The PRG conducts a number of projects in partnership with various donors and collaborating organisations and covers a cross-section of disciplines.

The PRG is considered a Centre of Expertise by the WRC and is working on a number of research projects funded by the WRC, including the (K5/2579) Performance assessment of DEWATS constructed wetlands; (K5/2582) - Drying and pasteurization of faecal sludge using thermal energy; and (K5/1122) A comparative life cycle assessment (LCA) for the provision of potable water from alternative sources (seawater, wastewater and mining water) in South Africa.

The Group is also a recipient of various Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) grants to undertake research into sanitation in the developing country content. Through this funding, the PRG are able to offer laboratory and field support to other sanitation practitioners at a discounted rate until the end of October 2017.

The PRG also signed a third Memorandum of Agreement with the eThekwini Water and Sanitation (EWS) to provide research support to their unit (from January 2016 to December 2018)

Other sources of funding for projects include Sasol, and the Pulp and Paper Manufacturing Association (PAMSA).

The PRG also provides research input to a number of external projects on a collaborative basis and works closely with other Schools within the University through co-supervision of Masters students. This includes:

• The School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences based on the Pietermaritzburg campus to investigate field and growing tunnel trials on the use of anaerobic baffled reactor (ABR) effluent and endpoducts from urine and faecal sludge processing on plant growth at the Newlands Mashu Research Facility. This research work is led by Dr Alfred Odindo from Crop Science and Dr Irene Baume from Soil Science and is funded through the WRC (K5/2220 and WRC K5/2002).


• The School of Life Science within Cellular Biology at the Westville Campus led by Dr Nicola Rodda and Colleen Archer. This research work focuses on the presence of pathogens within faecal sludge.


• The School of Built Environment and Development Studies (Development Studies discipline) through research conducted by Catherine Sutherland  and who is supervising a post-graduate student who worked on an aspect related to best practices in the soft drink industry (WRC project K5/2286).


• The School of Nursing and Public Health. Prof Myra Taylor  who co-supervised a post-graduate student working on the VUNA project.


• The School of Environmental Sciences where Dr Lisa Ramsay co-supervised a post-graduate student working on the VUNA project.


• The School of Chemical Engineering together with Dr Annegret Stark, Dr Jon Pocock, Ms Anusha Singh and Dr Deresh Ramjuggernath, all of who are co-supervising post-graduate students working on sanitation related projects.

• The School of Mechanical Engineering together with Prof Fred Inambao for the co-supervision of a post-graduate student working on the WRC project K5/2582.