CaseStudy Off grid sanitation Cango Caves, Oudtshoorn

The Cango Caves installed a decentralized wastewater treatment system for R2.5 million to replace an inefficient reed bed facility. The system treats and reuses approximately 70% of effluent for flushing and irrigation, resulting in a 60% reduction in potable water demand (over 3.6 million litres per annum) and R163,200 in municipal water savings during its first year of operation (September 2019 – September 2020).

• The Cango Caves implemented a decentralized wastewater treatment system costing R2,500,000, designed to treat and reuse approximately 70% of treated effluent for irrigation and flushing 24 low flush toilets and 6 urinals.
• Between September 2019 and September 2020, the off-grid sanitation system reduced potable water demand by more than 3.6 million litres per year, representing a 60% reduction in water use.
• The installation resulted in R163,200 in municipal water savings during the first year of operation, based on Oudtshoorn Level 4 water tariffs.
• The project addressed critical infrastructure pressures caused by a seven-year regional drought and an increasing volume of tourists, which previously forced the site to use honey suckers to remove excess sewage that the old reed bed facility could not handle.
• Beyond water savings, the non-sewered system reduced pumping energy demand and mitigated potential environmental pollution.

APA

Mpofu, A., & Koch, C. (2021). CaseStudy Off grid sanitation Cango Caves, Oudtshoorn. GreenCape. https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/CANGO_CAVES_CASE_STUDY_18_3_21-updated-24-1.pdf

Chicago

Mpofu, Ashton, and Chris Koch. CaseStudy Off grid sanitation Cango Caves, Oudtshoorn. GreenCape, 2021. https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/CANGO_CAVES_CASE_STUDY_18_3_21-updated-24-1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Mpofu |first1=Ashton |last2=Koch |first2=Chris |title=CaseStudy Off grid sanitation Cango Caves, Oudtshoorn |publisher=GreenCape |date=2021 |url=https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/CANGO_CAVES_CASE_STUDY_18_3_21-updated-24-1.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{mpofu2021casestudy, author = {Mpofu, Ashton and Koch, Chris}, title = {{CaseStudy Off grid sanitation Cango Caves, Oudtshoorn}}, institution = {GreenCape}, year = {2021}, url = {https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/CANGO_CAVES_CASE_STUDY_18_3_21-updated-24-1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }