Embracing circular economy principles in the built environment to unlock the potential of a renewable water sector. – South African Energy Efficiency Confederation

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Embracing circular economy principles in the built environment to unlock the potential of a renewable water sector

With its potential for renewable practices, the water sector holds the key to a critical transition. A paradigm shift is necessary as it can propel sustainable sanitation services towards a circular economy. In this model, wastewater is not a liability but a valuable resource, offering a beacon of hope for a more sustainable future.

Our progress towards internationally agreed water-related goals and targets, set to ensure the availability and sustainable water and sanitation management for all by 2030, is alarmingly off-track. The time for action is now. The transformative promise of “leaving no one behind”, as stated in the 2030 Agenda, is at risk of “becoming an epitaph for a world that might have been”, as lamented by António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN), in a recent speech.

Water, humanity’s most precious global common good, unites us all. Over the years, resource-intensive activities, global environmental change, population growth, and changing consumption patterns have increasingly affected water quality and availability worldwide. Every year, billions of people are directly affected by underinvestment and inadequate maintenance of critical infrastructure for sanitation, water treatment, and storage, leaving them without access to clean, safe, and healthy water, globally recognised as a basic human right.

While untreated wastewater remains a global challenge, there are success stories that inspire hope. Countries like Brazil, China, and the Kingdom of Bahrain have led the way with impactful programs to collect and treat wastewater. Their commendable progress in addressing water scarcity and improving water-use efficiency serves as a beacon of inspiration for the global water community.

In 2017, Brazil reported that 63 per cent of its assessed water bodies had good ambient water quality, which rose to 71 per cent by 2020. They attribute this improvement to the commissioning of around 900 new wastewater treatment plants in the metropolitan area of Sao Paulo that became operational in 2013. According to UN Water, this development significantly enhanced wastewater treatment, particularly in urban areas, by 37 per cent between 2009 and 2020, with approximately 59 per cent of wastewater flows in Brazil now being safely treated.

In 2009, Lingyuan City in northeast China faced acute water scarcity due to rapid economic development and urbanisation. The city opted to construct a wastewater treatment plant to collect, treat, and reuse wastewater, thereby addressing its water scarcity problem and promoting circular economy principles. By 2017, 90 per cent of urban households were connected to the plant, achieving daily wastewater collection and treatment volumes ranging from 50,000 to 58,000 m3/day. Currently, an additional 30,000 m3/day undergoes tertiary processes to enhance effluent quality for reuse, and approximately 20,000 m3/day of reclaimed wastewater is utilised to support the operations of six industries within a newly established industrial park. A further 10,000 m3/day is allocated to replenishing the urban lake, thus restoring urban biodiversity and preserving the shallow aquifer surrounding the lake.

Bahrain has also increased its sustainable water use through a growing supply of non-conventional water resources, mainly desalinated seawater and treated wastewater. Combining these new water sources with efficient irrigation techniques and transitioning to less water-intensive economic sectors, the Arab state has reduced its water stress levels by 156 percent between 2000 and 2021.

As these examples demonstrate, reconsidering urban and industrial water usage through the lenses of circular economy and resilience offers a transformative approach to delivering water supply in a more sustainable, inclusive, efficient, and resilient manner.

Embracing circular economy principles in wastewater processing holds a primary advantage: resource recovery and reuse can transform water from a costly service into a self-sustaining, value-adding asset that contributes to economic growth. Enhanced wastewater management presents a double value proposition, as financial returns potentially cover operation and maintenance costs either partially or fully.

In South Africa, the Department of Water and Sanitation released the damning 2023 Blue Drop Report, revealing that more than two-thirds (67.6%) of all wastewater treatment works are nearing failure. Additionally, the Report indicated that over 47% of all clean and treated water was lost through leaks or unaccounted for.

South Africa urgently requires wastewater reclamation and reuse as a water-stressed country highly vulnerable to climate change. However, the pace of implementation within the water services sector has been slow due to a combination of socio-political, technical, and economic factors. These include financial constraints and the absence of incentives, limited knowledge and technical capacity, legislative hurdles, lack of political will, insufficient collaboration between government, industry, and academia, attitudes toward water, and public perceptions.

A 2021 Report from the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) highlighted that the South African water sector lacks a good understanding of the circular economy and its potential benefits. More efforts are needed to improve public perceptions of water reuse and raise awareness of Circular Economy Initiatives (CEIs) and their potential benefits. To ensure the financial sustainability of water reuse projects and enable the wider adoption of water reuse practices, the sector also requires clear policies backed by the necessary institutional and legislative support systems.

Professionals within the built environment ecosystem, among the country’s largest water users, play an influential role in managing water as a valuable financial and natural resource. A circular economy approach in a high-growth, high-waste sector like the built environment presents a significant opportunity to capture more value and improve returns on investment for investors and construction clients while also contributing to achieving carbon emissions targets.

Water reuse is no longer just an emergency supply option but must be integrated into a long-term water supply mix strategy in water resources planning.

Selecting the right water management expert is key. Partnering with WaterSolve means joining forces with a water and wastewater treatment leader, and our role in facilitating water resilience has never been more critical.

Through our strategic partnership with Sewtreat, an industry leader in water and wastewater treatment, WaterSolve can provide a full turnkey, alternative water solution to clients in the commercial, industrial, residential, and medical sectors.

Our experienced team has the expertise to design, build, and operate on-site water treatment facilities. Our services include:

Innovative thinking about alternative sources of water supply.
Accurate and comprehensive measurement of water usage.
Responsible utilisation of existing water resources.
Flexible and scalable plant design and construction.
Futureproof solutions.

As a trusted partner, we will help you design greater water efficiencies and a better bottom line, working toward a safer water future and realising your business goals.

About the Author

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Walter Wales

Head of WaterSolve at Remote Metering Solutions (RMS).

Walter Wales, Head of WaterSolve at Remote Metering Solutions (RMS), is a civil engineer with a passion for water conservation. He has dedicated his career to playing a role in the preservation and sustainable management of our most valuable natural resource. Through collective and deliberate action, he drives the Remote Metering Solution initiatives to partner with our clients to help them take meaningful steps towards a more water-secure world.

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APPLY/ RENEW YOUR SAEEC MEMBERSHIP HERE

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