Water Wagon

Before proper plumbing traps existed, houses were connected directly to sewers. Sewer gases—containing foul smells and sometimes harmful gases like methane and hydrogen sulphide—could travel straight back up through drains into homes. In the early 19th century, a Scottish engineer named Alexander Cumming patented the first practical water-seal trap in 1775. His idea was simple but brilliant: create… Read More »

A Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR) is a clever, compact, and highly efficient biological process used to treat domestic and industrial wastewater. Instead of using several tanks, an SBR performs all treatment steps in one tank, but in a timed sequence — making it perfect for package sewage treatment plants and sites with limited space. 1. What Is an… Read More »

In the hidden depths of a sewage treatment tank, a quiet miracle unfolds every second — one that no human invention has ever truly replicated. Aerobic bacteria, microscopic organisms that breathe oxygen just as we do, perform one of the most astonishing feats in nature: they cleanse water of organic pollution with effortless precision. When sewage enters an… Read More »

Great question — and one that often causes confusion because the words sound so similar! 💩 Sewage Sewage refers to the actual wastewater — the substance. It’s the liquid waste from homes, businesses, and industries. It includes: 🔹 Think: Sewage = what’s flowing in the pipes. 🚰 Sewerage Sewerage refers to the system of pipes, pumps, and treatment plants — the infrastructure used to transport and treat sewage.… Read More »

Endocrine disruptors in sewage treatment are a significant concern because they can interfere with the hormonal systems of humans and wildlife, even at very low concentrations. Here’s a breakdown of what they are, how they get into wastewater, and how they’re dealt with in treatment plants: What Are Endocrine Disruptors? Endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs) are chemicals that mimic, block,… Read More »

TCA (2,4,6-trichloroanisole) analysis in wineries examines water used during winemaking for contamination.This compound causes cork taint in wine.Its presence in corks or winemaking materials results in an unpleasant flavor. Wineries analyze water for TCA to identify potential contamination sources.This ensures water does not cause cork taint in wine.Here is an overview of the process: TCA analysis ensures winery… Read More »

The recording studio in Abbey Lane is well known thanks to the Beatles and more recently One Direction. What is perhaps not as well-known is the Abbey Mills sewage pump station. Located near the studio of the same name, the pump station was built in extravagant Victorian style in 1865. The pump station lifted accumulated sewage 40 feet,… Read More »

Magnificent ice berg view from the Antarctic.  Once again the peculiar nature of water is revealed.  Two strange properties leap to mind.  When water freezes, it expands. And with expansion comes an increase in volume with no loss in mass.  The extra volume allows the frozen water, the ice, to become slightly buoyant – in other words ice… Read More »

Sewage is primarily composed of water (about 99%) and a mixture of various organic and inorganic materials. The remaining 1% includes the following: Sewage composition varies depending on the source (domestic, industrial, or stormwater) and local activities contributing to the wastewater system. Biological processes have been used to treat sewage for more than 100 years. In spite of… Read More »

This is Ebrahim Sartarien – long time water treatment plant operator at Klawer Valley, the restricted military area above Simonstown.  Ebrahim made an interesting observation.  Wearing a jersey in mid-November, he explained that the water treatment process has become far trickier now than in previous times.  Why might this be?  Water quality, he went on to say, was… Read More »

By Belenos!  Gaulish god of the sun and favourite deity of Asterix and Obelix.  Recent studies from the University of Glasgow indicate that the sun not only gives us heat and light, but also water.  That might sound like nonsense, but some interesting research illustrates how this might in fact be the case. At one time and many… Read More »

Sometimes a sewage pump stops working.  The causes are usually linked to a blockage in the pump.  These blockages can be cleared out with relative ease.  Most sewage pump installations allow for a quick un-coupling arrangement.  Additionally, most sewage pump stations include redundancy.  That means two pumps are available to do the job of one.  Should either fail,… Read More »

The Joshua Tree’s Decline: Why California’s Desert Icon Is Now an Endangered Species The Joshua Tree’s Decline: Why California’s Desert Icon Is Now an Endangered Species It may be wondered whether the iconic Joshua Tree is real. Its unique, sculptural form appears as though it has been designed in an artist’s studio or imagined by Dr. Seuss himself.… Read More »

