SA's unsafe water supplies: licensing service providers won't solve the issue

The national government's plan to amend the Water Services Act to ensure clean and drinkable water for all depends on local government reforms, writes the University of the Witwatersrand's Prof Tracy-Lynn Field.

- 

In many cities and towns across South Africa, water shortages and supply disruptions have become more frequent. The most recent figures show that 33% of urban and 65% of rural water users face regular water cut-offs. Nearly half of urban residents now boil or treat their water before drinking it.

South Africa's water law says everyone has the right to access sufficient water. But 12% of rural people have no access to improved water sources.

FINDINGS OF REPORTS

The most recent Blue Drop Report into the state of South Africa's water supply systems revealed that 46% were unable to guarantee that their water was safe to drink. The people relying on these systems were exposed to the risk of waterborne diseases like cholera, diarrhoea and dysentery.

The Green Drop Report, which evaluates the state of South Africa's wastewater treatment works, showed that many of these plants were in a critical condition. Nearly two-thirds were at risk of spewing sewage back into the environment and into the rivers that supply people with water.

The No Drop Report assesses the state of water that local government can't charge for. It found that, on average, 47% of all clean water was lost through leaking pipes, faulty metering, weak billing, and illegal connections.

To solve these problems, the government wants to amend the Water Services Act. Water services providers - the legal entities responsible for treating and distributing water, managing the staff and equipment of water systems, and collecting payment for water - will need to apply for licences from the national Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS). The national government will be able to revoke these if the providers don't deliver clean, drinkable water.