The scope of South Africa’s NRW has become a sticking point for the sector generating much private-sector interest, especially in the case of applying new technology as a solution. Xylem, an industry leader in smart water technology, hosted a webinar to discuss how technology can be used to fight against systematic water issues.

NRW is billed at bulk price, so the losses represent a potential asset if managed. The journey from loss to asset starts with the adoption of technology. Vinesan Govender, engineering manager at Xylem says, “The explosion of being able to actually use data underlines a fundamental necessity to bring South Africa into the fourth industrial revolution,” speaking to the moment.

He further goes on to say, “We have these fantastic tools in South Africa, the Blue Drop, Green Drop, No Drop, and these are essentially reports that collate data. Now we have the tools to monitor in real-time, accessing even more data, and where previously this vast amount of data would sit, we can now analyse it, make decisions, improving efficiency can be fast-tracked.”

Historically new technology is met with scepticism, but Silver Phiri from Seapro says, “The boots on the ground are genuinely excited by new tech that helps make their job easier. There has been a lot of buzz about digital twins for example, which make monitoring easier, and water professionals are keen on that.”

Govender says, “While the situation in South Africa of deteriorating infrastructure may seem gloomy, it is not alone. Using technology and borrowing knowledge from other successes shows us a way forward.”

Reuben Marowa, sales director for East and North Africa at Xylem, adds, “The situation in South Africa is not unique but it provides a unique situation to move forward. We are already seeing the use of AI, the Internet of Things, and smart solutions, being taken up to make better decisions and concise improvements.”

All of these efficiencies act as proof that the water sector thrives on collaboration, especially between the public and private sectors. “Financial stability in the sector will catalyse more investment,” adds Marowa.

Hitting walls, and climbing over them

While this rapid expansion of tech, and the easier adoption of it are near-utopian on paper there are significant hurdles to the adoption and use of technology, even if it is ‘life-saving’. Phirir says, “The actual workers on the ground level are keen for technology but the decisions don’t usually lie with them. Higher levels that give approval are the ones slower to adopt,” highlighting an interesting reversal where the workers were once anxious about new tech imposed by their management.

The usual suspects are also at play, from budget constraints to a lack of autonomy by utility managers. There is also the concern of long project times, from approval to procurement, that undermine the solutions that tech can bring. Phirir comments, “We see it all across the continent, the desperate need to maintain what we have puts improving and building in the back seat.”

While the rapid expansion of technology and the willingness to adopt it are present, there are hurdles to these solutions. Phiri says that, “The actual workers on the ground level are keen for technology but the decisions don’t usually lie with them. Higher levels that give approval are the ones slower to adopt.” The usual suspects are also at play, from budget constraints to a lack of autonomy by utility managers. There is also the concern of long project times, from approval to procurement, that undermine the solutions that tech can bring.

Phiri comments, “We see it all across the continent, the desperate need to maintain what we have puts improving and building in the back seat.”

Technology can also be taken as a hurdle itself, where it can be perceived as the catch-all solution rather than a tool. Technology is only an effective solution if used properly in line with other best practices.

All the panellists, Phiri, Govender, and Marowa agree that one of the main hurdles is a skills gap. “It makes no sense to add technology into a system where the ones who work with it are lacking the necessary training,” says Govender. This notion is also data-backed, as the key performance metric that points to a functioning water system, is having skilled staff, according to the Blue Drop 2023 report.

Another concern is the “poor supplier-to-end user relationship,” adds Phirir. From this understanding,  Morawa adds, “Xylem prioritises training and building relationships to ensure that the tech works as intended. Using technology as a solution only works when there is a strong relationship between the supplier and the end user.”

Water at the end of the tunnel

Technology aids in finding new solutions to old problems. “Every utility or system needs to look at themselves, identify their own problems, establish a baseline, and only from here they can move forward,” says Govender. Whether this is due to leakage, skills, or other problems, technology can persist in improving South Africa’s water. Govender adds, “Technology along with the data, can help us go from reactive to ‘proactive’. Moving us from rushing to fix things to preventative measures that benefit the overall health of the system.”