SOUTH AFRICA
‘GUSH FLUSH’
SAVES WATER
INGA III HYDROELECTRIC START STALLS
The Inga III Basse Chute is the next development on the Congo
River and aims to produce 4 800MW of green energy. The offtakers of this power are South Africa, the Democratic Republic
of Congo (DRC) mining regions and capital Kinshasa.
Rehabilitation of Inga I and Inga II is continuing and continues
to face interruptions. The Inga III project has been delayed
several times, the last being as a result of the World Bank barring
several contenders for the consortium. The project start date
has been pushed to 2017, when it was previously 2015.
Despite evidence of corruption and maladministration, several
development and financial institutions are contributing finances and
expertise to the project. The DRC government has several bodies in
place to regulate foreign investment and harmonise business law
throughout Africa. Export markets stand to be improved through increased
electrification of trade and industry sectors such as South Africa.
Opportunities exist for international equipment suppliers and
engineering, procurement and construction firms to be involved
in the project as local expertise is lacking. Supporting industries
offering consultancy and advisory services will be needed as
the development of the project begins to gain momentum.
DROUGHT PUSHES
NATION TO THE EDGE
Inga
In South Africa, about 40% of
household water is used to flush
toilets, and six to nine litres of water is
used to do this. The Water Research
Council has now funded the innovation
of a micro-flush toilet, with the
objective of reducing the amount of
water required for flushing. The final
prototype, named the “Arumloo” as
its design mimics water movement in
nature’s arum lily. The Arumloo toilet
uses between one and 2,5 litres of
water per flush, using a dual-flush
mechanism. A flush is achieved
using an innovative pan design that
creates a vortex to remove stools more
efficiently and a gush of water “gush
flush” that enters into the P-trap.
In January the rand slid in value to
worth hardly more than USD0,06.
The business confidence index fell
to its worst-ever rating and national
meteorologists projected that a
deep drought, already a year old,
would persist until the end of the
year. Agronomists said harvests
were likely to be slashed to half
the usual total. Farm layoffs lifted
the joblessness to more than 35%.
Temperatures soared countrywide
and in Pretoria reached 41,50, the
highest ever recorded. Despite this,
SA will not declare the drought a
national disaster, according to Deputy
Minister of Agriculture Bheki Cele.
WORLD
GOOD NEWS FROM
JMP 2015 REPORT
The report marks the 25th anniversary
of the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring
Programme. The final report on access to
drinking water and sanitation ahead of the
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
shows that progress has been significant.
About 91% of the global population
now uses an improved drinking water
source, up from 76% in 1990.
The MDG target called for halving the
proportion of the population without basic
sanitation, and so extend access from
54% to 77% of the global population. The
MDG target was not met, although there
was progress. Now 68% of the global
population uses an improved sanitation
facility, 9% points below the MDG target.
6
Water Sewage & Effluent March/April 2016
An aerial view of Inga dam in 2013.
Energy water food nexus debated at
Africa Energy Indaba
A high-level panel including SANEDI energy efficiency senior manager
Barry Bredenkamp, CEO of AGBIZ John Purchase, CEO of Bio2Watt
Sean Thomas discussed issues related to the energy water food
nexus at the Africa Energy Indaba held from 16 to 17 February.
Key issues raised were that Africa needs to become more resilient to extreme
water and weather conditions for the food security of its population. The point
was made that the water and energy sectors are flawed, as the two operate
in silos. The panellists agreed that these two sectors should work alongside
each other as both face a crisis and new ways to resolve it need to be found.
Desalination will be critical for agriculture in future. Currently this is
too costly, but as food and water become scarcer, desalination costs
will decrease. Panellists agreed that for the water and food crisis to be
resolved, better management of resources and stricter regulations need to
be enforced. As the SA agricultural sector uses 60% of the water resources,
it is unlikely that more water will be allocated to it. For agriculture to
expand, the sector needs to adopt stringent water-efficiency measures.
The suggestion was made that a water regulator be put in place.