Water Treatment

Biomimicry Water Treatment:

This project is funded by the Water Research Commission and lead by Golder Associates with biomimicrySA providing the biomimicry expertise on the team. This project looks to exploit knowledge on how nature cleans water, to better engineer constructed wetlands to meet the challenges of current and emerging pollutants and pathogens. The core project team consists of engineers and scientists with experience in various sectors. The project began in April 2011 and continues into 2016.

Aims of the project include: to review current knowledge of natural wetlands and natural water treatment processing, applying the biomimicry methodology to develop innovative concepts to design biomimetic water treatment systems. In addition the project provides funding for postgraduate research into biomimicry wastewater treatment concepts. The project currently funds 5 postgraduates - two at Wits University researching biomimicry options for acid mine drainage and two from the University of Stellenbosch researching critical wastewater treatment components of the Langrug informal settlement wastewater treatment systems.