Durban’s eThekwini makes inroads in fight against preventable water losses
Volume: 1 Issue 8 |  Sunday, 04 July 2010 |  Dennis Ndaba  |  0 comment

Driven by the multibillion-rand asbestos cement (AC) pipe replacement project, the measures are said to be making inroads. They also include the pressure-reducing valve initiative and the up-grade of antiquated water meters. The R1,9-billion AC pipe replacement project is expected to provide at least 50 years of leak-free service to the municipality. EWS head Neil Macleod says that, in January, the municipality billed its highest volume of water in history, while experiencing a corresponding decrease in the bulk water bought from Umgeni Water. This reflected the extent to which the multipronged attack undertaken by the municipality to limit its water losses was taking effect.

Durban’s eThekwini Water and Sanitation (EWS) has introduced measures to curb water loss and reduce nonbill- able water consumption.

Driven by the multibillion-rand asbestos cement (AC) pipe replacement project, the measures are said to be making inroads. They also include the pressure-reducing valve initiative and the upgrade of antiquated water meters.

The R1,9-billion AC pipe replacement project is expected to provide at least 50 years of leak-free service to the municipality.

EWS head Neil Macleod says that, in January, the municipality billed its highest volume of water in history, while experiencing a corresponding decrease in the bulk water bought from Umgeni Water.

This reflected the extent to which the multipronged attack undertaken by the municipality to limit its water losses was taking effect.

“Our ageing water reticulation system was losing 260 000 kℓ daily, which propelled the nonrevenue water branch to embark on a programme to identify and treat the problem source,” says Macleod.

He adds that, by also reducing the water pressure, the municipality could reduce water loss by 105-million litres daily. Every R1-million invested on pressure management translates into a R3-million saving on water loss. The drop in pressure will be from 580 kpa to 420 kpa and the majority of consumers will not notice the difference at all.

The municipality began commissioning pressure-reducing valves throughout the city last March, as a means of increasing the life span of water mains, decreasing the likeli- hood of burst pipes and ultimately reducing water loss. This initiative is expected to save the city around R115-million annually through reduced levels of leakage.

MacLeod asserts that the municipality is ahead of schedule in achieving its target of installing 350 new pressure-reducing valves, commissioning 100 advanced pressure control devices, conducting leak detection and repair activities on 18 000 km of reticulation, and replacing 700 km of existing AC pipeline in the current year.

By the end of March, 205 pressure-reducing valves had been designed, 28 pressure controllers commissioned, 13 076 km of leak detection undertaken and 562 km of mains replaced, in terms of the AC project, which, since the start of this contract, has replaced 1 425 km of mains.

Throughout the city, there were 10 604 domestic water meters that were more than 20 years old (with 3 089 being over 30 years), and the municipality had replaced 8 637 by March to facilitate better water-meter reading and billing.

“[A reduction in] water losses is already evident and eThekwini attributes this to the persistent efforts to replace the mains, reduce pressure, and detect and repair leaks and bursts. “This is no quick fix, but the cumulative benefit of the work being done is coming to the fore and the detection of leaks is rapidly improving, to the mutual benefit of consumers and the municipality,” says MacLeod.

Edited by: Martin Zhuwakinyu

Macleod will be speaking at The Sustainable Water Resource Conference on the 27th and 28th July 2010.