imiesa march 2013
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Imiesa March 2013 editionTRANSCRIPT
IMESAIMESAThe official magazine of the Institute of Municipal Engineering of Southern Africa
INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT • MAINTENANCE • SERVICE DELIVERY
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n professional wri2012
Infrastructure delivery
Finding its way again
oGagwini community
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CONTENTS
IMIESA March 2013 1
VOLUME 38 NO 3 MARCH 2013CONTENTS
13 Watertreatment
RegularsEditor’s comment 3President’s comment 5
Cover articleDWA's Regional Bulk Infrastructure Grant Programme 6
InsightThe blueprint for our survival 9
Africa Africa in review 12New water treatment plant for Maun 13
Infrastructure deliveryHow infrastructure delivery can find its way again 17
Water and wastewaterCommunity water supply scheme 33Climate change 'hotspots' 35The importance of groundwater management 37
Pipes, pumps and valvesPVC pressure pipes for water supply project 43Ensuring quality 45Ductile iron pipes installed 47New handbook available 48
IMESAMunicipal benchmarking initiative 49
RustenburgRRT project well under way 51Road and sewer upgrades 54
PowerPV solar panel produced locally 56Courses for Eskom staff 57
HousingNorthern Cape housing provision 58Lephalale housing project launched 59
33 Waterprovision
47 Water infrastructure
49 Municipal benchmarking
14
Cover Story The Regional Bulk Infrastructure Grant Programme is a departmental financial resource mobilisation plan designed to facilitate availability of sufficient funds and expenditure management systems for the implementation of regional bulk infrastructure across the country.
in ttthhhe HOOOOTT SSEEEEATT
Panel discussionWater and wastewater quality
management 61
Shosalowe
Jurie Niemand63
Quality Filtration Systems
Herman Smit65
GLS Consulting
Erik Loubser67
Cascade Group
George Peters69
Amanz' Abantu
Oliver Ive71
“The principles of empowerment and transformation are interwoven into the company’s DNA and form part of its core business strategy.” Trueman Goba, CEO, GOBA
Roads and stormwaterA 25-year commitment to transport 60Bridging the gap 60
Products and servicesAlternate solutions for housing 72Thousands of solutions provided 73Retaining wall constructon 75
Industry newsKevin Wall wins esteemed award 76
CALL FOR PAPERSAuthors are requested to think innovatively, base new ideas on case studies (local and elsewhere), be practical in approach and indicate how their proposed paper will support the conference theme.
23 - 25 October 2013
Submissions of extracts in the prescribed format by Friday, 26 April 2013 to Dup van Renen
email: [email protected]
• Political and Legislation • Ecological / Environmental• Financial• Transport and Traffic • Water and Sanitation• Roads and Storm Water
Increased number of strikes against poor
services delivery in 2012, numerous
reported failures of water supplies,
sewerage conveyance & treatment systems, and poor road maintenance conditions,
are pointers of warning, that serious turn-around
strategies are required in South African municipal
service delivery.
This will be required from institutional structures and
financial management right up to the operation and maintenance of quality
service delivery to the people.
Hence the theme for 2013:
Municipal Engineering: Meeting Peoples’ Needs
THE EASTERN CAPE BRANCH HEREBY ISSUES THE 2013 IMESA CONFERENCE
CALL FOR PAPERS
Download abstract forms from www.imesa.org.za Tel: 031 266 3263
IMIESA March 2013 3
EDITOR’S COMMENT
A taste for lifePUBLISHER Elizabeth ShortenEDITOR Richard Jansen van VuurenHEAD OF DESIGN Frédérick DantonSENIOR DESIGNER Hayley MendelowDESIGNER Kirsty GallowayCHIEF SUB-EDITOR Claire NozaïcSUB-EDITOR Patience GumboCONTRIBUTORS Ron Watermeyer, Kevin Wall, Graham Pirie, Frank Stevens, Simon FouldsPRODUCTION MANAGER Antois-Leigh BotmaPRODUCTION COORDINATOR Jacqueline ModiseFINANCIAL MANAGER Andrew Lobban (ACIS, FCIBM)MARKETING AND ONLINE MANAGER Martin HillerADMINISTRATION Tonya HebentonDISTRIBUTION MANAGER Nomsa MasinaDISTRIBUTION COORDINATOR Asha PursothamSUBSCRIPTIONS [email protected] United Litho Johannesburg +27 (0)11 402 0571___________________________________________________
ADVERTISING SALESJenny Miller Tel: +27 (0)11 467 6223___________________________________________________
PUBLISHER: MEDIA No. 4, 5th Avenue, Rivonia 2056PO Box 92026, Norwood 2117 Tel: +27 (0)11 233 2600 Fax: +27 (0)11 234 7274/5 E-mail: [email protected] www.3smedia.co.za
ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION: R530.00 (INCL VAT) ISSN 0257 1978 IMIESA, Inst.MUNIC. ENG. S. AFR.© Copyright 2013. All rights reserved.___________________________________________________
IMESA CONTACTSIMESA Administration Officer: Ingrid BottonP O Box 2190, Westville, 3630Tel: +27 (0)31 266 3263Fax: +27 (0)31 266 5094Email: [email protected]: www.imesa.org.za
BORDER BRANCHSecretary: Melanie MatroosTel: +27 (0)43 705 2401Fax: +27 (0)43 743 5266E-mail: [email protected]
EAST CAPE BRANCHElsabé KoenTel: +27 (0)41 505 8005Fax: +27 (0)41 581 2300E-mail: [email protected]
KWAZULU-NATAL BRANCHSecretary: Rita ZaaymanTel: +27(0)31 311 6382
NORTHERN PROVINCE BRANCHSecretary: Cornel TaljaardTel: +27 (0)82 899 8341Fax: +27 (0)11 675 1324E-mail: [email protected]
SOUTHERN CAPE KAROO BRANCHSecretary: Henrietta OliverTel: +27(0)79 390 7536Fax: 086 536 3725E-mail: [email protected]
WESTERN CAPE BRANCHSecretary: Erica van JaarsveldTel: +27 (0)21 938 8455Fax: +27 (0)21 938 8457E-mail: [email protected]
FREE STATE AND NORTHERN CAPE BRANCHSecretary: Wilma Van Der WaltTel: +27(0)83 457 4362Fax: 086 628 0468E-mail: [email protected]
REST OF SOUTHERN AFRICARepresentative: Andre MullerE-mail: [email protected]
All material herein IMIESA is copyright protected and may not be reproduced either in whole or in part without the prior written permission of the publisher. The views of contributors do not necessarily reflect those of the Institute of Municipal Engineering of Southern Africa or the publishers.
Cover opportunity In each issue, IMIESA offers advertisers the opportunity to get to the front of the line by placing a company, product or service on the front cover of the journal. Buying this position will afford the advertiser the cover story and maximum exposure. For more information on cover bookings contact Jenny Miller on tel: +27 (0)11 467 6223.t
I’M WRITING THIS column from a Spur –
the Silver Cloud Spur in Port Elizabeth to
be exact. Readers will be well acquainted
with not only the Spur chain of restau-
rants, but also IMIESA’s long standing munici-
pal features.
The municipal features we publish are the
core of the magazine’s content – it is from here
that the remainder of the content published in
the magazine originates.
So as I sit and write this I feel compelled to
let you know that in the coming months we will
be publishing the following municipal features:
• May 2013 – Ekurhuleni
• June 2013 – City of Johannesburg
• July 2013 – Buffalo City
• August 2013 – eThekwini
The reason for my visit to Port Elizabeth is
to report on municipal projects happening
Certain advertisement jingles stay with you a long time. Red, yellow, blue… which one’s for you? The BMW beating the bends on Chapman’s Peak Drive remains firmly imprinted in my brain. “It’s not inside… it’s ON TOP” even more so.
in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan
Municipality’s domain. These projects will be
published in the April edition of IMIESA.
It is one thing to interview a person over the
phone or e-mail questions to them – which is
common practice – but interviewing someone
one-on-one on-site remains the best way to
write an article. It not only allows a journalist
to get the required information from people
regarding a project, but it also allows for a
greater understanding of what has been or
will be accomplished. There is no better way
of formulating and understanding knowledge
or information than the double input of aural
and visual stimulus. So please contact me
with regards to the municipal features listed
above and let’s arrange a project site visit. The
last journalist anyone should ever trust is one
chained to a desk. This goes against the natu-
ral instinct of a journalist as they are normally
the first to the door when the opportunity to
see something or somewhere new arises. The
journalist who comes to where you are, shakes
your hand and looks you in the eye is doing
their job right.
This brings me back to the Spur. Admittedly
there are more imaginative or exotic places to
dine when travelling for work purposes – but
Spur is solidly reliable whether here in Port
Elizabeth or in some town off the beaten track.
I’ve been to many in my 14 years of construc-
tion and engineering journalism all over the
country. They just get it right.
Richard Jansen van Vuuren
DOING IT RIGHT
On page 16 of the January 2013 edition of IMIESA we published an article titled “10 Mℓ wastewater reuse at Outeniqua WWTW.” Unfortunately we forgot to list Ovivo Aqua South Africa as one the project participants. For more information on the company’s involvement in the project please contact t: +27 (0)11 886 0266.
2 3 - 2 5 O C T O B E R 2 0 1 3
P O R T E L I Z A B E T H
nelson mandela bay
CONFERENCEIMESAIMESAIMESA
2013
Theme: Municipal Engineering – Meeting Peoples’ NeedsEARN 2.5 CPD POINTS BY ATTENDING
Included in conference fee:• Opening Cocktail Function with Presidential Address• 3 Day Conference with local and international experts• Techncial Tours• Access to 80 industry suppliers at their exhibition stands• Gala Function: the best networking opportunity
Additional fees for:• Golf Day at Humewood before Conference opens• Companion to join at social functions or to participate
in 3 Day Companion Tours
For information:Tel: 031 2663263 Email: [email protected]
The 2013 IMESA Conference will be hosted at the brand new Boardwalk Hotel & Conference Centre on the beautiful Port Elizabeth beach front. A variety of exciting technical tours are being arranged to
SA Breweries, Koega Harbour, VW Factory and Van Staden’s Wind Farm.
Register and pay early to qualify for excellent Early Bird Discounts!
PRESIDENT’S COMMENT
THE THEME for our
2013 IMESA confer-
ence is ‘Municipal
Engineering: Meeting
People’s Needs’.
Poor service delivery strikes,
ongoing failures in water
services as well as poor road
maintenance conditions are
pointers that a turnaround
strategy in South Africa’s
municipal service delivery
is urgently required, from
institutional structures and
financial management right up to
the operation and maintenance
of quality service delivery to the
people who need it most.
Trevor Manuel, in the executive
summary of the National
Development Plan 2030,
identifies the nine chal-
lenges facing South Africa
as being:
• too few South Africans are
employed
• the quality of education for
poor black South Africans
is substandard
• poorly located and
inadequate infra-
structure limit social
inclusion and faster
economic growth
• South Africa’s growth path is
resource-intensive and there-
fore unsustainable
• spatial challenges continue to
marginalise the poor
• the ailing public health sys-
tem confronts a mas-
sive disease burden
• the performance
of the public service is uneven
• corruption undermines state
legitimacy and service delivery
• South Africa remains a
divided society.
While local municipalities can-
not assist directly with most
of the underlying
IMESA CONFERENCE 2013: PORT ELIZABETH
A response to call for papers and attendance vital for successThe benchmarking for water services in South Africa through the national Municipal Benchmarking Initiative started in April 2011 (see my article on pages 49 and 50) is one of several partnership agreements that IMESA is involved with to address national issues affecting municipalities.
problems, there are several of
these challenges that municipal
engineers can input on. We
hope that the call for papers,
which has been publicised for
the abstract deadline of 26 April
2013, will attract innovative
ideas based on local and interna-
tional case studies for practical
and sustainable solutions to sup-
port the conference theme.
We are looking for papers that
offer innovation through leader-
ship, business value and busi-
ness interest in the
following categories:
• Political and legislation
• Ecological/environmental
• Financial
• Transport and traffic
• Water and sanitation
• Roads and stormwater.
One of the strengths of our
nation is our ability to reinvent
ourselves to meet the constantly
changing circumstances. In the
words of Charles Darwin: “It is
neither the strongest nor the
most intelligent of the species
that survive. It is the species
that is the most responsive
to change.”
I look forward to the solutions
that will emerge at our 2013
IMESA Conference.
IMIESA March 2013 5
We hope that the call for papers... will attract innovative ideas based on local and international case studies for practical and sustainable solutions to support the conference theme
6 IMIESA March 2013
COVER STORY
THE REGIONAL BULK Infrastructure
Grant Programme (RBIG) is a depart-
mental financial resource mobilisation
plan designed to facilitate availability
of sufficient funds and expenditure manage-
ment systems for the implementation of region-
al bulk infrastructure across the country. The
projects into which this grant injects funds aim
to develop bulk water infrastructure required to
connect or augment existing water resources
infrastructure serving extensive areas across
various municipal boundaries, or large regional
bulk infrastructure serving numerous communi-
ties over a large area within a municipal area.
The grant extends to sanitation through the
building of wastewater treatment works that
do not meet area requirements or that have
become inoperable. National Treasury is the
sole funder of the national programme and,
as a result, all projects and associated imple-
mentation, administration and management
processes are subject to numerous legislative
frameworks. Key among other legislative frame-
works that guide implementation of the grant
is the PFMA (Public Finance Management
Act), Treasury Regulations, DORA (Division of
Revenue Act), and procurement and supply
chain management (SCM) guidelines within the
public service context.
Key functionaries in the Northern Cape
region are the acting regional chief director,
Abe Abrahams; the director of Water Sector
Support, Dr Magda Ligthelm; and the regional
project manager, Keletso Kgarana. The National
Office programme manager: regional bulk infra-
structure is Lerato Mokoena.
Background dynamics of the regionAs in other provinces, the Northern Cape focus-
es on access to potable water service delivery
to disadvantaged communities. Through its
RBIG programme, the construction of bulk
infrastructure is paramount for the expansion
of reticulation systems to communities. After
the installation of bulk infrastructure, which
includes bulk pipelines, water treatment plants
and associated infrastructure, reticulation work
is undertaken by the relevant municipalities to
ensure water supply to communities within its
area of operations. Without viable bulk services
in place, reticulation work, which would supply
water to communities, could not take place.
Due to the vast distances between water sourc-
es, such as dams and rivers, towns and com-
munities in need of potable water were quickly
left behind. For this reason, the Northern Cape
was excited when RBIG came into effect in
2007 as this meant that the region could begin
to address the bulk infrastructure backlog
that had developed – with particular focus on
backlog eradication, higher levels of service
and growing settlements in remote areas. Due
to the population size of the province tradition-
ally, this meant that only 2 to 2.4% of the
national infrastructure programme budgets was
received. For this reason the province started
NORTHERN CAPE
Regional Bulk Infrastructure Grant
The RBIG is being implemented in all nine provinces. This overview features the Northern Cape province, where the distance between towns and previously disadvantaged communities was one of the challenges that needed to be overcome during the planning phase.
IMIESA March 2013 7
COVER STORY
out small, with a groundwater augmentation
project at Vanwyksvlei with a value of R5.7 mil-
lion. The department’s regional office quickly
realised though that if it wanted to increase
funding flows to the Northern Cape RBIG pro-
gramme, it would have to identify projects and
ensure that they are ‘implementation ready’.
For that reason, the province decided to
invest in the preparation of detailed feasibil-
ity studies that would identify and recognise
the growth and development needs and guide
it in future bulk project selection. During this
start-up phase, 18 feasibility studies were com-
pleted. Approximately half of these identified
key projects that were implementation ready.
The region’s project production line was now
in place, so that it could quickly direct funds
to these projects, if and when more funds
became available. This proactive approach by
the DWA regional office gave the region a head
start over many of the other provinces, which
had not focused on getting a project production
line in place.
The success of this tactical decision paid off
as the Northern Cape currently receives 8.5%
of the RBIG budget – which is a great benefit to
all sectors of its diverse communities. It also
proved the value of good planning and proactive
project preparation. At present, there are six
regional bulk projects under implementation,
three in design and tender phases, and work is
under way on 12 more feasibility studies.
The Northern Cape, like many other provinc-
es, has experienced particular challenges relat-
ing to the condition of municipal wastewater
treatment works (WWTW). These challenges are
clearly seen in the results of Green Drop com-
pliance assessments. The lack of investment in
the maintenance of existing infrastructure over
many years has also had negative results. Over
time, the infrastructure simply did not have the
capacity to keep up with treatment demands,
with the resultant negative impact on service
delivery and the environment.
The RBIG programme focuses on turning
around the water treatment capacity of selected
municipalities. While the province recognises
that bulk projects by their very nature are imple-
mented over a number of years due to their
size, the availability of funding, water sources,
local absorption capacity, the DWA is confident
that this impact will be clear in improved Green
Drop and Blue Drop results in the near future.
The Northern Cape municipalities struggle
with significant water scarcity challenges.
For many communities access to a sustain-
able supply of potable water is an uphill strug-
gle, as water is a scarce natural resource
throughout the province. However, careful plan-
ning and innovative thinking is addressing
these obstacles.
The department has assisted with the bulk
pipeline project at Kai !Garib Local Municipality
where water has been taken from Lennertsville
to Kenhardt. This project brought relief to
a long-suffering community that has had to
endure harsh conditions for many years. The
availability of a secure supply of water will also
allow development opportunities that were
not previously possible. This development has
resulted in the employment of six local citizens
who were trained to operate and maintain the
new infrastructure. Putting this technical capac-
ity into place will make a considerable contri-
bution to the sustainability of government’s
investment in this area.
Programme
Department of Water Affairs
Web: www.dwa.gov.za
IMIESA offers advertisers an ideal platform to ensure maximum exposure of their brand. Companies are afforded the opportunity of publishing a two-page cover story and a cover picture to promote their products to an appropriate audience. Please call Jenny Miller on +27 (0)11 467 6223 to secure your booking.
The construction of bulk infrastructure is paramount for the expansion of reticulation systems to communities
IME
SA
AF
FIL
IAT
E M
EM
BE
RS
IMESAIMESA
Afri-Infra [email protected] Broom Road Products [email protected] SA [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Africa Group Holdings [email protected] Consulting [email protected] Bosch Stemele [email protected] Bosch Munitech [email protected] Consulting Engineers [email protected] Consulting Engineers [email protected] Consulting Engineers [email protected] Civil & Blasting Solutions [email protected] Manufacturers [email protected] Institute of Southern Africa [email protected] Built Environment [email protected] Lynn & Partners [email protected] Bank of SA [email protected] Plastics [email protected] Engineers [email protected] Kent Metering [email protected] Waste Management [email protected] [email protected] Consulting [email protected] [email protected] SA [email protected] Technology [email protected] Enterprises [email protected]@Consulting [email protected] Consulting [email protected] [email protected] and Green [email protected] Water [email protected] Consulting [email protected] Base [email protected]
Lektratek Water [email protected] Narasimulu & Associates [email protected] Consulting Engineers [email protected] Asphalt [email protected] Consulting [email protected] Engineering Systems [email protected] Naidoo & Associates Consulting Engineers [email protected] Construction [email protected] [email protected] Africa [email protected] [email protected] HaskoningDHV [email protected] SBS Water Systems [email protected] Consulting [email protected] Lines [email protected] SA [email protected] Inc [email protected] Water Company [email protected] [email protected] African Society for Trenchless Technology [email protected] Consulting [email protected] Pumps Wastewater [email protected] [email protected] Engineers East London [email protected] Consulting [email protected] Consulting [email protected] Consulting Engineers [email protected] Water Institute of Southern Africa [email protected] WorleyParsons [email protected] Group Africa [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Surfacing [email protected]
INSIGHT
IMIESA March 2013 9
IN ORDER TO IMPLEMENT the National
Water Resources Strategy II (2012) (NWRS-
2), it is important that South Africans
generally understand how the water cycle
works and how their actions impact on this
cycle. It is equally important to understand the
context of water resources in South Africa, and
the specific challenges that the country faces.
Water is a renewable resource that oper-
ates in a closed loop system.
Infrastructure, such as dams,
enables the provision of a reli-
able supply of water and
increases the quantity
available for use by stor-
ing water that would
otherwise run into the
sea. Storage of water
in dams enables a reli-
able supply of water
even during a drought.
Other technologies are
also available for increas-
ing water availability, such
as desalination, although
such technologies are still
relatively expensive.
The challenge is, however, that
dams and general use of water for
social and economic purposes have
negative impacts on aquatic ecosystems
that provide important goods and services.
The problem therefore comes in of how to
balance the use of water with the protection
of aquatic ecosystems. The NWRS-2 provides
strategies that aim to achieve this.
Understanding water scarcityWhile water is the most abundant resource
on Ear th, 97.5% of it is too salty for
The blueprint for our survival WATER RESOURCE STRATEGY – PART 1
Compiled by Richard Jansen van Vuuren
Effective water resources management is dependent on all water users and water managers playing their part. Government cannot do it alone. This article is the first of a series highlighting the key issues discussed in the National Water Resources Strategy II (2012).
human consumption and crop production.
South Africa has low levels of rainfall relative
to the world average, with high variability as
well as high levels of evaporation due to the
hot climate, and increasing challenges from
water pollution. All of these pose
constraints on the amount of
water available for use.
Although the regulatory
framework and the insti-
tutional arrangements
have changed since the
advent of democracy,
one aspect remains
constant: water scarci-
ty – whether quantita-
tive, qualitative or both
– that originates as
much from inefficient
use and poor manage-
ment as from real physi-
cal limits. South Africa is
the 30th driest country in
the world and has less water
per person than countries widely
considered to be dry.
At present, there is a well-developed
infrastructure, with more than 4 395 regis-
tered dams in South Africa, of which 2 528
are water supply related. However, in many
parts of the country we have either reached or
are fast approaching the point at which all of
our financially viable freshwater resources are
fully utilised. Despite the good infrastructure,
the occurrence of floods and droughts are part
of the “normal” water cycle, and water restric-
tions and flood management are a critical
ABOVE Picture of Earth showing how, if all of Earth’s water (ice, freshwater, saline and water vapour) were put into a sphere, its diameter would be a little bit more than the flight distance from Johannesburg to Cape Town. Credit: Illustration by Jack Cook, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
The problem therefore comes in of how to balance the use of water with the protection of aquatic ecosystems
10 IMIESA March 2013
INSIGHT
part of the water business. And despite the
good infrastructure, the poor and marginal-
ised experience water scarcity most intensely,
particularly in underdeveloped rural areas and
areas such as the former homelands.
