Only a small minority of municipalities has adequate water services {writer: Piet Coetzer}

The Parliamentary ad hoc committee on Service Delivery was told recently that only 30% – or 11% – of South Africa’s 283 municipalities at this point are in a position to render adequate water services. It is not, however, a problem unique to South Africa, and the dangers of a disaster due to shortage of quality water is a worldwide phenomenon.

The acting director-general of the Department of Water and Environmental Affairs Nobubele Ngele told the committee that the department recently assessed municipalities across the country against seven critical areas. It came to the conclusion that water services countrywide are in varying states of collapse and that many were heading for a water disaster.

This is the result of many years of inadequate maintenance of infrastructure, inefficient management and a serious shortage of the necessary skills, she said.

A similar warning came from an economic adviser of the PricewaterhouseCoopers group, Dr Roelof Botha, at the annual VinPro Information Day. It is not only South Africa that is facing a water disaster, but globally there is the problem of demand for water outstripping supply.

In informed circles, there is even speculation that water could be the cause of a next world war, Botha said.

South Africa’s water security is under serious threat and there is an urgent need to explore ways to ensure that there will be adequate water supply in the future.

A recent study by the McKinsey group, sponsored by the World Bank, brought to light that by 2030, South Africa will face a shortage of 2.7 million cubic metres of water. Unless something is done very urgently, the country is heading for serious trouble, Botha warned.

But supply is not the only problem faced by many municipalities. Ngele told the parliamentary committee that as many as 23 municipalities are already in a “serious crisis” and do not have the capacity to treat sewage water properly and deliver safe drinking water.

According to her presentation to the committee, in these cases there is an “acute risk” of water-borne diseases occurring.

A further 99 municipalities would be in a similar position by July this year if there were not immediate government intervention.

In addition, another 110 municipalities appear on the department’s “risk list”, said Ngele, and told the committee that some municipalities have underspent for many years on water infrastructure maintenance as a savings mechanism to help them “balance their books”.

The result is that these municipalities now have water infrastructure that has become dilapidated.

She stressed repeatedly that there is a skills shortage at municipal level and not sufficient engineers to go around.

The Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs Buyelwa Sonjica promised to report to parliament in the near future about the quality of drinking water at municipalities across the country. She reportedly told members of the media that her greatest frustration was that the department, in terms of the Constitution, has limited powers to interfere at municipal level and was dependent on their co-operation.

“Our hands are tied. Water services and infrastructure belong to the municipalities.

“We issue directives and assist where situations are at their most dangerous, but sometimes the reaction is slow,” she said.

To date, the department has intervened at 20 municipalities to assist with water purification and the prevention of the unsafe dumping of sewerage.

Botha pointed out that it was found in the McKinsey research that worldwide, some 40% of available water is utilised for agricultural purposes. If adequate arrangements are not made, food security could come under threat as well.

According to Botha, there are a number of issues that require attention in South Africa:

• Agriculture appears not to be regarded as a high policy priority and there is inadequate investment in new water infrastructure, while the maintenance of existing infrastructure does not receive sufficient attention;

• The delivery of free water further contributes to shortages;

• The country has relatively restricted undersurface water sources, and they are often polluted;

• The country typically experiences low rainfall; and

• The country has few large rivers and in this regard, is dependent on its neighbouring states – already projects have been put in place in Lesotho.

Botha warned that work should be tackled with haste on more projects in collaboration with neighbouring states, since red tape could turn negotiations and eventual implementation of projects into drawn-out affairs.

Included on his list of threats to the country’s water security, is water pollution in cities and by the mining industry. There is an urgent need for co-operation by all relevant role-players to deal with the threatening water crisis, said Botha.