Expansion into wastewater treatment

JoJo Tanks has evolved from a specialist tank manufacturer to a water solutions company, providing a range of products such as pumps, filters and sanitation products. Kirsten Kelly talks to Grant Neser (GN), MD of JoJo Tanks, about its purchase of Calcamite and moving into the wastewater management space.

What was the motivation behind the Calcamite acquisition?

GN We purchased Calcamite mid-2019 because it was part of our plan to grow the business beyond water storage into a full water solutions company. Calcamite provides practical, fit-for-purpose on-site wastewater and sanitation solutions. Water and sanitation are linked; without suitable wastewater management, we cannot have quality water. Like JoJo Tanks, Calcamite is a roto moulder. Calcamite products are competitive, and we believe that the demand for on-site sanitation and domestic wastewater treatment will continue to increase. Government is battling to maintain its current wastewater treatment capacity and has limited funding to erect new wastewater treatment plants that cater for the growing demand from newly built houses.

Bio-mite BM4 Grant Neser, MD, JoJo Tanks

What are some of Calcamite’s popular products?

Calcamite supplies a range of on-site wastewater and sanitation solutions – wastewater treatment plants, septic tanks, conservancy tanks, greywater solutions, sand, oil and grease traps, and sophisticated sewage reticulation systems. The wastewater treatment solutions are growing in popularity.

Our range of Bio-mites consists of wastewater treatment plants that process wastewater (including black- and greywater) to a specified quality, typically to reuse for irrigation and other non-potable applications. The BM4 and BM10 are part of our standard range for domestic applications; however, we can create customised solutions that cater for up to 500 people.

Our solutions, primarily in polymer, are robust and cost-effective – up to a certain size (for 500 people). From there, it is more economical to have water treatment plants in steel or concrete.

Aerial view of Calcamite products

Are there any common misconceptions that you come across from prospective clients?

Calcamite supplies products to individual

households and the lower end of commercial, industrial and agricultural industries.

The price of our Bio-mite products is sometimes compared to the price of a septic tank. Our Bio-mites include a septic tank, reactor, disinfection tank and settlement chamber. A septic tank does anaerobic processing but needs a French drain/soakaway that does the rest of the processing.

A septic tank is a simple solution, but it requires the correct ground conditions to manage the French drain/soakaway. It cannot be installed everywhere. The soil needs decent percolation that allows the partially treated wastewater to soak away and be treated by the soil and the various oxidisation agents within the soil. A septic tank cannot be installed with high water tables (this can create groundwater pollution) as well as clay soils that will not allow the water to soak away. disinfected, the submersible pump automatically switches on and pumps the water for irrigation.

Calcamite greywater solution It is also important to use a septic tank that is the correct size (200 litres of waste per person per day). Water should only be retained in the septic tank for 24 hours. It is always better to install a bigger sized septic tank than what is needed, as de-sludging the septic tank can be done less frequently.

There is also sometimes confusion between greywater recycling and blackwater. Blackwater refers to waste from toilets and kitchen sinks while greywater is from baths, showers, bathroom basins and washing machines, and has less biological waste. Greywater is redirected to a greywater system where it is disinfected with calcium hypochlorite (a plantfriendly chlorine derivative) to remove pathogenic organisms such as E. coli. Once the water has been

Calcamite septic tank

Do your wastewater treatment plants require maintenance?

When using products that have biological reactors, one must consider the bacteria that consume the organic waste. Anti-biologicals cannot be flushed into the sewer system. Your wastewater treatment plants should not be overloaded, as it can damage the bioreactor. The plant should be used fairly frequently; if left unused for an extended period of time, the bacteria are likely to die.

Any final thoughts?

JoJo Tanks are optimistic of Calcamite’s future. It is a business with an excellent value proposition and we look forward to serving the communities that need our products.

APE Pumps Split Case Pump

Operating Range Flow - 10m³/hr up to 2500m³/hr Head - 4m up to 120m

Applications - General liquid pumping - Power plants - Bulk Water - Steel mills - Refineries - Chemical plants - Cooling and heating systems