How South Africa’s Newcastle is bridging the gap to sustainable sanitation

On the surface, Newcastle in KwaZulu-Natal’s Amajuba district looks like a city in transition, one that is investing in sanitation infrastructure and showing clear intent to do things right. Beneath that surface, however, lies a complex web of challenges — aging assets, vandalised pumping stations, unregulated industrial discharges, and a visible disconnect between municipal records and what residents experience on the ground.

During a three-day field visit in September 2025, officials from the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS), Newcastle Local Municipality and JG Afrika, along with representatives from Delhi-based think tank Centre for Science and Environment, assessed the city’s sanitation systems — from wastewater treatment plants to on-ground containment and emptying practices. What emerged was a picture of both progress and fragility — a city striving towards sustainable faecal sludge management (FSM), but held back by operational and institutional gaps.

Strong start, but an uneven system

Newcastle is not new to sanitation planning. Over the past decade, the municipality has made significant strides, like constructing new wastewater treatment plants (WWTP), expanding sewer networks, and promoting inclusive access through Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) housing.

At Charlestown, one of Newcastle’s western settlements, the municipality constructed anaerobic baffled reactors (ABR) with French drains for RDP households. The intent was clear: To create an affordable, decentralised solution for communities without sewer connections. Yet, the on-ground reality reflected a more complicated story.

Several ABR chambers were found open or vandalised, their concrete covers stolen. A foul smell lingered in the air, and nearby households complained that they were never consulted before construction. The French drains — designed to safely disperse effluent — were not functional. The absence of regular maintenance and community ownership also threatens their long-term viability.

At the nearby Charlestown “Class E” wastewater pond, which serves as a faecal sludge decanting site, the story repeated itself. Screens were missing, fencing had been stolen, and the guardroom stood stripped of its doors and windows. Despite this, the site remained operational, catering to vacuum trucks that decant black water from Charlestown’s collection tanks.

The anatomy of a system under pressure

Newcastle operates five major wastewater treatment plants — each at a different level of functionality and utilisation.

At the central “Class A” 25 million litres per day WWTP in the CBD (Central Business District), the team found a relatively well-managed facility. The activated sludge process was operational, and municipal staff were diligently monitoring influent and effluent flows.

Importantly, this plant also serves as a designated faecal sludge disposal site — where vacuum tankers discharge waste from septic tanks and mobile toilets. The municipality estimated that over 100 private mobile toilet service providers operate in the city, though officials acknowledged difficulties in enforcing compliance.

To the east, the Osizweni WWTP, with a combined capacity of 15 MLD across two technologies (activated sludge and biofiltration), was receiving only about 4 MLD — barely a quarter of its designed load. The reasons were visible everywhere: stolen pumps, vandalised screens, and non-functional intermediate pumping stations (IMPS). Wastewater that should have reached the plant was instead spilling into low-lying areas, forming stagnant pools that now resemble mini wetland ecosystems — but without the ecological benefits.

The story was similar at the Madadeni WWTP, recently upgraded from 25 to 36 MLD capacity. Here too, inflow was limited to around 6 MLD. Despite its modernised units — mechanical screens, anaerobic baffled reactors, aerobic chambers and secondary settlers — the plant was underutilised.

The boundary fencing was gone, and cattle grazed freely inside the premises. Operators at the site spoke of repeated thefts of cables and pumps — each replacement lasting only a few weeks before disappearing again.

Downstream, at Kilbarchan WWTP, a small 1 MLD facility with well-maintained treatment units, inflow was just 0.3 MLD — another example of underutilisation driven by upstream blockages and mechanical failures. The infrastructure exists, but the flow does not reach it.

Waste in the water

Perhaps the most worrying observation was along the Ncandu River — Newcastle’s primary drainage channel. Near a small dam upstream of the CBD WWTP’s main pumping station, the river water appeared pitch black, bubbling with foam and carrying a strong chemical odour. Municipal staff immediately linked it to possible industrial effluent discharge from the nearby Chinese industrial cluster.

