Water. Desalination + reuse
Issue link: https://fhpublishing.uberflip.com/i/946410
Water. desalination + reuse March 2018 The Quarterly 7 What happens next? What did people say? The editor The year that water reuse took off The year 2018 is shaping up to be the one when potable water reuse really started to be taken seri- ously. In North America, inland and coastal com- munities are considering the role that reclaimed water can take in their overall water system (see Interview, page 8). In South Africa, water reuse will form a part of the long-term mix of solutions required to manage the impact of drought-hit water supplies. Even in the Middle East, historically culturally averse to reuse, suggestions about com- bining drinking water and wastewater management are beginning to surface. The race is on, then, to es- tablish which water treat- ment technology will be the dominant solution for reuse. For many, the natu- ral and obvious answer is reverse osmosis, which has already amassed a long list of references in desalination and indus- trial reuse, and on which designers and others have worked hard to improve energy effi ciency. Others would prefer not to make assumptions, but to let the treatment confi gurations be dictated by the wanted outcomes in terms of water quality. If neccesity is the mother of invention, then we are likely to see some exciting new ideas in the coming months and years. Email the editor at desalination@fav- house.com South Africa declared a national disaster on 13 February, giving central government more powers to manage the response. In a fast-moving situation, two days later, president Jacob Zuma resigned under pressure from his own party, the ruling African National Congress (ANC). Cape Town, in the Western Cape, is run by the Democratic Alliance (DA) party. The president's resignation may lessen the authority of Nomvula Mokonyane, minister of water, a committed Zuma ally. Mokonyane has tasked Umgeni Water, supplier of bulk potable water in KwaZulu-Natal province on South Africa's east coast, to support City of Cape Town in procuring a desalination plant for V&A Waterfront — a move that was considered controversial by some in Cape Town (see analysis, page 26). "Bringing the water crisis under the national government's control contains as many risks as benefi ts to water users. " Western Cape premier, Helen Zille, of the Democratic Alliance party The deadline for expressions of interest was 7 February, and pre- qualifi cation is expected by end of June. A preferred bidder is likely to be selected by end of September, construction to begin in 2019, and the project is scheduled to complete by 2021. Meanwhile, watch out for further rounds of procurement for additional desalination capacity. On top of the sums from ADB for the Jaff na plant, there is $500,000 to support capacity development at Jaff na's water agencies, including for managing the contract, conducting community awareness activities, and producing sanitation safety plans. Construction of the plant is expected to complete by December 2025. "This additional fi nance will complete ADB's eff ort to provide piped water for 300,000 people, and eliminate the drudgery of fetching water over long distances." Jingmin Huang, ADB principal urban development specialist "We are trying to cut the cost of production by half, down from the present level of around $0.60 per m3." Saif Saleh Al Seairi, acting director general, ADWEA 2025 Construction completes THE KEY NUMBER control contains as many risks as benefi ts to water users." Western Cape premier, Helen Zille, of the Democratic Alliance party