The World Health Organisation estimates that by 2025 half of the world’s population will be living in water-stressed areas. That is a frightening statistic. With water being the key source to life as we know it, this is a serious problem that needs serious solutions. How did we get to this point? And how did we as a species not manage our population growth accordingly to prepare for the stress on our most precious resource?
It is in the face of challenges like this that innovative companies and forward thinkers will be in high demand. People like Elon Musk, preparing for a world without oil. Or Leila Janah, CEO of Samasource, a nonprofit that connects poor women and youth to the digital economy and “harnesses the untapped potential of the world’s poor.” Similarly, Salman Khan’s ‘Khan Academy’ online education platform provides a “world class education for anyone, anywhere.” Kanyi Maqubela is also one to watch. The young Jo’burg-born genius studied at Stanford, and then went onto work on Barack Obama’s 2008 election campaign, and now is a partner at Collaborative Fund, a seedfund that invests in technology that provides solutions to the world’s problems.
Fortunately, there are countless examples of people around the world who have committed their lives to making the world a better place. Despite the immeasurable challenges our planet faces, I sincerely believe there is more than enough brainpower to solve each and every one of them.
For me, it’s the water problem. As MD of SBS Tanks, I’m passionate about providing mass storage of potable water in swift lead times. As the demand for infrastructure in urban areas grows at an exponential rate, companies like SBS Tanks need to provide solutions to infrastructural challenges in record times.
A recent example of being able to provide such solutions was when we were called in to provide 5 million litres of water storage for the SEMBCORP Siza Water recycling plant in Ballito, Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa. They needed to upgrade their storage solution, and so we assessed their operation and put forward a proposal that provided a 3 million litre and a 2 million litre storage tank respectively. And while the upgrade went ahead, SEMBCORP needed temporary storage during the construction. Our solution here was a 1 million litre storage tank which we were able to put together in 4 days! Yep, you read that correctly: 4 days. High quality, international specifications, 1 million litres of potable water storage, all installed in 4 days.
Sure, that was a makeshift installation due to the urgency of the situation, but it’s this kind of lead-time that I’m most proud of. Such lead-times will be of paramount importance to urban-based communities feeling the pressure of population expansion. The remaining 2 permanent tanks, providing a total of 5 million litres of water storage, will be completed within 10 weeks, which will be near the time that you’re reading this: end of May 2017.
Not only do innovators in the Utilities sector need to provide swift and sustainable offerings, they also need to offer turnkey solutions that make provision for every need in one single project. We were presented with such a challenge when the Threewaterskloof Municipality in the Western Cape, South Africa tasked us with providing 2 million litres of water storage due to their concrete reservoir no longer meeting the growing need.
The municipality tasked SBS Tanks with equipping the town of Riviersonderend with a turnkey water project. The operation saw us install a 2 million litre tank, full piping works into the municipal lines, environmental assessment and relocation of certain protected Fynbos species, all civil and groundworks, and even fencing. A concrete reservoir of the same capacity would take anywhere from 8 - 12 months to complete, but we were able to fully complete the installation within only 14 weeks.
It’s speed and agility like this that will separate the innovators from the mediocre. Companies with a vision to innovate and provide swift solutions to the world’s growing challenges are the ones that will be in high demand in the near future, and we at SBS Tanks are proud to offer such solutions. If you find yourself in need of an innovative water storage partner, don’t hesitate to contact my assistant Estelle on water@sbstanks.co.za at any time. She will gladly put you onto the right people in our dynamic team to assist your specific need, no matter how urgent!
Delayne Gray, MD. SBS Tanks