I had a chat with a friend regarding sanitation infrastructure recently after reading an article that the Western Cape Province is researching the use of sea water to flush ablution facilities. We pondered on what some may call wishful thinking, where all cities have a closed sanitation system. Simply put, a closed system is where the water you flush down your toilet goes directly to a wastewater treatment plant and the system carries back directly to toilet cisterns only.
This water would not mix with drinking water at all, and this will translate into every household having two pipe systems – used for drinking water and for managing grey water after the solids have been taken out.
It so happens that my manhole was flooding the previous week, and even though it was a daunting sight it got me thinking. All that soiled flushed water can supply a toilet cistern for at least two weeks. And that was just a 24-hour overflow before the municipality came to my rescue.
If only we can turn back the hands of time to when towns and cities started installing flush toilets and building the infrastructure. I assume that this closed system would leave much more water for consumption, as the water in the cistern will just be on a continuous loop leading to very little wastage, if any.
Sanitation is a fundamental aspect of public health and human dignity, yet it remains a significant challenge in South Africa. While the country has made strides in improving access to sanitation services, many communities still face inadequate infrastructure, poor waste management, and health risks associated with unsanitary conditions.
Sanitation is not just about hygiene, but also about dignity, health and sustainable development. Addressing the challenge of sanitation infrastructure will require a collective effort from government, businesses, and communities to create a cleaner and healthier South Africa.
I so wish that with all the technological advances and the like, a new solution can be spawned that rescues the world from the sanitation deficit, especially in a water-scarce South Africa.
It will be splendid to have the majority of the country enjoying dignified sanitation where they reside. I say majority, because with new informal residences springing up daily, it will be near impossible for government to keep up with the demand for infrastructure.
As mentioned this is wishful thinking on my part, but without wishful thinking I doubt the world would be as developed as it is currently.
■ Larry Crisp is communications manager at the Free State Department of Water and Sanitation.
