George Ekama

George Adriaan Ekama (17 June 1949 – 19 February 2023) was a Dutch–South African civil engineer who was an expert on wastewater treatment. Throughout his career he worked at the University of Cape Town, where he was professor of water quality engineering. He was a distinguished fellow of the International Water Association.

Life and career Ekama was born on 17 June 1949 in Hilversum in the Netherlands. His family emigrated to South Africa during the 1950s, and he studied civil engineering at the University of Cape Town. His grandfather, father, and elder brother were also engineers. Upon the completion of his work contract, Ekama returned to the University of Cape Town full-time as a master's student. He worked in Marais's research group, which was working on biological nutrient removal as an alternative to chemical nutrient removal in wastewater treatment processes. He was promoted to Professor of Water Quality Engineering in 1991 and retained that position for the rest of his career. He received the IWA Project Innovation Award in 2012 and he was named as an IWA Distinguished Fellow in 2017. The Academy of Science of South Africa named him as a 'Legend of South African Science' in 2017, and the Water Research Commission likewise honoured him as a 'Legend' in 2021. President Jacob Zuma admitted Ekama to the Order of Mapungubwe, granting him the award in silver for:His excellent research that has provided innovative solutions to enhancing and improving wastewater treatment. His important work is helping the country to find solutions to water scarcity. He was also a fellow of the Royal Society of South Africa, a fellow of the South African Academy of Engineers, a fellow of the University of Cape Town, and a senior fellow of the Water Institute of Southern Africa.

He was Christian, and he was also an avid marathon runner; he completed one Comrades Marathon and several Two Oceans Marathons. He was married to Janet Ekama and had one child, a daughter named Kate. Kate is an economist at the University of Stellenbosch.