In many parts of the country, we are fast
approaching the point at which all of the
easily accessible freshwater resources are
fully utilised. All South Africans must recog-
nise this situation so that necessary steps
are taken to assess current and future
demands for water. This will not be an easy
task, but with the necessary resolve to plan
and implement the required interventions,
a secure water future can be achieved. The
present water supply situation has created a
false sense of water security within the privi-
leged sectors of the South African society.
Marginalised and poor communities, on the
other hand, have always experienced high
levels of water insecurity.
It must be noted that, as of 2012, South
Africa had 16 consecutive years of above-
average rainfall in the majority of summer rain-
fall areas and in these areas the last major
drought was more than two decades ago. This
trend is unlikely to continue.
Water quantityThe NWRS-1 showed that the majority of the
water management areas (WMAs) have water
deficits despite significant transfers from
other catchments. Only a few selected WMAs,
such as parts of the Eastern Cape, had sur-
plus water. There were already concerns that
more WMAs will have fresh water deficits by
the year 2025. There are a number of options
for reconciling water supply and demand,
which are dealt with in the technical strate-
gies, including improved water use efficiency,
development of new infrastructure, reuse and
recycling, desalination and the removal of
water-hungry alien invasive plants.
Surface waterFor the purpose of water planning, the
Department of Water Affairs (DWA) plans with
‘available water’ and uses a 98% assurance
of supply (DWAF, 2004). This means that
water can be abstracted at the determined
‘yield’, 98 out of 100 years on average.
There are about 10 billion cubic metres per
year available with this level of assurance. In
most areas where there are water deficits or
where the system is considered ‘in balance’,
the probability is that water shortages are
experienced more than 2 out of 100 years.
Water shortages have become part of life in
South Africa.
Approximately 25% of the mean annual
runoff (MAR) of 49 billion cubic metres per
annum needs to remain in the rivers and estu-
aries to support ecological functioning of the
catchments, depending on the specific river
systems. In many water management areas
the ecological portion of the reserve is not yet
fully implemented.
Most of the economically available yield
from sur face water resources over large parts
of the country have been fully developed and
At present, there is a well-developed infrastructure, with more than 4 395 registered dams in South Africa
INSIGHT
IMIESA March 2013 11
utilised. More than two thirds of the country’s
MAR is already stored in dams. Where addi-
tional water is still available, such as in the
uThukela, Mzimvubu and Pongola basins, it
is located in relatively remote areas far from
existing centres of demand. Opportunities for
economically viable new dams are few and
far between (DWA, 2010), and the costs of
transfer of water per cubic metre to locations
where water is needed are also rising with
longer distances. Sur face water from dams
and direct abstraction from rivers, accounted
for 9.5 billion cubic metres per annum, with a
significant volume of the sur face water yield
(3 billion cubic metres per annum) moved
via inter-basin transfers to areas in the
country where requirements exceed supply.
An example is the Lesotho Highlands Water
Scheme, which supplies water to Gauteng
through transfer from Katse and Mohale
dams in Lesotho to the Upper Vaal WMA. The
Mzimvubu to Keiskamma WMA is currently the
only WMA not subject to inter-basin transfers.
Many dams and associated water resourc-
es infrastructure were built more than 40
years ago. While the main structures may
have an extremely long life, spillways, gates,
pumps, pipelines and canals, and associated
infrastructure, need regular maintenance and
occasional major rehabilitation to extend the
lifespan of these assets for which funding
is required. There are also backlogs in the
rehabilitation of water infrastructure owned by
the municipalities.
GroundwaterGroundwater is a significant resource in many
parts of the country, although local yields are
usually quite low. The most recent estimate
of sustainable potential yield of groundwa-
ter resources at high assurance is 7.5 bil-
lion cubic metres per annum, while current
groundwater use is estimated at around
2 billion cubic metres per annum. Allowing
for an underestimation on groundwater use,
potentially about 3.5 billion cubic metres
per annum is available for further develop-
ment. This resource is, however, sparsely
distributed and often not readily available at
points of demand. This is exacerbated by the
levels of knowledge and information on the
groundwater resource.
Some of the most favourable areas/aquifers
regarding groundwater availability include: the
Dolomites of the West and far-West Rand;
Table Mountain Group Aquifers of the Western
and Eastern Cape; Coastal sand aquifers
in the Western and Eastern Cape, and
northern KwaZulu-Natal. Other high-yielding
aquifers include basement granites in the
Polokwane-Dendron-Coetzerdam area, alluvial
deposits along sections of major rivers such
as the Limpopo, and parts of the Karoo
Sequence associated with dolerite dykes and
ring structures.
*Source: Department of Water Affairs/National
Water Resources Strategy II (2012)/Water for
equitable growth and development.
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12 IMIESA March 2013
AFRICA
ANGOLACutembo River Bridge inauguratedA BRIDGE OVER Kwanza River
in the Bocoio Municipality was
recently inaugurated by the
municipal administrator, Deolinda
Valiangula. The bridge was built
with material and the logistical
support of Benguela’s province
Bocoio Municipality. Construction
spanned two months.
Source: Angola Press Service
KENYALaw to establish housing fundTHE DRAFT Housing Bill will
establish the National Housing
Development Fund (NHDF) once it
becomes law, which will facilitate
housing construction and related
infrastructure. According to
Kenyan housing permanent secre-
tary, Tirop Kosgey, the fund will be
allocated in excess of Sh10 billion
[Kenyan shillings] (R1.02 billion)
annually by the national govern-
ment in renewed efforts to plug
the widening demand-supply gap
for affordable homes across the
country. It will also raise funds
from the capital markets through
housing bonds. Funds will be
channelled through financial and
mortgage institutions, including
micro-financiers and cooperatives,
to facilitate low-cost housing
projects. The National Housing
Corporation will get direct alloca-
tion from the NHDF for public and
social housing and rural housing
loans, but other institutions will
have to apply to the fund for part
or full financing of low-cost hous-
ing development or onward lend-
ing. The fund will be administered
by the Kenya NHDF committee,
which will be set up once the law
is enacted.
Source: The Star/Kenya
NAMIBIAConstruction companies accused of collusionTHE ALLEGED collusion by four
Swakopmund contractors in
tendering for the construction of
a traffic circle at the entrance
to Swakopmund is heading to
the High Court. An investiga-
tion of the applicants and their
quotations for the project by the
council’s legal advisors, Kinghorn
Associates, suggested the pos-
sibility that local contractors DMA
Holdings, Precision Construction,
Pandora’s Construction and
Elite Construction colluded in
the submission of bids. The
investigation found that all the
tenders were allegedly filled in by
the same person for the same
construction period and at the
same price. The page listing of
previous work done also sug-
gested that the main partner of
DMA Holdings is a partner in
the other three companies. The
investigation further discovered
that based on the company
documentation, in particular the
amended founding statements, in
respect of DMA Holdings, a Deon
and Marlene Miljo each holds
45% interest, and Anita Marlene
Mijo owns 10%. In respect of
Elite Construction and Precision
Construction, Marlene Miljo
holds 100% interest in each of
these corporations. In respect
of Pandora’s Construction, no
partnership documents were
provided. According to the legal
advisors, Deon Miljo allegedly
misrepresented a number of facts
about each of the entities that
tendered for the paving works and
that there was alleged “collusion,
anti-competitive behaviour and
perhaps even tender fraud”.
The Swakopmund council
ordered the contractors to argue
why their actions should not be
regarded as collusion and why
the council should not blacklist
them from receiving future con-
tracts from council for the next
12 months. The contractors had
five days for their side to be
heard. They failed to take the
opportunity, resulting in a recom-
mendation by the management
committee to the council to dis-
qualify the contractors.
Source: The Namibian
NIGERIAThe state of the Third Mainland BridgeFOR USERS OF the Third
Mainland Bridge in Lagos, fresh
concerns over the bridge’s state
have emerged following the
repairs conducted between 7
July and 30 October 2012 by
the Federal Ministry of Works.
A report by Prof JHT Kim, head
of the Concrete Structural
Engineering Laboratory at Yousei
University in Seoul, Korea, who
conducted an underwater exami-
nation of the structures holding
the bridge last December, has
shown that the damages to the
structure are worse than what he
had initially thought. The report,
produced by a company experi-
enced in underwater surveys,
indicated that the underwater
metal casing housing the con-
crete piles on which the bridge
stands has rusted. He said this
may have accounted for the vibra-
tion experienced in some portions
of the bridge, which led to the clo-
sure of the bridge for repairs. The
professor’s report also indicated
that there was progressive steel
caisson deterioration in about
1 318 foundation piles and that
there was extensive reinforce-
ment bar deterioration in eight
piles. Source: Vanguard/Nigeria
TANZANIANHC to establish satellite townsTHE TANZANIAN National
Housing Corporation (NHC)
intends to establish two new
satellite towns in the Meru and
Arusha rural districts, the two
precincts where it owns more
than 1 000 acres of land. The
state-owned and Tanzania’s old-
est public real-estate developer
also has plans to build a total of
15 000 housing units country-
wide, with 70% of these houses
to be sold and the remaining 30%
to be rented out.
“We own more than 1 000
acres of vacant land in the local-
ity, which we intend to develop
into new satellite towns – not
to overshadow or make the
existing Arusha City obsolete,
but rather to complement
the fast-growing urban centre
that serves as the capital for
the East African Community,”
states the NHC director general,
Nehemia Mchechu.
Source: Tanzania Daily News
Africa in review
IMIESA March 2013 13
AFRICA
THE PLANT, located near the banks
of the Thamalakane River, is
scheduled to be commissioned in
September 2013 and will be operat-
ed and maintained by Veolia for a subsequent
six-month period.
The new plant will augment the supply
from existing underground water sources that
become impractical to maintain during the
nearby Okavango Delta’s flood season. To
maintain consumer demand during these peri-
ods, the plant will source water directly from
the river.
“River water is high in dissolved organic
compounds that give it its characteristic
brownish colour and earthy smell and taste,
despite its normally low turbidity,” says Peter
Healy, MD at VWS Envig Botswana.
“To make this water suitable for human
consumption, we opted for clarification by
means of ballasted flocculation to remove the
extremely light-weight organic particles that
would otherwise settle very slowly.”
Veolia will install its patented Actiflo high-
rate water clarification system. Featuring
footprints that are five times smaller than
conventional clarifiers, the Actiflo will achieve
rapid settling with the help of Actisand – a
ballast designed to rapidly flocculate and set-
tle organic particles. “After clarification, the
water will be polished with multimedia and
granular activated carbon filters, and finally
disinfected before being fed into the town’s
pipeline system,” explains Healy.
Veolia is also responsible for a booster pump
and delivery pipelines. “This involves replac-
ing the main distribution pump and connecting
the new station with
minimal disturbance
to the current water
supply,” main-
tains Healy.
BOTSWANA
Maun to get drinking water plantVWS Envig Botswana has been awarded a contract by the AEVVMI joint venture to design, supply and commission a 6 000 m3/d potable water plant in Maun, northern Botswana.
ABOVE The Veolia-developed Actiflo will use a ballast to gather and settle impurities in the water, allowing cleaner water to flow off the top of the clarifier
“After clarifi cation, the water will be polished with multimedia and granular activated carbon fi lters, and fi nally disinfected.”Peter Healy, the MD of VWS Envig Botswana – a subsidiary of Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies South Africa
14 IMIESA March 2013
HOT SEAT
Please provide an in-depth brief back-ground to the estab-
lishing of GOBA At GOBA we
are privileged that the company’s
continued trend of visionary think-
ing and innovation is deeply root-
ed in the South African consulting
engineering landscape.
The numerous infrastructure
projects that started to alter the
rural countryside of South Africa in
a big way over the past 50 to 60
years have contributed significant-
ly to the country’s economic devel-
opment. In the process, much
of the technical knowledge and
expertise gained or perfected has
been instrumental in the growth of
what is known today as GOBA.
Founded in 2001 through
the merger of Goba Moahloli
and Associates Inc and Keeve
Steyn, GOBA represents rec-
ognition of the powerful syn-
ergy inherent in merging the two
diverse companies.
GOBA is a reputable and pro-
gressive professional firm where
young potential built environment
candidates are identified, career
A PROVEN HISTORY
IMIESA speaks to GOBA’s CEO, Trueman Goba, about how the company has evolved over the years and what the future holds for it within the infrastructure construction sector.
Setting the scene for
opportunities are maximised and
professional people from diverse
backgrounds come and work
together through mutual respect.
The company continues to be
at the forefront of transformation
in the consulting engineering pro-
fession in South Africa and is a
Level 3 BBBEE contributor.
GOBA is a member of Consulting
Engineers South Africa (CESA)
and the International Federation
of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC). It
is ISO 9001-accredited and has
built up a reputation for service
excellence; this is reflected in the
numerous prestigious awards that
it has acquired over the years.
Please outline the growth of GOBA from its inception to its current status Since
the merger, GOBA has grown from
its initial staff complement of 180
in 2001 to 500 in 2012. GOBA
has also significantly grown its
presence in KwaZulu-Natal and
opened offices in the Eastern
Cape and Western Cape. The firm
currently operates out of eight
offices throughout the country and
stonework sections in 2015. The
scope of the contract entails the
development of the complete mine
complex including the shaft sys-
tems, the materials handling sys-
tem and all supporting infrastruc-
ture. GOBA, in a 50:50 joint ven-
ture with RSV ENCO Consulting,
has been appointed as EPCM
consultant for the project.
eThekwini Integrated Rapid
Public Transportation Network
(IRPTN): The eThekwini IRPTN is
intended to deliver to public trans-
port users within the eThekwini
Municipality an efficient, safe, reli-
able and affordable means of trav-
el. The project involved, inter alia,
undertaking extensive demand
modelling, network design, service
design and financial feasibil-
ity, as well as preparation of a
comprehensive implementation
plan and preliminary design for
all infrastructure components of
Phase 1 of the IRPTN. Goba is the
lead consultant on the project and
responsible for the overall project
management, coordination, plan-
ning and design of the IRPTN.
Transnet’s Bayhead Expansion
is active in projects in 12 coun-
tries on the African continent.
Please give a list of the top projects GOBA has been involved with and a brief description of each Mpumelelo: GOBA, in a 50:50
joint venture with RSV Enco
Consulting, has been appointed
as EPCM consultant for the
Brandspruit Colliery – Impumelelo
Shaft Project in Secunda, to be
completed early 2014. The scope
of the contract includes shaft
systems and surface shaft infra-
structure. GOBA will also design
and supervise the civil the con-
struction of Sasol’s Brandspruit
Colliery’s 28 km overland con-
veyor civil services. The design
includes the 28 km platform, the
crossings as well as the drainage
for the overland conveyor.
Thubelisha: The 10.6 Mtpa
Thubelisha Shaft Project is to
be designed and constructed to
accommodate the first produc-
tion section in January 2012 and
build-up to full production with
12 continuous miners and three
IMIESA March 2013 15
HOT SEAT
a new beginningContainer Terminal Feasibility
Study: The Bayhead Expansion
Project is a R37 billion project
to extend Durban Harbour some
2.5 km inland to enable a deep
water container terminal to be
constructed. The rail work involves
the relocation of some 135 exist-
ing rail lines in the operating
Bayhead Rail Yard, constructing
a replacement rail yard near
the Durban Airport and relocat-
ing the existing loco and wagon
maintenance workshops and
wagon cleaning facilities to other
locations in a phased approach.
GOBA, as part of the HMG JV, led
the study and engineering design
team for this 1.5 year-long mul-
tidisciplinary study and provided
the engineering, costing and
scheduling requirements to enable
Transnet to assess the next
location for their mega terminal
expansion strategy.
For years GOBA has had a vision to expand its already strong South African skills base into the global arena, and has partnered with global engineering com-panies on certain large projects in the past. How do you envisage achieving this moving forward?. GOBA
has worked in joint ventures with
large international firms, allowing
us to participate in most of the
large prestigious projects in South
Africa, from the Lesotho Highlands
Water project in the 1980s and
1990s to Transnet’s Capital
Works programme from 2008 to
2011. However, the consulting
engineering landscape is rapidly
changing in South Africa. Large
multinational engineering compa-
nies have purchased most of the
top-tier South African consulting
entities in the past five years.
As a result, GOBA’s traditional
partners, both local and interna-
tional, are increasingly unavailable
to work with us. The company
considered this a
potential risk that
would reduce its
opportunities to
continue to par-
ticipate in larger
projects and remain
relevant within
the country and
the continent. In
response to this
risk, GOBA initiated
discussions with a
large international entity in 2011
with a view to merging operations
in Africa.
Goba has achieved so much already. What is its secret to success? GOBA
is a value-driven company and
these values are aptly expressed
by the acronym 'EQUIP', which
stands for:
• Excellence
• Quality
• Ubuntu
• Integrity
• Professionalism.
The company is totally focused on
providing sustainable solutions
to its clients and places great
emphasis on staff development
and retention.
The principles of empowerment
and transformation are interwo-
ven into the company’s DNA and
form part of its core business
strategy. In other words, GOBA is
empowered by choice and does
not simply try to comply with any
statutory requirements.
Most importantly, all clients are
treated as true partners and this
is evidenced by significant repeat
business from long-standing cli-
ents of 50 years and more. New
clients who are attracted by this
service offering and dedication
to their needs, are viewed with
the same importance as existing
clients with the intention to retain
them as partners for the next
50 years and beyond.
How would you describe the company’s ongoing investment in developing staff? The government’s New
Growth Path advocates the promo-
tion and development of skills
and capabilities that are in short
supply as one of the means to
enhance growth, employment crea-
tion and equity within the South
African economy. GOBA subscribes
Belvedere Place, 5 Eglin Road, Sunninghill, Johannesburgf +27 (0)11 807 8535t +27 (0)11 236 3300 e-mail: [email protected] • www.goba.co.za
fully to this policy as well as to the
Supplier Development Programme,
which is an initiative of the
Department of Public Enterprises.
GOBA has a structured skills
development plan, which is based
primarily on the needs of its staff
and the company as a whole.
The plan includes partnering with
identified schools to assist with
the development of maths and
science, provision of bursaries to
qualifying candidates, mentoring
of graduates towards professional
registration as well as profession-
al development of technical and
administration staff. The company
often surpasses all statutory tar-
gets for skills development, both
in terms of the skills development
plan and requirements of BBBEE.
What is the next step for the company? As mentioned
previously, the
company is in
its final stages
of concluding
merger nego-
tiations with
a large multi-
national company. At the time of
going to press, these discussions
will have been finalised and
announced accordingly. The com-
bined entity will be a major player
on the African continent and will
have a strong local presence cen-
tred in South Africa, with the abil-
ity to draw on expert resources
from around the globe. This is
an exciting time for the company
and is the natural next step to
build on its 60 years of heritage
in delivering sustainable solutions
to its clients while touching every-
day lives.
The company is totally focused on providing sustainable solutions to its clients
IMIESA March 2013 17
IN 2011, THE National Planning
Commission (NPC) published a detailed
diagnostic report that set out the key
challenges that South Africans confront
in fighting poverty and inequality and in achiev-
ing constitutional objectives (NPC, 2011). The
implicit conclusion of this report was that a
business-as-usual approach will result in South
Africa failing to meet a great many of its objec-
tives. The National Development Plan 2030,
which was published in 2012, seeks to elimi-
nate poverty and reduce inequality by 2030
by drawing on the energies of South Africans,
growing an inclusive economy, enhancing the
capacity of the state, and promoting lead-
ership and partnerships throughout society
(NPC, 2012).
People are surrounded by economic infra-
structure (fixed capital investment including
construction works), including the homes in
which they live, the offices and factories in
which they work, schools that are essential
for the education of their children, and hospi-
tals and clinics that are fundamental for their
health and well-being. They are also surround-
ed by economic infrastructure that supports
the economy in its totality. Road and railway
infrastructure not only enable travel between
homes and places of work, schools and hos-
pitals, but also distribute goods and services
to people. Border posts, harbours and air-
ports are the physical links with neighbouring
countries and the world. Dams provide water
not only for human consumption but also for
agricultural and industrial purposes. Power
stations generate electricity. Networks delivery
water and electricity to homes, places of work,
schools and hospitals and convey industrial
effluent, soil water and wastewater to treat-
ment works. Economic infrastructure is foun-
dational to a better life for all.
Investment in economic infrastructure
occurs in expectation of demand or in reac-
tion to demand for capacity. When it hap-
pens, it has the following three impacts
(Watermeyer, 2011):
• an initial growth in demand for people,
equipment and materials on the project,
which lasts as long as it takes to create
the asset
• a demand on resources over the lifespan of
the project to maintain the asset
• a productivity impact in the overall economy,
either producing more or producing it better,
due to more efficient infrastructure (or sim-
ply the availability of capacity like harbour
capacity and electricity).
Expenditure on economic infrastructure will
not necessarily lead to economic growth.
Infrastructure that provides improvements or
efficiencies in services, production or export
capabilities and is delivered and maintained
in a manner that minimises waste of materi-
als, time and effort in order to generate the
EXPERT ANALYSIS
How infrastructure delivery can fi nd its way againThe National Planning Commission, chaired by the Minister in The Presidency for National Planning, was mandated to take a broad, cross-cutting, independent and critical view of South Africa in order to help define the South Africa its people seek to achieve in 20 years’ time and to map out a path to achieve those objectives.
INFRASTRUCTURE DELIVERY
maximum possible amount of value, is most
likely to contribute to economic growth.
