According to the Engineering Council of SA vice-president, Thoko Majozi, "The maximum consumption that South Africa's water resources can sustain will be reached in about five years." It is these critical issues that will be discussed at the Sustainable Water Resource Conference and exhibition 2011 at Emperors Palace, Johannesburg on 16-17 August 2011.
Industry leads the away on recycling
Several heavy industry users have put water recycling facilities and wastewater treatment plants I place to alleviate the looming crisis. Classic examples of well recognised industry users taking a stand are Avis and South African Breweries.
Avis has implemented intensive water recycling plants at all three of its main car wash facilities in Cape Town, Durban and Isando. According to Avis chief executive, Wayne Duvenage, its car-wash facilities now save in excess of 100-million litres of water a year through a combination of modifying the machines (25% saving) and recycling (75% saving). In addition, underground reservoirs were also installed at these facilities to harvest rainwater, which essentially become "water neutral" facilities during the wet rain periods.
South African Breweries has joined the quest to conserve water and two of the SAB breweries are classified as quantitatively water neutral. SAB is a founding partner of the WWF's Water Neutral Scheme which encourages local entities to voluntarily monitor and reduce their operational water usage. SAB has successfully started "Project Eden" which involves wastewater treatment.
Duvenage will be presenting a case study on "Water conservation at Avis" at the conference. Other issues to be covered include dams and the water crisis, energy efficiency in water treatment, reducing operating and maintenance costs of municipal and industrial wastewater treatment plants and health impacts of water in South Africa.
For more information on this event, convened by Alive2green, go to www.waterresource.co.za.
