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A research report submitted to the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of the Witwatersrand, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Engineering, Johannesburg, 2017 / Human beings depend on water not only for life itself but also for their economic wellbeing. Water resources play a cardinal role in the creation of everything that human beings produce. Post-apartheid South Africa is in the throes of incredible challenges. One of the more important challenges is access for all citizens to basic services. South Africa is doing this against a backdrop of strongly differential servicing that is its apartheid legacy, which has prompted many commentators to label South Africa a country of two worlds, more specifically, a developed world component and an impoverished developing world component. The challenge with respect to water is to ensure universal access in the context of the added hurdle of South Africa being a water-scarce country. The local municipalities of the Eastern Cape have been facing a number of challenges in the provision of clean, portable water to their communities. This has resulted in inadequate provision of water, meaning that not all communities have access to clean water 24 hours a day The overall objective for this study is to contribute to the body of knowledge available to the water sector about the management of sustainable water supply systems in municipalities, and determine the factors that have undermined the sustainability of water provision at a local government municipal level in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. In this research, the effectiveness of local governments, which act as water services authorities (WSA) and providers of water to the rural communities, is examined. To this end, a comprehensive literature review was conducted and data gathered to discover why there has been a failure in the provision of clean drinking water. The results of the research illustrate that institutional incapacity in rural municipalities and widespread poverty serve to undermine the sustainability of the local government sector and lead to breakdowns in services delivery. Measures are proposed that can be adopted to improve the current approaches of water supply in local municipalities. / CK2018

Water is both a human right and a valuable commodity. Access to water for the rural poor is an international development concern that has been highlighted by the Millennium Development Goals adopted at the Millennium Summit in 2000 in Dublin, Ireland. South Africa's Free Basic Water policy is the government's response to assuring access to water for all - especially those who cannot pay. The policy, however, is required to work within an economic framework that promotes cost recovery and privatisation. The Free Basic Water Policy was officially implemented in July 2001. The policy was rolled out in most urban areas on or near this date. However, in rural areas it has proven much more difficult, and there are many areas that have not yet seen the implementation of Free Basic Water (FBW). This is partly due to varying financial, technical, political and logistical problems at the local and district municipality level. This research investigates the current situation in rural municipalities, looking specifically at FBW policy, institutional arrangements, operation and maintenance costs, cost per capita and affordability in relation to the Equitable Share allocations. Five case studies - compiled through interviews, document analyses, Participatory Rural Appraisal, and workshops provide a broad scale research base from which to analyse the current implementation of FBW in rural municipalities and ascertain whether this policy is affordable at this level. Water Service Authorities (WSA) are at varying levels of implementation, with few having a fully operational policy that is reaching rural areas. A costing exercise revealed that the service delivery price of water varies, but does follow a trend. From this trend a benchmark cost per capita of R5.84/month was determined. This price, although low, is not currently affordable in some municipalities due to insufficient government grants from National Treasury. These grants are fundamental to the sustainability of FBW and the situation must be resolved if FBW is to reach its target market - the poorest of the poor. The mixed success in the implementation of Free Basic Water in rural areas of South Africa should not be taken as indicative of future trends. As the local government transition to newly devolved powers and functions is completed, the capacity at this level to resolve the challenges is more likely. Subject to the continued strength of the South African economy, this policy could be a solution to the historical failure of service delivery to rural areas. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2004.

