The Western Cape Province of South Africa has been majorly hit by drought over the past two years or so, and has been under water restrictions for more than a year now; tighter restrictions are being considered as of the beginning of February.

A Cape Town water technology company reckons that it has the solution to the water crisis – it has various overseas business interests and according to Tom Callaghan, Head of Business Development at GrahamTek Water Waste Energy Innovation;

“There is technology for the re-use and recycling of non-potable surface water and for converting seawater into drinking water. We can treat water to World Health Organisation standards and help with supply. We clean any water. We offer affordable supply solutions.”

Desalination has advanced greatly in recent times, and it is being utilised in various cities across the globe. Previously there was a problem that although desalination was highly efficient, it was not cost-effective, but this has changed.

Desalination is being utilised extensively and to great effect in the United States, Australia and in the Middle East and Asia.

Callaghan added that the 16-inch reverse osmosis technology, pioneered globally by GrahamTek, offers excellent yields and plant efficiency, as well as technology that produces electricity from the waste brine water. This reduces the cost of the energy required to run the plant, thereby allowing the company to treat water within any municipality’s pricing.

While the company mainly operates overseas, its first plant converting brack-water to freshwater was established at Bitterfontein and it also runs around 35 small plants in Strand and Somerset West, on farms, game lodges, mines and municipalities.

“This model is new in South Africa, but we use it in Ghana where we sell to water authorities. It’s a perfect public/private partnership. We also create excess electricity from our technology which can be sold back to the (national) grid to support power supply. Our water plants operate off the grid.”

The company says that its desalination and wastewater treatment plants could be the solution to the Western Cape’s water crisis and hopes to do business with governments and municipalities.

Get bottled water coolers and mains water coolers from Living-Water.