Governments and law-makers need to integrate environmental concerns into water-use legislation to avert an impending global water crisis, according to a new report from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), titled “Greening Water Law”.

Unlike a Thermosyphen System that is normally a complete on-roof hot water system; a Split System uses a pump to move a glycol liquid through the collectors and into the heat exchanger of the storage tank, where the heated, pumped glycol [...]]]> Posted by: Yes Solar Cape (Cape Town, South Africa) – 08 September 2010

Unlike a Thermosyphen System that is normally a complete on-roof hot water system; a Split System uses a pump to move a glycol liquid through the collectors and into the heat exchanger of the storage tank, where the heated, pumped glycol solution heats the household water.

Flat Plate Collectors used in a Split System

Although this system has more components than a thermosyphen system and consequently more expensive, it has two advantages:

1. The storage tank (geyser) does not need to be placed directly above the collectors, allowing the tank to be placed up to 20 m away from the collectors.

2. The system is more efficient as the pump regulates the flow rate of the glycol solution through the system.

Two types of pumps are available to circulate the glycol:

• Electric, which relies on grid electricity; and

• Photovoltaic, which are carbon neutral and make the installation independent of the grid.

Split Systems are available with either Flat Plate or Evacuated (vacuum) Tubes.

A team of experts is expected to assess the extent of acid mine drainage in the country and report back to an inter-ministerial committee appointed by Minister of Water Affairs Bulelwa Sonjica.

Johannesburg. [...]]]> Posted by: Saving Water SA (Cape Town, South Africa) – partnered with Water Rhapsody conservation systems – 07 September 2010

A team of experts is expected to assess the extent of acid mine drainage in the country and report back to an inter-ministerial committee appointed by Minister of Water Affairs Bulelwa Sonjica.

Johannesburg. Toxic water will eat away at the city's steel foundations.

Cabinet last month mandated the minister to urgently establish a special task team to investigate how government can best deal with reports of acid water drainage in some provinces.

Acid mine water, or water contaminated with heavy metals as a result of mining activities, is affecting the Gauteng, Mpumalanga, North West and the Free State provinces. Reports suggest that this drainage could result in serious health and economic risks for the provinces and the country.

Speaking in Cape Town on Monday, Sonjica said the experts will appraise the risk and look at what has already been done by various institutions and then assess available solutions and technology.

“They will interrogate and assess viability costs of critical short-term interventions, integrate lasting and sustainable medium- and long-term solutions and explore possible partnerships with private sector,” Sonjica said.

The ministerial committee will reconvene in six weeks time to receive a detailed report from the team of experts covering a reappraisal of the risks and assessment of what has been done as well as the viability and costs critical short term intervention.

Responding to media reports that the streets in Johannesburg’s CBD will be flooded with toxic mine water in the coming months, Sonjica assured the public that the situation was under control and there was no need for people to panic.

As a short term measure an amount of R218 million has been budgeted by the department to fit the pumps and avert the situation.

The minister said the country has been faced with the problem of mine water effluent, including acid mine drainage, for over 100 years when mining began. At the time, no legislative measures were in place and environmental considerations were not prioritized.

Over the past 15 years, government has strengthened environmental regulation through the introduction of National Environmental Management Act, Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act and the National Water Act.

She said a major challenge for government was to find the perpetrators, naming the gold and coal mines as major culprits.

Source: BuaNews

A battle is brewing between local people and major energy companies looking to exploit possible sources of shale gas in the Karoo.

Shale gas is natural gas stored in rocks that are rich [...]]]> Posted by: Saving Water SA (Cape Town, South Africa) – partnered with Water Rhapsody conservation systems – 05 September 2010

A battle is brewing between local people and major energy companies looking to exploit possible sources of shale gas in the Karoo.

Shale gas is natural gas stored in rocks that are rich in organic material such as dark colored shale

And at the heart of the conflict will be the one thing that is really scarce in the Karoo – water.

Five companies have recently been given the go-ahead to search for shale gas – trapped deep in the shale rock making up the Karoo landscape. Among them is Sasol, which has partnered with Statoil and American energy company Chesapeake, Shell, Anglo American, Falcon Gas and Oil and Bundu Gas and Oil, which is owned by an Australian holding company.

