Municipalities remain the Achilles heel in Gauteng’s water-related issues

23 October 2024

The Portfolio Committee on Water and Sanitation is concerned that municipalities’ inability to perform their water conservation and advocacy roles, along with their inability to pay for bulk services and infrastructure maintenance are the main causal factors in Gauteng’s water-related challenges. The committee convened an urgent meeting yesterday with Rand Water and the Department of Water and Sanitation to address water shortage challenges in Gauteng. 

“The reality is that municipalities are not coming to the party in playing their critical role in the water value chain, which requires an effective and efficient system from source to tap. It is unacceptable that Rand Water has had to bear the brunt for municipal inadequacies,” said Mr Leon Basson, the Chairperson of the committee. 

The first major concern for the committee is the volume of water loses within the system, largely within the municipal system. According to the No Drop Report, it is estimated that Gauteng’s non-revenue water is around 49.2% – almost half of its treated water. This is caused by leaks as a result of unmaintained municipal infrastructure and illegal water connections. 

“For South Africa to have an efficient and sustainable system, municipalities must play their role in improving operation and maintenance of their infrastructure – repair leaks, improve metering billing, improve revenue collection, improve pressure management and engage in community education and awareness. Without these and other interventions, the system will continue to have challenges at the expense of water users,” Mr Basson emphasised. 

In addition, the fact that the Western Cape’s non-revenue water sits at 27.6%, on average, highlights that reducing water loss is possible with adequate investment in infrastructure maintenance, demand management and speedy repair of leaks. 

The committee has also urged municipalities to implement demand management strategies to curtail the high water demand in Gauteng. The committee considers it unsustainable that Gauteng’s per capita water demand is, on average, 279 litres per capita per day, compared to the international average of 173 litres per capita per day. Gauteng municipalities must implement water conservation and demand management to ensure system viability. Municipalities must also engage in community awareness and communication initiatives to encourage reduction in water use. 

It remains unacceptable that municipalities are not paying for bulk services, as this has saddled water boards with serious cash flow challenges – in some cases, they are on the brink of bankruptcy. The committee considers it inconceivable that over R5 billion is owed to Rand Water in overdue debt. The non-payment for bulk services has been a long-term worry for the committee and the committee has therefore convened a meeting on 12 November 2024 with the National Treasury and the departments of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs and of Water and Sanitation to find workable solutions to this challenge. 

Meanwhile, the committee has commended Rand Water for its commitment to infrastructure maintenance and its development plan, which aims to ensure a resilient and stable water supply to municipalities. With the current R4.83 capital expenditure budget, the committee believes that municipalities must adopt a forward-looking infrastructure development and maintenance model. 

In addition, the committee welcomes the intervention in which Rand Water will work regularly and intensely with municipalities to find solutions to current challenges. The committee will continue to monitor progress to ensure that Gauteng averts the risk factors facing the water system in the province. 

“Gauteng plays a critical role in the economic wellbeing of the country and water plays an essential socio-economic role. Thus the current risks must be mitigated to prevent complete collapse of the system. All stakeholders must continue to work collaboratively to prevent a calamity, especially in the context of South Africa being a water scarce country that is facing climate change challenges,” Mr Basson concluded.

Issued by Malatswa Molepo, Media Officer, Parliamentary Communications Services, 23 October 2024