Schools across the Eastern Cape are suffering from undignified and unsafe sanitation conditions. In a recent project WEC Water, a provider of comprehensive water treatment solutions, supplied and installed 15 NEWgenerator™ off-grid sanitation systems to help address this issue.

Ntwanano Mandlazi, a project engineer at WEC Water, says “Historically, many of the schools involved in the project have relied on pit latrines which have proven to be unhygienic and unsafe. In addition, the schools are located in areas where water is scarce, and the electricity supply is erratic. The NEWgenerator™ addresses these challenges in a few unique ways.”

NEWgenerator™ benefits

The NEWgenerator™ treats the blackwater from the toilets and basin water through biological, physical and chemical processes to a quality suitable for reuse as flushing water in a virtually closed loop system. Each NEWgeneratorTM is built into a 6 m refurbished shipping container and consists of an anaerobic baffled reactor (ABR), membrane filtration, a nutrient capture system (NCS) and disinfection.

The systems also allow for remote monitoring by the WEC Water team. Each unit is powered by 10 solar panels, making it a truly off-grid solution.

Each NEWgeneratorTM can treat 1,250 L of wastewater per day. Nutrients can be recovered from the NCS and converted into nutrient-rich fertiliser. In addition, the biogas produced from the treatment process can be captured safely and used for cooking. The NEWgenerator™’s compact and modular design makes it easy to transport, install, and commission on-site.

The systems have been deployed to 15 schools in Stutterheim, Qonce, Zwelitsha, Mthatha, Peddie, Ngqeleni, Port St Johns and Sterkspruit.

Longevity and maintenance

Mandlazi says, “Once the WEC team has built, installed and commissioned the units, we also have a 5-year Operations and Maintenance (O&M) contract. This highlights our dedication to supporting these schools with the ongoing operation and upkeep of these units. We are particularly proud of our association with the NEWgeneratorTM technology as it enables Africa to overcome the major challenges of access to safe flushing water and sanitation, ultimately restoring a greater sense of dignity to its people. The technology benefits schools as well as informal settlements and small businesses.”