In response to growing concerns over the possibility of further water outages in South Africa, JSE-listed Redefine Properties is taking proactive steps. The company aims to improve water efficiency across its portfolio by reducing consumption and enhancing existing backup capacity as part of its water resilience strategy.
“While our focus has largely been on reducing water consumption, we are now in the process of developing further storage capacity to provide up to a five-day buffer in certain of our buildings in case of a major water outage,” says Sustainability project manager at Redefine, Victor Mathey.
In some parts of the country, water shortages have increased in frequency, with water supplies cut off for up to ten days in a row or more. Experts blame the issues on municipalities’ underdeveloped infrastructure and lack of infrastructure maintenance, which is impacting supply networks.
Lesotho’s Katse Dam, which forms part of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project and provides critical water supply to regions across the country, is scheduled to undergo major maintenance over a six-month period, beginning in September and continuing until March 2025.
“Further major outages are expected due to scheduled maintenance and ongoing infrastructure issues, and we are planning to get ahead by rolling out projects to establish on-site water backup at buildings to increase their water security should such outages occur.”
He said Redefine had already worked hard to ensure a significant capacity of standby water. “Currently, our installed storage capacity is 6,660 kL. However, to achieve a five-day buffer at our current water consumption levels, we need 38,000 kL. Therefore, our intention is to install new water tanks to guarantee sufficient capacity for up to five days.”
The Vaal River system and the Sterkfontein Dam are expected to have enough water in storage to last for the six-month period, according to the City of Johannesburg and industry participants, as the maintenance at Katse Dam is scheduled for the summer period.
Even so, there continues to be massive undersupply, particularly in Gauteng. Gauteng’s water supply issues stem from a nine-year delay in the Lesotho Highlands Water Project Phase 2, exacerbated by a rising population. Until the project is completed in 2029, the province will face periodic water outages, as demand surpasses supply.
“The undersupply doesn’t only impact areas like Sandton, Rosebank, and Bedfordview but also rural areas with inferior water infrastructure. By reducing consumption and creating water security at our buildings, we are actively investing in the sustainability of Redefine’s assets. This ensures that our buildings remain functional during outages by alleviating demand on the various metro infrastructures, especially where such infrastructure incorporates borehole systems. These action plans extend beyond Gauteng, as demonstrated by the ‘day zero’ infrastructure projects installed at our Cape Town-based assets.”
Mathey added that by adding more backup capacity, Redefine will lessen demand on the municipal water system when its capacity is under pressure, allowing the limited supply to instead benefit nearby communities.
Interventions implemented to reduce demand on water resources
Following the implementation of a series of water reduction initiatives, Redefine has seen a 165 mL reduction in consumption across its SA portfolio over the last two financial years. This far exceeds initial reduction targets of 74 mL year-on-year and demonstrates that related interventions, notably the rollout of water efficient toilets, such as Propelair, and smart metering installations, are beginning to bear fruit.
Johann Nell, Head of development and industrial asset management at Redefine, says that Redefine made use of a digital water monitoring system at many sites, with this infrastructure being rolled out at others currently.
“Digital monitoring enhances proactive property management by immediately notifying us should there be a change in a building’s water consumption profile. Whereas historically, readings were taken at a wider frequency of time, making it difficult to identify and tend to issues such as a leak immediately.”
An example of the significant reduction and saving that the monitoring system has enabled is Ushukela Industrial Park, where water consumption decreased from 1,062 kL in January to 399 kL in February after a leak was discovered and investigated right away.
Furthermore, the installation of over 2,000 Propelair toilets has been highly successful in reducing overall water consumption throughout our office and retail portfolios. Propelair toilets use over 80% less water than conventional water flush toilets. For instance, Golden Walk Shopping Centre experienced a 50% decrease in consumption, which was directly attributed to Propelair installations.
Nell said Redefine remains focused on introducing further interventions that sit mostly at an operational level, including monitoring and proactively managing consumption, especially at big buildings where there are often leaks, running toilets, dripping taps, and leaky irrigation systems.
“These interventions, together with the expansion of our backup storage capabilities, will further improve water efficiencies within our properties and ensure the resilience and operational continuity of our assets in the case of major water outages,” Nell concludes.
