Water Wheel Sept/Oct 2026: Antimicrobial Resistance

Abstract

South Africa has more than 950 municipal wastewater treatment plants, yet only 13% comply with the minimum water discharge standards. Moreover, while the country’s older wastewater treatment plants can remove harmful chemicals and eliminate bacteria, they were not designed to remove exDNA – genetic material released from bacteria during the treatment process. Despite such shortcomings, these facilities remain vital tools for public health monitoring because of their diverse microbial communities, dynamic ecosystems and key role in the sanitation system. A study led by researchers from the DSTI-NRF Research Chair in African Microbiome Innovation at Stellenbosch University (SU) investigated how antimicrobial-resistant genes (ARGs) behave in wastewater treatment plants and the rivers connected to them. The team focused on nine wastewater treatment plants of different sizes and with different treatment technologies in the City of Tshwane.

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