The Civil Engineering Contractor May 2018 | Page 26

TECHNOLOGY
The best water source
for construction
By Xanthe Adams
Drought in the Western Cape and other parts of South Africa is forcing construction projects
to change the way they source and use water; the good news is that there are various
opportunities in the construction sector to do this.
A
ccording to Xanthe Adams,
principal engineer at SRK
Consulting (SA): “It sometimes
falls to contractors to ensure
water supply for a range of on-site
requirements, but they face rising
costs and reputational issues if their
water use is not well managed,” says
Adams. “The traditional solution of just
tapping into a municipal source may
not be optimal for every operation, and
alternatives should be considered.”
She highlights that an important
starting point for contractors is to
establish well in advance where the
construction contract will place
the responsibility for water supply
— will it lie with the employer or
the contractor?
“Early consideration by all parties
would allow for better planning of
the best option and would also help
to identify potential cost-related risks
resulting from an unexpected rise in
water tariffs, for example,” she says.
“Engineers need to consider this
during the design phase and advise the
employer accordingly, as there could be
long permitting processes required in
the use of certain water sources.”
When considering alternative water
sources for a site, a long-term project
could warrant the cost of sinking a
borehole — but there are various
details that should be borne in mind.
While borehole water is often of a good