Voor Paardeberg is not to be confused with Paardeberg.  Voor Paardeberg is a granite outcrop just East of Malmesbury. Paardeberg is the famous site where General Cronje surrendered to Field Marshall Roberts.  The surrender and loss of 4000 odd fighting men to the British was a signal moment in the Anglo-Boer war.  General Cronje made his mark in… Read More »

Cuba was a good friend to South Africa and is now a friend in need.  This is surely the sensible reason why our National Government is opting to spend approximately R65M to hire a group of Cuban Sanitation Engineers. When the West was wringing its hands during the Cold War, Cuba was making friends in the developing world. … Read More »

The line “To the sea, to the sea! The white gulls are crying, The wind is blowing, and the white foam is flying” was written by J. R. R. Tolkien and is often associated with themes of longing, farewell, and the call of the ocean. In this verse, the sea is portrayed as a symbol of freedom and… Read More »

Single pass sewage treatment is all good and well when septic tank effluent is good enough.  If the ground is water saturated, the septic tank effluent will pond.  The attendant smells are not everyone’s cup of tea.  Should the amount of effluent be more than released from a single home, the resultant ponding can be a health menace.… Read More »

A little known outcome of the Great Exhibition at Hyde Park held from 1 May to 15 October 1851 was the gestation and birth of sewage treatment.  At the Exhibition, well known sanitation engineer and potter, George Jennings installed his Monkey Closets in the Retiring Rooms of The Crystal Palace. This was, for the Victorian public, their 1st exposure… Read More »

Dual blower arrangement used for a sewage treatment plant.  The blowers inject air into a distribution manifold, providing aeration to the full volume of the bioreactor. Because air is compressible, the air temperature at the blowers is significantly higher than ambient.  The deeper the bioreactor, the higher the manifold temperature at the blower.  For that reason, stainless steel… Read More »

It is tempting to meander down the road of counter-factual, the one less travelled and to ask what would Viktor have to say about the state of the world in 2020.  We know that his contributions, written and in deed, were based on observation.  Hours, days and years of observation.  Observing the behaviour of water,  water cascading, tumbling,… Read More »

The end of April will be a pivotal month in our economy for one important reason.  No salaries for a lot of people. In March there was very little warning that companies were to be subjected to a three week shut-down.  I am willing to bet many regret paying VAT on time.  Add two weeks to the unscheduled… Read More »

The mind is like an iceberg, it floats with one-seventh of its bulk above water.  Sigmund Freud Thousands have lived without love, not one without water.  WH Auden When the well is dry, they know the worth of water.  Benjamin Franklin There’s high, and there’s high, and to get really high – I mean so high that you… Read More »

Flushing toilets using grey water requires some planning and a fair amount of commitment. Enchanting as it sounds, acquiring independence from the municipal water and sewage network is no straightforward task.  There are a host of hoops and hurdles that need to be jumped through and crossed.  Contrary to expectation, it is not all about budget.  Sometimes space… Read More »

This is Nashua, New Hampshire in 1883.  The town and birth place of Wilfred F. Langelier.  The town was named after an indigenous tribe called the Nashaway.  Nashua is also hometown of the famous photo-copiers, the same copiers that save us money, save time and put us first. The hero of this short blog, was born in 1886. … Read More »

Seriously, flushing toilets using bottled water??  How insane is that.   A rhetorical, indignant question/statement/judgement from Bart’s sister, Lisa Simpson. For many years the Coriolis effect was the almost only and very singular reason for watching the flush in a toilet bowl.  They say (Gary Larsen knows who they are) that water drains away in a clock-wise direction in… Read More »

A warm welcome to our new and suitably qualified Minister of Water Affairs and Sanitation, Mr Gugile Nkwinti. Gauging from media accounts, it appears that Mr Nkwinti has inherited a very troubled and financially unstable department. This might be an unfair reflection and let’s hope that the new incumbent enthuses vitality and professionalism into the much maligned DWS. Our… Read More »