ED RICHARDSON THE EAST London Industrial Development Zone (ELIDZ) is targeting “wet” and “semi wet” industries with a plan to supply up to 20 megalitres of “industrial quality” water a day to the zone. Wastewater effluent from Buffalo City’s East Bank Water Reclamation Works will be less than half the cost of potable water available for other uses within the ELIDZ, according to technical services general manager, Johan Burger. Burger says the reclamation works “produces a good quality effluent that complies with the requirements of the Water Act and is suitable for either re-use or for return to the environment via discharge into a public stream. “A pumping station will be located at the East Bank Reclamation Works to deliver the industrial water to the ELIDZ. Delivery will be effected via a 450 mm diameter pumping main, which will be approximately 12 km in length. The industrial water will be delivered into a storage dam situated in a commanding position to the north of the ELIDZ, from where the supply will reticulated by gravity to the zone,” he said. Provision has been made for the industrial water supply, mainly with a view to creating a competitive advantage for attracting ‘wet’ and ‘semi-wet’ industries to the ELIDZ. However, the supply could be made available for any type of industry with demand for industrial water. The construction of the water supply scheme is targeted for completion by mid 2006. To complement the scheme, Buffalo City Municipality has embarked on a R100-million wastewater drainage scheme and disposal system that will be capable of handling all the wastewater that will be generated in the ELIDZ and the surrounding area.
