein and Stellenbosch municipalities. The entire water supply system (including the city-owned catchments, dams, 10 water treatment plants, bulk conveyance system and entire distribution system) was assessed for the 2009, 2010 and 2011 Blue Drop performance ratings by the Department of Water Affairs (DWA). The city achieved 100% in the first assessment in 2009 (one of only three municipalities) and scored a 98.2% in the more stringent 2010 assessment. This was the second-highest score achieved by a municipality in the country. The regulator (DWA) in 2010 commented as follows: “The City of Cape Town once again impressed with a remarkable performance, scoring second highest to the City of Johannesburg by a slight fraction of a percentage point. [It is] certainly a world-class drinking water quality manage-ment outfit and therefore thoroughly deserves the Blue Drop certification for a second year in succession”. The WSP constantly strives to improve its performance with respect to water quality management and a Water Safety Plan, including risk assessments, etc., is integrated into its management processes. No major corrective interventions are currently required in terms of this plan, but provision is made in the normal budget allocations to maintain the set standards already achieved.

In 2011, the City of Cape Town once again excelled in the DWA’s now well-established Blue Drop drinking water quality assessment of all municipalities in South Africa. The city received a Platinum Award for having achieved Blue Drop Awards three years in succession for the drinking water quality of its complete water supply system to the metropolitan area. Importantly, the city scored 97.61%, the second-highest score in the country-wide assessment for the second successive year, behind the City of Johannesburg (WSA), Johannesburg Water (WSP) and Rand Water (bulk WSP). Notably, the margin has reduced from 0.2% to only 0.08%. In addition, the city received four other Blue Drop Awards as the bulk provider to areas in the Stellenbosch and Drakenstein local municipalities.

The Blue Drop incentive-based regulation programme endeavours to facilitate and drive continual and sustainable improvement in service delivery and drinking water quality and ensure steadfast coverage of un-serviced areas. The Blue Drop process measures and compares the results of the performance of WSAs and their providers and subsequently rewards (or penalises) the municipality upon evidence of its excellence (or failures) accord-ing to the minimum standards and require-ments that have been defined in the assess-ment process.

It was noted in the 2011 Blue Drop Certification Report: “The Department wishes to congratulate the City for achieving Blue Drop certification for the third year in a row. This in itself is a remarkable achievement”. The lead inspector also noted, inter alia: “Cape Town has again impressed with their commitment to water quality. The systems presented for assessment have generally improved since the last certification cycle and promise to show further improvement in years to come.”

What are the significant water and sanitation service projects currently underway in the City of Cape Town? The city has developed 10-year wastewa-ter, water demand management and bulk water master plans, which are currently under implementation. To enhance the security of water supply, the city has embarked on a Bulk Water Augmentation Scheme, estimated at R1.7 billion, which is currently in the design stage. The project seeks to increase the storage, bulk conveyance and treatment capacities of the water supply system. The project comprises the construction of the Spes Bona and Muldersvlei reservoirs with a capacity of 300 Mℓ each, the Muldersvlei Water Treatment Plant (500 Mℓ/d), pump sta-tion, 30 km of pipeline from Berg River Dam to the Muldersvlei treatment works, 13 km of pipeline from the Muldersvlei treatment works to the Spes Bona Reservoir and a 13 km pipe-line from the Spes Bona Reservoir to the Glen Garry pipeline. Construction of the De Grendel Reservoir and the related pipe links at an esti-mated cost of R57 million will commence dur-ing this financial year. An estimated R99.8 mil-lion will be spent on a water pipe replacement and upgrading programme in the 2011/12 financial year. Environmental sustainability, capacity enhancement and compliance with the DWA wastewater treatment works licence conditions are a priority to the city and as such an estimated R201 million will be spent on upgrading the Bellville Wastewater Treatments Works in the next three years. The design and construction tenders for this project have recently been awarded. R86 million will be spent on the extension of the Zandvliet waste-water works in the next three financial years and R80 million will be spent on the upgrade of various wastewater treatment works in this financial year alone, to improve compli-ance with the licence conditions. A total of

City of Cape Town receives Platinum Award in Blue Drop AwardsIn this year’s Blue Drop Awards, the City of Cape Town was rewarded for achieving Blue Drop status for three consecutive years. Richard Jansen van Vuuren speaks to the city’s director of Water and Sanitation, Philemon Mashoko, about this remarkable achievement.



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R57 million will be spent on the Potsdam wastewater treatment capacity upgrade in the next three years.

How important is asset management in your field – is enough attention and finance steered towards this? Please elaborate.Asset management is central to the city’s water and sanitation business in that it provides a well-thought-out process for the planning, creation, management and decom-missioning of an asset, with the sole objective of ensuring cost-effective, equitable and effi-cient service provision to all residents of Cape Town. Water and sanitation assets must at all times provide services at the required stand-ard, quality and level of service. Besides, in making an effort to meet the requirements of the Blue and Green Drop certification, the city views asset management as imperative and to this end substantial financial resourc-es have been ploughed into asset mainte-nance and creation. The Water and Sanitation Department has embraced the importance of asset management by creating a branch called Engineering Asset Management, which advocates best practice across the business and establishes and monitors asset manage-ment processes. The Water and Sanitation Department has adopted the SALGA, IMESA and National Treasury-approved Best Practice Infrastructure Management Manual as its asset management framework and is currently developing a linkage with the asset module of the SAP system.

What water quality standards does the City of Cape Town adhere to?The quality of water of the city complies with SANS 241, a national SABS standard. In terms of the discharge of domestic and industrial wastewater into the resources, the city designs its wastewater treatment works to comply with the licence conditions imposed by the DWA, as informed by the general authori-sation in terms of Section 39 of The National Water Act (No. 36 of 1998).

What are the consequences of non-compliance?Non-compliance means the city has failed to perform its stewardship function and, besides the possible legal prosecution that the DWA can initiate against it, failure to comply tar-nishes the image of the city and this must be avoided. The city believes in sound govern-ance and makes every effort to manage any

risk that might lead to non-compliance with the regulator’s (DWA’s) requirements.

What measures does the City of Cape Town take to ensure the efficient use of water?The city has two fundamental approaches to the efficient use of water. Firstly, the Bulk Water Branch optimises the use of raw water from the Western Cape system of dams (com-prising dams owned and operated by both the city and the DWA) through its bulk distribution system interlinking the major components of the system to maximise storage and mini-mise overflows during winter by putting more demand on the sub-systems that are filling faster in winter or reducing the demand on those that are falling faster in summer. The operation of the dams as an integrated sys-tem increases the level of assurance of supply to all stakeholders in the region. Secondly,

the city has adopted a comprehensive Water Demand Management and Conservation Strategy, aimed at significantly reducing the city’s water demand on the system. The strategy includes water education awareness programmes, technical interventions such as pressure management, a fixing of leaks programme, installation of water management devices on household meters, substitution of potable water for irrigation with treated effluent and pipe replacement. The city is cur-rently replacing about 50 km of water pipes per annum and this is complemented with pressure reduction, which has the benefit of deferring the need to replace pipes.

What are the roles of consumers in the use of water – how can they be better educated to respect the resource in your opinion?The Blue Drop status certification means the potable water supplied to the citizens of Cape Town has satisfied the DWA auditors that it is of excellent quality and complies with SANS241; excellent quality monitoring systems are in place; the credibility of water sampling and testing is excellent; the opera-tional, maintenance and management staff are adequately skilled; appropriate and adequate risk management and water incident response mechanisms are in place; adequate asset

management is taking place; and the city com-plies with the regulatory performance report-ing. In simple terms, the consumers of water in the City of Cape Town must take pride in the quality of drinking water supplied to them as this is a collective responsibility. There is no need for bottled water in the City of Cape Town. The requirements of the Blue Drop certification are becoming increasingly stringent each year, and the city has matched the change with con-tinual improvement of its water management. Continual improvement means more invest-ment into technology, human resources, sys-tems and asset management, which ultimately means that the water has high economic value and must be conserved. All consumers have a duty to pay for the services rendered to enable the city to fulfil its obligations. Consumers are urged not to pollute water sources, to assist the city in fighting the vandalism of water and sanitation assets and to report any malfunc-tioning assets, pipe bursts and leaks. It is every consumer’s responsibility to save water and stop wastage. A drop of water into the ground means money buried in the ground.

What other measures (apart from the Blue and Green Drop) could in your opinion be taken by the government to assist local and municipal authorities to treat and supply water to exacting standards?Many WSAs inherited huge water and sanita-tion backlogs upon their establishment that are compromising their ability to balance equi-ty and efficiency owing to financial resource constraints and political pressures. It is high time that the national government creates a fund ring-fenced for water and sanitation maintenance and service extension to assist WSAs financially, so making it possible for them to invest their own resources into qual-ity initiatives. The national government must implement a system that establishes the quali-fication and experience requirements of man-agement and technical staff (and not process controllers only) managing WSAs and audit this as part of the Blue Drop, after which a report should be provided to the respective council.

If you think of 20 years from now, how do you see the supply and distribution of water evolving?The increasing scarcity of clean water and the spiralling costs of treating it caused by indus-trial pollution and climate change will define the connectivity texture of the water business with economic development variables.



A drop of water into the ground means money buried in the ground


Situated southeast of Bloemfontein and serving the city’s south-eastern drainage region, Sterkwater WWTW receives and treats mainly sewage of

domestic origin. The works is owned and oper-ated by Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality (then Mangaung Local Municipality).

The WWTW was constructed in 1998, with a design capacity of 10.5 Mℓ/d. The current treatment process is based on the pond enhanced treatment and operation (PETRO) process. The PETRO process integrates oxida-tion ponds with more sophisticated secondary treatment (e.g. biological filters or activated sludge) to produce a high-quality final effluent at reduced operating costs. At Sterkwater, the secondary treatment happens to be by means of an activated sludge plant.

Capacity increaseInflow in the works increased steadily since 2008 as the area it served developed with a significant rise in flow after 2005. By 2008, the flow had increased to approxi-mately 16 Mℓ/d. This was partly due to an earlier project, which was conducted between 2003 and 2006, to eradicate water and sani-tation backlogs in the south-eastern quadrant of Bloemfontein. As a result, many houses received water yard connections and water-borne sanitation – so the flow into the works increased steadily since then. There are also significant leaks on the consumer plumbing and groundwater infiltration into the sewers and this is reflected through measurements of the night flow. The night flow was within 10% of the peak morning flow. As a result of the increased flow, the quality of the effluent deteriorated and the plant did not perform according to standard.

Mangaung Metro appointed BIGEN AFRICA in association with Aurecon for the extension of the works. The scope of works includes the

In 2008, inflow to the Sterkwater WWTW increased steadily and, as a result, the quality of the effluent deteriorated. Garth Flores, civil engineer at BIGEN AFRICA, takes us through the expansion project.

Increasing capacity at Sterkwater WWTW

usual project phases, namely: • completion of a conceptual design• detailed design • tender documentation • contract administration • construction monitoring during implementa-

tion phase of the project. During the conceptual design phase, it was clear that the new infrastructure would be

based on the PETRO process as this was the most cost-efficient solution for the municipal-ity. The final design is based on a duplica-tion of the existing work and will ultimately increase the treatment capacity by 10 Mℓ/d. The estimated construction cost of the entire

ABOVE ClarifierBELOW Bioreactor

BLOEMFONTEIN


project is R41 million, with an estimated con-tract duration of 16 months.

Future projectionsThere are significant developments planned over the next five to 10 years, which will see the addition of approximately 10 000 to 15 000 new stands and accompanying top structures to the catchment area of Sterkwater. While the development is being implemented, Mangaung will need to address the water leaks situation in order to extend the operating conditions before the works requires a further upgrade. The 15-year predicted maximum annual dry weather flow (ADWF) expected to enter the WWTW is 30 Mℓ/d.

Grootvlei Prison will also be diverting its sewage to Sterkwater because it is not able to treat its own waste anymore.

Project phasesMangaung decided to split the project into two contracts: phase I focuses on the civil and structural works and phase II will focus on the mechanical and electrical works.

The detailed design and tenders for the civil works were compiled by BIGEN AFRICA. Aurecon will be responsible for the structural design as well as the design and compilation of tenders for the electrical and mechanical contract. In addition, Aurecon will be respon-sible for the construction monitoring and con-tract administration of both contracts.

