UKZN–WRC partnership targets water-efficient sanitation solutions

THE  University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) and the Water Research Commission (WRC) have formally launched a five-year strategic partnership aimed at advancing water-efficient and non-sewered sanitation solutions in South Africa and beyond.

The partnership was launched yesterday at the UKZN Unite Building on the Howard College Campus and will be implemented through the University’s Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Research and Development (WASH R&D) Centre. The collaboration includes a R15 million investment over the first two years, with UKZN committing to match the WRC’s funding on a rand-for-rand basis.

The agreement formalises a long-standing relationship between the two institutions and positions the UKZN WASH R&D Centre, formerly known as the Pollution Research Group, as a national and global hub for the validation and scaling of innovative sanitation and water technologies.

Speaking at the launch, WRC Chief Executive Dr. Jennifer Molwantwa said the partnership was intended to accelerate the transition from research to real-world application. She said the collaboration would focus on developing solutions that could be validated and scaled to support South Africa’s water security and sanitation goals, with relevance for the wider African continent.

“We are now in the applied science and implementation phase and look forward to a fruitful partnership,” Molwantwa said.

The partnership will be overseen by a joint steering committee and will focus on several priority areas, including water-efficient sanitation systems designed to reduce reliance on traditional sewer infrastructure and water use; the advancement of circular economy approaches through non-sewered sanitation and wastewater reuse technologies; capacity building through curriculum development and short courses; and the validation of technologies to meet safety and performance standards required for municipal adoption.

Senior leadership from both organisations attended the launch, including Dr Valerie Naidoo, senior research manager at the WRC; Professor Fhatuwani Mudau, UKZN’s deputy vice-chancellor for the College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science; and Professor Anil Chuturgoon, UKZN deputy vice-chancellor for research.

Professor Randhir Rawatlal of the WASH R&D Centre said the success of such centres depended on sustained engagement with partners such as the WRC, including ongoing feedback. He said the University could serve as a demonstration site for the water-efficient sanitation solutions being developed through the research.

He added that universities had a responsibility not only to teach and conduct research, but also to support innovation so that research outcomes could deliver broader societal benefit.

The partnership is expected to strengthen South Africa’s response to sanitation challenges by bridging the gap between laboratory research and community-level implementation, while contributing to Sustainable Development Goal 6 on clean water and sanitation and to national development priorities.