A new strategic alliance has been formed between Bale Environmental Engineering and Gijima-MCC, a subsidiary of the MCC group, in the field of sewage and effluent.

Gijima-MCC is a black-empowerment initiative by the MCC group, and has a policy of using and training local regional contractors from previously disadvantaged communities for all projects.

The close ties that Gijima-MCC has with a number of local councils and provincial environmental authorities places the company in a position to deliver services to rural and urban communities nationwide.

Bale Environmental Engineering is a technology provider for environmental solutions to industry and communities.

Gijima-MCC will handle marketing, while Bale will concern itself with technical solutions.

The strategic alliance between the two concerns will give Bale, which was only established a year ago, access to a wider market, and Gijima-MCC will benefit from the technical expertise at Bale.

Gijima-MCC MD Adrian Hickey says the company is constantly looking to source and promote new technologies in the field of water and sanitation, and the partnership with Bale is a golden opportunity to achieve this.

Bale is the sole distributor in sub-Saharan Africa of the Bacta-Pur range of bacterial products, says Bale Environmental Engineering MD Gavin Lawrenson.

Bacta-Pur is selectively bred in Canada and distributed globally from Belgium.

Many, if not most South Africans are reliant on pit latrines for their sanitation needs, and the use of Bacta-Pur in these will have a number of advantages, says Lawrenson.

Latrines can be treated regularly with Bacta-Pur Klean Septic.

The bacteria will break down and solubilise the waste in the latrine before onsite leaching into the soil, or removal to a sewage works.

This will take pressure off the sewage works as the waste material will already have been treated.

Another advantage is the removal of gases and smells.

Poorly maintained latrines cause anaerobic conditions.

Anaerobic bacteria break down waste, but produce foul-smelling gases, such as methane, ammonia and hydrogen sulphide.

Aerobic bacteria, found in Bacta-Pur, produce gases and products that have no smell, such as water, carbon dioxide and nitrogen.

The bacteria in Bacta-Pur also solubilise the waste in the pit latrine, so removal is required less frequently.

These will all contribute to safer sanitation for poorer South Africans.

Bale is also active in the field of industrial effluent, Lawrenson relates. Many companies that produce industrial effluent simply send it straight to the sewage works. However, municipal sewage works are designed for human waste, not industrial waste. Bale has developed a fixed-bed, submerged bioreactor known as Bio-PET, for the treatment of industrial effluent. Bio-PET is proprietary Bale technology.

Effluent is passed through the modular container, where the bacteria are found, treating the waste, and breaking down the harmful substances.