The civil and structural works went out to ten-der in December 2010 and was based on the FIDIC Conditions of Contract for Construction – For Building and Engineering Works Designed by the Employer (1st Edition, 1999). Tenders closed in February 2011. Of the 45-odd con-tractors who attended the compulsory briefing sessions, only 12 submitted tenders. By July

2011, the tender had still not been awarded but it is expected that the award of the tender to a successful contractor will have occurred by the time this article appears in print.

The estimate for the civil and structural com-ponent of the works rings in at R31 million, while the mechanical and electrical component is estimated at R10 million. Tenders for the civil and structural work came in at around R25 million and the difference in price is probably owing to contractors competing aggressively for new work as a result of the recession.

Operation of the WWTWOperating issues that have been reported by Mangaung include:• A lack of overflow facility on the ponds

leads to submerged aerators and spillages.• During cold weather (June to August) there

is excessive scum on the biological reactor and secondary clarifier. To counteract this, Mangaung has developed different operat-ing procedures for summer and winter, but even so, the treatment and disposal of the excessive scum is still an issue.

• Theft and operator safety is a problem at the plant and this was pointed out to potential contractors who would be working on site.

• The handling and disposal of rags at the works is also a cause for concern.

• Accommodating approximately 1 500 buck-ets per week is another issue.

New works: civil and structural contractIntake works: The structural layout of the intake works was designed for a future 20 Mℓ/d and so no major structural work is required at the intake works. The works will be modified slightly to accommodate a third Archimedian screw pump.New anaerobic pond: A new anaerobic pond, 5 m deep, will be constructed. The new pond will be constructed by excavation to a general

ABOVE LEFT Outflow measurementABOVE RIGHT Outflow to Renoster Spruit

Extension of Sterkwater Sewage Treatment Plant general layout plan with testpit positions

BLOEMFONTEIN


invert depth of 3 m below the existing natural ground level and by constructing 2 m-high (plus an additional allowance for safe free-board) embankments around the pond. The geotechnical report indicates that the area is underlain by a clay layer 4 to 7 m thick, but that groundwater above the clay layer will be a construction challenge. The pond will have a volume of 25 000 m³.

At this stage the design makes allowance for a future pond that will only be construct-ed once the inflow increases (between five and 10 years).Inlet to and outlet from the pond: New inlet and outlet works to the pond system will be constructed. The inlet and outlet works were designed to accommodate both the new pond and the future pond. The outlet will be an adjustable weir at a fixed outlet box. The outlet box will discharge into a 600 mm Ø concrete pipe. The adjustable weir will be use-ful in controlling the water level in the pond to make allowance for differences between low inflow and high inflow at the works.New activated sludge bio-reactor: The bio-reactor was designed to achieve nitrification and biological de-nitrification to the required standards. Should phosphorous removal become necessary at a future stage, this can be achieved by means of chemical precipita-tion. UCTPHO and BIOWIN were used for the modelling of the new reactor and determining the component's size/capacity.• Bio-reactor size: 41.5 m x 25 m x 4 m

rectangular reinforced concrete structure, which will cater for dedicated anoxic and aerobic zones. A dividing wall and posi-tive overflow will be used to keep the two zones separate.

• Aeration requirements: The following sur-face aerators are proposed: 1 x 75 kW, 1 x 55 kW and 2 x 37 kW. These aerators will be used to supply 60 g O

2/m³.hr.

• Aeration control: Dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration in the aerobic zone will be

monitored by two static DO probes. DO measurements will be recorded on PLC and aerators will be switched on/off in response to the measured concentrations.

• Depending on the budget versus construc-tion cost, variable speed drives may be installed on the aerators. This will be a significant increase in capital outlay but will reduce electrical consumption, decreasing operating costs over the long term.

• Mixed liquor recycle (a-recycle): An a-recycle pump station will be located in the bio-reac-tor and mixed liquor will be pumped over the dividing wall between the anoxic and aerobic zones. Two duty and one standby axial flow pumps are proposed, the capacity of each pump being 290 ℓ/s.

• Recycling of activated sludge (RAS-cycle): Sludge from the secondary clarification tank will be pumped back to the bio-reactor by means of three self-priming centrifugal pumps (two duty and one standby). The capacity of the pumps is 85 ℓ/s. Flow will be measured by means of an electromag-netic flow meter.

• Waste activated sludge (WAS): 173 to 211 m³ of sludge (mass of approximately 790 kg DS) must be harvested each day. Activated sludge will be harvested from the aerobic zone via a submerged pipe fitted with an actuated isolating valve that is con-trolled by a downstream electromagnetic flow meter. WAS will be pumped (via the existing pumps) to the screw pump sta-tion intake and will be routed to the new and existing anaerobic ponds for storage and digestion.

• Scum removal: Free surface flow will be provided between all zones and scum will flow unhindered to the outlet works of the bio-reactor. Scum will be collected by means of a downward opening chan-nel sluice and scum collection chamber. The scum will be pumped (via the existing pumps) to the existing sludge lagoons.

Secondary clarification: Two 30 m diameter secondary clarifiers will be constructed. The clarifiers will have an 8 degree slope and will be fitted with peripheral driven half bridges and an integrated scraper mechanism. Final disinfection: A new 250 m³ chlorine con-tact basin has been included for the disinfec-tion of the clarifier effluent. There is a bypass facility and flow will be measured by means of a rectangular weir. The chlorine dosing will be 60 kg/d for the entire works and the dosing and storage facility is housed in the existing 5 m x 5 m building.

Refurbishment of the existing works The following items at the existing works will need to be refurbished:• supernatant recycle pipeline from sludge

lagoon to inlet works (290 m of 160 mm Ø uPVC pipeline)

• overflow structure of existing (and new) pond – this will be the same structure

• prefabricated wall in anaerobic pond• refurbishment of clarifier 1’s outlet pipe.As mentioned earlier, the entire site is under-lain by a thick clay layer. For the bio-reactor, clarifier and chlorine contact structures, allow-ance has been made to remove the clay layer and construct these structures on an e ngineered soil raft foundation using imported material. The clay is deemed to be a suitable liner for the new ponds, so no allowance was made for synthetic liners.

The main operation cost associated with the extension is electrical consumption. The esti-mated motor sizes total 4 000 kWh/d.

Tecroveer, the current legal patent holder for the PETRO process, has indicated that the cost for using the process is 3% of the con-struction value. This still needs to be verified and confirmed by Mangaung Metro.

The contract is expected to start in September 2011 and end by December 2012.

ABOVE LEFT Outflow measurementABOVE RIGHT Outflow to Renoster Spruit

BLOEMFONTEIN


BLOEMFONTEIN

Having commenced on 6 September 2010, the upgrade of roads and storm water was commissioned by Mangaung Local Municipality

to improve access for residents and road users, and forms part of a three-year contract between the municipality and Aurecon.

The project is divided into two contracts, namely Contract T0915A and Contract T0915B, and is broken down into specific areas, as follows:• Contract T0915B consists of the construc-

tion of Mathambo, Phale and Mojatau streets. An additional street, Makhonofane Street, was made available by the munici-pality and the tender was awarded to Razzmatazz Trading and Investments in 2011.

• Contract T0915A consists of the construc-tion of Man Rd 797 as well as Man Rd 1079, which comprises Tsuene, Sejake and Thera Lekota streets.

Scope of worksThe initial cost of the project was R3 723 862.14 (incl. VAT) for Contract A and R9 512 224.96 for Contract B, but due to unforeseen circumstances, such as the groundwater problem on Man Rd 1079 and the extensions of time granted, the cost of the project escalated to R4 494 197.43 for Contract A and R11 774 177.98 for Contract B.

The scope of works executed on the project is as follows:• The removal of existing gravel/road

Service delivery excellence in BloemfonteinThere was an urgent need to rehabilitate and construct roads within and around Bloemfontein, as an improvement in infrastructure would improve the quality of the streets and therefore the quality of life for residents.

material to various depths below the exist-ing road level, the stockpiling of selected material to be reused at an approved stockpile area and disposal of the spoil material in an appropriate manner.

• The construction of pavement layers, namely roadbed preparation, selected fill, sub-base and base layers 150 mm thick, at specifications varying from G7 to C4 classification – compacted from 93 to 98% modified AASHTO density.

• Application of a single-seal Cape slurry road 7 m wide with kerbs and concrete channels on either side of the road.

CONTRACT T0915AWARD LOCATION STREETWard 12 JB Mafora Man Road 797Ward 15 Kagisanong Tsuene Street/Man

Road 1079

CONTRACT T0915BWARD LOCATION STREETWard 3 Bochabela Mathambo StreetWard 14 Rocklands Mojatau Street/Phale StreetWard 13 Rocklands Makhonofane Street

LEFT Man Rd 1079 Thera Lekota StreetBELOW Man Rd 797 before construction


BLOEMFONTEIN

PROJECT FAST FACTSCLIENT Mangaung Local MunicipalityCONSULTANTS AureconCONTRACTOR: T0915A

Umvezi Contractors

CONTRACTOR: T0915B

Razzmatazz Trading and Investment 19

SUPPLIERS: T0915A • Q Civils: Cape seal works• ROCLA: storm water pipes• Incledon: sewer pipes• 3Sixty: storm water pipes• LaFarge: gravel

SUPPLIERS: T0915B • ROCLA: storm water pipes• 3Sixty: storm water pipes

and kerbs• Corobrick: bricks• RSC: steel reinforcing• Perfect Pipes• Blitz Beton: ready-mix

concrete and kerbsMATERIALS USED IN THE CONSTRUCTION

• Gravel (approved from in situ source or quarry)

• Cement/lime• Bricks• Reinforced steel (mesh)• Prefabricated storm water

structures • Conduit pipe• Manhole and catch pit

covers• Concrete pipe culverts • In situ concrete kerbs

and channels

• Construction of storm water drainage structures.

• Application of sur facing to road intersections.

• Cleaning up of the road and road reserve and installation of road markings and traf-fic signalling.

• Cleaning up of existing (silted up) storm water structures.

• Relocation of some existing services.• Remedial work, such as road patches.• Application of surfacing to some road

intersections.

Construction delaysInitially, the project duration was set at six months. The commencement date for the two contracts was 9 September 2010 and the estimated completion date was set for

29 March 2011. However, owing to the heavy rains that were experienced in Bloemfontein late last year and early this year, construc-

tion could not commence as planned and some delay was experienced. As a result of this and other minor delays, the contractual completion dates have been changed to 3 August 2011 for Contract A and 19 August 2011 for Contract B.

BELOW LEFT Makhonofane Street- StormwaterBELOW RIGHT Man Rd 797- Base LayerRIGHT Mathambo Street

On 6 September 2010, the upgrade of roads and storm water was commissioned by Mangaung Local Municipality


BLOEMFONTEIN

The existing minibus taxi facilities in the Bloemfontein CDB make provi-sion for approximately 200 taxis, but there is a need for more than

700 taxi bays. This resulted in the estab-lishment of a number of informal ranking areas, which are overcrowded, unhygienic and unsafe, with taxis queuing on the main streets to gain access to the facilities and seriously restricting traffic flow and mobil-ity. There is also limited integration among

Approximately 50 000 passengers move through the greater Mangaung area on the south-eastern part of the Bloemfontein CBD area on a daily basis. To address the problem of congestion, an intermodal transport facility was proposed.

The Mangaung intermodal public transport facility

the different public transport modes within the area.

The lack of a proper integrated approach results in passengers having to cross several busy streets and negotiate areas without proper pedestrian facilities. To address these problems, a R380 million intermodal transport facility was proposed, which makes provision for sufficient capac-ity, and involves the linking/integrating of the main public transport termini (Central

Park Bus Station, Russell Square minibus taxi terminus and the Bloemfontein Railway Station) through improved pedestrian con-nections. This 50 000 m² multi-storey concrete building will include ranking and holding facilities for local transport, formal and informal retail as well as manage-ment offices. A formal holding area for minibus taxis will be provided at Bastion Square to accommodate the over flow of minibus taxis.

