SA is in the grip of a water crisis with the precious liquid’s availability and quality deteriorating fast – largely due to the poor management of essential infrastructure.
In addition, freshwater resources are becoming increasingly limited, with the country already harnessing about 75% of its surface water resources, according to the department of water & sanitation.
It is for these reasons and others, like climate change, that the government is seeking to broaden the water resource mix to include the desalination of seawater and flows from treated wastewater systems.
The sobering truth about our water problems was delivered by Sean Phillips, director-general of the department of water & sanitation, at the Water and Sanitation Indaba in Midrand yesterday. Phillips warned that SA’s water availability could deteriorate as the supply contracts and demand escalates. This, he said, was due to economic growth, urbanisation, population growth, losses in municipal distribution systems, sewage pollution and the effects of climate change.
Even more disturbing, perhaps, is the fact that many of the water problems we face are largely due to human negligence. While SA is one of 30 water-scarce countries in the world, our situation is worsened by poor governance at the municipal level where the delivery of this basic need is entrusted.
Municipal debt to water boards has nearly tripled in seven years, reaching a staggering R24bn this year.
According to Phillips, on average 32% of water nationally is lost before it even reaches our taps. This is because of a lack of maintenance of infrastructure by municipalities and leaks caused by burst pipes.
Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, whose residents have borne the brunt of water shortages in recent months, have high levels of water losses. This further indicates that SA’s water system is broken, and the situation is getting worse by the day.
This dire situation is underscored by President Cyril Ramaphosa’s remarks that “as humans, we can survive for a time without food. But without water, there is no life, and we will perish.”
People have already died in places like Hammanskraal as a result of poor governance and the municipality’s failure to deliver clean water to their homes.
The question we must ask is: how many more must die before something is done about this crisis?
The government has proposed a raft of measures to remedy this situation, including reform of municipal water and sanitation services. We will judge them on their actions and not their words, because dysfunctional municipalities have been allowed to get away with gross negligence for far too long.
SowetanLIVE
SOWETAN SAYS | Fix SA’s water crisis before more people die
Image: 123rf/CHAYATORN LAORATTANAVECH
SA is in the grip of a water crisis with the precious liquid’s availability and quality deteriorating fast – largely due to the poor management of essential infrastructure.
In addition, freshwater resources are becoming increasingly limited, with the country already harnessing about 75% of its surface water resources, according to the department of water & sanitation.
It is for these reasons and others, like climate change, that the government is seeking to broaden the water resource mix to include the desalination of seawater and flows from treated wastewater systems.
The sobering truth about our water problems was delivered by Sean Phillips, director-general of the department of water & sanitation, at the Water and Sanitation Indaba in Midrand yesterday. Phillips warned that SA’s water availability could deteriorate as the supply contracts and demand escalates. This, he said, was due to economic growth, urbanisation, population growth, losses in municipal distribution systems, sewage pollution and the effects of climate change.
Even more disturbing, perhaps, is the fact that many of the water problems we face are largely due to human negligence. While SA is one of 30 water-scarce countries in the world, our situation is worsened by poor governance at the municipal level where the delivery of this basic need is entrusted.
Municipal debt to water boards has nearly tripled in seven years, reaching a staggering R24bn this year.
According to Phillips, on average 32% of water nationally is lost before it even reaches our taps. This is because of a lack of maintenance of infrastructure by municipalities and leaks caused by burst pipes.
Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, whose residents have borne the brunt of water shortages in recent months, have high levels of water losses. This further indicates that SA’s water system is broken, and the situation is getting worse by the day.
This dire situation is underscored by President Cyril Ramaphosa’s remarks that “as humans, we can survive for a time without food. But without water, there is no life, and we will perish.”
People have already died in places like Hammanskraal as a result of poor governance and the municipality’s failure to deliver clean water to their homes.
The question we must ask is: how many more must die before something is done about this crisis?
The government has proposed a raft of measures to remedy this situation, including reform of municipal water and sanitation services. We will judge them on their actions and not their words, because dysfunctional municipalities have been allowed to get away with gross negligence for far too long.
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