Rainharvest.co.za

Underground Rain Water Tank Installation Video

admin — Thu, 17 May 2012 07:34:49 +0000

Watch this video for some insight into how a underground rain water tank and rainwater harvesting system is installed and operated.

Although the above company in Australian, the same principles for rainwater harvesting and rainwater tanks can be applied to South Africa.

Underground water storage tanks have an advantage in that these tanks are out of sight- especially useful where space is limited and property values are high. Above-ground water tanks can be used equally successfully and there are many more types and sizes to choose from compared to underground tanks. In South Africa, JoJo Tanks has recently begun manufacturing an 6000 litre underground water storage tank suitable for rainwater harvesting and storing drinking water.

JoJo Tanks South Africa offer a wide range of plastic water tanks and chemical tanks to suit every household, business or agricultural need, including silo tanks and silo tank stands. See JoJo Tanks VERTICAL TANKS, HORIZONTAL TANKS, STEEL TANK STANDS and OTHER JOJO PRODUCTS. Also see JoJo Tanks’ NEW 6000 LITRE UNDERGROUND TANKS. Also see our FAQ and WATER TANK PRICES.

JoJo’s superior polyethylene plastic water tanks and steel water tank stands make JoJo Tanks the leaders in plastic water tank technology and the quality, affordability and guarantee on these water tanks make JoJo products the best choice in South Africa. JoJo’s water tanks and chemical tanks come standard with a number of features that are often lacking on cheaper/inferior plastic tanks made by other companies in South Africa.

We are authorised JoJo Tanks dealers in South Africa and dispatch orders directly from JoJo Tank depots to save on transport costs. Full range of JoJo Tanks products and JoJo water tanks for sale. CONTACT US for a quote on the right JoJo water tank or other JoJo product for you. Special discounts are available on multiple orders of chemical tanks and water tanks and to our commercial and government customers.

SPECIAL ON MULTIPLE ORDERS OF 10000 LITRE WATER TANKS…CONTACT US FOR A FREE QUOTE!

South Africa: Mining giant accused of destroying Mpumalanga wetlands

admin — Wed, 16 May 2012 08:27:11 +0000

A farmer from Delmas, Mpumalanga has lodged a complaint against mining company Exxaro with the Blue Scorpions

Sipho Nkosi, CEO of Exxaro. Image by: MARTIN RHODES/BUSINESS DAY

Beeld reported that the mining giant had allegedly destroyed one wetland and commenced mining in a second.

Three weeks ago Minister of Water and Environment Affairs Edna Molewa, in a written response to a question by the Democratic Alliance, said Exxaro had broken the law at its Leeuwpan coalmine.

Delmas farmer Peet Bezuidenhout said on Sunday he had complained to Blue Scorpions head Nigel Adams, because Exxaro had depleted a wetland area, and now, most recently, drained a pan before beginning another mining operation. The wetland area and the pan were situated next to each other on the farm Weltevreden.

Adams said law enforcers would visit the farm on Monday.

Exxaro spokesman Hilton Atkinson told Beeld he would respond to questions on Monday.

Molewa said in her written response to the DA that officials from her department had already visited the farm twice, and that Exxaro had been explicitly warned it had damaged the wetland, and transgressed the terms of its licensing agreement.

According to Molewa, the mining giant was not allowed to use any water that affected the functioning of the wetland.

Source: Times Live

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Drought in Brazil resulting in ‘water wars’

admin — Mon, 14 May 2012 11:24:02 +0000

Rio de Janeiro – Severe drought gripping north-eastern Brazil – the worst in a half-century – is taking its toll on more than 1 100 towns, even triggering fighting in rural areas, local media reported on Sunday.

An average of one person a day is being killed in “water wars” in rural areas, while scores of animals are wasting away before perishing, the O Globo newspaper reported over the weeekend.

Short water supplies have devastated farm output, endangering the lives of local people and their livestock, the report said.

Many people in the area have lost half their livestock, and the Brazilian government has reduced forecasts for corn, soy and bean crops.

In Pernambuco, 66 municipalities are on water emergencies, rivers have run completely dry and animals looking for water in the riverbed can only find the odd muddy puddle.

