Water

JG Afrika’s multidisciplinary water team comprises water engineers, hydraulic engineers, hydrologists, geohydrologists and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) experts. We offer the full range of services, including the design of community water supply schemes, large industrial pipelines, groundwater projects, flood risk assessments, water resource management, water balance studies, dam design from feasibility to construction monitoring and water governance and planning.

We have been responsible for the successful planning, design, implementation, construction supervision and management of many water-related projects for national, provincial and local government clients as well as mining and industrial clients such as rural community water reticulation supply schemes, bulk pipelines and pump stations, abstraction schemes, reservoirs, industrial pipelines, water treatment works and major water resource development projects.

JG Afrika
JG Afrika
JG Afrika

Water Engineering

  • Water needs assessments
  • Water demand projections
  • Water source options
  • Feasibility studies
  • Water services development plans (WSDPs)
  • Bulk water master plans
  • Economic and financial planning and impact assessments
  • Water loss investigations and demand management
  • Asset assessments and management plans.

Design

  • Rural and urban reticulation
  • Bulk water supply
  • Water treatment works
  • Storage reservoirs
  • Pump stations
  • Pipe jacking
  • River abstraction
  • Pipeline materials options
  • Corrosion protection studies.

Modelling and Analysis

  • Hydraulic modelling
  • Transients analysis and surge suppression
  • System optimisation.

Construction Management

  • Bidding documents and procurement processes
  • Evaluation reports
  • Contract agreements and documentation
  • Construction administration and monitoring.

Our in-house team of professionals provide a one-stop shop for the design of dams and weirs (both new and/or rehabilitation projects), from undertaking feasibility studies through to detail design and construction monitoring. Our services include water resource studies, hydrological and hydraulic modelling, dam site selection, geotechnical and materials investigations, spillway design, and the design of small and large dams and associated infrastructure such as intake and outlet structures. Our capabilities also include the design and construction supervision of pollution control dams and tailings facilities in the mining industry. Finally, our professionals have been involved in many dam safety inspections, including the development of emergency preparedness plans.

Dams | Nacala Dam wall raising and rehabilitation | JG Afrika
Dikgatlhong Dam spillway under construction, Botswana | JG Afrika
Dams | Nzhelele Dam stability investigation and hydrological assessment | JG Afrika

Regional Water Resource Studies

  • Hydrological studies
  • Impacts of climate change
  • Systems analyses
  • Potential water use: water supply, hydropower, irrigation, regulation
  • Reserve determinations.

Dam and River Intake Selection

  • Desktop studies
  • Reconnaissance of suitable dam locations
  • Geomorphological investigations
  • Geotechnical investigations
  • Foundations
  • Construction materials sources.

Dam Feasibility Studies

  • Flood and yield modelling and systems analyses
  • Investigation of alternative dam and spillway types
  • Comparisons with alternative sources, e.g. groundwater, desalination
  • Investigation of hydropower potential
  • Preliminary dam, intake and spillway design and cost estimates
  • Project financing and financial impact studies
  • Operational requirements and annual costs
  • Economic analyses to determine best option.

Dam Rehabilitation

  • Dam safety inspections
  • Repair and maintenance
  • Dam embankment raising options
  • Spillway and outlet works refurbishment
  • Plant and equipment refurbishment
  • Environmental remediation
  • Revised management, operation and maintenance plans.

Dam Detail Design, Tendering and Construction Management

  • River hydraulics and backwater modelling
  • Sedimentation and seismic studies
  • Environmental and social impact assessments
  • Dam embankment stability and seepage analyses
  • Spillway computational and hydraulic modelling
  • Intake, outlet and hydropower plant design
  • Ancillary works and structures design
  • Access roads and bridges design
  • Environmental and emergency water release systems
  • Preparation of bidding documents
  • Management of bidding and award processes
  • Construction monitoring
  • Management, operation and maintenance plans.

Our professional team of geohydrologists provide services in groundwater supply projects and risk and impact studies, as well as compiling water use licence applications. Clients range from government departments, municipalities, parastatals, engineers, private developers, environmental practitioners, and industrial, mine and agricultural operations. Groundwater supply projects comprise groundwater potential assessments, geophysical surveys, borehole drilling, sustainable yield testing, water quality testing and equipment. The same geohydrological characterisation techniques are used in specialist studies for risk and impact in terms of probability, scale, duration and magnitude. Studies for large-scale, high-risk developments are augmented with groundwater flow and mass transport model development. All aspects of water use licence applications in terms of the National Water Act (1998) are handled by our earth scientists, who develop the required technical and administrative submission documents, including specialist studies.

ids playing in Borehole-water
Community standpipe and cattle watering trough at Munyu, KwaZulu-Natal | JG Afrika

Groundwater Supply Projects

  • Rural water supply
  • Groundwater resource management and strategies
  • Aerial photography interpretation
  • Groundwater resource mapping and assessment
  • Groundwater resource sustainability determinations
  • Groundwater feasibility studies and business plan preparation
  • Groundwater borehole siting, aquifer testing, management recommendations, development and design
  • Geophysical investigations including: magnetics, electromagnetics, seismics, resistivity profiles and sounding.