IMPROVING ACCESS, EASING TRAFFIC FLOW

INTERMODAL TRANSPORT FACILITY: LOCATION AND BUDGETLocation: The intermodal public transport facility is situated within the south-eastern part of the Bloemfontein CBD, with the heart of the facility bordered by St Andrew Street to the north, Hanger Street to the west, Harvey Road to the east and St George Street to the south.Budget: The total budget for the intermodal public transport facility (excluding the retail component) is R 48.2 million. This includes site investigations, land expropriations, professional fees, civil works, escalations and supervision during construction. Preliminary studies, investigations and conceptual designs have been completed at a cost of R3 963 573.

Source: 2010 Business Plan: Mangaung Local Municipality


Aurecon provides engineering, management and specialist technical services for government and private sector clients globally. The group has been involved in projects

The group’s broad-based resource pool enables it to provide both core engineering services ranging from civil, electrical and mechanical, structural and transportation engineering through to infrastructure asset management and programme and project management.

Aurecon’s commitment to invest and allocate resources and skills aims to improve the quality of life of the communities in which we operate. This ranges from sophisticated, high-tech solutions to the provision of basic services in rural areas. The group also fosters job creation by focusing on core infrastructure development such as water, roads, electricity, sanitation, and housing, which are aimed at revitalising and sustaining cities and towns.

For more information contact us at tel: +27 12 427 2000 or email: [email protected]

Liveable cities, resilient communities

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Expertise:

BLOEMFONTEIN

Difficulties during constructionOwing to practical and operational con-straints during the major concrete work, two tower cranes with a reach of 60 m had to be positioned inside the building footprint and construction had to take place around the cranes. Once the work was completed, the cranes were dismantled and removed and the remaining openings closed up. This difficult operation was per formed within a tight time constraint using a 450 t mobile crane, which certainly caught the public’s

PROJECT TEAMEngineers Vela VKE Consulting Engineers

KV3 Consulting EngineersWSP AfricaMichael Moore and Associates

Quantity surveyors

Rubiquant Quantity Surveyors and Limco Quantity Surveyors (JV)

Main contractor

RSI Intermodal Construction (comprising Ruwacon, Sanyati Engineering Central and Ikaheng)

Architects Incline Architects

attention. The two tower cranes were dis-mantled and on their way back to Gauteng within four days.

The Mangaung intermodal public transport facility – one of the biggest projects under-taken by Bloemfontein’s local municipality in recent years – has already become a well-known landmark and both the public and those involved in the construction look forward to the final completion of the pro-ject. The project, which commenced in May 2009, will be completed during 2011.


BLOEMFONTEIN

Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality recently commissioned the upgrade of bulk sewage systems in Bloemfontein, including the North-Eastern WWTW (Sunnyside), the Bloemspruit Sewer Mains and Collector, the Estoire Sewer Mains and the Grassland Sewer Mains. IMIESA takes a closer look at these projects.

Upgrade of Mangaung sewage systems

Owing to the significant growth in property development, the north-eastern sanitation upgrade in Bloemfontein was essential. This

phenomenon is especially prevalent in the areas surrounding the eastern suburbs of Bloemfontein, where there are various developments currently being planned. The bulk sewer mains are absolutely critical owing to the growth in development on the north-eastern side of Bloemfontein and will relieve some of the capacity from the cur-rently overloaded Bloemspruit WWTW.

The sewer mains will be connected to the proposed new North-Eastern WWTW (N-E WWTW). The existing Bloemspruit WWTW is overloaded and needs upgrading in order to cater for the treatment of present and future

wastewater from the city. The position of the new N-E WWTW allows for the diversion of sewage from the existing Bloemspruit works to the new works, which would further allow the required refurbishment and main-tenance at the present Bloemspruit WWTW.

Engineering, management and special-ist technical services group Aurecon, in association with Phethogo Consulting Engineers, was appointed by the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality as consultant for the upgrade of bulk sewage systems in Bloemfontein.

The position of the new N-E WWTW allows for the diversion of sewage from the existing Bloemspruit works to the new works

ABOVE Areas covered by this project


BLOEMFONTEIN

TABLE 1: SUB-AREA A: DRAINAGE AREASSINGLE RESIDENTIAL GENERAL RESIDENTIAL TOTAL DRAINS TO NODEUnits ADWF Units ADWF ADWF

Sub-area Description ℓ/day/unit Total kℓ/day ℓ/day/unit Total kℓ/day kℓ/dayA1 Remainder of Noordstad 0 900 0 138 600 83 82.8 A1A2 Hillside 2830 Phase 3 37 900 33 183 600 110 143.1 A1A3 Hillside 2830 Phase 1 & 2 39 900 35 734 600 440 475.5 A1A4 Remainder of Hillside 2830 136 900 122 678 600 407 529.2 A1A5 Roderick Park 2032 33 900 30 167 600 100 129.9 A1A6 Douglas Valley 260 230 900 207 285 600 171 378.0 A1A10a North of Normandie Avenue 174 900 157 737 600 442 598.8 A1A9a Douglas Valley Plots 9 & 10 0 900 0 240 600 144 144.0 A2A9c Portion of Douglas Valley 57 900 51 283 600 170 221.1 A2A9b Roderick Park Plots 2 & 5 236 900 212 150 600 90 302.4 A3A9d Portion of Roderick Park 78 900 70 388 600 233 303.0 A3A11 Roderick Park 2834 34 900 31 168 600 101 131.4 B2A12 Area in De Bloem smallholdings 30 900 27 151 600 91 117.6 C2A13 Estoire north of Tibbie Visser 527 900 474 2636 600 1 582 2 055.6 C2- Noordhoek pump station - - - - - - 458 B1

TABLE 2: SUB-AREA B: ESTOIRE DRAINAGE AREA SINGLE RESIDENTIAL GENERAL RESIDENTIAL TOTAL DRAINS TO NODEUnits ADWF Units ADWF ADWF

Sub-area Description ℓ/day/unit Total kℓ/day ℓ/day/unit Total kℓ/day kℓ/dayA14 Estoire 1 238 900 1 114 6 282 600 3 769 4 883 C6

TABLE 3: SUB-AREA C: GRASSLANDS PHASE 1 DRAINAGE AREASINGLE RESIDENTIAL GENERAL RESIDENTIAL TOTAL DRAINS TO NODEUnits ADWF Units ADWF ADWF

Sub-area Description ℓ/day/unit Total kℓ/day ℓ/day/unit Total kℓ/day kℓ/dayA16 Portion of Shannon 1 225 900 1 103 6 218 600 3 731 4 834 D2

TABLE 4: BLOEMSPRUIT WWTW OVERFLOWSINGLE RESIDENTIAL GENERAL RESIDENTIAL TOTAL DRAINS TO NODEUnits ADWF Units ADWF ADWF

Sub-area Description ℓ/day/unit Total kℓ/day ℓ/day/unit Total kℓ/day kℓ/dayA15 Racecourse 347 900 312 1 758 600 1 055 1 367 D1

Bloemspruit overflow - - - - - - 15 000 BS

The preliminary design of the project was completed through a desktop study, taking all the areas earmarked for development in the drainage area of the new N-E WWTW into consideration. Where the actual number of residential units of developments was not available, an estimate was done based on previous experience and realistic develop-ment densities that could be achieved in the relevant areas.

Phased implementation of outfall sewer mains A phased implementation of the provision of sanitation services to the areas as described below is proposed. This consists of a first phase of bulk outfall sewer pipes to the new

N-E WWTW. The proposed pipes should be sufficient to cater for the drainage of the areas adjacent to Andries Pretorius Street where development has been approved, as well as full drainage of the Estoire area and of Grasslands Phase 1. An overflow bulk pipe to cater for a maximum flow of 15 Mℓ/d from the overloaded Bloemspruit WWTW to the new N-E WWTW is also proposed.

The second phase consists of the drain-age of the remaining areas north of Andries Pretorius Street and the Grasslands Phase 2 outfall sewer. A third phase (long term) could consist of a bulk outfall pipe to cater for the complete removal/decommissioning of the Bloemspruit WWTW to be rerouted to the new N-E WWTW.

Development of phase 1 Drainage areas This phase will consist of two main areas: sub-areas A and B and the drainage areas are indicated in the tables above:

The outfall pipe from the existing Noordhoek pump station is required to drain all effluent reaching the pump station towards the new N-E WWTW, eliminating the need for a pump station and relieving some pressure on the existing Bloemspruit WWTW. The current average flow from the Noordhoek pump station is 0.458 Mℓ/d.

The pipeline from A1 to C3 varies in diame-ter from 300 t o 350 mm and the capacity of this pipeline is 135 ℓ/s. The capacity of the pipe is sufficient to drain the total section


BLOEMFONTEIN

of sub-area A, including the area between Andries Pretorius Street and the railway line.

The pipeline from C3 to C8 is proposed even-tually to convey effluent from the full develop-ment of area A14 (Estoire). The pipe from C3 to

C4 has a capacity of 64 ℓ/s and is sufficient to convey effluent from the Noordhoek pump sta-tion, as well as approximately 40% of the total flow from areas A1 to A13. It is proposed that for the second phase the connection between C3 and C4 be terminated and node C3 be con-nected with node E6, draining with a new 450 mm pipe and eventually draining to the new N-E WWTW. The capacity of pipe C3 to C4 will have to be monitored to determine when this phase will be necessary.

The capacity of the first phase of the new N-E WWTW will be designed for an average flow of 15 Mℓ/d.

The construction of the bulk outfall pipes is currently taking place. The approval of the N-E WWTW is currently in the EIA phase. It is expected that the outcome of the EIA process will be known by the end of August 2011.

Second phaseFurther phases will be constructed as the need arises, probably in around five to 10 years. The work required is as follows: • Construction of pipelines E1 to E2 serving

Pipe route

The capacity of the fi rst phase of the new N-E WWTW will be designed for an average fl ow of 15 Mℓ/ d


BLOEMFONTEIN

North & North Eastern Development areas

area A7, E3-E4-C13 serving area A8, C3 to E4 (termination of connection between C3 and C4 discharging effluent upstream from C3 when pipeline C3 to C4 has reached its full capacity); pipe sizes range between 200 mm to 525 mm.

• Construction of additional outfalls from Grasslands Phase 2 (F1 to W1). Pipe sizes range between 200 and 600 mm diameter.

• Extending the capacity of the WWTW as required (approximately an additional 37.5 Mℓ/d). This will provide capacity to treat all effluent from phase 1 and phase 2, which will be the remaining portions of Dealesgift and Grasslands Phase 2. The total capacity of the WWTW will then be 52.5 Mℓ/d.

Possible third phase The third phase will consist of the convey-ance of the remaining effluent from the Bloemspruit WWTW to the new N-E WWTW. This can be a complete long-term sce-nario should the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality decide to decommission the existing Bloemspruit WWTW.

The pipeline BS to W1 will consist of pipe diameters ranging from 750 to 825 mm.

The N-E WWTW will be upgraded with an additional 37.5 Mℓ/d (approximately), bring-ing the total treatment capacity to 90 Mℓ/d.

Taking all the anticipated phases into consideration, it is important that the ser-vitudes registered at the beginning of the project make provision for all the future phases. The servitudes for the pipeline BS to W1 should be wide enough to accommo-date three pipes to cater for all the possible future phases.


BLOEMFONTEIN

One such development is the De Hoek rising main, which forms part of the Caledon-Bloemfontein bulk water scheme that augments pota-

ble water, mainly to Bloemfontein, Edenburg, Reddersburg, De Wetsdorp and Wepener, and in extreme events to Botshabelo and Thaba Nchu. This rising main is the only rising main connecting the water purification works at Welbedacht Dam to this bulk water scheme, so failure on this line will result in water shortages throughout its service areas.

Corrosion damage had caused severe damage in the upper section of the pipeline.

Inadequate air intake also posed a problem in the event of a pump or power failure. A R16.3 million upgrade of the rising main will improve air removal and provide air intake in the event of a pump failure. The structural integrity of the pipeline will be reinstated in the damaged sections in order to extend the life of the pipeline.

