Civil Engineering March 2021 | Vol 29 No 2

The aim of National Water Week is to educate the public about their responsi- bility in water conservation initiatives, while raising awareness around the need to protect and conserve the country’s water resources. While SAPPMA ap- plauds and supports the idea behind the campaign, it is clear that its focus and impact should stretch much further than merely educational purposes. More than ever before, it needs to stimulate authori- ties into action. As we all are aware, South Africa is a water-scarce country, with a mean average rainfall of only 495 mm per year – compared to the equivalent world figure of 860 mm. Roughly 21% of the country receives less than 200 mm precipitation per annum. This puts us 139 th out of 177 countries. The estimated amount of avail- able water in South Africa is less than 2 000 m 3 per person per year, compared to 15 000 m 3 in the USA. This bleak situation is exacerbated by a massive and unplanned influx of people from all over Africa, which places severe stress on all our resources. Dr Anthony Turton, Professor in the Centre for Environmental Management at the University of the Free State, predicts that South Africa will need 1.6 times the amount of water than will naturally be available by 2030. SA’S WATER CRISIS While we are grateful that many parts of our country are blessed with above- average rainfall, there can be no doubt that, in the long term, South Africa is in a serious water crisis. There are multiple reasons for this catastrophe which vary from area to area. While it is a fact that we experience multi-year droughts in certain parts of the country, other factors, which are human-induced, exacerbate the problem. These include major pollution of water sources and wetlands, uncon- trolled mining activities, and ageing or insufficient infrastructure in most urban areas. The result of this toxic mix is the following: Q Q More than 50% of South Africa’s wet- lands, known as nature’s water filters, have been lost. Of those that remain, 33% are in poor ecological condition. Q Q There are more than 900 municipal treatment plants in the country, most of which are poorly maintained and badly managed. According to the National Water and Sanitation Master Plan (NW&SMP) released in 2018, 56% of wastewater and 44% of water treatment works are in a poor or critical condition. 11% are completely dysfunctional. Three quarters of the water pumped back into rivers by mu- nicipal treatment plants has not been properly treated and contains harmful pathogens. Q Q Due to pollution, only 47% of our water bodies have good quality water, compared to Zimbabwe that currently sits at 76%. Q Q More than a third (about 35%) of the properly treated water that finds its way back into distribution systems is lost due to theft or leakage due to poor infrastructure. This amounts to approximately 1 660 million m 3 per year. All of these factors are overarched by poor management of resources, corruption and lack of funding. REVENUE DEFICIT In 2013 Trevor Balzer, in his position as Acting Director General of the Department of Water Affairs, stated that South Africa would need about R700 bil- lion over the next 10 to 15 years to refur- bish the nation’s water infrastructure and to improve the supply situation. A year earlier, Edna Molewa, then Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs, raised the possibility of attracting funds from foreign investors for the maintenance of ageing water infrastructure, hinting at the possibility of partial privatisation of some treatment plants. Today, almost a decade later, the NW&SMP states that achieving water security requires R33 billion per year for the next 10 years. But despite the many statements and promises made over the past few years, we have unfortunately seen very little action. South Africans are very aware of the country’s current electricity crisis, and load shedding has become a regular occurrence. As a nation, we are trying our best to adapt to this situation by way of standby generators, investing in solar panels or simply better planning of our activities. However, not many people realise that there is a definite interdepen- dence between water and energy. Water Water Week should be more than promises and rhetoric Jan Venter CEO Southern African Plastic Pipe Manufacturers Association (SAPPMA) The South African Government’s annual National Water Week campaign took place from 15 to 22 March, culminating in the United Nations’ World Water Day celebrated around the world on 22 March 2021. Civil Engineering March 2021 51