Green Drop Compliance in Johannesburg

Etienne Hugo

General Manager: Operations

Johannesburg Water (Pty) Ltd

Presentation

• Introduction to Johannesburg Water.

• Objectives of sewage treatment.

• Factors affecting “green drop” compliance.

• Consulting Engineers appointments.

• Process Controllers and Maintenance.

• Capital and Operational expenditure.

• Conclusions.

Johannesburg Water (Pty) Ltd

• Johannesburg Water (JW) was established in January 2001 by City of Johannesburg for the delivery of water and sanitation services.

• JW manages, operates and maintains 6 wastewater treatment works.

• In 2009, the works produced 260 dry tons of sludge per day.

(1550 m3 / day at 17% dry solids concentration)

Treatment Works

Objectives of Sewage Treatment

• To produce an effluent quality that fully complies with the licence conditions at all times.

• To treat and dispose of sludge in compliance with the 2006 “Guidelines for the utilization and disposal of wastewater sludge”.

• To ensure that the above operations are cost effective, affordable and sustainable.

• To maintain safe and healthy working conditions.

• To prevent raw sewage overflows from entering streams and rivers. .

Green Drop Compliance

Factors affecting “green drop” compliance

• Appointment of consultants.

• Process Controllers.

• Maintenance.

• Opex and Capex.

• Conclusions.

Consulting Engineers

Consulting Enginners requirements:

• Experience in designing for your licence conditions.

• Experience in designing for local conditions.

• Implementation of successful designs under the above conditions.

Consultant / Client

• Assess clients experience with various processes.

• List available processes that attain required results.

• Input from client / operational staff on process selection.

• Implement successful designs.

• Select proven mechanical equipment.

• Keep the whole process simple.

• Are existing staff able to operate and maintain the proposed design?

Process Controllers

All treatment processes require some level of technology:

• Education must meet level of technology selected.

• Process controllers must be committed to attainment of objectives.

• Train in-house and only for needs.

• Give opportunity to develop skills.

Maintenance

• Implement a simple but effective maintenance programme.

• Outsource repairs to agents.

Capital Expenditure

Capex used for new, replacement or major refurbishment of equipment.

• Require a five year plan for the above.

• Five year plan split into annual capital expenditure.

Operational Expenditure

Targets must be set for high cost areas such as power and chemical consumption, salaries etc.

• Annual operational budget developed from previous years performance.

• Consider cost increases for power, chemicals, salaries etc.

• Carefully monitor expenditure.

Conclusions

• Carefully select consultants and ensure clients input into decisions made.

• Education, commitment, specific training and opportunity to develop cannot be substituted one for the other.

• Implementation of a simple maintenance programme is essential.

• Repairs to mechanical plant should be undertaken by the agents.

• Sufficient Capex and Opex must be made available for successful operational and maintenance performance.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION.