Black water provides green muscle

Spier wine farm used waste from toilets and kitchens to grow indigenous trees and shrubs.

- 

Spier wine farm used waste from toilets and kitchens to grow indigenous trees and shrubs.

The Spier estate near Stellenbosch is setting a trend: it is the first site in South Africa to use the wastewater from its toilets and kitchens (also known as ‘black water’) to grow plants. The project is based on the Australian Biolytix vermicomposting system.

Independent tests by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research have shown that the quality of wastewater coming out of the system is suitable for the irrigation of shrubs and trees. Instead of wasting this potentially valuable resource, which contains phosphate and nitrate, small communities can utilise their wastewater to improve their financial position and prevent the pollution of the environment, says Theunis Duminy of Biolytix Southern Africa.

At this stage, as the technology is still being fine-tuned and tested, it is thought best to use it for the growing and greening of shrubs, trees and fruit trees, and not for vegetables and other food crops.