Water & SanitationComplete water resource and wastewater management

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

MEDIA

AfricaAfrica

July / August 2012 • ISSN 1990-8857 • Cover price R35.00 • Vol 7 No. 4

Dr Andre Maartens, sales manager for the Energy Division of Buckman Africa, speaks about its joint venture with QFS

THE HOT SEAT P12

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TRENCHLESS NEWSTRENCHLESS NEWS& SASTT’s Award & SASTT’s Award of Excellenceof Excellence

TECHNICAL PAPERTECHNICAL PAPERWinner of the Foundation for Winner of the Foundation for Water Research Award (UK)Water Research Award (UK)

DegrémontCommitted together to water,

a source of life

300 000 metres of

TRENCHLESS PIPESuccessfully Installed

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

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JULY/AUGUST 2012 1

Water & SanitationComplete water resource and wastewater management

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

MEDIA

AfricaAfrica

July / August 2012 • ISSN 1990-8857 • Cover price R35.00 • Vol 7 No. 4

Dr Andre Maartens, sales manager for the Energy Division of Buckman Africa, speaks about its joint venture with QFS

THE HOT SEAT P12

TT

TRENCHLESS NEWSTRENCHLESS NEWS& SASTT’s Award & SASTT’s Award of Excellenceof Excellence

TECHNICAL PAPERTECHNICAL PAPERWinner of the Foundation for Winner of the Foundation for Water Research Award (UK)Water Research Award (UK)

DegrémontCommitted together to water,

a source of life

Editor’s letter 3

COVER STORY

Committed together to water, a source of life 4

WISA

Outgoing presidential address 7Presidential speech 10

PUBLIC SECTOR

Safe drinking water for Mbashe area 20Bringing safe drinking water to rural communities 23

PROJECT

Boreholes for Western Cape school fi elds irrigation 26

TECHNICAL PAPER

Infl uent characterisation of wastewater 30

TRENCHLESS NEWS

Umjindi Municipality’s water pipeline network gets a facelift 36SASTT Award of excellence 38Govan Mbeki sewer upgrade 41Pipe ramming and directional drilling at Mossel Bay 42

eThekwini renovates its pipelines with compact pipe 43Pipeline technology in Africa 45

TECHNOLOGY

Leading the way in leak detection 48Intelligent pressure management 52

AWARDS

Top professional training company recognised 63Nereda wastewater technology pioneer honoured 64

Groundwater resources are being investigated as a means of irrigation

The Accelerating Sustainable Water Services Delivery project

2626

2323ABOVE Celebrating the provision of safe drinking water to a rural community on the Nkunzana River

REGULARS

News international 14News Africa 16Trends & products 56Level of dams 59Subscriptions 61

1

CONTENTS Volume 7. No.4

2020

Proven Bioremediation Technology

SOUTH AFRICA

JULY/AUGUST 2012 3

EDITOR'S LET TERPublisher Elizabeth ShortenEditor Debbie BesselingHead of design Frédérick DantonSenior designer Hayley MendelowSenior sub-editor Claire NozaicSub-editor Patience GumboContributors FT Mhlanga and CJ BrouckaertMarketing & online manager Martin Hiller Production manager Antois-Leigh BotmaProduction coordinator Jacqueline Modise Distribution manager Nomsa MasinaDistribution coordinator Asha PursothamAdministration Tonya HebentonPrinters United Litho Johannesburg+27 (0)11 402 0571Advertising sales Avé Delport Tel: +27 (0)11 467 6224 • Cell: +27 (0)83 302 1342 Fax: 086 502 1216E-mail: avedel@lantic.net

Publisher

MEDIA Physical address: No 4, 5th Avenue Rivonia 2056Postal address: PO Box 92026, Norwood 2117, South AfricaTel: +27 (0)11 233 2600Fax: +27 (0)11 234 7274/5E-mail: debbie@3smedia.co.za

ISSN: 1990 - 8857Annual subscription: R270 (SA rate)E-mail: subs@3smedia.co.zaCopyright 2012. All rights reserved.All articles in Water&Sanitation Africa are copyright protected and may not be reproduced either in whole or in part without the prior written permission of the publishers. The views of contributors do not necessarily reflect those of the Water Institute of Southern Africa or the publishers.

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

Endorsed by

The Water Institute of Southern Africa’s (WISA) 2012 conference was an outstanding success and on behalf of Water&Sanitation

Africa, we congratulate WISA and the conference’s organising committee for this exceptional achievement.The event coincided with WISA celebrating its 75th anniversary. WISA’s new president, Ronald Brown, was inaugurated at the con-ference, and his presidential address, which is published in this issue, focused on the challenges faced by the industry as well as highlighting the successes and failures.A number of community water supply projects are highlighted in this issue. The Accelerating Sustainable Water Services Delivery project was recently launched in the Eastern Cape. This particular project provides reliable, safe drinking water though the application of science and technology to unserviced communities living in remote rural areas.The second project is the fulfi lment of a promise to King Goodwill Zwelithini to provide safe drinking water to a rural community on the Nkuzana River in northern KwaZulu-Natal. Both are fi ne examples of projects that contribute to community upliftment.A number of awards are covered in this issue that recognise our young water professionals. There is the winner of the Foundation for Water Research Award (UK) that was presented to the best technical paper at WISA 2012 by a young Southern Africa. The Southern African YWP Professional Development Award, which was recently presented to Umvoto Africa, is attributed to the company’s investment in our young professionals.

FairwellIn this issue, I leave my position as editor

The sector that makes it happen!

WISA CONTACTS:

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

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

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

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

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

www.ewisa.co.za

Debbie M Debbie M BesselingBesseling

mter

FairIn tmy Water & Sanitation

Complete water resourc

e and wastewater manag

ement

Think water, think WISA!

The official magazine of

the Water Institute of S

outhern Africa

MEDIA

AfricaAfrica

July / August 2012 • ISSN 1990-8857 • Cover price R35.00 • Vol 7 No. 4

Dr Andre Maartens, sales mana

ger for the

Energy Division of Buckman Af

rica, speaks

about its joint venture with QF

STHE HOT SEAT

P12

TT

TRENCHLESS NEWS

TRENCHLESS NEWS

& SASTT’s Award

& SASTT’s Award

of Excellenceof Excellence

TECHNICAL PAPER

TECHNICAL PAPER

Winner of the Foundation for

Winner of the Foundation for

Water Research Award (UK)

Water Research Award (UK)

DegrémontCommitted to

gether to water,

a source of life

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

of Water&Sanitation Africa, the magazine that is so dear to my heart. I raise a toast to the most wonderful people that I have had the privilege of working with over the past six years since the magazine’s inception. Firstly I thank WISA for the privilege of be-ing the editor of their offi cial magazine for the past six years. I am proud to have been associated with this leading Institute and your members. I thank the team that I have worked with, including Ave Delport ‒ the most remarkable lady who has such tre-mendous expertise with more than 40 years in the sector. The team at 3S Media that are involved in putting together each issue of this magnifi cent publication ‒ I thank you for your high standards and dedication.To our advertisers, contributors and read-ers, thank you for your part in making this magazine what it stands for today.The water sector is a small and dedicated community of people who continuously strive to achieve the best and until we meet again, keep up the outstanding work that is being done in the sector. I wish you all the best.

4 JULY/AUGUST 2012

COVER STORY Degrémont

According to Luthuli, Degrémont’s core activities are in:. design and build. operations and services

. equipment design and supply

. BOT (build, operate, transfer)/ PPP (public-private partnership) schemes.

The company concentrates on the follow-ing areas of expertise:. drinking water production. desalination by reverse osmosis. wastewater treatment and reuse for in-dustrial, agricultural or drinking purposes

. sludge treatment

. industrial water treatment and production.

Degrémont, a subsidiary of Suez Environnement, is very active in the field of desalination by reverse osmosis. Degrémont has constructed over 250 desalination plants in the world, including the Barcelona Plant (largest in Europe at 200 Mℓ/d) and the Victoria Desalination Plant in Melbourne (450 Mℓ/d).

Melbourne desalination plantOne of the most recent projects that the company has been involved in is the Melbourne plant, Australia’s largest

seawater desalination project designed under a public-private partnership.An important milestone in the develop-ment of the Melbourne project is the com-pletion of the planting of the largest green

A source of lifeDegrémont is a global specialist in water treatment plants and makes an important contribution towards sustainable development. The company’s South African operations are headed up by Deputy Managing Director, Dumi Luthuli.

Committed together to water,

RIGHT Melbourne tunnelBELOW The Melbourne desalination plant

JULY/AUGUST 2012 5

COVER STORY

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

roof of its kind in the southern hemisphere. The green roof is an important part of the plant’s design, helping to integrate the desalination plant into the landscape and minimising visual impacts on the coastline.The reverse osmosis building is the big-gest of the 29 buildings on the site. Its green roof spans 26 000 m2, bigger than the playing surface of the Melbourne Cricket Ground.The completion of planting on this roof is another significant milestone achieved successfully by Thiess Degrémont. “It’s a credit to the team that the planting has been completed in just over eight months, despite challenging weather conditions,” said project director for Thiess Degrémont, John Barraclough. Planting of a second, smaller green roof on the screen and feed building will commence soon. The desalination plant’s green roof system features over 100 000 indigenous ground covers, tussocks and low growing shrubs. Twenty-five different species have been carefully chosen to suit the coastal climate conditions of the site.

Desalination by reverse osmosis: a sustainable alternativeAbundant water is present on earth in different forms. However, 97.2% of the water is salt water, and therefore unfit for consumption. Fresh water is therefore a rare resource that should be preserved. It is increasingly unevenly distributed over our planet. While some regions benefit from considerable surpluses, others, on the contrary, are suffering from increasing

shortages every year (the Gulf States, Australia, the Mediterranean basin, China). Thus, to make seawater (and brackish water) drinkable, desalination has gradually made its appearance as a solution for the future, in particular for countries that have coasts. Two processes,

distillation and reverse osmosis, are now widely used. Desalination by reverse osmosis was chosen by Degrémont “as it fits into the perspective of sustainable development”, says Miguel Angel Sanz, director of Development and Innovation at Degrémont for the Iberian Peninsula, Africa and Latin America. This technique operates by filtration of water under high pressure through semi-permeable membranes. Less expensive and consum-ing less energy, it represents a more ecological solution that limits greenhouse gas emissions.

Declared the desalination business of the year in 2010, Degrémont has designed innovative control techniques to prevent discharges of brine having impact on the environment. Brine discharge, considered to be the process's main disadvantage for the environment and marine ecosystems, is completely controlled, emphasises Sanz. “Thanks to a system of diffusers capable of diluting salinity quickly, rapid return to the concentrations of the natural environ-ment is obtained.” Finally, he notes that “the waters are discharged at the same

temperature as that of the marine environment, without disturbing it, thus preserveing biodiversity”.Faced with increasing shortage of water resources, desalination proves to be a sustainable alterna-tive, able to answer ever increasing

needs for household and industrial water.About 40% of the world’s population lives less than 100 km from the coast.Global Water Awards reward what the leaders of the international water sector has recognised as the most remarkable ac-complishments of the past year.

For further information: www.degremont.co.za

Degrémont has designed innovative control techniques to prevent discharges of brine having impact on the environment

BELOW LEFT Racks reverse osmosis, Barcelona BELOW RIGHT Pre-treatment building, Barcelona

LEFT Barcelona LlobregatABOVE General overview Barcelona

©2012 Schneider Electric. All Rights Reserved. Schneider Electric, Make the most of your energy, and EcoStruxure are trademarks owned by Schneider Electric Industries SAS or its affiliated companies. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Schneider Electric South Africa – 1 River View Office Park, Janadel Avenue, Halfway Gardens, Midrand, South Africa. Registered Name: Schneider Electric South Africa (Pty) Ltd Registration Number: 1971/002841/07 Terms and conditions apply. • 998-2574_ZA_B

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

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

JULY/AUGUST 2012 7

WISAOutgoing presidential address

P rogramme director, Honourable Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs Edna Molewa, Director General of Water Affairs Maxwell Sirenya, conference chairperson Dana Grobler,

delegates from various government departments and municipalities, municipal councillors, Councillor Simms, colleagues from the entire water sector, confer-ence delegates and exhibitors, colleagues from the Netherlands Water Partnership (NWP), WISA members and staff, members of the Local Organising Committee, international guests distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen.It is my pleasure to welcome you on behalf of the Water Institute of Southern Africa (WISA), to the WISA 2012 Biennial Conference and Exhibition. WISA is a voluntary non-profit association comprising water sector professionals, companies, government de-partments, educational and research institutions, other associations, municipalities and water utilities as mem-bers. WISA was formed in 1987 when the South African branch of the Institute of Water Pollution Control, origi-nally founded in 1937, was disbanded.WISA aims to represent the South African water sector at national and international levels, by providing plat-forms for the promotion, integration and application of scientific, engineering and management knowledge in the water cycle through its newsletters, magazines, workshops, conferences, exhibitions and websites. The role of the institute in the sector is to find solutions to the water challenges being faced in Southern Africa. The strength of WISA is in its more than 3 266 members. With such an extensive pool of specialists, the members provide knowledge and advice on a range of important water issues. WISA is extensively involved in capacitating the next generation of young professionals in the water sec-tor through the Young Water Professionals group. The purpose of WISA is to build expertise, share knowl-edge and improve quality of life. This is achieved through the reputation of our mem-bers working in water and wastewater treatment works, wet industries, research and educational institutions,

consulting firms, government departments, municipali-ties and so forth. The Blue and Green Drop certification, which is indeed playing a vital role in improving quality of service de-livery across the country, is of significance. It is evident

that the commitment of municipalities across the coun-try is improving since the introduction of this initiative. Our country is faced with an increasing demand for water as more and more consumers are linked into the system. It must always be remembered that South Africa is a water-scarce country and we therefore need to con-serve and use this precious resource sparingly. Service delivery in the water and sanitation sector in both urban

Anderson Mluleki

Mancotywa

WISA 2012 opening addressAt the opening of the WISA 2012 conference held in Cape Town, outgoing WISA president Anderson Mluleki Manctywa spoke about the challenges of service delivery and the assistance that WISA provides.

Our country is faced with an increasing demand for water as more and more consumers are linked into the system

8 JULY/AUGUST 2012

WISA

and rural areas remains a challenge at lo-cal government level. More specifically, issues relating to

rehabilitating and maintaining ageing infrastructure, as well as the planning and implementation of new infrastructure projects, are priorities, with water and wastewater quality issues, including water quality threats from acid mine drainage and surface pollution, being high on the agenda. With agriculture and rural development

also high on the agenda, more work needs to be done in providing water and sanita-tion services to support these projects in rural areas. Limited human resources skills

base in the sector compromises compli-ance with legislation and this usually re-sults in municipalities facing litigation.Providing quality services, support-

ing agriculture and rural development projects and improving the quality of life in the rural communities will result in re-duced influx to urban areas.Our government has repeatedly commit-

ted itself to improving water and sanita-tion service delivery to its people and this has to be realised through the efforts of various stakeholders such as those of our sector, electricity and energy, public health and so forth. With the assistance of the Blue and

Green Drop assessments, the Department of Water Affairs is now in a better position to quantify the funding needed for water infrastructure. It is estimated that R500 bil-lion is needed for water infrastructure. Where is this money going to come from? Once the water infrastructure has been re-furbished and new projects implemented, how will this impact on our operational and maintenance budget? These are ques-tions that we need to address as water sector professionals. Managing our water resources to ensure

their sustainability requires concerted efforts from various government depart-ments, industries, communities, etc. This is

Snap shots from the WISA2012 conference and exhibition that took place at the Cape Town ICC from 6 to 10 May 2012.

JULY/AUGUST 2012 9

WISA

an effort that needs short-, mid- and long-term perspectives and collectively will be aimed at providing better lives for current and future generations.The formation of the new Process Controllers’ Division within WISA is one of the ways to consolidate the Blue and Green Drop programs and thereby ensuring extended life span of the infra-structure. The WISA 2012 programme is also drawn in such a way that process controllers have their dedicated sessions for we need to uplift the morale and en-sure that the functioning of this division is sustainable.This will, in turn, improve the provision of water and sanitation services.The WISA 2012 conference will allow you to engage in various topical issues that are critical to the provision of water and sanitation services, protection, use,

development, conservation, management and control of our scarce water resources. As WISA celebrates 75 years of its exist-ence in the water sector, I invite you to join us in celebrating this anniversary. I

salute the pioneers and volunteers who dedicated their time to build this institute into what it is today. As we celebrate this 75th Anniversary, we must remember to build a strong and sustainable WISA well positioned to address the water sector challenges facing the continent.The Memorandum of Understanding that was signed between WISA and NWP in

April 2010 in Durban came to an end and on 08 May 2012, the two parties signed a letter of intent just before our Gala Dinner. This was to strengthen our relations with our Dutch partners.

Lastly, I would like to encourage the delegates to fully par-ticipate in discussions and networking so that knowledge gained dur-ing this conference is

translated into action. I extend my invitation to all of you to visit the exhibition hall to view and interact with equipment suppliers in the water sector.I wish you all the best for this conference.

Anderson Mluleki MancotywaWISA President 2011/12

It is estimated that R500 billion is needed for water infrastructure. Where is this money going to come from?

10 JULY/AUGUST 2012

WISAPresidential speech

Honourable directors of WISA and council mem-bers, acting chief executive and WISA staff , senior

fellows, fellows, members, students, patron members, company members, our partners, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, I’m blessed by your presence and I am very humbled as I address you at the dawn of WISA’s 75th anniversary.I deem it my duty as the new president of this great institution to thank my predecessor, the immedi-ate past president, Anderson Mluleki Mancotywa, for the excellent manner in which he served the Water Institute of Southern Africa (WISA) during his term of offi ce and also for his leader-ship in making the WISA head offi ce as effi cient as it currently is. Mancotywa and the acting chief executive have facilitated a turna-round operational strategy that provides a dynamic pas-sage for me to enter my new portfolio and for others to engage the organisation, and I thank them for their commitment and team eff ort. By the same token I would also like to welcome Dr Jo Burgess as the vice president and the new members to the board of directors and to the council and thank them for availing themselves to further the objectives of this leading organisation in the water sector.This is a time of refl ection, a refl ection for all of us with specifi c reference to WISA, its role in the water sector and in the Southern African water landscape in its entirety.

