The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), in collaboration with the Climate and Disaster Resilience Fund (CDRF), the Drakenstein Local Municipality and Santam, launched the Berg River Wastewater Treatment network project at the Welvanpas Water Treatment Plant in Wellington in the Western Cape.

The Drakenstein Municipality, through its Water Services Development Master Plan, ensured that citizens had access to efficient, affordable, economical and sustainable water and sanitation services that promote improved livelihoods and economic development. These efforts were acknowledged through the city receiving Green Drop status from the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) for its Hermon Wastewater Treatment System.

Chris Mahlathi, senior engineer researcher from the CSIR developed a Source Treatment Optimisation and Water Resource Management-Decision Support Tool (STOWRM-DST). The tool couples a water quality model with a cost optimisation algorithm to simulate and prescribe effluent pre-treatment levels to a network of wastewater treatment plants prior to its discharge into a natural water system.

The Green Drop report for South Africa alludes to the worrying levels of deterioration of our wastewater systems. Therefore, the CDRF was approached to source funding for the testing and calibration of the STOWRM-DST. This will enable the DWS to address key performance areas such as effluent and sludge compliance of the national Green Drop Standards by identifying measures and areas of improvement in effluent quality and disposal.

"The main objectives of the Climate and Disaster Resilience Fund are to support the development of tools and capabilities, as well as minimise loss and damages associated with the adverse effects of climate change and to support the optimisation of current water resources and build a strong CDRF project implementation capability," says John Lomberg, the Executive Director at the Climate and Disaster Resilience Fund.

The aim of the project is to support the optimisation of available water resources in the Drakenstein Local Municipality. The Berg River has been identified as a suitable site for testing the CSIR-developed STOWRM-DST which is the first of its kind internationally. The Drakenstein Local Municipality will be the first municipality to have a body of water assessed and treated using the decision support tool.

As part of the progressive improvement in the Drakenstein Local Municipality's water and sanitation services, several predetermined objectives were highlighted in the Integrated Development Plan that related to improving the capacity of wastewater treatment works and the efficiencies in wastewater treatment plants.

"The collaboration between the CSIR, the Climate and Disaster Resilience Fund, Santam and the Drakenstein Local Municipality marks a significant step towards achieving sustainable wastewater management. The implementation of this tool provides a unique opportunity to showcase the value of an integrated approach and partnerships with stakeholders in addressing water and wastewater challenges in the country," says Mahlathi.

The collaboration between the CSIR and the CDRF provides a bedrock for piloting the innovative water decision-support tool. The project launch has delighted the Drakenstein Local Municipality, with Councillor Theuns Bester from Engineering Services stating that everything that happens in and to the river impedes and affects the community directly. The launch marks a significant step towards achieving sustainable wastewater management and the implementation of this tool provides a unique opportunity to showcase the value of an integrated approach and partnerships with stakeholders in addressing water and wastewater challenges in the country.

In conclusion, apart from driving evidence-based decisions that inform the key performance area that speaks to the assurance of effluent and sludge compliance of the Green Drop Standards, the project is well-aligned with the United Nations' global climate change theme of “protecting, conserving and restoring water resources”. Therefore, the Berg River Water Treatment project will yield valuable insights for the municipality, enabling it to identify areas for improving the quality and disposal of effluent to ensure continuous access to quality potable water and reducing health risks.