WaterSanitation SAYB1516
WaterSanitation SAYB1516
WaterSanitation SAYB1516
Water and
Sanitation
includes the use of surface and groundwater. These included the security of water supply,
Other uses that must be registered include: environmental degradation, and pollution of
• diversion of rivers and streams resources.
• discharge of waste or water containing waste The NWRS2 outlines the key challenges,
• storage, which includes any person or body constraints and opportunities in water resource
storing water for any purpose from surface management and proposes new approaches
run-off, groundwater or fountain flow in excess that ensure a collective and adequate response
of 10 000 m³ or where the water area at full for the benefit of all people in South Africa.
supply level exceeds one hectare (ha) in total This strategy moves towards the achievement
on land owned or occupied by that person or and attainment of an inclusive sustainable and
body, and who is not in possession of a permit equitable economy.
or permission The NWRS2 ensures that the management
• local authorities and other bulk suppliers with of national water resources contributes towards
their own water sources and purification works achieving South Africa's growth, development
• controlled activities such as irrigating with waste, and socio-economic priorities in an equitable
power generation with water, atmospheric and sustainable manner over the next five to 10
modification or recharging of aquifers. years.
An assessment of the environmental require- The strategy also responds to the priorities set
ments of the rivers and streams concerned is by government in the National Development Plan
conducted before a licence can be issued. (NDP) and National Water Act of 1998 imperatives
To promote sustainable and equitable water that support sustainable development.
resource management, the department has It is centred on three key objectives:
developed and continues to update a range of • Water supports development and the
strategies for water management. elimination of poverty and inequality. The
strategy recognises that the manner in
Transformation which water was allocated in the past was
In pursuance of the transformation agenda, the unequal and favoured certain sections of
DWS was in mid-2016 moving towards finalising the population. The intention, therefore, is
the National Water and Sanitation Bill that to redress past imbalances in the manner in
will undergo parliamentary processes and be which water was allocated.
published for public consultation. • Water contributes to the economy and job
The objective of the Bill is to radically transform creation.
the water and sanitation sector across the value • Water is protected, used, developed, con-
chain and create an enabling environment served, managed and controlled in a
for the delivery of basic water and sanitation sustainable and equitable manner.
services to communities who were historically The NWRS2 also focuses on water conservation
disadvantaged, thus enhancing access, equity and the management of water demand as key
and sustainability. priorities.
The department will also ensure that the
establishment of the Water and Sanitation Water for Growth and Development
Infrastructure Agency finds traction whilst (WfGD)
pursuing the consolidation and rationalization The WfGD Framework points to the relationship
of the water boards to establish wall-to-wall between the availability of water and the many
water boards. The Water Use Licence regulatory forms of economic activity that depend on the
framework has been revised in accordance with available supply of water of specific levels of
the integrated licence approach. In addition, quality.
the regulations for the metering of water for The department's position is that the country's
irrigation purposes have been gazetted for public economic growth target cannot be achieved at
comments and were expected to be finalised the expense of the ecological sustainability of
during 2016. water resources or meeting people's needs.
It wishes to respond to the needs of the
Policies and strategies different economic sectors and this is best
National Water Resource Strategy achieved when water supply and the impact of
(NWRS) use are factored in during planning.
The NWRS2 sets out the vision and strategic Rather than being an add-on or afterthought,
actions for effective water management the department's position is that the need for
been implemented to have access to water. The been allocated R6 014 764 000
programme targets rural communities through • Water services operating subsidy:
the installation of tanks and awareness creation R611 227 000
sessions. • Water services projects: R209 377 000.
The DST and the WRC are to develop the of licences to use water. It is an independent body
roadmap to provide a 10-year platform for and can hold hearings anywhere in the country.
research, development and innovation in the The WRC and the Judicial Services Com-
water and wastewater sectors of South Africa. mission recommend people to be included as
This includes providing a platform for the members of the Water Tribunal, and the Minister
country to compete with leading countries in water of Water Affairs appoints them. The members
technology, increase the numbers of technology- have to be familiar with water management,
based small and medium-sized enterprises engineering, law and other related matters, and
operating in the water sector and increase access they are given administrative support by the DWS.
to water and sanitation in rural communities.
