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Water Week

Leveraging better water waste treatment to save the environment and ourselves

18th March 2022 With International Water Day commemorated on March 22, the spotlight is rightfully on one of the most precious lifegiving elements upon which we all depend – water. For water to truly be used without harm it needs to be clean, and the fact is that fresh water is not an infinite resource. As... →

Microtunnelling used to build pipeline

By: Nadine Ramdass 18th March 2022 The Farm 694 bulk civil engineering services project will, once completed, be the longest and largest diameter pipeline project constructed using microtunnelling in South Africa, says WSP in Africa civil and municipal infrastructure civil engineer Darren Osborne. Microtunnelling allowed for... →

An image of equipement being lowered for microtunnelin

DOING THE GROUNDWORK The Farm 694 project will be the longest and largest pipeline completed by mircotunneling in South Africa

Water reuse can protect resources

18th March 2022 Ahead of World Water Day on March 22, water treatment specialist Veolia Services Southern Africa prompts government and local municipalities to consider the implementation of water reuse solutions, to protect both freshwater and groundwater resources. There is a growing necessity for these... →

Maintenance can reduce water pollution

By: Nadine Ramdass 18th March 2022 The “callous waste and pollution of water” should be given more attention, and the necessary steps to prevent that, such as the maintenance of pipelines, should be prioritised, says Southern African Plastic Pipe Manufacturers Association (Sappma) CEO Jan Venter. South Africa is a water-scarce... →

PIPEWORK Plastic pipes have lower failure rates, less corrosion and fewer joint leaks

HydraArc

18th March 2022 Based in Secunda, Mpumalanga, HydraArc offers a range of proudly South African storage tank solutions. HydraArc’s storage tanks are locally fabricated at its ultramodern Sky-Hill facility which has 75 000 m2 under roof, and workshop space across four bays. Sky-Hill is recognised as the most... →

Simplifying dewatering through Innovation

18th March 2022 Having worked with screens that clog and cause pump damage to capital intensive dewatering solutions like pontoon, barge, gantry track and deepening the RDAs or TSFs, Turret Engineering MD Rob Hair gained valuable insight and expertise to propose a solution to overcome these challenges. The... →

Turret Engineering MD Rob Hair

Company provides water levels data

By: Nadine Ramdass 18th March 2022 The National Water Quantity Monitoring System, or Mzansi Amanzi, is providing comprehensive data on South Africa’s water levels in dams, natural lakes and estuaries. This is being used by government and other relevant decision-makers for monitoring and to make informed decisions that improve... →

MZANSI AMANZI The system is able to monitor almost the entire of South Africa's usable water footprint

Utility model assists with water use initiatives

By: Nadine Ramdass 18th March 2022 Engineering consultancy firm BBEnergy, with support from its shareholder Agile Capital, is implementing an energy and water utility model in support of a local premium prepared food and beverage business to assist with more responsible water use and improved water management systems. BBEnergy is... →

MAKING EVERY DROP COUNT BBEnergy's model assists in effectively managing water

Solution offers effective ballast water treatment

By: Nadine Ramdass 18th March 2022 With ballast water discharge posing significant disruption and potential damage, regulations are being incrementally enforced to reduce the environmental impact, which, in turn, has created a need for cost-effective, efficient ballast water treatment. South African electronics and systems... →

An image of Cybicom's Hydrotron Solution

HYDROTRON SOLUTION The Hydrotron kills organic organisms to allow for the safe discharge of ballast water

Inspections, solutions specialist expands in water sector

By: Nadine Ramdass 18th March 2022 Material testing and inspection services specialist Dekra Industrial has expanded its services to the water industry. The company saw a need for its non-destructive testing (NDT) and inspection services to assist the water industry owing to regular failures relating to water infrastructure. →

An image of Dekra Industrial's MD Johan Gerber

JOHAN GERBER Dekra Industrial now offers its services to the water industry

Groundwater, wastewater must be secured to ensure water security

By: Nadine Ramdass 18th March 2022 South Africa’s reliance on surface water such as rivers and dams has resulted in groundwater and wastewater resources being neglected. →

The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Water Research Centre research group leader Patrick Hlabela

Water scarcity puts wastewater under spotlight

18th March 2022 Consulting engineers are playing a valuable role in supporting municipalities to upgrade wastewater treatment works (WWTWs), says consultancy firm SRK Consulting principal civil engineer and partner Tiaan Bauman, noting that this underpins vital sanitation services to communities while ensuring... →

An image of upgrades to a wastewater treatment plant

UPGRADING VALUE Gradual increase of organic load put pressure on wastewater treatment plant capacity

Calls for professionalisation of water management

By: Cameron Mackay 12th March 2021 There is an urgent need to ensure that appropriately qualified and experienced water professionals are appointed to plan, develop and manage South Africa’s water resources and services, says Water Institute of Southern Africa (WISA) technical director Mike Muller. “Water management is complex.... →

Water stewardship can halt security decline

By: Cameron Mackay 12th March 2021 With water security declining in South Africa, consulting engineers and scientists SRK Consulting principal consultant Fiona Sutton believes that securing commitment from companies regarding the value of water stewardship is the first step towards water security. “Adhering to water stewardship... →

