An aerial view of the Walvis Bay WWTP showing the new trickling filter media [centre] and the existing stone-media [right].
Untapped water resources
Water reuse technology is gaining traction against the backdrop of decreasing
freshwater supplies and growing water demands, while entire South African
communities struggle to access reliable, clean, disease-free drinking water.
By Kim Kemp
S
outh Africa has limited freshwater
resources and has been defined
as water stressed by international
standards, according to the Department
of Water Affairs in annexure D of the
National Water Resource Strategy
(NWRS). The reuse of water in the
country accounts for approximately
14% of total water use, and return
flows account for a large part of water
available for use from some of the
important river systems.
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Interest in the reuse of wastewater
for non-drinking water requirements is
also increasing, as industry intensifies
and the severe drought spurs
manufacturers and industry to find
ways to augment municipal supplies
with recycled, used, or wastewater.
The NWRS (First Edition) identifies
water reuse as one of several
important strategies to find the delicate
balance between water availability and
water requirements.
Water Sewage & Effluent September/October 2017
Vast potential exists for employing
wastewater reuse for large non-potable
applications, including landscape
irrigation, industrial processes, and
farming, specifically in arid areas of
South Africa, especially the Western
Cape province.
However, there are a multitude
of challenges that influence water
access, apart from geological aspects
and climatic influences, including
the distance from a water source;