This project developed a model for effective asset management drawn from successful programs in the United States, Australia, and New Zealand. Asset management practices were examined at the City of Ontario Utilities Department; a medium sized utility, and also at the Rainbow Municipal Water District, a small sized utility. Gaps between the ideal model and the existing practices were investigated.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2005. / Some digitised pages may appear illegible due to the condition of the original hard copy / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Water is essential for life. Like the very air that surrounds us the omnipresent and indispensable qualities of water pervade throughout all of our lives. For reasons of health, community and trade the beginnings of all civilisations were proximate to the mighty rivers of the world. In a rapidly expanding global village, the priority for our future is to secure the management of increasing levels of water demand, given the finite natural cycle that all water is subject to and derived from; the hydrological cycle. The focus of this papers investigation is how best to allocate the value of water through the relatively nascent developments of water markets. The premise of utilising markets for allocative efficiency is suitably ingrained in the workings of many societies today, and the need to treat water with commensurate value and avoid waste is encapsulated in the Dublin Principles, where #4 states; 'Water has an economic value in all its competing uses and should be recognised as an economic good'. Which in isolation has merit, the legacy of state water management is usually associated with underperformance at best or incompetence and corruption at worst, and therefore the introduction of market mechanisms to provide water with allocative efficiency and true value, should be a positive undertaking for change. However the requisite conditions for proficient markets and perfect competition; which primarily include, that all agents are buyers and sellers, for a homogeneous product, with perfect information, without externalities, after the full and fair assignment of property rights, where all goods and services are private goods, and where transaction costs remain close to zero; would seldom be applicable to water. The many idiosyncrasies of water inhibit the application of competitive markets. Water could easily be defined as a public good with riparian rights, subject to a range of social and environmental externalities, whilst incurring high structural entry costs and remaining subject to the problematic vagaries of the natural supply cycle. Demand profiles also give water a heterogeneous definition, as domestic uses include both sanitation and drinking water, whilst various levels of quality are required for industry and agriculture, and even recreation. This paper seeks to define those factors that both warrant and limit the introduction of market functions to water management. The premise of this paper remains the search for better ways of valuing water, and how to incorporate fully the foundations of the environment and social criteria of health, and poverty reduction within these economic considerations. The conclusion defines a premium / discount solution to market traded water prices, which internalises these factors. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Water is noodsaaklik vir lewe. Net soos die lug wat ons omring het water ook alomteenwoordige eienskappe wat In onskeibare deel van ons lewens vorm. Die ontstaan van alle beskawings is te vinde in die nabyheid van groot en gevestigde riviere vir redes van gemeenskaplikheid, gesondheid en handel. Vandag se geintegreerde en snel-groeiende samelewing met sy toenemende vraag na water, noodsaak 'n toekomsgerigte benadering om waterbronne te bestuur gegewe die vaste water natuursiklus waar water vandaan kom en bewaar word in. Die fokus van hierdie studie is om die beste metodes te vind vir waterallokasie met verwysing na die ontwikkeling van water markte oor die eeue. Die gebruik van die markstelsel om water effektief te allokeer is die grondslag van baie samelewings vandag. So erken die Dublin beginsels die noosaaklikheid om 'n waarde te plaas op water beklemtoon dat dit nie vermors moet word nie. Beginsel #4 bepaal: "Water het 'n ekonomiese waarde in al sy vele gebruike en moet ooreenkomstig erken word as ekonomiese saak". Die bestuur van waterbronne deur 'n owerheid word gewoonlik vereenselwig met 'n nie-optimale of selfs korrupte onbevoegdheid. Hier behoort die bekendstelling van mark beginsels om 'n waarde en nut op water te plaas dus 'n positiewe ontwikkeling te wees. Tog is dit ook duidelik dat die vereistes vir 'n effektiewe mark; alle agente is kopers en verkopers, 'n eenvormige produk, deursigtigheid in informasie, geen eksternaliteite, erkenning van besitreg, alle goedere en dienste is privaat goedere, transaksie koste is naby aan nul; nie volkome toepasbaar is op water nie. Die eenvoudige asook komplekse aard van water verhoed dat standaard markstelsel en beginsels van kompetisie eenvormig toepasbaar is. Water kan ook maklik gekategoriseer word as publieke goedere met gemeenskapsregte, wat dit dan onderhewig sal maak aan verskeie maatskaplike en omgewingsmaatreëls, hoë toetrede kostes, en logistieke probleme van die verskaffingsiklus. Dit is egter die vraag na water wat defineer dit as heterogene produk met huishoudelike gebruike vir beide persoonlike verbruik asook sanitasie, terwyl doelgerigte gebruike in landbou, handel en nywerheid ook spesifieke kwaliteite kan vereis. Hierdie werkstuk beoog om die faktore te defineer wat die bekendstelling van 'n mark stelsel vir water bestuur daarstel en ook beperk. Die uitgangspunt van hierdie studie was om maniere te vind vir beter ekonomiese waardasie van water en dit dan te kombineer met die fondasies van die omgewing, maatskaplike & gesondheidsmaatreëls, asook die toeganklikheid van basiese dienste aan almal.

