And the winner is… WRC, South Africa!

The award for an outstanding performance in practicing resource recovery from water was won by the Water Research Commission (WRC) of South Africa. The jury announced the winner during the IWA Conference on Resource Recovery on 22 May 2025. The Best Practice Award is a joint initiative of IWA, AquaMinerals and Allied Waters.

A holistic approach to saving water and resources

Philip Majeke of WRC explains: “Our Water-Efficient Sanitation (WESS) and Non-Sewered Sanitation (NSS) technologies reduce water consumption by treating and reusing wastewater onsite. Unlike traditional sewered sanitation, WESS and NSS operate independently of centralized sewer networks and municipal wastewater treatment facilities. These systems incorporate advanced biological, electrochemical and biofilm based treatment processes.” The concept combines a number of key elements: water saving, recovery of nutrients as a fertilizer, production of biogas and solar panels for electricity generation. WESS and NSS have been implemented at several locations in South Africa: schools, informal settlements and communities. A true holistic approach.

The award, an icon of resource recovery

The plaque itself, designed by the Dutch-Chinese artist Nesie Junyi Wang, is a symbol of resource recovery. Natural structures were visualized on a ceramic plate, coated with a layer of Kaumera. This is the link to resource recovery: Kaumera is a biopolymer which is a byproduct from wastewater treatment. The plaque was handed over to Bongani Mnisi, Chair of Breede-Olifants Catchment Management Agency, which is affiliated to the Department of Water Sanitation alongside WRC. “Our credo is: water is life, sanitation is dignity” says Bongani Mnisi, “We simultaneously champion systems that promote health, sustainability, the circular economy, and social development. Our work reflects a belief that innovation must serve both people and the planet by delivering practical solutions that create lasting impact where it matters most.”

The path from research to innovation

Typically, research is a first step in the generation of an innovative concept, prior to application in practice. During the IWA conference lots of research studies and results were presented on a broad range of topics related to resource recovery in the water sector. Prof. Ana Soares, chair of the IWA Cluster for Resource Recovery from Water: “We highly appreciate the true holistic approach as presented by the WRC team. A great example of application of an innovative concept.”

About the initiators

IWA is the worldwide organization of water professionals, ‘shaping the future of water and sanitation’.
AquaMinerals develops value chains for residuals which are generated in the Dutch-Flemish water sector.
Allied Waters focuses on implementation of new concepts with the motto ‘driving the circular economy’.