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Notably , IOPSA recently participated in two field studies involving NSS systems . Plumbing students were also invited to participate to expose them to these exciting new green plumbing technologies .
The stellar work in mainstreaming these technologies is being driven by the Water Research Commission ’ s Sanitation Transformational Initiative .
It is being supported by government through impressive legal and policy frameworks . A case in point is the national sanitation policy which focuses on the entire sanitation value chain . In doing so , it recognises the economic value of sanitation and emphasis is given to both urban and rural sanitation , as well as on- and off-site systems .
The previous Minister of Water and Sanitation , Nomvula Mokonyane , was very outspoken about the applicability of this technology in the urban areas . She said that government needed to “[ B ] egin challenging the property development sector through regulation and licensing to invest in developing properties less reliant on water for sanitation ”. This would “[ E ] nsure that we introduce alternative solutions to low- , middle- and high-income areas ”.
These NSS systems are prefabricated integrated treatment units . They comprise a toilet at the front end and a treatment facility at the backend . They collect , convey , and fully treat the waste that is introduced to the system . Therefore , they are not connected to any sewer or drainage network that sends sewage to a wastewatertreatment works .
An example of such technology is a toilet that uses a full water cycling process to treat sewage . A rainwater collecting system can also replenish the water to the processor for treatment before it is recycled to the storage tank for flushing . Blackwater from the toilet is pumped up to the sewage processor for treatment and then recycled to the storage tank for flushing . The core of the technology is a sophisticated biofilm membrane reactor treatment process . It produces a stable and clean effluent that is further disinfected to ensure that it is safe for reuse .
“ I do believe that these systems will gradually become the norm as opposed to the alternative . This is considering the ease at which they can be implemented and their cost-efficiency versus large , centralised sanitation infrastructure . Between 2015 and 2030 , it is estimated that 18.3 million South Africans will require basic sanitation services to end open defecation . This calls for a USD370-million annual investment into sanitation infrastructure . Add to this the need to safely manage faecal sludge from all sources , including WWTWs , which requires a further annual USD970-million investment . In 2019 / 2020 , South Africa only invested R17.5-billion into sanitation , which was nowhere near enough to address existing backlogs and new services . It is a significant challenge that requires ‘ out of box ’ thinking with the diverse skills and experience of the plumbing fraternity harnessed as part of the solution ,” Mokawane concludes . PA
“… our existing sanitation infrastructure is buckling under the strain of rapid urbanisation and development .”
May 2023 Volume 29 I Number 3 www . plumbingafrica . co . za