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Need to adapt to growing water demands

11th October 2013

By: Carina Borralho

  

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Alarge portion of South Africa’s water infrastructure has fallen into a state of disrepair and many of the facilities are being operated at much higher capacities than the original design intended, water management company Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies South Africa tells Engineering News.

“The problem is the lack of new water facilities and maintenance, skills shortages in the operation of water plants and urbanisation. All these challenges have put our current infrastructure under pressure,” says Veolia business development GM Chris Braybrooke.

The company says little or no spending in the municipal water market over many years has created a backlog that will be difficult to eradicate in the near future.

“Another factor that has impacted on these facilities is the steady decline of our raw- water quality from our rivers and dams, as a result of pollution. This means the current infrastructure, which is already under pressure, will not cope with these conditions,” adds Braybrooke.

Veolia suggests that public–private cooperation might accelerate the construction or upgrading of treatment plants. “It does seem that the public–private partnership model has not been successfully launched or implemented in the water sector, although these partnerships are working successfully in the construction industry to develop and maintain roads, for example,” he says.

Because of expected industrial growth in South Africa, analysts predict that there will be even higher demand for water. Therefore, municipal management and industry need to consider improving the efficiency of water savings to make resources available for human consumption.

“This means industry water stewardship is required and newer technologies for water saving have to be explored and implemented urgently,” says Braybrooke.

Veolia notes that large metropolitan areas, such as Cape Town, Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), have high-quality water supply. “What is unfortunate is that things are extremely difficult at smaller municipalities, owing to financial constraints, old dilapidated treatment plants, a lack of maintenance and a shortage of skilled operators,” he adds.

However, Braybrooke points out that it is not all good news for the large metropolitan areas, since their water resources are dwindling and demand is increasing.

Veolia highlights that new infrastructure and water sources have to be secured urgently to ensure long-term water supply security.

“The large influx of people to the cities will also put greater demand on drinking and waste- water facilities. Important decisions need to be made regarding alternative sources of water. Options such as sea- water desalination and waste- water reuse need to be considered,” Braybrooke adds.

“Although projects such as new dams and augmentation schemes have been announced, municipalities and water authorities will not be able to keep up with demand unless the construction of new facilities is accelerated,” he says, highlighting that the construction of desalination and wastewater reuse plants takes place more frequently than the construction of dams.

Trends in Water Industry

The construction of seawater desalination plants is trending upward says Veolia, predicting that this trend will continue, owing to this being one of only a few sustainable options available to ensure water supply in water-stressed coastal regions. “Unfortunately, there will be a cost implication for consumers, since these plants are energy intensive. Some large South African cities, such as Durban and Cape Town, have conducted or are conducting feasibility studies for large desalination plants,” notes Braybrooke.

Water reuse is another way of alleviating long-term water shortages. Veolia has been operating the Durban Water Recycling plant, in KZN, for 12 years. The company notes that the plant has proved to be a successful venture in supplying industrial-grade water to the largest consumers of water in the eThekwini region.

Veolia, together with two international partners, also operates the Namibia-based Goreangab wastewater reuse plant, where potable-grade water is produced for the City of Windhoek. The plant has been operating for 12 years.

“If all the checks are in place, this is a feasible method of gene- rating potable-grade water in South Africa using the current infrastructure of the municipalities,” says Braybrooke, noting that Veolia and other water companies need to educate the public on the benefits of this technology and roll out programmes to change the public’s negative perception of reused water being dirty or dangerous.

The company further highlights that by-products produced from wastewater plants are beneficial. “Waste sludge, for example, can be used to create value-added products such as power generation and agriculture products,” he adds.

Europe has been implementing water reuse for some time, notes Veolia, and local decision- makers should take note of these advances. “It is also important that water-treatment consultants are informed of and trained in the latest technologies when assisting clients with planned upgrades or new plant designs,” notes Braybrooke.

Water Education and Skills Development

There is a demand for training the management and operational staff of water treatment facilities, Veolia points out. “The need for training will increase as government starts spending on new infrastructure that will employ the latest technologies,” says Braybrooke.

This trend is noticeable in the desalination plants in the Southern Cape, where the design, build, operate and maintain project model has been implemented, he says, explaining that, after successful commissioning, the contractor is fully responsible for the operation and maintenance for three years.

“This will also apply to newer-technology- based plants currently being constructed in South Africa and illustrates that there is a lack of skilled operators in the field – hence, the reason for offering these concessions,” adds Braybrooke.

Well-trained staff can be deployed to operate various projects or to train new people in the industry. “We also see the construction of new-generation facilities as centres of excellence where training can be conducted by municipalities to upskill their regional staff,” he says.

Growth Potential

Veolia highlights that government is releasing funds for new municipal facilities, which will create new opportunities for water treatment companies in the short term.

“Currently, we see the biggest growth in the South African municipal market in conventional wastewater-treatment and potable-water-treatment plants. These opportunities also include the refurbishment of older plants by applying more modern technology. An example of this is the conversion of old bio-filters into trickling filter technology, which has been applied to some facilities and is showing major advantages,” says Braybrooke.

Government has to endorse water reuse opportunities, he states, noting, however, that opportunities for large desalination plants will take some time before they become a reality.

Projects in Progress

Veolia is currently involved in several projects in the industrial and municipal sector.

Projects in the municipal sector include the City of Cape Town’s Bellville membrane bioreactor, where an extension of the Bellville wastewater treatment plant is under way, ensuring an additional 20 Mℓ/d capacity.

The Cederberg municipality, in Lamberts Bay, on the West Coast, is constructing a new seawater desalination plant, while Veolia is delivering water-supply equipment to the Amothole-Xhora pumpstation, in the Eastern Cape.

Further, the Mangaung metropolitan munici- pality is restoring the Maselspoort low- and high-lift pumpstation in Bloemfontein.

Veolia has also been awarded the Mechanical and Electric contract for Umgeni Water’s Lower Thukela treatment plant, comprising a 55 Mℓ/d water-treatment system with a weir and abstraction works. The company is also busy with the refurbishment of filters at Umgeni Water’s Durban Heights water- treatment plant.

Veolia is further delivering pumps and related equipment to Mhlatuze Water’s Nsezi pumpstation, in Richards Bay, KZN, and is busy with the design and construction of the City of Windhoek’s Ujams wastewater treatment plant.

Edited by Tracy Hancock
Creamer Media Contributing Editor

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