Aecom offers water resilience expertise
February 2020
News
South Africa is classified as a water-scarce country, with some projections estimating that, at present, it exploits roughly 98% of its available water-supply resources. In many areas, the water challenge is looming ever larger.
“When a severe multi-year drought, coupled with difficult water-management parameters is experienced, such as was the case in the Western Cape from 2015 to 2018, water-crisis conditions hold serious implications and challenge everyone concerned,” highlights Hanine van Deventer, senior engineer at Aecom.
During the ‘Day Zero’ crisis in October 2017, when the City of Cape Town predicted it would effectively run out of water by March 2018, Aecom was approached by various private companies to provide professional services that would improve their resilience in response to water-supply interruptions.
This was driven largely by commercial interests, as well as liability concerns in terms of safety and insurance requirements. Other aspects were the long-term goal of reduced utility costs, or ultimate independence from the municipal water supply.
“Some clients noticed the impending crisis, requested budget and engaged early. Some were more structured, but many left these interventions too late and were required to respond to all the critical concerns simultaneously to manage the immediate crisis,” points out van Deventer.
The emergency solutions and mitigations ranged from fairly innovative to more radical measures. Water-saving initiatives included replacement of conventional sanitary fittings with water-saving technology. Supplementary water sources were also investigated. These included rain and grey water harvesting, reclaimed groundwater, potable water tanker supply (trucking water in via tanker water service) and use of bottled drinking water.
“When faced with the daunting task of implementing infrastructure to combat an unprecedented event such as ‘Day Zero’ in Cape Town, stakeholders are often not aware of the level of intervention required,” concludes van Deventer. “In a world where climate, environmental and demographic changes impact our access to water, it is imperative to ensure that the risks posed to water security are mitigated effectively by improving our state of resilience.”
Further reading:
BMG achieves GBCSA Net Zero Waste Level 2 Certification
Bearing Man Group t/a BMG
News
BMG has achieved Green Building Council South Africa Net Zero Waste Level 2 Certification after diverting more than 90% of operational waste from landfill, demonstrating how practical sustainability measures can deliver measurable environmental and commercial benefits.
Read more...
Pump spares and parts for Africa
News
KSB Pumps and Valves explains how its decentralised stockholding and local manufacturing keep spares and parts available across its installed base in Africa.
Read more...
Inspiration for times of change
Endress+Hauser South Africa
News
More than 2000 customers, partners and experts gathered in Basel, Switzerland, for the Endress+Hauser Global Forum in April 2026. Under the theme of driving sustainable transformation together, the event combined keynote sessions on strategy, technology and the future of work with practical case studies from across the process industry.
Read more...
Local energy solutions rewiring resilience across Africa
News Fieldbus & Industrial Networking
Engineers across Africa are developing practical, scalable energy and mobility solutions supported by the Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation.
Read more...
The gender gap in SA’s engineering sector
News
South Africa’s engineering sector is facing a critical gender imbalance, with women making up just 16% of registered engineering professionals compared to 84% of men.
Read more...
Safe removal of the historic US 181
News
Mammoet provided the heavy-lift expertise that helped remove the 2300 ton centre span of the historic US 181 Harbor Bridge in Corpus Christi, Texas, using a precision lift-and-lower method that protected nearby marine environments and reopened navigation channels swiftly.
Read more...
Going Green initiative sees African Group Lubricants adopt electric forklift fleet
News
African Group Lubricants is transitioning most of its forklift fleet to electric power, a move expected to cut diesel consumption by around 85% and improve conditions across its manufacturing facility while delivering a positive return on investment in the near term.
Read more...
Africa Energy Indaba 2027 aims to ignite the power revolution
News
Africa Energy Indaba 2027 takes place from 2 to 4 March 2027 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, bringing together ministers, utilities, investors and developers to accelerate energy generation, unlock investment and drive the continent’s industrial future.
Read more...
Major bearing tender for SKF
SKF South Africa
News
SKF has secured a major bearing supply tender from an Algerian steelmaker, reinforcing its position in the metals segment across North Africa.
Read more...
Mining’s decarbonisation journey requires putting ESG commitments into action
Schneider Electric South Africa
News
Schneider Electric specialists explain how mining and heavy industry can turn environmental, social and governance commitments into measurable decarbonisation results.
Read more...
printer friendly version