Western Cape Business 2018 edition

OVERVIEW SA's Most

OVERVIEW SA's Most Productive Company Liquid storage solutions provider SBS Tanks took top honours at the Productivity SA 2017 National Awards, where the company was applauded for its use of resources and epitomising the highest qualities and attributes of productivity. SBS Tanks ticked all the boxes to clinch the prestigious gold prize and the coveted title of Most Productive Company in the Corporate Sector. 2030 Water Resources Group. The Water Resources Group, an international consortium of private companies, agencies and development banks, has established a South African chapter, the Strategic Water Partners Network (SWPN) which has a focus on three things: water efficiency and leakage reduction; effluent and wastewater management; and agricultural and supply chain. SWPN aims to support government and programmes have been put in place in all three areas that are showing results. The Western Cape Provincial Government has a two-pronged strategy: new water infrastructure for agriculture and water demand management programmes to improve efficiency. In terms of its water infrastructure and maintenance of its wastewater treatments plants, the Western Cape fares relatively well compared to most other South African regions. Only 3% of households reported to the General Household Survey of 2014 that their water services had been interrupted. Fully 87.7% were satisfied with water delivery services. Access to water and sanitation in the province is generally very good. A provincial scheme to improve rivers has been outlined by Premier Helen Zille. The River Improvement Plan ultimately seeks to improve the lives of people living alongside rivers, but also ensuring that river water quality enhances the region’s economy. The fruit, grape and wine sectors need good-quality water, as do agri-processing concerns. Programmes include upgrading wastewater treatment plants, clearing alien vegetation and regular monitoring of water quality. The scheme encompasses the Olifants-Doorn and Breede rivers. The Western Cape Department of Agriculture has launched a climate action plan called Smart Agri which includes doing studies on conservation agriculture. The plan draws on the expertise of academics and companies in the private sector. One of the possible plans to add to the supply of the Western Cape Water Supply System is the Berg River – Voëlvlei Augmentation Scheme. This would entail pumping water out of Berg River in winter, having first allowed for enough water to cover the ecological water requirements of the river and the estuary. A Water Stewardship programme has been introduced in the Breede River catchment area. WWF-South Africa, Woolworths and Marks & Spencer are collaborating on a scheme encouraging stone fruit farmers to put in place systems that reduce risk to water supply and quality. WWF-SA also has a Water Balance Programme which works to increase the amount of clean water coming into the environment. Woolworths’ contribution to this plan involves getting rid of alien vegetation on the farm where it sources its wines (Paul Cluver Wines) and in the Leeu River catchment area. The introduction by the National Department of Water and Sanitation and the Water Institute of South Africa (WISA) of the Blue and Green Drop Awards has been very successful. The nation’s municipalities receive scores reflectively how well they are doing in terms of providing clean water. In order to win a Drop Award (Blue for water quality, Green for waste treatment), water systems have to score 95% or higher. The DWS has allocated R4.3-billion to helping municipalities deliver water. The Interim Water Supply Programme concentrates on 23 district municipalities. ONLINE RESOURCES Water Resources Group: www.2030wrg.org Breede-Overberg Catchment Management Agency: www.breedegouritzcma.co.za National Department of Water and Sanitation: www.dwa.gov.za South African Water Research Commission: www.wrc.org.za Water Institute of Southern Africa: www.wisa.org.za WESTERN CAPE BUSINESS 2018 96

FOCUS Harnessing innovation to tackle water scarcity Rise Water Hackathon. Rise, Barclays Africa’s innovation hub in Cape Town, hosted a Water Hackathon in March 2017 to help harness the power of technology, innovation and collaboration to find solutions for the Western Cape’s ongoing water crisis. At the time, dam storage levels were at 23.5%, indicative of the fact that the City of Cape Town was in a particularly dire situation, especially with the prospects of rain remaining elusive. Rise’s sprint-like design event, held in conjunction with Woolworths Holdings, convened industry experts, policymakers, conservationists, students, community members, scientists and engineers, and invited them to come up with possible means of alleviating the crisis. According to Yasaman Hadjibashi, Chief Creation Officer at Barclays Africa Group, they used the Rise co-creation platform to help bring people from various organisations and communities closer so that we can collectively tackle our biggest societal challenges and drive mass implementation of solutions. This is in line with Rise’s belief that the most powerful way of finding solutions is to bring together the most diverse groups of people who would not ordinarily cross paths. Justin Smith, Head of Sustainability at Woolworths, said water is a critical input to their products, whether it is food or clothing. The efficient use of water is of utmost importance in ensuring productivity is maintained in the business. He too believes that there is no one entity that can single-handedly come up with a solution to the water crisis we face, but that it is rather through collaborative efforts by stakeholders from all sectors that we’ll find workable solutions. Participants in the Hackathon event were challenged to generate solutions to improve agricultural, industrial and residential water consumption. The winning idea, proposed by Water Surge, is to create an online and mobile public campaign that uses gamification and integrated social media to encourage behaviour shifts. “This is an innovation that could really help drive water-saving behaviour change across Cape Town, and could potentially be implemented in a short timeframe,” said City of Cape Town water and energy efficiency strategist Sarah Rushmere. Additional Hackathon solutions proposed: • A modular water storage system that collects rainwater using panels • A big data system to track water usage along a supply chain • Partnerships with retailers to encourage shoppers to buy products that are produced using water responsibly • Voucher and coupon systems to encourage incentives for partnerships between government and the private sector • Helping consumers understand the impact of producing different food groups on water supplies. 97 WESTERN CAPE BUSINESS 2018