On Tuesday, 5 December 2023, the Minister of Water and Sanitation, Senzo Mchunu, released the "Blue Drop," "Green Drop," and "No Drop" reports.
The Blue Drop report is perhaps the most damning, as it indicated that almost half of the country's drinking water is of poor quality. In 2014, 44 water supply systems received the Blue Drop status, while only 26 could meet the criteria in 2023. This represents a negative trend of nearly 41% over a period of 9 years.
Non-revenue water is where there is physical loss from the source due to water leaks in pipes, poor functioning or absence of water meters, illegal connections, and poor billing and revenue collection. The No-Drop report indicated that non-revenue water had worsened since 2014, where it stood at 37%, compared to 47% in 2023. The international standard is 30%. In South Africa, on a national basis, 47% of municipal tap water is classified as non-revenue water. In this category, KwaZulu-Natal has the highest at 60.5%, followed closely by the Free State, and Limpopo at nearly 58%. Despite being a water-scarce country, it seems that the government pays little heed to the importance of every drop.
However, the greatest concern lies in wastewater treatment plants, where 64% are currently at high or critical risk. This effectively means that partially treated or untreated wastewater is ending up in our rivers and environment. "This has a very high risk for water users as it can lead to serious consequences for human health, especially the outbreak of cholera and chronic diarrhea. The economic impact on agriculture is a significant source of concern because farmers won't be able to use this water for fresh produce," said Erika Helm, TLU SA Chairperson of Local Government Committees.
When a municipality conducts tests and determines that the drinking water poses a significant risk to human consumption, all residents must be informed according to legal regulations. The Department of Water and Sanitation has sent letters to municipalities that performed poorly in the Blue Drop report throughout the year, instructing them to inform residents of the state of their drinking water in their respective areas. Residents should, therefore, ensure that they have been informed by the municipality about the quality of their tap water. The department provides monthly data on quality as received from municipalities, which can be obtained at ws.dws.gov.za/iris/mywater.aspx. The quality of drinking water in larger cities is considerably better than in rural areas and is apparently declared as "safe drinking water," although this situation is also deteriorating significantly, as 46% of drinking water in 2022 was microbiologically unsafe to drink.
Dangers of Reverse Osmosis (RO) water
The biggest problem still lies with municipal water supply services, where urgent intervention is required as towns and cities are already experiencing rotational water supply. CoGTA, the Department of Human Settlements and National Treasury, in collaboration with the Department of Water and Sanitation, will assist the municipalities that perform the worst with over R20 billion per year for technical and engineering support, training and financial management, education, and support.
So, where does the problem really lie? Non-compliance with standard operating procedures for drinking water and wastewater treatment, as well as a lack of infrastructure maintenance, appear to be the primary causes. Municipalities lack the necessary qualified personnel, and insufficient provision is made in the budget. Poor revenue collection, indicating poor administration at the municipality, as well as weak leadership and management, are some of the major issues. Vandalism and theft of infrastructure have also left their mark, and it is clear that law enforcement against offenders is inadequate.
There are several corrective actions from various departments that now want to see the light, and it can be asked without reservation where they were in the previous years when the decline began. This creates suspicion when reports are suddenly submitted before the election, corrective actions are implemented, and promises are made to the public regarding the improvement of basic needs. Meanwhile, officials who could comfortably get away with minimal actions at the expense of the taxpayer remain untouched, and the replacement of incompetent officials is still conspicuously absent from any statement.
