Rustenburg has digitised its water and sanitation network as part of a water-saving initiative that will benefit its municipality in the long run. With this, the city has developed a water master plan that will assist with reducing wastage, simplifying maintenance and enhancing municipal revenue.

The city partnered with EOH Smart Government through its IMQS and GLS divisions to implement this project.

Masheke Mukwamataba from digital information management company IMQS, said these types of systems are an essential component of building smart, resilient cities that can intelligently approach the challenges faced by rapid urbanisation and environmental change.

“The right information in the right hands at the right time informs decisions, improves awareness and ensures the effective use of resources,” he said.

Rustenburg hit hard by drought

Although all provinces across South Africa are dealing with the effects of the drought, Rustenburg in the North West is particularly prone to variable rainfall and as a result, highly vulnerable to drought. A rapid rise in population amid huge mining operations has also placed pressure on water resources and infrastructure.

Rustenburg’s municipality was one of the hardest hit by the drought last year. Acting municipal manager, Gordon Molokwane, said responding to the effects of the drought was no mean feat.

Initially, efforts were focused on improving the municipality’s network as there was a lack of electronic data. He said all relevant information was either archived across departments or non-existent.

“The inability to consolidate data made it nearly impossible to make timely and informed decisions,” he said. “Technology becomes the driver of change in such an environment and will change the manner Rustenburg will operate into the future.”

Digitised water management solution

Molokwane praised the solution implemented by the municipality. He said it was well created for engineers and has revolutionised the city’s water management strategy by allowing officials to manage infrastructure digitally, in real time.

The city’s water network was also fully digitised which has allowed the municipality to improve operations and maintenance.

The entire water system was mapped, indicating the placement of every pipe and connection, making it easy for real-time performance and fault monitoring. As a result, the municipality has been able to reduce water leaks by easily identifying problem areas and resolving them more efficiently. The number of illegal connections and faulty meters has also decreased.

This system has helped improve services to residents, the municipality’s revenue, and reduced overtime fees from R1,5 million in 2015 to R328,000 in 2016.

Using the drought as an opportunity

“While the drought has been a national crisis, Rustenburg has been able to turn it into an opportunity to become more efficient and mitigate the effects on citizens,” Molokwane said.

Sixty handheld devices have also been given to teams who are out in the field every day in order to “further improve the provision of water services, as we continue to make our city smarter,” Molokwane added.