CPUT researchers Showcase new improve treatment of waste water

CPUT improve treatment of waste water

CPUT researchers are actively contributing to South Africa’s water knowledge base.

From wastewater to sanitation concepts, CPUT researchers showcased their work at the Water Research Seminar, hosted by the Engineering Faculty on the Bellville Campus.

Water Research at CPUT is aimed at solving every day water-related problems that are critical to the sustainable development of South Africa.

Leading research in this area is the institution’s Community Water Supply and Sanitation Research Unit (CWSS). The unit is involved in a large number of cutting edge projects across the country.

One of the most notable projects is a collaboration with the University of the Western Cape (UWC) and the Breede-Overberg Catchment Management Agency.

This project, which has received support from Nuffic, a Netherlands based organisation that supports international cooperation in higher education and research, focuses on the areas of catchment studies, sanitation, water reuse technologies and demand management.

Researchers are also focusing their attention on the needs of local industries, such as the multi-million rand wine industry. The Biocatalysis and Technical Biology research unit is developing innovative ways to treat wine wastewater. This process involves using specialised sand filters to treat wine waste water. Collaborators on this project include staff members from the institute of Microbial Biotechnology and Metagonmics at UWC.

The Chemical Engineering Department is also actively involved in groundbreaking projects. Currently, a group of researchers in the department are inventing new ways to improve the treatment of waste water.