First pre-fabricated DEWATS modules installed in South Africa

On 10 August 2011 the first two pre-fabricated DEWATS modules were installed in the Frasers informal settlement of eThekwini Municipality. They are treating domestic wastewater from a community ablution block serving 75 households.

The treated wastewater is connected to a nearby evapo-transpiration area greening the lawn of a sports field. The production and assembling of the modules (pre-fabricated out of concrete slabs) was done at the workshop of HERING South Africa in Shakas Head/Ballito. All works other than the installation of the DEWATS units are performed by the local contractor. 

Two more pre-fabricated DEWATS solutions will be installed within the next two weeks.
They will be treating the effluent of another two standard container ablution blocks provided by eThekwini Water & Sanitation (EWS). For research reasons, some of the ablution blocks will be equipped with water saving devices. Further more, one site will have grey water separation. For sedimentation reasons, the grey water will be channelled to a settler before going directly to the evapo-transpiration area.

In total, Frasers informal settlement will get access to basic sanitation by means of five community ablution blocks - three of them connected to DEWATS pre-fab solutions by BORDA-HERING and another two standard DEWATS solutions built by EWS contractors on site out of bricks, mortar and concrete.
 
The aim of this project - implemented by EWS in partnership with the Universities of KwaZulu Natal and Johannesburg, HERING South Africa and BORDA - is to compare life cycle costs and performances between:
 
•    pre-fabricated and conventionally built DEWATS modules (septic tanks and anaerobic baffled reactors)
•    treatment of domestic wastewater with and without grey water separation
•    community ablution blocks with and without water saving devices

Besides the technical performance, community perception, behavioural change, economic and health impact are surveyed by the Universities of KwaZulu Natal and Stellenbosch supported by the KZN based NGO DES (Decentralised Environmental Solutions).