Page 30 - Thetha Issue 6

SUSTAINABILITY

Running a ‘small

municipality’

Running an institution the size of Mandela University, with
seven campuses and over 32 000 registered students,
is effectively running a small municipality, ensuring all
infrastructure and operations are sustainably managed Melvin Syce
within budget through the portfolio of the Deputy Vice-
Chancellor: People & Operations.

By Melvin Syce: Senior Director: Infrastructure Services and Space Optimisation

Of the University’s 32 000 students, 17 500 are beneficiaries of the
National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), and on-campus
accommodation is therefore a priority. The University increased its on-
campus accommodation from 3870 beds at the start of 2020 to 5868 by
the end of 2022.
All new residences are designed with sustainability as a priority – from
design to the dual water system for potable water and non-potable water
for toilet flushing. Toilet flushing accounts for one-third of the University’s
total water use.
Construction and maintenance budgets are meticulously managed,
and it is a University requirement that local small, medium or micro
enterprises (SMMEs) are hired, and local artisans trained on the job.

Increased water storage
Most campus buildings already have storage tanks, with an additional 95 x
5000L water tanks installed in 2021 and 8 x 5000L this year. The goal is to
have sufficient water storage for all residences, and we are reviewing water
requirements for the Ocean Sciences Campus and Sanlam Student Village.

Flush valves
The University is incrementally working on replacing the flushing
mechanisms of all toilets with a cistern-less system using flush valves. At
R2000 per unit, these are expensive, but hard-wearing and long-lasting, Most campus
using up to half the water of a cistern system.
buildings already
Sports fields and toilets
On the Summerstrand campuses, sports fields historically accounted for have storage tanks,
about 20% of total water use. The University now buys water for sports with an additional
fields, gardens and an increasing number of toilets from the Cape Recife
Waste Water Treatment Works, which generates return effluent (RE) water 95 x 5 000L water
to a treatment standard that is irrigation-safe.
tanks installed in
Boreholes 2021 and 8 x 5 000L
Two boreholes were drilled in 2019 to serve the two new residences on
North Campus. They are achieving a good yield of 80 000 to 100 000 this year.
litres per day. We are exploring adding boreholes on the Summerstrand,
Missionvale and Second Avenue Campuses.

30 | Thetha Edition 6 | 2022