Given the linkage between infrastructure
investment and economic growth, it is not
surprising that five of the nine priority areas
identified in the NPC’s diagnostic report have
a direct bearing on infrastructure. The tackling
of poverty and underdevelopment is, how-
ever, being hampered by shortcomings in the
delivery and maintenance of infrastructure
as evidenced in a recent World Bank report
(Foster, V (2008)) that examined infrastructure
in 24 countries that together account for 85%
of GDP, population and infrastructure aid flows
of sub-Saharan Africa. This report found that:
• in some countries infrastructure provision is
not focused where it is most needed
• countries typically only manage to spend
about two-thirds of the budget allocated to
investment in infrastructure
• about 30% of infrastructure assets are in
need of rehabilitation.
The inability of many South African municipali-
ties and provincial governments to spend all of
their capital budgets each year has for several
years been a sore point with National Treasury
(Wall et al, 2012).
The McKinsey Global Institute estimates that
the world needs to increase its investment
in infrastructure by nearly 60% over the next
18 years, from US$36 trillion (R320.65 trillion)
to US$57 trillion, simply to support projected
Graham Pirie (Consulting Engineers South Africa)
BY Ron Watermeyer (Soderlund & Schutte)
Kevin Wall (CSIR)
INFRASTRUCTURE DELIVERY IS top of
the governmen t’s agenda and will be
spearheaded by the National Planning
Commission, which is chaired by the
Minister in The Presidency.
On page 17 of this issue, expert authors
Ron Watermeyer (Soderlund & Schutte), Kevin
Wall (CSIR) and Graham Pirie (CESA) provide
detailed proposals for the effective imple-
mentation of infrastructure delivery within the
context of the national plan.
The Public-Private Infrastructure Forum, to
be held on 19 and 20 June at the Killarney
Country Club, Johannesburg, affords a further
critical platform for addressing the important
topic of infrastructure delivery and how it can
be implemented.
Ron Watermeyer and Abe Thela (depu-
ty president of CESA) will be among the
high-profile speakers.
The Public-Private Infrastructure Forum will
focus in greater depth on how the public and
private sectors can work together to ensure the
successful implementation of the Infrastructure
Plan, spear-headed by the Presidential
Infrastructure Coordinating Commission (PICC).
EXPERT SPEAKERS from government,
state-owned entities and the private sector
The experts speak out on infrastructure deliveryRead the paper on page 17. Attend the Public-Private Infrastructure Forum to unpack the issues further.
will be invited to give presentations on what
the challenges are, what progress has
been made to date and what future solu-
tions are being proposed. Delegates from
the public and private sector will be able
to pose questions to the expert speakers.
Thereafter both speakers and delegates will
participate in workshop sessions to identify
sustainable solutions to the issues affecting
infrastructure development.
THE FORUM WILL FOCUS ON
• problems and solutions for government
implementation of the infrastructure plan
• problems and solutions for capacity building,
skills development and job creation
• problems and solutions for delivery of the
infrastructure plan by the private sector.
FIND OUT
• how government plans to transform
the built environment and main-
tain current structures through
its Presidential Infrastructure
Coordinating Commission
and Infrastructure Delivery
Improvement Programme
• how the Infrastructure Delivery
SAVE BY BOOKING EARLY!
To fi nd out more, please contact Tazz Porter tazz @connect.co.za t +27(0)11 467 6224 f 086 502 4906www.infrastructurene.ws
Management System (IDMS) has been devel-
oped and will be rolled out across the country
• how the cidb’s National Contractor
Development Programme will develop skills
to deliver on infrastructure goals
• how IMESA and SAICE are assisting with
capacity building to ensure that there are the
necessary engineering skills in municipalities
and on tender boards
• how ECSA is repositioning the organisation to
align with the goals of the infrastructure plan
• how CESA, SAICE and SAFCEC can solve
problems with execution and delivery,
and assist government in rolling out the
Infrastructure Plan
• what future opportunities will be available in
the construction sector
• how the public and private sector can work
together… AND MUCH MORE!
Watermeyer will fur ther
explain the Infrastructure Delivery
Management system (IDMS)
and its ISO standard developed
from the cidb toolkit and stand-
ard for uniformity. He will explain
how this system will be rolled out
in Cape Town and other metros.
THE EXPERTSNazir Alli,CEO of South African Roads Agency Limited (Sanral)
Dr Oswald Franks, CEO of the Engineering Council of South Africa
Frank Stevens, President of the Institute of Municipal Engineering of Southern Africa
Gerard Naidoo, Programme manager for growth and contractor development at the cidb
Abe Thela, Deputy president of Consulting Engineers South Africa
19 to 20 June 2013 Killarney Countr y Club, Jhb.
Expert speaker at the Forum:
Ron Watermeyer, co-author of How infrastructure delivery can find its way again – page 17
Public-private infrastructure forum.indd 4 2013/03/12 09:18:40 AM
IMIESA March 2013 19
economic growth (Dobbs et al, 2013). This
institute suggests that boosting infrastructure
productivity could save US$1 trillion dollars
a year and cites the following main levers to
deliver potential savings:
• improving project selection and optimising
infrastructure portfolios
• streamlining delivery
• making the most of existing
infrastructure assets
• upgrading infrastructure governance sys-
tems to capture potential savings.
Government expenditure can account for a
significant portion of GDP. A recent study of
the 40 countries having the largest GDP in
the world found that government expenditure
accounted for approximately 29 and 45% of
GDP for developing and developed countries,
respectively (CUTS, 2013). This study found
that government expenditure in South Africa is
approximate 31% of GDP. Public procurement
forms a significant portion of such expendi-
ture. It is therefore not unexpected that pro-
curement is a recurring topic throughout the
National Development Plan.
The case for a separate supply chain for the delivery and maintenance of infrastructureProcurement is “the process that creat es,
manages and fulfils contracts” (ISO 10845,
2010). Procurement deals with activities sur-
rounding contracts, i.e. the development of
a procurement strategy and a procurement
document, the solicitation of tender offers,
the evaluation of submissions, the award of a
contract and the administration of a contract.
On the other hand, supply chain management
(SCM) in the public sector may be regarded
as “the design, planning, execution, control
and monitoring of supply chain activities in
the delivery of goods, services or works,
with the objective of creating net value and
providing oversight and coordination of infor-
mation and finances within the supply chain”
(Western Cape Provincial Government, 2012).
SCM is the management of all activities at a
portfolio level that relates to a supply chain
i.e. the management of all the interconnected
activities from the point of origin to the point of
consumption. SCM is accordingly far broader
than procurement.
Government procurement that is unrelated to
the delivery and maintenance of infrastructure
typically relates to goods and services that are
standard, well-defined and scoped. Once pur-
chased, goods invariably need to be taken into
storage prior to being issued to employees.
Services most often involve routine, repetitive
services with well understood interim and final
deliverables that do not require officials to
provide strategic inputs, or require decisions
to be made regarding the fitness for purpose
of the service outputs. Accordingly, the supply
chain for procurement that is unrelated to the
delivery of infrastructure involves one of two
basic types, which relates to consumption and
operational needs (see Figure 1). They are the
procurement of:
• general goods (i.e. manufactured products
or materials), which involve demand man-
agement, sourcing, purchasing, receipt,
storage and issuing of goods to employees
(end users)
• general services, which involves demand
management, procurement, verification and
payment for the services provided.
In contrast, procurement relating to the deliv-
ery and maintenance of infrastructure cov-
ers a wide and diverse range of goods and
services, which are required to develop or
maintain fixed assets on a site. Accordingly,
the supply chain for the delivery and mainte-
nance of infrastructure involves the initial and
subsequent recurring updating of planning
processes at a portfolio level flowing out of
service delivery and accommodation needs
assessment. Thereafter it involves planning at
a contract level and the procurement and man-
agement of a network of suppliers, including
subcontractors to produce a product on a site
(i.e. works) (see Figure 1). There is no need for
an organ of state to store and issue materi-
als or equipment unless these are issued to
officials responsible for maintenance, or are
issued free of charge to contractors for incor-
poration into construction works.
There are also differences in the approach
to the procurement of construction-related
goods and services, and general goods and
services. Non-construction procurement deals
with direct acquisitions, which involve stand-
ard, well-defined and scoped services, off-the-
shelf items and readily available commodities.
The business need is commonly achieved
through the production of a specification,
which then forms a requisition for the procure-
ment of goods or services. An immediate
choice can generally be made in terms of the
cost of goods or services satisfying specified
requirements. Construction contracts differ in
INFRASTRUCTURE DELIVERY
Demand management
Procurement
General services
General goods
Standard, well defined and scoped services
Demand management
Sourcing
Purchasing
Receipt of goods
Storage of goods
Issuing of goods to
employees
Delivery and maintenance of infrastructure
Management processes
Procurement processes
Portfolio planning
processes
Contract planning
processes
Detailed design
processes
Site processes
Close out processes
Off the shelf product/ readily available commodities
Works (products) developed or maintained on a site
FIGURE 1: Commonly, public sector encountered supply chains (Wall et al, 2012)
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IMIESA March 2013 21
that each contract is unique and there cannot
be direct acquisition of infrastructure. Each
contract has a supply chain that needs to
be managed and programmed to ensure that
the project is completed within budget, to the
required quality, and in the time available.
Many risks relate to the “unforeseen” that
may occur during the performance of the con-
tract. This could, for example, include unusual
weather conditions, changes in owner/end-
user requirements, ground conditions being
different to what was expected, and market
failure to provide materials or accidental dam-
age to existing infrastructure. Unlike non-
construction procurement, there can be sig-
nificant changes in the contract price from the
time awarded to the time of completion. Key
persons responsible for managing a contract,
particularly in complex services or works,
have a major impact on the outcome of these
changes. The procurement of supplies and
equipment within the construction industry is
also different as requirements are frequently
established in terms of desired performance.
As a result, a range of goods and services (or
combinations thereof), with different character-
istics, costs, time for delivery, etc., may satisfy
such requirements.
The following practices, which are commonly
encountered in non-construction procurement,
do not sit well with construction procurement:
• awarding tenders on the basis of the lowest
price for meeting a minimum standard
• applying generic conditions of contracts
that only describe the rights and obligations
of the parties and lack agreed procedures
for the administration or management of
the contract
• negotiation of terms of contract after the
evaluation of tenders
• lack of standardised structuring of compo-
nent procurement documents
• reliance on completing standard schedules
that are applied indiscriminately to procure-
ment transactions
• standard, inflexible allocation of risks
in contracts that require the drafting of
extensive special conditions of contract
to amend.
In construction procurement, a procurement
strategy (selected packaging, contracting,
pricing and targeting strategy, and procure-
ment procedure for a particular procurement)
needs to be developed for each transaction
and an appropriate form of contract select-
ed to support that strategy. There are far
more permutations and options available for
construction-related procurement than there
are for non-construction procurement.
The risks that need to be managed, the skills
sets that are required and the performance
metrics for a supply chain involving the delivery
and maintenance of infrastructure are very
different to those relating to general goods
and services. There is an urgent need to have
a separate supply chain for the delivery and
maintenance of infrastructure.
The NPC’s proposals for a new procurement systemThe NPC’s Diagnostic Overview (2011) made
the observation that: “It is vital for public serv-
ants to have the skills and motivation they
need to do their jobs. Yet, there is a shortage
of staff and specialist skills in many aspects of
the public service.” The report makes specific
mention of the shortage of skilled profession-
als, especially in health, policing, infrastructure
planning, engineering, finance and information
technology. It furthermore makes the observa-
tion that: “Transformation in the post-apartheid
state required that the racial monopoly over
skill be challenged and dismantled. Policies
designed to improve the representation of the
public service work best when accompanied by
effective management, training and recruitment
processes… The result has been a reduction
in the number of professionals available to the
state, and a looming crisis in the generational
reproduction of professional expertise as the
ageing cohorts continue to leave the system.”
The NPC’s diagnostic overview also points
out that: “Many short-term responses to skills
shortages do little to address long-term capac-
ity constraints. Consultants can be brought in
to design and build infrastructure, but without
in-house technical expertise, provincial and
local governments lack the capacity to ensure
that the work is done to an adequate standard
or to maintain the infrastructure once the work
has been completed.”
The National Development Plan 2030
requires the following, among other things
(NPC, 2012):
• the state to purchase what it needs on time
at the right quality and for the right price
• an improvement in the quality of spending
through better planning, sound procure-
ment systems and greater competition in
the economy
• greater efficiency in all areas of govern-
ment expenditure as the overall envelope
is likely to grow relatively slowly over the
medium-term
• the employment of more effective pro-
curement processes that result in robust
contracts and move away from an overly
bureaucratised process with the emphasis
on compliance by box-ticking
• the engagement of supply-chain manage-
ment staff to support technical and other
specialists in a manner that does not
displace the involvement of the later in pro-
curement processes.
The plan proposes that the following five
areas be focused on in designing a procure-
ment system that is better able to deliver
value for money while minimising the scope
for corruption:
• differentiate between the different types of
procurement that pose different challenges
and require different skills sets
• adopt a strategic approach to procurement
above the project level to balance compet-
ing objectives and priorities rather than
viewing each project in isolation
• build relationships of trust and understand-
ing with the private sector
• develop professional supply chain man-
agement capacity through training
and accreditation
• incorporate oversight functions to assess
value for money.
The plan, when considering different forms of
procurement, recognises that: “Infrastructure
procurement involves conceptual design,
structuring contracts and ensuring sustainabil-
ity. As these decisions involve long-term lock-
ins, the quality of decision-making is vital.”
The plan also makes specific reference to the
work being done between National Treasury
and the Construction Industry Development
Board (CIDB) to establish an infrastructure
delivery management system that better
accommodates the particular challenges of
infrastructure procurement.
Government’s Infrastructure Delivery Management SystemThe Infrastructure Delivery Management
System (IDMS) is a government management
system for planning, budgeting, procurement,
delivery, maintenance, operation, monitoring
INFRASTRUCTURE DELIVERY
“It is vital for public servants to have the skills and motivation they need to do their jobs”
IMIESA March 2013 23
and evaluation of infrastructure. It comprises a
set of interrelating or interacting elements that
establish processes that transform inputs into
outputs (see Figures 2 and 3).
The IDMS comprises the following systems
(Watermeyer et al, 2012):
• an infrastructure planning system
• an infrastructure gateway system (IGS)
• a construction procurement system (CPS)
• a programme and project management
system
• an operations and maintenance system.
Risks are managed within each of
these systems.
The IDMS is designed to be linked to the
Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF).
It has a strong focus on outcomes, value for
money and the effective and efficient function-
ing of the procurement and delivery manage-
ment system in compliance with relevant legis-
lation. It includes a supply chain management
(SCM) system that can be readily integrated
into the various systems that accounting offic-
ers and accounting authorities are required
to implement.
The IDMS contains a number of systems
each comprising a set of processes that need
to be managed. These systems are interrelat-
ed and contain interacting elements as shown
in Figure 3. The planning of an institution’s
infrastructure projects at a portfolio level is
not only influenced by the strategy and plan-
ning processes conducted at a national, pro-
vincial and local level, but also by the asset
management plans developed by custodians
(caretakers of infrastructure throughout its life
cycle) and users (those who operate allocated
infrastructure) in the operation and mainte-
nance of infrastructure. The infrastructure
gateway system, which provides the workflow
for the delivery of projects involving the con-
struction, refurbishment, rehabilitation, exten-
sion, alteration or scheduled maintenance
of infrastructure, cannot be implemented
in isolation from the construction procure-
ment and programme and project manage-
ment systems. Likewise, the operations and
maintenance system cannot be implemented
in isolation from the procurement system
and certain outputs (e.g. record informa-
tion and user manuals) of the infrastructure
gateway system.
The construction procurement system includ-
ed in the IDMS comprises not only procure-
ment processes but also:
• rules and guidelines governing procedures
and methods as embodied in the CIDB
Standard for Uniformity in Construction
Procurement and the ISO 10845 Standards
for Construction Procurement
• procurement documents, which include
terms and conditions, procedures and
requirements embodied in the CIDB, FIDIC,
JBCC and NEC3 families of contracts and
SAICE’s GCC standard form of contract
• risk/quality oversight (governance and per-
formance) controls
• organisational policies, which deal with
issues such as:
• the usage and application of particular
procurement procedures
• requirements for recording, reporting and
risk management
• procedures for dealing with specific pro-
curement issues
• the usage of procurement to promote
social and developmental objectives
• the assignment of responsibilities for the
performance of activities.
INFRASTRUCTURE DELIVERY
FIGURE 2: The linkages between systems and subsystems within an institution (Watermeyer et al, 2012)
FIGURE 3: Interacting systems and processes embedded within the IDMS
24 IMIESA March 2013
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Recent developments in the SCM regulatory environment Draft Public Finance Management Act (PFMA)
regulations issued for public comment in
Government Gazette 35939 of 30 November
2012 separate the supply chain management
system for the delivery and maintenance of
infrastructure from that for general goods and
services. Reference is made in these draft
regulations to a National Treasury standard
for an IDMS and a National Treasury standard
for a Construction Procurement System, which
draws extensively on the work of the CIDB.
The scope of these standards is indicated
in Table 1.
Government’s IDMS, which is embedded in
the two standards referenced in Chapter 30 of
the draft PFMA regulations, addresses four of
the five focus areas identified in the National
Development Plan around which future pro-
curement systems need to be designed. The
NPC envisaged that the focus area “build
enabling support structures” would result
in a professional supply-chain management
capacity, which would be developed through
INFRASTRUCTURE DELIVERY
TABLE 1: Scope of the draft National Treasury standards for the delivery and maintenance of infrastructure
National Treasury standard
Scope
Infrastructure Delivery Management System
This standard establishes an IDMS comprising processes, procedures and methods within an institution for the delivery or maintenance of infrastructure in a staged, systematic, disciplined, uniform integrated and auditable manner. It covers the manner in which projects involving the construction, refurbishment, rehabilitation, extension, alteration or day-to-day, routine, scheduled and emergency maintenance of infrastructure are conceived, budgeted for and delivered.
Construction procurement system
This standard establishes a CPS within an institution for the procurement of:a) goods, services, engineering and construction works, and disposals
relating to the construction industryb) goods or services necessary for a new facility as delivered to be
occupied and used as a functional entity andc) temporary facilities.The standard does not apply to: a) the storage of goods and equipment following their delivery to an
institution, which are stored and issued to contractors or to officialsb) the procurement of non-construction industry related goods and
services or land, except as specifically provided c) the sale, exchange, donation or letting of landd) public-private partnerships contemplated in Regulation 16 of the
Treasury Regulations for Departments, Trading Entities, Constitutional Institutions and Public Entities, issued in terms of the PFMA, 1999
e) the conclusion of any form of land availability agreementf) leasing and rental of assets.
IMIESA March 2013 25
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training and accreditation, and supported by
a database of registered supply-chain manag-
ers and a central list of those who have been
barred from working in supply chain manage-
ment roles in the public sector. This has yet
to be established.
The relationship between the various built environment professions and the IDMSISO 9000 defines quality as the “degree to
which a set of inherent characteristics fulfils
requirements”, and a quality management
system as a “management system to direct
and control an organisation with regard to
quality”. ISO 9001 establishes the require-
ments for a quality management system
relating to the establishment, documentation,
implementation and maintenance of a quality
management system and continually improv-
ing its effectiveness.
The star ting point is to determine the
processes needed for the quality manage-
ment system and their application throughout
the organisation. Thereafter, the sequence
and interaction of these processes need to
be determined, as well as the criteria and
methods needed to ensure that both the
operation and control of these processes are
effective. Once this is in place, resources
and information need to be made available
to support the operation and monitoring of
these processes. This enables actions nec-
essary to achieve planned results to be
implemented and continual improvement of
these processes.
The IDMS as contained in the draft stand-
ards identified in Table 1 documents the
essence of a quality management system
as it addresses most of the requirements
established in ISO 9001 for a quality manage-
ment system. It also establishes the compli-
ance framework. What it does not address
is the availability of resources to support
the operation and monitoring of processes.
ISO 9001 in this regard requires that “person-
nel per forming work affecting conformity to
product requirements shall be competent on
the basis of appropriate education, training,
skills and experience”.
Packages (works that have been grouped
together for delivery under a single contract or
a package order issued in terms of a frame-
work agreement) can in terms of the IDMS
be delivered as a programme of projects or
an independent project. The draft National
INFRASTRUCTURE DELIVERY
The IDMS is designed to be linked to the MTEF. It has a strong focus on outcomes, value for money and the effective and effi cient functioning of the procurement and delivery management system
26 IMIESA March 2013
Treasury standard for an IDMS identifies the
roles associated with the implementation of
a package and assigns responsibilities for
such roles. Roles are identified for a principal
programme/project manager, project leader,
lead designer, designer, cost consultant,
procurement leader, contract manager, super-
vising agent and health and safety agent. The
draft National Treasury standard for a CPS
also assigns technical responsibilities to a
documentation review team and an evalua-
tion panel, and governance responsibilities to
a construction procurement committee and
delegated authority.
The basic lines of reporting for each pack-
age within a programme of projects or an inde-
pendent project are set out in Figure 4. There
are many options available to an implementer
in assigning functional responsibilities to par-
ticular persons (officials, professional service
provider or contractor). This ensures flexibility.
For example, in some programmes of projects
different individuals will be assigned func-
tional responsibilities for each of the identified
roles. In other programmes it may be desir-
able to combine functional roles and respon-
sibilities, e.g. the project leader can also be
the procurement leader and the same person
can be appointed to function as project leader,
lead designer, designer and cost consultant or
the contract manager and supervising agent.
There are a number of Acts which establish
statutory councils to regulate the architectural,
project and construction management, engi-
neering, landscape architectural and quantity
surveying professions through:
• the setting of standards of professional
qualifications and practice
• the keeping of a register of qualified per-
sons and the awarding of titles
• determining the conduct of registrants
• the investigation of complaints and discipli-
nary sanctions for professional misconduct.
Persons registered with the statutory body
governing a profession have the necessary
generic skills that are required to implement
the IDMS. Categories of registration within a
profession can easily be linked to some of
roles and responsibilities in Figure 4. There
are, however, overlaps in the services offered
by different professions when it comes to the
roles relating to principal programme/project
manager, project leader, procurement leader
and contract manager.
