As climate change impacts weather patterns , the private and public sectors should be looking more closely at partnering on costly projects like reverse osmosis ( RO ) plants .
By Kim Kemp
Peter Shepherd , SRK Consulting partner and principal hydrologist , says , “ More could certainly be done in terms of public-private partnerships in the area of water treatment plants , which are becoming increasingly necessary — as the crippling drought in the Western Cape has shown .
“ Private sector investment in these plants could be supported by government offtake agreements , and this would remove the capital constraints that often delay government projects .”
He highlights that climate change was already making the country ’ s water supply more varied , leading to ever-frequent droughts and flooding occurring alternately .
“ The appropriate response to this really comes down to better management ,” he says . “ We need to continually reduce what we use , so that we can cope during those dry periods . At the same time , we need to apply a better understanding and modelling of water flow predictions , so that water transfers can be timeously made between our dams .”
He also emphasises the urgent need for planned bulk water supply projects — such as the expansion of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project — to be implemented .
“ The authorities have put good plans in place , and these must be prioritised ; the implementation has been delayed far too long , and the situation is now urgent ,” says Shepherd .
Another priority was the upgrading of the sewage works at many of the country ’ s municipalities , as this was affecting both the health of communities and the quality of our rivers .
“ South Africa is still challenged by water that is too dirty — and which is often discharged into our rivers ,” he adds . “ This often comes from sewage plants that are not operating properly , so are not treating sewage to the required level of quality before discharging it .”
It was important for government to support research and testing of new methodologies for making better use of the country ’ s water resources , he argues . Innovation in the design and implementation of reticulation systems , for instance , would be a productive area to explore . Certain countries have had some success with using two types of reticulation to end-users : one carrying potable water , and the other non-potable water , for purposes like irrigation and industrial processes .
“ Government ’ s role could also include specifying that new developments install two sets of water pipelines instead of just one ,” he suggests . “ These sorts of changes are certainly justified by our water-constrained environment .”
Despite the many concerns in the sector , there has been considerable progress made in many areas in response to South Africa ’ s perennial challenges of either too much or too little water . Rapid urbanisation continues to place a heavy burden on urban rivers and streams , as development leads to increased run-off and river flooding . Higher energy and more severe flows in rivers lead not only to flooding but to bridge damage , bank erosion , and greater deposition of sediment .
“ As SRK , we work with clients to understand these processes and address them in sustainable and cost-effective ways ,” he points out . “ By applying modern networking contributor innovations industry debate environment infrastructure municipalities
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