WADING THROUGH THE WATERS Water risks such as declining water quality, flooding, drought, water scarcity and water stress are all contributing to a decline in local water security

Pandemic stresses need for conservation

By: Cameron Mackay 12th March 2021 With Covid-19 further emphasising the importance of water and water conservation in South Africa, water tank storage solutions provider Abeco Tanks has supplied water tanks to several hospitals and facilities in the country to ease the impact of the pandemic. “The best defence against the... →

MANNIE RAMOS JNR As we brand ourselves as a water bank, businesses to store water for when water supply is unavailable in order to have continuity of service

Sizabantu Piping Systems

12th March 2021 Established in 2002, Sizabantu Piping Systems has been changing the lives of people across Southern Africa for nearly 20 years, by ensuring the provision of clean, potable water. With its first branch opened in South Africa’s coastal province of KwaZulu-Natal, Sizabantu now has 11 divisions... →

Water ‘crisis’ needs private-sector intervention

By: Darren Parker 13th March 2020 It is essential for the private sector to proactively contribute more towards the upliftment of water infrastructure and services in South Africa, said water engineering company Talbot economist Mike Smith and Talbot strategic director Helen Hulett during a seminar on South Africa’s water... →

LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL
If the private sector invests in water infrastructure projects, it can help ensure water security

Photo by Bloomberg
LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL If the private sector invests in water infrastructure projects, it can help ensure water security

Water security needs diverse, flexible systems

By: Darren Parker 13th March 2020 As climate change increasingly poses a risk to water security, the flexibility and diversity of bulk water distribution and the effective management of these systems are essential to secure future water supply. “Water security depends on the systems that are in place to manage it. Risk is system... →

Photo by Creamer Media
A SALINE SOLUTION One way of ensuring a guaranteed supply of clean water is through desalination, as is done in Namibia

National nonrevenue water programme in development

By: Darren Parker 13th March 2020 The State-owned Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) is spearheading a programme targeting the creation of a centralised national office to tackle non-revenue water projects for municipalities while seeking innovative funding solutions. DBSA product development specialist Johann Lübbe and... →

IN THE PIPELINE The national non-revenue water central office and programme should be fully operational by the end of 2021

Company expects opportunities in water infrastructure

By: Jessica Oosthuizen 15th March 2019 Valve repair and engineering consulting company Brimis Engineering expects that aging and old infrastructure will result in several project opportunities focused on renewal. Brimis Engineering MD Andile Nqandela tells Engineering News that the company expects new projects from water boards such... →

Photo by Bloomberg
WATER MANAGEMENT Brimis Engineering aims to establish a fully functioning water management consultancy division

Journey of Water focuses on river catchment

By: Jessica Oosthuizen 15th March 2019 Freshwater scarcity in South Africa is a topical issue which is why nongovernmental organisation the World Wide Fund for Nature South Africa (WWF-SA) stages a Journey of Water every two years to highlight the importance of protecting the country’s strategic water source areas. WWF’s Journey of... →

WATER SOURCE AREA This year, Journey of Water took place in the Riversonderend catchment which falls into the Boland water source area

NCPC-SA to strengthen implementation of water project

By: Jessica Oosthuizen 15th March 2019 The National Cleaner Production Centre South Africa (NCPC-SA) aims to strengthen implementation of its Industrial Water Efficiency (IWE) project and move towards the adoption of best practices and water efficient technologies to improve performance, says NCPC-SA IWE project lead Kevin Cilliers.... →

KEVIN CILLIERS The implementation of identified measures remains a challenge, largely owing to the perception that water efficiency measures require significant investment

Journey of Water focuses on river catchment

By: Jessica Oosthuizen 15th March 2019 Freshwater scarcity in South Africa is a topical issue which is why nongovernmental organisation the World Wide Fund for Nature South Africa (WWF-SA) stages a Journey of Water every two years to highlight the importance of protecting the country’s strategic water source areas. WWF’s Journey of... →

Company offers technology to mitigate floods

By: Jessica Oosthuizen 15th March 2019 Construction design and engineering services provider Royal HaskoningDHV’s BlueLabel technology can be used to mitigate flooding in South Africa, says Royal HaskoningDHV business development water director Tjeerd Driessen. BlueLabel was developed by Royal HaskoningDHV in partnership with... →

FLOODING ISSUES There should be an emphasis on how urban areas are planned because if infrastructure is not adequately designed, flooding will present problems

Company rolls out second-generation water filtration system

By: Jessica Oosthuizen 15th March 2019 Specialist water repurpose and filtration company CrossAfrica Water Solutions is rolling out the second-generation SAFI Africa Point-of-Entry Microfiltration System, which filters water at the source of entry into an establishment. The prototype of the system was launched three years ago and the... →

Tech can be part of water management solution

By: Jessica Oosthuizen 15th March 2019 Technology, such as the Internet of Things (IoT), can be a part of the solution to better water management to ensure responsible water use and no waste, says access network infrastructure provider Ruckus Networks sub-Saharan Africa sales director Riaan Graham. IoT is readily available and can be... →