Registration in a relevant and appropri-
ate category of registration with a relevant
council is a good starting point in meeting
the ISO 9001 requirement for “personnel
per forming work affecting conformity to prod-
uct requirements shall be competent on
INFRASTRUCTURE DELIVERY
Persons registered with the statutory body governing a profession have the necessary generic skills that are required to implement the IDMS
IMIESA March 2013 27
the basis of appropriate education, training,
skills and experience”. There is, however,
a need to establish a system that recog-
nises demonstrated ability to per form specific
outcomes relating to the IDMS in order to
ensure that those who per form key tasks
associated with the IDMS not only have
appropriate education, training, skills and
experience, but also the necessary contextual
knowledge to do so. What is required is for
categories of registration to be established,
for example:
• IDMS practitioners to apply
the draft National Treasury
standard for an IDMS
• construction procurement
practitioners to undertake
a range of activities in
accordance with the draft
National Treasury stand-
ard for an IDMS and the
National Treasury standard
for a CPS
• construction procurement
evaluators to serve as
members of a documen-
tation review team or an
evaluation panel
• contract managers to undertake the admin-
istration of a contract strictly in accordance
with the provisions of the form of contract
selected by the client, i.e. FIDIC, JBCC, NEC3
or SAICE’s GCC, and any targeted procure-
ment procedures included in the contract.
The categories of professional registration pro-
vided by the South African Council for Project
INFRASTRUCTURE DELIVERY
Principal programme manager/principal project
Project leader
Leaddesigner
Designer
Cost consultant
Procurement leader
Contract manager
Supervising agent
Health and safety agent
Package
Package
Package
Package Package
FIGURE 4: Basic lines of reporting for assigned functional responsibilities for each package
28 IMIESA March 2013
INFRASTRUCTURE DELIVERY
and Construction Management Professions
(SACPCMP) have the sharpest focus of all the
built environment councils on supply chain
management and contract management.
It is also the council with the most dual
registrations as many of its members are also
registered with other councils governing other
professions. The SACPCMP is empowered in
terms of its governing legislation to create
specified categories of registration in terms of
its governing legislation to support the effec-
tive implementation of government’s IDMS
and CPS. The SACPCMP is currently exploring
the establishment of additional categories of
registration to support the implementation of
government’s proposed IDMS.
Extending the IDMS to municipalitiesThe principles for the procurement and delivery
of infrastructure expressed in the National
Development Plan 2030 need to be extended
to the relevant municipalities. There is no rea-
son why the draft National Treasury standards
for an IDMS and a CPS cannot be implemented
within municipalities. There are many benefits
in doing so, particularly if accreditation is
linked to standards. It makes no sense in hav-
ing separate standards for different spheres
of government involved in the delivery and
maintenance of infrastructure. Any specifics,
for example, that relate to portfolio planning
processes, can be accommodated by making
minor variations to some of the activities within
these standards.
The draft PFMA regulations embed the stand-
ards in the regulations and in so doing link the
standards to the PFMA. These standards also
need to be linked to the Local Government:
ACCOUNTABILITY Quality management Transparency Performance monitoring
TRUST Shared values and vision Mutual trust between
stakeholders Confidence in fairness of
procurement processes
CAPACITY Finance, staff and
equipment Operating procedures Skills and experience
Enable institutional and legal SETTING
Capacity development encouraged
Accountability mechanisms applied Good performance
NOTE: A weakness in any of these elements gives rise to a risk of n
A C T
S
FIGURE 5 The ACTS framework for the drivers of performance (After Goldie-Scot, 2013)
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IMIESA March 2013 29
INFRASTRUCTURE DELIVERY
References• Consumer Unity & Trust
Society (CUTS (2013). WTO
Plurilateral Agreement on
Government Procurement
Market Access Opportunities
and Challenges for India
Executive Summary.
• www.cuts-citee.org/GP/pdf/
Executive_Summary-National_
Consultation_Meeting_
Government_Procurement.pdf
• Dobbs, R; Pohl, H; Lin, D;
Mischke, J; Garemo, N;
Hexter,J;, Matzinger, S;
Palter, R; and Nanavatty,
S. (2013). Infrastructure
Productivity : How to save
$1 trillion a year. McKinsey
Global Institute www.mck-
insey.com/insights/mgi/
research/urbanization/
infrastructure_productivity.
• Foster, V. (2008). Overhauling
the Engine of Growth:
Infrastructure in Africa. World
Bank, September.
• Goldie-Scot, H. (2013)
Personal communications with
RB Watermeyer.
• ISO 9000:2005, Quality
Management Systems – fun-
damentals and vocabulary.
• ISO 9001:2008, Quality
management systems
– requirements
• ISO 10845-1:2010.
“Construction procure-
ment – Part 1: Processes,
methods and procedures.”
International Organisation for
Standardisation, Geneva.
• National Planning Commission
(2011). Diagnostic over-
view. The Presidency of the
Republic of South Africa.
www.info.gov.za/view/
DownloadFileAction?id=147192.
• National Planning
Commission (2012). National
Development Plan 2030:
Our future - make it work.
Department: The Presidency
of the Republic of South
Africa. www.npconline.co.za/
pebble.asp?relid=758
• Wall, K; Watermeyer, R and
Pirie, G. Wagging the dog’:
How service delivery can
lose its way in the procure-
ment maze -- and could find
it again. 76th Conference
of the Institute of Municipal
Engineering of Southern
Africa, George, October.
• Watermeyer, RB. (2011).
The critical role of consult-
ing firms in the acceleration
of infrastructure delivery
and the improvement of the
quality of life. In Ofori , G
(Ed) New Perspectives on
Construction in Developing
Countries (Cib). Routledge
(July 7, 2011) - Chapter 11:
The critical role of consulting
firms in the acceleration of
infrastructure delivery and
the improvement of the qual-
ity of life
• Watermeyer, Ron; Nevin,
Graham; Langenhoven, Klaas.
2012. “The supply chain
management system for the
delivery and maintenance of
infrastructure by organs of
state”. “Civil engineering”,
South African Institution of
Civil Engineering, July 2012.
• Western Cape Provincial
Treasury 2012. Provincial
Treasury Instructions: Supply
Chain Management (www.
westerncape.gov.za/eng/
publications/regulations/
prov/2012/246420).
Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA)
of 2003. Section 111 of the MFMA requires
that “each municipality and each municipal
entity must have and implement a supply chain
management policy that gives effect to the
provisions of this part.” Section 112 requires
that the supply chain management policy of a
municipality or municipal entity comply with a
regulatory framework for municipal supply chain
management, which, as a minimum, must
cover a number of areas identified in the MFMA.
Regulation 3 of the Supply Chain Management
Regulations issued in terms of this Act requires
that the accounting officer prepare and submit
a draft supply chain management policy to the
council for adoption, review the policy annually
and, where necessary, submit proposals to the
council for adoption. The accounting officer
may make use of any National Treasury guide-
lines determining standards for such policy
and submit such policy or any modified version
as a draft for adoption. Where the policy devi-
ates from the guideline standard issued by
the National Treasury, the accounting officer
is required to develop such a policy so that
it complies with the constitution, the MFMA,
the Regulatory Framework contained in the
regulations and other legislation, and does not
undermine the objective for uniformity in supply
chain management systems between organs of
state in all spheres. The accounting officer is
also required to report any deviations from the
guideline standard to National Treasury and the
relevant provincial treasury.
National Treasury in 2005 issued a Municipal
Supply Chain Management Model Policy in
terms of the MFMA. National Treasury needs
to issue a Municipal Supply Chain Management
Model Policy for the Delivery and Maintenance
of Infrastructure to enable the National Treasury
standards to be adopted within municipalities.
Consideration may also have to be given to
making some minor amendments to the MFMA
SCM regulations.
ConclusionsStrengthening the drivers of per formance
can reduce corruption as indicated in the
Accountability Capacity Trust Setting (ACTS)
framework presented in Figure 5. In terms
of this framework, “accountability” makes it
happen. “Capacity” makes it possible. “Trust”
makes it flourish. Enabling institutional and
legal “setting” allow it to continue (Goldie-Scot,
2013). The National Treasury standards, read
together with the draft PFMA regulations, not
only establish the “setting”, but also the
“accountability” and part of the “capacity” and
feed into “trust”. The SACPCMP has the oppor-
tunity to complete “capacity” in a meaningful
way should it accredit practitioners through its
governing legislation.
The National Development Plan sets a clear
agenda for the redesigning of the current pro-
curement and SCM systems to deliver value
for money, while minimising the scope for
corruption so that the needs of South Africans
are better met. National Treasury has aligned
the revised Public Finance Management Act
regulations for the delivery and maintenance of
infrastructure with this agenda, but still needs
to extend this to municipalities through the
Municipal Finance Management Act. In order
to effectively implement the agenda, set by the
NPC, statutory councils for built environment
professionals need to focus on providing gov-
ernment with the right skills set to effectively
implement the new system.
In terms of this framework, “accountability” makes it happen. “Capacity” makes it possible. “Trust” makes it fl ourish
30 IMIESA March 20133300 IMIESSAA Maaarch 20133
PROFILE
THIS IS ONE of the main recommen-
dations of a recent study into the
state of non-revenue water (NRW) in
South Africa, commissioned by the
Water Research Commission (WRC).
NRW refers to all the water that is lost
through physical leakage or commercial
losses as well as any unbilled authorised
consumption. The WRC, in collaboration with
the Department of Water Affairs (DWA), has
launched the latest investigation into the
state of NRW in South Africa.
In the most comprehensive and detailed
study of its kind to date, data was gathered
from 132 municipalities throughout South
Africa, representing over 75% of the total
volume of municipal water supply. The study
follows on on similar WRC assessments
undertaken in 2001, 2005 and 2007. This
is the first time the country has a single rep-
resentative estimate of NRW as opposed to
various estimates in previous years.
According to Jay Bhagwan, WRC executive
manager of water use and waste manage-
ment, many of the country’s municipalities
are realising the value of undertaking a proper
and reliable water balance. They were there-
fore happy to cooperate with the project
team as it also helped them to formalise
their water balance, a requirement of DWA.
“Unfor tunately, we also have several
municipalities operating in crisis mode,
which were not prepared to deal with
requests for information,” adds Bhagwan.
More than half of municipalities were
unable to provide any data on NRW, and
many lacked even the most basic bulk
meter readings, which means they do not
know how much water they are consuming
let alone how much is being lost through
physical leakage or commercial losses.
South Africa’s present level of NRW is
estimated to be in the order of 37%, which
SA’s study into NRW shows we can do more
is vir tually at the world average of 36,6%. Of
this, a quarter is considered to be losses
through physical leakage. According to the
MD of WRP Consulting Engineers, Ronnie
Mckenzie, while South Africa compares well
to the world average we do not compare well
to other developed water scarce countries
such as Australia, whose NRW levels are
often less than 10%.
“There is still much scope for improvement.
As a water scarce country we cannot afford
to waste so much water.”
The study also indicates that South Africa
still has a relatively high per capita water
use (around 273 ℓ/d per person), which is an
indication that the average citizen still does
not realise the scarcity of this resource. The
current volume of NRW is around 1 580 mil-
lion cubic metres per annum – roughly equal
to the annual supply of Africa’s largest water
utility, Rand Water. At a nominal production
cost of R4.50/m3, this loss represents about
R7.2 billion a year.
“All of the large metros and most
of the large cities and towns are now
monitoring their water use and trying to
establish a proper and reliable water balance
in line with international recommendations,”
notes Mckenzie.
“Progress in this regard is cer tainly being
made and both the DWA and the WRC are
creating awareness and encouraging proper
water auditing at the municipal level.” The
category A municipalities (metros) achieved
NRW levels of around 34.3% compared
to 72.5% (on average) achieved by B4
(small) municipalities.
Unfor tunately, despite the progress being
made, it seems that South Africa’s NRW
levels have remained stagnant at best over
the past five to ten years. “It appears that
the overall level of NRW throughout South
Africa is not reducing, with indications that
it may in fact be increasing,” says Dhesigen
Naidoo, WRC CEO.
“Unfor tunately, it is currently not clear
whether the slight increase is due to more
reliable data from a larger data set or due
to a real increase in the NRW. We require
another year or two of reliable data to estab-
lish if the trend is really increasing or not.”
While the Second National Water Resources
Strategy (NWRS2) sets a target to reduce
NRW in municipalities to 15% by 2014,
the study indicates that that this may be
difficult to achieve without the injection of
many billions of rand into the necessary
water demand management interventions
countrywide within the next two years.
BELOW Non-revenue water
To order the report, The State of Non-Revenue Water in South Africa (Report No. TT 522/12), e-mail: [email protected] or visit: www.wrc.org.za to down-load a free copy.
While South Africa’s non-revenue water levels compare well
internationally, as a water scarce country we need to do all we
can to prevent the unnecessary loss of this precious resource.
WATER INDUSTRY EXPERT PROFILE
IMIESA March 2013 31
PROFILE
Q. Please outline your history at Nu-Water. JN I joined NuWater at the beginning of
2011 after having spent nine years in the field
of industrial research and consulting within the
Department of Chemical Engineering at the Uni-
versity of Cape Town.
Please discuss your current position at NuWater and what it entails. My role
encompasses both technology development
and thought leadership, which are both central
to driving the company’s competitive strategy
and vision. From the technology perspective,
I am responsible for continuously assessing
and refining our existing technologies as well
as for creating and taking to market new tech-
nologies resulting from our research and de-
velopment initiatives in both South Africa and
Singapore. I am also tasked with ensuring that
NuWater’s executive team and customers are
in the best position to make optimal decisions
on the adoption of technology for specific ap-
plications. I actively participate in a number of
industrially relevant professional communities
through platforms such as the Water Research
Commission, and I am continuously forging new
relationships with key stakeholders. In addition,
I also retain operational responsibility for pro-
cess engineering aspects of the business.
Please outline some of NuWater’s technology and the associated ap-plications. NuWater pioneered the use of
large-diameter reverse osmosis (RO) with its
patented 16 inch RO technology at one of the
world’s most advanced sewerage wastewater
reclamation plants at Singapore’s Public Utili-
ties Board (PUB). This technology has proven
to be significantly more effective and efficient
than conventional RO technology and is also far
more compact. This has allowed us to combine
our RO technology with other technologies to
address unconventional applications such as
mine drainage water treatment and reclama-
tion where rapid deployment, plant scalability
and cost-efficiency are considered critical. Our
proprietary technology portfolio has been ex-
tended to cover brine treatment and zero liquid
discharge, areas that are becoming increas-
ingly critical for effective wastewater treatment
and reclamation.
What are NuWater’s current focus areas? We are focused on specific sub-
sectors of the water treatment market, namely
mining, oil and gas, power and heavy industry,
and wastewater reclamation for potable reuse.
Can you share your medium-term vi-sion for NuWater going forwardIn the medium term, NuWater will consolidate
its position, both in South Africa and globally,
as a key player in the provision of innovative,
mobile and modular, rapidly deployable water
treatment solutions customised to our custom-
ers’ diverse requirements. We will continue to
develop our flexible plants, services and project
funding models to help our customers address
their increasingly complex and changing water
treatment and reclamation requirements. Our
R&D focus will remain on refining and extending
our product suite through rigorous identification,
experimentation and piloting of new and poten-
tially disruptive technologies.
What are the largest water challenges facing South Africa? South Africa’s water
scarcity is already a major issue and increas-
ing demands from growing populations, agricul-
tural and industry will compound the challenge
of providing a safe and reliable supply of water
to all. In addition, we are faced with water qual-
ity issues, such as the very topical acid mine
drainage (AMD) challenge, which impact on the
usability of the country’s ground and surface
water resources.
Can you outline how you think these should be dealt with? Protection and sus-
tainable reuse of localised water resources has
a critical role to play in South Africa’s broader
water management strategy. The use of non-con-
ventional water resources such as industrial and
domestic wastewater reclamation and reuse, as
well as seawater desalination, need to form part
of the broader strategy.
Driving technology development and thought leadership
t +27 (0)21 531 0641 • www.nuwaterglobal.com
BELOW NuWater’s 20Mℓ/d water treatment plant at Anglo New Vaal Colliery
Jeeten Nathoo, NuWater’s Chief Technology Officer
Richard Jansen van Vuuren speaks to Jeeten Nathoo about his role at NuWater,
highlighting the company’s technology and its research and development.
WATER INDUSTRY EXPERT PROFILE
32 IMIESA March 2013
PROFILE
THE INITIAL COMBINATION of experi-
ence in the design and management
of reticulation networks and expertise
in measurement and instrumentation
proved to be extremely successful and has
grown into a considerable and respected pres-
ence in the market.
The JOAT Group of Companies has mould-
ed itself into an efficient and market lead-
ing solutions-orientated team that primarily
addresses the optimisation of water supply to
consumers through the minimisation of water
losses, application of appropriate technology,
revenue improvement and energy efficiency.
The group’s key focus areas of operation are
consulting and operations engineering (essen-
tially the reduction of non-revenue water and
stabilising of water supply), product sales and
support, energy efficiency and mentorship.
Shepherd heads up the consulting division
of JOAT and is responsible for the overall
management and quality assurance of the
division’s output, together with two other direc-
tors, Vishal Poona and Ignacio Peña. He is an
acknowledged expert in the field of non-revenue
Effi ciency and market-leading solutions
water reduction and has been used as a lead
consultant in non-revenue water reduction pro-
grammes, developing and guiding non-revenue
water reduction and operational strategies as
well as developing and implementing custom-
ised mentorship programmes for water service
authorities. JOAT’s passion and vision is to
ensure that municipalities become as efficient
as possible in delivering water to consumers
and has adapted its approach towards an
outcomes-based partnership that has shared
responsibility and accountability. The ultimate
objective of any successful partnership with
JOAT is to provide water service authorities
with an efficient distribution system that they
are fully equipped and trained to continue to
operate. In response to this approach, JOAT
has invested in wide-ranging technology and
partnerships that can be harnessed for the
benefit of municipalities. Flow metering solu-
tions (permanent or temporary, monitoring or
revenue-generating), data management solu-
tions (data loggers, GSM data loggers), control
valve solutions (pressure reducing valves, pres-
sure controllers, surge control), leak detection
solutions (leak detection equipment and ser-
vice) and energy efficiency solutions (variable
speed drives and system optimising) are all
available to be presented into cost-effective,
custom-made packages.
One of the recent technologies that JOAT
has invested in is the i2O intelligent control
system, which is a state-of-the-art self-learning
pressure controller. JOAT is the exclusive dis-
tributor for this system, which is undoubtedly
the marketleading controller and has already
been successfully installed and commissioned
in most of the major centres around the
country. JOAT is also the exclusive distribu-
tor for the LeaksSuite software packages,
developed by Allan Lambert. These power-
ful software packages allow municipalities to
properly benchmark their performance through
the development of water balances, as well as
determine the impact of pressure management
and leak detection and repair programmes. The
most recent development in software model-
ling is the introduction of predictive modelling
capability for burst frequency reduction and
the extension of pipeline asset life through
pressure management. This unique module,
developed and calibrated using local informa-
tion, now allows water operators to predict
the reduction in mains and service connection
bursts and the corresponding savings in opera-
tional expenditure, as well as predict estimated
extended field life of AC and cast iron pipes
through pressure reduction, including cost of
deferred capital.
JOAT has also expanded into the optimisation
of energy consumption in the water cycle and
has a number of in-house experts that can
undertake energy audits and design energy
efficiency solutions for pump stations and
treatment works. This forms part of its overall
approach to making the distribution of water as
efficient as possible.
Shepherd graduated from the University of
Natal, Durban, in 1993 with a BScEng in Civil
Engineering and has spent his entire career
in the water sector, achieving his Professional
Engineer status in 1998. He is actively involved
in the field of water demand management and
non-revenue water management both nation-
ally and internationally. He has served on the
International Council of the American Water
Works Association and is currently a member of
the Repair or Replace, Pressure Management
and Transient-Induced Leakage Committees of
the International Water Association’s Specialist
Group on Water Losses. He is also involved
in WISA’s KwaZulu-Natal Division of Water
Distribution Committee.
WATER INDUSTRY EXPERT PROFILE
t +27 (0)31 700 1177 • www.joat.co.za
Mark Shepherd started JOAT with Daryl Spencer in 2005 as there
was a need for a company that could respond to the operational
problems experienced in the delivery of water services.
BELOW installation of pressure reducing valves help reduce leaks
BOTTOM ensuring that the correct consumer meters are in place help revenue streams
MMa
www
IMIESA March 2013 33
WATER AND WASTEWATER
THE OGAGWINI COMMUNITY Water
Supply Scheme is situated in the
Mkhambathini Local Municipality,
which is in the extreme south of the
uMgungundlovu District Municipality boundary,
south of the Provincial Road 21, approximately
1 km west of Umbumbulu. The project is
approximately 30 km2 in size. The northern
footprint of the project abuts the Durban Metro
boundary and the east side of the project
abuts Ugu District Municipality.
Kantey and Templer Consulting Engineers
was appointed by the uMgungundlovu District
Municipality to design and implement the
contract for phases 1 and 2 of the oGagwini
Community Water Supply Scheme.
Hydrotech Infra was appointed for the con-
struction of Phase 1 and Icon Construction
were appointed for the construction of Phase 2
The aim of the project is to provide the
community with a stable supply of potable
water, create employment opportunities, train-
ing and transfer professional skills to the
local community.
The Ogagwini Community
Water Supply Scheme is sourcing bulk water
from the Eston/Umbumbulu bulk pipeline
(Umgeni Water pipeline), which is located on
the northern border of the project footprint.
Water from an existing bulk supply line sup-
plies all the reservoirs via a 150 mm steel
pipe. From the source bulk line, two separate
chambers are provided for Umgeni Water
and uMgungundlovu District Municipality to
WATER PROVISION
Community water supply schemeThe days of walking long distances to collect water in 20 ℓ bottles will soon come to an end for the oGagwini community. The community has finally won its battle for clean water, with the uMgungundlovu District Municipality now bringing clean water closer to its people.