The project consists of the following works on the 1.2 m diameter De Hoek rising main:• installation of 23 air valves and

related pipe specials in new and existing chambers

• construction of 10 new air valve chambers

• installation of a new check valve and related pipe specials and a new check valve chamber

• installation of two new surge anticipation valves

• internal pipeline assessment of the bitu-men lining and corrosion on the exposed steel sections

• repair of the internal bitumen lining• repair and reinstatement of the structural

integrity of the corrosion-affected areas.Construction on the upgrade project com-menced on 17 May 2011 and is expected to be completed on 20 March 2012.

The continuation of effective service delivery at Bloem Water is dependent on sound asset management and timely investment in infrastructure development in the proactive anticipation of future water demands and expectations.

‘Blue’ gold


WASTE

The increasing focus on green practic-es and energy-efficiency has resulted in the emergence of global ‘green washing’ with its inherent unsubstan-

tiated, or misleading, claims about the envi-ronmental benefits of products or materials. As a result, it has become necessary to delve deeper into the manufacturing processes of materials to distinguish the truth from fiction in this regard.

The ability to incorporate recycled and indus-trial by-products into the concrete masonry manufacturing process not only reduces the embodied energy of the units significantly, but also has immense environmental benefits. It decreases the demand for non-renewable resources by reducing the amount of virgin aggregates to be sourced.

Secondary energy consumption generated by long-distance transport of aggregates from quarries to manufacturing plants can be reduced by using locally available building rubble. It also eases the pressure on landfill sites by decreasing the amount of rubble and waste material to be transported to, and dumped at, landfill sites. Concrete masonry manufacturing plants also have the unique ability to become zero-waste manufacturing

sites by recycling their own manufacturing waste back into the process.

In addition, any so-called ‘green’ material should be evaluated against its ability to con-tribute towards the overall sustainable future of South Africa. In order to do that, one needs to consider that true sustainability is the result of a balance between environmental, economic and social factors.

The inherent cost-effective, durable and low-maintenance qualities of concrete masonry have long since rendered it the material of choice for the South African context. The labour-intensive nature of concrete block-laying provides the opportunity to create numerous jobs in the unskilled labour market – all of which contribute towards social and economic sustainability.

The thermal mass quality of concrete fur-ther provides it with the ability to improve environmental sustainability by aiding passive climate control design. From this perspec-tive, it is clear that concrete masonry is an inherently ‘green’ material and ideally suited to improving sustainability in South Africa.

Concrete masonry housingConcrete masonry housing has immense environmental benefits, writes Adéle de Lange, human settlements technical marketing consultant at the Cement & Concrete Institute.

ABOVE Recycled concrete can be incorporated into the concrete masonry manufacturing process

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WOMEN IN ENGINEERING PROFILE

What prompted you to study engineering? I wish I had discovered a unique gift or talent at the age of 17 that would have allowed me to choose a life-absorbing career, but the truth is, my decision to become a civil engineer was more a gamble, based on an inkling that I had an affinity for construction and buildings. This feeling could have come from a deep-seated love of playing with Lego and building unstable structures to see how long they would stand. It was my older sister who helped me shape this idea by putting me in contact with a var-sity friend studying civil engineering.

What did you study at a tertiary level prior to your first position as an engineer?I studied a BSc. Eng. (Civil) at the University of Durban-Westville. I was fortunate to have received an award from the United Nations Educational and Training Programme for South Africa (UNETPSA) for two years and a USSAS scholarship for a further two years.

What was your first industry-specific position?I started my career as an engineer in train-ing in the Traffic Department of Keeve Steyn Consulting Engineers (now Goba) in Gauteng. At the time of my joining the company, the traffic department was involved in many toll road projects throughout the country. This involved modelling the road network using SATURN, a meso-level modelling programme. I gained different levels of exposure to the modelling process while working on projects such as the Bakwena N1/N4 Platinum Toll Highway, N2 George to Knysna Model and the R300 Cape Metropolitan Model.

Have you worked as an engineer internationally?In May 2002, I moved to Ireland with my husband and worked for the National

Making a contribution to people’s livesIMIESA profiles a select few women who are making a difference in the world of engineering. In this profile, Rochelle Rajasakran, a traffic and transportation engineer at Goba, discusses her career and aspirations for the future.

Roads Authority, Cork County Council for two years. I happened to be the only traffic engineer in the office located in Glanmire. I became involved in micro-simulation model-ling, which was a relatively new, innovative modelling procedure. I used the PARAMICS software package which uses car following, lane changing and gap acceptance algo-rithms to model the individual behaviour of vehicles on the road network. I used the software to evaluate complex network geom-etry that could not otherwise be analysed using traditional software packages. The main focus of my studies was the phased upgrading of the N25 South Ring Road, a dual carriageway carrying and distributing the majority of Cork County’s local and regional traffic, while bypassing the city centre. I evaluated design proposals for the Kinsale Road Roundabout (a signalised, five-lane, five-legged roundabout), Dunkettle Interchange and other major roundabouts/junctions on the Ring Road.

As a traffic engineer at Goba, please outline your job specification.I am currently a senior traffic and trans-portation engineer at Goba, specialising in micro-simulation modelling – still a rela-tively new technique in South Africa. I used the AIMSUN micro simulation software to model the N1 Rivonia Road Interchange to 14th Avenue, part of the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project. I was able to con-clusively test complex network geometry and interchange configurations, generally difficult to assess using traditional analysis tools. The modelling aided significantly in the refinement of interchange designs and in the identification of bottlenecks gener-ated through design inadequacies. Besides traffic modelling and other investigative studies, my duties include project manage-ment, procurement of work and manage-ment of staff.

What projects are you currently involved with? With government spending focussed on improving public transport infrastructure, I have found myself working on more public transport projects over the last three to four years.

What drives you to be an engineer?By the very nature of our profession, we are given the opportunity to make a contribution to people’s lives, to shape the world around us and to improve living conditions on our planet. Providing a safe, affordable and effi-cient public transport system, such as the IRPTN, affects the way in which people travel and ultimately live.

If you weren’t an engineer, what would you be?I would love to be involved in organic farming or teaching women the basics of sustain-able community farming. I quite love grow-ing things, something that I inherited from my mother.

What aspirations do you have for your future in the engineering fraternity?Working hard in the present moment means that the future takes care of itself. But, for the engineering fraternity as a whole, I hope that we learn to be proud of who we are and are inspired to greater action by the words contained in The Credo of the African Engineer.

ABOVE Rochelle Rajasakran with a happy train commuter


What prompted you to study engineering? During my primary and secondary schooling I enjoyed the maths and science subjects more than any others and after discussions with my secondary school guidance counsellor and fellow engineers in my family, I knew I would pursue a career in engineering.

What did you study at a tertiary level prior to your first position as an engineer? Bachelor of Technology: Chemical Engineering.

What was your first industry-specific position? Chemical engineer at Eskom.

Have you worked as an engineer internationally? Yes. In 2007 I was seconded to Black & Veatch, an American engineering company that was awarded the project and construction management contract by Eskom for Kusile Power Station. During my period in the USA I worked with senior and specialist chemical engineers on projects that were based in the USA. The projects included designs of water and wastewater treatment plants, including chemical handling systems. Further to design work, I also visited operating and new-build power stations.

What was the first major project you were involved with? In 2005, I was involved in the conceptual designs for the water treatment plants for the open cycle gas turbine plants at Mossel Bay and Atlantis. These were two new-build gas stations that required demineralised water for their processes. The design comprised the used of reverse osmosis membranes for the production of demineralised water using potable water. Apart from the completion of the concept design, my responsibilities fur-ther involved the completion of the station’s water balance, compilation of the technical evaluation criteria required for the evalua-tion of tenders received, tender evaluation, contract award, and finally, the monitoring of


MARLIZE ANDREWhat prompted you to study engineering?I was fascinated by aeroplanes and, on doing some research, I found that there is a height restriction on pilots. As I am only 1.56 m tall, I did not qualify. I resolved then that if I could not fly them, I would build them. I applied for bursaries in mechanical engineering and was successful in securing a bursary from Eskom – and have been working for them ever since.

What did you study at a tertiary level prior to your first position as an engineer?B Eng Mechanical.

What was your first industry-specific position?A milling plant system engineer at Arnot Power Station.

What memories do you have from the beginning of your career?When stationed at a power station in the middle of nowhere you get a real feel of com-munity. In the first year of working I worked 12-hour shifts operating the plant. When I left Arnot Power Station to go to the head office, by boss told me that everybody thought he was mad to appoint a girl to be the system engineer of the milling plant because, to put it bluntly, it is a very dirty job. You get full of pulverised coal or grease or lubrication oil

The dynamic dynamos of EskomIn this profile, three women from Eskom reveal their ambitions and achievements in a male-dominated industry.

basically every day. But I enjoyed every minute of it! It set the base of the knowledge that I have today on power plants.

What is your current position with Eskom?Discipline manager: Low Pressure Services Engineering.

What projects are you currently involved with? • Medupi Power Station and Kusile Power

Station: The two new coal-fired power stations that we are building. We face many chal-lenges every day as these are currently the largest construction projects in South Africa.

• Ingula Power Station: This is the new hydro power plant that we are building (the big-gest one in the Eskom fleet).

• Sere Wind Farm: a commercial 100 MW wind farm that will be constructed in the Western Cape.

• Concentrated Solar Plant: The first concen-trated solar plant in South Africa.

If you weren’t an engineer you would be….Nothing else?! I have asked myself that ques-tion many times and the only thing I can say is that if I could not practise in the field then I would teach people about the profession.

NALINI MOODLEY



contractor deliverables. I was also involved during the commissioning stage of the water treatment plants.

What memories do you have from the beginning of your career? I think one of my early memories was when I was employed as an in-service trainee at Umgeni Water. There I met two senior female engineers who were excelling in their careers. As a young female engineer I often ques-tioned whether the engineering environment, which was predominantly occupied by men, was the right field to be in. This question slowly dissipated after exposure to the senior female engineers. I was motivated by the fact that they worked hard, found their space in the organisation and were recognised for their professional and valuable input. They were definitely good role models for me.

What is your current position with Eskom? Currently, I am employed as discipline man-ager: Chemical Engineering in an acting capacity.

What projects are you currently involved with?In 2006, I was appointed as the lead engi-neer for Kusile Power Station Package 17: Water Treatment Plant. This position was really a stepping stone in my career and helped me grow as an engineer. I have been involved in the project from the conceptual design stage, through the contract award and now in the execution.

What qualifications do you currently hold? Bachelor of Technology: Chemical Engineering (ML Sultan Technikon); Bachelor of Science (Honours): Water Utilisation (University of Pretoria); Practical Project Management (University of South Africa); and I am cur-rently completing my master’s in business administration at the Gordon Institute of Business Science.

Describe the role engineers play in social development and how this role will evolve over the next 50 years.Engineers have an essential role to play in social development in South Africa, but more so worldwide. With close to half of the world’s 6 billion people living on less than US$2 a day, one of the biggest challenges our planet faces is poverty alleviation. Poverty is not

only about the lack of wealth in monetary terms, but also the denial of various choices and opportunities that are basic to human development. Climate change is going to push us into thinking out of the box and being more innovative.

If you weren’t an engineer you would be…A journalist for a travel television channel.

TUMISANG PENELOPE MAPHUMULO

What prompted you to study engineering? When I was in standard 9 (grade 11), my mom researched career paths that were in demand in the 90s and she found that there were very few women in the engineering sector. She fell in love with profession and convinced me to study engineering instead of accounting.

What did you study at a tertiary level prior to your first position as an engineer?When I started my studies post matric, I was studying engineering at the Wits Technicon. In 2000, I was awarded a scholarship to do a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours): Electrical and Electronic at the Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP) in Malaysia. I completed my studies in June 2004.

What was your first industry-specific position?I was appointed as an engineer in train-ing in the Eskom department then called Transmission Technology. I was training on all high-voltage substation equipment but my main focus was on high-voltage overhead

transmission lines.

Have you worked as an engineer internationally?In October 2010, I was selected to be part of a team that conducted technical evalua-tions of Korean and Thai companies that had applied to build high-voltage transmission lines for Eskom. The work done in Korea was a unique experience for me because there are still no women engineers in that country.

