Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation, Dr Jack Bloom, has outlined plans to turn South Africa’s wastewater into low-cost fertiliser and irrigation water for emerging farmers, as the agricultural sector grapples with drought and rising global fertiliser prices.
Addressing delegates at NAMPO Cape, currently underway at Bredasdorp Park, Bloom said South Africa produces nearly 640 000 dry tonnes of municipal wastewater treatment sludge annually from its large wastewater treatment plants, with a further 378 000 to 567 000 tonnes generated from smaller plants and pit toilets.
He said the material is currently largely treated as waste for disposal, despite its potential as an agricultural resource.
“This is not a stockpile. It is a fertiliser factory’s worth of raw material, going into the ground instead of onto your fields every single year,” Bloom said.
The Department of Water and Sanitation pointed to safety data from Water Research Commission trials at Bishopstowe and Appelsbosch farms in KwaZulu-Natal, where co-composted faecal sludge was tested against conventional fertilisers on chillies, tomatoes and maize.
E. coli counts on harvested crops were found to be roughly 1 000 times below the legal safety threshold for food crops.
Bloom said a local example of the potential for beneficial use is already operating in Pietermaritzburg, where a partnership involving Msunduzi Municipality, uMngeni-Uthukela Water, the University of KwaZulu-Natal and private company Duzi Turf converts wastewater sludge and green waste into compost.
The compost is registered with the Department of Agriculture and sold to farmers and landscapers.
The department is also piloting the conversion of the Esther Park Wastewater Treatment Works into a dedicated faecal sludge treatment plant in partnership with the University of KwaZulu-Natal and the Ekurhuleni Water Care Company (ERWAT).
Bloom said municipalities have been legally required since 2022 to divert sludge away from landfill sites towards facilities that treat it for beneficial use, in line with norms and standards gazetted by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment.
He said the move towards beneficial use can help reduce waste disposal, while creating additional resources for agriculture.
Bloom called on Grain SA and emerging farmers to help identify suitable locations for future pilot projects.
“We will keep pushing municipalities toward decentralised treatment near the towns where you farm,” the Deputy Minister said.
Taking place in Bredasdorp from 9 to 12 September 2026, NAMPO Cape 2026 brings together farmers, agribusinesses, researchers, service providers and communities from across the agricultural value chain.
Held under the theme: “Together We Grow”, this year’s expo celebrates the partnerships between farmers, industry and communities that continue to drive South African agriculture forward.
At the event, visitors have access to more than 500 exhibitors showcasing the latest agricultural technology, products, services and innovations. – SAnews.gov.za
