JOHANNESBURG - South Africa’s water crisis continues to leave many communities struggling with dry taps.
National Water and Sanitation Indaba kicks off this week, and the spotlight falls on what concrete plans government has in place, to address the worsening situation.
Speaking ahead of the Indaba, Water and Sanitation Deputy Minister Isaac Seitlholo, has acknowledged the urgency of the crisis but stresses the need for residents to understand the entire water value chain.
"Yes, communities are concerned about dry taps and unreliable supply. But if we do not take care of the beginning of the value chain, we will see more cases like Hammanskraal," he warned.
The deputy minister was referring to the cholera outbreak linked to contaminated water in the area, resulting in the deaths of more than 30 people.
Seitlholo noted that while communities expect water to flow from their taps, many overlook the challenges municipalities face including infrastructure vandalism, illegal connections and extortion.
"Municipalities must be able to secure their infrastructure but we know that with increased vandalisms, illegal connections and extortion that is not possible for municipalities especially those who do not generate revenue," he said.
Beyond infrastructure, water security is also at risk due to severe pollution in South Africa’s dams.
He says, "If we do not secure our raw water quality we will have a fundamental problem on the final resources."
According to the 2023 Blue Dot report the quality of the country’s drinking water has deteriorated since 2014.
A total of 277 of 958 (29%) water supply systems have been identified to be in a critical state, compared to 174 in 2014.
The most prominent risks pointed to systems that are vandalised and not operational, non-operational boreholes, dysfunctional pumping and treatment infrastructure.
Add those to the equipment failures due to lack of maintenance, lack of flow monitoring, drinking water noncompliance and failure to notify water users of non-compliant water quality.
READ: National Water Week | Millions don't have access to clean, piped water
Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana has allocated R156.3 billion in the 2025 Budget Speech.
But water management expert, Professor Anja du Plessis says institutions must come up with practical solutions that will also favour affected communities.
"Expert and universities need to get on the ground. They have to look at the realities that communities are experiencing, and not try to develop high tech that is only being used within the controlled environment," she said.
With billions at stake, the country will be watching closely to see whether this Indaba delivers real solutions or if it’s just another drop in the ocean.