Water from an existing bulk supply line supplies all the reservoirs via a 150 mm steel pipe
ABOVE Fixing of steel for the reinforced concrete reservoir
BELOW A 750 kℓ reservoir during construction
34 IMIESA March 2013
WATER AND WASTEWATER
monitor the volume of water supplied. Phase 1
reservoirs have a capacity of 350 kℓ and
750 kℓ, both feed to 47 km of domestic reticu-
lation ranging in size from 32 mm to 250 mm
diameters and 124 stand pipes
Phase 2 reservoirs have a capacity of
300 kℓ, 100 kℓ and 75 kℓ, all feeding to 61 km
of domestic reticulation ranging from 32 mm
to 160 mm diameters and 144 stand pipes.
The reservoirs are constructed with a rein-
forced concrete roof covering to prevent con-
tamination and evaporation of the stored
water. The storage reservoirs are provided with
a scour valve and scour chamber to facilitate
removal of the reservoir contents for clean-
ing and maintenance purposes. The level of
water in the storage reservoirs is controlled
by a valve.
High-level chambers have been constructed
at the reservoir to maintain pressure from
the bulk line and then be able to feed future
stands pipes that are higher than or at a simi-
lar level with the storage reservoirs.
Water from the storage reservoirs is gravity
fed via the network of different types and size
piping to feed the project area. Isolation valves
are provided at the entry and exit of the reser-
voir for maintenance purposes.
A security fence with a double opening gate
for vehicles has been erected around each
reservoir to prevent acts of vandalism and/
or theft.
Beside the ISD capacity building workshops
and training of the PSC members, an accredit-
ed skills development training course was held
on-site, where local community members were
selected based on their education, employ-
ment and poverty level.
In each phase, a total of 10 people from the
community were trained, which varied from
plumbing, pipe laying, concreting and steel fix-
ing. In addition, two student technicians were
also appointed in each phase, which enabled
them to gain practical experience in the engi-
neering field.
This contract was operated under the auspic-
es of the Expanded Public Works Programme
(EPWP) and, as such, the majority of the tasks
were undertaken using labour-intensive meth-
ods on a task work basis. Unskilled labour was
employed from the local community, with an
emphasis on gender and youth equality.
The days of using river water for domestic
use are long gone for some part of the oGagwi-
ni community since the completion of Phase 1
earlier last year.
The remaining parts of the community will
soon be enjoying the benefits of this project
as the focus is now on Phase 2, which will be
completed at the end of March 2013.
This project has created employment
opportunities for the community. Skills were
imparted to the local community through active
participation in the construction and manage-
ment of the project through various employ-
ment opportunities. The project reduced unem-
ployment and assisted in promoting local
emerging contractors.
The Ogagwini Community Water Supply
Scheme has assisted in creating an infra-
structure that will cater for the basic needs
of the community. It is envisaged that this will
promote the growth of economic activity within
the community.
ABOVE A typical stand pipe
In each phase, a total of 10 people from the community were trained, which varied from plumbing, pipe laying, concreting and steel fi xing
IMIESA March 2013 35
Mornay de Vos – Business Development [email protected]
George van der Merwe – Technical [email protected]
Degrémont South Africa has the ability to propose various technologies to suit the clients’ requirements and site constraints.
Its teams design, build and commission facilities for:• Potable water production• Desalination• Wastewater treatment & recycling • Sludge treatment• Industrial process water and wastewater treatment
Degrémont also specialises in:• the supply of package pre-assembled and skid-mounted potable water and wastewater treatment plants,
• the refurbishment of old plants to their original design capacities and/or upgrading of old plants to produce higher quantities of water. The latter is
achieved by installing additional high-performance equipment to existing concrete structures.
Degrémont also provides the following additional services to its clients: • Execution supervision• Installation & Commissioning • Plant operation
• Technical assessment • Spare parts
COMMITTED TOGETHER FOR WATER, A SOURCE OF LIFE
Tel: +27 (0) 11 807 1983 Fax: +27 (0)10 591 5095 www.degremont.co.za
Degrémont, a subsidiary of SUEZ Environnement, is the world specialist in the design and construction of water treatment plants
and an important contributor towards sustainable development.
CLIMATE CHANGE
Research shows risks faced by climate change ‘hotspots’
WATER AND WASTEWATER
A Water Research Commission study confirms that communities with low socio-economic status are most vulnerable to climate change as they do not have the capacity or resources to protect themselves or their properties from possible impacts.
AAAAAAAA WWWWWWWWaaaaaaaattttttteeeeeeeerrrrrrr RRRRRRRReeeeeeeesssssssseeeeeeeeaaaaaaaarrrrrrrcccccccchhhhhhhh CCCCCCCCoooooooommmmmmmmmmmmmmmmiiiiiissssssssssssssssiiiiiioooooooonnnnnnnn sssssssstttttttuuuuuuuuddddddddyyyyyyyy ccccccccoooooooonnnnnnnnffffffffiiiiiirrrrrrrmmmmmmmmssssssss ttttttthhhhhhhhaaaaaaaattttttt ccccccccoooooooommmmmmmmmmmmmmmmuuuuuuunnnnnnniiiiiittttttttiiiiiieeeeeeeessssssss wwwwwwwwiiiiiittttttthhhhhhhh lllloooooooowwwwwwww ssssssssoooooooocccccccciiiiiioooooooo------eeeeeeeeccccccccoooooooonnnnnnnnoooooooommmmmmmmiiiiiicccccccc ssssssssttttttttaaaaaaaatttttttuuuuuuussssssss aaaaaaaarrrrrrreeeeeeee mmmmmmmmoooooooosssssssstttttt vvvvvvvvuuuuuuullllllnnnnnnneeeeeeeerrrrrrraaaaaaaabbbbbbbblllleeeeeeee ttttttttoooooooo cccccccclllliiiiiiimmmmmmmmaaaaaaaatttttteeeeeeee cccccccchhhhhhhaaaaaaaannnnnnnggggggggeeeeeeee aaaaaaaassssssss ttttttthhhhhhheeeeeeeeyyyyyyyy ddddddddoooooooo nnnnnnnnoooooooottttttt hhhhhhhaaaaaaaavvvvvvvveeeeeeee ttttttthhhhhhhheeeeeeee ccccccccaaaaaaaappppppppaaaaaaaacccccccciiiiiitttttttyyyyyyyy oooooooorrrrrrr rrrrrrrreeeeeeeessssssssoooooooouuuuuuuurrrrrrrrcccccccceeeeeeeessssssss tttttttoooooooo pppppppprrrrrrrroooooooottttttteeeeeeeeccccccccttttttt tttttthhhhhhheeeeeeeemmmmmmmmsssssssseeeeeeeelllllvvvvvvvveeeeeeeessssssss oooooooorrrrrrr ttttttthhhhhhhheeeeeeeeiiiiiiirrrrrrrr pppppppprrrrrrrrooooooooppppppppeeeeeeeerrrrrrrtttttttiiiiiieeeeeeeessssssss ffffffffrrrrrrroooooooommmmmmmm ppppppppoooooooosssssssssssssssiiiiiibbbbbbbblllllleeeeeeee iiiiiiimmmmmmmmppppppppaaaaaaaacccccccctttttttsssssss.....
A Water Research Commission study confirms that communities with low socio-economic status are most vulnerable to climate change as they do not have the capacity or resources to protect themselves or their properties from possible impacts.
Communities with low socio-economic status are most vulnerable to climate changePhoto credit: Lani van Vuuren, Water Research Commission
36 IMIESA March 2013
THIS EMANATED from a Water
Research Commission (WRC) research
project contracted by the Centre for
Water Resources Research (CWRR) at
the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN).
Environmental hydrologist Sabine Stuart-Hill
of the CWRR presented the research findings at
the 16th National Hydrology Symposium.
The project aimed to, firstly, identify which
communities are most sensitive to climate
change due to their socio-economic status; sec-
ondly, investigate how able those communities
are to respond to the risks imposed on them;
and, thirdly, define what risks these communi-
ties are most exposed to.
The importance of a community’s ability to
make informed decisions about the risk climate
change imposes on it and its ability to use
this information to protect itself against the
threats, or react and recover from the effects
of the threats.
“People who are directly dependent on
resources around them are more likely to be
affected by any changes in the availability and
distribution of those resources,” says Stuart-
Hill. Those living next to a river, for example, are
at greater risk to increased runoff and flooding.
The research was done on the Mgeni catch-
ment, in KwaZulu-Natal, where a projected
increase in annual rainfall is predicted and
on the Berg catchment, in the Western Cape,
where decreases in annual rainfall is predicted.
The Mgeni catchment includes two major cities,
i.e. Pietermaritzburg and Durban, while the Berg
catchment includes Cape Town. Both catch-
ments comprise a mixture of land uses, includ-
ing urban settlement, rural areas, subsistence
and commercial farming, as well as various
open spaces to degraded areas.
Both catchments have high-density settle-
ments characterising urban settlement patterns,
implying that a large number of people, living in
a relatively small area, are vulnerable to climate
change impacts.
“Urban migration may have a negative
effect on people’s ability to adapt to climate
change as they experience disruptions in
social structure and lose traditional practices,”
explains Stuart-Hill.
“This presents a challenge to city managers
and decision-makers to help protect a large
number of highly vulnerable people.”
Furthermore, the research showed that often
the communities least able to adapt were also
those most sensitive and exposed to climate
change, partly also due to patterns of urban
migration, legacies of past legislation and the
urban structure of society.
Families in traditional or informal households
are at greater risk due to flooding as the build-
ings materials and structures lack the struc-
tural integrity to withstand the pressures of flood
water. This is of particular concern in the Mgeni
catchment where large projected changes in
three-day flood events are predicted, especially
in the interior around Pietermaritzburg, where
a large number of informal houses are still to
be found.
Communities in the Mgeni catchment were
found to be more reliant on open sources of
water than communities in the Berg catchment.
While stream flow is predicted to increase in
the Mgeni catchment as a result of projected
climate change, this stream flow may become
more variable. In the Berg catchment, the prob-
lem is rather of too little water as annual stream
flow is projected to decrease between 10 and
20%, resulting in less water being available in
rivers and dams.
Using open water also has various social and
health issues, such as risk to waterborne dis-
eases. In Mgeni catchment, many communities
have a major river running through them, leaving
them vulnerable to risks of flooding.
“The need to reduce the number of people
relying on open water sources is imperative in
both catchments as these people are using
unsafe water sources and are at risk to changes
in water quality and quantity,” says Stuart-Hill.
While rainwater tanks and groundwater extrac-
tion may be viable alternative water sources in
Mgeni catchment, the latter may not be a viable
option, even to those already making use of
boreholes in the Berg catchment, as a decrease
in recharge of groundwater is predicted due to
climate change.
Overall, the results showed far higher levels
of vulnerability in the Mgeni than the Berg
catchment. This is based mainly on low income
and education levels as well as high population
densities in the Mgeni catchment. However,
each catchment presents a different set of
challenges to municipal managers and different
adaptation plans will be required.
By identifying which communities are vulner-
able to climate change researchers can provide
planners with a starting point on where to focus
specific adaptation options and offer insight into
which adaptation strategies are most viable for
each location.
WATER AND WASTEWATER
“People who are directly dependent on resources around them are more likely to be affected by any changes in the availability and distribution of those resources.”Environmental hydrologist Sabine Stuart-Hill of the CWRR
IMIESA March 2013 37
WATER AND WASTEWATER
MUCH OF SOUTH AFRICA’S water supply originates from
groundwater sources. These occur widely and geographi-
cally and almost two thirds of South Africa’s population
depend on it for their domestic water needs1. On a global
scale, groundwater is an essential freshwater resource for both socio-
economic and environmental systems, and forms a critical buffer during
periods of drought. This makes the protection of groundwater supplies
(management, pollution control and remediation) essential, particu-
larly in developing countries where groundwater management is neither
strongly emphasised in national water legislation, nor implemented
where it is needed.
Groundwater is water that exists in the pore spaces and fractures in
rock and sediment beneath the Earth’s surface. It is naturally replen-
ished by surface water from precipitation or snow, and then moves
through the soil into the groundwater system where it recharges the
water table. Groundwater sources are generally extracted through the
construction and operation of extraction wells or boreholes. In areas
where rural infrastructure is minimal, rural communities will often rely
on more informal, traditionally developed groundwater sources such as
hand-dug wells, springs and sand abstractions. Currently, South Africa’s
groundwater resources supply approximately 15% of the total volume of
water consumed nationally2. Of this, almost 64% is used for agricultural
irrigation purposes, while exploitation for mining and domestic consump-
tion constitutes 8%.
Despite the country’s reliance on groundwater, it has remained a poorly
understood and managed resource, most likely due to its ‘hidden’ nature
and the lack of adequate knowledge and physical data pertaining to aqui-
fer characteristics and behaviour such as recharge, discharge, base flow
and aquifer dependent ecosystems. Most groundwater quality and quan-
tity problems in South Africa are related to human activities such as indus-
try (e.g. infiltration of chemicals and toxins) and mining (e.g. acidification
and increased metal content), urban development (e.g. salinisation,
eutrophication and microbial effects) and the intensification of agricultural
practices (e.g. sedimentation, infiltration of agro-chemicals and salinisa-
tion through irrigation return flows). Deteriorating standards in wastewater
treatment, agricultural drainage, land use patterns and waste disposal
intensify the problem. Contaminants either seep through the soil to reach
1 Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF), 20002 DWAF, 2002
The importance of groundwater management
WATER RESOURCES
the water, are washed into the ground by rainfall or surface run-off, or
leach from contaminated landfills and other buried hazardous wastes, all
of which affect both human well-being and ecosystem functioning.
Millions are spent every year on control and remediation measures
even, though remediation is difficult and extremely costly. Remediation
South Africa is a water-stressed country. Being semi-arid with limited annual South Africa is a water-stressed country. Being semi-arid with limited annual rainfall supply and a lack of perennial streams, the future implications of rainfall supply and a lack of perennial streams, the future implications of population growth combined with the uncertainty of climate change are likely population growth combined with the uncertainty of climate change are likely to have significant financial, human and ecological impacts on already scarce to have significant financial, human and ecological impacts on already scarce water resources.water resources.
South Africa is a water-stressed country. Being semi-arid with limited annual South Africa is a water-stressed country. Being semi-arid with limited annual rainfall supply and a lack of perennial streams, the future implications of rainfall supply and a lack of perennial streams, the future implications of population growth combined with the uncertainty of climate change are likely population growth combined with the uncertainty of climate change are likely to have significant financial, human and ecological impacts on already scarce to have significant financial, human and ecological impacts on already scarce water resources.water resources.
ABOVE Talbot Laboratories routinely analyses groundwater samples and can provide interpretative data to assist in remediation measures
38 IMIESA March 2013
Johannesburg Tel: +27 11 345 5600 Cape Town Tel: +27 21 957 5600 www.dpiplastics.co.za [email protected]
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WATER AND WASTEWATER
of soil and groundwater is usually carried out by
government agencies or environmental compa-
nies, with the first step being the identification
of the contaminants. The analysis and clas-
sification of the pollutant(s) is critical in that it
enables identification of appropriate solutions
for remediation. Analyses are performed by
internationally recognised environmental labo-
ratories that can provide expert interpretative
data to consultants who are then able to make
recommendations and implement remediation
measures. Reliable data is vital for mak-
ing informed decisions. Once identified, the
contaminant is either physically removed to a
landfill site or subjected to chemical oxidation
methods, which remove the pollutant from the
soil before it is reintroduced back into the envi-
ronment. Specialised mechanical techniques in
the form of pump-and-treat methods are used,
or the area is rehabilitated in-situ with the use
of microorganisms.
Although groundwater is a vital source of
water for many and has given rise to several
short- and medium-term socio-economic ben-
efits, the additional pressure on the resource
has put many aquifers at risk due to high
extraction rates. Until 1998, groundwater was
considered a privately owned asset (under the
traditional riparian system). However, after the
promulgation of the new National Water Act,
groundwater was declared a public resource
with shared entitlements to use, therefore
exposing the resource to further exploitation.
Although provision was made for the manage-
ment of groundwater resources under the
Department of Water Affairs, the motivations
behind the regulations and guidelines have
been difficult to account for and implement on
a regional level and subsequently are largely
overlooked or neglected3. Thus, there are still
many challenges to overcome to achieve the
sustainable management, appropriate alloca-
tion and protection of South Africa’s ground-
water resources. Perhaps the most significant
challenge is education and awareness, and
the collaboration between stakeholders on the
importance of sustainable and efficient ground-
water use (and monitoring). Greater awareness
and understanding, as a first step, will allow for
the timeous assessment of the occurrence and
extent of pollution and assist with the proac-
tive management of groundwater pollution in
South Africa.
3 Knüppe (2010): The challenges facing sus-tainable and adaptive groundwater management in South Africa. www.wrc.org.za
BELOW The company also analyses industrial effluent, landfill leachates, marine water, marine sediments and solid waste for classification for disposal to landfill sites
25 YEARS OF THE EXTRAORDINARY
TCTA is a state-owned liability management entity responsible for bulk raw water infrastructure development
The Trans-Caledon Tunnel Authority (TCTA) is proud to contribute towards a system which aims to deliver a sustainable water supply across Southern Africa.
planning, design and construction, place TCTA in the ideal position to facilitate development of bulk raw water infrastructure.
From an initial single project, TCTA now manages a portfolio of nine. These are the Lesotho Highlands Water Project Phase 1; the Berg Water Project (Western Cape); the Vaal River Eastern Subsystem Augmentation Project (Mpumalanga); the Mooi-Mgeni Transfer Scheme Phase 2 (KZN Midlands); the Olifants River Water Resource Development Project Phase 2 (Limpopo); the Mokolo-Crocodile (West) Water Augmentation Project (Limpopo); the Komati Water Scheme Augmentation Project (Mpumalanga) and, more recently, the Acid Mine Drainage Project (Gauteng) and the Metsi Bophelo Borehole Project (across six provinces).
TCTA is also expected to play a key role in the funding of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project Phase 2, the implementation of which was announced in a joint statement issued in August 2011 by the Governments of Lesotho and the Republic of South Africa.
The provision of water serves as a catalyst for sustainable economic development. The manner in which TCTA implements and manages its projects is governed by principles of transformation and sustainable development. We consider ourselves an instrument of social purpose, formed within society to accomplish social objectives. Consequetly, we are obliged to create new patterns, processes and strategies to tackle complex socio-ecological issues.
TCTA has committed itself to the progressive ideals and principles of sustainable development and their integration into various aspects of our business processes, giving us an opportunity to create value for all stakeholders, including social, economic and environmental facets.
All the above services are in support of government’s development agenda to make a better life for all. TCTA is committed to assisting government to achieve its socio-economic objectives.
For more information on TCTA visit: www.tcta.co.za or call +2712 6831200
Komati Water Scheme Augmentation Project (KWSAP)
National Water Month: The Trans-Caledon Tunnel Authority Delivers Water To EskomEskom operates several power stations in the Mpumalanga Province, a number of which are located in the eMalahleni/Middelburg area. Electricity demands in South Africa have increased rapidly and Eskom is required to increase the electricity generation at its operating power stations.
volumes of water as part of their operating and cooling processes.
The generation of energy depends mostly on the reliable supply and provision of water to power stations operated by Eskom Soc Ltd. Two of Eskom’s power generation stations (Duvha and Matla) in Mpumalanga require a substantial amount of water supply to meet the increased electricity demand in the country, hence, in September 2008, the Minister of Water Affairs directed TCTA to fund and implement the Komati Water Scheme Augmentation Project (KWSAP). This pipeline project aims to augment the existing Komati Water
supply of an additional 57 million cubic metres of water per annum to the system.
TCTA appointed AECOM (formerly BKS Engineers) in April 2009 to undertake the design and construction supervision of the scheme. SSCC Pipeline Joint Venture (comprising Stefannuti Stocks, Cycad Pipelines and Ceremele Construction) was awarded the construction contract in December 2010 with the construction commencing in January 2011. The KWSAP is scheduled for commissioning during February 2013.
Social Responsibility Initiatives through Project Implementation
Sustainable socio-economic development is central to TCTA’s project implementation methodology and management. Our socio-economic strategy strives to uplift the lives of affected local communities; we have developed a transformation strategy which includes the following critical aspects:
(i) Enterprise Development – which is aimed at developing a minimum of two enterprise
the contract value to them.
(ii) Preferential Procurement – which promotes the procurement of services and goods from black-owned enterprises, women-owned enterprises and local enterprises.
(iii) Employment targets
skilled personnel from the local communities. Employment opportunities created on this project
(iv) Skills development and training – entails training of local unskilled and semi-skilled labour.
TCTA closely monitors socio-economic development targets on a monthly basis and carries out half-yearly audits as part of the process to ensure the targets are met.
Environmental Sustainability
TCTA is fully committed to upholding and improving on the environmental and social integrity of its project footprint through implementation of sound and best environmental and social practices. We continue to comply with national environmental legislation and strive to achieve international best practices in the protection of the natural and social environment.
The environmental impact on KWSAP being mainly a pipeline project is of a temporary nature with only minor impacts on the long term.
PIPES, PUMPS AND VALVES
IMIESA March 2013 43
DPI PLASTICS'S technical and
product manager, Renier Snyman,
points out that the company’s
range of Ultraflo pipes are
manufactured from modified polyvi-
nyl chloride (mPVC), which is specifi-
cally designed to provide similar tensile
strength and greater resilience than stand-
ard PVC piping products.
“The Ultraflo range of pressure piping sys-
tems is ideally suited to bulk water supply
projects, due to the fact that mPVC is con-
siderably more ductile than industry stand-
ard unplasticised polyvinyl chloride (uPVC),”
he explains.
Snyman notes: “The product being supplied
to the water supply line project is the 500 mm
Ultraflo system, which is the largest in the DPI
Plastics range. It boasts a pressure rating of
12 bar with a design stress of up to 18 mPa,
making it ideally suited as a large underground
piping system.”
According to Snyman, Ultraflo pipes offer
environmental advantages too.
“Due to its superior toughness, the wall
thickness of mPVC is less than that of uPVC.
PVC pressure pipes used on large water supply project
BULK WATER SUPPLY
The ductility of the Ultraflo uPVC piping system ensures that the pipes have exceptional resistance to crack propagation under pressure.
This ensures that less
material is used dur-
ing the manufacturing
process, which ultimately
results in a lighter product
that is easier to transport and
install, thereby minimising the car-
bon footprint of the pipe.”
