MechChem Africa May-June 2025

Collaborative effort to improve Buffalo City water A comprehensive pre-feasibility study is underway to enhance the water supply system for the residents of Buffalo City in the Eastern Cape, aimed at improving their water quality. Spearheaded by the Buffalo City Municipality, the project has resulted in a partnership with the German Federal Ministry for the Environment and local engineering firm, GIBB.

A recent workshop brought together various local and international stake holders to focus on maximising the benefits of new technologies for water reuse in Buffalo City in the Eastern Cape. A partnership between Germany, through the Federal Ministry for the Environment, the Buffalo City Municipality and GIBB originated from a mutual interest in addressing local issues and exploring alternative funding sources. While the German institutions had not previously been involved with Buffalo City, they were contacted for potential collaboration on various projects. With substantial combined experience and broad expertise, the responsibilities for a water reuse project for the city have been divided, with the German team focusing on the dam, intake tower and water quality, while the local team concentrates on optimising existing infrastruc ture and water movement. Effective coopera tion between the parties is essential in order to share local expertise and exchange technol ogy to achieve better project outcomes. GIBB’s insights have been particularly beneficial in adapting European methods to local conditions. Once the feasibility study is complete and teams receive the go-ahead, the full scope of the project will be to improve the Umzonyana water supply system for sustainable water manage ment by considering construction of a Bridle Drift Dam intake tower, along with a gravity pipeline and upgrades to the Umzonyana water treatment works. The team is in the process of formulating critical strategies aimed at optimis ing water quality to reduce turbidity and algal issues linked to thermal stratification. According to Wiero Vogelzang, Infrastructure Water and Sanitation Services Technical Executive, and Victor de Wet, Technical Executive at GIBB, another critical aspect is the catchment area that is facing pollution from nearby residential settlements and inadequate wastewater treatment, which adversely affects water quality. In addition, complications arising from the Buffalo River Pump Station, which relies on water directed from the Bridal Drift Dam, have arisen. Any problems with the pumps can lead to significant delays in water supply. The solution being explored is the development of a pipeline that bypasses the pump station, potentially reducing the need for extensive pumping and improving long-term financial sustainability, as it could save about 10% of the water lost through evaporation and infiltration during droughts. The team is also addressing the efficiency

and capacity of the water treatment and pump ing systems serving the Greater Buffalo City area. Vogelzang notes: “Significant energy sav ings will be achieved by reducing the pumping head requirement at the Buffalo River Pump Station from 120 m to 80 m, which would lower power consumption considerably. However, concerns remain regarding potential pump failures leading to downtime, despite the im provements in efficiency.” De Wet adds that the initial feasibility study did not adequately account for downtime costs associated with pipeline expenses: “There is a possibility of building a pump station and taking gravity lines into account. The topography may affect potential savings in the pumping head,

with a limited reduction of about 40 m identified over 50 years.” The Umzonyana Water Treatment Works is crucial as it supplies approximately 80% of the area's water, while additional supplies come from the smaller Nahoon Dam Water Treatment Works. The current capacity of the Umzonyana water works is reported as 120 M per day, but a study reveals it effectively operates at only 100 M , due to factors such as limitations in settling tank performance. To meet the increased demand, the plan is to upgrade the existing plant to increase its capacity to 160 M . Identified issues with the plant include the efficiency of flocculation and high surface loading rates in the filtration

Any problems with the pumps at the Buffalo River Pump Station can lead to significant delays in water supply. The development of a pipeline solution that bypasses the pump station is being explored.

18 ¦ MechChem Africa • May-June 2025