Thesis (MEng)--University of Stellenbosch, 2000. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The processes of monitoring, modelling and managing the water quality of a catchmerit system including all its unique complexities and interrelationships requires an innovative tool or set of tools to help water managers with their decision making. Numerous methods and tools have been developed to analyse and model the real world. However, many of these tools require a fair degree of technical expertise and training to operate correctly and their output may have to be translated or converted to meaningful information for decision-making using a further set of analytical and graphical display tools. A more appropriate technique for management would be to combine all these functions into a single system. The objective of this research was to develop one such tool, an integrated water quality information system (WQIS). A review of the literature revealed that there has been extensive research and development of tools for the management of individual aspects of water resource distribution, augmentation and quality. However, these tools have rarely been integrated into a comprehensive information system offering decision support to a wide variety of river users and managers. Many of the literature sources also noted that a process of interactive development and integration (i.e. including the intended users in the decision of which components to include, the interface design and the graphical display and output) was vital to ensuring the information system becomes an integral part of the users routine work and decision-making. The WQIS was developed using the recommendations from numerous knowledgeable persons in response to questionnaires, interviews and a prototype demonstration. It includes the results of hydrodynamic river and reservoir simulations and the ability to perform operational river scenario testing. However, the development process is continual and always evolving based on the current or local requirements of water managers. These further developments and research needs are discussed in more detail in the conclusion. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die proses om die waterkwaliteit van 'n opvanggebied, met al die unieke kompleksiteite en onderlinge verhoudings van so 'n stelsel te monitor, modelleer en bestuur, vereis 'n innoverende instrument om waterbestuurders te ondersteun in hul besluitnemings. Talle instrumente en metodes vir die ontleding en modellering van die werklikheid is reeds ontwikkel. Die gebruik van hierdie instrumente vereis gewoonlik 'n redelike mate van tegniese kundigheid en opleiding. Dit mag verder nodig wees om die uitvoer van sulke instrumente te vertaal en/of om te skakel na betekenisvolle inligting vir besluitneming deur die gebruik van bykomende analitiese en grafiese vertoon instrumente. 'n Meer toepaslike bestuurstegniek sou wees om al die funksies in 'n enkele stelsel te kombineer. Die doel van hierdie navorsing was om een so 'n instrument, naamlik 'n geïntegreerde waterkwaliteit inligtingstelsel (WQIS), te ontwikkel. 'n Hersiening van bestaande literatuur het getoon dat daar omvattende navorsing en ontwikkeling van instrumente gedoen is vir die bestuur van individuele aspekte van waterbronverspreiding, waterbronaanvulling en waterkwaliteit. Integrasie van hierdie instrumente, in 'n uitgebreide stelsel wat besluitnemingsondersteuning aan 'n verskeidenheid riviergebruikers en bestuurders bied, kom egter selde voor. Verskeie literatuurbronne het ook aangedui dat 'n proses van interaktiewe ontwikkeling en integrasie (m.a.w. in agname van die voorgenome gebruikers se behoeftes in die kense van komponente, die gebruiker raakvlak ontwerp en grafiese vertoon instrumente en uitvoer) noodsaaklik is om te verseker dat die inigtingstelsel 'n integrale deel word van die gebruiker se daaglikse roetine en besluitnemingsproses. Die WQIS is ontwikkel deur gebruikmaking van die insette en aanbevelings van verskeie kenners in reaksie op vraelyste, onderhoude en 'n demonstrasie van 'n prototype. Dit sluit in die resultate van hidro-dinamiese rivier en dam simulasies en die vermoë om operasionele rivier scenario ontledings uit te voer. Die ontwikkeling is egter 'n deurlopende proses, gebaseer op huidige of plaaslike behoeftes van waterbestuurders. Hierdie verdere ontwikkelings- en navorsingsbehoeftes word meer breedvoerig in die gevolgtrekkings bespreek.

The major aim of this study was to analyse the dynamics of stakeholder participation in the agricultural sector during the first five years of the water reform process in Zimbabwe. Specific reference is made to water allocation, conflict management and the payment of costs related to water use. Stakeholders investigated are those in communal smallholder irrigation schemes, large-scale commercial white and black farms and those resettled under the government's fast track land resettlement programme. The study was undertaken in the Middle Manyame Subcatchment area, which falls under the Manyame Catchment area.

