WSP: Are we flushing invaluable resources away?
Experts in South Africa are calling for a shift in how wastewater is managed, arguing that it should be viewed as a valuable resource rather than waste. Treated effluent can be reused for irrigation, industrial processes, or energy generation, which is critical in a water-scarce region.
Why it matters
Effective water management and circular infrastructure are essential for economic stability and environmental health in regions facing chronic water shortages.
WSP: Are we flushing invaluable resources away?
Wastewater is still too often viewed as the end of a process, something to treat and discharge once it leaves a home, business, mine, or industrial site. In a water-scarce country, that linear view overlooks its value and the consequences of returning it to a connected water system.
South Africa’s rivers and water-transfer systems carry water across municipal, provincial, and national boundaries. Water may be abstracted, used, treated, returned, altered, and abstracted again downstream. The performance of wastewater infrastructure therefore affects far more than the site or municipality operating it.
“Some by-products of wastewater treatment can be used to generate energy that is fed back into the treatment infrastructure, reducing its demand on the grid,” says Kosikee Emma-Iwuoha, Associate and Water Civil Engineer at WSP in Africa. “Treated effluent can also be reused for irrigation or, with further treatment, in industrial processes.”
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