ERWAT Research and Development
ERWAT is committed to partake in results-driven research that is not only aligned with the strategic objectives of the company, but also with national and international goals and objectives for the water and sanitation sectors. Our research focusses on a variety of topics ranging from the improvement of effluent quality, better operational efficiencies, reducing operational costs, improving laboratory test methods, and better understanding water treatment and the natural environment, urban resilience, public health and the impact of pollutants of emerging concern.
ERWAT recognised the value that lies in forming strong research partnerships and collaborations with universities and institutes both locally and internationally. The Water Institute at the Stellenbosch University currently hosts the ERWAT Chair in Wastewater Research. To date, the chair produced various Masters and PhD degrees and in return, ERWAT is offered the opportunity to participate as industrial partner in international collaborations – e.g. SafeWaterAfrica. ERWAT also collaborates with the University of Pretoria, the University of Johannesburg and WITS University.
As a water care company, ERWAT actively seeks participation in local forums and reference groups, providing technical inputs and guidance on projects related to water and sanitation. ERWAT is an active member of various national and international institutes.
REPORTS
How waste water is helping South Africa fight Covid-19
Detecting the coronavirus in samples from treatment plants could give early warning of outbreaks and new variants. By Heather Richardson Monday is sample-collection day in Cape Town, South Africa, and Aqeelah Benjamin is halfway through [...]
WRC Science Brief – WBE and the third wave of COVID-19
The concept of screening municipal wastewater and environmental water quality as an epidemiological tool for viruses is not a new concept and has been used to help inform broader infectious disease epidemiological surveillance and mitigation [...]
Archer Et Al (2020) – Estrogenicity
Investigating (anti) estrogenic activities within South African wastewater and receiving surface waters: Implication for reliable monitoring Archer Et Al (2020) - Estro... by ERWAT
Archer Et Al (2017) – Fate of Endocrine Disrupting Contaminants (EDCs)
Archer Et Al (2017) - Fate of EDCs: The fate of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), endocrine disrupting contaminants (EDCs), metabolites and illicit drugs in a WWTW and environmental waters.
WRC Proof of Concept Study: Wastewater-basedepidemiology for surveillance of the spread of Covid-19 in South African communities
This report was prepared by the Research Team – J. Mans, M.B. Taylor, B. Genthe, L. Coetzee and G. Pocock on WRC Project number: C2020-2021-00353.
SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in 98% of wastewater samples collected. This […]
PROOF OF CONCEPT STUDY: Application of wastewater-based surveillance to monitor SARS-CoV-2 prevalence in South African communities
The overall aim of this proof of concept study is preliminary testing, optimisation and validation of sampling and virus analysis methods, as well as results interpretation and reporting in the South African context. The study […]