Important piece of South Africa’s infrastructure is in critical condition

Almost half of South Africa’s wastewater facilities are in a critical state, raising the risk of them discharging untreated water into rivers and the environment.

An audit of the country’s 848 municipal wastewater-treatment systems last year showed that 47% of them were compromised, compared with 39% in 2022, the Green Drop Report produced by the Department of Water and Sanitation said.

Systems complying with wastewater standards declined to 8% from 14%, it said.

“These results show that systems previously operating at a poor level have continued to deteriorate into critical failure, placing increasing pressure on water resources, the environment and public health,” according to the report.

Years of underinvestment and governance failures in South Africa’s municipalities have left much of the country’s water infrastructure in a deteriorating state.

Johannesburg — Africa’s richest city and home to about 4.8 million people — has faced growing outages that have spawned protests and become a focal point in campaigning before local elections later this year.

In a speech in February acknowledging that scores of municipalities are dysfunctional and unable to provide basic services, President Cyril Ramaphosa committed R156 billion for water infrastructure and sanitation over the next three years.

He has also set up a national water-crisis committee that he will chair to tackle the problem. 

“Raw and partially treated wastewater flowing into fresh water sources has become a common feature in several municipalities in South Africa,” the South African Human Rights Commission said in a statement on Wednesday.

“The SAHRC through several reports has noted how South Africa’s water resources, which are integral to dignified living, have been compromised by decaying and dilapidated wastewater systems.”

Two other reports conducted by the Department of Water and Sanitation showed that a significant number of drinking-water systems remain in high risk categories and require intensive urgent corrective action.

Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina called for the implementation of plans by the municipalities to improve the situation.

“Where there is inaction, the department will act,” she said in a statement.