The Wildlands Green Filter Plant is the result of collaborative efforts to address the serious pollution problems of the Plankenbrug River in Stellenbosch.

The Plankenbrug River receives greywater, polluted stormwater and effluent overflow from Kayamandi and Enkanini Informal Settlement of Stellenbosch.

The recently formed Stellenbosch River Collaborative was looking to improve the water quality in the town’s rivers, and, through funding raised by Wildlands, is supporting the piloting of Eco-Machine Technology to divert and treat water from the Plankenbrug River.

“This approach is ground breaking and could, if piloted successfully and monitored carefully to ensure success, revolutionize the wastewater treatment facilities in Langrug and similar areas of the Western Cape (and the rest of South Africa and Africa),” said Jonny Harris of Isidima, one of the developers of the Eco-Machine Technology.

“What is most relevant is that these systems not only solve ecological challenges, but provide significant opportunities for job creation, therefore addressing the principles of the Green Economy.

This is the first initiative of its kind to take place in South Africa. The concept of Eco-Machine technology consists of 14 white water tanks with connecting pipes and river plants in it, where the roots of these plants will act as filters to the river water, thus purifying it.

As the water flows from one tank to another, the plants will also differ, because some plants can grow in very polluted water and others need clean water to grow; an innovative way to use nature to cleanse itself.