Business Water & Sanitation

CITY MEETS BUSINESS ON RESPONSIBLE WATER USAGE FOR BUSINESS CONTINUITY

The City of Ekurhuleni in partnership with the Ekurhuleni Water Care Company (ERWAT) hosted industry giants at the City Meets Business stakeholder engagement on Friday, 21 June.

The engagement, held at the Alberton Council Chambers in Alberton, saw the MMC for Water and Sanitation Cllr. Thembi Msane and Kennedy Chihota, the Managing Director of ERWAT, which is a municipal entity, engaging the top 100 bulk water users and property developers in Ekurhuleni on plans to champion Responsible Water Usage for Business Continuity.

The purpose of the engagement was for the private-public sectors to join heads in finding amicable alternative water-saving methods without crippling their production amidst the continuous increase in water demand that has put strain on bulk supply.

Reflecting on the engagement’s theme, Responsible Water Usage for Business Continuity, the MMC said: “The theme underscores the collective responsibility to manage our water resource effectively while ensuring businesses in Ekurhuleni thrive.

“We also applaud the industries that have managed to reduce their water usage by 51 percent and encourage other industrial water users to follow suit,” concluded MMC Msane.

The business sector was also updated on the interventions put in place that have seen the city reduce its non-revenue water. These interventions include replacement of aged water meters, leak detection devices as well as one-on-one engagements with industries to assist in finding alternative water-savings methods without crippling their production.

ERWAT’s Managing Director Kennedy Chihota stated that the municipal entity’s mandate is to treat wastewater, both domestic and industrial. Chihota further explained how the entity can assist businesses to pre-treat wastewater effluent before it is released into sewage systems, and how industries can optimise their operations and reduce water usage. ERWAT is also involved in water reuse and reclamation, supporting the city’s initiative to use water responsibly and sparingly.

Kennedy said ERWAT has a comprehensive range of services for industrial customers, with a specialized commercial business section to solve wastewater issues, while hosting a wide variety of analyses through its SANAS-accredited ISO17025 laboratory.

Among the guest speakers were representatives from the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS), who highlighted how DWS, Rand Water, and municipalities will co-operate in the water-saving initiative.