Water, Sewage & Effluent September October 2018 | Page 12

“Unfortunately, throughout most of the world, simple, natural
solutions are not possible.”
from sewage sludge and using the
methane from sewage to generate
power.
And the best example of a
‘circular economy’, most important
of all nature-based solutions: the
hydrological cycle. This takes the
water that runs down the rivers
into the sea and carries it back to
the mountains where it came from,
where it falls again as rain. In the
process, the water is purified, truly
a nature-based solution on which
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all our built water infrastructure
depends.
As I pointed out to my Stockholm
audience, all our water supply and
wastewater infrastructure is just
part of a larger natural system.
Our dams and pumps and pipes
are simply there to help the water
cycle take the water the last few
kilometres to its users, keeping a
bit in reserve to use in-between
the rain showers. I’m not sure they
were convinced. u
Water Sewage & Effluent September/October 2018
Natural wastewater treatment plant developed by Rached Sarkis in Remhala using
the local canes found in Lebanon (Arundo donax).
About the author
Mike Muller is a professional engineer
and a visiting adjunct professor at the
Wits School of Governance. A former
DG of Water Affairs and Commissioner
of the National Planning Commission,
he now also advises on water and
development matters.