Strategic Water Partners Network –
Water Trading Entity (WTE) South Africa (SWPN-SA)
The DWS is responsible for the regulation of SWPN-SA is one of South Africa's most inno-
water use in South Africa by ensuring that water vative public-private civil-society sector partner-
is allocated equitably and used beneficially in the ships, making progress that would not have
public interest, and is also required to create a been possible.
register of all water users in the country. The efforts of the SWPN-SA are integral to the
The National Water Act of 1998 makes NWRS, which the DWS released in 2012.
provision for cost recovery on services rendered A cornerstone of the SWPN-SA is developing
by the department to water users. It is against innovation that leverages the strength and
this background that the department created the expertise of the DWS, the South African private
WTE within its administration. sector, civil society, and expert organisations.
The main function of the WTE is development,
operation and maintenance of specific water Resources
resources infrastructure and managing water South Africa's water resources are, in global
resources in specific water management areas. terms, scarce and extremely limited. The total
flow of all the rivers in the country is about
Trans-Caledon Tunnel Authority (TCTA) 49 200 million m3 a year. Groundwater plays a
The TCTA is a State-owned entity (SOE) pivotal role, especially in rural water supplies.
specialising in project financing, implementation The country's climate varies from desert and
and liability management. semi-desert in the west to sub-humid along the
It is responsible for the development of bulk eastern coastal area, with an average rainfall of
raw-water infrastructure. It also provides an about 450 mm per year. This is well below the
integrated treasury management and financial world average of about 860 mm per year, while
advisory service to the DWS, water boards, evaporation is comparatively high.
municipalities and other entities that are linked Water resources are unevenly spread across
to bulk raw-water infrastructure. The TCTA is South Africa. The variable rainfall distribution
primarily responsible for off-budget projects. and characteristics give rise to an uneven run-off
and distribution of water resources, with more
Komati River Basin Water Authority than 60% of the river flow arising from only 20%
The Komati Basin Water Authority was of the land area.
established in terms of a treaty between South To compensate for the uneven spread of water
Africa and Swaziland. The aim of the authority is to resources and to manage floods and droughts,
manage the water resources of the Komati River more than two-thirds of the country's mean
basin sustainably. The authority is responsible for annual run-off are stored in dams. Most of the
financing, developing, operating and maintaining economically available yield from surface water
the water resources infrastructure in the basin, resources has been fully developed and used,
comprising the Driekoppies Dam in South Africa and opportunities for developing new and there
and the Maguga Dam in Swaziland. are few economic dams.
South Africa's inland water resources include
Water Tribunal more than 20 major rivers, 165 large dams, more
The Water Tribunal was established in 1998 to than 4 000 medium and small dams on public
hear appeals against directives and decisions and private land, and hundreds of small rivers.
made by responsible authorities, CMAs or water However, owing to the predominantly hard-
management agencies about matters covered by rock nature of South Africa's geology, there are
the National Water Act of 1998, such as the issuing
few major groundwater aquifers that can be urban requirements constitute about 25% as the
used on a large scale. second-largest user sector. The remaining 15%
The poor spatial distribution of rainfall means is shared by the other sectors (all standardised
that the natural availability of water is also highly to 98% assurance of supply).
uneven. This is compounded by the strong The total nett abstraction of water from
seasonality of rainfall over virtually the entire surface water resources amounts to about
country, and the high within-season variability of 10 200 million m3 per year for the whole of South
rainfall and, consequently, of run-off. Africa, after allowing for the reuse of return flows.
