Unsafe dams a catastrophe in the making
Most have failed to comply with safety regulations
South Africa is sitting on the precipice of a disaster with hundreds of dams across the country not compliant with safety regulations, precipitated by the lack of capacity in the department of water and sanitation.
Data from the department shows that only 1% on the list of the top 20 largest dams owned by the government are compliant with dam safety regulations. Of the 323 dams owned by the state, 164, or more than 50%, do not comply with regulations.
Of the top 20 largest dams owned by the department, only two are compliant with dam safety evaluations requirements. Some of the country’s biggest dams that are not compliant include the Sterkfontein and Vaal dams.
Local government does not fare any better with only five of the top 20 largest dams owned by municipalities compliant with dam safety evaluations requirements. The situation has gotten so bad that Metz Dam, an earth-fill-type dam located on Moetladimo River, near Trichardtsdal, Limpopo (opposite the Sekororo Hospital) has been declared unsafe and criminal charges have been opened against its owners.
Department of water and sanitation spokesperson Sputnik Ratau said any unknown safety status of a dam is regarded as a huge risk.
“The DSO [Dam Safety Office] has consulted our sister branch [infrastructure management] who are the owners of the dams and they have indicated to have commenced with the process of appointing approved professional persons [APPS] to carry out the mandatory Dam Safety Evaluations (DSE) on dams not complying to this requirement,” said Ratau.
“The department doesn’t have enough APPS internally to do this work. The DSO has been informed that DSES will be submitted at the end of the current financial year [31 March 2023].”
The country’s distressed power utility Eskom is also placing the country at risk with 24 out of its 43 dams not complying with safety regulations. Ratau said 19 non-compliance letters have been issued to Eskom.
“The department expects the
dam owners to comply or at least provide a time frame that will be acceptable before taking further actions. We have not received any response and the Dam Safety Office refers such non-compliances to our enforcement unit [the Blue Scorpions] for further action, including civil and criminal enforcement,” he said.
Out of 50 dams owned by water boards, 23 are not complying and the department has issued non-compliance letters for 22 dams.
Water experts Sunday World spoke to say the danger of this non-compliance is that DSO and the owner of the dam do not know how safe the dam is and what major issues need to be addressed for the dam to remain safe, based on the latest and the best dam engineering practices.
The department said the DSO is unable to compel owners to undertake the necessary steps and to remain alert during flood seasons, and to issue necessary warning and engage the disaster management committees.
KZN, which was recently ravaged by floods that claimed more than 400 lives, is also facing significant risk. The province has 1124 dams registered with the DSO, and 183 of those dams are not compliant.
Ratau said 160 non-compliance notices have been issued across the province. He admitted that the department does not have capacity to ensure the safety of all dams.
“More dams are being constructed and old dams are suffering lack of proper maintenance due to no capacity in local government as well as other state departments, industry, mining and agriculture owning dams.”
The issue of dam safety came to the fore two months ago in the wake of a devastating tailings dam wall collapse in Jagersfontein, Free State, during which at least three people were killed and 40 others injured.
Ratau said the department will be carrying out a study to determine which of the 337 mine residue dams in the departmental database must be classified and registered as dams with a safety risk factor.
Of the 323 dams owned by the state, 164 do not comply to safety regulations