Water SA

Treatment of dyeing wastewater including reactive dyes (Reactive Red RB, Reactive Black B, Remazol Blue) and Methylene Blue by fungal biomass

The decolourisation potential of growing Rhizopus arrhizus fungal strain in liquid medium containing thiamine was investigated for the removal of anionic reactive dyes such as Reactive Red RB (RR), Reactive Black B (RBB) and Remazol Blue (RB) and a cationic basic dye Methylene Blue (MB). To determine the optimal pH value, pH 2 to 6 was examined. Fungal growth was not observed at pH 2. Maximum fungal decolourisation ocurred at pH 3 for anionic reactive dyes (RR, RBB, RB) and pH 6 for cationic MB dye. The fungal dye bioremoval was associated with the surface charge of the fungus due to electrostatic interactions. Growing R. arrhizus strain decolourised 100% of RB in 2 days, 100% of RBB in 3 days, 71.83% of RR in 8 days at pH 3 and 92.5% of MB in 8 days at pH 6 at 100 mg/ℓ dye concentration. Results indicate that growing Rhizopus arrhizus is an effective candidate for removal of different types of dyes from textile effluents.

Preliminary risk assessment of common-use pesticides using PRIMET and PERPEST pesticide risk models in a semi-arid subtropical region

The pesticide risk in agriculture in developing countries has not been adequately studied due to the extent and fate of pesticides in the environment often being unknown. South Africa is a country that has significant pressure on its freshwater and agricultural resources, which increases the possibility of pesticide effects. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the use of the PRIMET (Pesticide Risks in the Tropics to Man, Environment and Trade) and PERPEST (Predicting the Ecological Risk of PESTicides) models to predict pesticide exposure and effects on aquatic ecosystems due to spray drift. Vaalharts Irrigation Scheme is situated in the Northern Cape Province and receives water from the Vaal River for 43 000 ha of agricultural land. Crops in the area mostly consist of wheat, maize and groundnuts. Data gathered through household surveys with farmers were used in PRIMET as a first-tier estimate of the potential risk of the pesticides. The Predicted Effect Concentrations (PEC) calculated for the pesticides indicating a possible to definite risk were then used as input for PERPEST. PERPEST is a higher-tier model that predicts the potential effects of a pesticide on various grouped endpoints in the aquatic environment. The PRIMET results indicated most pesticides posed no risk to the environment, except the pyrethroid, deltamethrin. The ETR for deltamethrin indicated a possible to definite risk to the aquatic environment. The PERPEST results for deltamethrin indicated a high probability of clear effects on insects, micro- and macro-crustacean communities, with a lower probability for rotifers, algae, macrophytes and fish. PRIMET and PERPEST provided valid estimates of risk for pesticides and could be used effectively in South Africa.

**Detection and confirmation of toxigenic Vibrio cholerae 01 in environmental and clinical samples by a direct cell multiplex PCR**

Epidemic cholera caused by toxigenic Vibrio cholerae O1 is a major health problem in several developing countries. Traditional methods for identifying V. cholerae involve cultural, biochemical and immunological assays which are cumbersome and often take several days to complete. In the present study, a direct cell multiplex PCR was developed targeting the ompW, ctxB and rfbO1 genes for confirmation of V. cholerae, its toxigenicity and serogroup Ol, respectively from clinical and environmental samples. The detection sensitivity of the multiplex PCR was 1.9 x 10³V. cholerae per PCR reaction. A total of 31 environmental samples and 45 clinical V. cholerae isolates from different outbreaks were examined by the PCR. The assay was simple and specific, as there was no requirement for DNA extraction and no amplification was observed with other homologous bacteria used. The assay can be very useful for rapid surveillance of toxigenic V. cholerae O1 in environmental water samples, as well as for confirmation of clinical isolates.

Food-web structure in the hypertrophic Rietvlei Dam based on stable isotope analysis: Specific and general implications for reservoir biomanipulation

