International tech firms introduce water innovation

Flemish technology company Tiger Power and De Watergroep have signed a declaration of intent to work together on the development of an energy-efficient drinking water production unit to ease some of the pressures brought on by climate change. 

The mobile drinking water system is built in a converted container and runs on solar power. Easily deployable and installed, the same approach is already being used by the Flemish scale-up Tiger Power in its renewable energy solutions.

ESI Africa, 19 June 2018 

PTM subsidiary, Capricorn municipality ink plan to increase water supply

Waterberg JV Resources, the operating company of the Waterberg Joint Venture (JV), has entered into an agreement with the Capricorn district municipality, in Limpopo, to jointly develop a water supply management plan to increase the water supply and infrastructure capacity for both the local community and the Waterberg mine.

At the mine’s prefeasibility stage, independent specialists identified potential water resources for both the mine and local communities.

An earlier, well executed work and drilling programme conducted by the Capricorn municipality also identified both potable and high mineral unpotable water resources in the district.

Engineering News, 19 June 2018 

Uganda to improve water and sanitation services in selected areas

In a bid to help the government improve heath and productivity in the country’s major towns, the African Development Bank has approved a US$62 million concessional loan to finance its Strategic Towns Water Supply and Sanitation Project (STWSSP).

The project, to be implemented in 10 towns spread across the country over a five-year period, is designed to enable government to achieve sustainable provision of safe water and sanitation for the urban population by 2030. On completion, the project will provide access to water and sanitation to 390 000 people by 2023. 

ESI Africa, 21 June 2018

Rand Water invests in emergency power supplies to keep water flowing 

Rand Water has invested ZAR300 million in emergency power supplies to mitigate its reliance on the power grid to maintain an uninterrupted supply of water.

The project to establish an emergency power generation unit began in 2004 when Rand Water experienced a total loss of electrical power at two major pumping stations due to a failure at two power supply authorities. It led to a widespread lack of water for up to two weeks in some areas.  The 2014 event showed that failure to provide drinkable water to its supply area for an extended period would result in a widespread crisis, the utility said.

Business Day, 21 June 2018 

The above reflects a summary of certain news articles published during the preceding week.

[View source.]