Groundwater Monitoring

  • Groundwater management and optimisation
  • Industrial sites
  • Landfills
  • Cemeteries
  • Mine sites
  • Petrol stations
  • Sanitation protocols.

JG Afrika has a well-established group of professional hydrologists who have the expertise to offer a range of services across the different types of hydrology-related projects. These include water resources assessments (hydrological modelling), floodline determinations, stormwater management plans, flood risk assessments, one- and two-dimensional hydraulic modelling and climate change impact assessments. These projects have ranged from small localised catchments all the way up to some of the biggest river basins in Southern Africa. Our team is able to offer the mining sector a wealth of experience in developing water balances, undertaking GN 704 compliance assessments and sizing of pollution control dams (PCDs), stormwater attenuation dams and other clean and dirty stormwater infrastructure. We have extensive experience in trans-boundary water management, basin-wide planning for different water usages, and the development of monitoring programmes and early flood warning systems.

JG Afrika
Hydraulic and hydrology assessment at Baviaanskloof WWTW | JG Afrika
Hammarsdale Dam labyrinth wetland system which will replace the ecoservices supplied by the water hyacinth | JG Afrika
hydrology

Design Flood Hydrology and Hydraulic Modelling

  • Determination of peak discharge values at various recurrence intervals using the most appropriate design flood estimation methods such as:
    • Empirical methods (e.g. Francou Rodier Method (RMF))
    • Deterministic methods (e.g. Rational, SCS-SA, Unit Hydrograph, SDF methods)
    • Probabilistic methods
    • Regional Flood Frequency Analysis methods
  • Verification of recurrence intervals of actual observed floods (e.g. floods during construction of large infrastructure projects)
  • Use of the Hec-Ras 1D and 2D hydraulic model for the modelling of small river reaches and large floodplains
  • Typical applications and related projects include:
    • Dam design (spillway) purposes
    • Identification of flood risk potential at both small scale (individual development) and large scale (development of Flood Risk Information Systems for provinces)
    • Modelling of large river floodplains (incl. Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers)
    • Bridge designs (road and rail projects)
    • Stormwater management plans
    • Floodline delineations
    • Erosion potential assessments

Catchment Hydrology and Water Resources System Analysis

  • Rainfall analysis, including data integrity analysis and patching of data
  • Rainfall Runoff Modelling using the following models:
    • ACRU agro hydrological model
    • WRSM2000 rainfall run-off model
  • Water Resources planning and yield analysis using the following models:
    • Water Resources Yield Model
    • Water Resources Planning Model
  • Climate change impact assessments
  • Determination of and inclusion of Environmental Water Requirements in analysis of water resources potential
  • Determination of yields from existing storage structures such as weirs and dams
  • Typical applications and related projects include:
    • Dam feasibility studies
    • Water supply projects
    • Agricultural projects
    • River basin water resources planning and system analysis including transboundary basins Environmental Water Requirement (reserve determination) studies
    • Mining projects

Climate Change

  • Analysis of effects of climate change on the following aspects of the water sector:
  • Yields from storage structures such as dams, weirs etc.
  • Catchment yields
  • Extreme events such as droughts and floods
  • Sedimentation
  • Assessment of changes in irrigation demands on agricultural projects

Mining Hydrology

  • Water and salt balances
  • Integrated Waste and Water Management Plans
  • Assessment of stormwater management infrastructure according to GN704 of the
  • National Water Act
  • Sizing of Pollution Control Dams
  • Water Use License Applications

JG Afrika has a strong profile in the integrated water resource management space and has worked extensively with transboundary river basin organisations (RBOs) in the SADC Region. Our experience has included working and interacting with the likes of OKACOM, LIMCOM, ZAMCOM and ORASECOM. Our team has been involved in long-term technical assistance contracts to provide support of various kinds to some of these organisations to assist them with basin-wide water resource management and planning. This has included the development and running of basin planning tools (hydrological and environmental models) to assess the impacts of competing water uses (hydropower, irrigation and domestic), analyse the impacts of climate change and the development of basin-wide flood early warning systems. All of this has involved extensive liaison and interaction with and support for the Member State organisations and the RBOs themselves.

