Leading global WaterTech company, BlueGreen Water Technologies Ltd. (BlueGreen), announced that its water clean-up intervention at Setumo Dam, South Africa, has been successfully completed.

For the first time in decades, the people of Mahikeng are receiving safe drinking water from their main water supply source, that has been severely contaminated by toxic algae blooms. The successful treatment at Setumo dam also eliminated unpleasant taste and odour compounds from the drinking water and opened up recreation opportunities in and around the lake that had been, up until now, impossible.

BlueGreen’s cutting-edge technology is used to eradicate toxic blue-green algae (a.k.a cyanobacteria) in water bodies without leaving a trace in the water. In March this year, BlueGreen introduced its innovative Lake Guard^TM solution to Setumo Dam in collaboration with Sedibeng Water. The special treatment protocol implemented was tailored for the unique conditions in Setumo Dam by BlueGreen’s field specialists and its application was concluded with outstanding results.

The outbreak at Setumo dam was considered one of the worst cases in South Africa. The heavy cayanobacterial load was the result of decades of insufficiently treated sewage being released directly into the dam. The dam’s size and level of contamination had deemed it ‘untreatable’.

“BlueGreen is committed to making water safe”, explains Eyal Harel, CEO and co-founder of the company. “We undertook this project pro-bono, knowing it was the only chance for this community to access clean drinking water and enjoy Setumo Dam as a safe water source and unleash its potential for recreational purposes. We wish to empower local authorities to reclaim their water sources and advance the health and livelihood of their communities.”

Jurgens van Loggerenberg, Director of Africa for BlueGreen Water Technologies Ltd explains:

“The project has positively impacted more than half a million lives as a direct result of improved water quality. Setumo dam’s high cyanobacterial cell content (billions of cells per millilitre) far surpassed the levels deemed safe and approved by the World Health Organization and the South African Bureau of Standards (SANS 241).”

“The heavy organic load was also disrupting the ability of the local water treatment plant to operate, increasing the overall costs substantially and keeping the final water quality well below national and international standards,” explains van Loggerenberg.

This historical achievement is the result of a joint effort that included the Department of Water and Sanitation, Sedibeng Water and Rand Water Analytical Services working together to ensure the project at the Setumo dam is successful.

The success at Setumo Dam comes directly on the heels of BlueGreen winning the the ‘Breakthrough Technology Company of the Year’ award at the 2021 Global Water Awards.

BlueGreen Water Technologies Ltd. has been recognised for its “innovative solutions to the global epidemic of toxic cyanobacteria, undertaking major projects for cleaning extensive water bodies in the USA, South Africa, China and Israel”.