Advancing Industrial Water Security at WISA 2026
Talbot was proud to exhibit at the Water Institute of Southern Africa (WISA) 2026 Conference and Exhibition, where industry leaders, policymakers, researchers, and water professionals came together under the theme “Rethink Amanzi – Securing Our Future.” The conference highlighted the critical role of water security in building resilient industries, supporting sustainable economic growth, and safeguarding South Africa’s future.
Throughout the three-day event, Talbot engaged with delegates from the mining, manufacturing, municipal, agriculture, and industrial sectors, demonstrating how an integrated approach to water security helps organisations better understand, manage, and optimise their water resources. Visitors to the Talbot stand explored the company’s capabilities across strategic consulting, water treatment solutions, digital water intelligence through TalbotAnalytics, automated sampling technologies, and its SANAS-accredited environmental laboratory.
Talbot contributed to the conference programme through a thought-provoking workshop and technical presentations, sharing practical insights and real-world solutions that are helping industry respond to growing water challenges and strengthen long-term water security.
Ensuring Industrial Water Security for Business
Continuity in a Water-Constrained Economy
One of Talbot’s key contributions to WISA 2026 was its workshop, “Ensuring Industrial Water Security for Business Continuity in a Water-Constrained Economy.”
The session featured Micole Martens, Director at Talbot, Theasha Naidoo, Strategic Consulting Lead at Talbot, and Boitumelo Matshediso, alongside an experienced industry panel comprising Natasha Ramkirpal (Coca-Cola Beverages Africa), Gerardo Pretorius (BBEnergy), and Rajiv Paladh (Bosch).
The discussion explored how organisations can move beyond compliance-driven water management towards proactive water security strategies that strengthen operational resilience, improve business continuity, and support long-term sustainability.
A central theme throughout the workshop was that organisations must first understand their water risks before they can effectively manage them. Water risk assessments are becoming the foundation of resilient business planning, enabling companies to identify vulnerabilities and develop informed mitigation strategies.
The panel also discussed how water security is increasingly influencing investment decisions, access to finance, and insurance. Demonstrating effective water risk management is no longer simply an environmental consideration – it is becoming a key indicator of long-term business resilience and financial viability.
The mining sector was recognised for the significant progress it has made in water risk management through governance, reporting requirements, and proactive planning, providing valuable lessons that can be applied across other industries.
The introduction of risk-based SANS 241 was highlighted as an important step towards helping organisations identify, assess, and manage water-related risks more effectively while strengthening confidence in drinking water quality.
One comment from the panel particularly resonated with delegates:
“If you’re only thinking about your water risk today, you’re already late. You should have started planning two years ago.”
The discussion reflected a positive shift across industry, with organisations increasingly recognising water security as a strategic business priority rather than solely a compliance obligation. While challenges remain, the conversation demonstrated growing momentum towards proactive water stewardship and more resilient operations.
Direct Potable Reuse from Poultry Abattoir Wastewater
Talbot’s Liam Kay, Senior Process Engineer, presented a technical paper titled “Direct Potable Reuse from Poultry Abattoir Wastewater: A Model for Resilient, Decentralised Water Infrastructure.”
The presentation showcased a real-world case study demonstrating how high-strength poultry abattoir wastewater can be transformed into a reliable potable water source using a carefully designed multi-barrier treatment process.
The project combined Dissolved Air Flotation (DAF), Membrane Bioreactor (MBR), Reverse Osmosis (RO), and UV-NaOCl Advanced Oxidation (AOP) to produce high-quality reclaimed water while maintaining process stability and operational reliability.
Key technical insights included the critical role of effective pre-treatment, with DAF significantly reducing fats, oils, grease, suspended solids, particulate COD, and shock loading before downstream biological and membrane treatment.
The presentation also reinforced that successful direct potable reuse depends on a risk-based, multi-barrier treatment philosophy. Rather than relying on a single treatment step, each barrier contributes to reducing different risks, collectively meeting the performance targets required for safe potable reuse.
Operational lessons around wastewater variability, continuous monitoring, brine management, and energy optimisation highlighted the practical considerations required to deliver sustainable water security solutions. The case study demonstrated that more than 70% of treatable wastewater was successfully recovered, with the final water quality assessed against SANS 241 drinking water standards.
The presentation illustrated how innovative treatment technologies are enabling industries to recover valuable water resources, reduce dependence on conventional water supplies, and improve long-term water security.
WISA 2026 reinforced that water security is no longer simply an environmental objective – it is a business imperative. As water scarcity, climate pressures, and regulatory requirements continue to evolve, organisations must adopt integrated, risk-based approaches that protect operations while creating long-term value.
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