Local dams in the region are running dry, and abuses are rife. In one cited example, water truck drivers make deliveries – but only if customers promise to vote for certain local candidates. – AFP

Source: IOL News

This is a microcosm of what will happen in many other parts of the world, including South Africa. A natural disaster such a drought or flood (whether attributed to man-induced climate change or not) can be the tipping point for the world’s over-utilised water supplies. Non-violent feuds over water resources will boil over into deadly fighting; water wars and water will increasingly be tied to politics. Become more water independent by installing water conservation systems such as grey water recycling and rainwater harvesting tanks.

SPECIAL ON MULTIPLE ORDERS OF 10000 LITRE WATER TANKS…CONTACT US FOR A FREE QUOTE!

Africa: U.S. Response to Future Water Crisis Takes Shape

admin — Sun, 13 May 2012 04:49:00 +0000

Washington — World water crisis: The United States is developing a response to the strain bearing down on worldwide water resources in the decades ahead.

A U.S. intelligence report made public in March outlined the potential for water-related issues to become national security problems in various places around the world.

At a Washington policy and research organization May 9, the U.S. State Department revealed a multipronged strategy to prepare for the emergence of water problems “that will risk instability and state failure [and] increase regional tensions,” as the intelligence assessment predicts.

The National Intelligence Council Water Research, prepared by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, predicts that problems relating to water shortages, quality or flooding will develop in the next 10 years in “many countries important to the United States.” Without more effective water management measures, the lack of water availability will become a problem threatening national security in some places by 2040.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton requested the report and she named Under Secretary of State for Democracy and Global Affairs Maria Otero to lead the U.S. response to the challenges outlined in the study.

Otero told the Washington audience that the first priority she and Clinton have identified is to help other nations develop their capacity in resources and expertise to cope with future water-scarcity problems. “We know that it is countries and communities that have to lead in securing their own water and in securing their own water future,” Otero said.

The United States must also work to increase international awareness of the potential for future water crises by increasing and better coordinating diplomacy. The United States will help developing countries better prepare for the challenges they’ll face, Otero said, and help them “to prioritize so that water and sanitation are part of their national plans, part of their budgets and part of their overall thinking.”

Otero said finding solutions to secure adequate water supplies for growth and development will require enormous levels of funding that the United States must help mobilize. The application of science and technology to the problem is an important part of the strategy.

“We have enormous resources and capacity in this area,” Otero said, “and this is in line with what we are trying to do in other areas,” such as food security, improving public health and addressing climate change.

Building international partnerships to address these challenges is another objective in the strategy, one that Clinton put in motion on World Water Day March 24 when she announced a compact to create the U.S. Water Partnership. Otero said this partnership will make the best use of the greatest national asset: knowledge and expertise in this specialized area.

According to a March State Department fact sheet, the partnership “will serve as a central synthesizer and force multiplier — making information easily accessible, connecting people and resources, and leveraging the assets of partners to offer a range of integrative solutions.” The partnership will seek to build stronger collaborative relationships among business, government, academia and other entities in water resources.

The water partnership — in combination with the findings of the intelligence report — reinforces the Obama administration view, Otero said, “that water is not just a health issue, not just an economic development issue or an environmental issue, but also a security issue.” Otero said that water issues will “stay on top of our foreign policy and national security agenda as we move forward.”

The intelligence report foresees scenarios where water becomes more than the essential life element it is, but also is used as a tool or a weapon. Retired Major General Rich Engel explained the report and said the analysts could envision circumstances where regional water sources could become a source of conflict as an upstream state attempts to siphon off resources that have traditionally flowed to a downstream state.

Or, the analysis suggests, terrorists could target attacks on water supply, purification and sanitation facilities as a means to cause widespread disruption for a community, its people and its economy.

“In other cases it would be states that might actually use water against their own populations for population control,” said Engel, who led development of the report. The analysis found that multinational conflict over water supplies might be “plausible,” but probably not in the near future.

The intelligence report identifies improved use of water in agriculture as the most critical area for improved conservation technologies. Worldwide, agriculture consumes almost 70 percent of supplies, but the percentage varies widely between developed and developing countries. One factor in excessive levels of consumption is that farmers are given free or very-low-cost water supplies.

