CSIR strengthens partnership with Rand Water 

On Wednesday, 25 January 2023, the CSIR Water Research Centre welcomed members of the Rand Water Services Forum at the CSIR Pretoria campus. Rand Water Services Forum serves as a communication vehicle for information sharing with customers in the Rand Water area of supply.

The Forum comprises of municipal officials, politicians, government departments, private companies, institutions of higher learning and other water services sector partners. The CSIR is part of the Forum.

“As a people-centric organisation, one of our strategic objectives is that, while we create a wealth of knowledge, we should also ensure that this knowledge is shared with our stakeholders. We believe that your visit to the CSIR will help you gather knowledge that will enhance the operations of your organisation,” said Dr Patrick Hlabela, Research Group Leader at the CSIR Water Research Centre.

Various topical water-related issues were discussed, including acid mine drainage (AMD), water supply challenges, impact of climate change on water resources, as well as water demand management.

The aim of the educational visit was to expose the Forum to various water related research, development and innovation (RD&I) projects taking place at the CSIR. Over 70 individuals attended the education visit and tour.

“Water leakage (non-revenue water), dysfunctional water and wastewater infrastructure, high-cost water treatment technologies, AMD treatment, poor water planning and accountability, dwindling water resources, deteriorating water quality, emerging water pollutants, lack of access to alternative water resources and lack of key domain skills are some of the water challenges being addressed,” noted Hlabela.

“The CSIR Water Research Center seeks to address systemic water problems through its re-focused RD&I that is centred around three thematic areas: smart water and wastewater infrastructure, smart water analytics and solutions and smart water use,” added Hlabela.

“On behalf of Rand Water, I would like to thank the CSIR Water Research Centre colleagues. We value your knowledge and willingness to share with stakeholders. It has been an exciting tour that has presented us with an opportunity to meet stakeholders for the first time, on a ‘face to face’ since Covid-19 outbreak,” said Mbuyiswa Makhubela, General Manager for Corporate Services at Rand Water.

The educational visit and tour embody the CSIR’s strategic objective to build and transform human capital.

By Obakeng Ratlhogo