W ATE R & S A N I T A T ION
scheme makes it easy to operate and, as a result, it is more reliable. What’s more, the concentrated biomass substantially reduces tank volume and easily makes the required area a factor of four smaller. This lowers the direct plant costs for greenfield, brownfield, retrofit or hybrid capacity extension applications and often enables existing treatment sites to be utilised, rather than necessitating new land acquisition. Operation and maintenance costs are much lower thanks to the reduction in mechanical equipment, chemicalfree operation and the remarkably high energy efficiency of the process. On average, a Nereda plant uses 30% to 40% less energy than conventional wastewater treatment plants, while delivering better water quality. South Africa already has two other Nereda sites. One is in Gansbaai and the other is in Wemmershoek, both in the Western Cape. Internationally, there are dozens of sites using the Nereda technology, which is punted as the future standard in industrial and municipal wastewater treatment technology.
SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT The disposal of solid waste, by definition, includes hazardous waste, healthcare waste, mine dumps, leachate/sludge and general solid waste. Overburdening and the inadequate maintenance of existing infrastructure are problems. The high rate of urbanisation and population growth requires a continued 128
EKURHULENI 2016
“Garbage-to-energy technology is a technology yet to be exploited in South Africa. Electricity, low-sulfur diesel and non-ferrous metals can be produced from garbage” and increasing need for the provision of waste removal. With the average perperson daily waste generation of 600 g, a daily total 1.9 million tonnes of solid waste is generated. The inadequate provision of solid waste management can result in poor human health and increased vulnerability to poor environmental conditions, particularly in marginalised communities. This also has an impact on the receiving environment and may lead to problems like overflow or dumping,
groundwater contamination, high E. coli counts and cholera. It is in this area where innovative investment opportunities exist. As Donald Vinnicombe, industrial chemist at Benefici8, says, “Solid waste is a gold mine waiting to be mined. Garbageto-energy technology is a technology yet to be exploited in South Africa. Electricity, low-sulfur diesel and nonferrous metals can be produced from garbage.”