Zutari assists UCT to become a net zero water university by 2050
Net zero water is when the water demand met from the municipal supply equals the water demand met from alternative supply options such as rainwater harvesting when measured over a period of a year. Implementation of the strategy will result in a reduction of 429 ML of the annual municipal water demand at UCT by 2050, which is equivalent to over 170 Olympic-sized swimming pools. Reducing the municipal and total water demand at UCT’s campuses will be achieved by progressively implementing various reduction interventions and innovative alternative water-supply options.
Here Zutari adopted an innovative bottom-up approach in developing the strategy, explains Project Manager Carshif Talip. Examples include several design-led brainstorm workshops and interactions with stakeholder and extensive data collection on toilet flushing volumes and shower and tap flow rates. Special vibration sensors linked to data loggers record typical shower duration times. A bottom-up end-use model was developed to determine the water use of each activity for each residence based on the characteristics of the residence.
Zutari will also lead the design and construction implementation phase across the projects on various campuses for UCT. “The strategy is now complete and implementation is in full swing. Thank you to the Zutari team, which has been doing most of the legwork in getting us to this point,” comments Manfred Braune, Director of Environmental Sustainability at UCT.
“A key focus of the strategy is for the campus to act as a Living Laboratory that allows students to learn and undertake research through campus facility-based projects. This exposes students to real-life projects to learn from or conduct research on, and at the same time it gives all students on campus visibility of these projects as they pass through the campus facilities,” elaborates Braune.
Infrastructure records will be consolidated and, together with new additional smart water meters and digital platforms, provide an improved understanding of water usage across UCT. Following this, UCT will monitor how water is being used, how much water is being lost to leaks and demand fluctuations at a building level. This data will better inform and direct social or infrastructure interventions.
The action plan outlines the specific interventions needed to address each of the main commitments and assumes a 30-year planning horizon to achieve the vision of a net zero water campus. It also involves a combination of infrastructure upgrades, operational optimisations and community awareness programmes. This will require significant resources and will take several years before the benefits are fully realised.
Zutari has many years’ experience in water-related engineering and project management. Its water-resource specialists offer a complete range of advisory, strategy, planning, analysis, engineering, design and scientific services, complemented by its offering in related disciplines such as water-sensitive design, flooding and drainage, bulk water storage and conveyance, hydropower and water treatment.
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Notes to the Editor
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About Zutari
As engineering consultants and trusted advisors, Zutari co-creates an engineered impact that enables environments, communities and economies to thrive. Few others can match our local capacity, long-standing presence and understanding of the challenges required to operate successfully across various regions in Africa.
We have created an impact across Africa for the past 88 years (1932 to 2020) and remain committed to this continent, making us the perfect partner to those less familiar with working in Africa. We are experienced in international projects and our Global Design Centres allow us to bring world-class solutions to our clients.
As a private management-owned company, our commitment is true and we have vested interest in our clients’ success. Our strong relationships allow us to connect the right expertise, processes and resources to match client’s needs and bring stakeholders that have shared interests together.
We blend the old and the new. We have moved beyond traditional engineering and work collaboratively to integrate technical and creative thinking. This process of co-creation allows us to unearth new opportunities with our clients and partners.
Zutari’s broad collective of in-house, industry-recognised engineering consultants and trusted advisors provide seamless and integrated delivery. This unique ability to offer scaled engagement allows Zutari to solve complex challenges more efficiently.
Grounded in digital engineering, we continuously deliver better results.
Zutari Contact
Rashree Maharaj
PR and Media Advisor
Email: Rashree [dot] Maharaj [at] zutari [dot] com
Tel: (012) 427 2000
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