The Water Partnerships Office (WPO) is inviting expressions of interest (EoIs) from private sector project sponsors with water reuse and reclamation initiatives across South Africa to explore potential partnership opportunities.

Established through a partnership between the Department of Water and Sanitation, the Development Bank of Southern Africa and the South African Local Government Association, the WPO aims to develop standardised programmes, assist municipalities to prepare and structure bankable projects and create opportunities for the private sector to support municipalities with the provision of water services.

While the WPO has historically focused on municipal support under its Water Reuse Programme, it is now exploring opportunities to support private sector-led water reuse and reclamation projects and initiatives and innovative water reuse and reclamation solutions.

The EoI seeks to identify private sector-driven water reuse and reclamation projects across various stages of development where the WPO may potentially provide support.

This includes project preparation and development support; technical, financial and institutional structuring; the facilitation of partnerships, including with the public sector where applicable; support toward progressing projects toward implementation readiness; and innovative funding mechanisms to support implementation.

EoI submissions are invited from private sector project sponsors, industrial and commercial water users, property and infrastructure developers, investors and independent project developers, and entities involved in water reuse, recycling, or resource recovery, for projects at concept, early development or advanced stages, provided they demonstrate a clear water reuse or reclamation component.

Projects should contribute to water security and/or climate resilience outcomes, and may include fully private sector-led initiatives or projects within industrial, commercial, or mixed-use developments

Indicative project types include industrial wastewater reuse and recycling, resource recovery from privately owned wastewater treatment facilities, private water reuse systems and decentralised water reuse solutions.