By Peter Marumong, Cluster WWW Segment Leader at Schneider Electric

Foundation, building blocks, groundwork; all hopeful words used to kick off the start of projects, developments and establish longstanding operations, to name a few. And with good reason, without solid grounding, most things are set to fail.

The above undoubtedly applies to critical service delivery which require firm footing to run efficiently.  Water and wastewater (WWW) certainly fall into this category, regulated today by the incentive-based Green Drop programme.  

As it stands, the programme features, among others, a performance management scorecard which includes criteria like process control, maintenance, management skills, wastewater quality monitoring, and asset management. Good building blocks. 

Forming part of water service providers’ wastewater efforts, is water effluent, also referred industrial or domestic wastewater and ‘trade effluent’, which generally flows to surface water areas such as rivers. And in line with the Green Drop programme criteria, effluent water is treated chemically, biologically, or a combination of both to remove or reduce contaminants for water reuse.

South Africa’s effluent water is currently in crisis with the last year’s Green Drop report, based on the testing of 140 sewage wastewater treatment works, showing a large portion of South Africa’s sewage discharge was not adequately treated before being released into rivers.

Which brings us back to the building blocks of operations.  For South Africa’s effluent water to meet Green Drop requirements and overall standards for reusable water, it must implement basic operational principles. 

Laying the foundation

Energy efficiency undoubtedly forms part of firm operational principles.  It is an important building block that will enable wastewater and industrial plants to cut down on operational overhead costs, freeing valuable funds to invest in upgrading infrastructure and ultimately optimising effluent water treatment.

A practical starting point could involve small-scale implementations, such as installing power meters in strategic areas for data collection. This approach, even if done manually at first, can gradually build a comprehensive picture of energy consumption.

Furthermore, integrating power management software can then offer detailed analysis and monitoring of power consumption quality. Optimising power management and resultant energy efficiency offer numerous, important benefits:

• Economic savings - reducing energy bills through efficient operations frees up resources for infrastructure upgrades and maintenance.
• Environmental protection - minimising energy consumption reduces carbon emissions, contributing to broader sustainability goals.
• Enhanced reliability - efficient power management ensures consistent treatment performance, crucial for regulatory compliance and public health.
• Advanced technologies: Incorporating advanced power management technologies can lead to more automated and intelligent systems, improving overall efficiency. 

Ultimately, improved water effluent will provide South Africa with: 

• Environmental protection – minimising the adverse impact on aquatic ecosystems, ensuring cleaner water for both humans and wildlife.
• Public Health - prroperly treated water prevents disease and protects public health by eliminating harmful bacteria.
• Sustainability - contributing to sustainable wastewater management, safeguarding water resources for future generations.
• Economic benefits - saving resources and money by recycling water and reducing costs associated with environmental degradation.
• Regulatory compliance - help industries meet environmental regulations, ensuring that effluent treatment plants (ETPs) comply with standards.