Water infrastructure: SA's next big crisis exposed

WATER INFRASTRUCTURE THE NEXT CRISIS? Are warning signs being ignored?

PRETORIA: South Africans may be in for another services shock on par with the Eskom fiasco. With the power crisis a number of early warning signs were ignored, until the power grid was on the verge of collapse and the country was plunged into repeated cycles of darkness. We could be heading the same way with water.

The power crisis hit industry the hardest and many property developments ground to a halt as municipalities delayed approval for further development due to the acute shortage of electricity. Now consumers and industry are paying a heavy price for years of infrastructure neglect and it looks like these expensive lessons are being ignored.

Recently COPE's finance spokesman Nick Koornhof dropped an alarming figure during a media interview, estimating that the backlog in water maintenance for the country's municipalities stands at R50 billion.

Then last week the Cape Times ran a front page story under the headline "Cape services meltdown looms". The story referred to proposed cuts to the city's budget as a result of the economic crisis and government's general attempt to reduce spending. Several worried officials were quoted saying that the budget cuts could lead to the neglect of "critical repairs" to water and sewage systems. The article also mentioned that housing developments in Bellville and Century City may be "put on hold" due to delays in sanitation infrastructure development.

With a R50 billion backlog and budget cuts looming for most municipalities it doesn't bode well for proper maintenance, let alone upgrades of water and sanitation infrastructure. As with electricity, all households and many industries (especially the building industry) rely heavily on water. South Africa's existing water infrastructure is ageing and the critical areas are in local municipalities where cash and skills are short. 

It remains to be seen what effect the recent massive escalations in electricity costs will have on household spending patterns, but it may have an impact on people's ability to pay rent and mortgages. As the cost of running a household rapidly increases, people may opt for cheaper places to live.

Average consumers - already hard hit by the economy - can barely afford what they now have to fork out for power.  Should we find ourselves in a situation where we have to face collapses of water infrastructure, it stands to reason that consumers will again have to bear the brunt through either taxes or steeply hiked water rates.

If this happens government can surely kiss goodbye any hopes of the 6% economic growth rate it set as a goal to halve poverty by 2014.

Something has to give.

Leoni Kok

* Leoni Kok is Realestateweb's Gauteng correspondent. Write to news@realestateweb.co.za.

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responses to this article

Higher water prices will control demand People use water without a thought. Once they start paying for it they will think again. Bring on higher prices. by Newton on November 10 2009, 15:41 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Water No water? Let them drink Johnny Walker Blue! by George on November 10 2009, 15:45 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

And there are severely water-stressed areas like the southern Cape where dams are only 25% full with little prospect of rain in sight. Once again, no planning at all. This is going to get worse before it gets better - a la Zim by Dave on November 10 2009, 16:04 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Perfect Oppertunity to create jobs Come on guys its not rocket science get the people out there maintaining infrustructure. Its the perfect scenario to create jobs... Why can't you see it mister minister???? by Brendan on November 10 2009, 16:04 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

bob@hotmail.com ANC is slowly but surely allowing the infrastructure of the country to deteriorate to such an extent that it will eventually be impossible to remedy due to lack of funds. Who will pay taxes to the bunch of criminals when they know the money is being used . .more to fund extravagant lifestyles and 300k pm pretection for the buffoon ANCYL leader. ANC will be forced to borrow more and print money to pay for their corruption, as in Zim, chaos will be the result. . .less by BobHopes on November 10 2009, 16:20 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Next Drought In the seventies I attended a meating where the main speaker (on the Lesotho Highlands sceme) showed projections that we (Vaal Triangle) would run out of a sufficient water supply by 2015? if by than a canal/pipline system from the Zambezie river wasn't . .more in place yet. That projection was without the Mbekie ANC promise of free water for all, at the previous election. Municiple incompetance will be a minor factor once the next great drought hits us in 5 years time. SA = Eskom = water, without the two there is no hope for economic growth, employment or upliftmunt. Racial bickering is not solving problems, only brains solve problem, well trained and active brains, not fried/intocicated garden boy brians in Armani suits and BMW's. . .less by Suckered on November 10 2009, 16:32 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Die hele bleddie ding! Water, roads, electricity, hospitals, police, justice, transnet, Landbank, SAA,home affairs............ Name me just one government facility that operates as well as it did under the afrikaner regime. Cannot, can you? Things have . .more reached the stage where they are simply beyond the repairing thereof. I have been a lifelong liberal, but now believe there is a fundamental flaw (caused by the atmosphere?) that prevents Africa from anything but self inflicted implosion. I.Q.......I.Q.......I.Q. I.Q.......I.Q......That is the problem . .less by Ivan Moor on November 10 2009, 17:11 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Just wait you guys ain't seen anything .... until you see the B@llsup comming with the fuel pipeline. Eish the guys are right the SA government are cocking everything up that they touch!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! by Zorba on November 10 2009, 17:34 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Ja Jong 1. install a rainwater collection tank,- for drinking water,- its(a) free and (b) hasn't passed through the aids-infested kidneys and small intestines of the 50 million odd parasites we are blessed with. 2. Sink a borehole for the rest of your water . .more requirments. 3. Beware tap water ! !- unless you want a free overdose of progesterone and various other delightful hormones which might alter your shape. 4. If all else fails, drink Windhoek lager,- its water has passed through several thousand kms of clean sand filter. . .less by Voortrekker on November 10 2009, 17:56 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