It’s all hands on deckFor many years we have had challenges and we are aware of those challenges facing us. We are constantly reminded by civil society, however, that what is missing are the solutions that we need to overcome these chal-lenges in order to prosper. Just imagine South Africa flourishing in the water sector with every citizen hav-ing access to clean drinking water, clean rivers, proper sanitation services and infrastructure, clean and pristine water resources, farmers utilising groundwater with confidence and each municipality in South Africa having Blue and Green Drop Certification; just imagine this ‒ it is achievable.

Our Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs, Edna Molewa, at the World Water Day in 2011 called on all South Africans “to play a role in protecting and conserv-ing water as a precious and scarce resource”. When she said those words, she spoke to all of us, and for us

who have the know-how, the skills and the passion, she spoke into our hearts.When we see headlines like:• Poor sanitation is costly menace to Africa• Poor access to drinking water• Municipalities owe R1.7 billion in water bills• South Africa Water sector needs R573 billion pumped into it• Water Scarcity will hit SA, warns activist… we know that we have our work cut out for us and that we need to address the issues with urgency be-cause our nation depends on us. And when we rally to the cause, we find that we can definitely and in an im-pactful manner turn the tide, resulting in more positive headlines such as:• Water sector overhaul may raise prices (maybe we will start appreciating this resource)

WISA president’s addressAs WISA celebrates its 75th anniversary, the institute's president, Ronald Brown, spoke of the challenges faced by the industry as well as its recent successes and failures.

Just imagine South Africa fl ourishing in the water sector with every citizen having access to clean drinking water

JULY/AUGUST 2012 11

WISA

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

• Development Bank of Southern Africa• ERWAT• ESKOM Holdings• eThekwini Municipality• Festo• GE Betz South Africa• Golder Associates Africa• Grundfos Alldos• Hatch• Huber Technology• ITT Water & Wastewater South Africa• Johannesburg Water• Magalies Water• Merck

• Mhlathuze Water• NCP Chlorchem • Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality• Overberg Water• PD Naidoo & Associates Consulting Engineers• Prentec• Rand Water• SALGA• SAME Water• Schneider Electric• Sedibeng Water• Siemens• SSI Engineers and Environmental Consultants

• Sulzer Pumps Wastewater SA• TCTA• Tecroveer• Umgeni Water• Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies South Africa• WAM Technology• Water Research Commission• Water & Sanitation Services SA• WEC Projects• Zetachem• ZMG-Watech

PATRON MEMBERS

• Durban ‒ recycled sewage water for drinking• DWA refines National Water Resource Strategy• Officials will be fired if they fail to deliver water to the people in the province(Premier David Mabuza, Mpumalanga).I was touched and encouraged by the story of Funisile Zothe (‘One man’s bright idea puts local community on the map’), a general worker at an Eastern Cape school ‒ Three Crowns Junior Secondary School in the Kavali Village, Lady Frere ‒ who is the driving force behind one of the most innovative renewable energy projects in the country.Zothe has implemented a biogas facil-ity ‒ a technology that produces biofuel by breaking down organic matter such as dead plant and animal material, animal dung and kitchen waste. He has as also implemented a wastewater treatment fa-cility, a 2 kW wind/solar hybrid system and 12 worm farms at the secondary school. Thanks go to Eskom for acknowledging Zothe for his unselfish efforts. It is people like Zothe that makes us proud South Africans (Source: RéSource Newsletter: 19 April 2012). Similar patriotism is needed in the water sector.The time has come to form conglomer-ates, partnerships and close ties to address the issue of responsibility and account-ability. These functions are not the sole duties of government in its endeavour to ensure reliable water infrastructure but, ladies and gentlemen, we also have to

take ownership and responsibility. I can assure you that WISA is prepared to take the first step and wants to extend an

invitation to all water sector stakeholders to join hands with us in a meaningful and sustainable way.My term of office will also, like my pre-decessor, deal with the implementation of the WISA Strategic Plans as outlined in the WISA Vision 2015. This requires a number of strategic actions over the next few years, which includes:• improving corporate structure eff ectiveness• driving membership quality growth• strengthening corporate governance• cultivating donor, sponsorship and volun-teer support• producing deliverables and operations.I am not in a position to make any pledges other doing what is humanly possible through hard work, commitment, dedica-tion, trust and respect. My success is de-pendent on your support and constructive input to our activities. WISA can only be successful through the active participation of its members.Thank you for entrusting me with this responsibility as I will always be humbled to serve you as we, together, make it our main objective to grow WISA from

strength to strength while constantly be-ing mindful of the fact that no individual is greater than this organisation.

I wish to thank my family (Lavinia, Ethan and Erin) for their understanding and sup-port over the years as I undertook my journey in the water sector, my

friends and colleagues who helped me in one way or another along this most invaluable journey, my previous and cur-rent mentors (I need to mention Tony Bowers, thank you Tony) who introduced me into this dynamic water sector, my cur-rent employer ‒ Drakenstein Municipality (Paarl, Wellington, Hermon, Gouda, Saron and Simondium) ‒ for supporting me and donating my time to the sector in a very positive manner.In conclusion, I would like to share this following quote with you by Hilary Rodham Clinton: “Together, we must work to ensure that no child dies from a pre-ventable water-related disease, that no girl fears going to school for lack of access to a separate toilet, that no woman walks six kilometres to collect water for her family and that no war is ever fought over water.”

I thank you.God bless you all and our beloved South Africa.Ronald M BrownPresident of the Water Institute of Southern Africa

My term of offi ce will deal with the implementation of the WISA Strategic Plans as outlined in the WISA Vision 2015

12 JULY/AUGUST 2012

BuckmanHOT SEAT

Andre Maartens, sales man-ager for the Energy Division of Buckman Africa, says: “As a chemical supplier we are

often approached by customers for solutions on effl uent and water

Joint venture gives Buckman a leading edge Buckman has joined forces with Quality Filtration Systems (QFS) in a move set to

put the chemical company in an industry-leading position.

consumption. Now, together with QFS, we are able to supply customers with a total solution.”The new partnership will see QFS off ering its engineer-ing skills and Buckman its expertise in water chemistry. Speaking on the venture, Herman Smit, a director at QFS says: “Buckman understands that chemicals are

not the sole solution. Today, customers need both chemicals and technology.”From a business perspective, the new venture could see QFS emerg-ing as a fi rst-tier contractor and Buckman a supplier, or Buckman as a fi rst-tier supplier and QFS a

second-tier backup equipment supplier. Alternatively, customers could buy the equipment from QFS and the chemicals from Buckman. According to Maartens this three-pronged business approach “makes us more com-petitive. Essentially, we are getting rid of the middle man.”Buckman has worked with QFS in the past. Together the companies have completed the following projects:• Beaufort West Waste Water Treatment Works 2.5 Mℓ/d: Direct reuse of municipal wastewater by ul-tra fi ltration and reverse osmosis as the main treatment process (2011).

• De Kelders Water Treatment Works 1.6 Mℓ/d: Brackish water treated by ultra fi ltra-tion and reverse osmosis for potable water (2011).

New technologyQFS brings a wealth of technological innovation and know-how. Because of an exclusive distribution agreement with Siemens Memcor ‒ part of Siemens Water Technologies ‒ QFS is able to provide Buckman and its customers with fi rst-world technologies, along with ex-perts in a wide range of water treatment applications.QFS still focuses on mem-brane technology, but de-ploys innovative products for

o

Buckman hasput the

“The new partnership will see QFS off ering its engineering skills and Buckman its expertise in water chemistry.” Andre Maartens

JULY/AUGUST 2012 13

HOT SEAT

applications like potable water fi ltration, iron removal for potable water, effl uent treatment, seawater desalination, mine water treatment, cooling water fi ltration and sew-age treatment.

Local challengesOperating in South Africa brings about its own unique challenges. Acid mine drainage, coal mine pollutants and poor municipal water works are all real problems facing South Africa’s water supply. Still, Buckman and QFS remain optimistic. “A lot of the water problems in South Africa can be dealt with using membrane technology,” reveals Maartens. He adds: “You can use new technologies like ultra fi ltration and reverse osmosis ‒ processes that reduce the amount of chemicals needed to clean water.”Smit explains: “We need to understand what is needed and begin to educate people. Next we need to tackle the challenge of acceptability of new technologies. More modern technologies are not always bad. We have to go through the process of showing people that in the long run they will save money.”

Going greenBuckman continually strives to reduce its carbon footprint on the planet. In a combination of company, community and earth, Buckman aims to lead the fi eld in green chemistries. “One of the products we have in our arsenal is our ‘Green Toolbox’ . It is a tool every employee at Buckman has on their computer, which calculates Return on Environment (ROE),” says Maartens. The ROE is a tool that takes measureable factors ‒ eco-nomical, water and carbon footprint, risk reduction, social

impact and competitive advantage ‒ and determines the value generated for each project. What’s more, Buckman’s partnership with QFS means the chemical company has taken another step towards becoming more environmentally friendly. “By implement-ing modern technology we are looking to the future, of-fering more sustainable solutions,” says Maartens.

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AUSTRALIA Offi ce of Water to investigate water saving ideas

Murrumbidgee River below the Tantangara Dam, NSW, Australia

THE NEW South Wales Offi ce of Water has received 50 water saving ideas from communities within the Murray Darling Basin. The government wants to reduce the impact of water cuts under the Basin Plan. The state’s Water Commissioner, David Harriss says the submis-sions will now be reviewed to see how feasible they are for Commonwealth investment.“Pipelining open channels, irrigation or stock and domestic

systems, to building infrastruc-ture such as environmental water regulators that keep summer water out of wetlands, which would otherwise be dry. We have had novel ideas includ-ing sowing crystals into soils to better retain soil moisture, using evaporative air conditioners more eff ectively.” Meanwhile, Harriss says proponents of new dams in the state need to examine the long-term benefi ts of such infrastructure. His com-ments follow a recent decision by Griffi th City Council to estab-lish a committee to look at ways to reduce proposed water cuts, including the development of new dams. Harriss says while his offi ce is not discounting dams, their real benefi ts need to be considered. “If you go back through the recent drought, those major dams in New South Wales spilt in 2000 but they didn’t spill until 2010. That meant that every bit of infl ow was captured by the

existing storages. So you have to ask yourself what benefi t the dams had during those 10 years. And the answer is limited because all that water was being captured anyway.”Source: ABC News

CANADAClean water tops Canadians’ environment concerns

FEW CANADIANS are concerned about global warming and the state of the world’s rainforests, according to a public opinion survey conducted exclusively for QMI Agency. “Canadians are more likely to worry about issues that can aff ect people in their day-to-day lives, like drinking water, air quality and the contamination of land,” says pollster David Coletto, president of Abacus Data. Only 33% of survey respondents said they worry ‘a great deal’ about global warming and rainforest loss, while 55% said they’re very concerned about pollution of drinking water. Just more than half of respondents said they’re also very worried about pollution of lakes and rivers generally. There are clear political dif-ferences too, with just 17% of those who voted Conservative in the 2011 election saying they worry about global warming. Among NDP supporters, concern was at 45%. “We see

a huge gap between Quebec, where almost a majority are worried about global warming to a great extent, and Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia, where the worry is not as great,” he says. Coletto says the num-bers should alter the debate over oilsands development, which environmental activists have attacked because of its greenhouse gas emissions. Source: CNews

CHINANew testing of safer water challengedNEW STANDARDS will improve quality but concerns still re-main, report Wu Wencong and Zheng Jinran. New standards for drinking water will come into force in China on July 1, with the number of quality indicators rising from 35 to 106. While that’s almost on par with standards used in the European Union, some experts have raised concerns about the feasibility of the new system. “There are about 3 000 water companies in China, and judg-ing by their production technol-ogy and quality-testing facilities, most still have a long way to go before they can meet the new standards,” says Li Fuxing, director of the Beijing Institute of Public Health and Drinking Water. Meanwhile, Fu Tao, director of Tsinghua University’s Water Policy Research Center, says that the number of cities with facilities to test all 106 indicators covers a very small portion of the area served by the industry. Under the reforms, first released in 2006, all treatment plants are obliged to meet

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the new criteria by July 1 this year. Some cities, such as Beijing, quickly achieved that goal, but despite the five-year hiatus, many companies have yet to upgrade their equipment or production techniques. Meanwhile, the number of indicators to test for organic compounds in drinking water will rise from just fi ve to 53. “That means the government has realised the importance of controlling organic pollut-ants,” says Lan. “But most water plants fail to meet the target because of outdated production processes.” Some experts have asked why it’s taken so long for the new regulations to come into force. The 2006 reforms unified the water quality standards in the country’s rural and urban areas for the first time. But even as plants in the city struggle to meet the new criteria, those in rural areas face an even tougher challenge because their quality standards have always lagged behind. Source: Chinadaily USA

GAZAFuel crisis impacts water and sanitation services

THE CURRENT fuel crisis in Gaza, now in its fi fth month, is causing extended power outages that severely disrupt the lives, health and livelihood of the region’s 1.6 million residents. It also severely aff ects the fuel-dependent fi shing industry, already crippled by restricted access to Gaza’s fi shing waters imposed by Israel’s blockade.Oxfam’s partner, the Coastal Municipal Water Utility, says the situation is critical, with up to 40%of the 1.6 million popula-tion under blockade getting water in their houses only once every four days. The situation will get even more critical as summer approaches and demand for water escalates. Without regular supplies of fuel to run pumps, water and sewage facilities, including water wells, sewage pump stations, wastewater treatment plants, desalination units and water lifting stations remain vulnerable to collapse, leaving entire towns exposed to all the ensuing public health risks.Source: IMEMC News

UNITED KINGDOMNano-based water treatment solutions

HUMANS CAN’T SURVIVE without fresh, clean, drinking water, yet we sprang to life on a planet where 97.5% of water is useless to us. What’s left for us to drink is becoming polluted by agriculture, industry and poor water management. By 2030, 3.9 billion people (47% of the predicted population) won’t have access to clean water.There is a tiny solution to this large prob-lem: nanomaterials can strip water of toxic metals and dangerous organic molecules, or turn salt water into fresh water. There are also plenty of other nanotech solutions in development. “Nanotechnologies that have the best chance are ones we can integrate into existing systems,” says Mamadou Diallo, an environmental engineer at the California Institute of Technology. That means, for example, membranes enhanced with nanoparticles that can slot seamlessly into water treatment plants.The Nametech project, which is co-funded by the European Commission and the University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland, is enhancing fi lters already used in water treatment plants with nanoparticles that do specifi c jobs. “We’re adding a wide range of nanoparticles,” says project manager Thomas Wintgens of the University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland in Muttenz. These include:• Biomagentite, an iron mineral, to get rid of chlorinated organic molecules and some toxic metals.• Silver to kill bacteria. • Nanoparticles of titanium dioxide to break down common organic contaminants such as hormones, pharmaceuticals, or manure ‒ all they need to operate is light to shine on them when they are in the water.• Titanium dioxide, which is already widely used in paints and sunscreens so, in princi-ple, the technology is cheap.Nametech is running a small pilot plant to test the membranes. Each 20 cm module can process around a cubic metre of water every hour. But, like other new technolo-gies, it needs to be proven beyond the lab.Source: Guardian

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BOTSWANAEU fi nances water utilities

Gaborone, Botswana

THE EUROPEAN Union (EU), through Aquaplus Water Company from Belgium, has fi nanced Water Utilities Corporation with P2.85 million Botswana Pula (ap-proximately R3.02 million) for wastewater management.“This partnership has excellent prospects for success as the involved people and organisation are confronted with similar challenges daily, making them best positioned

to organise transfer of knowl-edge and to benchmark for measurement of eff ectiveness,” said the head of the EU delega-tion, Gerard McGovern, during the signing of the EU and Botswana waste management agreement. McGovern added that through the launch of the project, aimed at building infrastructure for drinking and waste management systems, basic sanitation and hygiene, the intended mission will be achieved. “Because access to water and basic sanitation is one of the Millennium Development Goals and key prerequisite to combat diseases, child and maternal mortality, Botswana is entitled to that,” he said, adding that the initiative is currently taking place in over 30 countries.Furthermore, McGoven indi-cated that since 2004 more than 32 million people in developing countries have gained access

to improved water supply and 9.5 million sanitation facilities with the support of EU. He said while it is important to support progress towards improved water and sanitation, it is also important to note that the project is a concrete outcome of the existing twinning between the city of Francistown and city of Genk in Belgium.Source: The Botswana Gazette

ETHIOPIA Bringing water and sanitation to Ethiopian children

WATER- AND sanitation-related diseases, particularly diarrhea, are among the top three causes of death in Ethiopia. According to the US Centres for Disease Control

Ethiopian school children

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and Prevention, unsafe drinking water, inadequate availability of water for hygiene and lack of access to sanitation contribute to about 88% of deaths from diarrheal diseases, or more than 1.5 mil-lion of the 1.9 million children younger than fi ve years of age who perish from diarrhea each year, mostly in developing countries. This amounts to 18% of all the deaths of children under the age of fi ve and means that more than 5 000 children are dying every day as a result of diarrheal diseases.Health indicators show that Ethiopia has serious problems in primary health care and disease prevention. Very high infant and child mortality rates, a high prevalence of HIV/AIDS and low life expec-tancy point to a lack of basic services and under-developed infrastructure. According to Demographic and Health Survey data for children under fi ve in the Amhara region, 51.8% are malnourished; stunting aff ects 57% and severe stunting aff ects 29%. In the Amhara region’s South Gondar zone, access to safe water is still not assured for many households and a lack of sanitation and poor hygiene practices contribute signifi -cantly to children’s ill health and constrained opportunities.Johnson & Johnson is partnering with CARE to bring adequate latrines and hand washing stations to 48 schools in the Amhara region of Ethiopia. Thirty new wells will be dug and 15 others will be rehabilitated. Eighteen schools will receive new latrines and hand washing stations and most others will see general improvements. Teachers will be trained to integrate hygiene education into the daily life of their students by developing sanitation clubs that will use music and drama to bring the sanitation message to the broader community. Source: Huffi ngtonpost

GHANAPoor sanitation costs country GHC 420 million annually

Independence Arch in Accra, Ghana

GHANA'S ECONOMY loses GHC420 million Ghanaian cedis each year (R1.8 billion) due to poor sanitation, ac-cording to a report released by the World Bank’s Water and Sanitation Programme (WSP).The desk study, Economic Impacts of Poor Sanitation in Africa ‒ Ghana, found that the 74 % of these costs come from the annual premature death of 19 000 Ghanaians from diarrheal disease, in-cluding 5 100 children under the age of five, nearly 90% of which is directly attributable to poor water, sanitation and hygiene.Health-related costs ac-counted for nearly 19% of the total economic costs, while access time and productivity losses accounted for about 7%.“We've known for some time about the impact of poor sanitation on health, but this is one of the first studies to quantify the an-nual costs incurred because of its prevalence,” says Yolande Coombes, senior water and sanitation special-ist with WSP. Ghana will not be able to grow sustainably without addressing these costs.The study also found that 4.8 million Ghanaians have no latrines at all and defecate in the open, and that the poorest quintile is 22 times more likely to practice open defection than the richest.Source: Public Agenda

SOUTH AFRICACape’s dam levels a concernTHE CONTENT levels of dams serving Cape Town are showing a worrying downward trend and experts have warned residents to take water saving seriously.