Bundu and Sasol executives have both said that if enough gas were found in the area, it would be “game-changing” for the industry.

And while most of these permits are technical co-operation permits (TCPs) and only allow for desktop studies, locals are worried about a controversial process called hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking”, in which vast amounts of water, mixed with sand and chemicals, are pumped into the ground to fracture the rock and release the gas.

The process would require millions of litres of water (up to 20 million litres for each production test well drilled) from the already sparse Karoo. And communities in the US where the procedure is becoming increasingly common, have cried foul after water became contaminated, apparently as a result of fracking. The US government has ordered an investigation into hydraulic fracturing.

Professor Maarten de Wit, of the department of geology at the University of Cape Town, said the interest in the Karoo as a source for shale gas had started about two years when Shell applied for rights to prospect for gas across large tracts of the Karoo. This made other companies sit up and take notice.

De Wit said that while fracking was water intensive, non-potable water sources could be considered.

“There should be very strict environmental rules in place before mining of shale gas is given the go ahead; one thing that is worth noting is that they need not necessarily have to use potable water; brackish water (as there is in some parts of the Karoo) might well do. But it’s very early days in this new field of shale gas exploration, let alone exploitation,” De Wit said.

A press release issued by Sasol in July quoted executive Ebbie Haan as saying “a discovery of large recoverable shale gas reserves in the Karoo Basin will be a game-changer in the broader SA energy market context and will likely constitute a major step to further develop gas transmission and distribution infrastructure in the country”.

Bundu, whose application for an exploration right has been accepted by the Petroleum Agency of South Africa, was one of the first to apply for rights.

Their application covers over 300 000 hectares of the Karoo.

Paul Bilston of Sunset Energy, the Australian company which owns Bundu, said they had withdrawn their first application, and the second had been denied by the Petroleum Association of SA in May, based on environmental grounds.

Bundu submitted a third application that took account of environmental objections. “We have done this to the best of our ability, firstly by removing gazetted game reserves from the application area, and secondly we will be reviewing and increasing the funding required as a bond to cover rehabilitation liabilities.”

But at a meeting this week, three private game reserves heard that they would be included in the new, larger area.

Bundu will need to submit an environmental management plan before being given exploration rights, then it will take around three years before any drilling takes place.

Graaff Reinet attorney Derek Light , who is representing some 100 landowners and farmers in the area in the Bundu issue, said Bundu’s campaign has been characterised by secrecy.

At a meeting held in Pearston on Thursday, locals were given a map detailing the area for the first time. Light said it was also the first time Bundu admitted that “fracking” would be used.

Locals were not happy with the way in which the meeting was conducted, saying little dialogue had occurred.

Light said they had also been told they had only a few days in which to make submissions.

“It’s difficult to make a meaningful contribution in that amount of time. This is not a game. This is 950 000 acres of ground. This is a big deal,” Light said.

Iain Buchanan of the Mount Camdeboo Game Reserve in the Eastern Cape said that while he understood the need to create jobs in the area, his biggest concern was water.

“Water is something we crave in the Karoo so if this could affect our water, there is just no way we could condone it.”

But Bilston said: “Given the modest scope of our initial exploration we do not expect to impact significantly on the Karoo?

“In terms of water, it is a key issue, and while we are confident of being able to obtain the water to carry out our exploration programme, we will need to look at how water for this is sourced and reused as part of any larger programme.”

By: Bianca Capazorio
Source: Business Report

The City of Cape Town will celebrate Arbor Month this year by planting six hundred and fourteen (614) trees in various events which will be held throughout Cape Town this month. Local Ward Councillors, [...]]]> Posted by: Saving Water SA (Cape Town, South Africa) – partnered with Water Rhapsody conservation systems – 03 September 2010

The City of Cape Town will celebrate Arbor Month this year by planting six hundred and fourteen (614) trees in various events which will be held throughout Cape Town this month. Local Ward Councillors, businesses, schools and communities will all work together to uphold this year’s theme: Plant for the planet – Grow green.

Acacia xanthophloea or Fever Tree. Early pioneers associated this tree with malaria fevers.

“The tree-planting activities form part of the City’s commitment to promoting a healthy environment and beautifying Cape Town. Arbor Month also presents an ideal opportunity for raising awareness about the importance of planting indigenous trees,” said Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services, Councillor Brett Herron.

