Water stress in the uMkhomazi catchment where our DP mill, Saiccor Mill and 42,000 ha of our forestry land are situated.
Partner and collaborate to support government on water infrastructure and projects that benefit communities while also securing water for Saiccor Mill operations.
Landowners, communities, government, Sappi.
Water stewardship project established with WWF South Africa in 2021 in the uMkhomazi catchment focusing on the following (as set out on the following pages):
Effective stakeholder engagement for improved catchment management to enhance water security.
Maximise impact of Sappi’s investment in the catchment by collaborating with projects that enhance water security in the catchment.
The uMkhomazi catchment has been mapped to inform the priority areas for project implementation. In addition, a database of the uMkhomazi catchment to share and demonstrate the work and investment has been established.
Create opportunities for rural economic development, stimulate job creation and boost livelihoods while imparting knowledge on improved grazing practices and implementing associated projects.
Alien vegetation clearing and water catchment management initiatives in collaboration with the Institute for Natural Resources, have provided employment opportunities to the people of Nzinga and Qutshini.
Members of the Textile Exchange visited the uMkhomazi Valley to learn more about the partnership in action.
Stanger Mill abstracts water under licence from the Mvoti River, but cannot sustain processes when there is low flow, forcing some plants to shut. Through process modelling and mass balances it was established that approximately 2,000 m3 of water per day – a significant amount – was used for backwashing filters at the process water plant. The backwash water was then discharged into the nearby Mbozambo lake.
The mill implemented a backwash recovery project which involved sampling and testing the backwash stream for turbidity, suspended solids, as well as cations and anions. An ion balance was conducted, from which the mill concluded that the backwash stream could be utilised in the process if the suspended solids were removed. The recommendation was made that the backwashed water be pumped upstream to the nearby water clarifier, allowing settling of the suspended solids, and the clean supernatant to overflow back to the process water plant for reuse.
This was achieved by connecting the backwash and forward wash outlet pipes from each of the six filters to a newly installed common header that discharges the water into the newly constructed sump. Construction began in June 2022 and the project was successfully commissioned in September 2022. The system is currently recovering 2,000 m3/day on average, an amount that represents 11.5% of the mill’s total water usage.
Performance against our Thrive25 target aligned with SDG6:
Clean Water and Sanitation
| Thrive25 target | 2019 base | 2022 target | 2022 performance | Assessment of performance |
| Reduce specific water use in water-stressed locations by 23% (m3/adt)1 | 44.5 m3/adt | 43.0 m3/adt | 48.6 m3/adt |  |
1ADT = dry solids content of 90% and moisture content of 10%.