CSE Water Team visited UKZN’s Faecal Waste testing laboratory that is situated in Durban, South Africa in January-February 2017. The visit was organized as part of understanding with UKZN for knowledge and staff exchange.PRG – UKZN has extensively worked on faecal waste and is a part of global e-learning alliance for the same. It is also providing support for the upcoming faecal waste laboratory at AAETI, CSE’s Nimli Campus.
The visit was part of the staff exchange where both institutions agreed where both institutions had agreed to host short-term visits/ training/ training of trainers programmes for researchers with the objective to explore areas of collaborations that help strengthen the capacities of staff from both institutions.
Therefore the Aims and objectives of the visit were as follows:
Aim: To explore areas of collaborations that will help in strengthening the capacities with respect to on-going projects of the water pogramme and PML
Objectives:
To take inputs for protocol development for testing of technologies that treat faecal waste and wastewater
To understand the difference in laboratory sampling and analysis protocols of faecal waste and wastewater
Understanding current scenario of faecal waste and wastewater management in Durban, South Africa (Ethikwini Municipality)
there were a number of interactions and site visits which included:
Sampling from Ventilated Improved Pits (VIP) in the surrounding neighbourhood (Low Income settlements)
The Newlands Mashu Research Site – The site had a decentralised wastewater treatment system based on the BORDA’s design of DEWATS
Newlands Mashu Research Laboratory- The laboratory facilitates on-site monitoring and easy and frequent analysis of the samples from the DEWATS.
LaDePa plant for faecal waste treatment for EThekwini Municipality
EthekWini Municipality’s site where the pilot scale studies were successfully carried out to treat faecal waste using black soldier fly (BSF)
Amanzimtoti Treatment Works- Treatment facility of Ethekwini Municipality that treats stormwater, wastewater coming from residential and industrial sources. The facility also allows trucks and drums to empty faecal waste
Key take-aways for on-going projects/ activities Identified that the
Physical faecal waste characteristics are largely different in India when compared to that at EthekWini Municipality (Durban) as they are largely depended upon pits instead of Lined/ Septic Tanks.
Cues for developing technology testing protocols
Understood about various sampling equipments for faecal waste (sludge and sewage) and their specific purposes
For more information, kindly contact:
Chhavi Sharda
Programme Officer
chhavi@cseindia.org
Bhitush Luthra
Deputy Programme Manager
bhitush@cseindia.org
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