A public private partnership was established with a private actor (Duzi Turf), a public utility (Umgeni Water), and a local municipality (Msunduzi Municipality) to explore the potential of co-compost production at a municipal scale. The public utility supplies dewatered sewage sludge, while the municipality supplies the garden/green waste which is then co-composted by the private company. The private company is conveniently located next to the landfill site and the public utility in order to facilitate the collection of the materials. The garden waste is then : 1) chipped to the required structural consistency, 2) combined with sludge from a Waste Water Treatment Plant, and 3)  composted in windrows. In addition to supporting the production of turf grass, this co-compost will benefit the farmer-cooperatives from the nearby Sobantu community by improving the soil fertility management and yields.

Figur: Garden waste is chipped before mixing with the sewage sludge

Figur: The windrows are composed by a mixture of organic waste and sewage sludge. For this reason, the process is called co-composting and not only composting.

Umgeni Water, a state-owned entity, envisions installing an Integrated Decentralized Wastewater Treatment System (DEWATS) and pour flush urine diversion system as a sustainable onsite sanitation and resource recovery system in a rural school. The innovation aims to : 1) address sanitation management challenges at a school serving approximately 500 students (Sikhululiwe School) and 2) contribute to improved livelihoods of people in Vulindlela community. Currently, most of the technological options in the ecological sanitation sector face bureaucratic limitations concerning reuse of human excreta.  Therefore, this pilot scale innovation will be useful to build data-based evidence to help influence the regulations/policies that stymie reuse of human waste and water/wastewater treatment sludge at large scale.

Figur: Sikhululiwe School where the DEWATS will be installed.

RUSUS is a farmer cooperative that plans to produce fecal sludge derived biochar with the support from Partners in Development (PID) and the local municipality of Mzunduzi.  The biochar plant will utilize waste from the surrounding timber operations in combination with faecal sludge from the Ventilated Improved Pit latrines (VIPs) to produce this enhanced biochar product (which means that the biochar will be amended with urea). This innovation has the potential to alleviate the sanitation challenge presented by rapidly filling pit latrines, create a number of employment opportunities while at the same time improving the productivity of local farming operations. The enhanced biochar produced would also be sold to the local community and in the nearest urban centres.

Figur: Filled up toilet in Vulindlela community.

Figur: Schematic plan of the Enhanced Biochar production by Partners in Development (PID).