South Africa’s water challenges are placing growing pressure on communities to use and manage water more sustainably. A project in Benoni is exploring how wastewater can be treated and reused, while involving the community in developing solutions that are practical and accessible.
Water security is becoming an increasingly important concern as communities face pressure from ageing infrastructure, rising demand and climate-related challenges.
In Benoni, the Low-Tech Water Project is investigating ways of treating and reusing source-separated wastewater through technologies designed for resource-constrained and off-grid environments.
The project is a collaboration between the Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Stellenbosch University and Manger Care Centre.
Rather than relying on complex and expensive infrastructure, the project is focused on developing and refining low-tech treatment systems that could be suitable for settings where access to reliable electricity, infrastructure and technical resources may be limited.
The work focuses on source-separated wastewater, where different types of wastewater are kept separate and treated according to their characteristics. This can create opportunities to recover resources and explore safe forms of water reuse.
Manger Care Centre provides an important community setting for the project. The organisation runs programmes supporting the reintegration of homeless individuals, creating an opportunity to explore how environmental innovation can intersect with community needs.
A key part of the project is community participation. Researchers are able to learn from the people and environment in which the technology is being explored, while communities have an opportunity to engage with solutions designed to address real challenges.
This approach recognises that successful innovation is not only about whether a technology works. It also needs to be practical, affordable, maintainable and relevant to the people’s expectations.
Description
A research project in Benoni is exploring how low-tech wastewater treatment and reuse could help resource-constrained communities improve water security, reduce environmental pressure and build greater resilience.
Editor’s Note
Water insecurity is not only an environmental challenge. It affects health, livelihoods and the ability of communities to thrive. As pressure on South Africa’s water resources grows, finding practical ways to conserve, treat and reuse water is becoming increasingly important. The Low-Tech Water Project in Benoni is exploring how simple, accessible technologies and community participation could help turn wastewater into part of the solution.
