Dr Preyan Arumugam is a non-sewered sanitation scientist driven by a passion for advancing innovative solutions that improve sanitation access for underserved communities. Her academic journey began at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) with an undergraduate degree in Life Sciences, followed by a PhD in Chemical Engineering at the then Pollution Research Group (PRG), under the mentorship of the late Prof. Chris Buckley. From the outset, her research has adopted a transdisciplinary approach, bridging science, engineering, and policy to address real-world sanitation challenges and impact change in the sector.

Her expertise lies in the design and optimisation of decentralised wastewater treatment systems (DWWTs) and the testing and validation of water-efficient sanitation solutions (WESS), including non-sewered sanitation systems (NSSS), innovative frontends (low-flush and mechanical) and other off-grid technologies. This applied research has directly informed the development of technical standards such as ISO 30500, SANS 24521, SANS 1733, and, most recently, the development of a new South African standard for community-scale WESS. She works closely with national and local government, municipalities, technology providers, commercial partners, certification bodies, and testing institutions. In 2024/2025, she was appointed as a Technical Advisor to the National Department of Water and Sanitation for the development of the National Sanitation Programme of Action (NSPA). Much of her research is funded through the Water Research Commission’s (WRC) South African Sanitation Technology Enterprise Programme (SASTEP).

Beyond research, Preyan is deeply committed to nurturing the next generation of non-sewered sanitation scientists and engineers. She lectures a final-year Chemical Engineering elective on Faecal Sludge Management, supervises postgraduate and postdoctoral researchers, and delivers accredited trainings to professionals. Currently, she is spearheading efforts to establish a formal Testing Centre and Sanitation Innovation Hub for sanitation technologies at UKZN.