Introduction

Lately, it has become highly common to find news articles on the water issues that have persisted to trouble South African citizens. The recent floods that impacted various provinces (Eastern Cape, Kwa-Zulu Natal, etc) saw to the destruction of vital infrastructure and water drainage systems, which has rendered some areas without running water.

While in the year 2021, raw waste material was unlawfully running into the Vaal River System, due to aging and unmaintained wastewater treatment plants which had broken down, that saw the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) Minister, Senzo Mchunu, apologizing for the lack of swift action to negate the pollution to the waterway. The matter was escalated and to be handled by Rand Water and the Military, and in February 2021 the Human Rights Commission reported ‘the Vaal Dam to be polluted beyond acceptable standards’.

The Phenomenon Surrounding the Water System

Vice-chairperson of the non-profit organization, Save the Vaal Environment said that “this has been an ongoing situation that has escalated for over a decade”, which speaks to the findings by the Auditor General, Tsakani Maluleke, that the wastewater treatment plants are “suffering from years of neglect” and that the situation is only about to get even worser.

The Blue Drop Progress Report (BDPR) 2022 is a report compiled by DWS to apply measuring aspects that contribute towards the provision of safe drinking water to all citizens of South Africa. This report is a detailed assessment of the cleaning process of drinkable water based on the Blue Drop Process Assessment Tool (BD PAT) to calculate the Blue Drop Risk Rating (BDRR) of each water supply system of all the municipalities, nationally.

Why municipalities, because the Water Services Act 108 of 1997 places responsibility for the provision of water services to the Local Government, while the oversight and monitoring duties are delegated to Provincial and National Government, as stated in the BDPR 2022.

What could possibly be the cause of potentially a decade long pollution of the country’s water treatment plant, while we have a critical assessment tool outlined by DWS that was first introduced in 2008? The answer is government. Not government – the institution, but government – the people.

The erecting of new policies is clearly not the problem since different Acts have been constitutionalized to ground the roles and responsibilities to the intended bodies of government. So much so that policies to relegate when certain tiers of government prove incompetent to fulfil the mandate which should then be seen through by the provincial leaders, then lastly the national leadership.

The first Blue Drop report in 2009 showed a measure of 93.3% on microbiological compliance against the South African National Standard (SANS) 241, which regressed to 79.6% in 2014. While in 2022, 66% of the National BDRR profile shows medium to low-risk categorization. Only time will tell what the next Four years (term of office) will hold as leadership is critical in the reconstruction efforts that are required.

Conclusion:

South Africa’s water systems are facing critical challenges, ranging from aging and neglected wastewater treatment plants to inadequate government action and coordination. The pollution of water bodies and recurring water shortages have become pressing concerns that affect citizens’ well-being and the country’s sustainable development. To address these issues effectively, a collaborative effort between different levels of government, NGOs, and citizens is imperative. Additionally, strong leadership at all levels is crucial in implementing policies, ensuring proper maintenance, and taking swift action to resolve the water crisis. Only through collective determination and commitment can South Africa pave the way for a sustainable and secure water future.