This week Stellenbosch officially opened a new Stellenbosch Waste Water Treatment Works (WWTW).

Mayor Gesie van Deventer was joined by members of the Executive Mayoral Committee, officials and citizens.

The brand new facility is the single biggest capital expenditure in the history of the Stellenbosch municipality and is expected to serve the community for generations to come, reports CapeTown ETC.

The new facility officially launched On March 4, becoming the country’s largest ultrafiltration membrane.

“The opening of this facility is truly a highlight in my term as Mayor. The matter of the WWTW was one of the first issues that found its way to my desk when I took office in 2016. What I found was very distressing and bordered on an economic and environmental disaster. It is for this reason that the WWTW project was prioritised and expedited,” said Mayor van Deventer told CapeTown ETC.

The new facility is expected to improve the wastewater treatment capacity by making use of a membrane biological reactor (MBR) process.

MBR process is an advanced wastewater treatment process that uses ultrafiltration membranes for liquid solid separation instead of conventional clarifiers. The use of these new technologies will significantly improve the state of the downstream river and the quality of water available to residents.

Rapid urbanisation of the Stellenbosch area had placed great pressure on the previous WWTW, causing issues such as odours and pollution of the downstream water resource.

Prior to the upgrade, the WWTW was severely constrained, dilapidated, struggling to meet effluent compliance and a nuisance to the surrounding community and environment.

This technology is also more effective as it kills a wider spectrum of harmful microorganisms. The facility has also been designed to be energy efficient by tailoring the technologies used and minimising pumping through the works. This reduces energy costs.

Facts about the facility:

• This is the largest ultrafiltration membrane biological reactor WWTW in South Africa
• The plant is capable of handling up to 35 Mℓ per day (average dry weather flow)
• The facility is fully compliant with the National Water Act
• The facility is fully automated, allowing it to be monitored, recorded and controlled via a centralised Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system.
• High odour generation areas on the plant were equipped with an advanced odour treatment system, thus mitigating any odour nuisances from the plant.