The Berg River Dam

Forecasters say winter rainfall will be lower than normal or average this year. Peter Johnstone of the University of Cape Town’s Climate Systems Analysis Group says dams are at their lowest levels in five years. “It doesn’t look like there

18 JULY/AUGUST 2012

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will be lots of rain; it will be normal and below normal until the end of July. If we don’t get full dams this year, next year we will have even lower levels. With very little rain forecast for this winter, it appears likely that the situ-ation will worsen next year,” Johnstone says.This view has been echoed by local water specialist, Jeremy Taylor.According to the city’s website, the six dams which feed the city are collectively 51.1% full. In 2008, the cor-responding figure was 63.4%, 61.8% in 2009, 75.3% in 2010 and 51.5% last year.Johnstone adds that he doesn’t want to cause alarm, but is cautioning residents to save water.Taylor says there would be an early start to summer this year and a late start to winter in 2013.“Restrictions should start now and the city should concentrate on demand-side management and hike tariffs,” he adds.Anton Sparks, a consultant to the Department of Water Affairs and the city, says if

dam levels continue to drop, there will have to be an intervention.Peter Flower, city bulkwater manager, adds that water is a scarce commodity through-out the province, but the authorities will only know at the end of October, after the rainy season, what the situ-ation will be. Dam levels are normally lowest at this time of year and, even though average to below-average rainfall is expected this win-ter, Capetonians could man-age by keeping consumption down, Flower adds.Source: iol

ZIMBABWEGovernment crafts water policyTHE GOVERNMENT is crafting a national water policy in response to the fast deteriorating quality of surface and groundwater sources in the country, Water Resources Development and Management minister, Sipepa Nkomo, has disclosed.The quality of water in Zimbabwe has been a

NEWS Africa

critical issue in the face of the cholera outbreak that claimed more than 4 000 people countrywide in 2008 and the recent typhoid outbreak in Harare. The policy will ad-dress a wide range of issues from urban water supply and sewerage, to rural water sup-ply and sanitation. It will also deal with the development and management of water resources for such uses as irrigation, hydropower gen-eration, industrial and mining development, livestock, poultry and the environment.“The quality of raw water in rivers, lakes, wetlands and groundwater, as well as in the many dams and boreholes, is fast deteriorating ‒ mainly because of a breakdown in wastewater treatment facili-ties,” says Nkomo.He explains that the dete-riorating quality has an effect on the water that is available for domestic use, agriculture, industry, mining and other activities such as fishing and tourism. Nkomo adds that poor quality of water has wide ranging impact on people's health, environment, the livelihood and welfare

of all Zimbabweans and the national economy.“The causes of water pol-lution are varied and range from discharge of untreated or partially treated sewer-age, industrial waste water, untreated mining waste water, to agro-chemicals from farming activities, toxic chemicals used in artisanal mining, wastes from poultry farms, abattoirs, and ranches.“Urban run-off and landfills are other major causes of water pollution especially for rivers and groundwater close to urban centres and near solid waste landfills. The run-off carries with it exhaust fumes and particulates from all the vehicular emissions, solid wastes, garbage and human wastes from urban centres,” he concludes. Source: The Herald

Zimbabwe city of Harare

PROFILEWater Research Commission

JULY/AUGUST 2012 19

The water milieu has entered an exciting period, both nationally and internationally, with looming uncertainties around issues such as

climate change and its potential eff ect on water resources and the persistent need to provide sustainable services to a growing, urbanising population while pursuing a greener economy. The WRC itself is seeing a number of changes, including the ap-pointment of a new CEO and board, among others. Thus, the commission has organised its strategic plan to respond very directly to the challenges outlined through its various mechanisms and instruments,” says Naidoo.The WRC remains committed to arming the South African water sector with the right technology, capacity and skills to tackle its present and future challenges through, among others, a meaningful contribution to coordination, cooperation and communica-tion in the area of water research and devel-opment, as well as enhancing knowledge and capacity building in the water sector, and promoting the eff ective transfer of infor-mation and technology. Specifi cally, the WRC will use its capa-bilities to support the Minister of Water and Environmental Aff airs in ensuring the out-come of “environmental assets and natural resources that are well protected and contin-ually enhanced”, with the highest emphasis on the fi rst output of “enhanced quality and quantity of water resources” and signifi cant contributions of the water components of the other three. These being:• reduced greenhouse gas emissions, climate change and improved air/atmos-pheric quality

• sustainable environmental management• protected biodiversity.This strategic plan is based on the South African government’s outcome-based ap-proach, where the WRC strives for impact. The commission aims to support the various outcomes and outputs through its research portfolio. In addition, it continues to support

the Department of Water Aff airs (DWA) ‒ the WRC’s shareholder ‒ in its call for main-streaming of water as the basis to allow for economic growth and sustainable develop-

ment. The WRC strategic plan is designed to add value to the DWA’s actions to achieve its six strategic outcome oriented goals through the WRC’s research and development enter-prise. The DWA six strategic goals are:• to contribute to economic growth, rural development, food security and land reform

• to promote sustainable and equitable water resources management

• to strengthen the regulation of the water sector

• to support local government to deliver water services

WRC’s fi ve-year strategic planNow in its 41st year, the Water Research Commission (WRC) continues to pursue its vision to be South Africa’s premier water knowledge resource. Water&Sanitation Africa speaks to Dhesigen Naidoo, CEO of the WRC, about its fi ve-year strategic plan that focuses on the period 2012/13 to 2016/17, which is in line with new Treasury directives.

“ • to contribute to international relations• to build capacity to deliver services.The commission’s Strategic Framework has been designed around the WRC Knowledge

Tree with every project being designed to enable the achievement of as many of the tree ‘branches’ or outcomes as possible and reasonable. Among the core components of the WRC Knowledge Tree are to:• inform policy- and decision-making• create new products and services for eco-nomic development

• develop human capital• empower communities• support transformation and redress• develop sustainable solution.

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20 JULY/AUGUST 2012

PUBLIC SEC TOREastern Cape

Safe drinking water for Mbashe areaThe Accelerating Sustainable Water Services Delivery project was launched in March in Mbelu, Eastern Cape. Water&Sanitation Africa magazine takes a look at the project that was a joint initiative.

The main objective of the initiative, which was started under the leader-ship of the Department of Science and Technology, the Department

of Water and Environmental Aff airs, and the Amathole District Municipality, is the provision of reliable, safe drinking water to unserviced communities living in remote rural areas through the application of science and technology. The core problem is that relatively isolated poor rural communities without

water services are vulnerable to water-borne diseases from unsafe drinking water, as evidenced by the number of cholera outbreaks in the Eastern Cape. These communities are geographically scattered and diffi cult to reach with conventional water services. To alleviate the immediate need for safe drinking water, this initiative provides interim relief by augmenting, not replacing, municipal water services. The project aff ords communities access to safe drinking water through appropriate

technology, underpinned by community mobilisation processes. Communal water stations, located close to traditional collection areas at a river, provide safe drinking water at points in the villages. To assist with improving health and wellbeing, the project included hygiene promotion and education activities. In roll-ing out the project, the CSIR was responsible for the technological interventions, while the Human Sciences Research Council concentrated on community mobilisation and training.The project benefi ts households in Mbelu, Cwebe, Ntilini and surrounding villages. They previously relied on untreated water from springs, rivers or dams, and often shared their water resources with domestic animals. The Deputy Minister of Science and Technology, Derek Hanekom; the Deputy Minister of Water and Environmental Aff airs, Rejoice Mabudafhasi; and the Executive Mayor of the Amathole District Municipality, Nomasikizi Konza, attended the launch.“We view this project with the importance it deserves as it is a human rights issue. Water access and the ability to deliver it to our communities is the main obligation of the Amathole District. The initiative speaks to our mandate as a water services authority and we will be undertaking it to ensure that we sustain this and work together with our counterparts to do more for our villages,” said Konza. The initiative was born out of a realisation that although considerable progress has been made in water provision to rural com-munities, some villages were highly unlikely to get piped water in the immediate future owing to their remote locations. Also, the fact that the incidence of waterborne dis-eases such as cholera could be reduced sig-nifi cantly if communities had access to clean

LEFT The Accelerating Sustainable Water Services Delivery project provides reliable, safe drinking water to unserviced communities living in remote rural areas through the application of science and technology

water, and the resources used for treating such diseases could then be channelled into more productive areas to stimulate development. “The hallmark of this project is partnership and community mobi-lisation. Our main goal is to ensure that our people from the rural communities do not have to worry about their next drink of clean water. For many rural women a good part of the day is spent collect-ing fi rewood and water. We believe that bringing potable water a little closer to the people will have a huge impact on quality of life,” said Hanekom.Three villages from the Amathole District Municipality (Cwebe, Ntilini and Mbelu) were chosen as pilot sites for technology interven-tions. These consist of: (a) communal water stations(b) guidelines for groundwater protection at springs and boreholes in the communities

(c) household-based ceramic fi lters for the purifi cation of water at the home.

The communal water stations were installed at the source (river) so that the community could continue to use their traditional paths to fetch drinking water.The participation and buy-in of local communities is critical to the success of any community-based project. As a result, community members were trained in the operation and maintenance of the wa-ter stations and there are prospects for employment with the local district municipality. The district municipalities have committed to monitoring the water quality at the water stations, as well as provide support for the maintenance of these stations. There are also oppor-tunities for economic development, as it is envisaged that the manu-facture of the fi lters, especially the pot holders, could ultimately be done in villages.According to Mabudafhasi: “We recognise that we need creative solutions to deal with the remaining service delivery challenges and ensure that all citizens receive drinking water that has been treated to acceptable levels. Appropriate technology in this instance means that the methods used to extract and supply water to communities must be cost-eff ective, relevant to the area, easy to use by commu-nity members, culturally and socially acceptable, easy to maintain, and friendly to the environment. ”

ABOVE The Deputy Minister of Science and Technology, Derek Hanekom and the Deputy Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs, Rejoice Mabudafhasi, attended the launch

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KwaZulu-Natal PROJEC T

This initiative is a result of the leading-edge tech-nology provided by Headstream Water Holdings, an associate of Thebe’s Power and Infrastructure division, and a sponsorship by FX Africa Foreign

Exchange, a subsidiary of Thebe Tourism Group. The project aims to assist the South African govern-ment address the country’s water provision backlogs by making it easier for rural households to access water from rivers and ensure that the water is clean and free of waterborne diseases. Mokgethi Tshabalala, CEO of Thebe Foundation, was de-lighted to be part of this initiative aimed at making a dif-ference to rural communities. “This is a tangible example of how the Thebe Group, through the Foundation, con-tributes to the upliftment of local communities,” he said.

Clean water as a basic human rightIn July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly declared clean drinking water and sanitation a human right essential to the full enjoyment of life and all other human rights.According to the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme, nearly 900 million people in the world do not have access to safe drinking water, of which an esti-mated 300 million are in sub-Saharan Africa. In addition to continued lack of access to improved drinking-water sources, 2.6 billion people lack access to basic sanitation. Approximately 1.5 million children under fi ve years die every year as a result of diseases linked to lack of access to water and sanitation. South Africa has made signifi cant reforms to adopt an integrated approach to water resource management (IWRM), where water security for poverty alleviation and growth features as a national priority. This movement was crystalised in the National Water Act of 1999, which described water access as a fundamental human right. (The South Africa-Netherlands Water Network: www.waternetwork.co.za)Today, 88% of South African households have access to water services compared to 59% in 1994, and 73% of households have access to basic sanitation compared to 48% in 1994. However, fresh water availability is at a critical stage due to the scarcity and seasonal nature of natural water resources, unchecked development, poverty and limited fi nancial resources. As a result, over 4 million people in South Africa do not have access to clean water.

Current purifi cation methodsBoiling water will purify water enough to drink; however, all this does is cook everything to an edible stage, which will impact on the taste and smell. Water purifi cation tablets are

expensive and produce safe, albeit foul-tasting water. For high-quality, great tasting water, fi ltration is the best option. Water purifi cation via fi ltration off ers the advantage of a higher quality and better tasting water simply by running through gradually smaller and smaller fi lters until the out-put is pure, bacteria-free water. Advances in ceramic fi lters with activated charcoal have made water fi ltration more eff ective and less costly because they are reusable. Not all water fi lter systems are created equal though, and some are expensive, complex and of limited effi cacy, depending on the technology deployed.

The technologyAs part of the initiative, the foundation gifted over 160 ceramic candle fi lter (CCF) units to community members

Bringing safe drinking water to rural communitiesOn 20 April 2012, the Thebe Foundation – in association with the Bongi Ngema–Zuma Foundation – fulfi lled a long-held promise to King Goodwill Zwelithini to provide safe drinking water to a rural community on the Nkunzana River in northern KwaZulu-Natal.

Nearly 900 million people in the world do not have access to safe drinking water, of which an estimated 300 million are in sub-Saharan Africa

BELOW Launch of the water purifi cation system in KwaZulu-Natal by the Thebe Foundation in association with the Bongi Ngema–Zuma Foundation

24 JULY/AUGUST 2012

PROJEC T

in Nkunzana village who draw water from the Nkunzana River for household use. The units were assembled and supplied by Headstream, a company that focuses on the provision of innovative solutions for the provision of water treatment infrastructure in sub-Saharan Africa.The CCF system comprises two 20 ℓ plastic containers mounted on top of each other and fi tted with a dome shaped, silver impregnated ceramic candle fi lter designed to inhibit the growth of bacteria, fungi and some viruses found in surface water. This in turn is covered by a cloth that traps large particles such as grass and leaves and reduces turbidity, rendering the water clear and opaque. The bottom container is fi tted with a tap that dispenses about four litres of treated water per hour and the fl ow rate can be increased by using a hand pipe if required. Eight members of the community have been trained in the assembly, care and maintenance of the fi lters with further train-ing and follow-up visits scheduled.

Hippo water rollersGiven that transportation of water to these households can be a back-breaking and time-consuming task, Tshabalala turned to Thebe subsidiary, FX Africa Foreign Exchange, to sponsor 100 Hippo water

rollers to accompany the fi lter units. The Hippo roller is a South African innovation that allows an individual to transport more than 90 ℓ of water across un-even terrain with relative ease. The Hippo roller comprises a strong drum and handle and when full, has an eff ective weight of only 10 kg on level ground, allowing even children to roll the water home safely. Approximately 38 000 Hippo rollers have been distributed worldwide, directly benefi tting in ex-cess of 250 000 people.“Traditionally, com-munities had very little options when it came to collecting water from a river, and many people

suff er signifi cant health risks as a result of walking many kilometres balancing heavy 20 ℓ buckets on their heads. The Hippo roller saves time and energy and prevents premature ageing of the spine and hair loss ‒ both occupational hazards if you regularly bear heavy items on your head,” said Tshabalala.Once home, the water can be decanted into the CCF fi lter system which has been proven to remove more than 99%

of disease-causing pathogens found in river water to produce water that is safe for drinking.

StakeholdersThebe Group Chairman, Vusi Khanyile, said: “I cannot think of a better way to celebrate 20 years of commercial success than by the launch of a community development initiative such as this. I am very proud of Headstream and FX Africa Foreign Exchange for embracing the aims of the Thebe Foundation and ensuring the suc-cess of this particular initiative. I have great hopes that the foundation will be able to drive the overarching group strategy on community development and to create a

framework to support the excellent work being done across the group.”Andre Bouwer, CEO of FX Africa Foreign Exchange, said: “FX Africa is honoured to be involved with the Thebe Foundation’s support of such a special project. Access to clean water is a key necessity in our lives, and one which we take for granted. We are privileged to have had the opportunity to assist the community of Nkunzana River by providing the Hippo water rollers that will improve and make a diff erence in their daily lives.” Justin Moore, CEO of Headstream Water Holdings, said: “Our mission is to make a meaningful contribution towards the ef-fi cient use of water and energy resources in sub-Saharan Africa by providing high-quality, practical and sustainable technolo-gies to protect the environment and uplift communities. These CCF fi lters are based on one of the most eff ective and advanced fi ltration technologies available and will provide an immediate positive impact in communities aff ected by polluted water.”

