ETHEKWINI MUNICIPALITY WATER AND SANITATION MASTER CLASS LEARNING NOTE

ETHEKWINI MUNICIPALITY WATER AND SANITATION MASTER CLASS LEARNING NOTE Durban Botanical Gardens Wednesday, 23 July 2014 Friday, 25 July 2014 Introduction The ethekwini Municipality has run a successful series of Water and Sanitation Master Classes over the past three years. With vast expertise held by officials at the ethekwini Water and Sanitation (EWS) Unit, MILE has played a role in facilitating these sessions to share best practices and innovation with smaller developing municipalities. Invited to attend this Master Class, were officials from South African and African municipalities. This learning note captures the major themes that emerged from presentations and discussions. Module 1: Tariff Development (Rosh Maharaj, Manager: Accounting Department, ethekwini Municiaplity) Maharaj shared that ethekwini Municipality s Finance Department is responsible for budgets, financial statements and setting water and sanitation tariffs. Free Basic Water - In 2001, National Government initiated a Free Basic Water campaign, aimed primarily at marginalised households. Local authorities were given the responsibility to roll out this initiative (of 300 litres per day) in their respective municipalities. A number of the Master Class participants questioned whether the provision of free water is justifiable. Maharaj indicated that the volume of free water provided is justified by communities having expressed the need for a greater volume of water. The high incidence of HIV/AIDS in informal areas is also major factor in the City continuing to provide free basic water. Free basic water is managed through a device fitted to water meters, it is set to open at a certain time and shut off once the 300 litres have been used for the day. Households receive a training programme on how the device works. The challenge is that users are often not aware of this policy and the meter system in many instances is tampered with. Tariff Development - In terms of Tariff Development, it was suggested that aspects such as the type of consumer, level of service, cost of bulk water, volume of water required, operational and capital costs, other income, provision of basic water are taken into account. When calculating tariffs, capital and operating costs should be considered. Ring Fencing Maharaj stressed that expenditure and income on Water and Sanitation should be ring-fenced and not merged with the rest of the municipality expenditure and income. Challenges ethekwini Municipality s demand for water outstrips its supply, there are limited alternate sources of water, the cost of bulk water is high, and there is a level high water loss. Backyard informal dwellers have proven to be a great challenge in terms of billing. The owner of a property is responsible for all water consumed on the property. There is an

average occupancy of 5.5 in an informal dwelling, resulting in high consumption. Large properties in rural areas are difficult to assess as they are usually non-cadastral/nondemarcated. Conducting a survey on income would be more effective to address billing issues but the City determined that it would not be cost effective to conduct this exercise annually. Module 2: Rural Water and Sanitation Programme (Teddy Gounden, Manager: Customer Services, ethekwini Municipality) Gounden suggested that Durban is a city of contrasts. Just five kilometres from first world services are informal settlements and 20km away are un-serviced rural communities. With a high backlog of accessible drinking water and adequate sanitation in rural areas, ethekwini Municipality chose to roll out Urine Diversion (UD) toilets and yard tanks as these systems were determined to be the most suitable for rural and peri-urban areas. The implementation of UD toilet systems were justified by the high cost of water borne sewage and the unsustainable approach to emptying conventional VIPs. UD Technology Project lessons: - Centralisation of the project allowed for cost savings and focus on quality - On-going education, awareness programmes and community involvement is key for successful implementation - A strong understanding on cultural issues is required - Caretaker management is important to reduce vandalism and abuse - On-going independent monitoring allows for rapid response - Timeous response to repairs is necessary - The provision of toilet paper and detergent prevents blockages - Containers provide flexibility for relocation - Sector collaboration is necessary to create economic opportunities - Essential feedback and monitoring of progress is key - A visit by the President and Minister of Water Affairs greatly increased acceptance Key In terms of research currently being conducted by ethekwini, UD toilets are considered to be the most economically feasible model for rural communities. Although the cost of the urine collection is high, the cost of water borne sewage systems is higher. The City does not provide and option to customers because it would become difficult to deliver if every house in an area had an option based on individual preferences. In terms of equity and inclusion of disadvantaged groups, facilitators that visit residences notify the local council of special needs and the appropriate steps are taken thereafter. There are in-house education staff, which provide resource materials to users. This process however, is on-going. Engaging with school educators and principles is essential.

