Wastewater treatment and reuse/reclamation CASE STUDY

This fact sheet by GreenCape describes wastewater treatment and reuse/reclamation as the process of removing contaminants from discharged water to create reclaimed water for restored use. It highlights the shift toward decentralized solutions due to the high costs and long timeframes associated with centralized systems, as well as the critical state of South Africa's wastewater treatment works (WWTWs).

• Decentralized wastewater treatment is presented as a sustainable alternative to centralized systems, which face high costs for connection and sludge management, typically accounting for approximately 40% to 60% of total WWTW plant costs.
• South Africa's wastewater treatment infrastructure is in poor condition; of 824 assessed WWTWs, 212 are categorized as critical risks, 259 as high risk, 218 as medium risk, and 135 as low risk.
• There is a significant funding gap in the water and sanitation sector. The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) estimates an annual capital requirement of R90bn, with R70bn for water supply infrastructure and R20bn for sanitation and wastewater, resulting in an annual funding shortfall of R33bn.
• Regulatory drivers and economic opportunities are pushing the uptake of wastewater reuse, including a national target to divert 75% of organic waste from landfills by 2030 and a liquid waste to landfill ban in 2027. Municipalities could potentially save approximately R330 million per year by diverting sludge from disposal.
• Specific clean technology examples include SAFWATER's mobile sewage treatment plant, which has a 17m3/h capacity and can be powered by solar PV using as little as 340Watt, and Maskam Water's Clarus Fusion on-site recycling solution.

APA

GreenCape (n.d.). Wastewater treatment and reuse/reclamation CASE STUDY. https://greencape.co.za/assets/FNF-Case-Study-4-Wastewater-treatment.pdf

Chicago

GreenCape. Wastewater treatment and reuse/reclamation CASE STUDY. n.d. https://greencape.co.za/assets/FNF-Case-Study-4-Wastewater-treatment.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=GreenCape |title=Wastewater treatment and reuse/reclamation CASE STUDY |url=https://greencape.co.za/assets/FNF-Case-Study-4-Wastewater-treatment.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{greencapendwastewater, author = {{GreenCape}}, title = {{Wastewater treatment and reuse/reclamation CASE STUDY}}, institution = {GreenCape}, url = {https://greencape.co.za/assets/FNF-Case-Study-4-Wastewater-treatment.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }