Water is a vital resource. It is essential for human life and wellbeing, healthy ecosystems, global food security, energy and industry. Without it, human existence and development of the global economy is doomed. Never before has the issue of water security and availability received such focus, and rightly so. Economic development, population growth, food security and climate change are all likely to contribute to severe shortages and degradation of global water supplies and ecosystems over the next 30 years, particularly in the developing world.

In recent years, African countries have demonstrated a renewed commitment to industrialisation as part of a broader agenda to diversify economies as a critical vehicle for growth and poverty reduction in the region. This has seen a rapid acceleration in growth on the continent, generating with it new opportunities for investment. When it comes to future global investment strategies, Africa is high on the agenda for investors and entrepreneurs. However, this also brings with it substantial challenge – particularly in the realm of water availability and security.

Water is critical for many businesses, and by its nature is non-substitutable. All goods and services require water in their production, and water is used in some way in all manufacturing processes. Companies are increasingly being faced with physical water shortages or quality issues, which causes disruptions to continuity and volumes of production, reduced revenues, and poses potential regularity and reputational consequences. Business sectors such as agriculture and beverages face even more direct challenges, as sustainable sources of good quality water, particularly in regions characterised by growing water stress become harder to find. Although Africa is a continent endowed with rich natural resources, many parts of the country have limited access to water due to insufficient infrastructure and poor governance. Where water is available, habitually in the more populated areas, the quality is often severely compromised due to lack of adequate sanitation or waste disposal services, mining discharges, industrial effluent and agricultural run-off.

Consequently, available freshwater (both ground and surface water) becomes heavily polluted chemically and pathologically. Furthermore, water sources in Africa are predominantly trans-boundary and are exposed to significant agricultural, mineral and industrial extraction across a number of competing regions. The water sector is also strongly influenced by, and sensitive to, changes in climate and prolonged climate variability. Climate change will not have uniform impacts on water issues across the continent, but will aggravate water stress in some areas while reducing it in others. As pressure from demographic and economic growth intensifies and the competition for food, energy and water multiplies, it is going to become increasingly critical for companies to look to innovative solutions for not only identifying and assessing water-related risks, but for optimising available water sources to ensure operational and business longevity. Additional motivation for this is that the responsibility of urban and industrial water supplies is not typically a government priority as is the case in more developed countries.

Therefore the challenge of ensuring a sustainable water source of adequate quality for use in operations is likely to remain a responsibility of companies operating in Africa. The development and application of water management practices and technologies provides alternative and reliable water sources for operation. The entire operational water cycle should be considered including sourcing adequate quality water for use in operations, in factory water management practices and wastewater treatment and discharge. Opportunities for biogas recovery as a green energy source and water recovery for reuse become viable options, particularly in companies situated in Africa where these needs are not easily met by current infrastructure.

In a region expected to experience severe water scarcity by 2025, the potential for reusing wastewater in Africa cannot be ignored. Yet despite such potential, the effectiveness and success of such initiatives relies largely on the successful partnering with a reputable water and wastewater management company. Effective partnering offer companies the best chance for a water management solution and technology selection that will suit the company, their operations and industry effectively.

This enables the water management company, such as Talbot & Talbot to ensure sustainable supply of good quality water and optimal operational and maintenance costs. As treatment requires sophisticated technologies, the risk of failure is particularly high, especially given the challenges associated with construction, operation and maintenance of such facilities in Africa. Effective management from the outset is fundamental and allows for timeous delivery of critical information and feedback essential for performance optimisation, higher recovery of recycled water, benchmarking and trending of plants and forewarning to allow for mitigation of potential malfunctions or disruptions.

Although initial investments in such treatment technologies may be substantial, the pay back is justified in terms of security of supply and continued operation, water loss control and use efficiency. Further benefits include improved corporate reputation as infrastructure investments service local communities and aids in protecting environmental resources. This leads to improving water management, securing water for the company’s operations, water management beyond the factory gate and ensuring client-orientated water risks are considered.