WATER-INSECURITY AT RUSTENBURG

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Effective operations and maintenance (O&M) supports the provision of services and bolsters sustainable economic development. In order for this to take place, authorities need to make the most of their existing asset base to increase asset productivity and longevity.

In South Africa, the management of water resources and infrastructure accentuates the need for South African municipalities hard-hit by drought to change-step in their infrastructure asset management approach. Rustenburg has been no exception. Variable rainfall, intersected by exponential population growth and huge mining operations, makes the North West Province highly water-insecure.

In light of its hydro-vulnerability, Rustenburg identified the need for the improved management of its water and sewer infrastructure and related processes with a focus on improving operations and maintenance. Rustenburg appointed GLS and IMQS, both from the EOH Smart Government division, to establish a smart-water solution that could provide:

DIGITALISING RUSTENBURG’S WATER NETWORK

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A first step towards smart-water management is to establish electronic water and sewer hydraulic models from numerous sources. Models provide a sense of the reliability of the information and help indicate what improvements could be made. GLS was put to the task of digitalising Rustenburg’s water-network and developing a water master plan for the municipality.

To load the hydraulic models with real world demands, municipal water billing information was analysed, converted to water consumption, and spatially distributed within the models using GLS‘ Swift software. A number of projects identified as a result of the analysis are already being implemented, including a major rezoning project, as well as an upgrade to and optimised distribution of the Bospoort WTP. Mid- and long-term projects form the master plan to accommodate a potential doubling of the present water demand over the next 45 years.

VISUAL ASSET INFORMATION MANAGEMENT

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With Rustenburg’s entire water system mapped, the IMQS Web platform has become the central node in managing Rustenburg’s asset information geographically.

The IMQS Web platform allows for the latest network models and treasury data to be displayed on a number of interactive map layers. A user-friendly environment facilitates rapid access to, and interrogation of, municipal infrastructure and treasury data, at a pipe-by-pipe and stand-by-stand level of detail.

Up-to-date information, as well as the capacity for the platform to host real-time data from the field, allows Rustenburg municipal staff to easily monitor system performance and identify the need for timely interventions. The updated models and master plans are uploaded to IMQS regularly to ensure that current information is always accessible.

IMQS’S MAINTENANCE MANAGEMENT MODULE

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IMQS’s Maintenance Management Module, launched on 30 January, was developed as part of a broader drive towards holistic infrastructure lifecycle asset management at Rustenburg. IMQS developed a GRAP 17 compliant Maintenance Management system for Rustenburg built on the back of a fully integrated and living Financial Asset Register.

As an “engineering solution for engineers”, all engineering and financial asset information is consolidated on one GIS-centric web platform that assists managers to:

SMART SOLUTIONS, SMART GOVERNMENT

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In addition to increased accountability and improved decision-making, the new system has allowed for more effective resource utilisation, proactive maintenance, and enhanced resilience to crises. One of the project’s greatest achievements has been the continuous reduction of overtime from R1,5 million in 2015 to R328,000 in 2016. In terms of water, the IMQS Maintenance Management system has enabled Rustenburg to:

At Rustenburg, technology has become a driver of innovative change to overcome service delivery challenges whilst also satisfying infrastructure-related demand. Looking for general information on the benefits of optimised O&M? Why not read our latest blog here?