Water scientists have revealed that 38% of South Africa’s clean water is lost to waste before it reaches the population. The findings were presented at a virtual boot camp organised by the University of Limpopo (UL)’s Department of Water and Sanitation
Several speakers took to the podium to share best practices for addressing wastewater treatment concerns in South Africa. The primary challenges to improving wastewater management and treatment, according to scientists, are a lack of skills, vandalism, insufficient infrastructure, and budgetary backlogs.
David Still from Consulting Engineers & Project Managers presented on Faecal Sludge Management. He emphasised that South Africa’s sanitation was in poor condition, particularly for households that utilise moderate toilets. Still stated that when pit toilets become full, the sludge overflows all over the place, causing environmental hazards. He offered tips on how such households might treat the waste and turn it into useable resources.
“It’s always safe to empty the pit and convert the waste to low flush, with two to three litres, and they can bury the waste on-site and plant trees and or make compost at a vegetable garden,” said Still.
According to Tabani Mtombeni, CEO of Zambezi Analytics, the industry should take advantage of the digital opportunities presented by wastewater management and treatment. Mtombeni said that digitisation would result in “the development and implementation of custom, cost-effective, resilient, efficient, and smart robust systems, as well as solutions to multi-sectoral government models for water and environmental management such as pump stations, pressure flow rates, water quality, and databases, among other things”.
Mtombeni stated that the sector required a complete rethinking because the current traditional bulk systems could no longer cope with the pressure due to climate change, increased efficiency, and water scarcity. According to him, 38% of SA water is lost before it reaches the population, and the risk mitigation factor would aid in water safety planning and system failure.
Meanwhile, the Process Controller at the Emalahleni Municipality in Mpumalanga Desire Mabitsela presented on water treatment and resource recovery. According to Mabitsela, who is also UL BSc (Water and Sanitation) graduate, there is an urgent need for a paradigm shift in wastewater treatment because they may be converted into useable resources to develop municipalities and the economy at large.
Mabitsela noted that problems such as the vandalism of treatment plants, which resulted in the release of raw water into water streams, a lack of financial planning by the municipality, and a lack of efficient skills have all delayed the process of the municipality’s resource recovery plan.
“There are great opportunities to plan and invest in wastewater in a new way because the traditional linear methods of abstracting water, treating it to portable standards, using it, conveying it to treatment plants, and discharging it back to the environment are no longer sustainable,” said Mabitsela.
According to Masego Montwedi, project coordinator and lecturer at the department, the boot camp is part of a seminar series hosted by the department with various stakeholders such as VLIR-OUS, KU Leuven, and the University of Cape Town, in which industry professionals discuss issues affecting the industry and provide expert advice to the department’s newly formed water and sanitation programme.
“The department wants to create a learning environment that reflects excellence to the first cohort that has enrolled for the programme and create a platform where both staff members and students get capacitated from the project,” said Masego, who added that the department’s vision is to develop highly skilled scientists who can compete on a global stage.
By Reuben Maake