Rollout of SA’s water, sanitation plan urgent

The national water and sanitation master plan has its genesis in comprehensive engagement with water sector partners by the water and sanitation department in 2017, to address the perennial problems that have bedevilled the various sectors of our water-scarce country for decades.

The master plan has been crafted to address the challenges by 2030 and also for SA to achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal number six, which is the provision of access to water and sanitation for all its citizens.

Water experts believe that SA is facing a water crisis caused by insufficient water infrastructure maintenance and investment, recurrent droughts driven by climate change, inequalities in access to water and sanitation, deteriorating water quality, and a lack of skilled water engineers.

This crisis has negatively affected our economy and has worsened poverty among many communities.

The recent crippling threeyear drought that hit Cape Town and its surroundings, the devastating drought that afflicted Port Elizabeth, Makh and a (formerly Grahamstown), Butterworth and Graaff-Reinet are examples of these natural disasters.

A catalogue of our country’s water and sanitation disparities reveal 3-million people do not have access to a basic water supply service and 14.1-million people do not have access to safe sanitation.

Our water experts tell us that only 64% of households have access to a reliable water supply.

These experts further inform us that most waste water treatment works and water treatment works are in a poor or critical condition, while 11% are dysfunctional.

More than 50% of SA’s wetlands have been lost, and of those that remain, 33% are in a poor ecological condition.

The vestiges of apartheid have also played a major role in the water supplies of our country. Black farmers have access to only 5% of agricultural water.

Municipalities are losing 1,660-million cubic litres a year through non-revenue water.

This is estimated to be costing the country about R9,9bn a year.

The country’s water experts are of the view that SA needs to invest R33bn a year in water infrastructure and maintenance for the next 10 years to achieve water security.

“SA can avoid a projected 17% water deficit by 2030 by taking bold action today,’’ the National Water and Sanitation Master Plan advises.

The urgency, coupled with the call to action, as encapsulated by the master plan, outlines the top priorities needing attention from all water sector stakeholders to address present and the future water challenges.

This includes that by 2030 and beyond, SA has a sufficient reserve of supply to take it safely into the future, accelerated progress towards meeting constitutional imperatives is made, and service delivery commitments, such as ensuring access to water and sanitation for all, is achieved.

The constitutional imperatives enjoins the water sector to provide universal and equitable access to reliable water supply and sanitation services.

These imperatives also mandate the water sector to protect, manage and develop the nation’s water resources in a manner that supports justifiable and ecological sustainable economic and social development.

Lastly, the water sector is mandated by the constitution to transform access to water to address the racial imbalances that were created by the apartheid policies of the previous government.

With the Covid-19 pandemic presently ravaging our country, the rollout of the master plan is more urgent than ever before.