6 ASSOCIATIONS
Flushing the biggest water hog in the building
By
IOPSA – Sello Mokawane , vice president
Non-sewered sanitation ( NSS ) technologies are not only a feasible solution for poor areas of the country that lack basic services .
It is illogical that South African homes in the urban areas use up to 12l of potable water just to flush their toilets . This is considering South Africa ’ s severe water crisis , with many areas of the country already experiencing shortages due to severe droughts . The challenge is being compounded by dilapidated infrastructure , mismanagement , vice and load-shedding .
Conventional toilets are extremely water intensive , contributing to about 30 % of a household ’ s total water consumption . Certainly , water-saving toilets play an important role in reducing the water footprint of homes and buildings . Some of these technologies consume up to 20 % less water than traditional flush toilets .
However , with about 63 % of the population using flushing toilets , Sello Mokawane , vice president of the Institute of Plumbing South Africa ( IOPSA ), says that these technologies are insufficient intervention . “ More will need to be done considering the sheer extent of the water and sanitation challenges with which we grapple . While water shortages are becoming a common occurrence in the urban nodes , many South African citizens who live in the rural areas and informal settlements have had to do without this basic human right for many years . It has long been their norm , while quality drinking water is being flushed down the toilet in the middle- and high-income areas .
At the same time , our existing sanitation infrastructure is buckling under the strain of rapid urbanisation and development , compounded by mismanagement of this infrastructure . It is a concern that more than 330 of our 852 wastewater-treatment works ( WWTWs ) are in a critical state . This is happening while many of the rural areas and informal settlements have never had access to sanitation infrastructure that distances people from harmful pathogens and bacteria . Both situations also compromise the quality of our clean water resources . Only 54 % of the population can access clean drinking water and about 33 % of South Africans do not have sanitation services for the safe handling and management of waste . Considering this growing backlog , it is questionable whether we will meet Sustainable Development Goal 6 , which aims to provide access to quality water and sanitation to all South Africans by 2030 . SDG 6 is also in line with Vision 2030 of the National Development Plan and Medium-Term Strategic Framework Outcome Targets , as well as a driver of the National Water & Sanitation Master Plan . NSS technologies can be implemented quicker and more cost-effectively than large , centralised systems and are , therefore , a way of achieving our water and sanitation goals ,” Mokawane says .
IOPSA members are increasingly expanding their skills to service the growing ‘ green ’ plumbing market . A case in point is the role that they are playing in helping property owners to safely use greywater for applications such as flushing toilets . They are also equipped with the skills that are needed to install , maintain and
Sello Mokawane , vice-president of repair rainwater harvesting IOPSA . systems . These significantly reduce water footprints of houses and buildings , especially when rainwater is used for water-intensive toilet flushing purposes .
Certainly , IOPSA members are also knowledgeable in the installation , repair and maintenance of non-waterborne sanitation systems . Their skills and experience encompass all the technologies that are currently being used in the country , such as pit latrines , as well as Ventilated Improved Pit and Ventilated Improved Double Pit Toilets . This is in addition to short-cycle alternating double-pit toilets ; pour flush latrines ; and urine diverting dry toilets . If properly installed , these technologies provide an affordable and practical solution for rural and peri-rural areas where conventional water-borne sanitation systems are not feasible . Certainly , there has also been a growing interest in the technology in urban areas where municipal services are deteriorating at an alarming rate . Property owners are , thus , increasingly exploring ways of reducing their reliance on municipal supplies .
IOPSA members are trained to install , maintain and repair these technologies according to SANS 10400-Part Q . This national standard ensures the healthy handling and treatment of effluent for nonwaterborne sewage systems .
However , new and more efficient NSS systems are being introduced to the country that bridge the huge divide that currently exists between conventional pit latrines and waterborne sewage solutions . They are also more socially acceptable alternatives to existing non-waterborne sewage systems . This should help to drive their uptake in the urban areas . Enterprising plumbers have , therefore , already familiarised themselves with the new SANS 30500 standard , which enables the testing and validation of these next-generation NSS technologies .
© Plumbing Africa | Rory Macnamara www . plumbingafrica . co . za @ plumbingonline @ plumbingonline @ PlumbingAfricaOnline May 2023 Volume 29 I Number 3