Pragma, South Africa’s leading enterprise asset management and reliability engineering experts, have joined forces with the Shoprite Group to include a smart water meter monitoring device roll-out programme as part of their water–saving initiatives. The school monitoring device sponsorship is expected to save millions of liters of water at Cape Town’s top 100 high-volume water-using schools.
“The project follows the Shoprite Group’s hugely successful pilot at the Hector Peterson Secondary School in Wallacedene. The pilot resulted in an average daily saving of 40kl, the equivalent of 87 litre daily water allowance for 460 individuals and a R52 000 savings per month. Pragma will assist with managing the project and coordinating the services of contractors to respond to alerts and leak repairs. We will be working in partnership with Bridgiot, a start-up company affiliated with the University of Stellenbosch”, says CEO of Pragma, Adriaan Scheeres
Bridgiot’s smart water monitoring devices measure and report water use in real time by transmitting consumption information to a user-friendly internet app‚ and users are notified of any unexpected usage patterns via SMS and email.
According to Scheeres, the aim of the project is not only to save water, but also to educate learners on the importance of water as a resource and how to use it sparingly. “Pragma is a partner to the Shoprite Group and responsible for asset maintenance at their stores. When they approached us to get involved, our response was an unequivocal ‘yes’. It’s an extension of our facility management services at their stores, and as an enterprise asset management company, conserving water is one of our highest priorities. Given our detailed knowledge of our clients’ asset base, we’re perfectly positioned to assist companies with using water effectively and responsibly, especially since businesses have been told to reduce their usage by at least 20% or face fines.”
Contractors managed by Pragma will be responsible for inspections and maintenance of the water infrastructure at the schools. We will further plan and manage the work to ensure the cost-effective execution of the project. Scheeres continues: “Our 24/7 call center and accredited contractor base will be utilised to perform work according to our service level agreements and agreed costing structure.”
Scheeres adds that Pragma wants to make a difference. “As a company, we specialise in the optimal functioning of physical assets. In the case of water management, it covers all aspects from ensuring that water is not lost due to maintenance issues such as leakages, to identifying water saving initiatives such as water recycling. We also help with monitoring water usage via water meters.”
He concludes: “This project is the start of potentially enormous water savings in the Western Cape. Smart water metering creates increased awareness of water consumption patterns, and assists with the prevention of water losses due to leaks that would otherwise have gone unnoticed. With the help of our continuous improvement programmes, we can equip companies to function efficiently and save millions of litres of water.”
SHOPRITE & BRIDGIOT WATER SAVING PROJECT ROLEPLAYERS
| ORGANISATION | ROLE |
|---|---|
| BridgIoT | BridgIoT is the appointed knowledge and co-implementation partner for the programme and is supplying and installing the smart water monitoring devices |
| Pragma | Physical Asset and Facilities Management company that will co-ordinate the services of contractors to respond to alerts |
| University of Stellenbosch | BridgIoT’s affiliation with the University of Stellenbosch is through its founder Dr Thinus Booysen who is an Associate Professor at the Electrical and Electronic Engineering Department.
Dr Booysen’s research focuses on the Internet of Things, particularly on Smart Water and Electricity metering. |
| Hector Peterson Secondary School | Hector Peterson Secondary School is the venue for the pilot initiative done in partnership between Shoprite and Bridgiot.
The headmaster of the school is Mr Mike Mavovana. |
| Cape Talk & KFM | The radio stations are the media partner for the project and will be using their networks to encourage other corporates to pledge funding towards the installation of more devices.
In January 2018, the media houses will run a competition to encourage water saving amongst schools in the Western Cape. |
