Water&Sanitation Africa

Having an initial implementation plan and budget are necessary pre-launch enablers for a WC/WDM project. Then, as soon as implementation begins, it is invariably necessary to ensure that the WSA’s executive council and relevant staff have an adequate understanding of the importance of WC/WDM and are motivated to support its implementation.

Sulfates, especially in the form of salts of calcium, sodium, potassium and magnesium, are a challenge for concrete civil works in aggressive environments such as sewage plants, mines, and coastal areas where soils are high in sulfates. Sulfates are said to ‘attack’ concrete because they can permeate the surface layers in solution with water. This reacts with unreacted C3A and calcium hydroxide in the cement paste, leading to the formation of various compounds that can be upto 600% more voluminous than the original chemicals. As a result, the outer layer of the concrete suffers cracking, spalling and separation of aggregate from the cement paste. This leaves more surface area of the paste to react and exposes any reinforcing to corrosion.

Despite improved access to sanitation facilities, many South African households are still without adequate sanitation facilities, and in some cases, any facilities at all. Stats SA reports that 45.6% of households do not have a toilet inside their dwelling. And of the 75.5% of the population with access to ‘adequate’ sanitation, 12.2% are using pit latrines. When one considers that 93.6% of South African households have a cell phone, the lack of sufficient and appropriate sanitation is a major concern.