Headstream’s Just Water fi ltersThe CCF units distributed by King Zwelithini to community members of Nkunzana village are among the most advanced in the world, having been inde-pendently proven to remove more than 99% of disease-causing pathogens found in river water. The patented fi ltration technology was developed by Just Water Filters, a private sector humanitarian aid agency headquar-

tered in Austin, Texas. Its primary objective is to bring instant relief to communities aff ect-ed by natural disasters or manmade pollution and have thus far de-

ployed their fi lters in 57 countries. The beauty of the CCF unit lies in its combination of simplicity and effi cacy. From the outside, the unit resembles two 20 ℓ plastic containers mounted on top of each other. The diff erence lies in the unique dome-shaped, silver impregnated ceramic candle fi lter in the heart of the system, which prevents the growth of bacteria (mitosis) by providing a hostile environment for all microbiological organ-isms. The fi ltration effi ciency is 0.2 micron, thereby guaranteeing the removal of all bacteria from polluted water for the provision of clean drinking and cooking water. According to one independent test: “What this means is that even with

“I cannot think of a better way to celebrate 20 years of commercial success than by the launch of a community development initiative such as this" Vusi Khanyile

ABOVE King Goodwill Zwelithini and Thebe Foundation’s CEO Mokgethi Tshabalala

PROJEC T

JULY/AUGUST 2012 25

very poor-quality input water, the water produced by the Just Water system is up to 40% more pure than standard United States (US) municipality water supplies and better quality than almost all bottled wa-ter.” (www.majorpandemic.com/2011/11/monol ithic- just-water-ceramic-f i l ter .html?utm_source=BP_recent)The CCF unit is extremely simple to

operate: the dirty river water poured into the top container is gravity fed through the fi lter to the bottom container, which is equipped with a plastic tap that dis-penses clean drinking water. There are no chemicals involved and no need to boil the water before use. Ceramic elements may be cleaned 100 or more times with a soft brush or damp cloth. The simple grav-ity drip system can generate up to 50 ℓ of clean water over a 12-hour fi ltration pro-cess, providing clean cooking and drinking water for a family of 10 daily.The main advantages of the system are:

• it’s easy to install• it accepts water from fl oods, lake, rain,

well, tap, river or stream

• 99% of all known bacteria and disease-causing patho-gens in water are removed

• good fl ow rate ‒ produces up to 4 ℓ of clean water per hour (gravity fl ow)

• annual/semi-annual fi lter replacement

• once in use, fi lter will last 6 to 8 months

• minimal maintenance: wipe with clean, damp cloth

• reasonably priced and available in vari-ous configurations and sizes.

The CCF Just Water filter unit has been tested by the Tshwane University of Technology and Johns Hopkins University and is manufactured to meet: • ISO 9002 Quality Standard

• US National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) Standard 42

• US National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) Standard 53

• British 5750 Quality Standard • United Kingdom Water Research Council

(WRC) Performance Standards.

ABOVE Thebe Foundation’s CEO Mokgethi Tshabalala with Xoliswa Motsohi, Project Co-ordinator for Thebe Foundation

PROJEC TGroundwater

26 JULY/AUGUST 2012

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A s part of efforts by the Department of Transport and Public Works in the Western Cape to reduce the amount of water ab-stracted from rivers and dams, groundwater

resources are being investigated as a means of irrigat-ing sports fields and other open spaces at newly built schools in the province.According to Leon Groenewald, principal hydrogeolo-gist at SRK, the company recommended that 12 of the schools take the process further ‒ by drilling production boreholes and conducting pumping tests to establish the sustainable yield of the boreholes. “Once this is done, we are in a position to make recommendations about how much water can be sustainably abstracted,” says Groenewald. He adds that eight out of the nine boreholes drilled so far have sufficient water for irrigation; the sustainable yields of the boreholes range from 0.83 to 8.3 ℓ/s.While the initial costs of developing the infrastructure to abstract groundwater is fairly high ‒ about R180 000

Boreholes for Western Cape school fi elds irrigation

A fi rm of consulting engineers and scientists has carried out feasibility studies for 15 new schools in the Western Cape to establish whether enough groundwater is available for borehole irrigation. Debbie Besseling speaks to SRK Consulting about the project.

to drill each borehole, test the water and install the pump ‒ in the long run this is cheaper than tap-ping into municipal water for irrigating large areas.“To ensure the highest chance of striking groundwa-ter, it is vital that the investigation includes a hydro census and detailed geophysical sur-vey before drilling begins,” explains Groenewald. “It’s essential that the person interpreting the data from the investigation has experience in these kinds of projects, so that we avoid drilling dry boreholes,” he adds.

RIGHT Drilling of the successful borehole at a new school in the Western Cape

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The groundwater investigation is com-pleted in the early stages of the contract so that the yield of the borehole can be assessed, to determine the water require-ments of the playing fields, which causes a problem if higher than the actual supply.“This problem can be overcome by installing a number of storage tanks,” Groenewald adds. “The tanks are filled during the night and drained during the day by the irrigation system that allows the quantity of water extracted per day to be measured at no more than 20 000 ℓ.”

Apart from alleviating the pressure on dams to supply water to these schools, the schools’ green areas provide a calming atmosphere and restful surroundings for the learners to relax and talk to one an-other and to play games. It also improves the aesthetic look of the surrounding suburbs, which are often characterised by dull, sandy scenery, and helps prevent wind erosion.

BELOW 28 ℓ/s blowyield of borehole drilled at the Fisantekraal Primary School

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JULY/AUGUST 2012 29

PROFILEERWAT

The initiative to implement ad-vanced technology to support the microbiological laboratory was taken following a water-related

Salmonella outbreak during which the ERWAT laboratory provided the analytical services. Using standard culturing meth-ods there are several disadvantages. First, culturing methods are laborious and time consuming, typically requiring 3 to 7 days to complete. Second, culturing methods are known to lack sensitivity and particularly selectivity making it dif-ficult to successfully isolate and correctly identify pathogens such as Salmonella and Vibrio cholerae. Receiving a large number of urgent samples, especially during the outbreak, the laboratory was overloaded. This led to the question whether there was a better and faster way to do pathogen detections and the subsequent decision to establish a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) laboratory.

DNA-based detection methods ‒ a powerful alternative to culturingThe phenotypical characteristics of all living organisms, including bacteria are programmed by their DNA. Therefore the genes in a particular species of bacteria are unique and provide a useful marker to detect and identify the species. PCR is designed to copy (amplify) a spe-cifi c region of DNA. It employs a special enzyme (DNA polymerase) to incorporate the individual building blocks of DNA (nucleotides) onto a template of the tar-geted region creating an exact copy of that region. Repeating this procedure 30 to 40 times results in millions of exact copies of the targeted DNA, making it possible for detection and identifi cation. Today, PCR is a commonly used technique in molecular biology laboratories ‒ from research to forensic, medical and food laboratories.The advantages of using PCR detection assays instead of culturing are that PCR is more sensitive, highly selective for the pathogen targeted and much faster ‒ ac-curate results are achieved in less than 24 hours.

ERWAT was one of the fi rst South African laboratories to implement DNA-based methods like the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in water testing. Water&Sanitation Africa speaks to Nico van Blerk, microbiologist at ERWAT, about this specialised facility.

DNA-targeting water testing

Real-time PCR and HRM basicsSignifi cant advancements regarding DNA binding dyes and PCR instrumentation now allow for the PCR process to be observed and monitored in real time. Real-time PCR is even more sensitive and allows for post-amplifi cation analyses of the PCR products such as identifi cation using High Resolution Melt (HRM) curve analyses. DNA molecules consist of two strands bound to one another by hydrogen bonds between the individual building blocks comprising each strand. Using heat, these hydrogen bonds can be broken causing the separation of the two strands and subse-quently the melting (denaturation) of the DNA molecule.The melting temperature (Tm) of a DNA product is related to the sequence thereof. Using this property of DNA molecules and the capability of specialised instrumentation to accurately monitor the melting process, the identity of a product formed by PCR amplifi cation can be determined. HRM curve analysis is used to accurately

compare the Tm of an unknown PCR product to that of a known PCR product (positive con-trol) and identify the unknown PCR product on a sequence level, as shown in Figure 1.

Accredited detection assaysAs of 2012, the ERWAT PCR laboratory of-fers three SANAS accredited real-time PCR detection assays. These are for the detec-tion of Salmonella enterica, Shigella species and/or entero-invasive E. coli (EIEC) and toxigenic Vibrio cholerae (cholera causing) in water samples. These assays are not only useful in routine monitoring of water sources, but great-ly assist investigations during water related disease outbreaks.

FIGURE 1: Identifi cation of positive PCR amplifi cation of a Salmonella specifi c gene target using HRM curve analysis

For further information visit: www.erwat.co.za

Wastewater

30 JULY/AUGUST 2012

TECHNICAL PAPER

B ioprocess modelling is increas-ingly used in design, modifi cation and troubleshooting of waste-water treatment plants (WWTPs).

Characterisation of the infl uent wastewater to a WWTP is an important part of develop-ing such a model. The characterisation re-quired for modelling is more detailed than that routinely employed for monitoring WWTP operation.Wastewater characteristics depend on the sources within the catchment served by a particular WWTP, and the presence of industrial effl uents can cause the wastewater to be signifi cantly diff erent from purely domestic effl uent. eThekwini’s wastewater treatment system is one of the most af-fected by industrial effl uents in South Africa. Where industrial pollutants cause particular

problems, additional measurements, beyond those standardly applied in sewage treatment, are required. Since infl uent characteristics vary from one catchment to another, this paper presents and compares results obtained from infl uent wastewater characterisation from three municipal WWTPs (two of which are operated by eThekwini Water Services) that receive a combination of industrial and domestic wastewater. The infl uent characteri-sation involves the determination of the vol-umes and concentration of the carbonaceous, nitrogenous and phosphorus fractions in the wastewater and other constituents present in the wastewater. This paper focuses on the carbonaceous fraction in the wastewater.

Introduction Bioprocess modelling is fundamental in designing and managing wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). The process models of WWTPs find application in forecasting, fault detection, monitoring

plant operations and in research1. At a fundamental level, a model may be a con-ceptual image of how a system functions, which alone cannot provide sufficient information about the behaviour of the actual system. To learn more about the system, a pilot plant can be constructed. However, the pilot plants may have limita-tions of time and resources, which prevent exploration of all potentially feasible solutions of the system, hence the turn to mathematical models that allow relatively more exploration of the feasibility space2. The modelling of biological wastewater treatment systems has developed from fundamental concepts to mathematical models. The IAWPRC, later IAWQ and now IWA (International Water Association) task group2, 3 has introduced an activated sludge model suit (ASM1, ASM2, ASM2d, ASM3 and other models), which provide researchers and practitioners with a standard set of basic models for biological wastewater treatment processes. These standard models may be used as building blocks for more complex biological pro-cesses. Wastewater characterisation gener-ates input data for the bioprocess models.

Wastewater characterisationWastewater characterisation is crucial in process modelling because the quality of the model’s predictions depends on the wastewater characterisation4. Wastewater characteristics have a signifi cant impact on the performance of the activated sludge unit, particularly for nutrient removal systems5. A single characteristic may have such impact as determining whether or not a system designed for excess phosphorus removal will in fact remove phospho-rus5. Hence a detailed knowledge of the

Infl uent characterisation of wastewater from wastewater treatment plants receiving industrial effl uent

At the recently held WISA2012 conference, an award was presented to the best paper at WISA 2012 by a young Southern African. This paper was the winner of the Foundation for Water Research Award (UK).

by FT Mhlanga* and CJ Brouckaert

BELOW The Foundation for Water Research Award was presented to F Mhlanga at the WISA 2012 conference

TECHNICAL PAPER

JULY/AUGUST 2012 31

composition of infl uent going into the wastewater treatment system is essential for the development of a reliable model. In the context of modelling WWTPs, wastewa-ter characteristics are not only important for activated sludge system modelling. Simulating the performance of other unit operations also depends on appropriate wastewater characterisation5. Wastewater characteristics depend on the sources within the catchment served by a particular WWTP. The presence of in-dustrial effl uents can cause the wastewater to be signifi cantly diff erent from purely domestic effl uent.Domestic effl uent is discharged from sani-tary conveniences in residential, commercial, factories and various institutional properties. Domestic effl uent constitutes of primarily water (approximately 99%) together with or-ganic and inorganic constituents6. Variations in domestic effl uent characteristics across a given community tend to be relatively small, although variation across communities can be more readily detected.Industrial effl uent varies in compositions depending on the type of industry and

materials processed in that catchment area. Some industrial effl uents can contain high organic matter, readily biodegradable, largely inorganic or potentially inhibitory. Total suspended solids (TSS), biological oxygen demand (BOD5) and COD values may be in the tens of thousands mg/ℓ6. Industrial effl uents may also be severely nutrient deficient and contain high concen-trations of heavy metals. The flow pattern of industrial effl uent streams can be very dif-ferent from that of domestic effl uent since the former would be influenced by the na-ture of the operations within a factory such as shifts, whether a batch or continuous processes is used and other factors. Chemical characterisation of municipal wastewater is concerned with three major constituents: organic, nitrogenous and phosphorus compounds7. However this paper focuses on the organic fraction of the wastewater. The organic compounds include carbohydrates, proteins and fats.

Experimental Effl uent samples were collected from three WWTPs: Marianridge, Darvill and

Hammarsdale. All the WWTPs receive a signifi cant portion of industrial effl uent to treat. Marianridge WWTP is part of uMhlatuzana Works situated about 25 km from Durban. Marianridge WWTP receives a nominal average of 8 Mℓ/d, of which about 30% is industrial wastewater and 70% domestic wastewater. The physical unit operations consist of screens and grit chambers. The biological reactor is operated as an ex-tended aeration basin, which is followed by secondary treatment in secondary settling tanks. The fi nal effl uent from uMhlatuzana Works is dosed with chlorine before it is released to Umhlatuzana River8.Hammarsdale WWTP is situated in a sub-catchment of the Umlaas River called the Sterkspruit River. Hammarsdale is located in KwaZulu-Natal between Durban and Pietermaritzburg. The Hammarsdale WWTP is a modifi ed Bardenpho process with a volumetric design capacity of 27 Mℓ/d. After secondary settling, alum is added to the effl uent, which then enters a matura-tion channel before discharge into the Sterkspruit River9. Darvill Wastewater Works

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is situated on the eastern boundary of Pietermaritzburg. The wastewater treatment works receives all domestic and industrial effl uent from Pietermaritzburg-Msunduzi TLC area10. The works were upgraded between 1992 and 1994 to a capacity of 60 Mℓ/d and the process was upgraded from an activated sludge to a bio-logical nutrient removal plant10.Hourly samples of infl uent were drawn from the inlet of the WWTP and kept refrigerated until 24 samples, representing the composition of the wastewater during each hour of the day, were collected. A fl ow-weighted sample was made from the hourly sam-ples. The total COD of the composite sample was determined using the procedure outlined in Standard Methods (1995)11 and then the COD fractionation was carried out using procedures presented in these methods.The reliability of the results from the COD fractionation was checked by comparing the models prediction to measured values when the results of the COD fractionation were used as input in the WWTP model.

MethodsThe COD of municipal wastewater is divided into three main frac-tions: non-biodegradable, biodegradable and active biomass. The non-biodegradable COD has two fractions, the non-biodegradable particulate (XI) and non-biodegradable soluble (SI). The biodegrad-able COD also has two fractions, namely the slowly biodegradable (XS) and readily biodegradable (SS) fractions. The active biomass consists of heterotrophic (XH) and autotrophic organisms (XAUT) (Wentzel et al, 1995). The concentration of autotrophic biomass (XAUT) in the infl uent is negligible, hence the total COD can be ex-pressed as the sum of fi ve fractions12.CTCOD = SI + SS + XI + XS + XH

Readily biodegradable fraction SS

Several experimental methods for estimating the readily biodegradable fraction ‒ SS ‒ in infl uent wastewater are outlined in reference 13. Among these methods, the aerobic batch method appears to be the most practical since it requires the least amount of analytical and laboratory facilities. In the aerobic batch method, a measured volume of wastewater of known total COD is com-bined with a measured volume of activated sludge mixed liquor in a batch bioreactor. The contents of the bioreactor are kept well mixed throughout the test while the oxygen uptake rate (OUR) in the bioreactor is measured and plotted against time to give an OUR profi le which is used determine the amount of SS. Use of the appropriate food to mass (F/M) ratio is important in this test. The F/M ratio determines the ration of the volume of wastewater to activated sludge used in the test. The best F/M ratio should be determined by trial. A recommended starting ratio of mg COD to mg VSS is 0.65.

Inert soluble COD fraction SI

The inert soluble substrate ‒ SI ‒ in wastewater can be determined by a fl occulation-fi ltration procedure on the wastewater. After running a batch OUR test on the wastewater for 24 hours, the only soluble COD remaining should be non-biodegradable soluble COD ‒ SI. Therefore, at the end of the batch OUR test, 1 ℓ of the batch reactor contents is drawn as a sample to determine the inert solu-ble substrate. The sample is dosed with 10 mℓ of aluminium sul-phate with a concentration of 50 g/ℓ. The mixture is stirred rapidly for two minutes and then poured slowly into a perspex cylinder (settling column) equipped with a magnetic stirrer. The content of

34 JULY/AUGUST 2012

the column is then stirred slowly for 30 min (fl occulation phase). During the fl occulation phase, the fl ocs settle and leave a clear liquid zone. A 50 mℓ sample is drawn from the clear liquid zone and fi ltered through a glass fi bre fi lter (Whatman GF/C) and the COD of the fi ltrate determined. The COD of the fi ltrate gives the amount of the inert soluble substrate, SI 7.

Heterotrophic biomass XH

To determine the quantity of heterotrophic active biomass in wastewater, the proce-dure outlined by Wentzel et al. (1995)12 can be used. The procedure is a result of modi-fication of the work by Kappelar and Gujer (1992)14, which described a batch test to quantify heterotrophic active biomass in activated sludge. In the modified test by Wentzel et al. (1995)12, a volume of influent of known COD concentration is mixed and aerated while the oxygen uptake rate is measured. At the beginning of the test an appreciable amount (in excess of the half saturation coefficient for growth) of read-ily biodegradable COD should be present and therefore the first part of the test should reflect a logarithmic growth phase5. The OUR should increase exponentially

from an initial low value until the readily biodegradable COD is nearly completely consumed. A precipitous drop in OUR fol-lows. The amount of heterotrophic active biomass XH is estimated from the OUR response using an appropriate activated sludge model such as the ASM-type or the UCT model15.

