eThekwini economic development and planning committee chair Thembo Ntuli cautiously sipped from a glass of water that several hours before had been raw sewage wastewater.
The official was drinking the water at the launch of the municipality’s wastewater reuse treatment plant project that looks to turn raw sewage into clean water that would be 100% safe to drink.
The water reuse demonstration plant was launched at the KwaMashu wastewater treatment works in Phoenix.
The plant was built after eThekwini water and sanitation unit signed a memorandum of understanding with MEB to assist with improving water quality and accelerate the process of implementing new, more efficient wastewater technology.
Explaining the process, Lunga Patso, process engineer at MEB, said there are four stages.
Patso said raw sewage comes into the plant and is screened, where substances including fats, grease, oil and solids are removed.
He said the treated water then moves into the biological phase using membrane-aerated biofilm reactor (MABR) technology to remove the contamination from the wastewater.
“The biological treatment is important because it makes sure that water can be safely discharged into the environment, irrigation or construction. What we have done at KwaMashu is incorporate a treatment stage called tertiary treatment, where the treated water goes through several processes to bring that wastewater to drinking water, which meets the water standard in South Africa.
“Throughout the process, we have strict protocols to ensure the process is monitored and verified to safeguard public health and ensure full compliance with drinking water specifications,” said Patso.
Patso said they also incorporated online analysers for each step to measure and monitor the quality of the water.
He said if there are abnormalities in anything picked up by showing noncompliance with the water, the system will automatically divert the water back to the beginning of the process.
Patso said that on-site, there is also laboratory monitoring equipment used to check water quality.
“We are also working with the municipality laboratory, and an independent accredited laboratory that will visit the site at stipulated intervals without any interference from the city or MEB. The independent, accredited laboratory will take a water sample to verify,” he said.
The plant was built solely by MEB; however, Patso did not provide details of the total cost.
The water reuse plant is the city’s second pilot project for recycled water, after the remix demonstration plant, which is a combined water reuse and reverse osmosis desalination process.
The city also launched the renewable energy pilot plant, the mini hydro power demonstration plant in Umhlanga, which was built by Alterelec, an independent producer of renewable energies based on Reunion Island.
According to the city, the project was funded through FASEP grants, a French ministry financial support programme aimed at assisting development projects.
As the implementing agent, Alterelec designed and installed a compact 56kW micro-hydraulic turbine integration system at the Umhlanga Rocks Reservoir 2 site in a collaboration between the eThekwini and French ministries. “The goal is to assist the municipality in recovering untapped energy present in its water distribution network,” said the city.
The project’s objectives include the promotion of the development of untapped hydroelectric potential in SA and the provision of a renewable, stable, reliable and locally available source of electricity to support the energy requirements on the Umhlanga Reservoir 2 site.
The city said the project output includes the development of clean, renewable energy production and the generation of up to 56kW of energy, which is routed into the main electricity supply to support the reservoir site energy requirements.
The project also aims to produce 210MW per year and 6300MW over 30 years.
The city said the projects are a response to the growing water demand and national energy crisis.
Dhevan Govender, acting deputy head for engineering and data services in the water and sanitation unit, said the pilot projects are in line with the city’s vision to bring water reuse and renewable energy to the metro.
Govender said the city’s bulk water service provider remains Umgeni Water. However, to meet the demand, the city has to bring in mitigation strategies for at least 20% alternative supply.
He said the water supply from Umgeni Water is being kept, and if the city does not bring in an alternative water supply, it will have to go into water restrictions.
Ntuli said this was part of the city’s plan to adapt to a new reality of diversity in energy with all our residents to secure environmental energy sources.
“Significantly, today we witness how renewable energy solutions can play a critical role in importing water and electricity. As we continue to grapple with water challenges, we are optimistic that water reuse energy will go a long way to alleviate water scarcity in our city,” said Ntuli.
Ntuli said the site visit came on the heels of an announcement that Durban will host the 19th World Water Conference in 2025.
“The leadership of eThekwini is delighted to get the opportunity, not only to showcase our city but to play a leading role in the advancement of water reuse technology,” said Ntuli.
“This fits well with our plans to find lasting solutions and boost our efforts to expand water and sanitation services in the city. We will continue to engage with various partners to make the city the leader in water reuse technology and energy-renewable projects,” he said.
The city said the results of the pilot projects will assist them to implement its alternate new water scheme, whose feasibility study is under way, while the renewable energy plant is in the procurement phase.
It said the water reuse and renewable energy projects will be undertaken through public-private partnerships, while the city conducts oversight of them.
“These projects are part of the city’s water and sanitation security of water supply plan, climate change strategies, and KZN reconciliation strategies, which were adopted by the council,” said the city.
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