THE Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality has been experiencing water challenges for several years. As part of one of nine initiatives implemented by the municipality, a 460,000-litre bulk water storage tank from SBS Tanks was installed.
“Lack of rain in the catchment areas has meant that the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality has had to come up with solutions to improve the sustainability of the water supply, and keep water flowing to businesses and residents,” said director at SBS Tanks, Mava Gwagwa.
“One of the initiatives was to develop a wellfield along the western outskirts of Gqeberha, which included a bulk water storage tank.”
In the Bushy Park area, several boreholes were sited, drilled, tested and equipped with pumps. The water from these boreholes feeds collectively into a single 460,000-litre SBS Tank. The tank, along with a booster pump station, is located next to the main bulk supply lines serving the metro from the west. Potable water from the water storage tank is then pumped into the main supply, supplementing the water supply to the Metro.
“The site posed many challenges. These included difficult sand road access to the site, large and specialised pipework and nozzle requirements,” Gwagwa said.
“This is exactly why the company has an in-house engineering team that can work with consulting engineers, municipalities and other professionals to ensure a successful project outcome.”
The modular and lightweight panel construction of water storage tanks from SBS makes it possible to access remote sites with terrain challenges, such as the site at Bushy Park. By collaborating with the main contractor and consulting engineer on this project, SBS was able to successfully supply and install a sustainable and practical storage solution for the project and the overall water supply scheme.
