South African water disaster

South Africa’s water infrastructure has collapsed over the past decade, with 30% of water supply systems (WSSs) in critical condition. 

‘Critical condition’ means these systems require “urgent intervention for all aspects of the water service business”. 

While water-shedding has become increasingly common in South Africa’s economic hub of Gauteng, few are aware of just how widespread the problems are. 

Anlu Keeve of the South African Institute of Race Relations (IRR) said the mismanagement of water infrastructure is a common problem in local municipalities. 

South Africa has more than enough water to supply its growing population. The issue is getting the water from dams and reservoirs to the end user. 

Several provinces in the country report water losses exceeding 50%. This means that over half of the water from bulk suppliers, such as Rand Water, does not reach the end user. 

Keeve said there are several factors contributing to this decline and the risks that exacerbate it.

Among these are contractors’, laboratories’, and service providers’ non-payment, which leads to equipment failures, dysfunctional pumping and treatment infrastructure, and disruptions in service provision. 

Vandalism and theft of electric cables, equipment and civil structures further degrade infrastructure. 

In addition, several water systems are operating beyond their design capacity, and many have not undergone necessary infrastructure upgrades, extensions and refurbishments. 

This situation is compounded by the presence of boreholes that are not operational and the lack of flow monitoring.

Furthermore, the technical and management capacity, as well as the competency of managers, superintendents, process controllers, engineers, technicians, technologists and scientists, vary significantly.

This inconsistency often means that institutions do not have access to professionals with the appropriate skills, which exacerbates the challenges in ensuring and maintaining water quality.

Currently, 45% of municipalities in South Africa cannot provide the most basic information on their water supply, including monthly consumption figures.

If the problems of service delivery and water losses are to be resolved at all, the problem must first be understood – regular and accurate data is key, Keeve said. 

The Department of Water and Sanitation’s 2023 Blue Drop Report was a strong step in the right direction and revealed just how severe the problem is. 

The report showed that 277 water systems – nearly 30% of the total – are in a critical state requiring urgent intervention. This is a significant increase from 103 systems in 2014.

This deterioration is shown in the graph below.

The likely result of this decline is an increase in the use of water-shedding across South Africa, whereby water supply is temporarily halted in one area to serve another. 

Water infrastructure has deteriorated to the point where reservoirs closer to the end user cannot be sufficiently filled from the country’s dams, resulting in them running out of water. 

“That means the system is leaking more than previously thought. This also cannot be the result of small surface leaks. These are main lines underground that are leaking,” Water Ledger’s Benoit Le Roy said. 

As temperatures increase into the summer months, demand for water will rise, placing the system under even more pressure. 

“The demand has gone up in recent days, and we are already on the edge. We are at the cliff edge if you like,” Le Roy said. 

“The solution is not a quick one, unfortunately, apart from water-shedding. This can be planned or unplanned.”

Le Roy warned that this could have disastrous consequences as shutting off reservoirs can create air pockets in downstream infrastructure. These pockets can either block the flow of water or burst pipes, exacerbating the problem. 

“Water-shedding cannot work – planned or unplanned – as water systems are designed to be wet and are not designed to be turned on and off,” he said. 

Apart from further damage to water infrastructure, water-shedding could also crush economic activity and result in social unrest.