Sustainable waste management solutions company Interwaste contends that environmental stewardship and resource recovery remain integral in addressing South Africa’s ongoing water shortage challenges.

In April, the company announced the launch of its R100-million leachate and effluent treatment plant in Delmas, Mpumalanga, representing a “paradigm shift” in the treatment of various liquid waste streams.

The plant is designed to treat various effluent waste across two categories, such as leachate produced by Interwaste’s facilities, and liquid waste streams from various industries, such as manufacturing and mining.

Interwaste group business development and marketing director Kate Stubbs notes the significance of ensuring that this plant not only treats and processes liquid contaminated waste but also recovers it for reuse.

“What is really exciting about this plant is that 80% to 90% of the incoming liquid waste for treatment is recovered as clean water and that can be reused on site, which fits into the broader objectives of the company regarding water stewardship, water reduction and biodiversity protection,” she explains.

There are also social benefits, as reusing the waste liquid on site does not place additional burdens on local boreholes and municipal sources. Further,

Interwaste’s plant can process up to 43-million cubic metres of water on a yearly basis and the company estimates recovering 36-million cubic metres of clean water.

Outlining the distinctive edge of this plant, Stubbs highlights that the company referred to global best practice standards in its execution, coupled with local expertise to understand the conditions and make the relevant adjustments.

Interwaste leveraged the use of technology to understand the process of recovering liquid waste and it endorses circular economy principles, which are predicated on maximising the recovery of integral resources.

Some of the technologies required for the plant’s efficacy are reflected throughout its advanced filtration processing, which include the testing, balancing pretreatment, treatment and recovery into clean water processes, the reverse osmosis process and the evaporator.

Acknowledging that one treatment plant is not sufficient in solving the country’s water crisis, Stubbs notes that this project has highlighted what is possible and should be viewed as a case study that inspires positive change.

With South Africa being a water-scarce country that must deal with the significant impacts of climate change, the company aims to inspire others to view wastewater treatment as solutions for their businesses on a broader scale, Stubbs says.

The company says, given its positive experience with this relatively new treatment plant it would consider expanding in the rest of Southern Africa.