As a result, stream flow in South Africa's rivers A further 8% is estimated to be lost through
is at relatively low levels most of the time, with evaporation from storage and conveyance along
sporadic high flows occurring – characteristics rivers, and 6% through land-use activities. As a
that limit the proportion of stream flow, which national average, about 66% of the natural river
can be relied upon to be available for use, and flow (mean annual run-off) therefore still remains
which also have implications for water-related in the country's rivers.
disasters such as floods and droughts. Southern Africa also has large hidden under-
To aggravate the situation, most urban and ground water reserves, with 12 to 15 aquifer
industrial development, as well as some dense systems, of which three are considered very
rural settlements, have been established in important for the future.
remote locations away from large watercourses. In South Africa, a substantial resource lies in
As a result, the requirements for water already a massive dolomite aquifer system that covers a
far exceed its natural availability in several vast area, extending from Springs and Brakpan,
river basins. Widespread and often large-scale east of Johannesburg to Lenasia, south of the
transfers of water across catchment areas have, city; Zuurbekom, Carltonville and Magaliesberg
therefore, been implemented. on the West Rand; Kuruman in the Northern
Provided that South Africa's water resources Cape and even as far as parts of Botswana.
are judiciously managed and wisely allocated The Witwatersrand mining basin's aquifer
and used, sufficient water of appropriate quality storage capacity is about the size of Lake Kariba.
will be available to sustain a strong economy,
high social standards and healthy aquatic Dams and water schemes
ecosystems for many generations. In an attempt to respond adequately to demand
South Africa depends mainly on surface-water and anticipate future demand, South Africa has
resources for urban, industrial and irrigation built numerous large and medium-sized dams,
water supplies in the country. In general, surface- and developed sophisticated inter-basin transfer
water resources are highly developed in many schemes. The country now has more than 500
parts of South Africa. government-owned dams countrywide. They
Groundwater is also used extensively, range in storage capacity from a volume of
particularly in the rural and more arid areas, 5 500 million m3 of water down to 0,2 million m3.
contributing to some 60% of newly serviced In April 2015, it emerged during a meeting
households since 1994. of the Presidential Infrastructure Coordinating
In the northern parts of the country both surface Commission (PICC) that there were plans to
and groundwater resources are nearly fully build, or expand on, six dams over the next
developed and used. Some overex-ploitation decade to address the long-term water and
occurs in localised areas, with little undeveloped sanitation needs of the country.
resource potential remaining. The reverse Most water consumption can be attributed to
applies to the well-watered south-eastern drinking, irrigation, electricity, mining processes
region of the country, which still has significant and industrial processes.
undeveloped and under-used resources. The DWS follows an integrated approach
The total mean annual run-off of water in South to managing South Africa's water resources.
Africa under natural (undeveloped) conditions Proposed new water schemes have to comply
is estimated at a little over 49 200 million m3 with the NWRS, requiring that water-demand
per year, including about 4 800 million m3 per management programmes be implemented
year of water originating in Lesotho, and about before embarking on new infrastructure
700 million m3 a year originating in Swaziland, development.
which naturally drain into South Africa. Strict environmental impact assessments must
Agricultural irrigation represents close to 60% also be performed in accordance with laws and
of the country's total water requirements, while regulations administered by the Department
of Environmental Affairs, while the guidelines Eastern Cape, Limpopo, Northern Cape, North
issued by the World Commission on Dams must West and KwaZulu-Natal.
also be followed. The lack of perennial streams in the
Bulk infrastructure is a critical element of semi-desert to desert parts means that two thirds
water-services infrastructure and an integrated of South Africa's surface area depend largely on
part of water-services management. groundwater.
Government has implemented key projects to Although irrigation is the largest user, the
augment South Africa's water resources: supply to more than 300 towns and smaller
• The TCTA has procured funding to implement settlements is very important.
the Mokolo and Crocodile River West Water Through government's commitment towards
Augmentation Project's first two phases at a meeting the basic water needs of communities,
cost of about R2 billion, to deliver water to groundwater has become a strategic resource
Eskom's new Medupi power station and other for village water supply in the wetter parts of the
industries in the area, as well as domestic country, because of its cost-effectiveness in a
water to the Lephalale Local Municipality. widely scattered small-scale user situation.