“If you continue with that mindset, you don’t develop any mindset to use [water] efficiently,” Engel said. More disciplined policies in pricing and allocation can address inefficient use, but these are “hugely difficult political decisions that have to be made locally.”

Poor water policy is likely to lead to depletion of groundwater supplies in some agricultural areas, the report finds, an outcome that could cause disruption in global food markets and other consequential social instability.

Source: allAfrica (by Charlene Porter)

The coming global water crisis is starting to be taken seriously by governments around the world. In South Africa, politicians are realising that municipal services, especially water supply, could be critical to their continued support or re-election. Water provision is recognised as a basic human right in South Africa but people also need to be educated about conserving water and protecting water bodies from unnecessary pollution.

JoJo Tanks South Africa offer a wide range of plastic water tanks and chemical tanks to suit every household, business or agricultural need. See JoJo Tanks VERTICAL TANKS, HORIZONTAL TANKS, STEEL TANK STANDS and OTHER JOJO PRODUCTS. Also see JoJo Tanks’ NEW 6000 LITRE UNDERGROUND TANKS. Also see our FAQ and WATER TANK PRICES.

SPECIAL ON MULTIPLE ORDERS OF 10000 LITRE WATER TANKS…CONTACT US FOR A FREE QUOTE!

Saving Rainwater with Rainwater Storage Tanks

admin — Sat, 12 May 2012 07:33:48 +0000

Catching and using rainwater can be as simple as a single plastic barrel with a gravity feed to a flower bed, or they can be sophisticated systems that supply all your water needs.

As a relatively dry country, the water problem in South Africa is exacerbated by an average annual rainfall of about 464mm, compared to a world average of about 860mm. Additionally South African rainfall tends to be concentrated in certain areas falling inconsistently throughout the year and is stored in very expensive dams remote from the concentration of consumers, which ultimately leads to expensive pipelines and pumping costs.

The cost of water in South Africa is not that high so we tend to be wasteful. There are indications, however, that water will become more expensive and there may simply not be enough water to meet the country’s future needs and the need to save water will be forced upon us. Every South African should therefore become savvy about rainwater harvesting and rainwater tanks.

For the homeowner, collecting rainwater is just one of the ways to make a home more sustainable – by harvesting and storing rain water in water tanks for irrigation, washing the car (or the dog), filling the swimming pool, even bathing and drinking if properly filtered.

In addition to conserving an increasingly scarce resource, rainwater collection also helps reduce storm runoff – a growing problem caused by the acres of concrete and other impermeable surfaces that go along with booming housing or commercial development.

One of the main benefits of a rain barrel or rainwater tank is to reduce the amount of storm water runoff. Typically rain water flows off roofs, driveways, parking lots and other “impervious surfaces” into storm drains, which discharge either into community sewer systems or into nearby streams. In the first case, rain over-burdens sewers, leading to overflows, and rushing storm water can erode stream banks, introduce pollutants and ruin habitat for fish and other aquatic life in rivers and streams.

A second benefit of rainwater tanks is for your wallet. You can use water captured in rain barrels to irrigate your lawn and garden, saving on monthly water bills. In drier months and water-stressed regions, or during droughts, this water-conservation technique may be a necessity, given the imperative to conserve water.

A rainwater-collection system can be as simple as a rain barrel or water tank at the end of a downspout or as elaborate as a whole-house system. Cost and complexity depend on how much water you need and how you plan to use it.

A simple system is adequate for landscaping needs, but cost, complexity, and maintenance increase if you’re planning to drink rainwater or pipe it into the house.

When people think of green building, they often think of the more obvious elements such as energy efficiency and environmentally friendly materials. Often the less obvious – and in fact more important components – such as water use reduction, water efficient landscaping and storm water management are overlooked. Additionally, networked systems of water supply and sanitation are becoming more difficult because of the major investments required to repair and replace ageing infrastructure. Water scarcity, the benefits of adjusting water quality to needs and the concern for making better use of available resources, all argue that water supply services should be adaptable, resilient and flexible.

A house with a sloped roof, gutters, and downspouts is well on its way to harvesting rainwater for landscape irrigation or other non-potable uses. You just need a few simple components: wire-mesh gutter screens to keep out debris, a water storage tank, and a way to move the water out of the water tank.