Particulate inerts XI

The procedures for determining the con-centration of particulate inert organics in-volves the kinetic analysis of a laboratory-scale completely mixed activated sludge unit operated at steady-state with a sludge age longer that five days16. Ekama et al. (1986)13 proposed a calculation of the con-centration of XI, which involves comparing the measured mixed liquor volatile sus-pended solids (MLVSS) concentration with the calculated value on the basis of cal-culated kinetics. The IAWPRC Task Group2 recommends a similar approach based upon the comparison of observed and calculated sludge production16. For these procedures, the heterotrophic yield (YH) the endogenous decay rate (bH) and the inert fraction of biomass must be correctly determined by independent experiments.

Slowly biodegradable fraction XS The slowly biodegradable fraction ‒ XS ‒ is obtained by diff erence from the measured total COD and the previously estimated COD fractions as shown in the equation below.XS = CTCOD - (SI + SS + XI + XH)

Results and discussion The results obtained from the COD frac-tionation of infl uent wastewater from the three WWTPs are summarized in Table 1.The Marianridge infl uent contains about 62.3% biodegradable organic matter, of which 44.2% is slowly biodegradable partic-ulate XS and 18.1 % is readily biodegradable substrate SS. Wentzel and Ekama (2006) give the proportion of XS in typical South African wastewater as the 60% and the readily bio-degradable fraction SS as 20%. This shows that the infl uent from Marianridge WWTP contains less biodegradable substrate. However, it should be noted that the COD fractions given by Wentzel and Ekama (2006)13 are based on municipal wastewa-ter of mainly domestic origin. The lower biodegradable component and higher non-biodegradable components in the infl uent to the Marianridge WWTP is clearly due to the presence of industrial wastewater from factories discharging into the plant, with textile effl uent making up a signifi cant por-tion of the industrial infl uent wastewater to the plant. The COD fractionation of the influent wastewater from Marianridge was used to calibrate and validate the model for Marianridge WWTP. Reliable predictions were obtained from the model when the

TECHNICAL PAPER

Table 1: COD fraction s of effluent collected from the Marianridge, Darvill and Hammesdale WWTPsDescription % of Total COD in infl uent wastewater

Marianridge WWTP Darvill WWTP Hammesdale WWTP

Soluble inert organics (SI) 7.5 7.3 5.2

Readily biodegradable substrate (SS) 18.1 19.1 14.6

Slowly biodegradable substrate (XS) 44.2 36.8 59.4

Inert particulate organics (XI) 15.6 36.7 5.3

Heterotrophic biomass (XH) 14.6 * 15.6

*In the guide on the typical South African wastewater by Wentzel and Ekama (2006), the presence of heterotrophic biomass is considered negligible.

F IGURE 1: Predicted and measured fi nal effl uent COD concentrations of Marianridge WWTP for the year 2006

TECHNICAL PAPER

JULY/AUGUST 2012 35

COD fractionation results were used as input representing the influent wastewater in the model. The influent characterisation was assessed to be satisfactory for model-ling, because of the modelling response achieved even before calibration. Figure 1 show simulations from the Marianridge WWTP model with the fractionation results as input.The COD fractionation results for Darvill WWTP suggested a very high fraction of non-biodegradable organic matter, 36.7% particulate inerts and 7.3% soluble inerts. At the time of writing this paper, the num-ber of samples that were available from the COD fractionation of wastewater from Darvill WWTP was limited to a few samples, resulting in a data set that was unreliable even for simulations in the Darvill WWTP. The simulations that were carried out on the Darvill WWTP model showed that there was significant variation between histori-cal measured values and predicted values of variables such as the final effluent COD. A notable observation was relatively higher final effluent COD values predicted by the model when compared to meas-ured values. A possible cause for such high predicted final effluent COD values would be the high non-biodegradable COD frac-tion in the influent characterisation results. Furthermore, the results for Hammersdale WWTP presented a similar challenge of having limited samples to test, thus limit-ing the discussion of the results to the conclusion that more samples need to be analysed to produce more reliable results.

Conclusion COD fractionation influent of wastewater for a given WWTP can be done using the above presented method. A very detailed or a less detailed procedure, depending on the intended use of the process model, can

be carried out. A more detailed procedure will give relatively more reliable results as seen in the case of Marianridge WWTP. The reliability of the COD fractionation of the influent wastewater can further be inves-tigated by assessing how well the simula-tion results of the plant model match the measured values. The two cases of Darvill and Hammarsdale WWTP show that more tests are required to have reliable COD fractionation of the influent wastewater.

Acknowledgements The authors would like to thank the Water Research Commission and eThekwini Municipality of South Africa for supporting this research through funding, providing information and laboratory services.* FT Mhlanga works in the Pollution Research

Group at the School of Chemical Engineering,

University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa,

4041. † Tel: +27( 0)31 260 1129, fax: +27 (0)31 260

1118, e-mail: 207528092@ukzn.ac.za

References 1 Lindberg, CF (1997) Control and estimation strategies applied to the activated sludge unit. PhD Thesis. Uppsala University, Sweden. 2 Henze, m; Grady, cpl; gujer, w; marais, gvr and matsuo t (1987) Activated Sludge Model No.1. IAWPRC Scientifi c and Technical Report No.1, IAWPRC, London.3 Henze, M, Gujer, W, Mino, T, and Van Loosdrecht MCM (2000) Activated Sludge Models ASM1, ASM2, ASM2d, and ASM3, IWA Scientifi c and Technical Report No. 9. IWA, UK.4 Henze, m; Gujer, w; Mino, t; Matsuo, t; Wentzel, cm and Marais, gvr (1995) Activated Sludge Model No.2, IAWQ Scientifi c and Technical Report No.3, IAWQ, England.5 Melcer H (2003) Methods of wastewater characterization in activated sludge model-ling. Report Water Environment Research Foundation

6 Wun Jern NG (2006) Indutrial Wastewater treatment Technological University, Singapore) ISBN 978-1-86094-580-9 pp1 -117 Wentzel, MC and Ekama, GA (2006) Characterization of municipal wastewater. Dept Civil Eng, Univ. of Cape Town, South Africa.8 Mhlanga FT (2008) Modelling the Marianridge wastewater treatment plant. MScEng Thesis. University of KwaZulu Natal. SA.9 Fennemore CD Gallagher, D Naicker (2008) The Hammarsdale Experince-An exercise in cooperative governance, WISA Publication10 Hunt rp (1998) strategic assessment for the disposal of sewage sludge darvill wastewater treatment works Pietermaritzburg WISA publication11 Standard Methods (1995) Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater (19th ed) American Public Health Association, Washington DC, USA.12 Wentzel, MC; Mbewe, A and Ekama, GA (1995) Batch measurements of readily biodegradable COD and active organism concentration in mu-nicipal wastewater. Water SA, 21(2) 117-124.13 Ekama, GA; Dold, PL and Marais G.v.R. (1986). Procedures for determining influent COD frac-tions and the maximum specific growth rate of heterotrophs in activated sludge systems. Water Sci. Tech. 18(6) 91-114.14 Kappeler, J and Gujer, W (1992) Estimation of kinetic parameters of heterotrophic biomass under aerobic conditions and characterization of wastewater for activated sludge modelling. Water Sci.Technol. 25(6) 105-124.15 Dold, PL; Bagg, wk and Marais, GvR (1980) Measurement of readily biodegradable COD fraction in municipality wastewater by ultra filtration. UCT Report No. W57, Dept Civil Eng, Univ. of Cape Town, South Africa.16 Orhon, D and Corgnor, EU (1996) COD frac-tionation in wastewater characterization: The state of the art. Chem. Tech. Biotechnol. 68(1) 283-293.

Pipeline rehabilitation

36 JULY/AUGUST 2012

TRENCHLESS NEWS

Umjindi Municipality’s water pipeline network gets a facelift Trenchless Technologies is giving Umjindi Municipality’s ageing and leaking water pipeline network a facelift through the use of its cutting-edge pipe laying techniques.

Subsurface pipeline construction and rehabili-tation company Trenchless Technologies’ in-volvement in the replacement of the Umjindi Municipality’s ageing water network in the

Barberton and Emjindini areas, has seen the com-pany replace more than 30 km of water pipeline by means of a trenchless method called pipe bursting. Situated in the southern lowveld of Mpumalanga, the Umjindi Municipality area is surrounded by a number

of perennial rivers. Despite this, more storage space was needed to meet the future demand that would come from serving the municipality’s rural villages and farms, which were not yet supplied with water and sanitation. The significant water losses in the existing urban water networks also posed a problem, and the Umjindi and Barberton residents were being left without water on a weekly basis. The municipality’s

Our range of services include:

• Pipe Bursting

• Horizontal Directional Drilling

• Pipe Rehabilitation

• Slip Lining

• Pipe Ramming

• CCTV Inspection

• Dewatering

• Industrial Pipe Cleaning

• HDPE Welding

• Deep Excavation and Shoring

• Underground Service Detection

• Close-fi t lining: COMPACT PIPE

For more information you can contact us: +27 (0)21 761 3474 F +27 (0)21 797 1151 E info@tt-innovations.co.za www.tt-innovations.co.za

Trenchless Technology Specialist

TRENCHLESS NEWS

JULY/AUGUST 2012 37

old asbestos cement (AC) pipes were past their 30-year design life, causing them to continuously burst.Trenchless Technologies managing member, Sam Efrat, explains that after the South African government imple-mented an initiative for all municipalities to develop a strategic water plan, in 2009 the Umjindi Municipality awarded a substantial pipe replacement project to Trenchless Technologies. The first phase of the project, which was carried out by another contractor in 2008, involved the replacement of several kilometres of AC pipe by means of pipe bursting. In 2009, as a result of the success of Phase 1, the municipality embarked on a Municipal Infrastructure Grant-funded project to replace the remaining 41 km of the town’s water network. “Trenchless Technologies was awarded the contract to complete this R47 million project, which is now in its fourth phase and 70% complete. To date, Trenchless Technologies has replaced 30 km of pipe. Of the existing pipes, 95% were AC pipes, while 5% were cast iron or steel pipes. The existing pipes are being replaced with High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE)

pipes with a pressure rating of 12.5 bar. The pipes will be replaced with pipes of the same size or one size larger,” explains Efrat. Speaking on the method of pipe burst-ing, Efrat says that this is a trenchless method of replacing underground pipe-lines and entails a new pipe being fed through an old pipe from a launching pit to a receiving pit. The old pipe is broken into small pieces and displaced into the surrounding soil. This can be done by the static method using rod-pullers or dynamic method using percussive hammers. Typically rod-pullers are used to undertake bursting lengths of 150 m and to install 110 to 315 mm diameter HDPE replacement pipes, while percussive hammers are used for installing 160 and 200 mm diameter HDPE pipes.While the cost of open cut-ting and pipe busting for water pipe replacement in the Umjindi Municipal area is very similar, depending on the extent of special surfacing required for rehabilitation, local residents and motorists

receive the benefit of reduced excavation and less disruption and disturbances as a result of employing the pipe bursting methodology. The work is efficient and cost-effective, but at the same time, requires a high degree of labour, which contributes to the development, training and employ-ment of the local community. The project has thus far created 35 jobs in the local

community. Trenchless Technologies also contributes towards the de-velopment of its subcontractors as Enterprise Development Beneficiaries. What’s more, Trenchless Technologies’ involvement in the project, along with Tumber Fourie Consulting Engineers, saw the Umjindi Municipality win the pres-tigious Kamso Award for Best Municipality in 2011 ‒ a superb achievement for all involved.

ke bursting all 110 to cement mmers and s.ut-for herye

also contrvelopmeas EBeneWTeinT

t

Provincial Kamso Award 2011

ABOVE FROM LEFT Bursting asbestos cement pipes, 60 t rod puller, pipe-bursting steel pipe, T135 Hammer in 160 HDPE bursting casing

Project winnerTRENCHLESS NEWS

38 JULY/AUGUST 2012

W hen the City of Cape Town decided to redevelop the well-known Green Point Common to complement the magnifi-cent new Cape Town Stadium, one of

the key issues was the source of irrigation water. This 86 ha redevelopment consists of a golf course, various sports fields and an urban park, all of which contrib-ute to a substantial demand for irrigation water. A feasibility study identified a sustainable source of water, in the form of a natural spring, located in the city bowl area below Table Mountain. In the early days, water from this spring was utilised to irrigate the crops grown in the Company’s Gardens for the supply of fresh produce to passing ships.

The challenge for this project was the construction of a 315 mm diameter pipeline from the spring to the Common over a distance of 5.2 km through a heavily built-up city.

Route planningThe route has two distinct sections. In the lower sec-tion (1 700 m), between Chiappini Street and the Common, the pipeline is located in the Somerset

Road reserve and could be installed by means of open trench construction. BKS and Insitu-pipelines were not directly involved with this section.For the upper section (3 500 m), between the spring and Somerset Road, the City of Cape Town preferred trenchless technology as it would be the least disruptive method of construction in terms of traffi c fl ow, access

SASTT Award of ExcellenceThe SASTT Award of Excellence for 2011 was bestowed upon the project involving the construction of the irrigation water pipeline for the Green Point Common. SASTT president, Andries Lötz, presented the award certifi cate to representatives of the City of Cape Town, BKS and Insitu-Pipelines.

BELOW LEFT Pipeline preparation for pullback (horizontal directional drilling)BELOW RIGHTPullback of pipeline under Kamp Road intersection

The City of Cape Town preferred trenchless technology as it would be the least disruptive method of construction

TRENCHLESS NEWS

JULY/AUGUST 2012 39

and public safety. The route planning therefore was fo-cused on identifying disused pipelines where pipe crack-ing and slip lining technology could be applied.

Preliminary design and tendersBKS performed a functional design based on the pre-liminary information and the outcome indicated the appropriate construction methods for various sections of the pipeline. The actual section lengths for the vari-ous construction methods would be established after the award of the contract and following the outcome of an extensive CCTV survey. The proposed works were put to public tender.

ConstructionThe contract was awarded to Insitu-pipelines on the strength of its expertise in the field of trenchless tech-nology. The contract value was R15 214 676.84 and the contract duration was 11 months.A CCTV survey was done on 2 300 m of water mains and the final designs were performed, which resulted

BREE

MAINSPRINGS

CAPE TOWNSTADIUM

GREEN POINT COMMON

SIGNAL HILL

CITY CENTRE(CBD)

LONGUPPER SECTION

FIGURE 1 Construction of the irrigation pipeline for the Green Point Common - overall pipeline route

ABOVE Pipe cracking in Government AvenueCLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Slip lining in Loop Street, slip lining between services in Bloem Street, access pit for slip lining in Loop Street, pipe stacking in Loop Street

TRENCHLESS NEWS

Pipe Bursting 150-650 diameter

INSITU CIPP Lining INSITU Patch Lining Micro Tunnelling Slip Lining CCTV Pigging and Testing Ground Penetrating Radar Pipeline Condition Assessment and Leak Detection

Insitu-Pipelines (Pty) Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of WBHO

Construction (Pty) Ltd

For more information, or to discuss a project call us on Tel: +27 11 786 8099 Fax: +27 11 786 8084

or E-mail: insitu@global.co.za13, 4th Street, Wynberg, Johannesburg

IPU: IN-SITU PIPE USED (150m)OC: OPEN CUT 315mm Ø (980m)PC: PIPE CRACKING 150mm Ø TO 315mm Ø (570m)SL: SLIP LINING 315mm Ø/350mm Ø (1810m)

WALE

MAINSPRINGS

IPU

PC

SL

SL

SL

PC

SL

HDD

LONG

FIGURE 2 Construction of the irrigation pipeline for the Green Point Common – various trenchless technologies applied

in specific technology being applied to various sections as indi-cated in the following table (preliminary design also indicated):Challenges during construction included:• locating 106-year-old water mains under city streets• avoiding damage to cables

• maintaining public safety• maintaining vehicular and pedestrian access• liaison with heritage departments• scheduling the works so that demarcated areas showed no evi-dence of construction activities for the duration of the 2010 Soccer World Cup

• keeping the Company’s Gardens and other tourist attractions neatThe construction of the irrigation water pipeline for the Green Point sewer was achieved by the effective use of slip lining, pipe cracking and pipe drilling technology. The pipeline was con-structed within the contracted amount and time frames with no detrimental outcomes.

ABOVE CCTV inspection indicating pipe condition and cross connections

Technology Preliminary Design

Final Design

Slip lining: 315 mm HDPE inside a 400 mm 800 m 1 810 m

Pipe cracking: Upsize 100 mm and 150 mm to 315 mm

1 000 m 570 m

Pipe drilling 500 m 130 m

Open trench 1 200 m 980 m

Three other projects were nominated for the SASTT Awards of Excellence. These projects are highlighted in the pages which follow.

JULY/AUGUST 2012 41

Project entryTRENCHLESS NEWS

Client: Mandela Bay Development AgencyConsultant: Africoast Consulting Engineers Contractor: Trenchless Technologies Subcontractor: Tuboseal

Why trenchless?The 525 mm sewer is located under the heavily trafficked roadway, while the 1 000 mm sewer is located under the newly constructed Bus Rapid Transport lane. Consequently only a trenchless non-disruptive technique could be employed for rehabilitation as both road and bus lanes are utilised daily.

Trenchless techniques considered on contractSliplining appeared to be the most eco-nomical, but there was limited space for launch pits and storage of long lengths of HDPE (high-density polyethylene) piping and flow capacity would be reduced.CIPP (cured-in-place pipe) would not have influenced the hydraulic capacity and lining could be continuous through some manholes. However the CIPP process was more expensive and was therefore limited to assist in lining the bend on the 525 mm sewer and lining the 43 m length where the sewer reduces to 800 mm diameter on the ‘1 000 mm diameter’ sewer.Ribloc Expanda and Rotoloc solutions allowed for a complete no-dig lining solution through manholes. In addition to no excavation, the solution was design-compliant and risk was lower as the process could be reversed in the event of unforeseen problems.