• The Bloemendal Bulk Water Project helps Groundwater also contributes considerably to
to address issues of water-borne diseases river flow. This requires reserving a significant
and water shortages in Delmas, in the Victor share of groundwater resources to protect
Khanye Local Municipality. The bulk-water aquatic ecosystems in terms of the National
project is part of the government's drive to Water Act of 1998. The maximum quantity of
bring services to the people of the country. groundwater that can be developed economically
The project is designed to supply 25 Mt/d is about 6 000 million m3 a year, while some
(potable water) and is sufficient to meet water 4 000 million m3 of groundwater (mainly in the dry
demand in the service area up to 2026. The season) contributes to surface-water flow annually.
new project incorporates a 10 Ml reservoir
located at mid-point of the new pipeline and is Managing and developing water
designed to improve system operation as well. resources
• The Spring Grove Dam in Mooi River, To facilitate the management of water resources,
KwaZulu-Natal, supplies water to the the country has been divided into 19 catchment-
eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality and the based water management areas, of which 11
uMgungundlovu District, Msunduzi Local, share international rivers.
Ugu Local, Sisonke and iLembe local munici- Sufficient water resources have been deve-
palities. loped and are available to ensure that all
requirements for water can reasonably be
Groundwater resources met, without impairing the socio-economic
An estimated 80 000 to 100 000 boreholes development of the country.
are being drilled annually. The data generated Where feasible, special management tech-
through the drilling of this amount of boreholes niques may be applied to improve water quality
can enhance the knowledge of the occurrences to appropriate standards for particular uses.
and utilisation of groundwater tremendously The quality of groundwater varies according to
and thus it is imperative to get the data onto hydrogeological conditions and anthropogenic
the Department databases. At the same time it impact. However, most major aquifer systems
will enhance the Department's ability to execute contain potable-quality water.
its mandate to protect, manage and control the To underscore its commitment to the pursuit of
groundwater resources of the country. universal access to water, the DWS is investing
An international search has shown that in new infrastructure and maintaining and
it is common practice to register drilling rehabilitating dysfunctional systems to ensure
contractors thus the Department has launched operational efficiency.
a project to investigate the mechanisms for This is particularly relevant to developing
successful registration processes as well as water infrastructure to meet the specific needs
possible training and controlling mechanisms. of different rural communities. Closely related to
Groundwater, despite its relatively small contri- rural development is the need for mainstream
bution to bulk-water supply, represents an support to local government to sustain the
important and strategic water resource in South infrastructure underpinning efficient service
Africa, since it services between 52% and 82% delivery to communities.
of community water-supply schemes in the
Managing water quality and wastewater case basis in accordance with legislation in order
To ensure compliance with minimum water quality to safeguard the well-being of communities.
norms and standards, the DWS started the In partnership with the Eastern Cape and
annual Blue Drop and Green Drop assessments North West provincial governments respectively,
to guarantee that water and wastewater systems the DWS intervened in municipalities which
are managed according to set norms and have been placed under administration. These
standards. include the Makana Local Municipality in the
The department has set a target of 99% Eastern Cape, the Madibeng Local Municipality,
compliance with drinking-water quality standards and Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality
and 80% compliance with wastewater effluent in North West.
standards. An important element of these interventions
This incentive-based regulation system aims has been the successful use of the Water
to improve the quality of municipal drinking water Boards of Amatola, Magalies, and Sedibeng,
quality and management of waste water. respectively, to supplement the capacity of the
Because of the scale and magnitude of department to improve operational performance
resources needed for the national certification and build new infrastructure where necessary.
programme, the Green Drop and Blue Drop In Limpopo, the DWS has appointed the
programmes take place every second year, Lepelle Northern Water as an Implementing
alternating with each other. In a programme's Agent for the Mopani District Municipality
“gap” year, progress in the wastewater sector Revitalisation Programme, which includes
is tracked and reported via the assessment various water treatment works, waste water
of the cumulative risk status of treatment treatment works, boreholes and pipelines.
systems. In Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga, through
The department was honoured to receive Rand Water, the DWS executed an emergency
international recognition in terms of Environ- intervention to solve operational problems
mental Engineering Excellence for the Blue which were causing water shortages and also
Drop and Green Drop Certification programmes accelerating the implementation of water reticu-
from the American Academy for Environmental lation infrastructure.
