Desalination plant feasibility studies support proactive water planning

9th October 2015

By: Mia Breytenbach

Creamer Media Deputy Editor: Features

  

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Engineering, management and specialist technical services firm Aurecon has undertaken two desalination plant feasibility studies for South African water utilities, following the successful completion of technical, studies and investigations, construction-phase contract management, project management and technical advisory services for a 300 Mℓ/d desalination project in Adelaide, Australia.

“These . . . feasibility studies form part of water utilities’ proactive planning in future water resource management,” says Aurecon South Africa water business development manager Mike Killick.

The company conducted a desalination feasibility study for water utility Umgeni Water, in the eThekwini municipal region in KwaZulu-Natal. The study, which was completed in July, included investigating the feasibility of a 150 Mℓ/d plant at two candidate sites – to the north and south of the Durban metropolis.

The second study, for the Nelson Mandela Bay metropolitan municipality, in Port Elizabeth, assesses the feasibility of a 60 Mℓ/d desalination plant.

Aurecon is undertaking the full feasibility study of the plant and Killick expects it to be completed by the end of 2016. “The project will include a full feasibility report and preliminary design for the municipality, which will better equip the municipality in its water resource management, should a drought occur.”

He partially attributes the focus on prospective desalination to South Africa’s challenge posed by water resource availability.

“South Africa is a water-scarce country, with Gauteng having experienced droughts in the past and the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal having experienced drought over the past decade,” Killick says, adding that the challenge is exacerbated by the major urban centres not being located near available and cost-effective water resources.

Although the cost of desalination remains high, compared with other water augmentation options, Killick points out that run-of-river water transfer schemes can be affected by drought, “whereas desalination is a drought- resistant scheme”.

Therefore, as water boards try to adopt a slightly diversified portfolio of water resources, they could consider the implementation of desalination, he avers.

Necessary Infrastructure
Aurecon South Africa infrastructure market director Tobie Louw further highlights the urgent need for bulk water supply and wastewater treatment infrastructure in South Africa, predicting substantial revenue generation in this sector for the next few years.

“This [challenge] can be attributed to the infrastructure backlog, which government aims to address through bulk infrastructure projects, such as Strategic Integrated Project 18 – the National Water and Sanitation Infrastructure Master Plan – which aims to address the backlog of adequate water supply and sanitation,” he explains.

Killick agrees, citing other vital megaprojects planned for the next ten years, such as Phase 2 of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project, which entails a bulk water supply scheme, which will augment bulk water supply to Gauteng, among other benefits.

Further, the Umkhomazi bulk water supply scheme could serve the growing water requirements in the eThekwini municipal area. The Department of Water and Sanitation and Umgeni Water have undertaken feasibility studies for this scheme.

Meanwhile, Louw highlights, Aurecon is currently involved in the Lower Thukela bulk water supply scheme for Umgeni Water.

The proposed scheme comprises abstraction works from a river, a low-lift pumpstation, desilting and water treatment works, and a 55 Mℓ/d water treatment plant, as well as a high-lift pumpstation at the water treatment works, which will be linked to a 30 km bulk supply pipeline and a 30 Mℓ/d reservoir.

“Total construction value of the project is estimated at about R1.4-billion,” says Killick, noting that construction started at the end of 2013. Completion of the project is forecast for April 2016.

Future Planning
Reiterating the importance of efficient water planning, Louw cites key points to be considered for effective planning and implementation of future global water projects, including increasing water scarcity, which is affected by climate change and rapid urbanisation; and the water-energy nexus, which focuses on the impact of energy costs and the design of future energy-efficient water infrastructure.

Further, he cites the water-food nexus and the drive for sustainable agriculture, which is increasingly important as world demand for food grows. Lastly, there is the drive to “provide more for less” – better-value infrastructure, but with limited costs to the customer.

Killick agrees, but stresses the belief that regulatory change is required in terms government grant funding, including municipal infrastructure and other critical water infrastructure grants.

“These grants consider only the capital for construction and implementation, which results in infrastructure that is designed and built using advanced technology. However, the infrastructure and management thereof are then handed over to the municipalities or operators, with little cognisance of operations and maintenance for the near future.”

Killick therefore suggests that the grants be flexible and allow for contractors’ extended involvement in the management of the infrastructure, which will also benefit local maintenance staff, as they will then receive better training in the required disciplines.

“The idea of a centralised support facility, which could assist with the operations and maintenance of smaller, more rural infrastructure, could also be pursued,” he concludes.

Edited by Samantha Herbst
Creamer Media Deputy Editor

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