Water Wheel July/August 2020: Agriculture And Wastewater

Abstract

AGRICULTURE AND W ASTEW ATER ‘n Boer maak ‘n plan (a farmer makes a plan), as the Afrikaans saying goes. In South Africa, artificial wetlands are allowing some famers to make cost-effective, efficient and green plans in reply to one of the biggest negative impacts associated with agriculture, namely water pollution. In the winelands of the Western Cape, constructed wetlands are now an accepted treatment option for the large volumes of wastewater produced during the wine production process. Some farmers also use it to treat sewage (following bacterial treatment) to potable standards. Vriesenhof owner and cellar master, Jan ‘Boland’ Coetzee, has the proof on paper. Test reports consistently show that effluent from his farm, a combination of greywater, treated sewage and cellar water, to be of drinking water quality. His main technology of choice to achieve this is a near-40 metre strip of palmiet and reeds. Test results show that the treated water contains faecal coliforms of 12 mpn/100 ml.

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