Pipeline assessmentCondition assessment of the two sewers was undertaken using CCTV inspection and cutting of windows from the sewers for physically inspection. It was ascer-tained that:The 525 mm Sewer was severely cor-roded around its whole circumference due to acidic effluent. The measured pH values were as low as 3.3.This sewer was very old and was cast in two sections with horizontal joints run-ning along its full length. The mortar had corroded out of the construction joints and it was no longer water tight.The 1 000 mm Sewer was severely cor-roded above the water line and the rein-forcing was exposed and corroded away at places. The most severe deterioration occurred at the sides and invert of the sewer due to a combination of corrosion and erosion and was particularly severe along those sections of sewer were the velocity was high. This corrosion is typical of what occurs in a sewer downstream of a rising main where there is an accumula-tion of gas due to long retention times. It was estimated that sections of this sewer would collapse within 10 years.

Conclusion• This is the first time that Rotoloc has been utilised in Africa and it extends the range of rehabilitation solutions available in South Africa.• The spiral winding and CIPP technolo-gies allowed a complete no-dig solution that enabled lining to take place entirely through the access chambers.

• No excavation whatsoever was required in the roadway or Bus Rapid Transport lane.• This contract highlights the large range of trenchless techniques available in South Africa; it was technically challenging and has a high interest levels, and will assist in showcasing the benefi ts of trenchless technology to engineers, municipalities and the public.

Govan Mbeki sewer upgradeThe contract involved the rehabilitation of two parallel sewers located beneath the heavily traffi cked Govan Mbeki Avenue in the heart of Port Elizabeth’s CBD. Five different trenchless technologies were applied on this contract.

Scope Of WorkTechnology Description Length Diameter Comment

Ribloc Expanda Spirally wound uPVC profi le expanded to be a close fi t 600 m 525 mm Winding cage is positioned in manhole

CIPP Ambient Cure Ambient cured CIPP liner impregnated on site 15 m 525 mm Lining of 90 degree bend on the 525 mm sewer

Ribloc Rotoloc Spirally wound uPVC profi le wound-in-place to be a close fi t 720 m 1 000 mm Winding cage travels down the pipe

CIPP UV Cure BKP UV-cured reinforced CIPP liner impregnated in factory 43 m 800 mm Relining of 800 mm ID reduction in the 1 000 mm sewer

Pipe Bursting 60 tonne static chain puller employed from within manhole 16 m 225 mm Bursting existing 225 interceptor sewer as existing pipe could not be plugged and over pumped

BELOW Various trenchless techniques were used in this project

JULY/AUGUST 2012 41

Project entryTRENCHLESS NEWS

42 JULY/AUGUST 2012

Apart from constructing the new plant, new pipeline infrastruc-ture had to be installed and connected to the existing reser-

voirs. Engineers opted to utilise trenchless construction methods to provide innova-tive and cost-eff ective solutions for the in-stallation of large diameter pipelines under roadways and reservoirs, using directional drilling for the roadway crossings and pipe ramming for the reservoirs.

Why go trenchless?Both the Louis Fourie and Alwyndal roads are major through fare routes in Mossel Bay. Opencast excavation would cause major disruption to traffi c, especially during peak holiday season (December). Furthermore, the roads authority prohib-ited any opencast excavation of the road-ways. The option to install the steel sleeves by means of pipe ramming was undertaken to save time, costs and reinstatement of the reservoir walls. This method also al-lowed for rapid construction as the pipe was connected via the fl oor of the reservoir (without requiring any additional structural alterations to the walls).

Challenges encounteredDue to the density of existing services along the main roads, a narrow installation

Pipe ramming and directional drilling at Mossel BayOwing to a spate of droughts in the Southern Cape area, which left one town without drinking water, the local municipality of Mossel Bay and private sector stakeholders fi nanced and approved the construction of a desalination plant along the nearby coastline.

‘window’ was available for the 800 mm diameter pipe installation. This meant that the pipe was fairly shallow, in comparison

to conventional practices, requiring pin-point accuracy and fl uid control during the pilot bore, reaming and installation phases, to prevent any frac-outs or collapses. The hardness of the in situ soil (dried clay and boulder matrix) slowed progress for the pipe ramming operations. Apart from the obvious concerns with regards to the integrity of the existing reservoir structure ‒ when working in such close

proximity, both installations were com-pleted without complications.

Technical Details• Client: Mossel Bay Municipality/PetroSA (Dec 2010)

• Main contractor: Entsha Henra• Consultant: MVD Consulting Engineers• Obstruction traversed for drilling works: Louis Fourie Road and Alwyndal Road, Mossel Bay

• Drilling/pipe ramming contractor: TT Innovations

• Obstruction traversed for pipe ramming works: Installation under reservoir walls (4 Mℓ and 3.4 Mℓ reservoirs)

• HDPE pipe diameter (for drilling works): 800 mm• Length of drilling installations: 46 m and 50 m• Length of pipe ramming installa-tions: 3 m and 7 m• Steel pipe diameter (for pipe ram-

ming works): 1 000 mm

Innovate, not excavateThe use of trenchless technology for this project demonstrated the benefits and innovation available in the trenchless market, when engineers are willing to ex-plore new construction avenues. It further highlighted the inherent efficiencies of trenchless technology.

The use of trenchless technology for this project demonstrated the benefi ts and innovation available in the trenchless market

TRENCHLESS NEWS

JULY/AUGUST 2012 43

The Netherlands government played an integral role in this regard and was pivotal in intro-ducing compact pipe to South

Africa. This innovative pipeline renovation solution makes use of a folded polyeth-ylene pipe (the pipe is folded along its length during manufacturing), which is inserted into the existing pipeline. Once in place, a combination of steam, and later compressed air (used for cooling), is used to revert the folded pipe back to its circu-lar shape and it subsequently fits securely within the host pipe.

Why go trenchlessThis project provided the ideal platform for fully exploiting the unique capabilities of the system. Many sections of the water pipeline included slight misalignments as well as various bends, with the maxi-mum bend angle being 90 degrees. The folded pipe was able to accom-modate these direction changes easily, with the maximum single installation length achieved being approximately 380 m. With two-way traffic and confined spaces, this renovation system again proved invaluable with its small site footprint.

Challenges encounteredThe project in Durban is the culmination of a series of train-ing exercises and skills transfer practices that enabled South African specialist contractor, TT Innovations, to become a licensed

installer of compact pipe. This rapid transfer of practical and theoretical information put work crews under pressure as mistakes could not be aff orded. As a fi nal validation of the system’s versatility and effi ciency, the network owner was faced with a di-lemma when the main feed to a reservoir was rendered redundant, due to a series of mishaps. The only solution was to have the existing adjacent pipeline, which was still under construction, operational before the reservoir reserves were depleted. The folded polyethylene compact pipe was inserted into the L-shaped 170 m section of pipeline at approximately 10:00. After insertion, the steaming and cooling process was initiated.

eThekwini renovates its pipelines with compact pipe The eThekwini Municipality took a bold step and looked to international solutions and technological advancements for a feasible solution to its water network crisis.

The 170 m pipeline section was completely renovated and reconnected by 10:00 the following morning.

Technical details• Client: eThekwini Municipality (Pinetown, Westville)

• Main Contractor: Insitu Pipelines/WBHO• Licensed Compact Pipe Contractor: TT Innovations

• Pipe diameter: 225 mm and 250 mm diameter

• Length of combined installations: approxi-mately 4 000 m

• Service being renovated: water mains

Keeping up with international trendsAs a flagship project, various stakeholders, including contractors, consultants and other municipal representatives, were

hosted at an open day event. A the-ory session detailing the compact pipe process followed by a site visit allowed the participants to witness the renovation system first hand. This unique collaboration between countries allowed the South African market to benefit from international applications and products, adding to the myriad of innovative trenchless renovation methods available to cli-ents and municipal entities as they deal with issues of service delivery and non-revenue water.

Project entry

JULY/AUGUST 2012 45

TRENCHLESS NEWS

M ines in Africa have limited resources in terms of reliable local service companies, so they often latch onto South African companies on site, which have the neces-

sary skills and equipment to help out with engineering problems beyond the scope of the work they’re there to do in the first place.“Our involvement in Africa began when we installed a new swagelining slurry pipeline at a mine near Kolwezi just over a year ago,” explains Rare CEO, Wally van Coller.“Mine management was so satisfied with the service they got from us that they asked us to do a couple of other small jobs since we had the people and equip-ment on site. This rapidly escalated into bigger projects and today we have over 100 people employed at Rare Congo, our affiliate company at Kolwezi.”Swagelining technology is used for corrosion preven-tion and life extension of new and existing pipelines that are utilised in a range of industry applications, such as mining slurry, gas, potable water, sewage, water injection, crude oil, cement and chemicals.The swagelining system is the insertion of liners into pipelines of up to 60 inches (1.52 m) in diameter for structural and non-structural applications. It works by installing a tight-fitting polymer liner into new or exist-ing pipelines by designing and constructing a liner that has an outside diameter slightly larger than the inside diameter of the pipe to be lined. The aim is to maximise pulling lengths, which in turn leads to reduced numbers of connections and excavations. The technique uses a naturally reverting recovery system after installation. The liner is installed into a host pipe by pulling it through a reduction die using a winch, which temporarily reduces its diameter, allow-ing for easy installation. Once it is pulled completely through the pipe, the pulling force is removed and the liner returns to its original diameter, pressing tightly against the inside wall of the host pipe. The tight-fitting polymer liner results in a flow capacity close to that of the original pipeline.The swagelining system uses high-density polyeth-ylene (HDPE) liners, which offer a range of benefits to the mining industry with regard to asset integrity. The polymer is highly abrasive resistant, which increases the lifespan of the pipeline. The smooth surface of the polymer liner decreases resistance, which reduces the overall power consumption required to run the pipe. By rehabilitating existing corroded pipelines with structural liners the liner can take the working pressure

Pipeline technology in AfricaOver the past couple of years, the Rare Group has undertaken numerous swagelining projects for the mining sector across the continent. Water&Sanitation Africa provides an insight into these projects.

off the pipe. This can result in sig-nificant cost savings and operational efficiencies for the pipeline operator.“Naturally, these projects are more than just pipes and pipelines,” adds

V an Coller. “Besides partnering with a local company which does the civil work, we had to tap from our in-house experience or employ people who could do the work required. For example, we’ve just completed a large ore-pass 500 m underground for this opencast copper mine, which also has an underground shaft. Although this was outside the scope of our usual work, we employed people who could design and install the civils, wear linings and conveyors systems to complete

TOP General viewABOVE Exit after 660 mBELOW completed lining with circulation and heating hoses

Swagelining technology

VALVES

Proudly Distributed by:

www.incledon.co.za

INCLEDON BRANCHES

GERMISTON Tel: 011 323 0800

KLERKSDORP Tel: 018 469 4466 NORTHRIDING Tel: 011 462 7555

BLOEMFONTEIN Tel: 051 408 9200 KATHU Tel: 053 723 2213

NELSPRUIT Tel: 013 752 3121

SECUNDA Tel: 017 631 4200

EAST LONDON Tel: 043 736 6022 PORT ELIZABETH Tel: 041 404 1800DURBAN Tel: 031 716 2200

POLOKWANE Tel: 015 292 8660

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GEORGE Tel: 044 874 2327CAPE TOWN Tel: 021 957 5600

TRENCHLESS NEWS

JULY/AUGUST 2012 47

the job in seven months, a third of the time a previous contractor took to build an ore pass.New pipeline work, installed above or below surface, as well as pipe rehabilita-tion, is mostly undertaken with swagelin-ing technology, a method of lining steel pipe with an HDPE liner to extend pipe life beyond steel pipe’s normal life expec-tancy, especially in the case of slurries. “We have the sole right in Africa to this British technology,” says Van Coller. “Originally it was developed to rehabilitate leaking cast iron gas piping in England. Today we use swagelining on all types of applications where corrosion and abrasion impacts dramatically on pipe life.”The traditional method of rehabilitat-ing a pipeline is to dig it up and replace it, which incurs a major expense and is extremely difficult in the case of old pipe that may now run under built-up areas. “Depending on the condition of the pipeline, we can either use the swagelining process or the CIPP (cured-in-place pipe) process to reline the inside of the pipe to

extend the pipeline life another lifetime,” explains Van Coller. “The swagelining process applies tight fi t or interference fi t HDPE liner inside the pipe in situ to pro-tect it from further corrosion while cathodic protection will protect the outside. This lining with its lower friction improves fl ow which in turn reduces the power require-ment from the pumping side.“We’ve just completed a 900 mm diameter concrete sew-erage pipeline in Port Elizabeth, but CIPP technology can also be used to fix leaking steel, asbestos and fibreglass water pipe-lines,” adds Van Coller. “The CIPP process is mainly for larger diameter pipe and consists of a process where a ‘sock’ of special needle-punched polyester material soaked with tailor-made resins is pulled through the pipe, followed by either hot water or steam to cure the resin in the sock to form a new liner.” These liners can also structurally restore the original pipe.

All these technologies are brought to customers through a total cost of owner-ship scheme which Rare calls the Xtender management programme. “Our business model is unique in that we not only supply all the equipment you need to get water from the dam to the tap in your home, but we’ve introduced several technologies to rehabilitate systems cost effectively,” concludes Van Coller.

ABOVE Double bend section

48 JULY/AUGUST 2012

TECHNOLOGYWater losses

Tel: +27(31) 535 6000 | E-mail: info@boschmunitech.co.za | www.boschmunitech.co.za

A Bosch Holdings (Pty) Ltd Company

Solutions DrivenUtility Management

Working hand-in-hand with municipalities

to provide service delivery outcomes

that balance the technical and social needs

of the communities we serve.

• Water and Wastewater Services

• Solid Waste and Environmental Services

• Geographic Information Systems

• Underground Services Location

• Infrastructure Refurbishment

• Turnkey Solutions

Leading the way in leak detection“It is important to realize that water is life. As cities grow, we are going to need a lot of clean water. People take water for granted – but it just doesn’t work like that.”

These are the words of Owen Sihle Ngcobo, the senior leak detection technician who heads up Bosch Munitech’s leak detection teams in

KwaZulu-Natal. While it is obvious that highly visible pipe bursts cost municipalities dearly, even the trickles of water seeping from verges are worth millions. However, unseen leaks are the ones that count the most as they are often precursors to bigger problems. Both personally and professionally, Ngcobo has embraced the Department of Water Aff airs’ policy that ‘Water is Life’. He believes he and his teams at Bosch Munitech will contribute to bringing cities in line with the Presidential Directive to halve water losses by 2014.

TECHNOLOGY

JULY/AUGUST 2012 49

Bosch Munitech, a member of the Bosch Holdings group, specialises in the develop-ment and implementation of sustainable water and solid waste management solu-tions and assists with managing, operating and maintaining municipal engineering infrastructure. The company began investing in state-of-the-art acoustic technology and initiated an innovative GIS-based manage-ment system for leak detection and repair when problems with leaks and ageing water infrastructure fi rst became blips on munici-pal radar screens in 2008. “We have invested signifi cantly in training, equipment and employing specialists in this fi eld,” says Bosch Munitech’s manag-ing director, Steve McCarley, who views Ngcobo’s career path as one of the depart-ment’s biggest successes. “In just two years, he has worked his way through the ranks to the point where he now oversees up to 11 teams, is responsible for operations in the fi eld, equipment, vehicles and complex lo-gistics. This is a very hands-on aspect of our business. Active leak detection encompasses everything from walking the reticulation

lines and observing visible leaks to the de-ployment of sophisticated acoustic sensing equipment that ‘listens’ for leak noise on submerged pipes. Once prospective leaks have been identifi ed, leak pin-pointing follows and once the leak is confi rmed, a plumbing team is called in to excavate and do repairs.” Chris Otto, Bosch Munitech’s operations technician, remembers Ngcobo joining the company in March 2009. With basic training as a leak detection technician in another company, he’d spotted opportunities to grow and become a specialist in this area. His fi rst stop was a compulsory competency test set. “Ngcobo passed both the theoretical and practical competency tests with ease, outscoring other candidates who had been working in the same fi eld for much longer. It soon became apparent that he not only had a strong work ethic but plenty of enthusi-asm. He’s a man who always leads by exam-ple and has a unique ability to recognise and hone potential in his fellow team members.” Now, in addition to overseeing the Bosch Munitech teams and operations, he is also

the middleman between fi eld staff and operations technicians, and liaises with clients and consultants. Training is another responsibility and one that he says is a particular challenge. “This job is 90% about the person and about 10% about the equipment. We need people with techni-cal skills who can think both in and out of the box.”As Ngcobo explains, the process usually begins with a Level 2 leak detection and a technician ‘walking the line’. A graph refl ects readings from water meters at either end of a segment of a pipe. If a leak is suspected, then a ground microphone is brought in. “Using this, you can reach the exact spot ‒ that is how accurate it is. We then mark and report the leak.” He reports leaks to eThekwini Water and Sanitation (EWS) daily. But the real challenge is not just fi nding them, but fi xing them. He points out that private companies are often more effi cient and eff ective, and believes that companies such as Bosch Munitech will play an increasingly active role in man-aging leaks and conserving water.

Water -IQ

50 JULY/AUGUST 2012

PROFILE

The company has more than 30 years experience in the water industry and, in conjunction with its principals in Europe, is constantly creating new, advanced products to keep pace with stringent

ecological requirements.It utilises equipment that maintains the quality and bacteriological purity of water by adding chlorine, bromine or hypochlorite, which are common sanitary, ecological and economically effi cient water disinfectants.Equipment is designed in cooperation with the cus-tomer. After a problem has been defi ned, a preliminary

Water-IQ is a privately owned company that supplies disinfection and allied equipment to the water, wastewater and swimming pool industry in South Africa.

