Cape Town – Water and Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa says South Africa’s plans for a water-secure future are in place, and has called on all South Africans to play their part in conserving water.
Briefing the media before her budget vote in Parliament today, Molewa said South Africa was not running out of water as speculated in media reports.
“Our strategic plans are sound and geared towards a sustainable future water security but they require that each one of us make their small contribution at every turn to guarantee a water secure future for generations to come,” Molewa said.
In South Africa, there were no immediate plans to introduce water restrictions to control the use and distribution of water resources. The situation was being monitored, and restrictions could, however, be introduced if necessary.
Water losses in South Africa were “indeed serious. That’s why we are calling on the nation to save water,” the minister said, adding that South Africa lost up to 36% of its drinking water.
Water was being lost in the distribution system through leaking pipes, dripping taps, and illegal water usage. The agricultural sector was also a big water user. A strategy to adapt, change and reduce the water usage in this sector was ready, Molewa said.
While South Africa had notched up a 95.2 percent universal access rate, Census 2011 showed that 86 percent of households had functional services. However, up to 10 percent of these services were dysfunctional, while another 24 percent was experiencing serious service challenges.
The department was facing a twin challenge of reaching the rest of the population missing out on universal access, and that of repairing infrastructure problems.
The department would focus on the functionality of municipal infrastructure and sustainable service delivery in the 2013/14 financial year because “improving the skills bases in the water sector is vital to the success of our efforts and ensuring security of supply”.
During the 2011/12 financial year, the Water Boards had reduced the debt of municipalities to R1.3 billion. These Boards generated R10.5 billion from water sales in 2011/12. They paid their own operational costs, and also invested R2.1 billion in infrastructure development. A further R3.3 billion was now being invested.
On progress with infrastructure developments, Molewa said that the De Hoop Dam in Limpopo was nearing completion; the Komati Water Augment Project, which provides Eskom’s Duva and Matla power stations, had also been finished, while significant progress was being made in the building of the Spring Grove Dam in KwaZulu-Natal.
In the North West, the first phase of the R1.2 billion Pilanesberg scheme was being implemented in partnership with the mines to provide a further 100 mega litres of water for the benefit of local municipalities and mines. About 700 direct jobs were being created, while new mining developments will open up 6 000 indirect permanent jobs.
In the Free State, R156 million will be spent on two new pipeline projects that will lay on additional water to Botshabelo and Thaba Nchu municipalities as well as the Mangaung Metro.
The department was processing draft reforms to the National Water Act, while a review of the National Water Resources Strategy hadbeen successful. The final product is expected to be gazetted in June.
In 2012/13, the department’s Adopt-a-River project, which fights the pollution of rivers, led to 24 rivers being cleaned, while creating 985 jobs for women. – SAnews.gov.za
