This document outlines the key challenges and proposed solutions for South Africa's water sector. On the supply side, challenges include lack of skills, water scarcity, runoff variability, limited resources, floods and droughts, and water quality issues. Solutions involve developing workforce training programs, resource augmentation, infrastructure improvements, and ecosystem rehabilitation. On the demand side, challenges are poverty, population growth, economic development, and insufficient recycling and conservation. Proposed solutions center around expanding access, integrated planning, incentives for alternative uses like reuse and desalination, and public education campaigns. The document stresses an integrated approach across supply and demand to promote water sector sustainability.

1. SOLUTIONS TO CHALLENGES IN THE
WATER SECTOR IN SOUTH AFRICA
Collin Manickum
15 April 2014

2. • Supply Side Challenges1
• Demand Side Challenges2
Overview

3. Summary of Supply Side Water Sector
Challenges in South Africa
1. Lack of skills & expertise
2. Water scarcity
3. Water runoff
4. Water resources
5. Floods and droughts
6. Water quality
7. Water allocation
1

4. Summary of Demand Side Water Sector
Challenges in South Africa
1. Poverty (inability to pay for water services)
2. Increased water demand due to increasing population
3. Increased water demand due to improving economy
4. Lack of recycling & re-use of water
5. Water conservation
2

5. Supply Side Solution 1: Skills & Expertise
• Development of a Water Sector Occupations Framework to guide
national classification of occupations in sector – will improve
retention & succession planning & define career pathways
• Standardised training of process operators, through learnerships
aligned to NQF levels, in line with National Skills Development
framework
• EWSETA bursaries for artisans, engineers, hydrologists &
management staff at tertiary institutions to build sustainable
intellectual capability & capacity for managing scarce water
resources
• Capacity relating to climate change impact assessments &
adaptation within water sector is limited, & needs to be
strengthened. 1

6. Supply Side Solution 2 – Water scarcity
• Due to low rainfall, high evaporation & pollution
• Intervention strategies are:
– Local Supply (augmentation schemes)
– Effluent re-use/water recycling
– Desalination
– Interbasin transfers
– Water loss control
– Water use efficiency
• Cost implication of intervention strategies to be considered
1

7. Supply Side Solution 2 – Water scarcity
1Source: DWA, Water for Growth & Development in South Africa, Version 6, 2008

8. 1
Supply Side Solution 3 – Water runoff
• Due to variable rainfall & distribution
• Build capacity of water sector institutions to function in a context of
uncertainty.
• Build water sector’s climate response capability to timeous action, to
avoid inappropriate responses, & ensure management water in a
context of uncertainty.
• Improved collaboration between agencies to address climate
change.
• Strengthen rainfall, environmental, hydrological & hydro-geological
monitoring to support climate change detection & adaptation.
• Address research gaps in current water sector climate change
programmes & water & climate change knowledge.

9. 1
Supply Side Solution 4 – Water resources
• Low freshwater resources
• Do supply-demand reconciliation to see where water is needed
• Planning for urban development, industry & to prevent shortages
• Build dams & transfer schemes in high rainfall areas (expensive)
• Use of groundwater (currently underused, quality could be an
issue – acid mine water, fracking)
• Desalination
• Catchment rehabilitation – removal of alien plants
• Re-use of water after treatment
• Water harvesting – storage tanks

10. 1
Supply Side Solution 4 – Water resources
• Infrastructure maintenance
• Appropriate technology – KISS principle
• Rehabilitation of existing assets to operational standard
• Asset Management Strategy executed (for example, using
Reliability Centred Maintenance methodology)

11. Supply Side Solution 5 – Floods & droughts
• Implementation of DWA Guidelines to Flood Management
• Healthier ecosystems can adapt quickly & more resistant to floods
& droughts – removal of alien vegetation & species
• Research & impact studies on floods & droughts will highlight
possibilities for mitigation of impact
• Flood protection warning systems
• Infrastructure capability to handle higher water flow
1

12. 1
Supply Side Solution 6 – Water quality
• Due to toxicants, altered flow, acid mine drainage, metals, agro-
chemicals, solids
• Possible impact of fracking?
• Strategic investment in maintenance of water ecosystems
• Protect wetlands & critical groundwater recharge areas
• Rehabilitate water ecosystems to support water quantity & quality
• Continuously monitor ecological health
• Minimisation of pollution from wastewater treatment works
• Create financial incentives for dischargers to reduce waste & use
water resources optimally
• Recover costs of mitigating impacts of waste discharge on water
quality.

13. 1
Supply Side Solution 7 – Water allocation
• Allocation must be prioritised
• Sufficient quantities of water for human basic daily needs; &
sufficient quality water to support aquatic ecosystems
• Managing of shared river basins with other countries
• Allocation of water for poverty eradication; & improvement of
livelihood of poor & marginalised
• Allocation of water for uses important to economy, such as
transfer of water between management areas & use of water for
electricity generation
• Water for economic purposes, such as irrigation & forestry.
Dependent on local & regional dynamics & requirements

14. Summary of Demand Side Water Sector
Challenges in South Africa
1. Poverty (inability to pay for water services)
2. Increased water demand due to increasing population
3. Increased water demand due to improving economy
4. Lack of recycling & re-use of water
5. Water conservation
2

15. 2
Demand Side Solution 1 – Poverty
• Poor cannot afford to pay for water
• Unemployment main driver
• Must be equity in access to water services, resources & benefits
• DWA Water Allocation Reform Strategy
• Aligned with National Development Plan (NDP) & Land Reform &
Restitution Plan
• Job creation through water infrastructure development,
management, & supply to economic sectors

16. Demand Side Solution 2 – Population
• Increasing population, but limited water resources
• Partially addressed in Supply Side Solution 4 – Water Resources
• Other population growth interventions external of water sector –
education, population growth interventions
2

17. Demand Side Solution 3 – Economy
• Improving economy requires more water
• Partially addressed in Supply Side Solution 4 – Water Resources
• Will stimulate poverty alleviation
• Use of water to generate electricity
2

18. Demand Side Solution 4 – Recycling & re-use
• Recycling & re-use would reduce demand challenges
• Legislation facilitating water recycling & re-use
• Feasibility studies for water recycling & re-use
• Communication strategy to improve public perception of recycling
and re-use of water
• Continually review new technology for water recycling & re-use
• Integrate re-use in water reconciliation
• Effluent/waste discharge charges implemented to deter pollution
and incentivises treatment and re-use of wastewater
• Recycling methodologies : desalination, recycling of mine water
2

19. Demand Side Solution 5 – Water Conservation
• Water conservation – minimisation of water use & water loss
• Funds to promote water conservation
• Communication strategy for water conservation
• Infrastructure maintenance (Supply solution 4 – water resources)
2

20. Supply & Demand solutions are complementary –
It’s all about sustainability!!

21. References
1: Governing Board Induction Manual, Chapter 1: Overview of the SA Water
Sector, Department of Water Affairs, 2011.
2: Business Case for the Breede- Gouritz Catchment Management Agency,
Department of Water Affairs, 2012.
3: National Water Resource Strategy 2, Department of Water Affairs, 2013
4: Water for Growth & Development in South Africa, Version 6, Department
of Water Affairs, 2008.
5: http://www.waternetwork.co.za/water-sectors/sa-opportunities-and-
challenges.html
6: http://forloveofwater.co.za/top-19-solutions-to-the-global-fresh-water-
crisis/