Engineers. This academy is affiliated to the In each of the identified municipalities,
International Water Association. qualified and experienced personnel are being
deployed to work on, and implement, a Road
Programmes and initiatives Map for a “Water Secure and Safe Sanitation
Integrated Water Resources Future” using budgets pooled from national and
Management (IWRM) provincial governments and from the affected
The DWS, with the assistance of the Royal municipalities.
Danish Government, initiated a programme in
2000 to pilot IWRM approaches in three water The Water and Sanitation Revolution
management areas of South Africa: Crocodile The key strategic priorities for the water and
West – Marico (mainly in North West), Mvoti to sanitation revolution are:
uMzimkulu (KwaZulu-Natal) and Olifants-Doorn • water resource management
(mainly in the Western Cape). • water infrastructure development
These water management areas were • water and aanitation services
selected as they represent a cross-section of • policy regulation.
water resources conditions as well as water-use The key pillars of this revolution are:
conditions and user interests. • water conservation and demand management
The IWRM requires intensive planning to that involves the use of innovation and
ensure efficient, equitable and sustainable regulation to reclaim water already developed
management of water resources and for coping and available for use.
with conflicting demands. • improving the water mix involves the increased
use of a variety of water sources in addition to
Back to Basics Programme our current reliance on surface water
Whilst the Back to Basics Programme is focused
on 27 district municipalities, the PICC has given Brits Water Treatment Works
the department the task to intervene when there The DWS, working together with the Madibeng
are problems. Local Municipality, set aside R381 million to
These interventions shall be on a case-by- address water challenges in Majakaneng through
the upgrade of the Brits Water Treatment Works Municipality in North West.
(BWTW) which also supplies the Majakaneng Upon completion, the project will address water
area. shortages in the villages of Kwa-Mmatlwaela,
The works will ensure that the BWTW has an Tladistad, Leeukraal, Kgomo-Kgomo, Kontante,
additional production capacity of 20Ml/d. Work is Moretele, Makapanstad, Phomolong, Potoane,
underway at the BWTW with civil works (Phase Prieska, Mathibestad, Thulwe and Opperman.
1). It will be implemented by a DWS Construction The Mathibestad and Makapanstad Bulk
Unit as contractors and two professional service Water Project is funded through the Provincial
providers have been appointed for electrical and Infrastructure Grant and Municipal Infrastructure
mechanical works. Grant.
The BWTW is expected to be completed by
2017/18. Strategic Integrated Projects (SIPs)
In the short-term, DWS allocated R1,1 million SIP 18, which was approved by the PICC, aims
to the Madibeng local municipality to address to address water supply and sanitation backlogs
the water challenges in Majakaneng, which are to millions of households.
mainly attributed to vandalism and leakages in The PICC's 18 SIPs are divided into geographic,
the water supply system. energy, spatial and social infrastructure
The Madibeng Local Municipality embarked development projects. These projects – headed
on leak detection exercises and filling the by different departments – cover more than 150
reservoirs. The municipality commenced with specific infrastructure interventions in rail, road
distribution of water to identify and repair visible and ports, dams, irrigation systems, sanitation
leaks. This required isolation of certain sections and electricity.
of Majakaneng and it was expected that not all This programme is a 10-year plan that will
sections would water. address the estimated backlog of adequate
The DWS and Madibeng Local Municipality water to 1.4 million households and that of basic
will continue cooperating to deal with the water sanitation to 2.1 million households.
leakages, which cause low water pressure in SIP 18 is expected to fast-track the issuing of
Majakaneng and, as a result, water shortages in water licences, expand the capacity of the water
some areas. system, speed up build programmes, address
backlog projects and rehabilitate and upgrade
existing water and sanitation infrastructure.
National Water Resources The project, which will also focus on priority
Infrastructure (NWRI) Programme small towns and rural areas where water service
The NWRI ensures reliable supply of water delivery is a problem, is also expected to create
from bulk raw-water resources infrastructure. jobs, raise the quality of service delivery of water
The programme sources funding to implement, around the country and extend water supply to
operate and maintain bulk raw-water resources areas that are either underserviced or unserviced.
infrastructure efficiently and effectively by The department identified several projects
strategically managing risks and assets. that will be used to drive SIP 18, including the
Sedibeng Regional Sewer Scheme which is a
Regional Bulk Infrastructure Grant R5-billion project to be implemented in the area.