Water tanks are available in a variety of shapes, colours and sizes to suit every need and environment and include vertical and horizontal water tanks.

When installing a rainwater harvesting system make sure you have the correct tank stand. You need to consider the size of the water tank you require and how much it will weigh when filled with water. The water tank stand has to be able to support the weight. Naturally the bigger the water tank the bigger the weight so it is crucially important to install or construct your water tank stand correctly. A water tank stand could simply consist of a solid and level concrete slab or you can purchase either a timber or a steel tank stand.

Rain barrels can be attractive, and can even be built to prevent mosquito breeding.

Source: www.home-dzine.co.za (via Property 24)

Rainwater harvesting systems should become an integral part of all suitable buildings as there is no better way to obtain free water and save the environment too. Smaller water tanks can be installed on nothing more than a levelled section of earth although a cement base is preferable. Larger water tanks need to be installed on very sturdy concrete slabs and preferably engineer-certified steel tank stands, as manufactured by JoJo Tanks in South Africa, see water tank stands available here.

SPECIAL ON MULTIPLE ORDERS OF 10000 LITRE WATER TANKS…CONTACT US FOR A FREE QUOTE!

The Coming Global Water Crisis

admin — Fri, 11 May 2012 15:06:48 +0000

What happens when demand for this essential resource starts exceeding supply in many parts of the world?

The recent UN alert that drought in the Sahel threatens 15 million lives is a harbinger of things to come.In the next twenty years, global demand for fresh water will vastly outstrip reliable supply in many parts of the world.

Thanks to population growth and agricultural intensification, humanity is drawing more heavily than ever on shared river basins and underground aquifers. Meanwhile, global warming is projected to exacerbate shortages in already water-stressed regions, even as it accelerates the rapid melting of glaciers and snow cover upon which a billion people depend for their ultimate source of water.

This sobering message emerges from the first U.S. Intelligence Community Assessment of Global Water Security. The document predicts that by 2030 humanity’s “annual global water requirements” will exceed “current sustainable water supplies” by forty percent. Absent major policy interventions, water insecurity will generate widespread social and political instability and could even contribute to state failure in regions important to U.S. national security. (Look here for a webcast from the Woodrow Wilson Center of experts and U.S. government officials discussing the findings.)

The simultaneous ubiquity and scarcity of water is one of Earth’s little ironies. Globally, 97.5 percent of H2O is contained in world’s oceans. Of the planet’s “fresh” water (the residual 2.5%), more than two-thirds is encased in ice packs and glaciers, particularly in Antarctica and Greenland, another thirty percent in groundwater, and almost one percent in high latitude permafrost. That leaves us with about 0.4 percent of global fresh water to account for: about two-thirds of that is contained in freshwater lakes, with the rest distributed among soil moisture (12 percent), the atmosphere (9.5 percent), wetlands (8.5 percent), rivers (1.5 percent) and vegetation (1 percent).

The need for reliable sources of fresh water is as old as our species, of course. What is new today is the combustible combination of surging global demand for increasingly scarce fresh water in certain volatile regions of poor governance. Several factors are driving this trend.

Demographic pressure: By 2025, the world’s population will swell from seven to nearly eight billion. The vast majority of this increase will occur in the developing world, particularly Africa. In rapidly expanding urban centers, demand for fresh water will rise for personal consumption, sanitation, industry, and hydroelectric use.
Declining Fresh H2O supplies: According to Global Water Security, “one third of the world’s population will live near water basins where the water deficit will be larger than 50 percent by 2030.” Many regions that are already experiencing water stress will become “extremely more stressed” or even “exceptionally more stressed.” In some areas, rapid depletion of underground aquifers will be the culprit. In others it will be reductions in meltwater as glaciers recede. In the Andes, hundreds of glaciers will simply disappear in coming decades, eliminating dry season water supplies. Similar, though more gradual, dynamics will be at play in the Himalayas, sometimes referred to as the world’s “third pole”.
Changing dietary preferences: Meanwhile, the global middle class will surge from 1.8 to 4.9 billion by 2030. Wealthier populations will consume more meat, requiring a shift to more energy and water-intensive agriculture focusing on the raising of livestock and feed grain. Already today, some 93 percent of fresh water consumed is devoted to agriculture (from a combination of riverine, lake, and groundwater sources). Without massive behavioral changes, changing land use and food consumption patterns will place even greater pressures on fresh water resources.
Poor Water Management: Adapting to a new era of water scarcity will require enormous investments in integrated water management, particularly in the developing world. This would include improving agricultural efficiency through new irrigation systems and drought-resistant crops; renovating infrastructure to reduce urban “water leakage” (which averages 30-50 percent in many cities); clarifying rights to the use of subterranean, riverine, and lacustrine water resources; and introducing pricing mechanisms that reflect the true economic value of water–admittedly a politically volatile step in societies where free (or cheap) access to water is viewed as an inherent, longstanding right.

