The Department of Water and Sanitation has set aside R341-million to completely overhaul wastewater treatment infrastructure in the Vaal Triangle, says pumps manufacturer and supplier Werner Pumps MD Sebastian Werner.

The Vaal river is polluted with untreated sewage flowing into it from three wastewater treatment plants. This has poisoned fish, caused blocked drains and has even been flowing into the local community’s homes and streets, he adds.

Wastewater treatment utility East Rand Water Care Company (ERWAT) has been tasked with ensuring that all wastewater treatment infrastructure is resuscitated to an operational state and to stop pollution of the Vaal river.

The multi-stakeholder project is expected to create 2 000 jobs through a partnership between the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs in Gauteng, the South African National Defence Force, Municipal Infrastructure Support Agent, ERWAT and local municipalities.

As part of its clean-up operations, ERWAT has purchased two truck-mounted jetting units from Werner Pumps, notes Werner. The company has been designing, manufacturing, supplying and maintaining specialist high-pressure jetting equipment for more than three decades.

Two new 100% locally manufactured truck-mounted jetting units built by Werner South Africa Pumps & Equipment will assist ERWAT in a mammoth project to save the Vaal river.

“It is gratifying to know that our units will be assisting in a project of this nature,” says Werner.

He adds that Werner manufacture the trucks themselves – “we are not only able to customise each unit to a client’s needs, but also to ensure we maintain the highest quality standards”.

“We understand that municipalities and water and wastewater management specialists like ERWAT need to be able to rely on their trucks to perform in challenging conditions to meet the needs of the communities they serve.”

The trucks are equipped with remote operating functionality, as well as electronic monitoring. This means greater operator safety and visibility, and also makes for easy maintenance scheduling, says Werner.

“Werner Pumps also provides on-site maintenance and 24-hour technical support to ensure the trucks remain in working condition at all times.”

Werner Pumps has been ISO 9001-certified and is “the first in our industry, locally, to achieve this standard”, says Werner.

“We are now producing recycling units locally too, which means companies now have access to South African trucks – built to the same standards as their European counterparts – but without the headaches of long lead-times on orders or currency fluctuations.”

The recent Truck Body Structure Survey in South Africa, commissioned by vehicle manufacturer Toyota Japan for the Hino division of Toyota South Africa Motors, confirmed that Werner Pumps meets the required standards of body builders for vacuum tank vehicles in the Hino 500 series. Werner believes this is in part due to implementing ISO 9001 standards, and also thanks to the team’s rigorous attention to detail when it comes to the manufacturing process.

For over 30 years, Werner South Africa Pumps and Equipment has been designing, manufacturing, supplying and maintaining specialist high-pressure jetting equipment.

The company has built a reputation as a local industry leader through its focus on delivering high-quality, low-maintenance, 100% South African manufactured products that last, all while considering clients’ budgets.

Aside from its in-house manufacturing capabilities, Werner Pumps specialises in the supply and maintenance of high-pressure jetting equipment, German high-pressure pumps, high-pressure sewer cleaning hoses, Swiss-engineered Nozzles by ENZ, and high-pressure guns, lances and cleaning equipment. Complete recycling units are also available on import from Werner Pumps supplier Dietmar Kaiser.