What was the first major project you were involved with?The 765 kV backbones scheme is critical for the strengthening of the Eskom transmission network. To incorporate the 765 kV lines at the existing substation, designs were required to relocate the existing 400 kV lines, to make space for the 765 kV substations. I was the design leader for three such projects where transmission lines were to be deviated to accommodate the implementation of the various 765 kV lines. Three transmission lines were relocated to free up space for the con-struction of the Zeus 765 kV substation and one transmission line was relocated to free up space for the construction of the Mercury 765 kV substation. Two lines were deviated to make space for the termination of the Majuba – Umfolozi 765 kV lines at the Majuba Power Station.

What is your current position with Eskom?I am currently the only young black female senior registered professional engineer. I am responsible for the design and optimisation of high-voltage transmission lines.

What projects are you currently involved with?I am currently the design leader for a number of projects. The design leader’s role is to lead and co-ordinate all aspects of design across all engineering disciplines (electrical, mechani-cal and civil). The design leader is involved with the project at all stages (preliminary stud-ies, detailed design and specifications, tender compilation and adjudication and construction and commission). Below is a list of the pro-jects I am responsible for:

Hendrina – Prairie 400 kV line; Prairie – Marathon 400 kV lines; Sigma – Venus 765 kV line; 2 x Hector – Sigma 400 kV lines; route selection for Venus-Sigma-Hector lines and a substation site selection for the Sigma 765/400 kV substation.

WBHO has over 35 years of experience and service to offer in the Roads and Earthworks, Civil Engineering and Building industries. Our commitment, reliability and consistency has led us to be successful on many high profi le projects throughout Southern Africa.

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Campbell joined De Leuw Cather, an international firm of consulting engineers, while studying for a diploma in civil engineering – and ended up becoming a shareholder. She won the Civil Engineering Contractors Award for the most

outstanding student on graduating. Following this, she began study-ing at Wits University for a B. Tech in structural engineering.

Campbell was the first woman in South Africa to be awarded profes-sional status as a professional technologist in structural engineering in 1990. Campbell started a branch in Johannesburg for a Durban firm of consulting engineers, Howells Erskine, and became the man-aging partner of this practice, which she managed for nearly three years. She then started her own consulting engineering practice, Ingrid Campbell and Associates.

In 1998, Campbell joined the Protech Group and in December 1998 moved to Mozambique to start Protech Construções de Moçambique. In 2001 Campbell joined the WBHO Group after working for them as a sub-contractor on their first major project in Mozambique. In 2007, Campbell was deployed to the King Shaka Airport Project where she was responsible for procurement and achieving the BBBEE require-ments for the project. After the completion of these tasks, she was assigned to managing the group’s scorecard and the employment equity DG review for the WBHO Group. This is the position she cur-rently holds.

What was the first major project you were involved in? I designed and carried out supervision on the Chartwell shopping centre in Umhlanga, the Natal Sharks board, and the Victoria bus station between the bridges in Warwick Triangle, all in Durban. I also designed the bridge at Salt Rock and did design work for the Health & Racquet Club in Chatsworth. In Johannesburg, I did the design for the MSC head office on Grayston Drive.

What other memories do you have from the beginning of your career? I loved working for consultants, having the balance of office design and also being heavily involved onsite. The best and most exciting part of every project was working with different teams of contractors, architects, etc. No construction job is ever achieved by any one per-son or company – it is a joint compilation of skills and personalities; and the final product is there for a very long time and a constant

WiEBE award category winnerIngrid Campbell*, group scorecard manager at WBHO, discusses her career in Mozambique and South Africa.

reminder of associated problems and triumphs. Every person, from a shutter hand or painter to the architect or engineer, will pass by after project completion and reflect on ‘their building.”

What has been the most significant project challenge to date and how did you overcome this? Every project has a different set of challenges, which makes engi-neering so enjoyable, although gender issues still feature after 33 years! I think that my biggest achievement was moving on my own, with two small boys and two dogs, to Mozambique and starting a

construction company. It was a tough country in 1998, the language was an issue and, when I think back to those days, driving to the Mozal site in an old bakkie looking for work in 45 degree heat, with the risk of contracting malaria and driving across landmines a worry in most areas, I realise how deep I had to dig.

Describe the role engineers play in social development and how this role will evolve over the next 50 years. Engineers are shaping our future on this planet and, as such, have an enormous responsibility. * Campbell has been registered with the Engineering Council of South

Africa for the last 20 years and is also a member of the SA Institute of

Civil Engineers. She is also professionally registered in Mozambique.

No construction job is ever achieved by any one person or company – it is a joint compilation of skills and personalities



What prompted you to study engineering?I was uncertain about what to do as a career and began by eliminating careers I did not wish to do. As I completed science subjects at school I then looked at the science field.

What was your first industry-specific position?I began my career in the position of junior technician.

What was the first major project you were involved with?The company I was working for at the time pro-vided intersection access and related external intersection and road upgrades, as well as providing external storm water drainage for an office park. Although the project was not very big, it was exciting as I was involved in all the aspects of the execution and running of the project from the consulting side from beginning to end. I did everything from organising topo-graphical surveys, detailed drawings, designs and specifications, to scheduling of quantities, inviting tenders, tender evaluation and partial site supervision during construction.

As a director at Nyeleti Consulting, please outline your job specification.I am responsible for the management of the water division, client liaison, staff guidance and training and the technical execution of design work. I am also currently investigating the option of opening a branch office in Cape Town.

What projects are you currently involved with? • Eskom Medupi Power Station: Provision of

all civil services for Package 8 and Package 35 contractors.

• Eskom Kusile Power Station: Provision of all civil services for Package 16 contractors.

• Alliance x9: Design and construct of water reticulation, sewer reticulation and toilet top structures for 640 stands.

• Mandela Village Unit 12: Provision of roads and storm water drainage.

What has been the most significant project challenge to date and how did you overcome this?The construction of portal culverts, which entailed storm water drainage of which a cer-tain portion crossed six railway lines through a pipe jacking method, i.e. trenchless method. During pipe jacking the soil collapsed, making

a gaping hole below the first railway track. The soil material was found to be ash, which had no cohesive properties. A conventional open trenching method could not be used as the railway tracks had to be kept operational for Transnet to generate income. Railway strapping was installed, which entailed the removal of the existing tracks and replacing them with longer tracks with longer sleepers. In essence, the railway track would be kept in tack should the soil collapse below the track.

What inspires you to be an engineer?Engineering is all about finding solutions. At Nyeleti Consulting I provide input on both man-agement and technical, which still exposes me to the technical side of projects. This in turn makes me part of the solution process.

Describe the role engineers play in social development and how this role will evolve over the next 50 years.The engineer of today wears many hats. In pro-viding infrastructure, the engineer assists the local municipality with fast-tracking projects, thereby assisting the spending of budgets. This ensures the communities benefit as soon as possible from infrastructure upgrades. The engineer also assists with social development in communities, i.e. ensuring local labour and/or plant is used. During the design pro-cess certain of the works are allocated for labour-intensive methods of construction and the specifications further allow for the training of local labour by certified trainers. One can see that the engineer should not only be tech-nically aware but should have an awareness of social development as well.

If you weren’t an engineer you would be… A pilot!

What aspirations do you have for your future in the engineering fraternity?I would like to do a master’s course in busi-ness administration. Most consulting firms in South Africa are run by engineers, yet the engineer is not trained to be a business administrator.

Technically and socially awareLiezel Johnson, a director at Nyeleti Consulting and an avid golfer, discusses her involvement in providing power to the country.

BELOW Medupi Power Station under construction


BEAUTIFICATION

As eThekwini city engineers Dave Thomas and Brian Cadle and SSI principal engineer Brian Downie played the SAICE awards Durban

Beautification Project video submission for me, I watched as the excitement and pas-sion of a project that was completed more than a year ago came flooding back. “We had a good contractor and the most effec-tive team,” reiterates Cadle. “The deadline was 2010 and with only 10 months to go, no one said it was achievable. The quality of management under pressure was absolutely amazing.” One of the highlights of the pro-ject was the construction of an underpass, linking the Moses Mabhida Stadium to the beachfront. After chatting to the engineers, I took their advice and hired a bicycle at the beachfront, and took the cycle route through the underpass. Adorned on the interior with decorative panels of the indigenous coastal dune plant, and laid out in polished porcelain tiles, it was obvious that the end result of

the underpass (and the rest of the project) matched the exceptional quality of the team.

Project overviewAll project management and design of the Durban Beautification Project was carried out in-house at eThekweni Municipality. The multimillion rand project undertook the wide-scale revitalisation of Durban’s ageing inner city public realm, as well as the construction of an underpass linking tourism hotspots,

with the aim of increasing foot traffic, activat-ing streetscapes and contributing to a safer city experience.

About a decade before undertaking this project, eThekweni Municipality had identi-fied corridors of excellence – key routes linking inner city attractions. An important aim of these corridors was to ensure that the Moses Mabhida Stadium becomes integrated into the essence of the city. The Roads Provision Department took on the challenge

“We had 10 months to complete this project and the passion around the World Cup could be felt by everyone – from management to labourers. The commitment to teamwork was amazing.” - Brian Cadle, project engineer: eThekwini Roads Provision, on the Durban Beautification Project.

Revitalisation of Durban’s inner city

CANDICE LANDIE TAKES A TRIP TO THE EAST COAST TO SEE THE WORK OF THIS R133 MILLION AWARD-WINNING PROJECT

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of upgrading the 30 km of pavement along these routes (including the construction of the underpass). The pavements range from conventional asphalt to modern and attrac-tive paving utilising conventional materials in an innovative manner.

Routes that formed part of the project were also upgraded, with new street lighting –

SA’s first LED street lighting, to be precise, indigenous landscaping, street furniture, new public transport infrastructure and a clever way-finding signage system. Another exciting aspect of the project was the implementation of engineering infrastructure for the People Mover project. The People Mover is Durban’s latest public transport system, currently cov-ering two routes within the city and linking the beachfront to the CBD as far as Victoria Street Market.

The Florida Road, Blue Lagoon Park and Kings Park Pool entertainment and rec-reational precincts were also refurbished,

PROJECT TEAMCLIENT eThekweni Municipality:

Engineering Unit: Roads Provision Department and the Strategic Projects Unit. The team consisted of:Brian CadleKen SaddingtonPeter FentonGary KimberLaura HuntNina Saunders

CONTRACTORS Devtech CivilsAsphalt Construction

SUBCONTRACTORS KaycreteAfristruct

SUBCONSULTANTS SSI Engineers and Environmental Consultants

serving as a solid platform for future invest-ment in Durban.

The underpassThe R25 million reconstruction of an old 100 m-long tunnel into a wider, shorter and more inviting underpass opened up the sta-dium venue via a landscaped walkway directly to the beach – encouraging cycling and activ-ity along this previously underutilised section of coast. The new 5.5 m wide by 3.8 m high 50-m long underpass was constructed adjacent to the existing underpass under the Ruth First/M4 highway. Skylights were constructed in the centre median to improve natural lighting and visibility for pedestrian traffic.

Once the old Walter Gilbert Road had been realigned, the old road was removed to make way for the new brick-paved, landscaped walkway that leads directly to the Moses Mabhida Stadium. The new underpass floor received a micro-concrete polished screed, while the walls and support columns boast low-maintenance porcelain tiles. Angled win-dows of 30 cm were cored through the sup-port columns to create a visual connection between the structures.

Local empowermentOne of the successes of this project was the labour component, which peaked at 500 during the final stages, bringing the BEE procurement expenditure to R49.083 million. The contract relied on exceptional project management skills and budgetary controls to bring together the hundreds of local labour jobs created, authorities across multiple departments, a vast range of interventions and payment certificates topping R25 million in each of its last three months.

Another exciting aspect of the project was engineering infrastructure for People Mover

ROADS AND BRIDGESRoads that were upgraded include:

Masabalala Yengwa Avenue (NMR Avenue)KE Masinga Road (Old Fort Road)Stalwart Simelane Road (Stanger Street)Florence Nzama Street (Prince Albert Street)Battery Beach RoadSandile Thusi Road (Brickfield Road)Somtseu RoadUmgeni RoadFlorida Road

Bridge enhancements (including lighting on selected bridges) were carried out on:

Tollgate BridgeArgyle Road BridgeGoble Road BridgeStiebel Road/M4 BridgeRiverside/M4 BridgeAthlone Bridge

Gateways into the city centre were also accentuated with decorative LED lighting

SASTT contact details:

Web: www.sastt.org.za

President: Andries Lötz

Tel: (011) 688 1483Fax: (011) 688 1524

E-mail: [email protected]

Honorary director: Joop van Wamelen

Tel: (012) 567 4026 Fax: 086 668 4026

E-mail: [email protected]

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This was part of the investigation, design and construction supervi-sion of the Silver Glen Trunk Sewer Relay Project.