Significantly, the intelligence community does not predict that increased competition for water resources will, by itself, be a source of violent conflict–a finding borne out by a rich body of research. And yet the same document warns that water stress may well “contribute to the risk of instability and state failure,” particularly “when combined with poverty, social tensions, environmental degradation, ineffectual leadership, and weak political institutions.” Many of the countries likely to be hardest hit are fragile and/or authoritarian states located within the broad arc of instability encompassing North Africa, the Horn, the Arabian Peninsula, and southwest, central, and south Asia. In other words, states least able to cope.

Regional tensions over shared river basins will also rise. States will use diplomatic and other leverage to preserve their water interests, and “upstream” states will be tempted to use water as a diplomatic weapon, including by threatening to impede flow. Nonstate actors, notably terrorists and other extremists, may also seek to sabotage dams and other infrastructure.

Regional stability and peace, therefore, increasingly depend on effective management of the world’s 263 shared international water basins. “Today, water basin agreements often do not exist or are inadequate.” Analyzing the current capacity to manage seven major water basins, Global Water Security assesses mechanisms to govern the Brahmaputra and Amu Darya to be “inadequate,” and those governing the Tigris-Euphrates, the Nile, and the Mekong as “limited.” (The Indus and the Jordan rivers earn a higher, “moderate” score.)

By revealing the scale and consequences of global water crisis, the intelligence community has performed a great service. But the policy response to date has been just a drop in the bucket.

Source: The Atlantic (by Stewart M. Patrick. This article originally appeared at CFR.org, an Atlantic partner site).

There are many countries that are already facing a water crisis, including South Africa. Not only is much of South Africa’s available water supply being polluted by heavy industry, mining and new developments, it is also being consumed by industries and agriculture, making potable freshwater a dwindling resource. In a water scarce country such as South Africa, we should conserve as much water as possible and embrace rainwater harvesting (rainwater tanks) as well as water recycling such as grey water irrigation. Water tanks allow for storage of water during droughts or water supply cuts and water tanks can store free rain water.

SPECIAL ON MULTIPLE ORDERS OF 10000 LITRE WATER TANKS…CONTACT US FOR A FREE QUOTE!

Half of China’s tap water does not meet national standards

admin — Thu, 10 May 2012 04:58:44 +0000

BEIJING: Half of China’s tap water does not meet national drinking water standards, but the problem is not so severe as to cause an immediate threat to human health, an official survey said.

A survey of the country’s water quality conducted by the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development in 2009 showed that 50 per cent of tap water fails to meet standards for bacteria and heavy metals, Beijing-based Century Weekly magazine quoted officials as saying.

Song Lancheng, chief engineer of the ministry’s water quality supervising body, told the magazine that of the 4,000 water treatment plants surveyed, 1,000 failed to meet national standards.

The quality of tap water has not improved since 2009, he said.

Zou Ji, a professor of the School of Environment and Natural Resources at Renmin University of China, told state-run Global Times that the public should be concerned about the quality of water in their taps.

“Tap water undergoes many different tests, and failing a single test will cause the water to be ‘disqualified,’” Zou said.

The country’s 4,000 water plants produce 60 million tons of tap water daily, which is used by 400 million people.

“Polluted drinking water can harm the upper respiratory tract and cause other ailments depending on what kind of pollutant it contains,” Zou said, adding that rural areas face a more serious problem as much of the water in villages is untreated.

