💧 Developing Financial and Sustainability Tools for Water Treatment Residue (WTR) Conversion, Use and Application ♻️
The management of WTRs has become a growing challenge in South Africa and globally — driven by increasing production volumes, landfill restrictions, and tighter environmental controls.
Our latest project seeks to review, analyse, and develop key technical, financial, and environmental data into actionable financial and sustainability tools to support the adoption of WTR conversion into beneficial products.
By linking technical feasibility with financial and institutional viability, the study aims to bridge the gap between pilot projects and real-world commercialisation opportunities — unlocking new circular economy options across industry and utilities.
💡 The project will:
· Evaluate WTR typologies, beneficiation pathways, and economic feasibility factors;
· Develop circular business model considerations and financial tools for adoption;
· Develop the business case from a demand-side perspective; and
· Support ESG-aligned innovation and institutional sustainability.
South African utilities generate significant WTR volumes that currently remain largely untapped. With proper frameworks, these residues could shift from being costly waste to valuable inputs in a circular, low-carbon economy — aligning with SDG 6 and South Africa’s green transition.
This initiative builds on foundational work by the WRC, Umgeni Water, Rand Water, CSIR, and various university partners, leveraging both local and global insights. It aims to contribute towards enhancing institutional capacity for financial and sustainability evaluations across the water sector.
Ultimately, this project represents a step toward reimagining water governance, circular economy adoption, and sustainable resource management — where waste streams become revenue streams.
Dr Chantal R-Kotze Ross Coppin Francois Gouws Mogan Padayachee Danny Kuya Thato Ncube Megan Schalkwyk Dr Swastika Surujlal-Naicker (Pr. Sci. Nat) Nonhlanhla Kalebaila Leonardo Manus
#WaterInnovation #CircularEconomy #Sustainability #WTR #WaterSector #FinancialTools #GreenEconomy #SouthAfrica #ESG #SDG6
Image: Nguyen et al., 2022
Great progress