Recent outbreaks of waterborne diseases are unprecedented, as South Africa was once globally respected for its sanitation systems and potable water quality.
The country led the world in designing and constructing advanced biological processes for nutrient removal from wastewater, some of which are still used extensively worldwide.
At one stage, South Africa and large metros like the eThekwini municipality were the envy of the world, winning global awards such as the Stockholm Industry Water Award in 2014 and International Water Association awards for pragmatic and innovative approaches in providing water and sanitation services. Now, however, the country cannot boast about being a global leader due to challenges in the sector and deteriorating water quality.
The Green Drop certification system, which monitors the performance of wastewater treatment plants nationally and was re-established in 2021 by the department of water & sanitation (DWS), presented the sad reality of the dismal state of a large percentage of such plants.
The audit covered 995 wastewater networks and treatment plants, of which only 23 systems achieved Green Drop certification, compared with 60 plants in 2013. When compared with that audit, all provinces showed a reduction in Green Drop performance — though it was marginal in the Western Cape — and 334 plants were considered to be in a “critical state”.
The DWS, as the regulator, issues directives for remedial action to water services authorities responsible for operating plants when effluents do not satisfy discharge standards. It is unlikely that, in the context of the 2021 audit report, these directives are taken seriously by those responsible for operating wastewater treatment plants.
Due to the high rate of migration to cities and poor planning, many have exceeded their design capacity. Dysfunctional infrastructure, including poor disinfection capacity due to lack of maintenance, is compounded by load-shedding. Power-dependent pump stations do not function, causing sewer overflow into the environment, which is a serious health hazard. This is not an unsurmountable problem. It requires collective efforts from skilled practitioners, water service authorities and dedicated resources, without interference from conflicted people.
Allowing these complex systems to fail is inconceivable in the current economic climate. Moreover, once this happens, these plants cannot be easily fixed. This is a warning to water service institutions to urgently restore functionality of wastewater treatment plants or let it slip further into the abyss, with dire consequences for citizens and the country’s economy.
This is a warning to water service institutions to urgently restore functionality of wastewater treatment plants or let it slip further into the abyss, with dire health consequences for citizens and the economy of the country.
The cause of the cholera outbreak in Hammanskraal, Gauteng, has not been confirmed, but there is no doubt there could have been cross-contamination of drinking water with faecal matter. In this day and age, especially in a modern metro, this should not have happened. Sewage reticulated networks are supposed to be closed systems, from the time you flush a toilet to wastewater treatment plants.
One of the primary functions of an optimally functioning wastewater treatment plant is the removal of pathogens (disease-causing organisms) present in raw sewage. In addition to Vibrio cholerae, other waterborne pathogens commonly found in raw or poorly treated sewage include E. coli, Salmonella typhi (typhoid fever), viruses, protozoan parasites and helminths. If wastewater is not adequately treated, poor-quality final effluent which does not meet discharge standards can result in multiple challenges. It can also negatively affect the receiving environment, such as rivers and dams.
Water treatment plants generally abstract raw water from such bodies. However, if the feed water is of poor quality, the performance of the plants can be compromised, resulting in water that may not satisfy South African National Standards (SANS) 241 potable water quality guidelines. This could cause disease outbreaks.
Because South Africa is a water-starved country, receiving less rainfall than the global average, many water service providers are investigating the potential of using treated wastewater effluent for direct and indirect potable reuse. However, if the wastewater plants do not perform optimally, even advanced water treatment technologies which depend on good-quality feed water may fail to produce potable water to satisfy SANS 241. Unfortunately, the latest Green Drop report confirms our sanitation system is far from optimal.
Recognising the health approach as an integrated, unifying tactic to balance and optimise the health of people and ecosystems is imperative. Poor performance of wastewater treatment plants has a direct negative impact on the environment and, ultimately, access to water for human activity.
It was disappointing to see in the 2023 Blue Drop report, a regulatory tool used by the DWS to audit and improve drinking water quality, that 50% of municipalities had bad or poor microbiological water quality. In 2012, the figure was 10%.
Another challenge is the lack of transparency by water service providers on the magnitude of problems encountered and realistic timelines regarding when problems will be fixed. Effective planning and an efficient communication strategy to keep all stakeholders informed are crucial to help limit the impact on service delivery.
In some areas not serviced by sewer networks, including informal settlements, there are non-sewered sanitation technologies available that work. Though some metros are evaluating these, the uptake by communities and large-scale implementation by water service providers needs to be expedited. The reality is that not all of us have access to a flushing toilet and therefore, alternative sanitation technologies must be explored and accepted. Conventional flushing toilets using treated water can be considered a waste of our precious resource.
At the Institute for Water and Wastewater Technology at the Durban University of Technology (DUT), we have developed and optimised technology for advanced wastewater treatment which is being tested at demonstration scale.
However, the state of wastewater treatment plants in many metros requires first fixing what’s broken and “getting back to basics” before exploring new technologies. Having access to adequate sanitation is a fundamental right for all citizens. As much as sanitation provision has deteriorated in South Africa in the past 15 years or so, the situation can be salvaged. This will require dedicated resource provision and strong partnerships between government agencies and the private sector.
* Bux is DSI-NRF South African research chair and wastewater treatment director of the Institute for Water and Wastewater Technology at the DUT
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