The DPI Plastics range of Ultraflo piping
products is available in pressure classes
varying between 6 and 25 bar, and supplied
in standard 6 m lengths, complete with spigot,
integral socket and rubber ring seal for user-
friendly installation. Snyman highlights that
DPI Plastics was the first company in South
Africa to manufacture mPVC piping systems
in the 1970s.
“DPI Plastics is recognised as a pioneer in
the local development of mPVC products and
to this day remains an international market
leader in mPVC product development, having
sold numerous licences to manufacturers in
markets as far afield as Australia, Asia and
South America. All Ultraflo mPVC products in
South Africa are compliant with SANS 966
quality standards,” he adds.
The range of
pressure piping systems
is ideally suited to bulk water supply
projects, due to the fact that mPVC is considerably
more ductile than industry standard unplasticised
polyvinyl chloride
IMIESA March 2013 45
PIPES, PUMPS AND VALVES
IN A MOVE to ensure consistent high quality of welding and introduce
transparency and accountability in the industry, the Installation
and Fabrication Plastics Pipe Association (IFPA) has
issued all of its welders with identification stamps.
According to the IFPA chair-
man, Mike Smart, its welders
were required to be recertificated
before they were issued with their
unique stamps.
“The annual recertification of weld-
ers was instituted by the Plastics
Federation (now Plastics|SA)
in 2000 in an effort to better
ensure quality of practical work.
However, in September 2010 it was decid-
ed that IFPA members would have the benefit of
only having to recertify their welders once in a three-year
renewal cycle, while non-IFPA members would be required to certify
their welders annually,” says Smart.
As part of IFPA’s mandate and mission to ensure that its members
adhere to the association’s objectives of ensuring consistently high
standards of plastic pipe fabrication and installation, they felt it neces-
sary to also develop a mechanism whereby a welder could be traced
back to every weld he has ever done.
A Welder Identification System was implemented by Plastics|SA and
IFPA in 2010.
“Since then, IFPA welders have been issued with a unique number,
printed on an identification card, along with a photograph. Each IFPA
member company is expected to complement the system of traceability
with the use of a stamp on each weld, displaying the IFPA company
number, the unique welder number and the IFPA logo,” Smart explains.
The stamp is made of special hardened steel and can be used next to
a weld if the weld surface is too small.
Members are tasked with the responsibility of ensuring the stamps
made for their welders are kept up to date, to verify the specific dis-
cipline that the welder has been qualified for and to control employee
activities such as moonlighting. These are not the responsibility of IFPA.
“IFPA is an initiative of SAPPMA (Southern African Plastic Pipe
Manufacturers Association) and was formed with the view to expand
regulation of the plastic pipe industry in Southern Africa. We fully sup-
port and endorse this programme that proves our commitment to go
further on the quality value chain. This move has also been welcomed
and applauded by customers who appreciate the level of transparency
and accountability we try to introduce and maintain in this highly spe-
cialised industry,” maintains Jan Venter, CEO of SAPPMA.
ID stamps to ensure quality installationsA welder identification system allows for a welder to be traced back to every weld he has ever done.
WELDER IDENTIFICATION
astics Pipe Association (IFPA) has
ders with identification stamps.
chair-
welders
rtificated
with their
n of weld-
Plastics
cs|SA)
better
al work.
10 it was decid-
uld have the benefit of
ir welders once in a three-year
FPA members would be required to certify
ABOVE A welder applies his unique IFPA identification stamp after completing a weld
INSET A closer look at the IFPA welder identification stamp
HEAD OFFICE: BLOCK C - Menlyn Corporate Park C/O Garsfontein Road & Corobay Ave. MENLYN - PRETORIA Tel: +27 (0) 12 940 1111 FAX: +27 (0) 86 743 3100 E-
www.bvigroup.co.za
Civil Engineering
Structural Engineering
Electrical Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Project Management
IMIESA March 2013 47
PIPES, PUMPS AND VALVES
THE PROJECT INFRASTRUCTURE
involves the construction of two pump
stations, two 3 Mℓ concrete reser-
voirs, a 1 Mℓ concrete reservoir and
15.4 km of water pipelines.
Incledon's national product manager for civ-
ils, Kelly Wilson, points out that the company
supplied the appointed civil contractors, Gabby
Construction and Thakitsi Construction, with
9.5 km of 300 mm and 4.5 km of 250 mm
Hydroclass ductile iron pipe, in addition to
1.4 km of 110 mm uPVC pipe, waterworks
valves and water meters steel specials in order
to complete the contracts.
Construction work began in January 2012 and
is due for completion in February 2013.
“The Hydroclass ductile iron pipes and fitting
systems are produced by internationally rec-
ognised French manufacturer St Gobain PAM,
which is one of the first companies worldwide
to comply with international EN 545:2010 and
ISO 2531:2009 quality standards. These quality
standards were set as a benchmark to ensure
that all ductile iron products comply with pre-
ferred pressure classes, in addition to reducing
their environmental footprint during the manu-
facturing process,” he explains.
Wilson highlights the fact that Hydroclass
is fully compliant with the local equivalent
SANS 2531:2009 standard. “This ultimately
means that Hydroclass ductile iron pipes are
manufactured with increased accuracy, and in
accordance to specific classes and wall thick-
nesses,” he continues.
Nathi Mnyaka, project manager at Monde
Consulting Engineers, the appointed consultant
for the project, points out that Hydroclass was
selected as the piping product of choice for the
25 bar bulk line due to the fact that it is easy to
install. “The project is located along mountain-
ous terrain, which is always more challenging
when it comes to installation. Hydroclass ductile
iron pipes are considerably easier to install
than industry standard steel pipes, as they are
simply slotted into one another. What’s more,
ductile iron is also very competitively priced and
easier to transport on-site.”
WATER INFRASTRUCTURE
Ductile iron pipes installedThe R41 million project entails the construction of bulk lines from Khombaso to Tsambokhulu and Mbuzini.
Wilson notes that all Hydroclass pipes come
standard with an external 200 g/m2 metallic
zinc coating, thereafter bitumen coated and an
internal sulphate resisting cement (SRC) mor-
tar lining, which increases the lifespan of the
pipe by up to 55%, when compared to the older
minimum metallic zinc coating requirement of
only 130 g/m2.
In addition to the high-quality product offer-
ing, Mnyaka points out that Incledon has
also provided Monde Consulting with excellent
after-sales service and support. “The service
from Incledon has been outstanding, and
the company’s sales representatives did not
only educate us on the advantages of using
Hydroclass, but have also kept us up to date
with the progress of the orders, in addition to
offering support services to us on an around-
the-clock basis.”
With this in mind, Mnyaka is confident that
the Mbuzini bulk water augmentation scheme
will be completed by its stated deadline.
ABOVE Incledon supplied the appointed civil contractors with 9.5 km of 300 mm and 4.5 km of 250 mm Hydroclass ductile iron pipe, in addition to 1.4 km of 110 mm uPVC pipe, waterworks valves and water meters
BELOW Hydroclass pipes with diameters of between 100 and 1 000 mm are available as standard to the South African water supply market
“A good working synergy between the com-
panies involved in the project will play a sig-
nificant role in ensuring that the community
is served with potable water in a timeous and
efficient manner,” he continues.
Hydroclass pipes with diameters of between
100 and 1 000 mm are available as standard
through Incledon. Wilson concludes by adding
that larger sizes are available to the market
on demand.
48 IMIESA March 2013
PIPES, PUMPS AND VALVES
SELECTION AND SPECIFICATION
New pipe and culvert handbook available
The Concrete Manufacturers Association
(CMA) has published the sixth edition
of its Precast Concrete Pipe and Portal
Culvert Handbook.
AIMED AT
m u n i c i -
pal and
c o n s u l t -
ing engineers, the
handbook provides
designers of con-
crete pipes and culverts with basic guidelines
on most aspects of selection, specification
and testing.
CMA's executive director, Wally Armstrong,
says it essentially covers the pre-construction
activities associated with precast concrete pipe
and portal culverts, but installers will also find
it useful.
“The handbook makes no attempt at replac-
ing textbooks or codes, but rather comple-
ments them by providing designers and speci-
fiers with sufficient detail to ensure that all
aspects of precast concrete pipe and culvert
usage are considered.
“The book also includes some basic theory
on determining product size, strength and
durability, as well as some theory on special
features. Chapter headings include: Product
Classification, Hydraulics, Loads on Buried
Pipelines, Concrete Pipe Strengths, Bedding,
Pipe Jointing, Floatation, Sewer Corrosion and
Portal Culverts.
Armstrong says the book’s formulas, diagrams
and tables are more than adequate for most
product applications. “However, they are by no
means all-encompassing, and the book provides
a list of useful publications for further reading.”
Three groups of standards are appli-
cable to precast concrete pipe and portal
culverts, namely:
• Codes of practice, which detail how prod-
uct size, strength and durability should
be selected.
• Product standards, which prescribe the prod-
uct requirements to be met.
• Construction standards, which prescribe how
products should be installed.
The handbook uses the Standards South Africa
(StanSA) certification codes, and all products it
covers comply with the relevant SANS specifica-
tions. These ensure that the products meet the
necessary performance requirements and use
the same basic layout, which are:
• scope
• normative references
• definitions
• materials used
• requirements to be met
• sampling and compliance
• inspection and test methods
• marking
• normative and informative annexures.
There are currently two South African nation-
al standards applicable to concrete pipes –
SANS 676: Reinforced concrete pressure pipes
and SANS 677: Concrete non-pressure pipes.
The code of practice for the selection of pipe
strength is:
SANS 10102Part 1: Selection of pipes for buried piplines:
general provisions
Part 2: Selection of pipes for buried pipelines:
rigid pipes.
There are no standards for determining the size
or durability of concrete pipes. The standards for
the installation of concrete pipes are included
as sections in SANS 1200 standardised speci-
fication for civil engineering construction. These
sections are:
• SANS 1200 DB – Earthworks (pipe trenches)
• SANS 1200 L – Medium pressure pipelines
• SANS 1200 – Bedding (pipes)
• SANS 1200 – Sewers
• SANS 1200 – Stormwater drainage
• SANS 1200 – Pipe jacking.
ABOVE Precast concrete stormwater pipes during installation
BELOW Precast concrete stormwater pipe sections prior to installation
IMIESA March 2013 49
THE SOUTH AFRICAN
Local Government
Association (SALGA)
and the Water Research
Commission (WRC) re-estab-
lished (with IMESA’s assistance)
water services benchmarking
in South Africa through the
national Municipal Benchmarking
Initiative (MBI) for Water
Services in April 2011. For
municipalities, the key benefits
of benchmarking are access to a
support network of peers where
they can share common experi-
ences, achievements and chal-
lenges in a manner that enables
improved per formance. The MBI
offers a bottom-up focus on the
per formance measurement capa-
bilities of municipalities, with
the provision of appropriate sup-
port to strengthen per formance
reporting systems and affirm
their importance for effective
service delivery.
The MBI aims to:
• Support improved efficiency
and effectiveness in water
services delivery through com-
parative per formance bench-
marking, peer-to-peer knowl-
edge sharing and iterative
per formance improvements.
• Strengthen per formance
measurement, monitoring and
management in municipal
water services provision.
• Forge relationships of
mutual respect and trust
between municipalities,
thereby strengthening the
development of per for-
mance tracking, report-
ing and comparative
assessment systems.
• Build communities of
practice within and
between municipalities.
Key elements of the MBI pro-
gress are:
1. water services master classes
2. development and implementa-
tion of benchmarking web-
based tool (Munibench)
3. establishment of peer work-
ing groups with focus on city
working groups.
Water services master classes The primary target audience is
senior water services technical
IMESA’s involvement with the Municipal Benchmarking InitiativeIMESA is – together with SALGA, the Water Research Commission,
eThekwini Water and Sanitation, the Municipal Institute of Learning
and the DWA – an active member of the team involved with the
Municipal Benchmarking Initiative. by Frank Stevens
IMESA workshop with SALGA and WRC
and management staff. To date,
the following master classes
have taken place:
Master Class 1 (in KwaZulu-
Natal, Gauteng and Western
Cape), with topics including:
Blue Drop Certification, Green
Drop Certification, and Water
Loss and Demand Management
Master Class 2 (in KwaZulu-
Natal, Gauteng and Western
Cape), with topics including:
Green Drop Certification,
Operations and Maintenance,
and Service Delivery
and Backlogs
MunibenchData collection for MBI is via an
online system, www.munibench.
co.za. The aim of the system is
to both measure per formance
(through facilities for data input,
comparison of per formance
indicators via appropriate
dashboards and checking par-
ticipation progress) and improve
per formance (through access to
material associated with shared
learning, peer networks, case
studies, guidelines, methodolo-
gies/techniques, training, etc.).
Peer working groups: feedback on the city working groups City Working Groups (CWGs)
have been established to
OM TE MEET IS TE WEET!
50 IMIESA March 2013
For more information on the Municipal Benchmarking Initiative please contact:
SALGA: William Moraka ([email protected]; +27 (0)12 369 8000)
WRC: Jay Bhagwan ([email protected]; +27 (0)12 330 9008)
IMESA: Frank Stevens ([email protected]; +27 (0)31 3118549)
MBI project manager: Grant Mackintosh ([email protected]; +27 (0)21 880 2932)
structure peer learning among
the nine cities (the eight
metros plus Msunduzi Local
Municipality). A CWG is held for
each of the existing six initial
modules currently included
in the MBI (namely service
delivery and backlogs, opera-
tions and maintenance, product
quality, water conservation
and demand management, HR
and skills development and
financial management).
Three rounds of CWGs have
taken place to date, in October
and November 2012, and in
January 2013, hosted by eThek-
wini Metropolitan Municipality,
Johannesburg Water and the City
of Tshwane, respectively. These
CWGs covered water conserva-
tion and demand management,
HR and skills development and
service delivery and backlogs.
Eight of the nine cities have
attended at least one of the
meetings. The meetings have
been very well received, with
open sharing of current prac-
tices, issues of concern and
how challenges are addressed.
The Working Groups for the
operations and maintenance and
financial management modules
are planned for March 2013.
In conclusion, I include a com-
ment from Eddie Delport (an
IMESA Council member) who is
very involved
with and close to
this project:
“The coop-
eration between
IMESA and the
Emanti team has
really helped
South African
municipali-
ties to provide
sustainable
water services
over the last decade. Starting
3 Free participation by all
3 Technical overviews3 Case studies3 Best practices3 Share common
issues/challenges faced
3 How did they do that??
3 Performance measurement
3 Networking
off with the very successful
Electronic Drinking Water Quality
Management System (eWQMS)
in 2005, for which it received an
International Water Association
Global Award, much has changed
for the better in the municipal
water services sector. (There is
no doubt that this was the fore-
runner to the DWA’s Blue/Green
Drop systems).
IMESA has always been ada-
mant that with
the absence of
a benchmark-
ing system for
municipalities
– run by munici-
palities – it will
always be dif-
ficult to improve
local government
service delivery.
To measure is to
know. To share
experience and knowledge is
the basis of individual improve-
ment. In this, SALGA and the
WRC have helped by becoming
the sponsors of the project. It is
welcomed and appreciated.
IMESA looks forward to the full
and successful implementation
of the MBI and urges all munici-
pal technical managers to coop-
erate fully with the programme to
ensure its success.”
IMIESA March 2013 51
THE SMEC South Africa-UWP-Phatwe
JV comprises UWP Consulting, SMEC
South Africa and Phatwe Consulting
Engineers, a 100% black-owned com-
pany based in Rustenburg.
This project forms part of the national
Public Transport Action Plan to improve pub-
lic transport networks in 12 cities in South
Africa. It aims to provide a high-quality and
affordable public transport system that will
enhance the social and economic development
of Rustenburg.
The development and construction of the RRT
was planned to take place from 2011 to 2014,
with implementation of the public transport
services envisaged by 2015, explains UWP
Consulting director, Friedrich Slabbert. The total
construction value of the infrastructure develop-
ment is expected to be more than R1.3 billion.
The tender, awarded to the SMEC South
Africa-UWP-Phatwe JV, incorporates two bus
Construction started last year on the Rustenburg Rapid Transport (RRT) project in the North West province, following completion of detail design by the SMEC South Africa-UWP-Phatwe JV, which won the R40.8 million tender for planning, design and construction supervision.
URBAN TRANSPORTATION
RRT project well under way
BELOW Compaction of concrete for pavements
RUSTENBURG
52 IMIESA March 2013
RUSTENBURG
rapid transport (BRT) corridors over a distance
of 34 km that overlap in the Rustenburg CBD,
with 37 proposed stations.
“We completed detail design for a fast-track
section between the Rustenburg CBD and
Phokeng town of the Royal Bafokeng in a
very short time and the 15-month construc-
tion contract was awarded to M Civils on
18 June 2012,” says Slabbert.
SMEC South Africa's head of the Rustenburg
(Nor th West province) division, Tshepo
Matshego, highlights the fact that the JV
was able to complete the design of a section
of the trunk route, consisting
of new concrete bus lanes
and rehabilitation of existing
mixed traffic lanes, within
five months – four months
ahead of schedule, due to
municipal requests.
“We started with the concept
in October 2011, and the ten-
der was advertised in March
2012. In that time, we had to
fast track our design, in order
to ensure that the municipality
met its budgetary obligations.”
Matshego believes that the
strong working relationship
within the JV ensured that the
conceptual design of the bus
lanes was completed success-
fully, despite the considerable
time constraints.
“Both SMEC South Africa and UWP, in the
joint venture, have in-depth experience from
working on previous BRT systems nationwide,
and we were able to rely on that experience to
make accurate assumptions.
“From appointment to construction award,
the JV team completed all planning and
inception through award processes within
eight months for a project with a total value of
R392 million,” continues Slabbert.
“Planning and design of the remaining sec-
tions of the contract, involving the Rustenburg
CBD and Phokeng town, have commenced and
we plan to call for tenders early this year.”
ABOVE Concrete placement under way next an operational section of road
RIGHT AND BELOW A trial section of concrete pavement
The tender incorporates two bus rapid transport corridors over a distance of 34 km that overlap in the Rustenburg CBD, with 37 proposed stations
IMIESA March 2013 53
RUSTENBURG
Most of the route will have a dedicated bus
lane in each direction with an additional passing
lane at the stations. Along the regional routes
outside the CBD, the road will consist of a
dedicated bus lane and one to two mixed traffic
lanes per direction with paved shoulders and
non-motorised transport facilities. In the CBD,
two existing lanes will be dedicated to the BRT.
All the intersections will be upgraded, either
to a left in/left out access or to a full intersec-
tion with BRT traffic signals and turning lanes.
Unique video technology is being used in
the planning, design and construction phases
to assist with accurate on-site details. This
allows detail planning and design sessions to
be held off-site with all role players present.
30% of the contract value is being spent with
local contractors and materials suppliers.
Public transport is closely linked to the future
spatial development of Rustenburg, which
aims to:
• integrate the existing urban structure
• provide a greater housing typology mix
• provide social amenities in an
equitable manner
• protect commercial agriculture and natural
open spaces
• enable the cost-effective provision of bulk
municipal services
• rationalise transpor tation infrastruc-
ture and services provision, specifically
public transportation
• capitalise on the economic competitive
advantages in the region, such as mining.
The Department of Transport has made it clear
that BRT is crucial to the success of South
Africa’s transport system. BRT is a mass road-
based public transport system that mimics rail
systems. The aim is to provide a high-quality,
customer-oriented transport system that deliv-
ers fast, comfortable and low-cost urban mobil-
ity to public transport users.
Through improvements to infrastructure, vehi-
cles and scheduling, a BRT system uses buses
to provide a service that is of a higher quality
than an ordinary bus line. The BRT will play a
leading role in transforming public transport
within Rustenburg to a point where it will
become the preferred mode of travel for most
and make a major contribution towards the more
efficient development of Rustenburg as a whole.
The public transport priority measures to be
implemented will reduce travel times, with an
enormous economic impact. Immediately after
completion of the construction work, journey
times for all road users will reduce, saving on
vehicle operating costs and time in vehicles.
ABOVE A visual test of a rock fill layer
BELOW Stabilisation of the road layer
54 IMIESA March 2013
RUSTENBURG
Bigen Africa Services is currently working on a number of road projects for the Rustenburg Local Municipality. IMIESA reviews four of the projects.
Vital road and sewer rehabilitation
ROAD AND SEWER UPGRADE
BOITEKONG AND MERITING are
located north-east of Rustenburg
with access afforded on the
Thabazimbi Road P20-2 nor th-
wards. All of the extensions in these areas
are joined through a network of main collector
roads. Developments in these areas address
the housing shortage for the middle- and
low-income groups and provide housing and
adequate services to residents.
The upgrading of the street system in
Boitekong and Meriting was divided into the
five development areas of wards 18, 19, 20,
21 and 22.
The streets and stormwater system areas
are mainly governed by the choosing of loops
within the wards.
The land sur face of the areas is worn down
due to erosion to a broadly undulating plain.
Soils are fairly impermeable and stormwater
run-off tends to be near the ground sur face
down the gentle slopes to the Hex River.
Residential black clayey silts and silty clayey
soils form the predominant soil type with the
exception of the south-western sector, where
the norite bedrock has been mantled by trans-
ported reddish and olive to khaki coloured
clayey or silty sands, silty or sandy clays, and
sandy or clayey silts, all of mixed origin.
The design criteria and standards are sum-
marised in Table 1 and are in accordance with
the standards of the guidelines for the provi-
sion of engineering services and amenities in
residential township development.
All streets will be surfaced afterwards by
the municipality and provision will be made for
the installation of sleeve pipes for the internal
electrical cables and Telkom cables.
Lethabong (Har tbeesfontein) was estab-
lished as a township under the previous
dispensation with dust streets, no stormwater
system, no water connections to stands and
with pit latrines only.
Over the past 15 years, the municipal-
ity provided 18.8 km of tarred streets,
water yard connections to 6 300 stands,
sewer reticulation with yard connections to
2 150 strands as well as toilet structures to
1 650 stands.
The upgrading of the street system in
Lethabong was divided into the two develop-
ment areas of Ward 27 and Ward 28.
