This year’s Water Institute of South Africa (WISA) conference, running concurrently with Afriwater 2011, will focus on ‘Mining, Industrial and Municipal Water Reclamation and Re-use.’

This conference comes at a time when South Africa is grappling with the challenges of treating municipal wastewater, preventing further pollution of water sources by industry and dealing with untreated acidic mine water, making it an important event for the South African water industry. During the half-day conference, to take place on Thursday the 15^th September, government speakers will discuss the latest government strategies for water re-use and desalination. Private sector perspectives on water reclamation from the mining and industrial sectors will also be given.

“Delegates will hear how waste water streams can be turned into a resource, as well as a local water reuse case study and news on the latest international trends and technology in water reclamation and re-use,” says Zia Tomes, Exhibition Manager, Afriwater.

The conference is accredited for 1 CPD point.

One new technology being investigated by the mining industry is the proposition to use decanted acid mine drainage water to treat sewerage. Untreated acidic mine water has been used in the past by municipal sewage works to aid nitrate digestion. Using it for sewerage treatment would save on treatment costs, while saving clean water otherwise used for this purpose.

The International Pump User Conference (IPUC 2011) will also run alongside Afriwater 2011, which will be delivering innovative solutions for pump users looking to save costs and decrease electricity usage. The theme for IPUC 2011 is ‘Adapting Pumping Systems for an Era of Limited and Expensive Power’ and will focus on delivering effective pumping systems that use the least amount of electricity. The two-day conference takes place on 13 and 14 September with an informative post conference workshop on Thursday 15 September which sees a panel of experts examining in detail various aspects of pumping systems assessments, whilst also expanding on their conference presentations. The conference is accredited for 2 CPD points.

“Afriwater 2011 will provide an ideal platform for all those involved in water services delivery and water services management to engage with one another’” says Tomes. “The exhibition, together with co-locating conferences, provides an interactive environment where leading industry players have the opportunity to view and discuss effective processes and solutions and where innovative products, materials, services and technological developments can be demonstrated and discussed.”

Exhibitors which will be showcasing the latest water industry technologies include Verder Pumps South Africa exhibiting its new range of HUS screw channel pumps specially designed to solve the problems of pumping thick and polluted fluids, and the high maintenance cost associated with this.

Domestic water management company, Utility Systems will be exhibiting its electronic control valve, the Water Management Device. When fitted to a pulse output water meter, it allows for a wide range of metering applications enabling utilities to accurately and electronically read meters, collate data and seamlessly integrate into an existing municipal billing and/or management system without the need to run a proprietary system in parallel. It can also detect leaks and carry out accurate synchronized water balancing.

State owned utilities such as the Trans Caledon Tunnel Authority and Johannesburg Water, which operates under the Department of Water Affairs, will also be represented at Afriwater 2011. Trenchless technologies supplier RARE runs projects across Africa utilising various pipeline rehabilitation methods such as swagelining, aqualining and CIPP and trenchless technologies. The company also supplies valves, pipes and fittings to the fluid conveyance industry covering a broad range of industry needs. These offerings will be on view at Afriwater 2011.

Local coatings manufacturer Normac will be showcasing its versatile range of spray-able polyurethanes, which are an environmentally friendly option for corrosion and erosion control in the water related industry. N & Z Instrumentation and Control will bring battery-powered mag meters to Afriwater, one of the fastest growing segments in water distribution. Isoil’s battery-powered mag meters provide the benefits of precision flow metering without requiring external power and with an optional remote-reading function.

Siemens will exhibit its complete and coordinated product portfolio for the entire energy distribution and automation technology system for water and wastewater treatment plants, pump stations and desalination plants. The Desert Cube from Titima is a low and no flush urinal system. Using natural microbial technology to control odours and the build-up of uric scale, the Desert Cube system can be used for existing urinals or a waterless urinal can be installed for the future.

Afriwater 2011 and IPUC 2011 run from 13-15 September and take place at the Expo Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa together with the co-located WISA 2011 conference which takes place on 15 September.

For further information on Afriwater 2011, contact Zia Tomes at Specialised Exhibitions on +27 (0) 82 881 2174 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or visit www.afriwater.co.za

For further information and bookings for the WISA conference, contact Lucinda Scholttz at Golder Associates on +27 (0) 11 313 1151 or email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

For further information and bookings for IPUC 2011 and IPUC Workshop, contact Veriza Smith on +27 (0) 11 325 0686 or visit www.ipuc.co.za