The section of sewer under investigation comprised 1 800 m of DN600 and 600 m of DN1000 concrete pipe, which over the years had started experiencing high reports of leaks and regular overtopping of manholes. In order to eliminate high over-pumping costs, the

investigation was carried out under normal flow conditions using a combination of laser imagery and sonar technology for the condition assessment of the pipe conditions above and below the water level respectively. The data was processed and integrated to provide a full ‘360 degree view’ of the condition along the entire pipe length. It was the first time this technology had been successfully used in this application in South Africa.

Challenging slip lining of trunk sewer in ChatsworthIn April 2009, SSI Engineers and Environmental Consultants were appointed by eThekwini Water and Sanitation to undertake a condition assessment of the downstream end of the Silver Glen trunk sewer where this ties into the Umlaas outfall sewer.

In general, sewer pipe failures occur on the overt owing to corrosive and aggressive gases generated by turbulence in the flow. In this


ABOVE Insertion of the HDPE liner through the side of a manhole



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instance, however, reports from the maintenance crews were that the existing pipeline, while only some 30 years old, had started failing along the invert. This normally happens where there are high velocities in large-diameter sewers with steep gradients, and heavier solids, such as stones and pebbles, in the bed-load can cause erosion of the concrete pipe invert.

The outcome of the condition assessment was that the DN1000 pipe, generally having much flatter gradients with lower velocities and minimal turbulence, was in a good condition and did not require any rehabilita-tion. However, the DN600 pipe was extensively damaged on the invert, although not the soffit, and required rehabilitation. Damage on the invert was so severe in places that the concrete wall was non-existent and the pipe was being held in place by the surrounding bedding mate-rial. The lack of corrosion on the overt was attributed to the high alumina cement used in the manufacture of the pipes.

Construction stage In July 2010, WKSA was awarded the very challenging contract to refurbish the 1 800 m of DN600 by relining the existing pipe with a new continuously welded HDPE pipe. Although access proved to be difficult where the existing sewer ran parallel to and crossed over the Riversdale stream, the real challenge was coping with the heavy volumes of raw sewage. Four 150 mm skid-mounted diesel pumps were used, each with a 300 m-long HDPE discharge pipeline, to provide dry working sections of the sewer between selected manholes. At times of peak flow, gener-ally between 07:00 and 11:00 on weekdays following periods of very

ABOVE LEFT Entry of the liner into the host pipeABOVE RIGHT 150 mm diesel pumps with a combined pumping capacity of up to 480 ℓ/sRIGHT Segmented pipe used in Silverglen Drive

Project participantsClient: eThekwini Water and SanitationConsulting engineer: SSI Engineers and Environmental Consultants Contractor: WKSA



- Asset management data collection - Conditional pipe assessment - GIS mapping - CCTV pipe inspections - Sonar pipe Inspections - High pressure Jetting - Intrusion Cutting

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For those who want to see what lies beneath….

heavy rainfall, all of the 150 mm diesel pumps were required for bypass pumping. Under the heaviest conditions experienced during the contract, this equipment was only just able to cope when it was estimated that the flow peaked at about 480 ℓ/s.

The sliplining process required careful planning to select appropri-ate manholes as launching and receiving pits to enable the maximum length of continuously welded pipe to be installed within the limits of the bypass pumping system. On straight pipe runs, lining was carried straight through the intermediate manholes to eliminate unnecessary intermediate launching pits. Once launch pits had been prepared adjacent to selected manholes, sections of HPDE pipe with an outside diameter of 560 mm were welded together to the required length for that portion of sewer to be lined and the process of sliplining com-menced. A 20 t tracked excavator fitted with canvas slings was used to lift the HDPE pipe that had been laid out upstream of the launching pit and to walk this progressively into the sewer host pipe. All sewers were cleaned by high-pressure jetting immediately prior to sliplining to ensure that the invert would be free of silt, stones, etc. that could foul and jam the liner pipe.

With the new liner in place in the host pipe, a 24-hour relaxation period was necessary for the HDPE pipe to regain any integrity and shape that may have been lost owing to the stresses generated in the installation process. Subsequently, new benching and structural repairs to manholes were effected and grouting up of the annulus between the host pipe and the liner was completed, so guaranteeing the structural integrity of the new relined sewer.

One 23 m-long section of the sewer presented the contractor with a particularly difficult access problem, as not only were the manholes at both ends about 4 m deep, but they were also located in the southbound lane of the heavily trafficked Silverglen Drive. The depth of the manholes meant that any launching pit would have needed to extend some 30 m along the busy road and excavation would in all probability have been in hard sandstone. In consultation with the client and engineer, it was agreed that the liner would comprise 700 mm-long jointed segments, with a spigot and socket-type sliding joint, incorporating a rubber O-ring, being precisely machined onto the end of each pipe segment. The liner would be installed by working from inside one manhole and incremen-tally launching individual sections from this manhole to the other. Using a purpose-built hydraulic winch, the segments were assembled piece by piece in the downstream manhole and then pulled progressively into position. This method was truly trenchless and ensured that traffic disruption was minimised. The final activity involved the grouting of the annulus between the segmented liner and the host pipe.

In spite of over-pumping challenges that included procuring additional pumps and a delay in having to substitute lay-flat discharge hose with HDPE pipe, the contract was completed on time. The final construction value was approximately R9 500 000.

WKSA has invested heavily in modern trenchless equipment, including a fleet of 10 Grundomat moles, a Ditch Witch JD250 HDD, a Vermeer PB30 and a Grundoburst 800G (for pipe bursting) and several pipe jack-ing rigs. The jacking equipment was acquired when Jacked Pipelines was incorporated into the WK Group in 1999.

CAPSA 2011


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Structured initially to identify indus-try needs and as a conduit for the transfer and implementation of inno-vative technologies, the Conference

on Asphalt Pavements for Southern Africa (CAPSA), in the new millennium and in line with global trends, changed focus to concen-trate more specifically on issues of health, occupational safety and preservation of the environment, sustainability and the conserva-tion of finite resources.

In line with this trend, the 10th CAPSA will be staged under the theme ‘Roads of the Future’, with the sub-theme ‘Living within the carrying capacity of our planet’.

The conference will focus on sustainable practice within the flexible pavement sector through a programme based on three pillars:• industry commitment• environmental stewardship• human wellbeing.CAPSA 2011 has invited two guest speakers who will deliver keynote addresses in the opening session.

Jonathon Hanks will discuss the topic of ‘Commercial rationale of environmental practice’. Hanks is managing director of Incite, maintains an interest in academia and is a visiting, senior lecturer at the UCT Graduate School of Business, as well

as a regular contributor to executive and practitioner courses run by the University of Cambridge’s Programme for Sustainability Leadership.

Steve Muench is an associate professor at the University of Washington, Seattle. He will address CAPSA on the Green Roads Rating System.

With more than 60 reviewed papers and 10 bulletin papers to be presented in ple-nary sessions, interspersed with workshops and seminars, the CAPSA 2011 technical programme has been divided into five focus areas. These include:• Focus area 1 – Reduced energy consump-

tion in the construction of bituminous layers• Focus area 2 – Reducing the impact of

road building activities on the environment• Focus area 3 – Designing for extended

performance of bituminous layers• Focus area 4 – Flexible pavement systems

for extended life• Focus area 5 – Asset management .

CAPSA 2011 seeks to advance sustainable practiceSince its inception in 1969, the Conference on Asphalt

Pavements for Southern Africa has established itself as

a world-class showcase for local and international best

practice in the construction, preservation, maintenance and

management of asphalt pavement infrastructure industries.


INSIGHT

South Africa, a dammed countryDespite the popular expression ‘no limits’, nature unfortunately has set limits. Exceeding these limits invokes the law of cause and effect, which will have disastrous results. Water is a case in point. By Tony Stone

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 view of our blue and white planet, Earth, from outer space is sim-ply stunning. It is absolutely breathtaking, to say the

least. Out there in the dark noth-ingness of space, but warmed by the sun, it is our home, the place where we live and survive. It is a biosphere. It sustains life – ours.

The water that covers the Earth, and that which is in the clouds, gives the planet its blue and white colour. This water, in all its forms, appears to be abundant. It is, how-ever, limited. In fact, if it were put into a sphere it would be about 1 385 km in diameter, a little more than the flight distance from Johannesburg to Cape Town, as

DIAGRAM 1A DIAGRAM 1B

the crow flies. Compared in size to Earth, that is small – very small. To be exact, it is

0.016% in volume.A search on Google lists 3 180 000 articles about future wars between nations being fought over water. South Africa, one of the 30 most arid countries in the world, could well become a warmonger: a not impossible prospect. In the greater scheme of things, South Africa’s

total renewable freshwater supply constitutes 0.87% of Africa’s total

and 0.09% of the world’s total. To place this in context, consider diagrams 1A, 1B

and 1C.According to the World Commission on Dams

report, South Africa, with 539 major dams and approximately 4 000 dams in total, is the 11th most

dammed country in the world. It is also the seventh in size in water supply dams and ninth in size in irrigation dams. Besides the odd flood control dam, South Africa has 10 hydropower dams. These include:


INSIGHT

TABLE 1: PROVINCIAL DATA: DAM WATER TO LAND AREA AND POPULATION RATIOSProvince Land area Population Dam capacity Level (%) Level (%) Water m3/km2 Water m3/capita

(km2) million m3 July 2011 July 2010 Eastern Cape 168 966 7 363 895 1 789 90 57 10 588 243

Free State 129 825 3 094 970 15 939 99 92 122 773 5 150

Gauteng 16 548 10 138 696 115 101 101 6 949 11

KwaZulu-Natal 94 361 10 565 588 4 530 84 83 48 007 429

Limpopo 125 755 5 976 494 1 159 85 83 9 216 194

Mpumalanga 76 495 3 735 309 2 527 96 98 33 035 677

North West 106 512 1 067 231 808 94 82 7 586 757

Northern Cape 372 889 3 628 586 143 104 94 383 39

Western Cape 129 462 5 015 986 1 841 76 77 14 220 367

Total 1 220 813 50 586 755 28 851 92 85 23 633 570

DIAGRAM 1C

• Drakensberg Pumped Storage Scheme• Driekloof Dam• Gariep Dam• Ingula Pumped Storage Scheme• Kouga Dam• Palmiet Pumped Storage Scheme• Steenbras Dam• Sterkfontein Dam• Vanderkloof Dam• Woodstock Dam

In their book, Adaptation to Climate Change in Southern Africa: New Boundaries for Development, Steffen Bauer and Imme Scholz point out that adverse climate effects are already evident across Southern Africa. Climate change poses a serious threat to the economic wellbeing and prospects of the southern African region. Sustainable development will depend on national governments and multilateral agencies developing strategies to offset the effects of climate change and to support countries in adapting to climate change.

The Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA), in looking at water security, which has been defined as ‘the reliable availability of an acceptable quantity and quality of water for health, livelihoods and production, coupled with an acceptable level of water-related risks’, asks two key questions:• Is there enough water of adequate quality and with sufficient

reliability available to sustain the well-being of society in general? • Is society adequately protected from the extremes of floods

and droughts – the variability that characterises the natural water cycle?

Their study shows that there is no reason why South Africa should experience a water crisis soon. While the country faces many chal-lenges as a result of the limited and variable nature of its water resources, these challenges, for example pollution, a lack of or poor bulk and articulatory infrastructure in some areas, etc., need not constrain sustainable growth and development, with the pro-viso that water management is sound – but could and will if water management is not.