The streets and stormwater system areas
are mainly governed by the choosing of loops
within the wards.
During the past 15 years sections were
developed into tarred streets with a
stormwater system.
The design criteria and standards are sum-
marised in Table 1.
Kerb inlets are provided at low points in the
roads to intercept the stormwater run-off from
the road and road reserve. These kerb inlets
will also discharge the stormwater into the
stormwater system.
The roads will be designed to accommodate
the 1:2 year flood recurrence with allow-
ance of 80% flooding of the roadway without
kerb overtopping.
Fifteen years ago, the municipality construct-
ed a sewer treatment works for Lethabong;
however, to date it was not put into operation
because of the limited number of toilets con-
nected to the sewer reticulation system.
During the long period that the plant was
not in operation, some of the equipment
was vandalised.
BELOW (1, 2, 3) Boitekong Road
1
2
3
BELOW (4, 5, 6) Lethabong Road
4
5
6
BELOW and OPPOSITE (7, 8, 9, 10) Lethabong sewer
7
IMIESA March 2013 55
RUSTENBURG
PARAMETERROAD CATEGORY
ACCESS COLLECTORCLASS 5A
ACCESS LOOPCLASS 5B
Road reserve width 16 m 13 m 10 m
Carriageway width 6.0 m 6.0 m 6.0 m
Minimum centre line radii for angles of deflection less than 60°
50 m 30 m 30 m
Minimum centre line radii for angles of deflection 60° and >
15 m 15 m 12 m
Roadway verges Low side: Mountable kerbHigh side: Mountable kerb
Low side: Mountable kerbHigh side: Mountable kerb
Low side: Mountable kerbHigh side: Mountable kerb
Desired maximum speed 40 km/h 40 km/h 40 km/h
Minimum stopping distances 65 m 65 m 65 m
Minimum gradient 0.5% 0.5% 0.5%
Maximum gradient 12.5 12.5 12.5
Minimum K-value 6 6 6
Minimum vertical curve 30 m 30 m 30 m
Cross fall 2% single cross fall 2% single cross fall 2% single cross fall
Super elevation None None None
TABLE 1 Road design criteria
Bigen Africa Services’ contract is for the pro-
vision of 21 km of sewer reticulation to 2 100
stands as well as for 2 500 toilet structures
in Ward 28.
The main objective of this upgrade is to sup-
ply safe and hygienic facilities to the community
of Lethabong. The upgrading of sewer system
in Lethabong was divided into the two develop-
ment areas of Ward 27 and Ward 28.
Monnakato Township falls under the juris-
diction of the Rustenburg Local Municipality
and is situated approximately 42 km north
of Rustenburg. Access to the township is
from Rustenburg via the Provincial Road 510
to Thabazimbi.
Due to the existing developments, most of
the bulk services for roads, water and sewage
have already been provided. Adequate meas-
ures have been taken to provide connections
from the bulk supply to the internal draw off
points and discharge points.
The upgrading of the street system in
Monnakato is covered by Ward 25.
The design norms adopted for the provi-
sion of internal infrastructure to Monnakato
are those recommended in Guidelines for
the Provision of Engineering Services for
Residential Townships, generally known as the
‘Blue Book’, and Guidelines for the Provision
of Engineering Services and Amenities in
Residential Township Development.
The design criteria and standards are sum-
marised in Table 1.
All streets will be surfaced afterwards by
the municipality.
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
BELOW and RIGHT (11, 12, 13, 14) Monnakato Road
56 IMIESA March 2013
POWER
ART SOLAR – which is the only South
African-owned photovoltaic (PV)
manufacturer – specialises in the
manufacture of solar PV modules
for the sustainable generation of electrical
power. The company is set to play a significant
role in renewable energy – initially in South
Africa, followed by the sub-Saharan African
market and the African continent.
“ART Solar uses the latest PV technol-
ogy to convert solar energy to electricity. By
utilising this environmentally friendly technol-
ogy to generate electrical power, the company
provides long-term solutions to the current
and predicted electricity issues facing South
Africa,” says Dr Ronald Lange, chief operating
officer for ART Solar.
“PV modules, which use daylight to gener-
ate electricity, are gaining popularity globally
as a form of renewable energy that is clean,
emission and noise-free, sustainable, safe
and cost-efficient.
“These modules are easy to install and
require no maintenance, apart from occasional
cleaning. Other important features are the
25-year guarantee offered by ART Solar and an
estimated 40-year lifetime of the module. The
company also offers a technical advisory and
support service throughout the country.
“Customers value the flexibility of our highly
skilled team, which designs and produces
modules according to exact requirements.
Important factors also include local con-
tent, black economic empowerment and the
enhanced aesthetics of these modules.”
The company has made a significant invest-
ment in the latest equipment from Swiss
equipment manufacturer Meyer Burger Swiss
Solar Systems and benefits from shared tech-
nology with global PV specialists.
PV modules, which adhere to stringent
International Electro-technical Commission
(IEC) specifications, are certified at ART Solar
by the leading and independent test institute
TüV Rheinland in Germany.
The establishment of ART Solar gives the
South African market access to high-quality,
aesthetically pleasing and locally manufac-
tured PV panels.
Local PV solar panel manufactureSOLAR ENERGY
The first photovoltaic solar panel manufacturing plant in KwaZulu-Natal has recently been established in New Germany.
ABOVE The first photovoltaic solar panel manufacturing plant in KwaZulu-Natal has recently been established in New Germany
LEFT The modules are easy to install and require no maintenance, apart from occasional cleaning
POWER
IMIESA March 2013 57
A HIGHER YIELDMedium Size Excavators. Our current range offers excellent controllability and reliability, impressive lift capacity, better fuel effi ciency, simplifi ed service and a more comfortable operator station to increase your productivity and lower your operating costs.
For more information contact our call centre on 0800 21 22 48 or visit www.barloworld-equipment.com
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THE COURSES FORM part of the company’s current seven-year
frame contract with Eskom for manufacture and supply of
power transformers ranging from 5 MVA to 80 MVA at 132 kV.
“The course content is tailor-made to suit the Eskom people
attending it, who range from skilled site personnel through to engineers,”
says Ronnie Russell, divisional CEO of Actom Power Transformers.
“The courses have been very well received. We have run four five-day
courses to date since November last year, each course being attended
by up to 12 people at a time.”
The courses, which include hands-on experience in the factory and
test facility, are run at the company’s Wadeville premises. The course
structure and content were designed by Paul Rodgers, the company’s
former chief draughtsman, together with Louis Liasides, technical man-
ager; Vincent Thorpe, engineering manager; Mohamed Alli, QA manager;
Sabelo Mahlobo, test manager; and John Duncan, safety, health and
environment manager, all of whom are course presenters.
“The course content is aimed at enabling commercially orientated
employees in Eskom to fully understand the range of power transform-
ers they are required to purchase against various contracts. In addition,
although the course material is fully structured, it allows for maximum
interaction between all participants,” explains Russell.
Power transformer courses for Eskom personnel
Special courses for Eskom technical personnel to familiarise them with the design, manufacture and installation of power transformers and all related aspects, including health, safety and environmental considerations, have been launched by Actom Power Transformers.
ABOVE Actom Power Transformer’s test manager, Sabelo Mahlobo, explains the active part assembly of one of the 13 x 110 MVA unit transformers being manufactured for Eskom’s Kusile power station. The Eskom personnel seen here are all from the central Gauteng region
58 IMIESA March 2013
HOUSING
PRODUCTION VOLUMES among the
two biggest players in the region’s
mining sector – Assmang and Anglo
American – continue to increase at a
tremendous speed. To cater for new employees
and respond within the ambit of the revised
mining charter published by government in late
2010, both mining giants are in the throes of
creating new and upgrading existing accommo-
dation with a number of housing projects both
on the drawing board and under construction.
Gary Westwood, sales manager for the Free
State and Northern Cape region, says that
Corobrik took pride in being a part of the pro-
gress of a sector that was the greatest contrib-
utor to the country’s gross domestic product.
“Kumba is currently building 60 mine
management houses with our Blue Barley
Travertine and Roan Travertine face bricks.
A contract for the construction of a further
479 50 m2 houses has been awarded to
Steffanuti Stocks,” he says.
In addition, production at the new Kolomela
mine in Postmasburg came on stream in May
2012 and is expected to add additional pro-
duction of 13 Mtpa.
Mine housing in the Northern CapeSouth Africa has the largest known deposits of manganese ore in the world and is the largest producer of iron ore on the continent, making mining operations in the arid Northern Cape critical to the national economy and the largest employers in the region.
“This Kolomela mine expansion saw Corobrik
delivering some two million Corngold Satins for
the building of 400 staff houses. This project
has been divided into three projects, namely
Postdene, Air field and Boichoko,” he adds.
Westwood also explains that one of the most
critical housing projects in the Northern Cape
– and one of the greatest challenges faced by
the mining industry as a whole – was the reset-
tlement of residents to facilitate the expansion
of a mine.
“Plans are currently being finalised to relo-
cate the entire town of Dingleton, situated
12 km south-west of Kathu, to allow fur-
ther expansion at the Sishen mine. This
will require the building of more than 500
houses, as well as schools, police stations
and commercial properties.”
“The recent fall in manganese prices has
forced them to delay their capital projects in
Black Rock and Hotazel. However, we believe
these – 200 mine houses, a gym, a new guest
house and accommodation for 40 students
– are expected to go ahead towards the mid-
dle of 2013. In Postmasburg, construction of
some 700 new houses is currently under way.
In Kuruman, 800 houses will be built. The first
phase, which comprises 89 units, commenced
in January 2013 . A combination of Nevada
Traver tine, Nebraska Traver tine, Corngold
Satin and Opal Satins has been specified by
Assmang for these projects.”
“In Kathu, there are plans to build 700
houses. Group 5 has already started con-
struction of 300 houses using our Sapphire
Satin, Nevada Travertine, Montana Travertine,
Nebraska Travertine and Opal Satin. VHB
Developments is also busy with 60 houses
which are being built with Sapphire Satin
and Corngold Satin. Approximately 200 have
already been completed and there are plans
to extend the total number of houses to
about 1 000.”
BRICK SUPPLY
ABOVE Corobrik Blue Barley Travertine bricks have been used in the mine houses built for staff working at Anglo American’s Kumba Iron Ore mine in Kathu
BELOW Corobrik Corngold face brick has been used in the 400 houses built for staff at Kolomela mine near Postmasburg. Two million Corngold satin bricks were used in this project
HOUSING
IMIESA March 2013 59
THE LIVIERO/MAGODA joint venture’s (JV’s) contract forms
part of a major human settlement project being undertaken
in Lephalale, as the area gears up for the development set to
unfold around the new Medupi Power Station. Liviero's CEO, Neil
Cloete, elaborates: “Lephalale Local Municipality is situated in Waterberg
District Municipality and is the largest in the Limpopo province, but with
a small population and low settlement densities. It consists of just one
formal town, which is Lephalale, along with 38 rural villages and a number
of small settlements. The area is characterised by game, cattle, vegetable
farming and tourism as the major economic activities, but future develop-
ment will see a major expansion in coal mining,” he says.
“It is also anticipated that the coal-fired Medupi Power Station will lead
to the expansion of industrial activity, as well as substantial population
growth. Water and sanitation services therefore need to be expanded
and upgraded. In addition, the development of 30 000 new housing units
is planned.”
The Liviero/Magoda JV’s contract includes the design and construction
of 17 km of bulk water line, 8 km of bulk sewer line, two pump stations
with associated infrastructure and three 4.5 Mℓ reservoirs. All of these
will supply the Lephalale Municipality, Cloete explains. Environmental con-
siderations will take high priority during construction, since the Lephalale
district is an ecologically sensitive area.
Lephalale housing project launched
HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
A R234 million bulk services contract, which is being undertaken by Liviero in joint venture with Magoda Construction, kicked off with a sod turning ceremony attended by Human Settlements Minister, Tokyo Sexwale.
ABOVE The Human Settlements minister, Tokyo Sexwale, turns the first sod at Lephalale
ROADS AND STORMWATER
THE INTEGRATED Transport Master
Plan is aimed at delivering a world-
class, sustainable transport system
that supports Gauteng province’s eco-
nomic, social, cultural and environmental goals
for the next 25 years.
GIBB transportation technical executive,
Kollan Pillay says that GIBB’s involvement
in the project illustrates the company’s abil-
ity and willingness to contribute to the growth
and sustainability of transport infrastructure
and efficient service in the province. Gauteng
must emerge as a globally competitive region,
and the potential energy challenges, technol-
ogy advances, and population and economic
growth scenarios over the next 25 years,
motivated the province to develop a transport
master plan.
The Integrated Transport
Master Plan is intended to
prioritise an integrated
transportation system, including road- and
rail-based public transport, and associated
non-motorised transport. The final report will
be available in July 2013.
Committing to transport over 25 yearsConsulting engineers GIBB is one of the member companies in the 2 037
consortium for the implementation of Gauteng’s 25-year Integrated Transport
Master Plan, spearheaded by the Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport.
The Integrated Transport Master Plan is intended to prioritise an integrated transportation system
INTEGRATED TRANSPORT
Bridging the gap in road upgradeInnovative concrete coring, sawing and scanning expert QA Coring has become the
first company in South Africa to successfully drill through three concrete bridges with
pinpoint accuracy.
THE FIVE-WEEK project was completed
by QA Coring in August 2011 and
involved the drilling of 560 holes –
each measuring 32 mm in diameter
and 2 m in depth – into the bridges along the
Rietfontein Interchange where the R21 and
N12 freeways cross.
QA Coring's MD, Henry Dippenaar, believes
that the company was able to complete the
project on time and within budget by making
use of custom-designed core barrels supplied
by Diamond Products.
BELOW Three drilling machines running 2.4 m long, 41 mm diameter barrels
60 IMIESA March 2013
IMIESA March 2013 61
PROVIDING QUALITY DRINKING
water is a critical aspect for every
municipality, and this month Simon
Foulds facilitates a panel discussion
among various companies that are key players
in ensuring quality drinking water is produced
in South Africa. We look at the importance of
providing water and sanitation infrastructure,
as well as the importance of the correct
pipes, pumps and valves within the water and
wastewater sectors. We also take a look at the
ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis processes
in the treatment of water and also speak to key
companies involved in wastewater treatment,
management and reticulation process. How are
these vital components being utilised in their
appropriate applications? What technology is
being used? What products enhance waste-
water and water treatment, water delivery and
reticulation sectors?
Several water catchments are recognised in
South Africa as the country’s ‘water factories’,
yet we still lack efficient water supply and
proper sanitation services in both urban and
rural areas – we also look at how this area is
being addressed.
It is important for municipalities to utilise the
best equipment and processes ensuring the
quality of drinking water is always at an opti-
mum. This panel discussion provides municipal
engineers involved in wastewater management
with options at their disposal in ensuring waste-
water is treated effectively.
URBAN AND RURAL WATER AND WASTEWATER DISTRIBUTION
by Simon Foulds
Waste and wastewater quality management
PANEL DISCUSSION • Intro
Since its foundation in 1997, SHOSALOWE INV has specialised in the design, manufacture and supply of equipment for water treatment industry. With about 60 employees, the company has a modern factory in Pretoria with a total area of 25 000 m². About 11 000 m² of this is used for production and stores, while 1200 m² is used fSHOSALOWE INV is sensitive to the needs of the continuously evolving market, and for this reason is con-stantly engaged in the study, research and development, of new equipment and applications, with particular attention to suitability for the South Africa market. Thanks to the use of the most modern technologies and software, the company can swi velop new products.A sound organised stock allows instant response and prompt delivery to the highest quality standards.
A well organised equipment support team allows SHOSALOWE INV to react to any equipment problems within the shortest time.
The site repairs, maintenance and installation work are performed by WAMECHSI.
CFD Analysis
What do we offer:Shosalowe/Wamechsi offers a comprehensive range of mechanical equip-ment for the use in Sewage treatment plants as well as some industrial applications, as listed below:
All inlet works equipment Screw pumps Waste bin trailers and waste skips Mechanical screens Screw conveyors and Screw press Hydro conveyors and Wash screw press Full range of de-gritting equipment Digester CFD analysis and mechanical mixers Surface Aerators Belt press equipment Mobile and containerised Belt press units Remote controlled dredgers
Mobile dewatering plant in operation
International partnerships
Teknofanghi Vandezande Biolak
Sewage Treatmentand Sludge Handling
e Treatmente TreatmentTT t tTShosalowe
5off Monobelt Belt press installation
Start-up before dredging
Mixing in Digester VesselsContact Jurie Niemand: [email protected] 302 9703 | +27 12 808 0682
www.shosa.co.za
co.za
TeknofanghiekSave the nature with
IMIESA March 2013 63
Jurie Niemand | Managing Director | SHOSALOWE
URRBANN AND RUURRAL WATERR ANND WASTEWATERR DISSTRIBUTIONN
PANEL DISCUSSION
What products and ser-vices do you offer that enhance the wastewater and water treatment and management sectors? JN
Municipal wastewater treatment
plants require a large variety of
mechanical equipment in all the
different parts of the process.
We manufacture a large range
of customised machines in
our own mechanical engineer-
ing workshop. The inlet of a
treatment plant consists of
mechanical screens, washers
and screw presses to wash and
compact the removed screenings.
Elevating the water is commonly
done with screw pumps. We also
manufacture surface aerators for
the biological process and the
mechanical equipment for the
clarifiers. Biological processes
produce excess sludge, which
can be further treated by digest-
ers where equipment is also
required. Finally, the sludge
needs to be removed by dewater-
ing machines. Thickening and
dewatering of the sludge is a very
special field and a process on its
own. We have extensive experi-
ence in head of works equipment
and sludge dewatering, and we
also supply turnkey installations.
Besides supplying all the afore-
mentioned machines, we also
supply consulting services and
after-sales service.
What projects have you recently supplied your expertise and products to? We have supplied equipment
to numerous wastewater treat-
ment plants in South Africa and
other countries, either directly
or indirectly as a subcontrac-
tor. At the Rooiwal wastewater
treatment plant outside Pretoria,
we erected an emergency sludge
dewatering plant, consisting of
five belt presses, in a very short
time. Some other projects are:
the Delmas sludge dewatering;
upgrading of the Baviaanspoort
Wastewater Treatment Works
(WWTW); upgrading of the Parys
WWTW – screw pumps and di-
gester mixers; the design and in-
stallation of a 10 Mℓ/d BNR plant
at the Ekangala WWTW; supply
and delivery of screw pumps for
Rooiwal WWTW; and the supply
and delivery of digester mixers;
PST equipment and belt press for
Rustenburg WWTW.
Several critical water catchments are recog-nised in South Africa as the country’s ‘water factories’, yet we still lack efficient water sup-ply and proper sanitation services in both urban and rural areas – how can your company help address this? Both drinking
water and wastewater are part of
the same water cycle. Waste-
water eventually ends up in the
ground or in catchment areas via
rivers from which drinking water
is reclaimed. For this reason, the
treatment of wastewater needs
very special attention. Cutting
back the treatment of wastewater
finally results in higher costs to
produce potable water. As the
water demand in South Africa is
constantly increasing some areas
are experiencing shortages and
will eventually need to produce
drinking water from the treated
wastewater. We have suitable
technology that is available that
has not yet been applied in South
Africa. In general Shosalowe is
expanding to new technologies to
cope with these challenges.
What divisions within the water and wastewater sectors are you most prevalent in? Municipal and
industrial waste-water treat-
ment plants.
What do you think the significant challenges are to the water and wastewater sectors? Since
the general water situation is
deteriorating every day, the big-
gest challenge is to upgrade and
build plants in a very short time.
Decision-makers should prioritise
funding and rapid construction for
more sustainability.
Please highlight three recent projects you have been involved with, out-lining what you supplied and how it was used?A. Rooiwal WWTW – Emergency
Sludge Dewatering plant,
where we supplied, delivered,
installed and commissioned
five belt presses
B. Bultfontein WWTW – we
supplied, delivered, in-
stalled and commissioned
a complete 6M ℓ/d BNR at
the Bultfontein WWTW
C. Baviaanspoort WWTW
– we supplied and
delivered the mechanical
equipment for the new
20 Mℓ/d upgrade of the
Baviaanspoort WWTW.
How does your equip-ment or products fair in terms of purchase price, efficiency, maintenance and war-ranty? Since we develop
and produce most of the
machines, we are very com-
petitive. Our workshop has
Shosalowe is an engineering company that specialises in the design
and manufacturing of mechanical equipment for the wastewater treat-
ment industry. Although it is able to provide equipment for an entire
sewage plant, the company specialises mainly inlet works screens and
sludge handling by means of mechanical equipment such as belt press
equipment. The two areas, i.e. screening, and sludge handling and
dewatering, are the ones where waste is produced.
Shosalowe also has small and superlarge dredging systems. The dredg-
ing systems can be supplied as manual or fully automatic and can
dredge any size dam, pond or sludge lagoon.
extended the scope of machines
so that we can do most of the
work in-house. In this way we are
less dependant on subcontractors
and this improves our internal
management and quality. We also
export some of our equipment
and this ensures that we stay
on top with regards to efficiency,
maintenance and warranty.
Since we work with machines
in a difficult environment, after-
sales service is crucial for good
operations. We are well-known for
our service and can even do refur-
bishments on other machines in a
very short time. We have little red
tape and are flexible.
BELOW Design, manufacturing and installation of screw pumps
IMIESA March 2013 65
Herman Smit | Managing Director | QUALITY FILTRATION SYSTEMS
What divisions within the water and wastewater sectors are you most prevalent in? HS Potable
water, municipal wastewater and
industrial wastewater, especially
for reuse.
Where and how are your products used within the water and wastewater sectors? To convert municipal
wastewater
for reuse to
drinking water
standards, we
make use of
ultrafiltration
and reverse
osmosis. For
industrial wastewater reuse,
we make use of clarification,
microfiltration, ultrafiltration and
reverse osmosis.
For the desalination of brackish
water, converting it to drinking
water standards, we use ultra-
filtration and reverse osmosis.
Then for the colour removal from
source water to drinking water, we
use clarification and ultrafiltration.