UD Design There were initial complaints that the design of the urinal was too close for female counterparts. The supplier then altered the design and improved it significantly. The materials used in UD systems discourage vandalism and theft and encourage partnerships with public, private and NGO sector. In terms of safety for public use, lighting rafts have been provided to ensure a greater level of lighting at night. It is hoped that the communities implement safety mechanisms for users of the facility. The usage of water is part of basic water provided in informal settlements and the facilities have a water metre installed. The city calls for tenders and suppliers bid on the manufacturing of systems. Module 3: Peri-Urban / Urban Water and Sanitation Project (Teddy Gounden, Manager: Customer Services, ethekwini Municipality) The Peri-Urban Water and Sanitation project was initiated in informal settlements in 2009. An estimated 1 million people (in 600 informal settlements) will benefit from the project. Beneficiaries were identified for future formal housing development by the municipality. The project strategy was to install new sewer and water links, including connections to existing infrastructure, to informal settlements in ethekwini. The infrastructure will service temporary ablution blocks which are comprised of toilet and shower facilities. The ablution containers are placed on a platform which is built as part of the project. Benefits of the Project: There has been job creation in the local communities; it has stimulated small business development through the utilization of local resources; it has promoted sub-contractor development; the provision of waterborne sanitation has reduced the health risks in these crowded areas. Module 4: Introduction to Blue Drop (Siobhan Jackson, Deputy Head: Scientific Services, ethekwini Municipality) Blue Drop is simply an incentive based approach for municipalities to achieve the highest water quality standards possible. It centres on continuous improvement, transparency and accountability; it is compulsory through legislation and encourages excellence, not just compliance. Blue Drop covers all aspects of potable water. Key areas of the assessment are water safety planning, DWQ process management & control, drinking water quality compliance, management, accountability and local regulation, asset management, bonuses and penalties. Jackson stressed that monitoring of water quality should be to detect pollution and risk and not to verify quality. For success, a number of factors are crucial: Integrated internal teams good procedures, training, planning, perseverance, imagination and passion are required. It

is important not to hide problems and mistakes, instead show the auditors what you have achieved. Module 5: Introduction to Green Drop (EThekwini Experience) Mohamed Dildar: Senior Manager, Treatment Works Green Drop is an incentive based approach for municipalities to achieve the highest level of wastewater management. The core components include Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), operational plans, process control plans and water quality failure response protocol. Based on the ethekwini experience, Dildar stressed the importance of documentation, particularly on lessons learned. He suggested that Green Drop compliance should be integrated into Individual Performance Plans (IPPs). There is continuous emphasis on South Africa being a water scarce country. Presently there is a feasibility study being conducted on the treatment of waste water for drinking water. There are also plans to build a new dam in Durban. There is a huge shortage of Class 5 Process Controller s in the country. This has had a direct impact on the Water and Sanitation Unit s capacity to deliver. The professional status of Process Controller s is presently being commissioned. In relation to software, no sophisticated system is being used at EWS. MS Excel and MS Access are used to track data. Technical Assistance to smaller municipalities is a free service by EWS. A request for assistance should come from a City Manager or Head of Department. Module 6: Pit Emptying / Pelletizer (Dave Wilson, Chief Technologist, EWS) The Pit Emptying project was established due to the major technical challenges associated with VIP construction projects. A number of issues such as space & access, pathogens, excess water, detritus, envisaged sludge disposal methods contributed to the challenges. ethekweni conducted a pilot study to evaluate the number of pit latrines that needed to be emptied. The City looked at the most suitable and economical method that the community would buy into for the disposal of sludge. EWS initiated a multi-million rand VIP Pit Emptying project through a customised LaDePa system. The LaDePa system is simple technology that addresses both the technical and environmental challenges associated with pit emptying; it addressed political social ambitions via service provision, it promotes food sustainability, job opportunities, landfill preservation, subsistence agriculture, is a low cost solution and is portable. The project targeted 50 000 pit latrines and was found to be the most cost effective method of emptying the VIP s to dispose of the sludge in the most environmentally acceptable manner.

In terms of the energy requirements and power consumption, 12 litres of diesel are consumed per hour and 150 kilowatts are used per hour. The cost of disposing hazardous sludge is very high. To dump sludge at a hazardous site would still require treatment beforehand. The LaDePa system is a huge saving to the council. Module 7: Operations and Maintenance (Dave Wilson, Chief Technologist, Water and Sanitation) ethekwini Municipality has made various efforts to improve on its wastewater operations and maintenance. Operations cover the maintenance of sewers, pump stations and ablutions. Projects include green rivers, the green corridor and green drop. Mechanisms for monitoring crime, blockages and pipe bursts are done through CCTV (which is outsourced). Wilson pointed out that it is essential to have a good working relationship with the Pollution branch as solid waste is often disposed of through sewage channels. In ethekwini it s common to have vandalism and theft at pump stations. The City has installed a pepper spray mechanism at the entrance and exit of the pump station. There is record of any person going in and out and spray is activated on any unauthorised entry. The installation of this mechanism costs R12000 per pump station, whilst vandalism costs the City R150 000 - R200 000. Module 8: Overview and Demonstration of EWS GIS system (Steve Pieterson, Senior Manager, Engineering (EWS) Unlike flat paper maps, GIS can present many layers of different information. For municipalities in the process of establishing a GIS system, Pietersen suggested that it is important to start small, look at software that is free or inexpensive, hardware would include basic desktops, laptops and servers. The staff complement would need to include office and field counterparts and templates should be applied in business processes and standard operating procedures. Asset management consumes 40% of the City s GIS support. It was recommended that Call Centre officials also have a GIS background. GIS related challenges experienced at ethekwini are change management issues, information submission standards, changes in processes for reporting issues, leveraging support and publishing information as soon as possible. Module 9: Non-Revenue Water (Simon Scruton, Senior Manager, Non-Revenue Water, EWS) Non-Revenue Water (NRW) is water that has been produced and lost before it reaches the customer. Losses can be real losses (e.g. through leaks) or apparent losses (e.g. through theft or metering inaccuracies). High levels of NRW are detrimental to the financial viability of municipalities and also to the quality of water itself.