Variable climate presents challenges

By: Jessica Oosthuizen 15th March 2019 A more variable climate is creating the challenges of ensuring adequate water supply in dry areas and dealing with higher rainfall in wet areas. Consulting engineers and scientists SRK Consulting partner and principal hydrologist Peter Shepherd tells Engineering News that water variability in... →

RIVERBANK EROSION Severe erosion is taking place in South African rivers, with sheer walls and embankments a sure sign of material being washed downstream

Cost-effective water treatment solutions imperative

By: Donald Makhafola 2nd March 2018 South Africans have to reduce water use and wastage by optimising existing processes such as segregating, recovering, treating and recycling effluent waters for reuse, reducing the overall water footprint, says water treatment specialist Proxa director of business development Elspeth Grahn. "This... →

CONSTRUCTION ON COURSE The construction of the two seawater desalination plants by Water Solutions - Proxa JV in Strandfontein and Monwabisi, in the Western Cape, is under way

Drought raises need for more cost-effective models

By: Donald Makhafola 2nd March 2018 The City of Cape Town provides an early indicator of the threat many cities could face amid ongoing water demand versus supply constraints, exacerbated by the Mediterranean climate in South Africa and globally, says Water Institute of Southern Africa (WISA) technical committee chairperson Jason... →

CHANGING WEATHER PATTERNS Cape Town is the first metro city in the country to experience the risk of a major water supply shut down as a result of severe drought

Photo by Dauane Daws
CHANGING WEATHER PATTERNS Cape Town is the first metro city in the country to experience the risk of a major water supply shut down as a result of severe drought

More water awareness initiatives needed

By: Donald Makhafola 2nd March 2018 Despite a below-average average rainfall of about 465 mm a year - compared with the world average of about 860 mm a year - the water shortage in many parts of South Africa is also the result of inadequate management and wasting water, says multidisciplinary engineering consultancy WSP Group... →

WATER WOES
A total of 35% of water in the country is lost because of leaks caused by ageing infrastructure and lack of maintenance

Photo by Dauane Daws
WATER WOES A total of 35% of water in the country is lost because of leaks caused by ageing infrastructure and lack of maintenance

Surface-water monitoring tool to manage water availability

By: Donald Makhafola 2nd March 2018 Monitoring available water resources accurately and consistently is a key information requirement for successful water resource management, says geographical information services company GeoTerra Image (GTI) director Mark Thompson. "With the Western Cape feeling the pressure of the drought, we... →

MONITORING WATER SURFACE GeoTerra Image's Mzansi Amanzi Web-based platform enables users to determine the extent of surface-water availability across South Africa

Water preservation and treatment industry expected to grow

By: Simone Liedtke 2nd March 2018 Water preservation and treatment industries - from harvesting rainwater to the recycling of grey water and purification to potable water, as well as desalinating sea water - will vastly grow in importance globally, says Johannesburg-based valve manufacturer and supplier AVK Holding Southern... →

ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES The Cape Town City Council is investigating advance leak- and pressure-detection technology to improve non-revenue water management within the region

Rescue Rod

2nd March 2018 Pipeline services and waste management specialist Rescue Rod has been serving the industry in various ways since 1990. “With over 25 years of experience in the industry and some of the most technologically advanced industrial sewer cleaning and pipeline rehabilitation equipment in the world, we... →

Industrial effluent recovery a sustainable water solution

By: Robyn Wilkinson 3rd March 2017 With the Department of Water Affairs’ National Water Week Awareness campaign – taking place from March 17 to 23 – celebrating twenty years of water delivery for social and economic development, water treatment specialist Proxa is looking to the future of water in South Africa by developing... →

One regional water utility for the Eastern Cape

By: Robyn Wilkinson 3rd March 2017 Eastern Cape State-owned water utility Amatola Water is leading the charge in the advocacy of and planning activities required to ensure that a single regional bulk water utility is realised in the Eastern Cape, in line with the Department of Water and Sanitation’s (DWS’s) institutional reform... →

Water recycling and reuse a responsibility of all S Africans

By: Robyn Wilkinson 3rd March 2017 In an era where conserving water is growing ever more critical, given the shortage of fresh and drinkable water, recycling and reuse plays a pivotal role in driving forward sustainable solutions that will allow for the longevity of South Africa’s water supply, says waste management business... →

REUSE AND RECYCLING An underground wastewater treatment plant installed by Interwaste last year that will ensure that efficient reuse of water at the site

Programme complements government objectives

By: Robyn Wilkinson 3rd March 2017 Private higher education institution Monash South Africa welcomed the first class of students for its new Postgraduate Diploma in Water Management this year. →

BIMO NKHATA Water Week is crucial for highlighting the role that every person has to play in using water responsibly and sustainably

Responsible water use habits a focus for the long term

By: Robyn Wilkinson 3rd March 2017 The water use strategies currently being adopted in South Africa to manage water shortfalls and prevent further drought damage must become long-term water use habits for all citizens, says South African advisory services provider KPMG associate director Antonino Manus. →

ANTONINO MANUS South Africa cannot afford a retraction in economic growth stemming from unjustifiably high water use

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