The magazine report also said that tap water can be contaminated by outdated water treatment technologies.

Wang Hong, vice president of Elan Environmental Purification Technology, agreed that tap water may be contaminated as it travels from the treatment plant to people’s homes.

“It’s almost impossible that treated water would fail to meet standards, the pollution is caused during transportation since most of the pipes haven’t been maintained for a long time,” Wang said.

Zou said that some factories do not have the financial resources to update their equipment.

New national drinking water standards, which will match European Union standards, are set to take effect this July.

Wang said the new standard will greatly improve people’s quality of life and protect the interests of enterprises that specialise in water purification.

“We will see if the new standards are strictly followed by treatment plants and effectively supervised by local governments.

“I’m not that optimistic tap water will immediately meet the new standard, but it is moving toward this trend in bigger cities,” Zou said.

Source: The Economic Times

Water scarcity coupled with pollution of freshwater sources and then further contamination during and after treatment makes pure, drinking water very difficult to come by, not only in China but in many other parts of the world including South Africa. In cities such as Beijing, even harvesting rainwater could be hazardous due to acid rain and other airborne pollutants contaminating the rain. Rainwater from rainwater tanks should always be filtered if used for drinking water to remove possible impurities picked up on the roof or gutters.

Which Municipality in South Africa has the Best Water?

admin — Wed, 09 May 2012 07:55:51 +0000

The quality of drinking water in South Africa has improved significantly in the past year, with a “blue drop” score nationally of 87,6% – 15 percentage points higher than the national score for last year.

The blue drop report, released on Monday by Water Affairs Minister Edna Molewa, measures the quality of drinking water against an international water quality measure known as SANS 241.

But in sharp contrast to the improved national score, the department has red-flagged 14 municipalities of largely smaller rural towns where the tap water is unsafe to drink and should be boiled before being consumed. The 14 towns are in seven of the nine provinces.

The report says that in the past year 153 municipalities and 931 water systems were audited, with 1,9-million water samples taken.

The national blue drop score improved from 72,9% of the SANS 241 standard in 2010-11 to 87,6% in 2011-12. The number of blue drop awards rose from 66 to 98. This is compared to the blue drop score for the country in 2009, when only 51,4% of the international standard was achieved.

The report shows that Gauteng has the best water in the country, achieving a score of 98,1%, with the Western Cape running a close second at 94,2%. The worst-performing provinces were Mpumalanga at 60,9%, Northern Cape at 68,2% and the Free State at 73,6%.

“An interesting point to observe would be that even though provinces such as Mpumalanga and Northern Cape would record (microbiological) compliance figures much higher than the Eastern Cape, their blue drop performances are lower than the latter,” the report says.

“This can be ascribed to the finding that the blue drop programmes set requirements for risk management, which stipulate that monitoring programmes must be risk-informed. It can therefore be accepted that most Eastern Cape municipal drinking water programmes are more aligned to the risk-based models as set by the national regulatory programme,” it says.

It explains further that water safety planning is a fundamental component of the Blue Drop Certification Programme and “this implies that water supply systems without risk-management programmes, as prescribed by water planning principles, will not qualify for recognition from this incentive-based initiative”.

The report says that significant progress can be reported on this by the World Health Organisation programme.

The top-performing municipality was Ekurhuleni, with a blue drop score of 98,95%, followed by Johannesburg at 98,92%. EThekwini (Durban) was the top-placed municipality not in Gauteng, at 98,77%, with the Tlokwe municipality in North West and Cape Town also achieving scores of more than 98%.

“Assessments are conducted by a panel consisting of a qualified water quality professional as lead inspector (and) two to four inspectors,” the report says.

The report further shows that the blue drop programme was aimed at ensuring and safeguarding tap water quality and management because it was a “fact that the livelihood of mankind depends on the availability of clean drinking water”.

Source: iafrica.com (by Wyndham Hartley)

Although much of South Africa’s municipal tap water may be ‘safe’ from microbes, the water is often over-treated with chemicals such as chlorine which have a detrimental effect on human health over the long term. Water filters that remove such chemicals are therefore recommended if you drink municipal tap water. Better still, install rainwater tanks and harvest rain for pure drinking water that is directly under your quality control (rainwater should still be filtered to remove impurities from your rooftop).

