Ford selects Veolia for new wastewater treatment plant in South Africa

Veolia Water Solutions and Technologies South Africa has been contracted by Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa (FMCSA) for the construction of a new wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) at its Silverton assembly plant.

Ford has undertaken the construction of a new WWTP to facilitate the manufacturing of Ranger, the company’s new automobile, and also to meet the high standards of the municipal requirements.

Under the contract, Veolia will design the new WWTP, supply equipment and material, and install the plant.

Ford is investing about $2.5m in the plant.

The company is decommissioning the current decade-old WWTP because of its inability to manage the increased capacity at the plant.

FMCSA operations vice president Peter Lawson said the introduction of the Ranger has been a challenging task for the company.

"While it is imperative for us to build a world-class product we also have a responsibility to the environment and the community that lives in that environment to ensure we do so without impacting on our surroundings," Lawson added.

"We looked into the possibility of upgrading the existing water plant, however it was decided that it would be more cost-effective to rather decommission the old plant and construct a new plant, boasting the latest technology."

The new wastewater plant will be constructed adjacent to the old facility for which a new tie-in will be made on the effluent network.

The processed water will be further purified at the water purification plant to be used in Ford’s manufacturing processes.

Veolia will construct the new WWTP to help Ford purify and reuse water by up to 15% and produce high quality water that can be used for sensitive operations, which was not possible with the old wastewater plant.

Ford also has plans to implement systems in the future that will further enhance the purification quality of the water.

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Image: Ford to construct new wastewater treatment plant in South Africa. Photo: Ford.