Middledrift: Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation, David Mahlobo, has commended the Water Research Commission’s (WRC) ongoing investment and efforts to provide innovative technological solutions to water challenges through the launch of the Vortex Settling Basin (VSB).
According to South African Government News Agency, the VSB is a water treatment system that employs a vortex flow pattern to remove sediments, suspended solids, and other pollutants from water. It operates on the principle of centrifugal force, which causes heavier particles to settle at the bottom of the basin while cleaner water is discharged from the top. The VSB efficiently removes heavy sediment particles, which settle in a cone shape and can be extracted by gravity, allowing clearer water to flow out over a discharge weir.
Deputy Minister Mahlobo emphasized that this technology will provide the municipality with an energy-efficient solution for sediment removal, ensuring a reliable water supply with minimal maintenance. The vortex operates at 90% efficiency, increasing water security in the area by allowing more water to be treated. The technology also addresses water turbidity, ensuring good water quality.
The remarks were made during the official handover and launch of the VSB demonstration at the Thukela River abstraction works in Middledrift, Nkandla, KwaZulu-Natal. The launch marked the beginning of a demonstration phase to monitor the system’s effectiveness for potential wider implementation. The VSB, with a pump capacity of 8.6 mega-litres per day, will benefit stakeholders reliant on surface water abstraction for agricultural, municipal, and industrial purposes.
Deputy Minister Mahlobo assured community members that the municipality has acquired a cost-effective technology that will facilitate desilting by removing sedimentation in the dams. He highlighted that Madungela was chosen for several reasons, including high sediment concentrations from the contributing catchment downstream of the existing Spioenkop Dam and the absence of a gravel trap at the pump station, allowing a good comparison with VSB performance.
Mahlobo urged the community to protect the VSB, emphasizing its benefits. WRC Chief Executive, Dr Jennifer Molwantwa, highlighted the significance of the commission’s work, especially for rural communities who will now have access to reliable potable water. Molwantwa stated that the innovation demonstrates the WRC’s ability to translate scientific innovations into practical applications, with the potential to improve the efficiency and capacity of water treatment systems across the country, particularly benefiting rural communities.