Helping to meet immediate water needs at municipal level, is Intaka Tech, a division of the Intaka Group, manufacturer and marketer of state-of-theart equipment, including mobile Water Purification Plants (WPPs). The primary objective of this solutionsdriven company is to improve and enhance the lifestyle, and well-being of its target market.
With its head office in South Africa, the industrial gateway to the African continent, Intaka Tech operates throughout South Africa and its neighbouring countries, and is committed to growing and entrenching its presence in Africa on an ongoing basis.
It is undertaking a project to supply 20 of its WPP’s, each of which can produce up to 50 000 litres of potable drinking water per hour, to various district municipalities in KwaZulu-Natal. Phase three and four of the 20 installations are currently being carried out.
The district municipalities benefiting from this technology are Ugu, uMgungundlovo, uThukela, Umzinyathi, Amajuba, Zululand, Umkhanyakude, uThungulu, Ilembe and Sisonke.
Addressing water backlog
The concept to provide mobile water purification plants to these municipalities was initiated by the Department of Local Government and Traditional Affairs, due to the backlog of people who do not have access to safe drinking water. The Department believes that mobile water purification plants represent a temporary solution to water supply deficiencies in remote areas, where a source of raw material is available however permanent supplies are not.
The project contributes to the Provincial target of providing all citizens with access to clean and safe water by 2009, and will have a beneficial impact on the Provincial goals of poverty alleviation, and improving the quality of life and health status of people in poor communities.
Rodrigo Savoi, Intaka Tech CEO explained, “Once the installations are complete and a network of effective water services are in place, the 20 WPP are able to generate up to 22 million litres of potable water every day… The WPP’s will therefore be meeting some of South Africa’s immediate municipal water needs in KwaZulu-Natal. This is however only the first step as there is a great deal more to be done with regard to water purification in KwaZulu-Natal as well as in Limpopo and Mpumalanga”.
South Africa as a whole, is in the process of addressing concerns in its water sector, which seem to chiefly be due to long lead times required for developing new water schemes, as well as the upgrading of the ageing infrastructure, that stems from as far back as two decades (1970s and 1980s). In the meantime the Intaka Tech WPP’s are able to deal right away with pressing water requirements.
Savoi continued, “Once new permanent water schemes and infrastructure is in place, the WPP’s can easily be relocated to other areas of need”.
Intaka Tech’s WPP’s and their components, are easily transported and installed without complications. This degree of mobility allows the WPP’s to be operational within six days once the plants have been delivered.
The WPP’s not only remove high turbidity and colour, but also eliminate bacteria, spores, viral and parasite pathogenic agents, thus preventing typical waterborne diseases. All models are manufactured from grade 304 stainless steel making them corrosion resistant and extremely durable to the elements and the water treatment process.
BOT (Build-operate-transfer) tender concept
Intaka Tech is engaging with government in the build-operate-transfer (BOT) tender concept. Governments around the world have generally used BOT schemes as a method of financing the construction of urgently needed infrastructure projects.
BOT type tenders for immediate water supply interventions are particularly beneficial in that the training, skill transfer and development aspects are addressed during the operational phase, providing skilled & able personal when transfer takes place.
The aforementioned concept has been recommended by numerous consulting firms, where the private sector can offer government immediate solutions to any failing infrastructure, and address immediate water needs in selective key areas at a fraction of the cost compared to the long terms planned interventions.
The WPP’s are also useful in small towns, coastal and rural villages, and communities where the current water sources are not sufficient to warrant larger schemes or where the relevant technology is not in place.
Manufacturing plant
Intaka Tech is currently utilizing the services of a manufacturing plant in KwaZulu- Natal, which is contributing to job creation and skills transfer in the province. This is in line with the Provincial Economic Growth and Development Strategy of attracting inward investment into the province.
Potential for further growth and expansion of the manufacturing plant, with export opportunities to the rest of the country and into Africa, are significant with attendant spin-off benefits to KwaZulu-Natal. The entire project can therefore be regarded as a pilot project with major growth potential.