Wolwedans Village – our operational heart and soul – consumes some 60% of all water pumped from beneath the surface of the desert. (The remaining 40% is distributed to camps and water points for wildlife.) About 80% of the water used at the Village is recovered and treated for reuse through a central wastewater treatment plant. The quality of the recycled grey and black water is suitable for watering trees and hedges, whereas upgrading the water treatment plant to provide better quality, odourless recycled water would expand the scope of applications where it may be reused, including:

• gradual greening of the Village through use in the tree project;
• enabling the Village to have a small number of lawn areas that will make a major difference to the micro-climate and enhance the well-being of people living there (and their happy souls);
• possible reuse in the cultivation of certain crops for animal feed (e.g. lucerne, sorghum, grass, etc.); and,
• reuse in toilet cisterns of all new developments.

The upgrade entails the construction of a 200,000 litre, 6-chamber settling tank, allowing bacteria to do their necessary work to break down solids. Additional tanks, sand filters and pumps, as well as a high-pressure ringline to distribute the recycled water throughout the Village would complete the project.