| Can waste water save South Africa from a water shortage? | |
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In the water consumption chapter of the 2008 Living Planet Report it stated that 98% of the countries water resources are already fully utilised and the problem is only going to get worse with the population growth. Gauteng is set to be the hardest hit due to the mining industry and high levels of industrial activity in that region. It has been estimated that a water shortage in the area will become apparent from approx. 2013. The worldwide average rainfall is 860mm a year, South Africa however is 400mm below that at only 460mm, this and the increase in demand has mean't that WWF (The World Wide Fund for Nature) has reported that by 2025 there will be a water deficit of 1.7%. At a water seminar in Cape Town during May it was discussed how the way to counter act this problem may be to focus on waste water and how to utilise that. South African and European water experts joined the Dutch governmental delegation comprising of minister of Development Cooperation Bert Koenders and deputy minister of Foreign Trade Frank Heemskerk at the seminar to discuss their economic and political mission. "We should change our mindsets about wastewater," said Brendon Meulman, project manager at Landustrie, a Dutch company that specialises in wastewater management. "We should stop seeing it as waste and a burden, but rather as a resource. A lot can be done with wastewater." "Toilet water for instance, is rich in organic material," he explained. "If the concentration of this so-called black water is high enough, you can create energy out of this organic material. You can also turn it into compost and fertiliser." The system works as follows. While the urine is channeled away, the solid waste is stored in a separate wind-ventilated chamber where it is air-dried. "The eventual result is pathogen-free human waste, which can be used as manure for vegetable gardens," Meulman noted. "It can also be used as fuel, for instance to make fires." Apart from reducing the amount of wastewater and waste, the system does not require water to flush excrement. Similar systems are already in operation in South Africa, for instance in Durban where thousands of dry toilets have been installed. "We work with so-called vacuum toilets that are already used on cruise ships," he told IPS. "This type of toilet uses approximately one litre of water and 100 litres of air per flush. With this, you are saving many litres of water per person per day." On average, flushing a toilet uses ten to 12 litres of water. "According to our calculations, a vacuum toilet saves 36 litres of water per person per day," said Meulman. "That is over 25 percent of your daily total water consumption." According to Meulman, this technology is not applicable only in high-income countries. "We have developed a low tech version which is specifically meant to service informal settlements and squatter camps," he explained. "It is a self-contained system that is not dependent on energy sources. It basically comprises of a container that is equipped with toilets and urinals, which are vandalism proof, hygienic and clean." Developing new technologies to save, conserve, and recycle water is crucial in solving South Africa's water problems, says Lungile Dhlamini, director of Cape Town's water services department. "Sewage is part of us, if we want it or not. We need to look how we can treat wastewater in a more efficient way." It is doubtful that these toilets will solve the water shortage problems for South Africa as domestic use is only 12% of the overall usage. The largest use of water is agricultural irrigation at a huge 52% of the country's usage. "We are not trying to save the world, but we do want to save and conserve water. And that is exactly what we are doing," said Meulman. "Not only informal settlements, but regular households can also be equipped with a similar system." Koenders emphasised that it is not only toilet water that needs to be looked at. "The country's water problems are further impacted by the fact that mines are contaminating rivers and other water bodies," he told IPS. "And according to local media reports, waste water is dumped on a regular basis. These and other matters can result in tremendous health issues. Better water management, purification, recycling, and conservation could provide an answer to the problem, as at the moment the country faces a shortage of water."
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I was doing this in my school for my portfolio assignments it was based on water shortagein the country. Ifound out that since from 2001 th rate is increasing every year.I would lije to know what is been done to reduce the rate or keep constant
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 written by Sylvia Lampe , July 06, 2009
boreholes are not the solution either, as there is only a certain amount of water in the world. If we pollute it, it cannot be replaced. We need to look at recycling (like grey and black water), using less chemicals & medication etc, as everything ultimately ends up in our water cycle. Many boreholes lower the underground water table - we cannot keep on borrowing from Peter to pay Paul so to speak. We need to use water much more wisely and sparingly if we want to continue to survive on this planet.
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South Africa could be facing a water shortage in the not too distant future that will only get worse if the Government doesn't take action soon.
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I wrote a post on how electricity usage can save water, basically every Kilo Watt saved results in a 1.3 litre water saving
http://urbansolar.iblog.co.za/2010/01/25/electricity-saving-how-it-impacts-on-water-consumption/