Darvill wastewater treatment plant in SA inaugurated

The government of South Africa led by the Head of State, Cyrille Ramaphosa inaugurated the Darvill wastewater treatment plant.

The plant, situated near the New England road in the town of Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, underwent modernization work and was closed for several years during the upgrading process. Umngeni-uthukela Water Board, the public company responsible for supplying drinking water in the KwaZulu-Natal province carried out the modernization works with an investment of US $55.8M.

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Recycling treated wastewater

Before the modernization project, the plant had a capacity of 65,000 m3 of treated wastewater per day. It is now capable of treating 100,000 m3 of treated wastewater daily. This project demonstrates South Africa’s commitment to addressing water scarcity and improving water quality by adopting advanced wastewater treatment technologies.

One of the significant improvements is the addition of a dedicated unit for recycling treated wastewater into drinking water. According to the South African Department of Water and Sanitation, 2,000 m3 of the treated water now meets drinking water quality standards.

The project is expected to improve the supply of drinking water in the drought-stricken KwaZulu-Natal province and enhance the quality of domestic and industrial wastewater returned to the Msunduzi River. This will have positive effects on the health of approximately 700,000 people and the environment. As part of the modernization, an infrastructure was constructed for the recovery of sewage sludge to produce electricity, making the wastewater treatment plant energy self-sufficient.