This project was developed in partnership with ShelterSol and Hopley B Housing Union, a group composed of various cooperatives with a total of around 850 individual members. Based in Harare, the Housing Union acquired land on which it is constructing homes for its members, and approached ShelterSol in 2017 for financial assistance in implementing the sanitation services.

The project is the first of its kind in Zimbabwe, and was set up as a pilot scheme by the local authority to test a new Decentralised Wastewater Treatment System (DEWATS) for sewerage. Tried and tested in neighbouring South Africa, it adopts a new green technology which uses a solar powered UV cleaning system to ensure that the discharged water is safe for the environment. ShelterSol provided a loan financed by Reall to support the implementation of this system and the connection to the units within the development.

The project is key for the development of affordable housing in Harare. Many low-income households have been allocated land in areas that are difficult to connect to existing sewer infrastructures, and the demonstrated success of this technology will help lead to its adoption within wider areas of the city.