Investigation of instream flow requirements for Lesotho Lowlands Bulk Water Supply Scheme | JG Afrika
Assessment of the impacts of acid mine drainage on pans, Welkom, Free State | JG Afrika

River Eco-Status Monitoring Plan (REMP) and Management

  • A component of the National Aquatic Ecosystem Health Monitoring Programme (NAEHMP)
  • Riparian vegetation delineations and assessments
  • Instream and riparian habitat assessments
  • Water quality assessment
  • Diatom assessment
  • Sediment (perennial and seasonal systems) and soil assessments (ephemeral systems)
  • Macro-invertebrate assessment (SASS5 accredited)
  • Fish assessment (including Red Data Fish surveys)
  • Monitor contaminant levels in fresh water fish
  • Toxicity Bioassays – acute screening and definitive tests on algae, bacteria, daphnia and guppies
  • State of the rivers reporting
  • Aquatic input into EMPs and BMAPs
  • Design of aquatic biomonitoring programmes.

Specialist Studies within the EIA and BA Process

  • Aquatic biomonitoring
  • Wetland delineations and assessments
  • Aquatic biodiversity assessments and management plans
  • Aquatic impact assessment
  • Restoration and rehabilitation plans for rivers and wetlands
  • Demarcation Permit Applications for Category 2 Invasive Alien Plants (IAPs) in accordance with NEM: BA (Act 10 of 2004) and CARA (Act 43 of 1983).

Implementation of NWA (Act 36 of 1998)

  • Identification of water uses requiring DWA authorization
  • Submission of Water Use License Applications (WULA)
  • Monitoring compliance with Water Use License (WUL) and Resource Water Quality Objectives (RWQO) and Target Water Quality Range (TWQR)
  • Design and implementation of mitigation measures

Our water governance and planning team has considerable experience in all aspects of the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) sector. Our work ranges from policy and strategy development to community-based management of water supply and sanitation, across Africa, but specifically in Southern Africa. Our projects have included national-level WASH programming, global sanitation policy assessment, development of water governance models and training courses and materials, and work at international basin scale to improve access to WASH services in river basin communities.

Water governance training | JG Afrika
Water governance training | JG Afrika
Public participation | JG Afrika

Institutional Assessments, Planning and Support

  • National water sector and institutional reform
  • Business planning
  • Water services delivery mechanism assessments (section 78 assessments)
  • Water services development plans (WSPs)
  • Water services and resource master plans
  • Municipal training and mentoring
  • Water services information systems
  • Development of water services delivery contracts and agreements
  • Support on managing water services
  • Water services and resource master plans delivery contracts and agreements
  • Policy review or development.

Customer Service Quality

  • Customer survey and gap analysis studies
  • Business process assessment and re-engineering
  • Customer service support and development of tools
  • Water management systems
  • Intelligent metering and demand management interventions
  • Meter audits.

Financial Analysis

  • Review and identification of appropriate financial systems
  • Financial planning and impact assessments
  • Economic assessment.

Infrastructure Asset Management (IAM)

  • Asset management plans (AMPs)
  • Asset condition assessments
  • Development of asset management tools and systems:
    • Asset registers and technical assessment tools
    • Geographical Information Systems (GIS)
  • Water conservation and demand management (WCDM):
    • Water use efficiency studies
    • WCDM interventions and Implementation projects
    • Technical training and mentoring.

Our specialist wastewater team has undertaken the design and implementation of nearly a hundred domestic and industrial wastewater treatment plants, from large municipal facilities to small rural package plants. This team includes process design and sludge specialists, so we are able to offer a complete wastewater treatment service from conceptual process design all the way through to sludge disposal and plant operation strategies.

JG Afrika
Drakenstein Prison WWTW raw sewage pump station | JG Afrika

Process Design and Analysis

  • Range of biological processes, including the latest process technologies
  • Process design of passive treatment systems
  • Analysis of existing treatment plant
  • Determination of process bottlenecks
  • Development of strategies for optimisation of existing biological processes and plant operation.

Infrastructure Design

  • Wastewater treatment plants, from preliminary conceptual design to final detailed design
  • Sustainable wastewater treatment technologies (passive treatment systems and greening options can be incorporated in the infrastructure design).

Mechanical Plant and Specification

  • Plant design
  • Specification and implementation monitoring services for all mechanical equipment used at wastewater treatment plants.

Sludge Treatment and Management

  • Dewatering
  • Anaerobic Digestion
  • Sludge to energy
  • Composting
  • Beneficial sludge reuse.

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