Research Projects at School of Engineering of UKZN

Purpose

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.

Activities

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

Countries of activity

Location of main activity

Filter tags

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Capacity development Decentralised wastewater treatment (e.g. DEWATS) Emptying and transport (non sewered) Faecal sludge treatment processes Faeces or faecal sludge Fertiliser Food security and productive sanitation Fundamental research and engineering Operation, maintenance and sustainable services Other funding source or unspecified Peri-urban Product design and engineering Resource recovery Rural Specific to one or several countries Sub-Saharan Africa Technology comparisons Treatment of faecal sludge Treatment of wastewater or greywater University, education or research institution Urban (entire city) Urban informal settlements (slums) Urine Urine diversion dehydration toilets (UDDTs)

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