23/07/2026
Twenty years ago...
Today we were on our way to assess another sewage treatment plant on the KZN South Coast when Mat casually mentioned, "I installed a plant not far from here about 20 years ago."
Naturally, we had to go and find it.
After a bit of searching, we arrived at what is now Sugar Beach Resort (previously Phefamula). The maintenance team were kind enough to let us have a look around.
To be honest, we didn't know what to expect. But what we found was a pleasant surprise.
The plant was still in very good condition. The maintenance staff told us that, apart from replacing pumps over the years (which is pretty normal), they couldn't remember the system ever needing any major work.
Back at the office, Mat remembered he had an old photo from when the plant was first installed. After digging through the archives, we found it.
The date on the photo? August 2006. Almost exactly 20 years ago.
It was pretty special seeing that old photo alongside the plant that's still quietly doing its job all these years later.
In our line of work, new plants always look impressive on day one. The real test is whether they're still doing what they were designed to do twenty years later.
