Every day, 50,000 litres of polluted water flow from South Africa's Stiebeuel River into natural filter beds, where stones, sand and biochar clean it in 5 days, removing 99% of harmful bacteria and creating water for irrigation

Water pollution can place enormous pressure on communities that already face limited freshwater supplies and aging infrastructure. In South Africa, researchers are exploring whether nature itself can become part of the solution. At the Water Hub in Franschhoek, polluted water from the Stiebeuel River is being treated through a system that uses stones, sand, biochar, plants and naturally occurring microbes.

A River Facing Severe Pollution