Water treatment technology

design is prepared by Water-IQ. A systems component is mainly of serial manufacture, but the system itself is always designed to overcome the customers’ problems. The installation of a system is usually simple and rapidly accomplished because it has been carefully prepared and tested in advance.According to Tony Turner, owner of Water-IQ, “equip-ment has been designed and manufactured by our principals with the latest state-of-the-art materials and manufacturing techniques to ensure optimum levels of dosage with minimal chemicals and power consumption, and therefore minimal impact on the environment.”In the late 1990s, there was a great surge in the interest of on-site generation. There is very little danger, if any, that on-site generation could produce any situation that could be classifi ed as a ‘major leak’. Moreover, current on-site generation systems produce chlorine solutions containing 0.6 to 0.8% chlorine and storage of this con-centration of chemical is not classifi ed as hazardous, so these systems start off with a ‘clean bill of health’.Operating personnel are very favourably disposed towards these systems because the operation of this equipment does not require any special training in the use of hazardous material. Water-IQ has supplied and installed over 30 units to a major municipality in KwaZulu-Natal and there are approximately 150 units in operation in South Africa and neighbouring countries, in the water and wastewater sectors.The company off ers the following products and ser-vices to the water industry:• Controlmatik Chlorine Gas Dosing Systems for aggres-sive gases and fl uids

• Envir-o-Cell on-site so-dium hypochlorite batch systems suitable for producing 0.8% sodium hypochlorite• servicing, repairs and installations of disinfection equip-ment

“Equipment has been designed and manufactured by our

principals with the latest state-of-the-art materials and manufacturing techniques.” Tony Turner,

owner of Water-IQ

PROFILE

JULY/AUGUST 2012 51

• Dosapro Milton Roy chemical dosing systems for dis-infection and allied applications, metering pumps and microprocessor controlled dosing pumps

• chemical products for water and wastewater, i.e. LiquidAlum, Polyelectrolytes, granular chlorine, liquid 12% sodium hypochlorite, etc.

• suppliers of Hanna Instruments products, such as pH meters, conductivity/TDS meters, turbidity meters, dis-solved oxygen meters, etc.

• suppliers of in-line sediment fi lters and of replacement elements

• training programmes for hazardous chlorine installa-tion and allied equipment

• suppliers of Ozone disinfection systems for wastewater treatment.

Envir-o-Cell 2.75 on-site sodium hypochlorite generatorsSystem overview 2.75 kg/dayThe Envir-o-Cell system is a safe and simple process for the on-site generation of sodium hypochlorite solution through the electrolysis of a brine solution. A 3% brine solution is made in a tank by dissolving 30 g of salt per litre of water. The Envir-o-Cell is placed in the brine solu-tion and the timer is set to the required reaction period. The cell is energised via the transformer/rectifi er, for the set time period. The DC current supplied to the cell caus-es the dissociation of NaCl (salt) in H2O (water), which allows for the formation of available chlorine as sodium hypochlorite in solution.Hydrogen gas is a by-product of the process and is safely vented to atmosphere. The electrical system is pro-tected by a circuit breaker. The water hardness (calcium

Cell

Hypo. Tank

Rectifier

Solution level

and magnesium in the water) will vary from area to area and may cause calcium and magnesium deposits to form on the cell. For this reason, periodic inspection and clean-ing of the cell with acetic acid (vinegar) will be necessary. The cleaning proc ess is quick and simple.

Contact details:Tel: +27 (0)39 975 3870Cell: +27 (0)82 573 4524E-mail: wateriq@mweb.co.zaWebsite: www.wateriq.co.za

The Envir-o-Cell system is a safe and simple process for the on-site generation of sodium hypochlorite solution through the electrolysis of a brine solution

ITEM SPECIFICATIONProduced hypochlorite concentration

0.6 to 0.8 %

Maximum daily hypochlorite production

455 litres

Cell capacity (Free available chlorine)

2.75 kg

Salt quality required 99.7 % pure dry weightWater supply required Potable waterBrine solution 30 g salt per litre of waterRaw material consumption for the production of 1 kg available chlorine

5 kg salt124 l of water5.5 kWh (AC) of power

Electrical power required 220 VAC, single phase, 50 Hz Power consumption 15 kWh/daySystem current draw AC 4 ampsCircuit capacity AC 15 ampsSystem control Electronic timer controlled batch processControl panel Wall mount or portable, polyester

enclosure, main switch, ammeter, manual DC voltage control, 24 hour timer, circuit breaker, AC/DC indication lights, safety interlocks

Control panel mass 28 kgControl panel dimensions 400 mm wide x 500 mm high x 200 mm

deepCell housing material PVC (110mm)Cell electrode material Plated titaniumCell height 970 mmCell mass 4.5 kgSodium Hypochlorite Tank

Fiberglass or polyethylene tank, chlorine resistant and designed to store a liquid of SG 1.5 at 28 degrees Celcius. Capacity typically 1 days consumption

Country of manufacture South Africa

52 JULY/AUGUST 2012

TECHNOLOGY

A leading fluid conveyance solutions supplier, Incledon, is able to assist municipalities in addressing the increasing challenge of water leakages in a cost-effective and en-

vironmentally-friendly manner, as the company plans to introduce the advanced German-engineered VAG intelligent pressure management system to the local market within the next two years. Incledon national product manager for civils, Kelly Wilson, highlights the fact that the majority of local authorities tend to increase investments in water infrastructure in an attempt to raise production capaci-ties, rather than implementing programmes to reduce water losses. “Although investment in infrastructure increases production capacities, it does not permanently in-crease water production. This means that the structure of the pipeline system remains unchanged, placing enormous pressure on the valves that regulate the flows and pressures to maintain a constant supply of potable water,” he explains. “If those valves cannot be precisely controlled, high pressure differences in the pipes can ultimately lead to a collapse of the entire distribution system.”Wilson notes that the most cost-effective and environmentally friendly solution is to reduce water losses in the distribution systems, by implementing the VAG intelligent pressure management system. “The

Intelligent pressure management

Reducing water losses

Municipalities in South Africa can save substantial capital overhead costs when reducing pipeline leakages by opting to install a technologically advanced VAG intelligent pressure management system, as opposed to investing in costly new infrastructure.

systematic reduction of pressure in the main water supply system enables the water authorities to reduce water loss to sustainable economic levels.”

The technologyThe VAG intelligent pressure management system is comprised of a plunger valve, a pressure sensor and a flow meter, which are installed at the feed point of the supply area. Wilson adds: “A programmable logic controller (PLC) records, processes and archives the measured sensor data needed to control the plunger valve. Depending on the supply system’s topography and consumption, the valve is moved into a position that optimally reduces the supply pressure, ultimately reducing the risk of new leaks occurring.”Unlike butterfly or gate valves, which assume only shut-off functions in the pipeline, VAG plunger valves are designed to fulfil special control functions in the water supply systems. Due to the linear regulating characteristic, these valves guarantee best cavitation behaviour with lowest friction loss, and can be used for the delivery of potable water at temperatures of up to 50°C.“The VAG plunger valve precisely regulates pressure in a piping system and guarantees a constant supply of water at any time or condition in coordination with both flow rate and network pressure. It is available in nominal widths from DN 150 up to DN 1 600 and in pressures ranging from PN 10 to PN 40,” Wilson reveals. “Another essential advantage of the VAG plunger valve is its piston guiding, which is made of welded bronze for added strength. The piston-drive is connected by a stainless steel shaft to a gear box assembled to a con-necting flange on the outside of the body.”

ABOVE VAG PRV installation in Sao Paulo, BrasilBELOW VAG plunger valve under test in VAG laboratory

TECHNOLOGY

JULY/AUGUST 2012 53

Wilson points out that the VAG intel-ligent pressure management system can be operated via three approaches, de-pending on budgeting and engineering requirements, which are described below.

Time-based modulationThis method is achieved by using a controller with an internal timer to change the set point of the fixed outlet control. Control is affected in time-bands in ac-cordance with the demand profiles. This mode is effective for areas with stable demand profiles and head loss, and where cost is an issue.

Flow or demand-based modulationMore water can be saved when the pressure follows the demand cycle for a specific period, such as a day, week, month or year. A flow meter in the main supply pipeline recognises current de-mand for water in the network. This value is sent to a computer, where an evaluated curve for this specific network is stored. This method is best suited for areas with varying conditions, head loss and fire flow requirements. As demand is reduced primarily at night, pressures are reduced accordingly and, when demands peak, higher pressures are applied.

Remote node-based modulationWith this mode, the pressure is meas-ured directly in the network at a critical point, via a signal that is sent wirelessly to the control valve. This type of control

is the most proactive, and is affected by connecting a remote pressure sensor to the valve controller. A remote sensor is usually placed at a critical point in the district, and the controller is set to change pressure at the valve to consistently maintain the desired pressure in the net-work system. This mode also smoothes

system pressure at the weaker extremities,

thereby reducing the number of new pipe breaks.D e s p i t e its distinct a d v a n t a g e s , Wilson does

admit that it will be a challenge for Incledon to promote the VAG intelligent pres-sure management system to the local

market, due to the fact that the initial capital outlay is high. “We expect water boards to be initially reluctant to convert to the VAG system, as a large amount of capital and civil works is required during the installation process. Following this initial cost, however, the long-term sav-ings are substantial, due to the fact that the need for continuous maintenance is significantly reduced.”Wilson points out that the company has been involved in high-profile talks with a number of water authorities, and he is confident of the potential for the VAG intelligent pressure management system in South Africa in the short-term future. “We are currently working on a number of technical proposals for water bodies across South Africa, and we have received

overwhelmingly positive feedback to date. I am confident that the VAG intel-ligent pressure management system will obtain strong market share in the years to come, as the need for saving our country’s most precious resource becomes more urgent. With this in mind, I anticipate that the first systems will be installed and fully operational in South Africa by 2013,” he concludes.

VAG plunger valve with multi-orifi ce cylinder

BELOW VAG plunger valve with lever and weight

JULY/AUGUST 2012 55

PROFILEVidex Storage Tanks

V idex Storage Tanks (VST) is a divi-sion of the Videx Group and was established in 2010. The Videx Group has been in existence

since 1984, and it has been involved in the manufacturing of steel-related roof sup-port systems for the mining industry. Its manufacturing plant is based in Wadeville, Germiston, and currently employs over 350 people and processes around 3 000 tonnes of steel per month.Videx Storage Tanks was set up to cater for the need of mines requiring a solution for bulk storage of liquids used in various applications. A bigger opportunity later presented itself to cater for other industry sectors, providing them with liquid storage products. The company has since expanded by growing its customer base and recogni-tion in the industry as a water storage solu-tion provider.

What industries is the Videx range of Storage tanks used in?Videx tanks can be used in variety of ap-plications and industries. The applications vary from the storage of drinking water, raw water, potable water, fi re water and effl uent water to diesel and other chemicals. The in-dustries that use Videx storage tanks include government departments, municipalities, commercial buildings, mines, farms, rural ar-eas, harbours and residential developments.

Can you discuss some of the projects where Videx storage tanks have been used in the water industry?Videx has been involved with several pro-jects, which include the installation of water tanks at the Kumba Iron Ore Thabazimbi mine, the Assmang Chrome Dwarsrivier mine, a Glass Reinforced Polyester (GRP) water tank at Vodaworld, elevated water tanks at the Mafefe village in Limpopo and at a new secondary school in Diepsloot, and a fi re water tank of 800 000 ℓ capacity

was installed at a distribution Warehouse in Cape Town.

Can you provide information on some of the more unique projects that have been undertaken?I think that every tank and every project is unique. Behind each project are diff erent requirements, diff erent people, diff erent chal-lenges and diff erent rules and regulations. The challenge is to conform to the customer’s requirements at all times and to always try to exceed customer’s expectations. One unique project that we are currently working on is the construction and erec-tion of a water tank on top of a 35 meter high steel tower at the Impumelelo Mine in Mpumalanga, as well as a tank installation at the offi cial State House in Lesotho. In both instances, strict codes of health and safety need to be adhered to and deadlines are critical.

Does the company conduct business in the rest of Africa?Part of Videx’s strategy is to expand and to supply the African continent with its storage tanks. With the growing need for stable wa-ter supply in Africa, several African countries have been identifi ed as potential markets for the company. These markets are challenging to operate in, but it is extremely rewarding to see the eff ects of completed projects on, for example, entire communities being uplifted by getting a reliable water source to use. We have already supplied and installed tanks in Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

What makes Videx Storage tanks better than the rest?Being the so called ‘new kid on the block’ in the water storage industry, we have a point to prove. We supply innovative quality products at competitive prices, coupled with professional service and advice. We pride

ourselves at always putting the customer fi rst and to try and provide solutions to any bulk liquid storage challenge. Where pos-sible, Videx uses local labour during the tank installation stage, so that in a small but sig-nifi cant way we help uplift the communities in which we operates by creating jobs. Some of the innovative products that Videx is introducing to the marketplace are the GRP tanks, which are very popular worldwide due to corrosion resistant or “rust-free” properties. The panels are light-weight and therefore make the installation times that much faster. Also movement towards “greener” products make this an ideal alternative.

Contact details:Tel: +27 (0)11 827 0727E-m ail: info@vidextanks.co.zaWebsite: www.vidextanks.co.za

Tackling the challenges of bulk liquid storageVidex Storage Tanks is becoming a leading role player in the water storage industry, offering customers innovative quality products at competitive prices. The General Manager of the division, Avi Josef, was keen to share some insights about the company.

56 JULY/AUGUST 2012

TRENDS & PRODUC TSTechnology showcase

ENDRESS+HAUSER has introduced a new aeration control solution to optimise aeration times in the biological treatment stage in wastewater treatment plants. The outstanding features of the solution are:• its load-dependent control• user-friendly interface• it guarantees reliable outlet quality• it reduces energy consumption. In municipal wastewater treatment plants, the primary focus is on protecting down-stream bodies of water. The biological stage, in which pollutants and nutrients are decomposed, is particularly energy-hungry.“For many wastewater treatment plants, effi cient aeration control means enor-mous potential for energy savings,” says Christoph Herb, the expert in charge of wastewater simulation and customer pro-cesses at Endress+Hauser. Herb explains that it provides dynamic, load-dependent control in the aeration basin and the oxygen set value depending on the ammonium load. As a result the energy-intensive aeration runs exactly as required for optimum ammonium crack-ing. The results from pilot installations have been remarkable. Energy consump-tion has been optimised while operating costs have been lowered with absolutely reliable outlet values that have even been improved in some cases. This is also con-fi rmed by Michael Szegedie, plant man-ager of the wastewater treatment plant in Waldhausen, Germany. He says: “After just a few weeks, we saw that we were able to operate the system at a very stable level while almost halving aeration times. Obviously, this saves energy.”Liquicontrol CDC80 is based on a program-mable logic controller (PLC) that, together with certifi ed PROFIBUS pro-tocols, makes integration into existing systems easier than before. “I was amazed by how fast and smooth it went. Within a few hours, the controller was up and running,” says Szegedie, whose wastewater treatment plant was one of the fi rst to benefi t from the new aeration control. In addition to easy commissioning, Endress+Hauser has placed great value on user-friendly operation. For example, as early as the development stage of

Liquicontrol, intuitive menu guidance and graphic measured value display was included. In addition, the system opera-tor can throw a switch to select between manual and automatic mode, thus retain-ing full control over the process at all times. On request, Liquicontrol CDC80 can control not only the aeration times, but also the phosphate precipitant in load-dependent form. “This optimises the use of precipitant and improves the sludge parameters,” Herb explains. The solution is so well received that even initial applications in industrial processes (e.g. food) are being implemented. Herb relates that the optional remote access contributes to this success. This gives treatment plant staff the ability to man-

age the measured values and parameters independent of location and weather. The measurement instru-ment that works with Liquicontrol CDC80 is Memosens technology de-veloped by Endress+Hauser, which has now become a de facto standard in process analytics. This allows, for example, calibration data

or plausibility messages to be transmit-ted from the sensor via the controller to Liquicontrol, digitally and interference-free. Sensors equipped with Memosens can also be pre-calibrated and connected via Plug&Play, thereby reducing the work in the process. Teaming the Liquicontrol CDC80 with instruments using Memosens technology forms a win-win solution, for wastewater treatment plants to optimise

their processes while achieving even greater cost savings!The Blue and Green Drop Certifi cation regulates South Africa’s water supply, that is Blue Drop Certifi cation Programme for Drinking Water Quality Management and the Green Drop Certifi cation Programme for Wastewater Quality Management.These two programmes identify a series of core competencies across every com-ponent of water treatment and they use both incentive- and risk-based regulations to encourage development of these com-petencies. The aim of the programmes is to ensure the eff ective and effi cient delivery of sustainable water services. Meeting this goal means making sure that South Africans have enough healthy water to drink and suffi cient clean water to irrigate crops, run industries, and avoid polluting natural water systems. So every water treat-ment operation, from those of huge metros to small independent plants, needs to meet the stringent and detailed requirements of these regulations. To achieve and maintain wastewater effl u-ent quality and reliable Green Drop values, rugged and dependable process measure-ment are required that are also cost-eff ective. Endress+Hauser has mastered this challenge with precise, traceable, high quality instru-ments and solutions such as the Liquicontrol CDC80 using Memosens technology driven instruments. Furthermore, the company of-fers a full range of instruments required for the water and wastewater industries from a single source and, if required, will support you from project inspection to fi nal testing of water quality. Source: Endress +Hauser

Quality and effi ciency up, costs down on your aeration basin

Endress+Hauser CDC8080

Endress+Hauser Liquicontrol CDC80

TRENDS & PRODUC TS

JULY/AUGUST 2012 57

Minimal moving parts, Automatic backwash, Efficientand tough, Wide flow rate, Low maintenance!

Valve & Allied CCTel 011 - 789 4110, Fax 011 - 886 4398email: info@vacc.co.za

Ideal for removing suspended solids from industrial processwater and the prevention of blockages to spray nozzles,heat exchangers or any aperture where water flows.