Further downstream, a burst pipeline was found releasing dark, dye-coloured wastewater directly into natural drains — a clear sign of unregulated industrial activity. The pollution not only threatens river ecology but also undermines public confidence in the municipality’s sanitation efforts.

Hidden informality in emptying services 

One of Newcastle’s notable achievements is the institutionalisation of faecal sludge emptying and transport (E&T) services. The municipality owns a fleet of four vacuum trucks — capacities ranging from 6,000 to 18,000 litres — operated by permanent municipal drivers. Requests for emptying are made through ward councillors, then routed to municipal supervisors who schedule government operators.

Officially, the municipality empties VIP latrines free of charge and charges ZAR 1,150 for septic tanks. Records suggest around 80,000 litres of sludge are safely discharged at WWTPs daily.

However, field interactions painted a slightly different picture. Several residents reported using private emptiers who charge variable rates and often dump sludge at informal or unregulated locations. Even the government operators admitted that thick sludge in VIPs often cannot be suctioned, leading to incomplete servicing. Out of ten scheduled VIPs, typically only seven or eight are successfully emptied each day.

This contrast between policy and practice underscores a recurring theme — a structured, well-intentioned system struggling to adapt to real-world conditions.

A municipality trying to do the right thing

During a meeting with Newcastle Local Municipality officials, including the Director, Senior Engineers and Managers from the wastewater and planning divisions, it was clear that the administration is not blind to its challenges.

A draft “Water and Sanitation Policy” was developed with DWS support but stalled due to procedural bottlenecks. The municipality has since been trying to revive it. Officials also emphasised that a recent national amendment placing water and sanitation responsibilities directly under municipalities has empowered them to levy user charges and improve cost recovery.

Security, however, remains a persistent drain on resources. “We’ve replaced pumps five times in some stations,” one engineer noted. “Each time, within a month, they’re gone.” Private security guards have been deployed, but theft continues. The municipality is even exploring unconventional deterrents — such as the use of chemical gases at pumping stations — though this is still in early discussion stages.

Testing of treated wastewater is routinely done at the Central Laboratory, but biosolids management remains an unaddressed area. There are no drying beds dedicated to sludge reuse, no composting or co-composting facilities, and no defined strategy for beneficial reuse.

Gaps between ground and governance

The Newcastle experience reflects a broader urban sanitation paradox across South Africa and beyond. On one hand, the municipality demonstrates commitment — visible in its structured emptying services, upgraded WWTPs and active coordination with DWS. On the other, ground-level realities expose how quickly infrastructure can erode in the absence of community ownership, maintenance budgets and enforcement.

At the heart of this disconnect is a need for better integration between infrastructure, institutions and people. A system cannot be sustainable if residents do not feel part of it — whether it is protecting pump stations from theft, paying for water supply, or reporting illegal discharges.

Turning intent into impact

Despite the challenges, Newcastle has all the ingredients to become a model for sustainable FSM in medium-sized towns — political will, technical infrastructure and committed municipal teams. What is now needed are targeted interventions: finalising and operationalising the local sanitation policy, strengthening community engagement to prevent vandalism and illegal connections, promoting regulated private participation to complement municipal emptying services, integrating biosolids management for safe reuse, and enhancing monitoring of industrial effluent.

Each underutilised WWTP, vandalised pumping station and polluted river stretch provides lessons for improvement. With focused effort, transparent governance and collaboration between the municipality and its citizens, Newcastle can move from fragmented management towards a circular sanitation economy — safeguarding public health, protecting the environment and reclaiming value from what was once considered waste.

Newcastle stands at a crossroads — between aspiration and achievement. The path to sustainable faecal sludge and wastewater management is not about new infrastructure alone, but about nurturing and protecting what already exists. With targeted action, the city can turn its well-intentioned efforts into lasting impact, creating a sanitation system that truly serves both people and the environment.