Residents will also notice an increase in the numbers of the official tree of the year, the Fever tree (Acacia xanthophloea) being planted. In addition the City will be planting this year’s uncommon trees of the year, the Cape Garenia (Rothmania capensis), Bell gardenia (Rothmannia globosa), and Tonga-kerrie (Cladostemon kirkii), along with various indigenous tree species.

The City Parks Department recently completed a comprehensive Greening Strategy which will be used as a guide for the next five to ten years. This strategy seeks to provide, improve and enhance the value of green spaces and the environment in a qualitative and sustainable manner:

• For the use of passive and active recreation and social activities
• To contribute aesthetic value to the urban landscape and
• To address the effects of global warming

“Residents are encouraged to get into the spirit of Arbor Month and play their part – however big or small it may be – in greening our city. We urge residents to plant trees or shrubs in their gardens and help raise awareness about the importance of appreciating and giving back to the natural environment,” said Councillor Herron.

Similar greening events will follow this month, and some of the highlights include:

Thambo Village
Councillor Herron will host an Arbor Day event at Thambo Village in Gugulethu on 09 September. The City will plant an avenue of 100 indigenous trees (Ficus natalensis, rubignosa) on the greenbelt in Silverstream Road to create a landscape feature.

“The avenue of trees in Thambo Village is part of City Parks’ environmental transformation, which seeks to turn the sandy Cape Flats into a green, leafy suburb. In the years to come, residents of Thambo Village and neighbouring Manenberg will have an opportunity to sit under the shade of these trees in the hot summer months,” said Councillor Herron.

Kraaifontein Civic Centre
The City will plant twenty (20) trees at the Kraaifontein Civic Centre with the help of school children from the area on 10 September. Fever trees and other indigenous trees such as Ficus natalensis, rubignosa, Rhus pendulina, and Ceratonia siliqua will be planted – all of which are all well suited to the soil in the area.

World Parks Day
City Parks will partner with the Sport, Recreation and Amenities Department to celebrate World Parks Day on 18 September. The various departments will conduct clean-up campaigns and plant trees in local parks. In addition, the City will circulate leaflets, posters and a calendar of events to local libraries to help raise awareness about the importance of trees and preserving the environment.

City exhibit at Sunday Tribune Garden and Leisure Show
The City of Cape Town will be exhibiting at the Sunday Tribune Garden and Leisure Show in Pietermaritzburg from 24 – 26 September. The exhibit showcases simple ways to green space by using recycled material and demonstrates techniques for maximising space by planting vertically, thereby conserving and enhancing the environment.

Issued by: Communication Department
Source: City of Cape Town

Millions of South Africans, especially those that are without piped water, are directly dependent on the rivers for their livelihoods.  Rivers get polluted easily, partly because there is lack of education on the side [...]]]> Posted by: Saving Water SA (Cape Town, South Africa) – partnered with Water Rhapsody conservation systems – 03 September 2010

Millions of South Africans, especially those that are without piped water, are directly dependent on the rivers for their livelihoods.  Rivers get polluted easily, partly because there is lack of education on the side of communities and business on the importance of keeping them healthy.

Luvuvhu River is being polluted by wastes such as heavy metals, pesticides, chemical compounds from fertilisers, wastewater effluents and other solid waste.

Our river systems are connected naturally and artificially, through interbasin transfer schemes, making the transportation of pollutants from one catchment area to another possible.

Thankfully the Deputy Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs, Rejoice Mabudafhasi, has radically embarked on a campaign during the month of August, as part of women’s empowerment, to create awareness among South Africans of the need to care for our scarce water resources. This campaign promotes active participation of communities, especially women and youth in the Departmental programmes to ensure sustainability.

The Deputy Minister visited the Luvuvhu River in the Limpopo Region on 4 August 2010, which is polluted by wastes such as heavy metals, pesticides, chemical compounds from fertilisers, wastewater effluents and other solid waste.  Water quality reports show that the Luvuvhu River and its tributaries already indicate high levels of faecal pollution and steady increases in phosphate and nitrates.

