The Spar Group has been steadily implementing proactive water-saving measures within its logistics operations amid the increasing threat of water insecurity across South Africa.

Potential water insecurity poses a significant threat to the integrity of retail supply chains across South Africa, as disruptions to water supply and water quality can lead to significant operational and financial risks to the South African economy, said The Spar Group national logistics executive Solly Engelbrecht.

“The Spar Group must ensure its broad nationwide network works like clockwork 24/7, no matter how challenging the operating environment. The key is to plan, innovate and adopt solutions that save water and increase capacity of alternative water use.”

“We must comply with food safety and hygiene requirements and standards for storing and selling food and ensure clean water use in Spar’s refrigeration systems. Therefore, current, and future water supply and quality must be potable,” he explained.

In line with this, the group has been implementing water-efficient strategies and technologies as part of its logistics planning to increase capacity and savings.

“The redevelopment of our logistics strategy to drive an agile, reliable, sustainable supply chain network to ensure retailer success, has been the key driving force for this,” he said, noting that the company expects that future dependency on the supply of recycled and produced water will increase as The Spar Group continues to invest in alternative water solutions and adopt water-efficient technologies.

Water-efficient technologies, such as the adiabatic cooling system, which demonstrated significant water savings during critical periods, can save between 70% to 80% of water use for refrigeration cooling compared with traditional methods.

This technology uses more air cooling, rather than water cooling, and focuses on using less water for the cooling of cold-stored products.

“This technology has already shown what it can do at Spar Western Cape during the drought of 2017/18. Fortunately, we had already acted in 2017 to remove the old cooling technology and install new adiabatic cooling systems,” said Engelbrecht.

While it is more expensive to install than a normal cooling plant and takes up more space, the benefits are immense and sustainable.

“It was worth every cent at Spar Western Cape,” he assured, adding that, additionally, half of the Eastern Cape distribution centre’s cooling system has been replaced with an adiabatic cooling system, and the water savings are equally impressive.

Further, the group’s broader logistics planning also includes increasing the borehole capacity at key sites, adding Jojo tanks for storage and finding new ways to reduce water use, including the use of recycled/produced water for washing trucks, in ablution facilities and for watering, as and where applicable, as well as deploying waterless urinals, which reduces the need for water in ablution facilities.

Backup water supply has been installed at several of the company’s distribution centres' cooling plants.

“All these small steps add up and make a big difference when multiplied across the various Spar sites. The supply and quality of recycled/produced water is important to The Spar Group’s operations, as it reduces operating costs and the reliance on municipal water sources.”

“I expect the above water solutions to be expanded to ensure more security and stability in the current year, because every small step matters in a water-scarce country like South Africa – and at The Spar Group, we will continue to take the lead in driving water solutions that matter,” he concluded.