It certainly is all collapsing now at a rapid rate Hello Africa, another failure. Well done ANC. by Ungovernable Africa on November 10 2009, 18:02 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Check out how we will be ripped off. Rand Water to buy purified water The guys who clean up the dirty mine water that is about to run on to the surface will sell this to them and you and me will have to pay and not the mines. It is happening as we debate this. by Lord Ha Ha on November 10 2009, 18:17 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

50 billions? you are joking The real figure is closer to five times that amount. Don't forget that, just like the roads, if you neglect maintenance you are not faced with a maintenance backlog you are faced with a reconstruction situation. These pin-heads who populate the . .more corridors of power are so incredibly thick, stupid, and hubris-laden that they honestly do not understand the magnitude of the problem about to hit the economy. Does it matter? Well, to Mr Leviticus Ntabmhlope who occupies a mud hut in the foothills of the Maluti mountains it does not matter at all. To the economy which provides a social grant to said Leviticus and his 15 million other grant-dependant layabouts who have collectively enhanced the exchequer by about 23 cents in the last 20 years there is going to be a rather nasty shock when Mr Pravin Gordhan has to wring his hands in despair and say: 'Fellow pariahs the social grant system she is phuqued and the money he is finish" . .less by Plutarch on November 10 2009, 19:53 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

. . by . on November 11 2009, 06:33 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

.. cant anything run smoothly in this ANC government. Conclusion must be the previous Afrikaner government. its ridiculous. the rest of the world must think we are idiots, because we cant do anything right by .. on November 11 2009, 06:54 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

apartheid The ANC will once again blame this on apartheid. That's the problem with africa, their obsessed with the race card, by badprop on November 11 2009, 08:12 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Damm Whites .... should have made sure in 1994 that everything was new and would last 1000 years ..... racists rather left us black people with crippled water systems by Sadsack on November 11 2009, 09:00 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Muntu lated what's with the black elite of South Africa, gorging themselves of tax payers money while their assets deteriorate? The Nats left them a national infrastructure with a complete service history and they now neglect to maintain it, thinking it is . .more "weking". We are seeing here what's happened in the rest of Africa... muntu lation of economies. Malema, Maroga, Jimmy Manyi and their ilk all squandering the honey pot of SA. . .less by gime gime gime on November 11 2009, 10:54 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

@ Suckered You recon brains solves problems but your spelling SUCKS?? by Calling the kettle black on November 11 2009, 13:43 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

food for the thoughtless Another newspaper's speculative article; "...which could affect teh city's ability". "...This could affect the quality of". "...There could also be environmental consequences". Plus, a thumb-suck figure of R50 billion given at a staged media event by a . .more politician representing a minor opposition party (and based on another reporter's report). Then, add your own "could", "should" and "may have"s - then finish off with a 6% figure although the media 'interview' used ends stating government's "conservative" 1.5% figure. Bingo - we now have a media report for the next lazy journalist to 'quote' from and soon we should have enough speculation for a "Waterpipes of Mass Destruction" frenzy. . .less by phill on November 11 2009, 14:09 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

@Ivan Moor Why dont you just go back to where you came from- Europe or Australia. If you have nothing positive to add, dont say anything. This is a young government and yes they will be faced with challenges. What makes me sick is people that sit on forums like this . .more and bicker and complain all the time but do nothing to try and adress the issues! . .less by Black diamond on November 12 2009, 09:12 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Contribution standing by, and YOU ?? You are quite something from Oudshoorn, ostrich with head buried in sand. A well established Govt has been running here for over 300 years. All this "Young Govt" had to do was learn and impliment best practises, get their own people up to speed, and . .more qualified. When you do things too quickly, with a tinge of arrogance, believing this "young Govt" can do it all by themself, with no propper training, outcomes based etc,etc, add corruption, nepotism and self enrichment to the recipe, you get what you get. Admit and come clean, sooner or later, or your own masses will take you "out" What positive contribution can i make, if the Govt slaps and ignores that educated hand stretched out.. It is the Govt of the day who has to start to make a contribution black diamond. I hope your name "Black Diamond " has added value to this economy, or are you also a BEE viper ? Go back to the bush, or get pro active, simple as that Parrastatal Collapse alla King . .less by Black Diamond on November 13 2009, 10:33 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

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