Water protest: nine arrested in Bushbuckridge, South Africa

admin — Tue, 08 May 2012 09:25:27 +0000

Nine people were arrested during a service delivery protest over municipal water in Lilydale in the Bushbuckridge municipality on Monday, Mpumalanga police said.

“At 6am residents… went on the rampage. They burnt municipal offices and a Caterpillar grader,” said Lt-Col Leonard Hlathi.

The residents were demonstrating their dissatisfaction over municipal water in the area which was unfit for consumption.

Earlier, Water Affairs Minister Edna Molewa released the 2012 Blue Drop Report, warning that the water of 14 municipalities, including Bushbuckridge, did not meet government standards.

Residents were advised to treat the water, through boiling or the use of bleach, before drinking it.

Hlathi said the situation remained tense and police would continue to monitor the area.

The nine people arrested would appear soon in Bushbuckridge Magistrate’s Court on charges of public violence and arson.

Source: Jacaranda FM

While public violence and criminal activity can never be condoned, one can understand the frustration of the rate-paying community where they cannot trust the water, if any, that flows through their taps. The South African government has a monumental task of repairing, maintaining and upgrading water supply infrastructure. So far, the government is failing in many parts of South Africa and service delivery protests are likely to increase in frequency and violence as communities vent their frustration. An expedient solution would be to subsidise water tanks and simple rainwater harvesting information and supplies so that individual households can become more self-reliant when it comes to drinking water. Plastic water tanks are both affordable and easy to transport and install. Poly water tanks are available in numerous sizes and types although we would recommend either 2500 litre vertical water tanks or 5000 litre vertical water tanks for each household. By providing water tanks to the community, government will be able to buy some time to rectify problems with its municipal water supply systems.

New desalination technology to reduce cost of producing water

admin — Mon, 07 May 2012 05:41:34 +0000

A professor at Abu Dhabi’s Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, who has co-authored a book on a technology widely used in desalination and production of drinking water in the GCC region, said modifications in membrane separation technology will help cut costs of doing business.

“Membrane modification techniques are aimed at increasing the efficiency and performance of membrane separation and making them attractive for specific separations,” said Dr Nidal Hilal, an international expert in desalination and membrane technology and a professor in nano-membranlogy and water technologies at the Masdar Institute.

Membrane separation is a technology which selectively separates — or fractionates — materials via pores and/or minute gaps in the molecular arrangement of a continuous structure.

Membrane separations are classified by pore size and by the separation driving force. These classifications include microfiltration, ultrafiltration, nanofiltration, ion-exchange and reverse osmosis.

Dr Hilal is the co-author of a recently published book by CRC Press, entitled .

His remarks assume significance following an industry study by the Freedonia Group that reports global demand for membranes is projected to increase a healthy nine per cent annually to $19.3 billion by 2015, while demand for water desalination products and services is forecast to increase 9.3 per cent annually to $13.4 billion by 2015.

Oil-rich nations are increasingly shifting to more efficient membrane desalination systems, or reverse osmosis, and the Middle East and North Africa will account for about two-thirds of global demand for desalination products and services, the study adds, further pointing out that Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Kuwait are the largest desalination markets in the Middle East.

Dr Hilal’s book presents a comprehensive review of the current developments within membrane separation processes with a focus on process optimisation through control of membrane surface properties for key industrial applications.According to him, membrane processes have many other applications apart from desalination.

“Membrane processes are used in pharmaceutical industries to separate valuable medical products as they are capable to separate solid materials such as powders in the size range between one nanometer and 10 microns,” he said.

“Membrane modification techniques will have significant impact on industry as they will lead to an improved efficiency of membrane processes that offer more products at less cost.”

He said the UAE and the region will benefit from operating better fouling-resistant membranes in RO desalination plants as it will reduce operational fouling problems and therefore reduce cost.

Source: Chicago Tribune (via Khaleej Times)

Desalination is not always very environmentally friendly, especially where concentrated salt water is returned to the sea where it can destroy local ecosystems. However, in many parts of the world such as the Middle East, this type of water procurement is the only feasible option. Hopefully as membrane efficiency increases, so will the technology move towards more environmentally sustainable methods too.