In reference to this, the DBSA goes on to say that these challeng-es should be addressed as a matter of urgency. It acknowledges that in parts of the country, development choices are already being determined by water resource constraints. In many others, poor management of municipal infrastructure and other sources of pol-lution are causing a worrying decline in water quality. There is also

growing competition for and potential conflict over South Africa’s limited water resources, both within the country and with its neigh-bours. One characteristic of the water sector is that the challenges are very different in different parts of the country, and therefore cannot be addressed through simple, generic prescriptions. These challenges require dedicated, ongoing action, informed and sup-ported by the best possible science and engineering, and working with effective local and regional institutions. Immediate action should include supporting the broader dialogue on water and its use and management. Working together, South Africans can make water a leading sector, using water management’s language of cooperation and shared benefits to help the country to reach its development goals.

However, in evaluating South Africa’s water management capaci-ties and capabilities, the highly-regarded South African Institution of Civil Engineering (SAICE) recently published its biannual Infrastructure Report Card (findings are reflected in table 2).

Is there enough water available of adequate quality to sustain the well-being of society in general?


INSIGHT

TABLE 2: THE SAICE 2011 INFRASTRUCTURE REPORT CARDScore SAICE’s commentsA D-minus for the Department of Water Affairs infrastructure

There has been further deterioration in the ageing bulk water infrastructure portfolio as a result of insufficient maintenance and neglect of ongoing capital renewal.

Persistent, serious salination of key river systems and eutrophication in many dams and rivers continues. These problems increase the cost of water treatment infrastructure and damage the environment. Acid mine drainage is a cause for concern in the vicinity of gold and coal mines.

Large dams are developing capacity problems and require urgent refurbishment. Farm dams are deteriorating rapidly because of a lack of maintenance, threatening accelerated sedimentation of bulk storage infrastructure.

The level of water supply in certain systems has fallen far below the 98% assurance of supply as recommended in the National Water Resources Strategy.

Owing to the long lead times required for the development of new supply schemes, the situation is likely to become worse before it becomes better.

Serious concerns remain about funding for maintenance.A C-plus for major urban areas

There have been major and ongoing strides in the provision of water since 1994, but a focus on quantity and not quality makes water services unsustainable.

Water quality is a serious problem, especially outside metros. Seeking Blue Drop status might assist with improving water quality in municipalities.

Water wastage (through leaks) is still too high.

There is a serious shortage of skilled personnel and officials; governance failures are increasing.

An increase in protests in urban and rural areas points to efforts to force improvement in services.

A D-minus for all other areas

serious deficiencies.• [D] AT RISK: Infrastructure is not coping

with demand and is poorly maintained. It is likely that the public will be subjected to severe inconvenience and even danger without prompt attention.

Much of this was confirmed during Parliament’s water affairs portfolio commit-tee January 2011 briefing by deputy director general for water resources infrastructure within the Department of Water Affairs (DWA), Cornelius Ruiters, when tabling his 2011 Dam Report.

Ruiters said that of the 359 dams owned by the department, 161 were in need of rehabilitation. Repair work had been com-pleted on 22 dams, with 36 currently in various stages of rehabilitation. A total of 45 dams had been classified as high-priority rehabilitation projects. Rehabilitation work required on 96 (60%) of the 161 dams was a direct result of inadequate mainte-nance, which has since resulted in dam safety problems.

A total of 153 (80%) of the 161 dams had insufficient spillway capacity, which meant that water could end up spilling over the wall and damaging the structure in the event of a major flood. A similar number had inadequate

What do the grades mean? [C] SATISFACTORY FOR NOW:Infrastructure condition is acceptable

although stressed at peak periods. It will need investment in the current Medium-term Expenditure Framework period to avoid


INSIGHT

outlet systems. About 16 (10%) of the dams had geological/foundation problems and the same number had slope stability problems.

Ruiters, whose depar tment manages some of the largest dams in the country, including the Gariep and the Vaal dams, did not name the dams he said were in need of repair. According to a document tabled at the briefing, the 359 dams owned by the department have a replacement value of more than R72 billion.

“In recent years, the DWA had increased its spending on its dam safety rehabilita-tion programme. The total expenditure up to September last year was R1.2 billion,” Ruiters said.

Data tables contained in the document show that most of South Africa’s ageing water infrastructure, including big dams, was built during the 1970s and 1980s. Capital replacement costs over the next 20 years are forecast to exceed R40 billion.

According to Ruiters, there are approxi-mately 4 000 dams registered with the department’s dam safety authority. Those not owned by the DWA (91%) are either municipal dams or privately owned. Of the department’s 359 dams, 218 are listed in the International Commission on Large Dams register.

SAICE, in qualifying its findings, stated that a serious problem with regard to bulk infrastructure is the uncontrolled, high level of pollution, especially in dams. Mingling pollutants near urban areas make identifica-tion and penalisation of the many offenders extremely difficult. Commencement of the

uncontrolled decanting of acid mine drain-age north of the Witwatersrand is indicative of the pollution factor and the long-antici-pated decant from the western and central Witwatersrand basins is also imminent. The long delay in investigating and providing appropriate infrastructure has revealed seri-ous management shortfalls.

In wrapping up its water sector findings, SAICE concluded that a culture of compla-cency has developed in South Africa regard-ing water resources and use. The country needs to do much more in terms of institut-ing appropriate water conservation technol-ogy and a water conservation culture, e.g. use of grey water for gardens. Projects such

Professor Kader Asmal, (1934-2011)Chairman: World Commission on DamsThe key decisions are not about dams as such, but about options for water and energy development. They relate to one of the greatest challenges facing the world in this new century – the need to rethink the management of freshwater resources.

Today’s demands are too complex, our technology too advanced, our constituency too diverse and our options too numerous to allow only one solution – the building of dams.

Water is for sharing. Instead of conflict, water can be a catalyst for peace.

as Durban Water Recycling, a private plant commissioned by the eThekwini Municipality in 2001, which currently supplies 40 mil-lion litres of recycled water daily, should be highlighted.

The water infrastructure – with a weighted average age of 39 years – is subject to ageing effects associated with internal and external stresses and other impacts. Insufficient maintenance and capital renew-al have resulted in further deterioration. According to the DWA, there is substantial maintenance non-compliance with regard to the National Water Resources Strategy (NWRS) of September 2009. There is also an urgent need to review the NWRS.

The DWA is struggling with serious capac-ity and funding problems, which cannot be overstressed. It has estimated that a reinvestment of R1.4 billion annually is required to maintain current infrastructure; however, the DWA is also suffering from a lack of skilled personnel to implement and supervise maintenance. This problem is compounded by fading institutional memory as individuals retire or are lost to the private sector. Despite long lead times for new projects and the above problems, the DWA has been proactive in planning new supply schemes, which is a positive step.

Impact of dams on river systems The decision to site and build a dam is a complex one, especially when considering its environmental impact. Downstream, the reduction of a river’s water flow changes the landscape through which it flows because it

affects the ecosystem of flora and fauna. A dam, which holds back sediments, espe-cially heavy gravel and boulders, deprives the river below the dam of sediment. This results in downstream river erosion. Channels, river banks, bridges and other structures are gradually and usually under-mined. Riverbeds are often eroded by sev-eral metres within a decade of a dam being commissioned. The damage may extend to tens or even hundreds of kilometres. Riverbed deepening will also lower the water table along a river, threatening vegetation and local wells in the floodplain, which will require irrigation in places where previously there was no need. The depletion of gravel

beds reduces the habitat of many fish and invertebrates such as insects, molluscs and crustaceans. And, in the end, this negatively affects the ability of fish to spawn and breed successfully. As small an issue as this may seem, it is not. The negative effects of dam-ming make it all the way up the food chain – to humans, especially those displaced by the dam and those downriver. In South Africa this is especially true of the Vaal and the Orange rivers, and will be an issue with regard to the Limpopo River.

Water management The Institute of Municipal Engineering of Southern Africa has for some years been raising and speaking about the need to implement best practices when it comes to water management. Given the critical importance of effective water management, it is time the politicians listened to and implemented the recommendations of our municipal engineers. Failing to do so will have serious repercussions for all in the not-too-distant future.

Leaking water pipesAt the beginning of 2010, eThekwini

SAICE stated that a serious problem with regard to bulk infrastructure is the uncontrolled, high level of pollution


INSIGHT

Municipality was brave enough to announce that its ageing water pipe infrastructure was losing, on average, 90 000 kℓ/day (32 850 m3/year). This prompted the city to invest in a multimillion rand replacement programme.

So, crucial to leak prevention and/or reso-lution, and the prevention of the unnecessary loss of water, every municipality needs to have a proactive, high-speed response team ready 24/7 to sort out any water leaks. And, when a repair is carried out, it must be done right the first time – unlike in Johannesburg where this is not the case.

In the first example, water pipe leaks at the intersection of Maritzburg and Durban streets in downtown Jeppe have burst, been repaired, burst and repaired again, with weeks passing before repairs are carried out. The problem is not only the loss of water, but the damage to roads and the possibility of a sinkhole occurring – with the possible loss of life that goes with such an incidence.

In the second example, contractors laying a new pipe in 5th Avenue, Rivonia left a gush-ing water pipe spewing water all over the road for three days before it was repaired. Calls to Johannesburg Water proved fruitless. Eventually a call to Radio 702 finally invoked some action.

Incidences like these must be prevented. Municipal and contract workers need to be sensitised to the fact that water is precious and costly.

Unfortunately this confirms the complacent attitude that prevails among South Africans

with regard to the country’s water resources – an attitude that must change!

Illegal water connectionsBuffalo City is just one of the towns in South Africa that suffers from unaccounted-for water losses. A programme that was devised to respond to the problem looked at different aspects of water loss, such as illegal water connections. Through its programme, the city

now saves approximately 12.5 ℓ/day, at an average cost of R4.56 /kℓ. This equates to an annual saving of R20.83 million.

eThekwini Municipality estimates that more than a third of the city’s water is lost either to illegal connections or leaks – and with this is the implication for ratepayers. At 34% for 2011, this is down slightly from 36% last year. They say as many as 28 000 people are illegally connected to the city’s water system, which costs eThekwini in the region of R100 million every year.

Without a doubt, every other city and town in South Africa has a similar problem. By inference, we can estimate the total loss of potable water to South Africa at – a number that will boggle the mind, not to mention the costs involved – 1.5 million kilolitres per day, across the country. Clearly, if every munici-pality put similar programmes in place an

The problem is not only the loss of water, but the damage to roads and the possibility of a sinkhole occurring

enormous amount of water would be saved. This in turn would moderate the need to build dams.

Wastewater reuseIn the meantime, and as much as it is psy-chologically repulsive to consider reusing wastewater, with the right technology, pro-cesses and management (herein is the crux), wastewater can be more than adequately

purified, directly or indirectly, for human con-sumption. And, from Germany to Namibia, recycled wastewater as final effluent is used by local municipalities in horticulture and for public fountains. This in itself reduces the demand for potable water. Grey water, particularly in a domestic setting, can be used to flush toilets, instead of using pre-cious potable drinking water. If the 30 million South Africans (60%) who use flush toilets flushed just once a day with grey water from the bath, this would save 9 ℓ/day per person, or 270 million litres per day, or 98.55 billion litres per year.

Wrapping upIn closing, we quote India’s Medha Patkar, of ‘Save the Narmada River’ fame, who said, “The frequent failure of large dams to provide their claimed benefits and their poor per formance needs to be recognised and accepted. The problems of dams are a symptom of the larger failure of the unjust and destructive dominant development model. It is essential to reach an adequate analysis of the basic systemic changes needed to achieve equitable and sustain-able development and to give a pointer towards challenging the forces that lead to the marginalisation of a majority through the imposition of unjust technologies like large dams.”

Quite clearly, we have shown how vast amounts of water can be conserved and what steps should be taken to achieve these numbers. All it requires is political will, and leadership.

LEFT The Omdurman Water Supply Scheme treats water from the Nile River in quantities sufficient enough to supply 1.5 million people with drinking water

IMIESA SEPTEMBER 2011 - 89IMIESA SEPTEMBER 2011 - 89

EDUCATION AND TRAINING

There are now three CDIs on this continent, and all of them work for Barloworld Equipment, Caterpillar’s Southern African distributor.

“Qualifying as a CDI, whether in one or several Cat machine categories, requires the highest levels of theoretical and technical competency and meeting the standards, as the small numbers indi-cate, is far from easy,” says Willie Haasbroek, head of Barloworld Equipment’s Operator Academy.

