New EcoFilter System Brings Hope to Johannesburg’s Polluted Rivers

Johannesburg has launched a groundbreaking EcoFilter project in the Upper Jukskei catchment, combining natural water purification, real-time environmental monitoring and community farming in one powerful solution.

Johannesburg, South Africa (18 May 2026) – Johannesburg has spent years fighting a battle with polluted rivers. Residents have watched waterways clog with waste and carry the scars of decades of urban pressure. But tucked into the Upper Jukskei River catchment, a new project is proving that fixing a river doesn’t always start with giant concrete structures or billion-rand developments. Sometimes it starts with nature itself.

A newly launched EcoFilter system at Victoria Yards is turning polluted river water into something useful again while collecting critical data that could help reshape how cities across Africa tackle urban water pollution. And beyond the science and engineering, it’s also helping support women-led community gardens in Johannesburg’s inner city.

The EcoFilter officially launched on the 23rd of April 2026 and forms part of the SUNCASA project (Scaling Urban Nature-based Solutions for Climate Adaptation in Sub-Saharan Africa), a collaboration between Isidima Design and Development, Water For The Future, Zutari and the University of Johannesburg.

Last year, SUNCASA also launched another inspiring intervention along the Jukskei, working with local activists, artists and environmental experts to tackle pollution in Alexandra through creative, community-led solutions. Volunteers from the Alexandra Water Warriors installed colourful hand-woven litter traps made entirely from recycled plastics to stop waste from flowing further downstream.

The initiative also transformed salvaged river waste into striking public artworks, including giant animal sculptures created by local artists using tyres, rubble and discarded materials pulled from the river itself. Alongside the clean-up efforts, the project aims to plant more than 40,000 trees along the Jukskei while empowering communities to become active custodians of the river system.

At first glance, the new EcoFilter system may look fairly simple. But what’s happening inside the modular units is incredibly clever.

The system is made up of a series of 1,000-litre treatment cells designed to mimic the way natural wetlands clean water. Polluted river water moves slowly through the different chambers, where microorganisms, plants and natural biological processes begin breaking down contaminants. Certain sections create oxygen-rich environments, while others function without oxygen, allowing different purification processes to happen simultaneously. As the water travels through the system, pollutants like excess nutrients, organic waste, harmful microbes and even heavy metals are reduced. Importantly, this is not a system designed to produce drinking water. Instead, it acts as a bioremediation tool, helping improve water quality while also generating long-term scientific data about how nature-based interventions can work in heavily polluted urban environments.

The EcoFilter continuously monitors water quality, creating a detailed picture of what is improving, where pollution challenges remain and how interventions can be adapted over time. Researchers and environmental teams will use this information to help guide future restoration efforts across Johannesburg and potentially throughout sub-Saharan Africa.

“The EcoFilter system offers an innovative approach to improving water quality while generating the data needed to support scaling, policy relevance, and learning across SUNCASA,” explained Richard Grosshans, IISD and SUNCASA bioremediation lead.

“While it is not designed to make Jukskei water potable or address catchment-wide pollution on its own, it provides a visible, monitored bioremediation node, reducing pollution loads and demonstrating the potential of integrated green infrastructure at scale. We believe this solution can be successfully replicated in other cities.”

The project also demonstrates something many urban planners have been advocating for years: environmental restoration and community upliftment can happen together.

The treated water from the EcoFilter is helping irrigate community gardens at Victoria Yards, many of which are run by women in the area. Those gardens provide food security, create economic opportunities and strengthen local food systems in a part of the city where access to resources is often uneven.

“The City of Johannesburg is committed to transitioning from reactive pollution management to innovative, sustainable solutions that restore the health of our urban rivers,” said Daniel Masemola, Director of Water Management and Biodiversity for the City of Johannesburg.

“The implementation of the eco-filter system in the Upper Jukskei River catchment represents a significant step forward in integrating nature-based solutions with smart monitoring technologies.”

Masemola added that the initiative demonstrates how environmental interventions can also create meaningful socio-economic impact.

“By supporting community-led urban agriculture at Victoria Yards, the project contributes to food security, job creation, and inclusive development.”

The EcoFilter forms part of a much bigger rehabilitation effort happening along the Upper Jukskei. Through SUNCASA and local partnerships, teams have been working to remove invasive plants, clear river waste, restore riverbanks and reintroduce indigenous vegetation into damaged spaces. The long-term goal is ambitious but necessary: strengthening climate adaptation for more than one million residents living in and around the catchment, especially communities vulnerable to flooding, erosion and worsening pollution.

For organisations like Water for the Future, this launch represents years of groundwork finally coming together.

“Since 2017, WFTF has spearheaded the vision for a rehabilitated Jukskei, securing the land and pioneering the scientific partnerships… that ultimately made this EcoFilter possible,” said Romy Strander from Water for the Future.

“This system is the next evolution of our nature-based strategy, through which WFTF has transformed brownfields into thriving, women-led urban agricultural sites.”

She added that the project proves the power of local leadership in environmental recovery.

“By integrating years of river monitoring with community-driven action, we aren’t just filtering water; we are proving that local leadership is the essential catalyst for urban resilience.”

The scientific work behind the project has also been years in the making. Dr Simon Lorentz from SRK Consulting explained that monitoring at Victoria Yards has been ongoing for six years already.

“We have been monitoring the Jukskei River discharge, water quality, and meteorology at Victoria Yards in collaboration with Water for the Future for the past 6 years to improve our knowledge of urban hydrology and provide information for remediation systems like the EcoFilter.”

And while this one installation won’t magically solve every pollution challenge facing Johannesburg’s rivers overnight, the people behind it believe it can help shift thinking about what urban restoration can look like.

“Protecting communities and river ecosystems will require eco-filters to move from pilots to city-wide deployment as a core part of Johannesburg’s wastewater treatment strategy,” said Amanda Gcanga, WRI country lead for urban water resilience and senior urban policy analyst.

David van Niekerk, CEO of the Johannesburg Inner City Partnership, summed it up best.

“The Jukskei River is in a poor state. And we should not accept that. This project is a demonstration, a practical step to show what works so we can do more of it across the city.”

He added something that feels especially important for Johannesburg right now.

“What we’re learning is that nature-based solutions and placemaking are one system… when you repair the environment, you restore the place.”

Sources: International Institute for Sustainable Development Press Release 

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