If you want a hassle free system, contact:

KLEERFLO WATER FILTERS

Untitled-1 1 2011/02/25 01:43:11 PM

SPECIALTY CHEMICALS company LANXESS is off ering Lewabrane membrane separa-tion elements for reverse osmosis (RO) to complement its established Lewatit ion ex-change resins. The former will be produced at the new production unit in Bitterfeld that went on stream last fall. Initially, customers will be able to buy two RO element types with diff erent capacities that are based on polyamide thin-fi lm composite membranes. Further, other RO element types will be added to the product range soon. The main fi eld of application for the cur-rently available RO membrane separation elements is desalination of brackish water needed in many industrial applications, in-cluding the production of boiler feed water required in power stations. RO membrane and ion exchange water treatment process-es complement each other perfectly, and the high treated water quality helps to prolong the service life of, for example, turbines and steam generators via protection against fouling, scale formation and corrosion. Another application for the new Lewabrane RO membrane elements is the preparation of feedwater that customers can use for electrodeionisation (EDI) ap-plications. The EDI process allows for the production of ultrapure water with very low electrical conductivity without the need for regeneration chemicals. High-performance RO membranes can provide a reduced load on the downstream EDI process improving cost performance. These membrane-based processes have been increasingly adopted by the water treatment industry for prepara-tion of high-purity water. “The combination of RO membrane separa-tion and ion exchange ensures that effi ciency

Lewabrane product line introduced

and economy can go hand in hand in this and similar applications. This is true synergy,” says Alan Sharpe, manager of Strategic Projects in LANXESS’ Ion Exchange Resins business unit. Since LANXESS has products, experience and services for both technologies, this combina-tion of processes is particularly attractive. “Our tried and tested Lewatit ion exchange resins and the new Lewabrane membrane elements can both demonstrate good value to water treatment customers,” adds Sharpe.As premium products, membrane elements in the Lewabrane RO product family meet top quality standards and comply with all require-ments for industrial use. With a standard length of 40 inches (1 016 mm) and a diam-eter of eight inches, Lewabrane RO B400 HR has an active membrane surface area of 400 square feet (37.2 m²). Salt rejection is 99.7% for a daily permeate fl ow rate of 37.9 m³ (aver-age value under standard industry reference conditions; salt concentration in the feed:

2 000 ppm, 225 psi, pH 7, 25°C and a single element recovery of 15%).The Lewabrane RO B090 HF 4040 element has the same length but a diameter of only four inches and an active membrane surface area of 90 square feet (8.7 m²). “Thanks to a new ATD (anti-telescoping device) design, the surface area of the membranes exceeds that of other commercially available ele-ments by almost 6%,” explains Sharpe. The new LANXESS fi ltration element owes its superior average permeate fl ow rate of 2 500 gallons per day (9.4 m³ per day) under stand-ard conditions at a rejection level of 99.5% to the greater active surface area of the RO membrane available inside the RO element. Source: Lanxess

BELOW Specialty chemicals company LANXESS is producing Lewabrane RO membrane elements for industrial water treatment at its site in Bitterfeld , Germany

TRENDS & PRODUC TS

58 JULY/AUGUST 2012

Vela VKE is a professional consulting engineering company

that provides high-quality, multi-disciplinary services for major

infrastructure projects. Vela VKE has more than 1,000 employees

and over 15 offices in South Africa, Namibia, Swaziland and Zambia.

Vela VKE provides private and public sector clients with

cost-effective, practical and innovative project outcomes. Vela VKE’s

services range from feasibility studies and dam rehabilitation to

detailed design and construction supervision.

Vela VKE is a leading consultant in the African Water sector, with

a proven track record in delivering award winning projects that are

often complex and large-scale.

Recent projects include the Bougouriba Hydroelectric Dam in

Burkina Faso; the Lesotho Highlands Water Project in Lesotho; the

Mothapo Regional Water Scheme in South Africa; the Maguga Dam

in Swaziland; and the Mabuko Hydroelectric Power Station

in Uganda.

KEY ADVANTAGES of a new ‘environment-friendly’ Sensus domestic water meter are its ability to combine accurate metering over a wider measur-ing range while linking seam-lessly with automatic meter-reading networks used by South African municipalities. In a move away from high carbon footprint brass manufacture, the body of the Sensus 220C meter is made of ultra-strong composite engineering polymer and is half the weight of a brass-bodied meter of the same size. This means a major saving on transportation, and therefore energy costs. The Class C meter’s com-munications technology

An environmentally friendly water meter

incorporates a standard reed switch in addition to a high-integrity inductive pulse capability. The meter can be integrated into any remote meter-reading network while ensuring the data integrity required for billing purposes ‒ something which cannot be guaranteed with the old-technology reed switch interface. An added feature is the vertical configuration of its piston assembly which improves its ability to handle dirt without stoppage.The meter has undergone extensive testing by the SABS and has been approved by the NRCS (National Regulator for Compulsory Standards Specifications) to the more

stringent Class C accuracy standard.“These features make the 220C of particular value to municipalities which are moving across to remote me-ter reading, or are considering interfacing the meter with electronic water management devices,” says Sensus South Africa MD Basil Bold. “The meter incorporates the latest German design criteria in the field of consumer water metering.”Source: Sensus Metering Systems

Crd.es

re erfacing electronic

Sensus 220C meter

Level of damsThe full supply capacity (106 m3) and level of some of South Africa’s dams as at 30 April 2012.

Total full supply capacity of dams (106 m3)Last year 2012/04/3031 562.3 31 629.1

AcronymsEC Eastern CapeFS Free StateG GautengKZN KwaZulu-NatalL LesothoLP Limpopo provinceM MpumalangaNC Northern CapeNW North WestWC Western Cape

Info supplied by DWA

JULY/AUGUST 2012 59

LimpopoHartbeespoort (NW) (186.44) 97.0%Olifantsnek (NW) (13.67) 85.1%Buff elspoort (NW) (10.25) 100.3%Bospoort (NW) (15.79) 100.7%Lindleyspoort (NW) (14.33) 91.1%Roodeplaat (NW) (41.15) 99.1%Koster (NW) (12.80) 93.2%Klipvoor (NW) (42.08) 100.5%Vaalkop (NW) (56.01) 45.6%Roodekopjes (NW) (102.33) 104.6%Marico-Bosveld (NW) (26.96) 96.8%Klein Maricopoort (NW) (7.07) 103.3%Albasini (LP) (28.19) 40.2%Vondo (LP) (30.44) 95.9%OlifantsWitbank (M) (104.02) 85.6%Middelburg (M) (48.05) 73.6%Bronkhorstspruit (M) (56.99) 86.0%Rust de Winter (M) (28.18) 83.0%Loskop (M) (361.51) 94.2%Buff elskloof (M) (5.24) 100.3%Ohrigstad (LP) (13.44) 97.8%Blyderivierpoort (LP) (54.36) 100.5%Klaserie (LP) (5.60) 103.0%Ebenezer (LP) (69.13) 100.3%Magoebaskloof (LP) (4.84) 100.4%Tzaneen (LP) (156.53) 98.0%Middle Letaba (LP) (171.93) 4.4%VaalVaal (FS) (2 603.45) 78.6%Grootdraai (M) (349.53) 74.5%Boskop (NW) 21.02) 101.4%Klipdrift (NW) (13.30) 97.9%Erfenis (FS) (206.06) 63.4%Kalkfontein (FS). (325.13) 76.8%Rustfontein (FS) (71.20) 56.6%Krugersdrift (FS) (71.47) 59.0%Groothoek (FS) (11.90) 55.8%Sterkfontein (FS) (2 616.90) 99.2%Saulspoort (FS) (15.67) 98.4%Vaalharts Storage Weir (NC) (50.68) 71.9%

Bloemhof (FS) (1 240.24) 73.7%Douglas Storage Weir (NC) (16.24) 109.3%OrangeKatse (L) (1 519.10) 69.3%Egmont (FS) (9.25) 58.8%Gariep (FS) (5 196.04) 94.1%Vanderkloof (FS) (3 171.30) 85.1%Boegoeberg (NC) (19.81) 108.6%Olifants/DoornClanwilliam (WC) (121.76) 12.6%BergVoelvlei (WC) (158.58) 42.6%Wemmershoek (WC) (58.71) 47.0%Berg River (WC) (127.05) 57.9%Steenbras (WC) (33.88) 42.8%Eikenhof (WC) (28.85) 41.0%BreedeBrandvlei (WC) (284.29) 30.5%Roode Elsberg (WC) (7.72) 16.9%Pietersfontein (WC) (1.98) 76.6%Kwaggaskloof (WC) (173.86) 31.0%Theewaterskloof (WC) (480.19) 50.8%Duiwenhoks (WC) (6.18) 59.7%Coastal riverHartebeestkuil (WC) (7.13) 74.5%Wolwedans (WC) (25.10) 86.0%Krom River (EC) (35.24) 74.9%GamtoosKouga (EC) (125.91) 84.2%Loerie (EC) (3.02) 85.1%SondagsNqweba (Van Ryneveld Pass) (EC)

(46.36) 96.9%

Darlington (EC) (180.83) 42.7%FishGrassridge (EC) (46.19) 18.5%Kommandodrif (EC) (55.87) 88.5%

De Mistkraal (EC) (2.45) 94.5%Katrivier (EC) (24.68) 100.3%Great KeiXonxa (EC) (115.86) 101.9%Lubisi (EC) (158.00) 98.3%Doornrivier (EC) (17.93) 96.9%Waterdown (EC) (37.44) 100.3%Mvoti/Mgeni/MkhomaziMidmar (KZN) (235.95) 98.1%Nagle (KZN) (23.23) 83.8%Albert Falls (KZN) (288.14) 82.4%Inanda (KZN) (237.40) 100.3%Hazelmere (17.85) 100.3%TugelaSpioenkop (KZN) (270.64) 99.2%Driel Barrage (KZN) (8.69) 101.7%Woodstock (KZN) (373.25) 99.8%Usutu/Phongolo/MfoloziGoedertrouw (KZN) (301.26) 85.1%Klipfontein (KZN) (18.060 60.3%Hluhluwe (KZN) (25.89) 97.1%Pongolapoort (KZN) (2 267.07) 62.4%Jericho (M) (59.27) 74.9%Westoe (M) (59.52) 88.3%Morgenstond (M) (100.16) 77.4%Heyshope (M) (444.94) 99.8%Sabie/Krokodil/KomatiNooitgedacht (M) (78.40) 73.0%Driekoppies (M) (250.92) 95.8%Witklip (M) (12.51) 100.2%Da Gama (M) (13.52) 99.1%Inyaka (M) (123.66) 100.2%

d i r e c t o r yCONFERENCESA

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JULY/AUGUST 2012 63

Professional development AWARDS

Umvoto Africa, which has nearly 20 full-time staff , plus at least four interns, competed successfully against much larger companies to receive this prestigious award from the

Water Institute of Southern Africa (WISA).The 2012 Southern African YWP (Young Water Professionals) Professional Development Award was announced at a gala dinner on 8 May as part of the bien-nial WISA conference and exhibition held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre.The Umvoto initiatives that contributed to the award include:• Intern Programme: The Umvoto Intern Programme was started in 2002 to off er practical work experience and academic and professional training to students. To date, 52 interns from Africa and abroad have worked at Umvoto for periods ranging from a few weeks to up to six months.

• Conference attendance: Young staff are mentored to build up their exposure through scientifi c papers and academic posters at conferences.

• Publications: Umvoto staff are encouraged and sup-ported to get published in scientifi c publications.

• Mentoring: Umvoto has excellent top managers who are dedicated to mentoring young staff . Dr Chris Hartnady, for example, joined Umvoto in 2000 as research and technical director. He has lectured for many years at the University of Cape Town, as associate professor in the Department of Geological Sciences.

• Courses: Staff benefi t from Umvoto’s excellent contacts with tertiary and research institutions. Umvoto has cooperated with the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) in Muizenberg since 2008. It organises and runs courses (with sup-port from Purdue University, Indiana, USA) at this institute and helps supervise students where pos-sible. Young Umvoto professionals also benefi t from AIMS workshops.

MD Rowena Hay, who founded the consultancy 20 years ago, says: “At Umvoto we believe that technical knowledge alone is not enough to guarantee a profes-sional contribution in a chosen fi eld. Most school leavers and graduates are not adequately skilled, technically or socially, to enter the workplace and make a positive contribution to the organisation and society.

Top professional training company recognisedA specialist earth sciences consultancy in Muizenberg, Cape Town, has been selected as the best company in Southern Africa for young water industry professionals to develop their skills.

“Umvoto’s experience has shown that the importance of business and project management skills, together with

ethics, personal and project fi nancial management, are fundamental for scientists if they are to contribute mean-ingfully and eff ectively at the science-society interface.” To address this challenge, Umvoto uses a three-step approach:• Skills: Provide the necessary personal (‘soft’) tools and professional (‘offi ce’) tools to eff ectively apply scientifi c knowledge.

• Attitude: Build insight and capacity so that an individ-ual can establish and maintain working relations with colleagues, clients and stakeholders based on respect for self and others.

• Knowledge: Build capacity for technical and scientifi c excellence in the fi elds of water, earth, environment, geoinformatics and social sciences. Hands-on practical experience is also off ered in the fi eld.

“This approach enables young scientists and engineers to progress rapidly in their careers. It is particularly helpful

for talented students who have been disadvantaged by inferior education,” explains Hay.On a lighter note, the young staff report that one of the best things about working for Umvoto is that they need only to cross Beach Road for a quick surf. And taking part in the soccer team, which Umvoto sponsors in the Cape Town corporate soccer league, has helped build up team spirit and ena-bled them to meet other young professionals from all walks of life.

Len von Scherenberg, a young water management engineer at Umvoto Africa, shows off the professional development award from the Water Institute of Southern Africa

Most school leavers and graduates are not adequately skilled, technically or socially, to enter the workplace

64 JULY/AUGUST 2012

Wastewater treatmentAWARDS

Index to Advertisers

Abeco Tanks 26

Blue Planet 2

Bosch Munitech 48

Buckman Laboratories 12-13

Degremont OFC

Dynamic Fluid Control 21

Elster Kent Metering 22

Endress & Hauser 60

ERWAT 28

Festo 53

GIBB 16

Incledon 46

Institu-Pipelines 40

Keny'uka 14

KROHNE South Africa 33

Quality Laboratory Services 31

Rare 47

ROCLA 15

SBS Water Systems 35

Schneider Electric 6

Sensus South Africa 49

Sera DoseTech SA 18

SRK Consulting 27

SSI 25

Thuthuka Project Managers 17

Trenchless Technology IFC

TT Innovations 36

Valve & Allied 57

Vela VKE 58

Veolia Water Solutions 62

Verder Pumps SA 37

Vermeer Equipment Suppliers 44

Videx Storage Tanks 54

Water & Sanitation Services OBC

Water-IQ 50-51

Water Research Commission IBC

Xylem (ITT Water & Wastewater) 32

The individual largely responsible for develop-ing the revolutionary Nereda aerobic granular

sludge wastewater treatment technology, Professor Mark van Loosdrecht from the University of Delft in The Netherlands, is to receive the Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize for 2012 in recognition of his contributions to sustainable wastewater purifi cation. The prize will be presented dur-ing the Singapore International Water Week in July.

NeredaSSI Engineers & Environmental Consultants (part of the DHV Group that transferred Nereda into an internationally applied technology) completed the fi rst full-scale Nereda demonstration plant at Gans Bay in the Western Cape in 2009. The plant, which won for SSI the SAICE Technical Excellence Award in 2009, has been operating trouble free and as designed for three years. SSI reports that construction on the second South African Nereda plant has started at Wemmershoek in Stellenbosch.Nereda wastewater plants are much more energy effi cient, take up to 75% less space (because conventional large sedimentation

Nereda wastewater technology pioneer honoured

tanks are no longer necessary), use no chemicals, produce cleaner effl uent, are easy to operate and fully automatic in operation while monitored ‒ a characteristic that ad-dresses the major problem area of plant operation found throughout South Africa.The Nereda aerobic granular sludge process is based on a group

of microorganisms that convert waste ma-terials into harmless substances. In conven-tional purifi cation processes, these microor-ganisms form fl akes that can only gradually be separated from the purifi ed water. In the Nereda process however, the bacteria form compact sludge granules which quickly sink to the bottom. These compact granules re-sult in a spectacular increase in the process-ing speed of the reactor.

AnammoxVan Loosdrecht has secured the prize primarily for his work on the development of an innovative biological process that can purify wastewater in a way that is relatively inexpensive, robust and sustainable. This process, known as Anammox, involves a reduction in energy consumption, carbon dioxide emissions and the amount of chemi-cals required.

Granular sludgeVan Loosdrecht was closely involved in the construction of the fi rst Anammox demon-stration plant in Rotterdam. By 2011, there were 11 Anammox plants in operation, and a variation on the process is being used in more than 30 other plants. In addition to Anammox, the award is also in recognition of Van Loosdrecht's work on the development of other technologies, including Sharon, BABE and especially the aerobic granular sludge, Nereda. Van Loosdrecht explains: “Nereda and Anammox are both granular sludge technologies. Granular sludge technology is a Dutch de-velopment, pioneered by Delft alumnus Prof Gatze Lettinga.”

International breakthroughNereda technology is set to revolutionise the way wastewater is treated. Various industrial installations are already operating in the Netherlands and there are full-scale demonstration systems for domestic waste-water in Portugal and South Africa. Recently, the fi rst full-scale system for domestic wastewater purifi cation was commissioned by the Veluwe Water Board. A large number of systems are in development, in addition to the Stellenbosch Wemmershoek plant, at the Rijn, IJssel and the Regge.

Professor Mark van Loosdrecht

Now in its fi fth decade, the WRC research funds are channelled towards studies aiming at achieving excellence in the production of knowledge required for the sustainable management of our water resources, water-linked ecosystems, and domestic, agricultural, mining and industrial water use and waste. This includes research focused on water service delivery, O&M, on-site and off-site sanitation.

The WRC actively builds and supports the development of research capacity in previously disadvantaged universities while ensuring that water is one of the core research themes in South Africa’s academic and research organisations.

In all research fi elds, the WRC addresses key challenges facing our country on water security, sustainability of resource ecosystems and the water energy nexus, water quality, water use effi ciency and development of new technologies.

Contact us on Tel: 012 330 0340 or E-mail: info@wrc.org.za or visit www.wrc.org.za

Th e Water Research Commission (WRC) has dedicated many years of research to improving the quality of life of all South Africans, combating water poverty, through improving water

productivity while managing water scarcity.