In an average year, Barloworld Equipment’s academy, as an accred-ited training provider, certifies approximately 600 operators on behalf of the construction and mining industries.

These courses include ‘train the trainer’ programmes that enable companies to reinforce best practices internally in maximising machine utilisation.

The company has donated 100 000 Wild Wheat bricks to the local munici-pality in Driefontein to build industrial hives in Khutsong, near Carltonville.

Industrial hives are formal structures where various informal businesses can operate from. Roadside traders including shoemak-ers, mechanics and hairstylists will now have a place to offer their services from, instead of the street.

“This is an initiative to rid the pavements of informal traders and we are delighted to be part of such an inspiring project. Most signifi-cant, though, is that the project could be cre-ating 300 jobs,” says Heinrich von Wielligh, Corobrik’s factory manager at Driefontein.

In addition to the company donating the face bricks, Corobrik’s Paulus Tolman, a qualified bricklayer at the Driefontein plant, assisted with training the local labourers employed for this project.

“The training was a challenge as many of the workers had no prior experience in building or construction; however, Paulus’s

First CDIs for AfricaGlobally there are 188 Caterpillar dealer instructors (CDIs). This is an especially select group when you consider that some 55 are Caterpillar personnel and the balance are employed from within the worldwide dealer network, which did not include Africa until very recently.

As part of the factory’s social and labour plan, Corobrik Driefontein has embarked on a certified local economic development project in collaboration with the Merafong Municipality.

ABOVE Joining a select group are newly qualified CDI instructors (left to right) Enock Kqwale, Sam Magabane and David Motitswe

Corobrik partners with Gauteng municipality

knowledge and skill contributed to a suc-cessful training program. Being involved in this project has afforded us two opportuni-ties to positively contribute to and uplift the community. While donating our bricks was

essential, training was equally vital. It is rewarding to be part of a project

where each worker has been equipped with a valuable skill that can be used after the project to find employment,” explains Von Wielligh.

BELOW Wendy Machema with Corobrik’s Paulus Tolman and members of the local community who have been employed to construct industrial hives


PEOPLE AND EVENTS

No-Dig Live is the UK’s only spe-cialised event showcasing equip-ment and services used for the

installation and refurbishment of under-ground utilities with minimum disruption to the sur face.

Complementing the indoor exhibition, the outdoor displays and demonstrations are hugely popular with visitors who are able to see a range of machinery and equip-ment in action and have the oppor tunity of questioning the representatives and opera-tors on the applications and capabilities of products on display.

The 2010 show featured the largest number of outdoor exhibitors in the event’s history and the organisers are repor ting brisk business and many repeat book-ings for 2012, with an ever-rising demand for prime outdoor areas. Overseas visitor

No-Dig Live 2012

ABOVE The demonstrations at No-Dig Live are popular with delegatesBELOW A general view of the exhibition area

numbers are also on the increase and for 2012 the organisers are working with the international community to attract organised delegations, par ticularly from nearby European countries.

The successful ‘Breakfast Briefing’ seminars will once again feature on the daily programme. Held within the indoor exhibition area and organised by the UK Society for Trenchless Technology, visitors can par ticipate in the topical debates held early each morning before the exhibition opens, offering them the added benefit of attending a seminar before spending time in the exhibition.

Entrance to the exhibition and semi-nars is free of charge to all industry visitors.

For more, visit www.nodiglive.co.uk

Bookings are already being snapped up for next year’s biennial No-Dig Live exhibition, taking place at Stoneleigh Park in the United Kingdom from 2 to 4 October 2012.


PEOPLE AND EVENTS

IPCC reviewer appointment

Andrew Mather, project executive for Coastal Policy at eThekwini Municipality, has been appointed as

an expert reviewer on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

Mather’s coastal management responsi-bilities include the development of a coast-al management programme, the develop-ment of coastal and catchment policies, providing input into national and provincial legislation and projects, coastal setback line development, shoreline management and other coastal-related issues.

He is completing a PhD in environmen-tal science at UKZN on sea-level rise, beach response and adaptation along the Southern and Eastern African coastline. Mather was the main technical author of ‘Sea-level rise: trends, impacts and mitiga-tion for South Africa’, in the IPCC: South Africa Country Report, 2009.

As a result of his work Mather was nomi-nated by the minister of the environment as one of four South African scientists to serve on the IPCC. The IPCC has confirmed his appointment as an expert reviewer for Working Group II. Mather will be working on ‘Chapter 5: Coastal systems and low lying areas’ in the for thcoming Fifth Assessment Repor t (AR5): Climate Change 2013: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability.

Mather is a registered professional engineer, a fellow of the South African Institute of Civil Engineers and a member of the Institute of Municipal Engineering of Southern Africa.

Thuthuka Group Limited has appointed Graeme Kilfoil to manage its water treatment and reclamation division

Graeme Kilfoil has been appoint-ed by Thuthuka Group Limited to manage its water treatment and

reclamation division.In his previous positions, Kilfoil has

led teams involved in the ground-breaking Sasol Landlord Project, which took cooling system blow-down water that was previ-ously discarded to the river and treated it for industrial reuse. He was also involved in the recently signed Eskom Kusile water treatment project, where ultra-pure water is produced for boiler feed and potentially hazardous flue gas desulphuriser brine is turned into a dry salt for landfill disposal.

“It is generally acknowledged that South Africa, and indeed the whole area of sub-Saharan Africa, is deemed to be seriously water stressed. Increasingly there is a lot more emphasis being placed on recycling-municipal as well as industrial wastewa-ter,” states Kilfoil.

“Hopefully, the future is that both indus-trial and municipal water will be recy-cled on site and municipal water recycled to achieve potable water status. Other countries at the forefront of desalination water treatment with successfully opera-tional plants are Namibia and Singapore. Australia, with most of its population based

Appointment at Thuthuka

on the coast and a fairly barren interior, has similar water issues to South Africa. It has completed many major successful sea water desalination projects. In South Africa, where both the east and west coasts are water stressed, the only viable solution would be seawater desalination.”

Andrew Mather, project executive for Coastal Policy at eThekwini Municipality

Ronnie Khoza

Aurecon appoints new manager for South African offi ces

G lobal engineering, management and specialist technical servic-es group Aurecon has appointed

Ronnie Khoza as its manager: South Africa Offices.

Khoza is no stranger to Aurecon, hav-ing served as a director at one of Aurecon’s heritage companies between 1999 and 2003. Khoza was the chief executive officer of the Construction Industry Development Board (cidb), which is part of the national Department of Public Works.

As a public entity, the cidb was estab-lished to provide strategic leadership to the construction industry, as well as regulate it.

Concrete is one of the most durable materials known to man and its success as a medium for water and sewer piping is legendary.

To highlight this achievement, the PIPES division of the Concrete Manufacturers Association (CMA) and IMIESA are running a joint campaign to identify concrete piping installations that are 75 years and over.

The intention is to write articles on some of the more interesting projects, illustrating that the faith placed in concrete piping by civil engineers during the early part of the 20th century was by no means misplaced.

“We are hoping to find at least one installation which has been operational for 100 years or more,” says CMA director Hamish Laing.

“No other material comes close to concrete piping’s track record for the conveyance of water using pipes with diameters greater than 150 mm and identifying specific installations will prove the point.”

“One of the reasons for the success of concrete piping is that it is both a conduit and a self-supporting structure as opposed to flex-ible plastic piping, which as a conduit only requires an on-site sup-porting structure to be built around it,” explains Laing.

If any IMIESA readers are aware of piping installations that fall into the above category and can substantiate them with some form of docu-mentary evidence, the CMA would be delighted to hear from you.

The first 10 submissions that qualify will be rewarded with a case of vintage wine; however, preference will be given to the oldest projects.

Quest for SA’s oldest concrete pipe installations

All submissions should be sent to [email protected] by 31 October.

COMPETITION


PRODUCTS AND SERVICES


Height Wise director Penny Fabricius points out that the academy has invested more than R60 000 into the infrastructure

and equipment of its Midrand-based train-ing facility, which specialises in fall arrest and rope access training.

Height Wise has to date trained more than 1 200 people from numerous industries,

The sky is the limit

including mining, telecommunications and the energy sectors of Africa, in the basic principles of fall arrest systems, which are all compliant with the Institute for Work at Height (IWH) and National Qualifications Framework (NFQ) standards.

Height Wise officially opened its upgraded training academy in June 2011, to provide essential safety training to workers in SA who carry out tasks more than 2 m above the ground.

RIGHT The academy has trained more than 1 200 people from several industries

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The Biozone NoKak sewage treatment plant is designed to recycle sewage effluent into water that can be reused in toilet flushing systems, irrigation systems and even as drinking water for livestock.

Ozone Services Industries (OSI) says that it is targeting the estimated R1.26 billion South African water treatment and wastewater treatment market (2008), which, according to busi-ness research and consulting firm Frost and Sullivan, is fore-cast to grow by 69% to R2.13 billion by 2014.

This growth comes as a result of increased legislative and environmental pressures, a historical lack of investment in water treatment and the fact that the demand for clean water is outweighing its supply in South Africa.

According to Ian Wright, managing director at OSI, the Biozone NoKak sewage treatment plant is a 100% South African-designed and developed product, utilising a completely natural process that requires no chemicals or regular emptying to treat sewage.

Ozone Services Industries has commercially launched its Biozone NoKak sewage treatment plant, a compact and affordable alternative to septic tanks and French drain sewers.

Sewage in, water out

ABOVE The plant is designed to recycle sewage effluent into water that can be reused in toilet flushing systems



INDEX TO ADVERTISERS

ABS 28

Arup 64

ASH Resources 4

Aurecon 57

Bell Equipment 63

Bosun Brick 13

Camjet 78

Cement & Concrete 93

CESA Conference 2011 16

CHI Control 21

City of Cape Town 48

Degremont 41

Devtech Civils 72

DPI Plastics 18

Durban Instruments Specialists 40

Eazi Sales and Service 95

ERWAT 44

Eskom 66-67

Esorfranki 77

Fibrepipe 20

Goba 65

Grundfos 23

Husqvarna 25

IMESA Conference Programme 10-11

Incledon 30

Infropex 27

Igneous 73

ITT Water & Waste Water 34

Jetvac 75

Khrone SA 26

Mercedes Benz OFC

National Asphalt 81

Nyeleti Administration Trust 70

Preconference Workshop 9

Robor 32

SBS Water Systems IBC

Sembcorp 42

Spraypave 80

Tecroveer 50

Thusanang Gast 2

Tlokwe City Council 46-47

Trenchless Technologies IFC

TT Innovations 76

Turf Ag 45

Water & Sanitation OBC

Verder Pumps 37

Vermeer 79

VNA Consulting 82 & 83

WBHO Construction 68-69

Worley Parsons 62

Zest WEG Group 36

Tshwane-based Rand Technical Services (RTS) is known for sup-plying globally sourced quality prod-ucts in order to offer innovative

solutions to industrial problems. The company will now also focus on dis-

tributing the EEC Bio Tec Effluent Treatment Plant in Southern Africa, which has many applications in, among others, rural areas, schools, clinics and municipalities.

This is according to Ian Fraser, managing director of RTS, who says that the EEC Bio Tec offers numerous benefits in Southern Africa, where there is a desperate need for properly treated, clean drinking and irriga-tion water, particularly in the rural areas.

“Not only does the EEC system occupy less space than other mobile effluent treat-ment plants, but it also requires a mini-mum amount of maintenance and a very

affordable capital investment, and operating costs are exceptionally low,” says Fraser.

He points out that the system has 10 times the loading capacity in less than one fifth of the space of conventional plants.

“The system is pre-fabricated and mount-ed in ISO freight containers, and being

containerised and fully mobile, is easi-ly transported to any location – unlike conventional treatment plants,” he adds. In addition, the system has fully auto-matic operation, is reliable and robust and has one central control panel for easy operation.

A water treatment solution for remote locationsRand Technical Services is pleased to announce that it is now the sole

distributor for US-based company EEC Global Operation LLC in South Africa.

RIGHT The system is pre-fabricated, and being containerised and fully mobile, is easily transported to any location

Documents

IMIESA September 2011 Low Res