With no end in sight to loadshedding, it’s important for municipalities to start engaging in energy efficient mechanisms in their water and wastewater infrastructure.
This is according to Hugo du Plessis, senior project engineer for KSB Pumps and Valves. “Wastewater infrastructure is one of the biggest consumers of energy within municipal operations and it is critical that municipalities start looking at ways to implement energy efficient measures within these operations,” says du Plessis.
According to a guide compiled by Sustainable Energy Africa, Sustainable energy solutions for South African local government: a practical guide, in 2017, “the indications are that on average water and wastewater accounts for some 17 percent of energy consumption in metros.
In terms of electricity consumption alone (excluding liquid fuel used for vehicles), the proportion is far higher – often representing as much as 25 percent of the entire municipality’s electricity bill.
Owing to the fact that this contributes so highly to the municipalities’ bill, it also means it has the greatest potential to be the starting point of electricity saving measures. By engaging in energy measures within the water and wastewater infrastructure cycle, municipalities stand not only be fiscally but also energy efficient going forward.
“The aeration stage is one of the stages which consumes a lot of energy as it requires large pump systems. Municipalities may not always pay attention to this aspect and may neglect to overhaul due to expensive nature of more energy efficient systems. However, although the expense may be high at the start, the benefits of cost saving in the long run will be worth it.”
The most energy-consuming aspects within the water services system relate to the stages of water treatment and pumping. Energy efficient systems will not only help municipalities obtain, retain and improve their Green Drop and Blue Drop certification, but will also eventually allow customers to see the difference in their rates and taxes bill.
“Inefficient pump systems will not be able to keep up with the ‘backlog’ of water when loadshedding occurs. KSB Pumps and Valves can assist with site energy efficiency audits, and we have the expertise and experience to assist municipalities to transition to more energy efficient systems.”
“Reliable energy efficient pump systems will not only result in energy and cost saving, but there are also other benefits for the municipality which include: no spillages, a reliable uptime, decline in downtime as well as better water quality,” says Hugo.