Fish predation on zooplankton is the basic foundation for top-down biomanipulation of lacustrine ecosystems. To test this premise, we determined stable isotope (SI) values (δ13C and δ15N) of representative samples of major planktonic (phy-toplankton, zooplankton), benthic (submerged macrophytes and associated epiphytes, benthic macro-invertebrates) and nektonic (fish) food-web components, collected from 3 to 7 shallow inshore locations (with additional plankton samples at 1 or 2 deep offshore sites) in Rietvlei Dam over a period of 30 months. The resulting δ13C values did not indicate significant consumption of zooplankton by fish, while the δ15N values for fish confirmed their wide trophic separation from zooplankton. Instead, SI values indicated that fish relied mostly on food resources of benthic origin (through direct consumption or piscivory). The SI signatures of individual fish species were consistent with their known feeding habits. The lack of trophic couplings between zooplankton and fish accords with previous gut content analyses of fish and analyses of zooplankton abundance and size structure in hypertrophic reservoirs. Marginal utilisation of zooplankton by indigenous reservoir fish is attributable to their native origin as riverine species unaccustomed to feeding on zooplankton. These findings indicate that top-down biomanipulation is unlikely to be effective as a management tool in eutrophic South African reservoirs. Primary producer components exhibited surprisingly wide and unsystematic temporal fluctuations in both δ13C and δ15N values; some potential contributory factors are considered. Changes in phytoplankton δ13C values were broadly tracked by zoo-plankton - their nominal consumers. Some questions arising from the study, and some apparently anomalous findings are identified and discussed.

Not so pristine - characterising the physico-chemical conditions of an undescribed temporarily open/closed estuary

A rapid ecological water requirement study of the Department of Water Affairs in 2009 classified the Goukamma Estuary as largely natural with few modifications, i.e., in an A/B state. However this detailed 13-month study showed that the estuary is impacted. Salinity stratification and hypoxic conditions (dissolved oxygen (DO) < 3 mgℓ-1) were measured during both open and closed mouth states. The Goukamma Estuary is a blackwater system and in its natural state is expected to be nutrient poor. However high nutrient concentrations were measured in the middle and upper reaches of the estuary, adjacent to cattle farms. Nutrient concentrations represented mesotrophic (DIN > 500 µg·ℓ-1) to eutrophic conditions (DIP > 25 µg·ℓ-1). Nutrient input stimulated microalgae to attain a high biomass, ranging between 0.3 and 112 µg·ℓ-1 (average 7.7 ± 1.3 µg·ℓ-1) and 0.8 and 289 µg·ℓ-1 (average 21.1 ± 4.4 µg·ℓ-1) during the open and closed mouth states, respectively. Exacerbated by natural salinity stratification which effectively limits oxygenation of the water column, unnaturally high nutrient concentrations, microalgal blooms and coinciding organic loads all indicate poor water quality of the Goukamma Estuary. This research showed that detailed studies involving field measurements of water quality are required before the present health status of an estuary can be assessed.

Long-term nitrate and phosphate loading of river water in the Upper Manyame Catchment, Zimbabwe

Urbanisation and agriculture represent a dramatic example of human interference in catchment hydrology. The impact of agricultural, domestic, industrial and municipal activities on river flow and water quality within the Upper Manyame Catchment Area (UMCA) was assessed using 7-year nitrate, phosphate and water flow rate data, collected by the Environmental Management Agency (EMA). Water samples for nitrate and phosphate analysis were collected at 8 points along the Manyame (2 points), Marimba (2 points) and Mukuvisi (4 points) rivers, and runoff volume was recorded at the mouth of each river. Annual runoff of each river was closely related to rainfall amount, with the lowest runoff being recorded during drought years. High nitrate and phosphate concentrations were recorded directly downstream of residential, municipal and industrial areas suggesting that these were the major sources of the pollutants found in the river water. For example, phosphate concentration at 2 sites along Mukuvisi River (downstream of domestic and industrial areas) exceeded the statutory limit (0.5 mg/l) for 'safe' or good quality water ('blue' category) according to the Zimbabwe Water (Waste and Effluent Disposal) Regulations, and ranged from 0.78 mg/l during the dry season to 2.23 mg/l during the wet season. In the Marimba River phosphate concentration at Site 4 (downstream of domestic, industrial and sewage processing plant) also exceeded the safe water quality standard by 4-6 times. Although Marimba River contributes the lowest proportion of runoff (relative to the other two rivers sampled) entering Lake Chivero, it contributed the highest nitrate (114 840 kg/yr) and phosphate (84 324 kg/yr) loading. It was concluded that anthropogenic activities within the UMCA were the major sources of nitrate and phosphate pollution in the three rivers and pose a serious threat to the ecological sustainability of the rivers and lakes downstream, and to the economic wellbeing of nearby cities which rely on the water for potable uses.

