SSE lands big water-telemetry contract
October 2004
News
Information Security
SSE, through its black empowerment partner Excelcom, has landed one of the most prestigious and biggest water telemetry contracts in South Africa.
Since the days of the formation of the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality, from the Germiston, Boksburg, Benoni, Kempton Park, Edenvale, Nigel, Alberton, Springs and others, they struggled with the control, maintenance and integration of the water and sewage telemetry systems. There were seven different telemetry systems from eight different suppliers, which monitored and controlled parts of the water and wastewater networks.
The Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality then decided on standardising the complete system by appointing the consulting firm Motla Engineering to investigate and develop a new system. A tender specification was drawn-up by Motla Engineering and the tender went out in June 2003.
The new system
The new system will replace all the existing seven telemetry systems with one system from Specialist System Engineering (SSE) running an Adroit scada system. This was a great achievement for SSE in its 10th anniversary year.
The system will consist of 260 or more remote stations running on a digital radio network. The stations will be located at reservoirs; water towers, water pump stations and wastewater pump stations. Bulk water meters and cathodic protection sites will be added at a latter stage.
The system will be running on the industry standard IEC 60870-5-101 protocols, recently implemented by SSE in its powerful telemetry range of products. Although the IEC protocol does not support store and forward (Digipeating), the unique features in the SSE RTUs allows for digipeating, irrelevant of the protocols that are used.
A unique contract
The type of contract the municipality opted for is unique and must be a first in the water telemetry industry. The Ekurhuleni Metropolitan is leasing the system from Excelcom over a period of five years. Included in the contract is a full insurance and maintenance of the system over the five-year period. Thus Excelcom-SSE will have the full responsibility to finance and maintain the system over this period. The Metro will then have the option to extend the period after the five-year period.
The experience that Excelcom-SSE will gain from this kind of contract will prepare them for many more such contracts in the future.
For more information contact Gert Bezuidenhout, Specialist System Engineering, 012 663 4331.
Further reading:
Now barcode scanners pose a cyber risk for warehouses
Integrated Solutions Information Security Logistics (Industry)
Modern warehouses are more than simple storage spaces; they are complex ecosystems built on multiple technologies and devices. Kaspersky discovered a new cyberattack vector in a widely used barcode scanner that could expose supply chains.
Read more...
The US $1,5 million scam that never looked like a scam
News & Events Information Security
Attackers compromised a company’s Microsoft 365, quietly took control of the conversation and let the firm authorise fake payments itself. By the time anyone realised, a US$ 1,5 million cryptocurrency investment had already disappeared.
Read more...
Helping mines get results from water improvements
News
South African mines operate under constrained, water-scarce conditions where every investment must be justified. Xylem’s Chetan Mistry explains how the right water technology partner helps mines prioritise high-value water systems across the mining lifecycle.
Read more...
You can do everything right and still get breached
Editor's Choice Information Security AI & Data Analytics
A particularly nasty truth sits at the centre of cybersecurity in 2026. You can do everything right and still lose if the organisation holding your identity number, banking information, medical history, or biometric data gets breached.
Read more...
From solar to water, onsite plants are the next big industrial resilience shift
News
South African industrial operators who secured their energy supply with onsite solar generation now face the same imperative with water. Robert Erasmus of Sanitech argues that onsite water treatment is the next essential pillar of business continuity.
Read more...
From the editor's desk: Pushing engineering to the limit
Technews Publishing
News
Among the many things robots can do, it’s a lot of fun to follow how fast they are. They go from the Boston Dynamics cheetah, which first reached a record-breaking speed of 45,5 km/h, to the robot Charlie
...
Read more...
Schneider Electric concludes Innovation Summit Middle East and Africa
Schneider Electric South Africa
News
Schneider Electric's Innovation Summit Middle East and Africa, held in Abu Dhabi with more than 2500 attendees, explored the convergence of energy, AI and industrial software, launched an Industrial AI study and announced the NEST Accelerator Programme for energy and industrial tech startups.
Read more...
VEGA brings measurement expertise beyond mining to Electra Mining Africa 2026
VEGA Controls SA
News
VEGA used its Electra Mining Africa 2026 stand to demonstrate that its level and pressure measurement instruments extend well beyond mining, covering water, food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and oil and gas applications across the continent.
Read more...
Sustainable solutions for sugar
Bearing Man Group t/a BMG
News
BMG received a Special Commendation Exhibition Stand Award at the South African Sugar Technologists’ Association Congress, where it showcased an integrated turnkey drive solution designed to simplify the upgrading of ageing crushing-mill drive systems.
Read more...
Measure, Manage, Maintain: The operating model behind SA’s water resilience
Siemens South Africa
News
South Africa’s growing water crisis is putting pressure on infrastructure, municipalities and the economy. Siemens highlights how digital technologies, smarter operations and safe water reuse could help shift the country from crisis response towards a more resilient and sustainable water future.
Read more...
printer friendly version