The use of low-maintenance and energy-efficient membrane modules contributes to achieving the required water quality for industrial or agricultural water reuse. Collaborating with local businesses, the project investigates water quality requirements and demonstrates its utilization. Ultrafiltration modules reliably remove particles and pathogenic microbes such as bacteria (e.g., E. coli and Legionella) and viruses. High removal rates are also achieved for heavy metals and many pharmaceuticals. One advantage of this system over methods like ozonation is the absence of toxic by-product formation risks.

Many South African wastewater treatment plants lack primary sedimentation, which can eliminate up to one-third of the organic pollutant load with minimal energy use. This significantly reduces the energy demand of the subsequent aeration tanks. The sewage sludge can be processed into biogas in an anaerobic reactor and used on-site for energy generation, for example, in a combined heat and power (CHP) unit.

By establishing and operating an aquaponics system at the wastewater treatment plant, the project provides a technological and conceptual demonstration for agricultural use. To meet the elevated requirements for reuse in an aquaponics system aimed at sustainable food production, the project tests the use of a continuous sand filtration system.