Analysis and modelling of flood risk assessment using information diffusion and artificial neural network

Floods are a serious hazard to life and property. The traditional probability statistical method is acceptable in analysing the flood risk but requires a large sample size of hydrological data. This paper puts forward a composite method based on artificial neural network (ANN) and information diffusion method (IDM) for flood analysis. Information diffusion theory helps to extract as much useful information as possible from the sample and thus improves the accuracy of system recognition. Meanwhile, an artificial neural network model, back-propagation (BP) neural network, is used to map the multidimensional space of a disaster situation to a one-dimensional disaster space and to enable resolution of the grade of flood disaster loss. These techniques all contribute to a reasonable prediction of natural disaster risk. As an example, application of the method is verified in a flood risk analysis in China, and the risks of different flood grades are determined. Our model yielded very good results and suggests that the methodology is effective and practical, with the potentiality to be used to forecast flood risk for use in flood risk management. It is also hoped that by conducting such analyses lessons can be learned so that the impact of natural disasters such as floods can be mitigated in the future.

Overview of the influences of mining-related pollution on the water quality of the Mooi River system's reservoirs, using basic statistical analyses and self organised mapping

The Mooi River catchment, in particular the Wonderfonteinspruit (WFS), has been the subject of a large number of studies regarding significant pollution sources, generally attributed to mining in the area. However, very little is known about the hydrochemistry of the surface water of the Klerkskraal, Boskop and Potchefstroom Dams in the Mooi River catchment. The aim of this study was to identify any hydro-chemical changes that occurred in the water quality of Klerkskraal, Boskop and Potchefstroom Dams during the period 1995 to 2010. Self-organised mapping (SOM) of the data emphasized the influence of mining-related effluents on the quality of the freshwater resources of the Boskop Dam and Potchefstroom Damrelative to Klerkskraal Dam which is located upstream of mining-related influences and which could therefore serve as a reference site. High concentrations of SO4 together with high electrical conductivity (EC) and total dissolved solids (TDS) values were evident in these dams as compared to Klerkskraal Dam. Concentrations of nutrients such as PO4, NH4 and NO3+NO2, were however low in all three reservoirs. In Klerkskraal Dam, which is situated above the confluence of the WFS, a strong direct relationship between EC and total alkalinity (TAL) was exhibited. This suggests that Klerkskraal Dam is still a water source displaying natural unpolluted conditions, where increases in EC, TDS and TAL can be explained by natural dissolution of the bedrock. Boskop Dam presents a dam impacted by pollutants with no direct correlation between EC and TAL. During the current study both SO4 concentrations as well as Na+ concentrations exhibited a decline from 1995 until 2010 in Boskop Dam. This suggests that, although Boskop Dam still carries the burden of mining pollution via the WFS, the pollution levels of the freshwater of Boskop Dam have decreased between 1995 and 2010.

Microbial quality of drinking water from groundtanks and tankers at source and point-of-use in eThekwini Municipality, South Africa, and its relationship to health outcomes

Drinking water quality was investigated at source and corresponding point-of-use in 2 peri-urban areas receiving drinking water either by communal water tanker or by delivery directly from the distribution system to household-based groundtanks with taps. Water quality variables measured were heterotrophic bacteria, total coliforms, E. coli, conductivity, turbidity, pH, and total and residual chlorine. Water quality data were analysed together with an existing epidemiological database to investigate links between microbial quality of drinking water, household demographics, health outcomes, socio-economic status, hygiene and sanitation practices. Groundtank households had better quality drinking water than households using storage containers filled from communal tankers. Uncovered storage containers had the poorest microbial water quality among all storage containers. All stored water did not meet drinking water standards, although mains water did. Households with children under 5 years and using open-topped containers had the poorest water quality overall. Households with groundtanks had the best water quality at point-of-use, but did not have the lowest occurrence of health effects. Although groundtanks were supplied together with urine diversion (UD) toilets and hygiene education, groundtank households showed overall poorer hygiene practices than tanker-supplied households, and some groundtank households with UD toilets preferred to continue using open defecation. Households that practised open defecation had higher levels of E. coli in their drinking water and higher rates of adverse health outcomes. Poorer socio-economic standing and lower educational standard were associated with poorer water quality, poorer hygiene practices and higher rates of diarrhoea and vomiting.

