GUIDELINES FOR THE RE-USE OF TREATED WASTEWATER: PUBLIC HEALTH PROTECTION OR DENIAL OF ESSENTIAL RESOURCES?

Treated wastewater (TWW) reuse in South Africa is historically limited to irrigation of recreation facilities (sports fields, urban parklands). In rare instances, uses of these waters are allowed for food-related activities such as fodder production. Environmental health practitioners discourage reuse of TWW for aquaculture and production of edible crops for fear of adverse health effects. However, South Africa is a semi-arid county with erratic rainfall patterns. Demands from communities in and around urban areas to use treated wastewater for food production in small-scale farming practices are rapidly increasing. The Department of Health applies the South African Guidelines for the Permissible Re-Use of Treated Sewage Effluents (1978) to help regulate reuse of treated wastewater. The Guideline approach appears to favour the treatment method- and configuration that produces the effluent- as a benchmark for decision-making rather than the actual quality of such effluent. Reuse applications that involve more elaborate treatment facilities (primary, secondary and tertiary treatment processes within the configuration) would generally be favourably considered for purposes of food production and recreation-related applications. Applications for the reuse of effluent from waste stabilisation pond systems (WSP) are generally discouraged- regardless of the effluent quality. To illustrate this discrepancy a study was undertaken over a period of twelve months to assess the levels of faecal coliform bacteria in the effluent of tw