HEALTH AND SANITATION
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building resilience into the water supply system; managing water demand,
reducing volumes of grey water to wastewater systems; and reducing
diffuse pollution loads from unserviced settlements. use, and management. This information can be used to develop grey water
resource guidelines that take into account the unique particularities of the
South African context.
Thus, the specific objectives of the project were as follows:
1. Compile a report on the legislative context of grey water use and
management in South Africa, including: definition of terms and
concepts, role of grey water management in water supply and
food security; applicable regulations/ordinances/guidelines on
grey water use and management; existing grey water use and
management systems, and recommendations for sustainable grey
water use and management.
2. Develop guidelines for grey water use and management, taking into
consideration the following aspects: grey water quantity/quality and
fitness for use/application; managing risks and uncertainty in grey
water use/reuse; use of grey water to supplement irrigation activities;
grey water management options, including treatment, disposal, and
reuse; protocols for testing and validating treatment technologies; and
guidance for household use and municipal grey water programme
implementation in both sewered and non-sewered settlements. The research method, therefore, began with the compilation of relevant
findings from completed research as well as an update to existing
literature reviews, taking into account:
• Available literature on the management and use of grey water that
has thus far not focused on the South African or other developing
country contexts.
• Available South African research that has focused on, inter alia,
grey water harvesting, management and use of alternative water
resources, water treatment systems/technologies, and community
acceptance of grey water within rural and urban contexts.
• Research that highlights the unique particularities of the South
African context (for example informal settlements, RDP housing,
free basic services) to ensure that the guidelines take these
context-specific aspects into account.
• The existing legislative context of grey water use and management
in South Africa.
• Stakeholder workshops were then held over a period of about eight
months to discuss the development of a set of resource guidelines
for grey water use and management in South Africa with interested
and affected parties.
METHOD FOLLOWED IN DEVELOPMENT OF GUIDELINES
Grey water harvesting (GWH) is a practice that is commonly adopted at a
household scale in areas where potable water use is restricted (for example,
during times of drought), to augment potable water supplies. Grey water is
also increasingly being included as a resource option in integrated water
supply systems around the world, and as part of water-sensitive approaches
to water management — with appropriate context-specific regulations and
guidelines governing its use to manage the potential risks involved. A key
component of the framework that was developed for implementing Water
Sensitive Urban Design in South Africa (WRC Project K5/2071) relates to the
need for ongoing research and capacity building to develop locally relevant
guidelines for the realisation of Water Sensitive Cities / Settlements.
The South African guidelines for Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS)
(WRC project K5/1826), and the framework and guidelines for Water
Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) for South Africa (WRC project K5/2071)
deal broadly with the overarching principles of SuDS and WSUD. They
introduce a range of tools and discuss the different technology options
that may be used to develop urban areas in a water-sensitive manner.
However, there remains an urgent need for the development of (in this
instance, grey water harvesting) guidelines that provide in-depth detail for
the regulation, design, and operation of each technology. These guidelines
are intended to, above all, address any risks associated with the use
of grey water, including the possible adverse effects on human health,
effects on the environment, and plant growth and yield. It should be noted
that substantial research has already been undertaken with respect to
developing guidelines for grey water use in South Africa — most notably the
work that was undertaken on grey water use in non-sewered settlements,
the comprehensive technical report, as well as the guidance document for
sustainable use of grey water in small-scale agriculture and gardens, and
the use of grey water for toilet flushing in high-density buildings.
This project has consolidated the findings from these and various other
Water Research Commission projects that considered different aspects of
grey water management, international literature, as well as the outputs from
relevant affiliated research. A significant body of information exists both
locally and internationally on the various aspects of grey water harvesting,
www.plumbingafrica.co.za
The initial stakeholder workshop held in Cape Town in 2016 served to
raise awareness and concerns about grey water use, and discuss what
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