How does your company contribute to these sec-tors? The new technology we
have introduced will improve both
the life cycle costing and final
water quality. We take care in the
correct implementation of mem-
brane equipment along with the
applicable training for engineers
and operators not familiar with
the technology.
What do you think the significant challenges are to the water and waste-water sectors? Challenges
related to membrane plant installa-
tions are mostly related to reverse
osmosis membrane fouling. We
focus our efforts into pretreatment
before the reverse osmosis mem-
branes to minimise and prevent
fouling. Biological fouling is one of
the major challenges in the opera-
tion of desalina-
tion systems
and we have
reduced this by
using the correct
ultrafiltration
membrane,
selection and
design as prefiltration technology.
Please outline any unique technologies used in your product or service. Through
our collaboration with Siemens
WT, we have technologies avail-
able that are internationally rec-
ognised and able to meet most of
the water treatment challenges.
Please highlight three recent projects you have been involved with outlin-ing what you supplied and how it was used. • Steel Mill effluent: Water was
fed to the plant through a high
rate clarifier, which acts as a
high turbidity protection step,
utilising two ultrafiltration skids
and three two-stage reverse
osmosis skids.
• Brackish water: Through a
water treatment plant, blended
water from two borehole sourc-
es underwent iron oxidation by
aeration through ultrafiltration,
followed by a two-stage brackish
water reverse osmosis and a
partial blending of reverse os-
mosis permeate with ultrafiltra-
tion filtrate.
• Municipal wastewater: Through
a direct reclamation plant we
used ultrafiltration and a two-
staged reverse osmosis. The
RO permeate are treated by
ultraviolet light and hydrogen
peroxide as an advanced oxida-
tion step.
URRBANN AND RUURRAL WATERR ANND WASTEWATERR DISSTRIBUTIONN
RIGHT Memcor UF skid for 6 Mℓ/dBELOW Memcor UF skid for 2 Mℓ/d
PANEL DISCUSSION
Quality Filtration Systems specialises in membrane tech-
nology, and is the representative for Siemens Water Technologies
Memcor in South Africa. The company has been manufacturing
membrane, based plants since 1999 after obtaining the Siemens
Memcor agency for the industrial sector in South Africa. Since
2006, the company has been representing Siemens Memcor in both
the industrial as well as municipal markets. Quality Filtration Sys-
tems has the capability to design, manufacture, install, commission
and maintain membrane plants and general water treatment equip-
ment in South Africa.
The new technology will improve both the life cycle costing and fi nal water quality
Phone +27 21 880 0388
Fax +27 21 880 0389
Email [email protected] www.gls.co.za
OUR CLIENTS
Johannesburg Water City of Tshwane City of Cape Town Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality Buff alo City Emfuleni Municipality All the
municipalities in the Western Cape Province Randfontein LM Midvaal LM
Lesedi LM Renosterberg LM Ubuntu LM Emthanjeni LM Siya Themba LM
“Leaders in providing solutions related to the optimal planning and management of water and
sewer reticulation systems”
IMIESA March 2013 67
URRBANN AND RURRAL WATERR ANDD WASTEEWATER DISTTRIBUTIONErik Loubser | Director | GLS CONSULTING
What services do you offer that enhance the wastewater and water treatment, water delivery and water reticulation sec-tors? EL Our core business is
the computer modelling and mas-
ter planning of water distribution
and sewer reticulation systems,
using (mostly) our own in-house
software. The data in the hydraulic
models is extended to represent
a (near) complete information
system on the infrastructure,
which is then also integrated with
other systems/data such as bill-
ing and bulk metering (for water
demand management purposes),
maintenance and management (for
pipe replacement prioritisation),
asset registers, SCADA, and data-
logging websites. We are not water
treatment experts and therefore
do not propose
or analyse processes on treatment
plants. We do, however, report on
the required plant capacities in the
context of the master planning.
What projects have you recently supplied your ex-pertise to? Our modelling and
planning processes culminate in
a GIS-based information system
(IMQS), which our clients use to
access all their data. The informa-
tion has to be continuously updat-
ed and for this purpose we enter
into a “bureau” type contract with
most of our clients. Most of our
projects (after the implementation
phase) therefore become an ongo-
ing service rendered to the client.
Our main clients are four of the
metros in South Africa, namely
Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni, Tsh-
wane and Cape Town. But we also
service many (±50) medium to
small municipalities in the same
way, e.g. George and Mbombela.
Several critical water catchments are recog-nised in South Africa as the country’s ‘water factories’, yet we still lack efficient water supply and proper sanitation services in both urban and rural areas. How can your com-pany help address this? The planning and allocation of
water resources are the domain of
the Department of Water Affairs
and its consultants. Our planning
processes determine very accu-
rate water demand projections and
return flows from sewer systems,
which are inputs into the water
resource planning studies. The
water and sewer master plans
and other information that we
maintain allow our clients to iden-
tify spare capacities and deficien-
cies in their systems and ensure
efficient capital expenditure on
required infrastructure.
What are some of your most recent project suc-cesses? Our main success
lies in the fact that we retain all
our clients through uncompromis-
ing professional service! As a
specific item, the recent exten-
sion of our services to include a
new unique algorithm to prioritise
the replacement of pipes can be
mentioned. We have already suc-
cessfully applied this algorithm
in Tshwane and Ekurhuleni, and
are currently busy with a similar
project for the largest water utility
in the Netherlands.
skills in the water and wastewater
sectors. The challenge would
be to redress this situation by
depoliticising the appointments of
technical staff. Together with this,
the procurement processes have
also been centralised and taken
out of the hands of the technical
departments. This often leads to
critical delays and the appointment
of unsuitable consultants and
product suppliers. Skilled technical
staff, professional consultants
and suppliers of quality products
are required to efficiently plan,
manage and operate our water and
sanitation systems.
GLS Consulting is a consulting engineering firm specialising in the analysis and master planning of water and sewer reticulation systems as well as all aspects of water demand analysis. The main area of work for GLS is providing consulting services related to the establish-ing and implementation of management information systems for the supply of water and sewer services by local authorities.
What divisions within the water and wastewater sectors are you most prevalent in? The planning
sectors within municipalities
usually commission our work, but
the information is widely used in
a vertical and horizontal sense
within the organisations. The
information is available from the
municipal manager down to the
plumbers, and from head office
through all the sectors (bulk, retic-
ulation, operations, water demand
management, asset management,
and finance) to the remote depot
locations of the municipality.
What do you think the significant challenges are to the water and wastewater sectors? As
documented by Allyson Lawless
in her Numbers and Needs SAICE
publication, we have witnessed
the dire shortage of professional
PANEL DISCUSSION
TOP Integration of pipe and billing info in one system
BOTTOM Pipe replacement prioritisation by township
MANUFACTURERS & SUPPLIERS OF PIPE FITTINGS SINCE 1984
Cascade has a full range of Couplings and Flange Adaptors from 50mm to 800mm.
Larger sizes up to DN 1600mm and higher pressures up to PN40 are available on request
Tel: +27 (11) 824 3943Fax: +27 (11) 827 0556Email: [email protected]: www.cascade.co.za
IMIESA March 2013 69
URRBANN AND RUURRAL WATERR ANND WASTEWATERR DISSTRIBUTIONNGeorge Peters | CEO | CASCADE GROUP
What is your core busi-ness function? GP We
manufacture stainless steel pipe
repair clamps, socketed and
flanged off-take clamps, a wide
range of couplings and flanged
adapters along with related
products for the convenience of
our customers.
What divisions within the water and wastewater sectors are you most prevalent in? Our business
was developed to service a gener-
al need for the easy maintenance
of the water supply infrastructure.
Accordingly, we work closely with
both the water and sewer mainte-
nance divisions.
Where and how are your products used within the water and wastewater sectors? They are extensively
used by municipal plumbers to
repair burst or leaking pipes,
eliminating the need for expen-
sive and time-consuming pipe
replacement. Our saddles and
flanged off-take clamps allow for
“hot tapping” to be undertaken
(tapping off while the line is still
under pressure).
How does your company contribute to these sec-tors? Since we supply
prod-
ucts that
are used in
emergencies, we carry substan-
tial stocks. This enables us to
offer a “same-day” service to
our customers, which eliminates
costly downtime. Our products
can generally be fitted without
having to switch off the mains,
which, besides the time saving,
eliminates the damages caused
when the water mains are
switched on again.
What do you think the significant challenges are to the water and wastewater sectors? The
lack of maintenance to existing
pipelines and sewerage works, or
the development of new facilities
will put pressure on the potable
water resources of our country.
Please outline any unique technologies used in your products or service. Our stainless steel
pipe repair clamps provide a
quick, easy and permanent repair
solution for problem pipes, elimi-
nating the need for costly pipe
replacement. They are a simple
to use product and do not require
any special expertise.
They are designed to be fitted
while the line is still under pres-
sure, which:
• avoids the situation where
homeowners and businesses
have no water while the repair
takes place
• saves time and also eliminates
the damages that are caused
when the water mains are
switched on again.
What makes your products advantageous for specification? As an
ISO 9001 certified company,
Cascade continually strives
to improve the quality of our
products and achieve total cus-
tomer satisfaction.
Our products meet SANS 1808-
45, and are approved by the
JASWIC committee for supply to
all municipalities in South Africa.
For our Australian customers,
products for use in the Australian
market meet Australian Standard
AS 4181 and are approved by
Cascade has been distributing stainless steel pipe repair clamps and related fittings since 1984, with full manufacturing capability being introduced in 1986. We understood immediately that the supply of high-quality products alone would not provide complete customer satisfaction. It needed to be coupled with a first-rate service to accommodate the emergency nature of customers’ requirements. Our success has been the result of addressing these key customer requirements and we have built up and maintained an enviable reputation in the market place since then.
PANEL DISCUSSION
Water Services Australia for use
by all municipalities throughout
Australia and New Zealand.
Please highlight three recent projects you have been involved with, out-lining what you supplied and how it was used. Our
products are not project based,
but we are suppliers in good
standing to all the major munici-
palities in South Africa.
IMIESA March 2013 71
Amanz’ abantu Services commits itself to providing sustainable water and sanitation services to developing communities in partnership with government, along with the development of human settlements for rural and developing communities.
URRBANN AND RUURRAL WATERR ANND WASTEWATERR DISSTRIBUTIONN
What are your greatest project successes? OI Amanz’ abantu Services was
initially established in 1997 to act
as the Programme Implementation
Agent on behalf of the Department
of Water Affairs to implement its
rural water supply and sanitation
programme in the Eastern Cape
province. This programme, often
referred to as the “Build, operate,
Train and Transfer Programme”
(BoTT), required our consortium of
consulting engineers, contractors,
operators, and institutional and
social development consultants to
team up to undertake the full proj-
ect development cycle from plan-
ning, design and building the in-
frastructure through to operating,
training and transferring working
projects to the municipal authori-
ties. The programme successfully
provided water supply infrastruc-
ture for more than 1.5 million
people living in rural communities
across the Eastern Cape.
What water and sanita-tion infrastructure and services do Amanz’ abantu Services supply
to local com-munities? Since
2004, following the
completion of the BoTT
Programme*, Amanz’
abantu has undertaken
a range of projects and
programmes associated
with water and sanitation
infrastructure including:
• rural household sanita-
tion, which involves planning
and the provision of ventilated
pit latrines (VIPs) along with the
associated health and hygiene
education for the beneficiaries
• construction of basic water sup-
ply schemes
• refurbishment, operation and
maintenance of water sup-
ply schemes
• audits of existing water services
infrastructure
ABOVE Amanz’ abantu is a key member of the Zana Manzi Joint Venture, which is currently undertaking the construction of the Mndwaka Dam for the Amathole District Municipality
Oliver Ive | MD | AMANZ’ ABANTU SERVICES
• installation of ablution facilities
for rural schools and clinics
• construction of boreholes, weirs
and dams for raw water abstrac-
tion and storage.
What is your role in government’s commu-nity water and sanitation programme? Amanz’ abantu
Services is a private company,
and we contract with all spheres
of government. The company
tenders for work in terms of the
public procurement processes,
and our role includes the mobilisa-
tion of private sector expertise
and the procurement and direction
of the resources required for
successful implementation of the
government’s water and sanita-
tion programmes.
What skills development programmes do you offer? Government’s policy, in
its roll out of infrastructure and
service delivery, is to provide a
number of associated outcomes
including skills development, em-
ployment, job creation and black
economic empowerment.
Amanz’ abantu seeks to act
as a development partner to our
government clients by supporting
these objectives. We follow labour
intensive approaches to construc-
tion wherever possible, and over
the past few years we have been
piloting a water services franchis-
ing programme whereby small
locally based service providers
are established, trained and
supported to provide operation
and maintenance services for
community water supply and
sanitation infrastructure.
Where do you operate? Amanz’ abantu Services is
based in the Eastern Cape
where the majority of our work
is undertaken.
*The BoTT approach was an
innovative way of implementing
projects through a partnership
between the Department of Water
Affairs (DWA) and private sec-
tor consortia or groups, called
Programme Implementing Agents
(PIA), with the involvement of the
local community and local authori-
ties. The main objective is to
combine the skills and resources
of the private sector with the vision
and financial strength of the public
sector, in this case DWA.
The BoTT programme successfully provided water supply infrastructure benefi tting more than 1.5 million people in the Eastern Cape
PANEL DISCUSSION
72 IMIESA March 2013
THIS IS ACCORDING to Adéle de
Lange, human settlements technical
marketing advisor at the Cement &
Concrete Institute (C&CI). “It is com-
mon knowledge that concrete masonry is the
building material of choice in the subsidised
housing market. Yet, the exciting range of
innovative variations that has been developed
around the conventional block design aimed at
improving, among other aspects, the thermal
performance, speed and quality of construction
and water resistance of the masonry units, is
less known. The potential for these innovations
to revolutionise the concrete masonry industry
in South Africa has not yet been fully explored,”
she explains.
“When it comes to alternative building tech-
nologies (ABTs), there is literally no limit to the
creative opportunities that concrete presents.
These concrete solutions aim to provide supe-
rior quality and increased speed of construction
through factory-controlled precision
or unskilled labour-intensive pro-
cesses. Precast, cast in-situ or
tilt-up concrete panels dominate
the ABT market, often incor-
porating the reuse of industry
by-products to reduce the use of
limited resources and improve
the durability of the concrete
system. The systems are also
frequently designed to achieve superior thermal
resistance compared to conventional building
systems through the effective combination of
high-insulation products with the inherent ther-
mal mass of concrete. This
can ultimately contribute to
the most optimal energy-
and cost-saving results over
the lifespan of a building.
“However, due to the vast
number of ABTs on the mar-
ket, it can be a challenging
task to choose the most appropriate sys-
tem. Apart from the cost considerations, C&CI
advises specifiers and potential homeowners to
ensure that the system complies with the neces-
sary SANS regulations or, alternatively, holds a
valid Agremènt SA certificate. They should also
request a visit to a completed project where
the system was used, firstly as a validation of
the end product that is promised and, secondly,
to serve as a benchmark for the quality that
PRODUCTS & SERVICES
Alternative concrete solutions rise to housing challenge
CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY
Most of the increasing number of alternative building technologies on offer to help reduce the increasing backlog of housing in South Africa are essentially concrete systems.
can be expected. Finally, when local unskilled
labour is incorporated, they should ensure that
proper training and skills transfer takes place
and that adequate site supervision and techni-
cal support are provided
on-site during the entire
construction process.
“ABT or conventional
concrete can provide a
building material solution
to address the challenges
that face the South African
housing backlog. But it remains essential to
bear in mind that, while increased speed of
construction through ABT solutions will certainly
contribute towards diminishing the housing
backlog, building technology cannot solely pro-
vide a solution to this. The availability of suit-
able land, affordable finance and the provision
of infrastructure services constitute the greater
issues that contribute first and foremost to the
backlog and these issues need to be resolved
before a reduction in the actual construc-
tion period through advanced building technol-
ogy will be able to contribute significantly to
increased housing delivery. The significant role
of the construction industry in the job creation
process can also not be ignored and it is there-
fore important to evaluate the contribution of
ABTs towards the socio-economic development
of South Africa,” De Lange adds.
TOP Concrete dominates most alternative building technologies
LEFT Adéle de Lange, human settlements technical marketing
advisor at C&CI, says the potential for these ABTs to
revolutionise the concrete masonry industry in South Africa has not yet been fully explored
“There is literally no limit to the creative opportunities that concrete presents”
IMIESA March 2013 73
Tens of thousands of solutions providedThe Cement and Concrete Institute’s advisory role in the field of concrete technology has been highlighted again in statistics supplied at its annual general meeting.
BRYAN PERRIE, MD of the Cement
and Concrete Institute (C&CI), told
the AGM that the institute had han-
dled over 68 000 telephonic queries
about cement and concrete matters during
the last financial year. This total excluded cell
phone inquiries.
“The C&CI furthermore provided technical
input for 47 consulting projects focused on
concrete during the past year,” added Perrie,
who chairs the SABS committee on cement,
concrete and concrete products.
“The institute also participated in the revision
of the national cement and concrete related
standards; managed proficiency schemes,
including the audit of 16 concrete technol-
ogy laboratories; and maintained contact
with the National Regulator for Compulsory
Specifications regarding the quality of imported
cement reaching South Africa.”
Regarding training by the C&CI School of
Concrete Technology (SCT), Perrie reported that
91% of the students, who had attended the
32 SCT courses in the 2011/12 financial year,
had expressed satisfaction with all aspects of
the training provided. A pass rate of 76% was
achieved by the 1 225 students who attended
the courses over 3 057 student days.
ABOVE Bryan Perrie, MD of C&CI, reports that the C&CI handled over 68 000 telephonic queries about cement and concrete matters during the last financial year
PRODUCTS & SERVICES
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IMIESA March 2013 75
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KLS CONSULTING ENGINEERS, with Martin & East as
the civil subcontractor to Stefanutti Stocks, approached
Decorton and Terrafirma to help with the construction of a
few level platforms.
Karien Visser, engineer with KLS Consulting Engineers, says:
“Due to the slope of the ground and the size of the platforms,
natural cut/fill slopes were not possible. The objective was to
allow Shoprite Checkers Properties maximum space to enlarge the
existing Freshmark distribution warehouse and build a new flow
through facility.”
Both retaining wall contractors proposed the Terraforce Retaining
System, a cost-effective earth retaining product that combines more
advantages than other systems available.
Paul Kennedy of Terrafirma says: “The block is relatively lightweight
for transport, interlocks on a horizontal as well as vertical level, is
reversible to display a smooth round face, smooth straight face or
split straight face appearance, is fully plant supportive with an open
horizontal surface structure, and has a closed vertical surface struc-
ture to prevent progressive erosion of compacted backfill.
“In addition, the wall inclination and curvature can be adapted at
will to suit site conditions, and blocks can be filled with soil, gravel or
concrete as required by the design engineer.”
When asked why KLS chose the Terraforce system, Visser affirmed
that it is a very well-known product, adding that the retaining wall
was a design and supply item, with Fred Laker, Terraforce associated
engineer, providing the design and Terraforce recommended contrac-
tors installing the walls.
Two months later, 14 400 blocks had been installed on-site, at an
angle of 65 degrees, placed on concrete foundations and secured
with geo-grid tie backs or concrete poured into blocks where needed.
Around the two high-lying boundaries of the property, an open storm-
water channel had to be installed, using erosion control blocks that
were reused from a previous, now redundant, installation. In addition,
it was essential to install subsoil drains in the back-fill of the walls at
foundation level with free-draining outlets at regular intervals.
To finish off the project and to soften the overall concrete feel, GBI
Landscape Consultants specified that the blocks be filled with topsoil
and planted.
Erwin Bartsch of GBI Landscape Consultants states: “Even at a
65 degrees slope, pockets in the Terraforce were able to be planted
allowing multiple rows of plants to cascade down, playing down the
strong vertical element with different textures and colours.”
RETAINING WALL CONSTRUCTION
Making room for retailThe professional team at retail centre construction project was faced with a challenging retaining wall design.
ABOVE A view of the completed retaining wall
76 IMIESA March 2013
INDEX TO ADVERTISERS
Amanz’ Abantu 70
Barloworld Equipment 57
Bigen Africa IFC
BVI Consulting 45
Cascade Group 68
Cement & Concrete Institute 73
Corobrik 16
Degrémont 35
Department of Water Affairs OFC
DPI Plastics 38
Echocem Pumps 43
ELB Equipment 42
Elster Kent Metering 20
Fiberpipe 37
Franklin Electric 11
GLS Consulting 66
GOBA 13 & 14
Hall Longmore 44
Incledon 46
JOAT Group 32
Kantey and Templer Consulting
Engineers 34
Krohne SA 59
Murray & Roberts Building Products 24
National Asphalt 27
NuWater 31
Quality Filtration Systems 64
SBS Water Systems 36
Shosalowe 62
SIKA 26
Stalcor 25
TCTA 40 & 41
Terraforce 75
Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies
South Africa 39
Videx Storage Tanks 22
Water Research Commission 30
Water & Sanitation Services OBC
Watertec Africa/Pumps Valves & Pipes
Africa 2013 61
WRP Consulting Engineers IBC
Xylem Water Solutions SA Bellyband
Kevin Wall wins esteemed awardIn the spirit of recognising talent and research at the CSIR, the coveted 2012 JD Roberts Award recently went to CSIR Built Environment’s Dr Kevin Wall.
THE AWARD WAS given in recog-
nition of Wall’s leading role in
developing innovative solutions for
alternative housing, infrastructure
asset management and the maintenance of
sanitation systems.
A registered professional engineer and town
planner, Wall’s lifelong career in urban and
regional engineering, and planning and city
management afforded him substantive experi-
ence in civil engineering and town planning
in low-income urban areas and forward plan-
ning for development at the metropolitan and
regional scale.
The recognition for his expertise included the
development of a franchising model for the rou-
tine maintenance of municipal infrastructure.
INDUSTRY NEWS
JD ROBERTS AWARDS 2012
ABOVE 2012 JD Roberts Award winner, Dr Kevin Wall (centre), at the award ceremony with Dr Conelius Ruiters, unit head of CSIR Built Environment (left) and Murray & Roberts CEO, Henry Laas (right)