“Let us keep our rivers clean and stop the pollution that kills our fish and contaminates our water resources. When you educate a woman you educate the nation” said the Deputy Minister in her speech delivered in Limpopo.

The event in Limpopo culminated with a political commitment by high authorities, Premier Mathale, Executive Mayor of Vhembe District Municipality, Councillor Philemon Falaza Mdaka and Thulamela Mayor, and Councillor Vhamusanda Vho-Thivhulanwi Makumane, who all signed a pledge to keep Luvuvhu River clean, sustainably utilised and conserved.

As part of the Deputy Minister’s Public Participation Programme, the campaign extended to Kwa-Zulu Natal on 13 August 2010 where the Deputy Minister, Rejoice Mabudafhasi, was accompanied by a group of women who enthusiastically cleaned the Isipingo River in Umlazi Township.

When addressing the community of Umlazi, the Deputy Minister said “The Adopt–a-River  project was started in 2008 in KZN and the government has never stopped supporting this initiative; KZN has always been active in this project and they called for support from the head office; I would like to congratulate KZN for the enthusiasm shown by women‘’.

Besides signing a political commitment to keep the river systems in Umlazi clean, the Executive Mayor of eThekwini, Obed Mlaba, and local authorities, presented the river cleaning tools to Umlazi women making their commitment more practical.

Taking lessons from local heroes

Michael Fani Mlangeni, in Umlazi U Section, is a resident who has been cleaning Isipingo River since 1976. He was excited to have the Deputy Minister and the eThekwini Executive Mayor, as well as local authorities, paying a visit to his park, popularly known as ‘How Long Park’.  Michael started caring for Isipingo River by planting beautiful flower gardens making it an attractive community park for wedding celebrations, birthday parties and other community festivals.

When Michael started acting on his dream of converting a river bank into a park, he used to borrow tools from neighbours until he received seed funding from the United States. “The US sponsorship I received in 1990 from the Government of United States amounted to R2, 040 .00 which changed my life as I could comfortably proceed with the construction of the park using my own equipment “says Michael. “The eThekwini Municipality started appreciating the work I was doing by fully developing ‘How Long’ into a fully-fledged municipal park in 1998” says Michael.

Michael says “Everybody who visits the park has to sign the register to keep the history of the park for the next generations to come. I am happy to have the Deputy Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs as a signatory on my register and also happy about the comments she made about this park”.

For taking care of Isipingo River, Michael’s work has been  receiving  both local and international  recognition in the form of prestigious awards like Hero of Today by Reader’s Digest, Mayor’s Award  for Excellence by eThekwini Municipality,  and awards by the Mayor of Leeds in London .

In spite of the good lesson he is teaching the community, Michael is experiencing a challenge from people who continually pollute upstream, but that does not stop him from keeping the park in good order.

This report was produced in consultation with Water Affairs, the Department responsible for the roll-out of the Adopt-a-River Programme.

Source: Water Research Commission

The slow pace of cleaning up South Africa’s abandoned mines is leading to an ecological and environmental disaster, MPs on the Standing Committee on Public Account (Scopa) said on Wednesday.

AMD with a [...]]]> Posted by: Saving Water SA (Cape Town, South Africa) – partnered with Water Rhapsody conservation systems – 01 September 2010

The slow pace of cleaning up South Africa’s abandoned mines is leading to an ecological and environmental disaster, MPs on the Standing Committee on Public Account (Scopa) said on Wednesday.

AMD with a pH of 2.6 flows directly into the hippodam in the Krugersdorp Game Reserve

MPs launched a scathing attack on the department of mineral resources’ mine rehabilitation programme. ANC MP Roy Ainslie said the department’s plan to rehabilitate the polluting mines was “virtually non-existent”.

“It seems it was put together yesterday because it was anticipated we would ask about an implementation plan,” he said. “It implements structures, it talks about policy, but there is no action plan.”

Ainslie said according to his calculations, cleaning up South Africa’s 5 906 abandoned mines would take around 3 000 years if the programme continued at its current rate.

“You rehabilitated five mines in three years. That is 1.5 mines a year, but let’s give you the benefit of the doubt and say you’ve rehabilitated two mines a year. We have 5 906 abandoned mines. Two into 5 906 goes 2 953 years. My question is by when do you plan to have rehabilitated these 5 906 abandoned mines?”

