With special focus on reducing non-revenue water (NRW) losses, multidisciplinary construction, engineering and project management company Botala Oracle Group is currently participating in several water infrastructure initiatives across South Africa and nearby States, to help develop improved water infrastructure and increase overall system viability.

“These initiatives span bulk water, water treatment, pumping systems and municipal water reliability initiatives, while digging deep into the treated water that is produced and lost or unaccounted for before it reaches a paying client,” says Botala Oracle Group chairperson and CEO Moeketsi Mpotu.

The initiatives undertaken by Botala encompass projects at various stages of development, including feasibility studies, conceptualisation, execution and construction.

He explains that, according to water knowledge hub the Water Research Commission, South Africa loses an “alarming” 47% of its treated municipal water to NRW losses which costs the country billions of rands in lost revenue.

Mpotu adds that Botala Oracle Group is actively investigating the use of AI models to localise the lessons learned in other sectors – including electricity supply and agriculture – to help municipalities and bulk water suppliers combat NRW losses.

“A number of water infrastructure projects already use Internet of Things solutions to harvest data while making use of monitoring applications,” he adds.

One of Mpotu’s key observations regarding South African water challenges – across both infrastructure and management – is a shortage of local skills and a lack of local manufacturing at scale to support large infrastructure projects.

He stresses that having the right skills and experience will help with making better decisions in the engineering field but cautions that support from the government is the primary factor.

The company is dedicated to sharing local engineering knowledge that is globally acclaimed, he adds.

Besides its involvement in the many large upcoming projects for storage and water systems, Botala intends to help overlooked communities within the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

“The entire SADC region offers not only good opportunities for business but also a chance to do good by supporting these communities.”

Project Engineering

Although Botala relies heavily on its in-house engineering and project delivery teams, Mpotu says partnerships are a substantial part of its delivery model.

“Our first and probably most important partners are the local execution partners,” he explains, noting that these ensure Botala can meaningfully participate in any project it undertakes.

To demonstrate its commitment to professionalism, Botala exclusively installs original-equipment manufacturer parts during operations, ensuring accountability and the reliability of the equipment.

“We also are driving partnerships with academics, pursuant to finding new and cutting-edge solutions within the storage and water infrastructure sector. We are focussing on finding globally benchmarked NRW solutions that can work for South Africa’s unique environment.”

South Africa faces uncommon challenges compared with the rest of the world, so Botala must deliver solutions tailored to local needs.

“Our work goes beyond construction – we provide post- construction operations and maintenance partnership, staying responsible for plant performance after commissioning,” concludes Mpotu.