Sanitation
Could alternative sanitation help SA ’ s water security ?
By Riante Naidoo
As the 30th driest country in the world , South Africa is facing greater water security challenges with increasing periods of drought and unpredictable rainfall patterns . According to a case study on alternative sanitation for water security done by Tomorrow Matters Now , 19.5 % of South Africans are still without an improved sanitation service and 4.9 % of South Africans have no access to sanitation .
For 60 % of water management systems , water demand is overtaken by supply , while 98 % of our available water resources are already being used . At the same time , South Africa ’ s water and sanitation infrastructure is crumbling because of a chronic lack of investment .
Local municipalities are faced with these challenges and its effects on a daily basis .
Some of these include the age old problems of institutional or financial shortcomings and capacity constraints , a delay in sanitation services linked to a delay in housing , and the continued maintenance and improvement of basic sanitation .
Waste management has also become an increasing problem with water treatment plants having released raw sewage into rivers in the past due to poor management and maintenance backlogs .
The case study found the need for alternative means of sanitation .
Providing universal access to conventional waterborne sanitation is one of government ’ s biggest challenges , and the critical aspects of hygiene and dignity , as well as a healthy and resilient environment need to be addressed . The study said that ‘ flushing ’ cannot be the solution as we cannot continue to use clean , potable water to flush waste . “ We need game-changing new technologies which require little or no water ,” the findings suggested .
Technology
The study suggested that alternative means of sanitation require low-water and no-water systems , low-energy wastewater treatment , sustainable operations and maintenance , and be an adaptable , integrated system that can ‘ click into place ’.
The Arumloo micro-flush toilet was cited as an example as it only uses 1 litre of water .
Biokube , a Danish company , was said to be a reputable in building decentralised waste-water treatment plants which have been implemented in more than 43 countries . Its “ strength lies in scalability from household level , to resorts , to small cities ,” the report said .
Partnerships
The development of a viable partnership model involving the combined efforts of governments , communities , citizens , civil society and the private sector is critical for success , the study added .
It also noted the following factors as crucial for success : In response to ageing water systems in South Africa , the City of Johannesburg has commenced with an Infrastructure Renewal Plan costing R1 billion a year to increase the renewal rate from 1 % to 3.5 % to eliminate backlogs .
Similar plans are in place for water-and sewer infrastructure throughout the country .
Industry experts have asked whether it will be possible to maintain demanding and costly water technologies , as perhaps alternative sanitation systems could provide an answer to these issues , offering low-water flush solutions or alternative sanitation technologies that use no water at all .
Overview
Sanitation
Globally 2.4 billion people live without access to improved sanitation : Almost 1 billion of these people practice open defecation . Despite significant gains — almost 2.1 billion people gained access to toilets or latrines since 1990 —
30 Africa Water , Sanitation & Hygiene • May - June 2017