Civil Engineering October 2021 | Vol 29 No 9

A t Kouga local municipality in the Eastern Cape, SRK Consulting recently designed and imple- mented an upgrade of the St Francis Bay WWTW. This had become necessary with the growth of the St Francis Bay, Cape St Francis and Sea Vista communi- ties, and was the third upgrade since the plant began operations in 1995. In Gauteng, SRK is involved in 10 wastewater treatment projects, where it is applying a range of specialised input to ensure that treatment plants operate optimally. Under-capacity is a challenge in many of these plants, as their hydraulic and organic loading grows over time. Volumes of wastewater coming into the plants gradually exceed their design capacity, while organic loading also varies according to the type of effluent which is treated. Any underperfor- mance of the plant exacerbates the results. Sub-standard performance then leads to the risk of watercourse contamination, as effluent is not properly treated before it leaves the plant. This in turn poses risks to both the human population and the natural environment downstream of the plant. IMPORTANCE OF UPGRADES Good engineering means timeous plan- ning and implementation of regular upgrades and expanding facilities where necessary. Municipalities need to underpin this discipline by tracking and forecasting population numbers to estimate the future capacity required by treatment plants. In those cases where plants cannot keep up with the demands of a steadily urbanising population, the planning departments of municipalities play a vital role in guiding the technical requirements of new or larger facilities. Consulting engineers collaborate closely with municipalities on this score, both in the large urban centres and in smaller towns and rural areas. The wide range of professional disciplines in our in- dustry includes civil engineers, process en- gineers and water scientists – each with a vital contribution to wastewater treatment. The necessary budgets to plan and conduct this work, of course, have long been constrained, and the result of this has been that water infrastructure has deteriorated significantly. It is hoped that government will focus attention on how additional resources can be directed to these needs, and how such resources can be efficiently applied. BUDGETS UNDER STRAIN Again, there is an important role in the consulting space for civil engineers who can contribute to ongoing improvements even when finances are constrained. One way of doing this is to help municipalities to prioritise the spending of available budgets using their technical insights and professional experience. This is best achieved with the relevant studies and au- dits, which will highlight the most urgent areas needing attention. It is also vital to achieve value for money, and this requires quality planning and technical skills. Approaching the challenge from the point of view of what is feasible financially can begin with a technical audit. This generates a status-quo report that details the condition of the plant and recom- mends what is required to improve its operation. This also lays the groundwork for a design upgrade. Of course, this can only be done within the context of the broader priorities that the municipality has set for itself, based on its own assessment of current and future community needs. To research, identify and prioritise these needs, municipalities need to attract, retain and develop skills in key disciplines such as town planning. VALUE OF MAINTENANCE The financial position of municipalities has been negatively affected further by Tiaan Bauman Pr Eng, Pr CPM Principal Civil Engineer & Partner SRK Consulting tbauman@srk.co.za Water scarcity puts wastewater under spotlight Consulting engineers are playing a valuable role in supporting municipalities to upgrade wastewater treatment works (WWTWs), underpinning vital sanitation services to communities while ensuring that only wastewater of high enough quality is discharged into watercourses. 30 October 2021 Civil Engineering Construction of new sludge drying beds