Chemical characteristics and limnology of Loskop Dam on the Olifants River (South Africa), in light of recent fish and crocodile mortalities

A declining crocodile population and fish mortalities attributed to pansteatitis, along with increasing blooms of Microcystis aeruginosa and Ceratium hirundinella, have led to serious concerns about water quality in Loskop Dam, on the Olifants River, South Africa. Major impacts include acid mine drainage and eutrophication associated with sewage effluent. However, the specific causes of pansteatitis remain elusive. In 2011 the water chemistry and limnology of Loskop Dam were studied to determine factors that may be influencing aquatic ecosystem health. Long-term monitoring data collected by the Department of Water Affairs were analysed for trends using a seasonal Mann-Kendall trend test, and were used to determine the trophic state of Loskop Dam using the Carlson index. Multiple sites were sampled which showed the reservoir was heterogeneous with regard to nutrient concentrations, algal biomass and dissolved metals. Specifically, the transitional zone was characterised by frequent algal blooms, resulting in fluctuating dissolved oxygen (range = 2.1-14.5 mg/ℓ) and pH (range = 7.35-10.59) levels. Using total phosphorus, Secchi depth, and chlorophyll-α concentrations, the trophic state of Loskop Dam was classified as meso- to eutrophic. Significant positive trends were observed in total (Tau = 0.422) and dissolved inorganic (Tau = 0.193) phosphorus.The reservoir showed a monomictic pattern of summer stratification (October to April) and holomictic winter circulation (June to July), with an increase in the depth and extent of anoxia in the hypolimnion when compared to previous research. Simultaneous elevated concentrations of manganese (>370 µg/ℓ) and iron in near-bottom water samples coincided with hypolimnetic anoxia. Aluminium concentrations exceeded the target water quality range (>10 µg/ℓ) during summer (December) in both surface and near-bottom water samples. We conclude that fish in Loskop Dam are periodically exposed to several physiological stressors including elevated ammonia, aluminium, iron and manganese and possibly hydrogen sulphide, as well as low dissolved oxygen. While these factors have never individually been linked to pansteatitis, their combined impacts have not been studied. To ensure the sustainability of Loskop Dam, catchment management plans must focus on reducing phosphorus inputs, and continue seeking treatment solutions for mine-water associated with abandoned and working coal mines.

Effect of land area on average annual suburban water demand

Current guidelines for estimating the average annual residential water demand (AADD) in South Africa are based on residential plot size. This paper presents a novel, robust method for estimating suburban water demand as a function of the suburb area. Seventy suburbs, identified as being predominantly residential, were selected for analysis from the largest urban metropolitan area in South Africa. A linear relationship was noted between the total suburb water demand and two land cover areas, namely, the total suburb area and total residential plot area. The average demand for the 70 suburbs based on suburb area was 6.6 kℓ.-d-1.ha-1, with 90% of the values in the range between 4.4 kℓ.d-1.ha-1 and 8.7 kℓ.d-1.ha-1. The average demand was 10.4 kℓ.d-1.ha-1 for calculation based on the residential area. The results are useful when crude estimates of AADD are required for planning new land developments.

Response of low-strength phenol-acclimated activated sludge to shock loading of high phenol concentrations

The objectives of this study were to: (i) evaluate the growth of low-strength phenol-acclimated activated sludge, (ii) investigate the degradation pathways and (iii) model the growth and biodegradation kinetics, all under the condition of increasingly higher phenol concentrations (step-up shock loading). With the use of activated sludge acclimated to phenol concentration of 140 mg.ℓ-1 (low-strength phenol-acclimated activated sludge), complete degradation of phenol with a COD removal efficiency of more than 95% was achieved up to 1 050 mg.ℓ-1 of initial phenol concentration. At low initial phenol concentrations, the experimental results were indicative of the meta-cleavage pathway for phenol degradation. When the initial phenol concentration was above 630 mg.ℓ-1, the degradation results were indicative of both meta- and ortho-cleavage pathways. The values of the Haldane kinetic parameters indicated a low degree of inhibition exerted by the presence of increasing phenol concentration. This was substantiated by the observation that the rate constant of phenol removal decreased by only 33% even though the initial phenol concentration was increased by 15 times from 70 to 1 050 mg.ℓ-1. Thus, the activated sludge acclimated to only 140 mg.ℓ-1 of phenol could successfully treat up to 1 050 mg.ℓ-1 of phenol without experiencing complete inhibition during the degradation process.