Inkatha Freedom Party MP Narend Singh said the slow pace of the cleanup was leading SA to an “ecological and environmental disaster”. “By that time we will have sink holes, we’ll have contaminated water. It will be an ecological and environmental disaster.

“It is just not on for us to be hearing here that we have a serious problem in this country with abandoned mines and it is going to take that long to recover.”

DA MP Marke Steele said the department had known of the potential crisis for years. “In the 2002 the MPRD Act (Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act 28 of 2002) was passed, so the department knew what was coming. In 2004 the act came into effect.”

He said in 2006 the department had instructed the department of geosciences to develop a national strategy for abandoned mines in SA.

The cost of the cleanup was estimated at R30bn. The amount was included in financial statements of the department as “a contingent liability” in the financial years 2007/08 and 2008/09.

“Every year the department had a contingent liability of R30bn for the cost of rehabilitating mines,” Steele said. “It knew what was coming.”

Steele laid into mineral resources director general Sandile Nogxina’s “inactivity and incompetence” in dealing with the issue.

“I want to know, chair, who was the DG in office in all of this time of inactivity when it came to planning and total incompetence, when it came to preparing for what everybody knew was going to happen – there was going to be a crisis.

“Who do we hold accountable for not planning properly? I think we will follow with executive authority over this total failure to plan responsibly.”

“The DG then was Sandile Nogxina – myself,” Nogxina replied. He agreed that the department had seen the crisis coming. “I agree, all this time we saw this coming. What we did may have been inadequate, but I don’t agree nothing was done in order to address the issue.”

He said the department did not have a long-term plan to rehabilitate mines. “The plan we have is a plan that covers this financial year. We are going to come up with a long term plan that will enable us to understand how long it will take us to rehabilitate all those 6 000 ownerless and derelict mines.”

Nogxina said holding mining houses responsible for cleaning up the mines was “a serious problem”.

“Morally they are obliged to do it. Unfortunately the kind of legal dispensation we had at the time when they generated this kind of problem was not holding them accountable for that.

“So there is a legal dispute between those people and the government because they are saying that when they operated those mines at the time, the law did not require them to do what we require them to do right now.”

Scopa chair Themba Godi said the rehabilitation of the mines had to be given “absolute priority”. “We want to have this element given absolute priority, otherwise it might render everything else we do pointless,” he said.

“Building RDP houses, building hospitals and schools for communities around affected areas will be wasted expenditure if those areas are going to become difficult to live in. “It is a life and death problem.”

The chair of the portfolio committee on minerals, Mpumelelo Frederick Gona, said cleaning up the mines could “never be the sole responsibility of the government”.

He said he would allow the department space to deal with the Chamber of Mines “to determine what role they will play in dealing with the problem”.

“It would be foolhardy to expect money to come out of coffers of government,” he said.

- SAPA

When going solar it is best to ensure that you are getting a quality product and system.

Conergy's thermosyphen insulation layer is made to perform in cold European conditions.

Solar systems are subjected to extreme conditions of heat and cold, [...]]]> Posted by: Yes Solar Cape (Cape Town, South Africa) – 31 August 2010

When going solar it is best to ensure that you are getting a quality product and system.

Conergy's thermosyphen insulation layer is made to perform in cold European conditions.

Solar systems are subjected to extreme conditions of heat and cold, rain, hail, etc. Unless they are carefully designed, they may have only a short life and will then not be economical in the long run.

A solar hot water system should last 15 to 20 years. Warranties vary, so look for a product that offers a 10-year warranty on the tank and panels.

A simple measure of a system’s efficiency would be the value of the Eskom rebate attributed to that system, providing that you ensure a like-for-like analysis, e.g. comparing a 150 litre against a 300 litre would not be a fair comparison.

Thermosyphon systems are normally complete on-roof hot water systems. The bottom of the tank has to be above the top of the collector (solar panels), for the thermosyphon action to work. These systems are low on maintenance since there are no moving parts.

In indirect (closed) systems, due to the solar radiation and differences in the specific weight of cold and hot fluids, the heat exchange fluid rises to the top of the collector. From here it flows into the heat exchanger of the storage tank and heats the water in the tank.