AECI Bioproducts (Bioproducts) is part of an industrial complex located at Umbogintwini, approximately 26 km south of Durban, Kwazulu-Natal. This system was selected for water pinch investigation, as it is one of the major users of freshwater on the complex and hence discharges a related quantity of wastewater, amounting to approximately 400 ML per annum. Bioproducts is a manufacturer of l-lysine, which is an animal feed additive. Water stream flowrate and purity data, as well as operating cost information, were obtained from plant records at AECI Bioproducts. Limiting flowrate and purity conditions for the water-using operations were established from a mass balance over the entire system using the Linnhoff-March software, WaterTracker. Subject to the specified constraints and operating costs, the problem was to determine the design of the water-using subsystem. No treatment plants were included in the study, as none exist at the facility. Three scenarios were investigated, which examined the operating variability of one of the evaporators on the site (the AS evaporator), which produces a condensate source of variable purity. The operating cost target and network design for each scenario was determined using the Linnhoff-March software, WaterPinch. Alterations from current operating practice were identified and associated savings (water-using network operating cost and freshwater flowrate) were highlighted. A robust optimal design was identified, with a recycle, which was consistent for all scenarios investigated. The degree of reuse of the AS evaporator condensate source was determined to be dependent on the purity of the source. The limiting constraint was identified at the sea pipeline, for suspended solids (SS): a prohibitively low discharge concentration constraint was identified as posing the major obstacle for saving. The potential for saving was investigated by incrementing the SS concentration constraint and subsequently the free and saline ammonia (FSA) constraint and allowing for the broth effluent to be discharged via the sea pipeline (which was previously disallowed by an effluent exemption). Although relatively small savings were identified through process integration (from 0.61% to 1.56% of the water-using network operating cost), the analysis identified a potential saving of over 70% of the water-using network operating cost, with relaxation of the sea pipeline SS and FSA constraint. / Theses (M.Sc.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2002.

MSc Dissertation Submitted to School of Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa 12 August 2016 / Most mineral processing plants have high water requirements for their operational activities. These plants often function in an environment where water is becoming increasingly scarce. An increase in population will result in an increased demand for water, potentially beyond the limits of supply, and hence increased competition for the resource. In South Africa, Gauteng and the North West Province are likely to be first to experience a shortage of potable water. The key to a sustainable future lies in understanding and utilising resources more efficiently. This holds especially for industries who seek to minimise water usage through better management of resources. The two tools used in this study are the Water Accounting Framework (WAF) and Water Footprinting (WF) method. This research assisted a refinery in the North West Province understand its water usage and move towards operating in a more sustainable manner. Site water management was improved and the objective of this research fulfilled by: (i) Surveying the potable water and the storm water systems with a view to assessing the current water accountability and determining methods to improve accountability; (ii) Determining the water balance for the site and presenting it in the form of a water balance sheet; (iii) Reporting water usage in accordance with the Minerals Council of Australia’s “Water Accounting Framework for the Minerals Industry”; (iv) Calculating the water footprints of the refinery; and (v) Evaluating the water usage at the refinery and identifying ways in which water savings could be achieved. It was seen that the biggest consumer of water was the boilers and utilities section and the biggest loss of water was through evaporation. The refinery potable water requirement (2 280 m3/y) amounted to 0.16% of the daily water use for the Bojanala Platinum District. Four reports (outputs) were generated using the WAF. The four reports generated provide a good indication of the movement of water into, out of and during a process. WFs were calculated for the process. The blue WF was calculated to be 832 363 m3 and the green WF was calculated to be 261 970 m3. The product WF was 43.9 m3/t of base metal produced. There was no grey WF as the site does not discharge polluted water. This research provided an opportunity for the refinery to improve water efficiency onsite as well as improve reporting standards. Water usage was reported using global reporting tools to set a benchmark for the base metals industry. / MT2017

A project report submitted to the Faculty of Engineering, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Engineerrng, / As has happened throughout the world. environmental and water quality problems related to developing urban and industrial areas and associated accumulation of waste in built-up areas were the main factors in contributing to sanitary awareness in South Africa. The dwindling water resources and persistent deterioration of water quality, more severely in urban areas, necessitates the review the current practice of storm water management in South Africa. Reliable stormwater drainage models evaluating both the water quantity and quality could be essential in confronting the prevailing pollution problems. The objective of this project was conceived to be the development of a system for the simulation of water quality in urban watercourses, A personal computer compatible model for joint transportation of hydrograph and pollutographs in open channels was developed. The model comprises an operational data handling facility, a user friendly and interactive interface. The study revealed that: Urban and Industrial development results in complication of the urban water system. • Single objectivity approaches in management of urban watercourses are outdated . .. The proposed model is capable of simultaneously routing flood and pollutant condiment waves in open channels. Understanding of aspects of the water quality in urban watercourse can be greatly enhanced by the proposed model. The following recommendations were henceforth made: • Detailed study of the nature. quantity and sources of pollutants in the urban water system. .. Sophisticated (dynamic wave. supercritical flow, complicated ..................... hydrodynamic model snould be considered, • Biological and, chemical process in the urban watercourse be incorporated. • Linking of the water quality model to the storm water drainage model, / Andrew Chakane 2018