IMIESA - Volume 37, Issue 5, May 2012

Edna Molewa, the minister of Water and Environmental Affairs, recently stated that about R572 billion will be spent in the water value chain over the next 10 years. As the article on the topic (page 9) points out it is no secret that infrastructure asset management in South Africa is dire. A total of R96 billion is steered towards repairing existing water infrastructure.

IMESA/CESA Excellence Awards

IMESA's annual conference and exhibition heads to the Southern Cape this year.

Established in 1998 and working out of KwaZulu-Natal, SBS Water Systems is a South African-owned, Level 2 BBBEE business specialising in bulk water storage. SBS has been the Southern African distributor of Galaxy^® Reservoirs since 1999 and has successfully pioneered prefabricated reservoir technology in Southern Africa.

IMIESA affiliate members

Molewa has since then explained that this amount of money is required to pay for water resources infrastructure, water services and water conservation, demand management across national, district and municipal levels, as well as South Africa's 12 water boards.

The Southern Cape/Karoo Branch hereby issues : the call for papers 2012

For the first time in five years, there was no mine disaster accident in 2011.

This is by no means an exaggeration. The problem needs to be understood and addressed with urgency. However, the solution is not a simple one. The quick fix of street sweeping, which in many South African towns and cities, particularly in Gauteng, seems to be ignored, will not suffice. The problem requires a deep seated solution of which leadership, knowledge and custom are three essential components.

Corobrik's range of bricks and pavers has always been a popular choice for its relevant applications in the municipal environment. Richard Jansen van Vuuren speaks to Dirk Meyer, Corobrik's managing director, about these products as well as a new brick developed for government housing projects.

Groundwater has not been perceived as an important water resource and therefore has been given limited attention in South Africa. This is reflected in statistics showing that only 13% of the nation's total water supply originates from groundwater.

Based on a map published by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), Southern Africa is one of the world's regions experiencing water stress. In South Africa, unnecessary water loss through leakages is high, making efficient mapping and detection an imperative to conserve this precious resource. And the place to start with is the local authorities.

Neil MaCLeod, Head of the eThekwini Water and Sanitation (EWS), says although the first phase of the Northern Aqueduct Augmentation (NAA) project would not inject much needed additional capacity, it would provide some relief and enable major developments such as the multi billion rand Cornubia mixed use development and the Dube Trade Port to go ahead.

The company will be known as Xylem, with the tagline, "Let's Solve Water". Paul Tring, managing director at ITT, says Xylem is a botanical term that refers to the tissue in plants that brings water upward from the roots. "We believe this aptly captures our company's ability to navigate from the root of a water-related challenge to achieve a positive outcome," he says.

Bosch Stemele, a leading multidisciplinary infrastructure engineering company, was appointed by Umgeni Water to undertake the North Coast Bulk Water Supply Project.

New developments prompted the implementation of the Pilanesberg North and South water schemes, which will benefit the local mining industry and aid in potable water supply for domestic use.

Drakenstein municipality awarded the contract for this largescale project to engineering company Aurecon, in association with Lyners Engineering. Sika was the preferred supplier for a number of high-quality construction products, including its new waterproofing product, Sika-Waterbars.

Since 2010, the DBSA has refined its mandate towards accelerated economic growth to meet the growing development challenges within its operational scope.

Absa has been reappointed as the banker for the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality.

Recent plans to deliver water and sanitation services to thousands of township residents have required expert coordination and engineering from a dedicated team of professionals. IMIESA takes a look at the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality's Palm Ridge Extension 9 project.