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Rhinowater installs a MONOBLOCK in a coastal home that recycles 100% of their wastewater

Rhinowater installs a MONOBLOCK in a coastal home that recycles 100% of their wastewater

The structure and environmental context:

Our client recently retired to a coastal dwelling located in Port Alfred, Eastern Cape, South Africa.

Port Alfred is a coastal town located in the water-scarce Eastern Cape province. Most dwellings rely substantially on rainwater for daily use. In addition, dwellings are mainly serviced by conservancy tanks as septic tanks are not permitted, requiring regular emptying by municipal vacuum tankers.

The challenge:

The dwelling, situated in a residential estate, is on the side of a very steep slope where it is difficult for a vacuum tanker to access the conservancy tank. In addition, the tankers are often unavailable which could result in overflows. The duty of managing the conservancy tank under these conditions had become taxing for the owners.

With the current load-shedding challenges being faced in South Africa, a sewage treatment system that does not rely on electricity was preferable.

The solution:

Rhinowater, BIOROCK’s regional distributor based in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape, consulted with the client and after understanding their requirements proposed the “All-in-One” MONOBLOCK. The MONOBLOCK-2 is a domestic sewage treatment system for up to 6 household inhabitants which can treat and recycle 100% of the water for garden use. Due to the location of the site, an- above-ground installation was preferred.

The MONOBLOCK sewage treatment system by BIOROCK does not need electricity for the treatment process as the aeration process is powered by natural draft ventilation, ensuring ongoing treatment even during periods of power outages. The existing conservancy tank acts as a buffer to receive the sewage from the dwelling, which is then pumped to the MONOBLOCK when electricity is available.

The treated water is disinfected with chlorine to remove any harmful bacteria, and thereafter safely used for irrigation of the garden.

The results:

MONOBLOCK recycles 100% of the sewage onsite, without electricity, for safe reuse in the garden, removing the client’s concern relating to ongoing conservancy tank evacuations, while having the benefit of doubling the use of their water supply. 

The system is designed to meet the General Limits of the General Authorisation, specifically for the following effluent quality:

  1. COD (as O2):    <75 mg/l
  2. TSS:                 <25mg/l
  3. Ammonia:         <6mg/l
  4. Nitrate/Nitrite:    <15mg/l
  5. Phosphate:       <10mg/l

In terms of the environmental benefits the treated effluent is being used for irrigation of the gardens onsite.

An annual service is carried out by Rhinowater, which involves inspection of the plant, performing routine maintenance activities, and taking water samples for laboratory analysis.

Pictures taken on the construction site:

MONOBLOCK installation in South Africa