Editor’s comment

Editor Kirsten Kelly kirsten.kelly@3smedia.co.za Managing Editor Alastair Currie Head of Design Beren Bauermeister Chief Sub-editor Tristan Snijders Contributors Giulia Barr, Teodora Damian, Lester Goldman, Mille Poulsen Jensen, Jørgen Erik Larsen, Brian Lewis, Dan Naidoo, Masindi Mapholi, Zaid Railoun, Jacques Rust Production & Client Liaison Manager Antois-Leigh Nepgen Production Coordinator Jacqueline Modise Distribution Manager Nomsa Masina Distribution Coordinator Asha Pursotham Group Sales Manager Chilomia Van Wijk Bookkeeper Tonya Hebenton Advertising Sales Hanlie Fintelman c +27 (0)67 756 3132 Hanlie.Fintelman@3smedia.co.za

Publisher Jacques Breytenbach 3S Media 46 Milkyway Avenue, Frankenwald, 2090 PO Box 92026, Norwood 2117 Tel: +27 (0)11 233 2600 Fax: +27 (0)11 234 7274/5 www.3smedia.co.za

ISSN: 1990 - 8857 Annual subscription: R330 (SA rate) subs@3smedia.co.za Copyright 2021. All rights reserved. All articles herein are

copyright protected and may not be reproduced either in whole or in part without the prior written permission of the publishers. The views of contributors do not necessarily reflect those of the Water Institute of Southern Africa or the publishers.

WISA’s Vision

Inspiring passion for water

WISA Contacts: HEAD OFFICE Tel: 086 111 9472(WISA) Fax: +27 (0)11 315 1258 Physical address: 1stFloor, Building 5, Constantia Park, 546 16th Road, Randjiespark Ext 7, Midrand Website: www.wisa.org.za

BRANCHES Central Branch (Free State, Northern Cape, North West) Chairperson: Dr Leana Esterhuizen Company: Central University of Technology Tel: +27 (0)51 507 3850 Email: lesterhu@cut.ac.za

Eastern Cape: Branch Contact: Dan Abrahams Company: Aurecon Tel: +27 (0)41 503 3929 Cell: +27 (0) 81 289 1624 Email: Dan.Abraham@aurecongroup.com

Gauteng Branch Lead: Zoe Gebhardt Cell: +27 (0)82 3580876 Email: zoe.gebhardt@gmail.com

KwaZulu-Natal Chairperson: Lindelani Sibiya Company: Umgeni Water Cell: +27 (0)82 928 1081 Email: lindelani.sibiya@umgeni.co.za

Limpopo Chairperson: Mpho Chokolo Company: Lepelle Northern Water Cell: +27 (0)72 310 7576 Email: mphoc@lepelle.co.za

Mpumalanga Chairperson: Lihle Mbatha (Acting) Company: Inkomati-Usuthu Catchment Management Agency Tel: +27 (0)13 753 9000 Email: mbathat@iucma.co.za

Western Cape Chairperson: Natasia van Binsbergen Company: AL Abbott & Associates Tel: +27 (0)21 448 6340 Cell: +27 (0)83 326 3887 Email: natasia@alabbott.co.za

Namibia Please contact the WISA Head Office at admin@wisa.org.za for more information

Talking toilets

When we commemorate World Toilet Day on 19 November, let’s take a moment to appreciate how much work has been done, and realise how much work still needs doing. This edition – our 2021 ‘Dignified Sanitation Issue’ of WASA – covers topics ranging from SANS 30500 to upscaling technologies.

As a mother of two children under five, a stomach bug is the stuff of nightmares. So, when my son was recently sent home from school on a Monday, I knew I was in for a difficult week. My daughter was the next victim, followed by my husband, and then me. I spent a lot of time in the bathroom, cleaning and flushing toilets.

I tried to imagine what life must be like in an informal settlement, with overfilled, filthy ventilated pit (VIP) toilets that were far away from my dwelling. How safe would it be to take my daughter there at night? And if a stomach bug can hit a family of four (that has the option of three clean toilets for their exclusive use), how often do children who have to share VIP toilets get stomach bugs?

Like many others, before stepping into the world of water and sanitation, I took toilets for granted. Living in a leafy suburb, I did not give sanitation a second thought. But over the past few weeks, I have researched, interviewed people and spoken about toilets specifically a great deal. I have even started to wince every time I hear a toilet flush and imagine the litres of potable water going down the drain.

WRC I am particularly proud of this ‘Dignified Sanitation Issue’, and cannot think of a better organisation to be on the cover. The Water Research Commission (WRC) has been involved in impressive work that aims to restore dignity, privacy and safety to people who have been left behind in the drive towards sanitation for all. Read all about how we can fast-track the adoption of low-flush toilets on page 6, as well as some of the latest technologies on pages 13, 20 and 22.

We have the technologies but, as Dan Naidoo says on page 9, we now need to focus on the acceptance and adoption of these technologies.

The water sector has many challenges, but our industry is filled with incredibly talented scientists, engineers and personalities. We bid a sad farewell to Dhesigan Naidoo as his tenure at the WRC has come to an end (more on page 34), but he will thankfully continue to work within the industry. The inspirational Mark Bannister is featured on page 10.

I always love hearing from people within the industry. If you’d like to share your thoughts or opinions on anything in the magazine, or if you’d like to see us cover a specific topic, please do not hesitate to contact me at kirsten. kelly@3smedia.co.za.

Promoting professional excellence in the water sector

The official magazine of the Water Institute of Southern Africa

Water &Sanitation

Complete water resource and wastewater management Africa

Water Research Commission

Fast-tracking adoption of water-efficient toilets

COVER OPPORTUNITY

In each issue, Water&Sanitation Africa offers companies the opportunity to get to the front of the line by placing a company, product or service on the front cover of the magazine. Buying this position will afford the advertiser the cover story and maximum exposure. For more information, contact Hanlie Fintelman on +27 (0)67 756 3132, or email Hanlie.Fintelman@3smedia.co.za.