Chief’s Camp Staff Village: Containerized Wastewater Treatment Solition, Botswana, Africa containerized-wastewater-treatment-solutionment Solution Retreat Center in Botswana

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Solution

• Sizing: 60 off staff members using 3 off ablution blocks. Each ablution block has a septic tank and sump tank underground which pump to the BIOROCK’s 2 off Primary Tanks.
• Primary Tanks: 2 x 10,00-litre vertical PE Tanks  - common inlet from the three pumps – separate outlets (one to each BIOROCK unit)
• BIOROCK units: 2 x BIOROCK-F side by side in a 20” container
• Discharge: Outlet of BIOROCK units combined into a buried 1,000-litre horizontal PE tank with a submersible sump pump to 10 off sprinklers.

Interview

1. When was the system installed?
   The system was installed in March 2016. The containerized solution meant that transport of the units to site was easier. In future, some of the plumbing could even be done in town beforehand, especially with the new design of the ECOROCK tanks. Ideally, the primary tanks would have been housed in a container as well, but there was not enough space for the required primary tank a capacity.
2. What were they using/doing with their sewage before they elected to use BIOROCK?
   Septic tanks with soak-away soil disposal system
3. Why did they chose BIOROCK?
   The staff village is separate from the main camp and main power supply, so the need for little power (i.e. sump pumps only) was a big selling factor. The modular nature of the BIOROCK system lends its self to be containerized and sent to site. In addition, all structures built in the Okavango Delta need to be of a semi-permanent nature. As such, no concrete structures are allowed (with very few exceptions, such as fuel bunds). The reasoning behind this is that these natural areas should be able to rehabilitate easily if the camp was to be moved or decommissioned. Any other treatment plant would not allow this easy removal.
4. What is the primary motivation for doing onsite treatment?
   As the site is in a remote location in the Okavango Delta (a UNESCO World Heritage site), the government requires that all wastewater be treated before discharge.
5. Where is the treated water going?
   We have installed a sprinkler system which discharges the water on the surface.

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