INPUTS
Water
Water, which is a vital raw material for all of our operations, is sourced directly from rain, sustainable,
secure and legally compliant water resources such as rivers, lakes, dams and indirectly from municipal
service providers. Water consumption volumes are measured using a variety of site-specific methods to
ensure on-going compliance with water use licenses, and is reported internally on a daily basis.
The Kafue River in Zambia provides a secure and sustainable source of irrigation water for our cane
fields, and those of our outgrowers
Rain water consumption is measured as/when rain occurs solely to allow process engineers to
continuously monitor water consumption requirements, and for the forecasting of yields. However, this
data is not used for the calculation of reported water consumption data, as this does not affect water use
licenses.
At most sites, water consumption is calculated via abstraction pump clock hour registers, using flow
rates and time of operation to determine how much water is drawn from primary sources (ie, rivers, lakes
and dams). Where possible, mechanical flow meters have been installed on incoming pipes and
distribution pipes to allow for the determination of a water mass balance. This not only allows for
accurate reporting of all water consumption, but also assists with ensuring that water is not lost between
abstraction and use points via hard to locate leaks.
At sites where pump clock hour registers and/or flow meters are unavailable, partial flumes, portable
ultra-sonic flow meters, current meters and functioning v-notches.
At all relevant sites, flow meters are calibrated annually and piezometers or infra-red sensors are used to
measure flows through flumes and v-notches.
Water discharge volumes and methods also vary by site, but are monitored to ensure compliance with
relevant national statutes (eg, discharge qualities and quantities). As part of our overall water
management strategy, water management models have been customised to improve water efficiency
opportunities in an effort to reduce water consumption and maximise the recycling of water in our
secondary processes.