Flowing out of the heat exchanger the cold heat exchange fluid in turn flows back into the collector and is heated there. The heated water then flows into the hot water lines and can be used directly for cooking, washing or showering.

Look for the heat exchanger process. Some systems offer only a partial jacket heat exchanger or use an element along the axes of the tank. Make sure that you opt for a full jacket heat exchanger. This will provide greatly increased heating efficiencies.

Check the tank insulation. Polyurethane of 60mm maximises heat retention. This will ensure that heat loss is slowed down, especially during the night when its cold.

Only SABS approved systems qualify for the Eskom rebate. A SABS test report does not imply SABS approval. Look for the SABS stamp of approval.

A review due on Monday (US time) can help restore public faith in the United Nations panel of climate scientists and its finding that global warming is man made despite errors in a 2007 [...]]]> Posted by: Saving Water SA (Cape Town, South Africa) – partnered with Water Rhapsody conservation systems – 30 August 2010

A review due on Monday (US time) can help restore public faith in the United Nations panel of climate scientists and its finding that global warming is man made despite errors in a 2007 report, the UN’s environment chief said.

The IPCC is 90% certain that mankind is driving global warming. Photo: AP/Mikhail Metzel

Achim Steiner also said extreme weather in 2010, such as floods in Pakistan or Russia’s heatwave, were a “stark warning” of the need to act to slow global warming, as outlined by the UN panel.

He said he would be surprised if the review, spurred by mistakes in a 2007 report such as an exaggeration of the thaw of Himalayan glaciers, called for any radical overhaul of the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

The InterAcademy Council, comprising science academies around the world, is due to hand its review and recommendations for the future of the IPCC to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in New York.

Mr Steiner, head of the Nairobi-based UN Environment Program (UNEP), said the report follows others in 2010 that have backed the core findings by the IPCC that it is at least 90 per cent certain that mankind is driving global warming.

“Hopefully the release will be a moment where the public can reflect and say that all these reviews have not pointed to any fundamental flaw in the work,” Mr Steiner said.

He said he had not seen the IAC report and would only get a copy 30 minutes before its release. He said those who were sceptical that global warming is man made had seized on a few mistakes to challenge the entire IPCC.

“There is a climate of doubt and uncertainty that has been created,” Mr Steiner said. “This is not justified”.

The IPCC shared the 2007 Nobel peace prize with US climate campaigner Al Gore.

The controversy about the IPCC, following a UN summit in Copenhagen in December that fell short of agreeing a new global climate treaty, “has slowed down momentum”, Mr Steiner said.

“It has created uncertainty in an area where that is not needed.

“I suspect (the IAC) will make proposals for enhancing, strengthening, improving the process of working on climate reporting and the assessment.

“I’d be surprised, though I don’t know, if there are fundamental changes” to the way the IPCC works, he said.

The recommendations will be debated by governments at a meeting in South Korea in October.

Possible reforms include making the IPCC quicker at coming up with reports, perhaps focusing more on regional effects. The IPCC now focuses on assessments of the global climate every six or seven years.

He said he doubted the IAC would discuss leaders of the IPCC, led by chairman Rajendra Pachauri.

“It was not the council’s mandate to evaluate individuals,” he said.

- Reuters

Water Rhapsody rainwater harvesting tank

Harvest rainwater from your roof to ensure that the water strike does not leave you without water.

Unresolved wage negotiations in the water sector have prompted SA Municipal [...]]]> Posted by: Saving Water SA (Cape Town, South Africa) – partnered with Water Rhapsody conservation systems – 30 August 2010

Water Rhapsody rainwater harvesting tank

Harvest rainwater from your roof to ensure that the water strike does not leave you without water.

Unresolved wage negotiations in the water sector have prompted SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) members to embark on a national strike as of today.

Samwu has threatened that water taps would run dry today as members in the water sector embark on a national strike.

Samwu spokesperson Tahir Sema said there was a dispute between Samwu, the National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) and the employers’ organisation, the South African Association of Water Utilities (Saawu).

He said Saawu) had offered the unions a 9percent wage increase, while they wanted between 11 and 13,5percent.

“We rejected the nine percent offer and will go on strike today, which means that the water supply throughout the country will be affected,” Tahir said.