Research Projects at School of Engineering of UKZN The University’s Pollution Research Group has expanded its activities into municipal water and wastewater management. Engineers, biologists, political scientists and community medical professionals form the multi-disciplinary team.

University of KwaZulu-Natal
UKZN

As a result of a Memorandum of Agreement signed between the eThekwini Municipality’s Water and Sanitation Unit and UKZN, the University’s Pollution Research Group (PRG) has expanded its activities into municipal water and wastewater management. These activities form the focus of a multi-disciplinary team of engineers, biologists, political scientists and community medical professionals, and have included participation in two European Union research projects related to membrane bioreactors and the identification and dissemination of best practice of water and sanitation supply to unserved communities. Sanitation projects are being undertaken for example on pit latrines, urine diversion toilets and the anaerobic baffled reactor process.

Project examples:
- Data Acquisition and Field Support for Sanitation Projects - a project funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation under the “Reinvent the Toilet Challenge" to fund toilet technology and sanitation research, the aim of which is to design a toilet system that will lead to the safe disposal of waste water in poor communities.
- Collaboration in VUNA project on "Valorisation of urine nutrients in Africa" - also funded by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Website of Pollution Research Group

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Filter / Tags

Capacity developmentTechnology comparisonsFood security and productive sanitationOperation, maintenance and sustainable servicesProduct design and engineeringSpecific to one or several countriesEmptying and transport (non sewered)Treatment of wastewater or greywaterTreatment of faecal sludgeResource recovery Capacity development (WG1)Sanitation systems and technology options (WG4)Decentralised wastewater treatment (e.g. DEWATS)Faecal sludge treatment processesFundamental research and engineeringUrine diversion dehydration toilets (UDDTs) Bill & Melinda Gates FoundationOther funding source or unspecifiedFaeces or faecal sludgeUrinePeri-urbanRuralUrban (entire city)Urban informal settlements (slums)FertiliserUniversity, education or research institution

Related Countries

South Africa