Programme Rand Water's BG3 pipeline, which is
Regional bulk infrastructure is defined as sub-Saharan Africa's largest water pipeline,
the infrastructure required to connect water running from the Vaal Dam to its Zoekfontein
on a macro or sub-regional scale, over vast Plant, which is 8,6 km away, was launched in
distances, with internal bulk and reticulation June 2013.
systems or any bulk infrastructure that may The pipeline will increase water distribution in
have an impact on water resources in terms this district and surrounding areas.
of quality and quantity. The department The BG3 pipeline runs adjacent to Rand
is responsible and accountable for the Water's existing BG1 and BG2 pipelines that
management of funding, which is administered supply water to Gauteng and parts of the
by the National Treasury. neighbouring Free State, Mpumalanga and
Over 16 000 households will benefit from the North West.
R52 million Makapanstad and Mathibestad Bulk Once in commission, the BG3 pipeline will
Water Project, which aims to address water allow for Rand Water's two pipelines (BG1 and
shortages in villages in the Moretele Local BG2) to be shut down for refurbishment and
To boost the programme, 20 newly qualified Council of South Africa in line with the
engineers joined the Learning Academy (LA) in Occupations Specific Dispensation.
January 2015. They completed the Department of
Public Service and Administration's compulsory Management of water conservation and
induction programme. They received training demand
at the DWS Roodeplaat Training Centre, and Although South Africa has been classified
reported for duty at their various base stations as a water-scarce country, water from the
from 2 February 2015. source to the consumer is often lost as a
The function of DWS is of great strategic result of inappropriate and inadequate asset
importance to the South African society. The management.
level of productivity within DWS and the water Lack of education on the part of the consumer
sector as a whole has a direct effect on the also leads to inefficiency in the day-to-day use of
South African economy. water. The loss of water depletes the country's
The LA is an internal structure, which was resources and reduces revenue to water
initiated in 2007 as a response to a shortage of services authorities.
specific skills needed to boost the production of The municipalities' revenue is lost due to
the department (and that of the water sector in leaking pipes, illegal connections and poor
general) through its technical and scarce- skills billing systems.
development programme. In terms of the water-use efficiency pro-
This technical structure represents an gramme, 68 municipalities were supported in
investment for sustaining the quality of DWS implementing water conservation and water
human resources, raising the level of technical demand measures to reduce water loss by
and scarce skills and thereby ensuring that, in the 519 million m³. Measures to improve efficient
long term, the department remains competitive water use in the catchment areas were also
as it delivers on its mandate. undertaken and the volume of water loss was
The LA is designed to meet specific organi- reduced to 32 million m³.
sational requirements and lead a sustained Water leaks account for nearly 36% of the
campaign to secure a steady supply of high-level nation’s unaccounted for water and costs the
skills in water-related science, engineering, and country about R7 billion annually.
various technical disciplines. Realising that South Africa is a water scarce
The LA supports the academic development country, the DWS is also putting in place medium
component through bursaries and experi- to long term interventions that are intended to
ential training. The professional development reduce the risks for water scarcity in the future.
component forms part of DWS's social respon- These include:
sibility in that it incubates young and inexpe- • Rain water harvesting (drinking water, water
rienced graduates, offering them an opportunity for livestock, water for irrigation);
to receive on-the-job training and exposure in • Integrating groundwater and surface water
their areas of study, while introducing them to use in the future;
the DWS's core business. • Desalination at a large scale;
The purpose of the LA is to: • Invest in innovative water saving solutions,
• investigate technical and scarce skills dev– such as the Drop-the-Block campaign;
elopment needs within the department • Incorporating all municipal and privately
• address technical and scarce skills gaps in the owned dams into the management system or
overall water supply value chain the future;
• address scarce skills gaps in specific technical • Implementing further transfer schemes to
areas of the department improve drought resilience;
• plan and build capacity for medium and • Building additional storage capacity;
long-term needs of the department and the • Rolling out large scale re-use of water
water and sanitation sector (recycling of effluent, focus on coastal towns
• develop and implement structured training for where treated effluent is disposed of via sea
engineering and scientific graduate trainees
• develop and propose interventions (regarding The Department of Water and Sanitation is creating Catch-
mentoring, skills and knowledge transfer, and
professional registration processes) with the
ECSA, the South African Council for Natural
and Scientific Professions and the Surveying
i ment Management Agencies to realign the previous water-
user associations. A partnership, named the Kingfisher
Programme, was formed between South Africa and the
Netherlands.
