The Water Affairs Department and the municipality have signed an agreement for the release of R20,000,000 to construct the plant in drought-stricken Plettenberg Bay.

A similar plant opened in Sedgefield near Knysna a few months ago.

The municipality’s Henry Geldenhuys said it has managed to cut water usage by 40 percent since the drought set in.

He said tenders for the plant have already been advertised.

“We hope to finalise the tenders by the middle of June and have the plant completed by the end of October.”

The George campus, known for its positive response to addressing energy and waste management on site, launched the Green Campus Initiative, of which the Sustainable Campus Project forms part, to compare three houses equipped with solar energy geysers and rainwater harvesting systems to a sample of identical houses utilising conventional systems.

“The Sustainable Campus Project is an exciting, living example of sustainable living that involves monitoring and comparing the daily energy and household water consumption of two groups of students living in houses on campus,” NMMU George campus marketing manager Alet van Tonder said.

The first step was to fit on-campus student homes with relevant green technologies, such as solar panels for heating water and simple mechanisms to ensure the sustainable use of that water. The research data will be used to raise awareness about “sustainable living”. The campus hopes the results of the six-month project will help to develop a practical model which could be applied to other campuses or institutions.

Neil Moll, owner of the company which donated the solar water heating systems, said: “We are … confident the research will prove beyond any shadow of a doubt that, indeed, it is possible to tread much lighter on Mother Earth.”

by Janine Oelofse