Planktonic algae and cyanoprokaryotes as indicators of ecosystem quality in the Mooi River system in the North-West Province, South Africa

An ecologically healthy Mooi River system is important for maintaining the quality of potable water of Potchefstroom and surrounding areas. However, this system is under constant threat from anthropogenic pollution arising from both agricultural and mining activities in its catchment. A survey of planktonic algal and cyanoprokaryote assemblages in Klerkskraal, Boskop and Potchefstroom reservoirs was undertaken during 1999-2000 and 2010-2011. In all three dams, total algal and cyanoprokaryote concentrations were lower during the second survey (2010-2011), suggesting an improvement in ecosystem health. However, results also show a change from a Chrysophyceae-dominated community to one dominated by Bacillariophyceae. Increased numbers of diatom species that usually occur in eutrophic impoundments (Melosira varians, Cyclotella meneghiniana and Aulacoseira granulata) indicate an increase in the trophic status of the reservoirs, especially that of Boskop Dam, a trend mirrored by increases in conductivity as well as phosphorus and ammonium concentrations in all three reservoirs. It can therefore be concluded that although the ecosystem health of the Mooi River system is currently still good, further increases in nutrients such as phosphorus can cause proliferation of problem species (detected in enrichment cultures) and a deterioration of its water quality.

The status quo of research on South Africa's water resource management institutions

The South African water resource management institutional landscape has seen some dramatic changes since the new dispensation came into power in 1994. Not only have legislation and policies changed, but there has also been a significant increase in the number of non-state actors in the policy development process. Water resource governance has therefore become more complex and its regulatory component is being implemented by a number of legislative institutions: catchment management agencies, water user associations, irrigation boards, and international water management bodies. Policy development is influenced by a myriad of non-state actors, scientists included. A comprehensive literature review of research on water resource management institutions published between 1997 and 2011 shows that scientists are focusing predominantly on catchment management agencies and aspects regarding their institutionalisation and organisational functionality. There is much less of a focus on other entities, such as advisory committees, international water management bodies, irrigation boards, the water tribunal and water user associations. What the review has also revealed is that research on water resource management institutions has been conducted predominantly by scientists from the natural sciences. There is therefore an evident need for a research focus on water resource management institutions other than catchment management agencies. In addition, there should be a focus on informal aspects of water resource governance and new theoretical developments, also from disciplines other than the natural sciences, in the fields of water resource governance and politics.

Rapid procedure to calibrate EC-10 and EC-20 capacitance sensors in coir

A rapid calibration procedure for EC-10 and EC-20 sensors is introduced to promote the commercial use of these sensors for hydroponic irrigation management in coir. The method is comprised of taking one sensor reading, by a sensor installed under hydroponic crop production conditions, and one gravimetric sample, both at field water capacity, to determine a correction factor for an accurate general laboratory calibration equation developed for coir. The rapid calibration procedure was evaluated by 4 separate sensors of EC-10 and EC-20. To verify the relative reliability of the rapid procedure, statistical analysis was performed separately for all data points and for data points between the drained upper limit and permanent wilting point of coir. From the statistical parameters used, it was observed that all of the predictions in the plant available water content range were good, with RMSE values < 0.030 m³-m-3 for the EC-10 and < 0.021 m³-m-3 for the EC-20 sensors. The D-index also pointed to a high accuracy of prediction in the plant available water content range, with values over 0.981 and 0.990 for the EC-10 and EC-20 sensors, respectively. Since a degree of variation remained between sensors, it was concluded that sensors should be calibrated individually. The rapid procedure proves a simple but scientifically sound method to calibrate sensors and is easy to apply to individual sensors in the field.

Efficacy of conventional drinking water treatment processes in removing problem-causing phytoplankton and associated organic compounds

Seven phytoplankton groups were recorded in the source water supplied to South Africa's largest conventional drinking water treatment plant (DWTP). Two phytoplankton genera, Anabaena and Ceratium were identified as the problem-causing phytoplankton due to their ability to interfere with the water treatment process and negatively impact on water quality. The objectives of this study were to identify problem-causing phytoplankton genera and investigate the efficacy of unit processes in removing phytoplankton genera and associated organic compounds. Phytoplankton and organic compound data were obtained from four different sampling localities throughout the treatment plant and statistically analysed to evaluate the removal efficiencies of unit processes. The highest percentage removal for the Cyanophyceae average seasonal concentration (> 1 000 cells/mℓ) was recorded at 98%, while the highest percentage removal for the Dinophyceae average seasonal concentration (± 9 cells/mℓ) was recorded at 100%. Microcystis and Anabaena were removed by the processes of coagulation, flocculation and sedimentation (> 95%), while Ceratium cells were removed by sand filtration (> 80%). Ineffective removal of Ceratium by coagulation, flocculation and sedimentation (and subsequent penetration to the sand filtration step) will negatively impact on filter run times when these phytoplankton genera are present in high concentrations in the source water. Total photosynthetic pigments (TPP) were removed effectively by all the different water treatment processes. Not enough statistical evidence could be displayed to suggest effective removal of geosmin in this conventional water treatment plant. With good removal of intact cyanobacteria cells during coagulation, flocculation and sedimentation, geosmin concentrations in the final water could be kept to accepted organoleptic levels of 5-10 ng/ℓ in the final water. Optimising conventional drinking water treatment processes can effectively remove problem-causing phytoplankton as well as their associated organic compounds and thereby reduce the potential risk to drinking water consumers.

