Water Wheel Sept/Oct 2022: Water Reuse

Abstract

Water in a circle: A new guide for towns and cities to save and reuse water The thought of drinking or reusing wastewater that has passed through our homes, offices or industries may remain unsavoury for many South Africans, even when it is retreated and purified to the highest standards. Yet, as the recent water shortage in Cape Town, Nelson Mandela Bay and other major centres has shown, South Africa is running short of water fast. Municipalities will, therefore, have to come up with safe but unconventional alternative plans to ensure supplies for a growing human population and economy, while also allaying safety fears and overcoming the ‘yuck factor’ associated with water effluent reuse. To provide guidance on some of the many safety, technical and financial aspects of reusing water, the Water Research Commission (WRC) and the Institute for Municipal Engineers of Southern Africa (IMESA) recently published a new Water reclamation and reuse guide for South African municipal engineers (WRC Report No. TT 882/22).

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