Challenges in ethekwini Municipality Tampering, vandalism and theft are a growing concern as infrastructure is damaged and looted in ethekwini. Ageing infrastructure, illegal and unmetered connections, loss of institutional knowledge, budget cuts, high professional employee turnover and social and political barriers are the major challenges the City faces. Best Practice to Reduce Apparent Losses With regard to Apparent/Commercial losses, participants agreed that Customer Meter Management would be the most important factor in reducing commercial losses. Other factors include water accounting controls, data handling controls and policy and enforcement. Best Practice to Reduce Real Losses In relation to best practices to reduce real losses, participants agreed that active leakage control and pressure management are two of the most important factors. Other factors include the speed and quality of repairs and pipeline materials management. NRW is a complex issue for ethekwini Municipality and all utilities. Scruton suggested that unless improvement to social behaviour is obtained, targets will not be reached. NRW must be tackled on many fronts. Increased capex and opex is required for interventions. Monitoring the system has great benefit. Departments must not operate in silos and be mindful of impact of interventions. Other municipalities should consider lessons learned by ethekwini. There is great value in a monitoring and alarm system. Ageing water mains are fragile and very susceptible to pressure increases. New approaches to the risks associated with vandalism/theft on strategic assets need to be found and implemented. Lastly, team work makes the dream work! Module 10: Water Policy Development and Application (Stalyn Joseph, Senior Manager: Customer Services) EWS policies have been constructed to provide a set of reasonable charges and procedures for the Council to limit, restrict or discontinue the provision of water services, if there is a failure by the customer to comply with reasonable conditions set for the provision of such Services. The supply of potable water to all customers is metered. Different tariffs are charged for domestic customers based on the level of water supply. The City has adopted a Leak Repair Policy where the Council repairs any leakages on payment of a standard tariff rate. Domestic Water Insurance also insures customers against undetected underground leaks. Credit Control and Debt Collection Policy for Domestic Customers states that flow restrictions will be installed in the water connections of customers who have not paid the total charges for water services. The Debt Relief Programme is aimed at assisting poor families who are in arrears for water services charges, for ninety days (90 days) or more.

EWS undertakes meter readings every 2 years through service providers. In some instances, in-house readers are used to verify readings. There are penalties on service providers for inaccurate readings. There is a strict timeline between reading and billing. A dedicated team has been set up to deal with high consumption incidences. The team would typically visit the property to check for leaks and offer information to the customer on water conservation. The Domestic Water Insurance is policy is run by an external service provider. The consumer is covered for leakages for up to two occasions. The unit uses photographic evidence of devices that have been tampered with. Module 11: Education and Community Involvement (Mandla Malakoana, Project Executive) In terms of Education and Community Involvement, the Unit strives to have open communication with the community, to foster interaction and involvement of citizens, improve service, increase public satisfaction and increase accountability of government. The Unit undertook a project to determine the customers view of services provided by EWS, identify gaps in customer satisfaction and improve consumer relations. Education is critical. Service delivery would not be as effective without the applicable information/training on the service. If there is limited access to clean water and adequate sanitation, health issues would be imminent. When a budget is presented, reponses vary from ward to ward. The department ensures that ward committee members and councillors are integrated through the process. Module 12: Call Centre Development and Operation (Gaylyn Manikum: Manager Customer Services The three critical elements for a successful call centre are people, processes and systems. The selection of employees is done through a rigorous and customised recruitment process. Systems are made up of an automatic call distribution system, a customised information management system, document management system, email, faxes and social networking. Processes involve training and certification, continuous assessments/appraising of work samples, knowledge management, random quality assurance inspections, feedback to individuals and the team, customer feedback and lastly the appropriate remedies or action to remedy any issues. Staff must be fully trained on handling queries. There are people responsible for managing the training programme and others that are responsible for overseeing and coaching staff. The participants later visited the ethekwini Call Centre for a tour and completed an evaluation on the three-day Master Class. For information on Municipal Technical Support or future Master Classes, kindly visit: www.mile.org.za