Development of a Linear Flow Channel Reactor for sulphur removal in acid mine wastewater treatment operations

Where sulphate removal is targeted in the biological treatment of acid mine drainage wastewaters, a step additional to sulphate reduction is required to prevent the complete oxidation of sulphide back to sulphate. This linearisation of the biological sulphur cycle has presented a technological bottleneck, particularly in passive treatment operations. We report an investigation of sulphur production in floating sulphur biofilms as a means for addressing this problem. These 50 µm to 500 µm structures may be seen to form on the surface of sulphidic, organic waters and in which sulphide is partly oxidised to So and polysulphide. A Linear Flow Channel Reactor was developed in which the formation of the floating sulphur biofilm could be optimised and studied under controlled conditions. In this study the sulphide feed was sourced from a lignocellulose packed bed reactor treating a synthetic acid mine water (2 000 mg.ℓ-1 Na2SO4 solution) and the Liner Flow Channel Reactors (surface area 1.1 m² and 2.2 m²) were operated in a controlled environment chamber. The floating sulphur biofilm was harvested by settling to the bottom of the reactor where it remained largely unreacted until removed. It was shown that up to 88% of sulphide in the feed stream may be removed in this way and that this was achieved mainly by oxidation of sulphide to sulphur (including a polysulphide fraction). A mass balance accounting for the process showed that up to 66% of total sulphur species entering the system were recovered as So. Oxidation of sulphide to thiosulphate and sulphate was not found to be significant. A fraction of fine particulate sulphur is released into the stream on harvesting of the biofilm which does not readily settle in the reactor and may thus be lost to the mass balance account. The effects of temperature, loading rate and reactor surface area were investigated in optimising the performance of the reactor. Scale-up application studies in the use of the Linear Flow Channel Reactor in an acid mine drainage passive treatment environment have been undertaken in field studies.

Measurement and expression of granular filter cleanliness

The problem of dirty filter media at water treatment plants, despite having good backwash systems, is a serious challenge that requires constant monitoring and maintenance. To aid the systematic analysis of filter media and the troubleshooting of problem filters, this paper firstly proposes a standard procedure for quantification of the specific deposit on filter media, including tentative guidelines for the interpretation of the results. Secondly, a standard procedure is proposed for the characterisation of the specific deposit, based on its volatility and its acid solubility. These fractions are helpful to trace the origin of excessively dirty filter media. Thirdly, the utility of the proposed procedures is demonstrated by the results of a South African treatment plant survey. This confirms some earlier observations that there often is a real problem with recalcitrant specific deposits that cannot be readily removed by backwashing, a fraction that correlates with the organic fraction in the specific deposit.

Long-term sustainability in the management of acid mine drainage wastewaters - development of the Rhodes BioSURE Process

The decanting of flooded gold mines threatens water supply on the Witwatersrand, South Africa, one of the most intensively mined areas in the world. Large volumes of acid mine drainage wastewaters will require treatment here for decades and possibly centuries. Appropriate treatment technology needs to meet technical, financial, environmental and social sustainable development criteria, with the costs of long-term treatment providing the initial decision gateway. This review details a bioprocess development in which the use of sewage sludge as the electron donor/carbon source for microbial sulphate reduction, and the wastewater treatment public utility as the operator, was investigated in meeting these requirements. A programme is reviewed that led from fundamental studies in microbial ecology, enzymology and mathematical process modelling, through pilot plant studies, to the construction and operation of a full-scale plant treating 10 Mℓ mine water/day. It was shown, in what became known as the Rhodes BioSURE Process, that with careful regulation of the mine water and the sewage sludge dosing flow rates, sulphate levels could be reliably reduced to below 100 mg/ℓ, at hydraulic retention times as low as 12 h. Ancillary metal and sulphide removal unit operations are described, as well as investigations into socially sustainable use of treated mine waters.