outfalls and not taken into account in return the mountains of the Western Cape and five
flows). in the Mpumalanga escarpment. Observations
are relayed through the cellular short-message
Enhanced Local Government Support system.
Approach Water levels are monitored at some 1 000
A rapid response unit in the department observation boreholes across South Africa.
addresses poor performance of water and Particular attention is given to monitoring in
waste-water systems, which has resulted in dolomitic areas. In addition, a small network of
community protests in some cases. rain gauges monitors rainwater quality.
The unit deals with proactive and reactive The importance of qualitative information on
non-compliance cases of municipal service South Africa's water resources has led to an
delivery. The unit's specialists enable the increasing drive towards creating a national
department to intervene directly in high-risk water-quality monitoring network.
operational situations, where the lives of citizens The formal protection, restoration and
and the environment are under threat because rehabilitation of wetlands is strengthened
of water and wastewater treatment failures. through improved land-use planning, land and
development management policies, as well as
Freshwater Programme operational and regulatory means at national,
Recognising the value and threatened status of provincial and local level.
South Africa's freshwater biodiversity, and the Adopting of ecosystem-based approaches
need to build competence and leadership in this and implementing the open-space planning and
area, the South African National Biodiversity management programmes adds impetus to the
Institute (SANBI) has established a programme protection of these systems and associated
focusing on freshwater biodiversity. services, especially at local government level.
The Freshwater Programme aims to grow and It requires integrated approaches and the
consolidate freshwater activities within SANBI. involvement of multiple sectors, particularly those
The Freshwater Programme focuses on dealing with human settlements, development
supporting collaborative freshwater initiatives. and planning.
These include Working for Wetlands, the The DWS is also designing programmes to
National Wetland Inventory, National Freshwater assess and report on the radiological (radioac-
Ecosystems Priority Areas Project, a wetlands tivity) and toxiclogical quality status of the
mitigation banking scheme with the Grasslands country's water resources.
Programme and coal-mining industry, and
water-related payments for ecosystem services National Chemical Monitoring
pilot projects. Programme (NCMP)
Key to the programme's operation will be the The NCMP assesses and reports on the chemical
further development of strategic relationships status of water resources in South Africa. The
with other organisations with shared objectives. main water-quality challenges for domestic water
This includes managing the Working users are high levels of dissolved salts and, in
for Wetlands Programme on behalf of the some places, high fluoride concentration. The
departments of water and sanitation, environ- other challenges facing irrigated agriculture are
mental affairs and agriculture, forestry and the high sodium-absorption ratio, high electrical
fisheries. Working for Wetlands champions the conductivity, high pH and high levels of chloride.
protection, rehabilitation and sustainable use Another global challenge affecting South Africa is
of South Africa's wetlands through cooperative eutrophication or excessive plant (including algae)
governance and partnerships. growth in dams. This is because of high levels of
nutrient input from point sources of pollution and
Monitoring programmes diffuse sources of pollution from catchments.
River flow is monitored at 1 200 flow-gauging Annual reports indicate that 50% of
stations and some 260 major reservoirs. The dams in South Africa are seriously affected
evaporation and rainfall station network has 360 (hypertrophic), while the rest range in quality
stations. from good (oligotrophic) to poor (mesotrophic).
The oldest flow-gauging station still operating Another problem is the sporadic outbreak
in South Africa is on the Mooi River near Potchef- of cholera and other water-borne diseases,
stroom in North West. mainly because of poor sanitation and hygiene
There are 21 operational rainfall stations in at household level. The Eastern Cape and