Civil Engineering August 2021 | Vol 29 No 7

Civil Engineering August 2021 15 He also highlighted acid mine drainage (AMD) as a key source of pollution in the Rand Water supply area. “Mines do eventually close and post-closure AMD risk is recognised to potentially require mitigation and man- agement in perpetuity. The Department of Water and Sanitation’s long-term strategy to address AMD in the Witwatersrand – which has been seen as a critical risk since 2010 – has again been postponed in the latest budget allocations.” Wood went on to note that a sig- nificant number of the country’s sewage treatment plants are discharging inferior quality effluents, exacerbated by an ina- bility to effectively maintain sewage works and associated sewerage reticulation and pump stations. Stormwater and sewerage systems are also being overloaded due to inadequate sanitation, solid waste and land management services. “Domestic waste landfills are also contributing to contamination of water resources through seepage and run-off, as are the more significant mass of power station ash waste and mining residue wastes,” he said. Despite the risks facing water quality, Wood believes Rand Water consistently produces excellent water quality, allowing consumers to continue drinking tap water. This compares well to much of Europe, where many citizens prefer bottled water to their city tap water. WATER STEWARDSHIP Good water stewardship involves under- standing one’s own water use, the water source catchment context and shared risk in terms of water governance, water bal- ance and water quality. This paves the way for meaningful individual and collective actions toward water sustainability. “Water stewardship awareness and initiatives are increasingly extending to all industries, mining, agriculture, corporations, water service providers and communities,” said Wood. He pointed to the notable efforts of South African industry in implementing water conserva- tion measures since the 1980s, placing water use levels by industrial users among the most efficient globally. This has been achieved though the Water Research Commission’s National Industrial Water and Wastewater Management (NatSurv) Programme, and subsequent individual industry sector Source Vulnerability Assessment (SVA) and Water Risk Assessment (WRA) programmes. “Water stewardship programmes are now slowly broadening beyond the industry site fence-line. These help to mitigate water supply and water pollution challenges throughout the supply-chain and into the source water catchments – raising awareness of the true value of water,” Wood noted. Highlighting that the National Water and Sanitation Master Plan has clearly set out the challenges and actions required, he said that the plan required at least R10 billion a year to be invested in water infrastructure over the next decade. Wood cautioned, “Government and municipalities do not have the budget for this and require partnerships with stakeholders to address the challenges. Failure to do this may see conflict for water services extend through all levels of society.”  AutoCAD ® World-Leading CAD Software WaterMate Water Reticulation Design SurfMate Survey & Digital Terrain Modelling AeroTURN Aircraft Movement & Space Analysis RebarMate Reinforced Concrete Detailing & Scheduling Autodesk Civil 3D ® Site Development & Transportation AutoTURN Vehicle Manoeuvre Simulation & Analysis DatumMate Datum Conversion of Drawings RoadMate Urban & Rural Road Design ParkCAD Automated Parking Area Layouts Architecture Engineering & Construction Collection PipeMate Sewer & Stormwater Design and Analysis