Urging the private sector to become more involved with water security so that access to water is a reality for all

The South African Constitution is one of only a few statutes in the world that stipulates access to water as a basic human right. Water resources and supply are essential to South Africa’s development economically, socially and environmentally.

While the government is engaged in rigorous water development and sustainability programmes to ensure all individuals and communities have a sufficient supply of water, it has called upon the private sector to invest in water-related projects to speed up service delivery and initiate programmes to preserve the country’s natural water resources.

The Department of Water Affairs (DWA) has channelled a large portion of its resources into a number of water projects aimed at water conservation and demand management, an example of which is its Adopt-a-River project that focuses on involving and educating communities about water resources while preserving the major rivers throughout the country.

With pilot projects in five provinces, including Limpopo, the Western Cape, the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and the Free State, the DWA allocated an additional R2 billion to continue the project for the next 12 months.

Despite the success of this project and others aimed at not only water conservation but job creation and community upliftment, the impact thereof is severely limited by a lack of skills, human resources, finance and, ultimately, partnership with the private sector.

The urgency of water matters in the country has earned the attention of international development groups, in particular the German Agency for International Cooperation, GIZ. Its involvement in development partnerships has resulted in signed agreements with major private companies to launch pilot projects designed to address a number of water issues around the country.

One such project includes the involvement of GIZ, the South African–German Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Sasol – one of the country’s leading energy and chemical companies. Launched within the Emfuleni Local Municipality in Gauteng, the project addresses leakages in the current water piping system, which result in water losses of up to 3 000 million litres per month.

The Emfuleni Water Conservation Project reduces the financial and environmental impact of the leakages by retrofitting public and household plumbing, and raising awareness around water issues.

It is set to be complete by the end of 2014 and estimates a saving of R54 million per annum for the municipality, which can be then be filtered into more development programmes and used to give more communities reliable access to fresh water.

Another partnership in support of the DWA was forged between the government, Nestlé and the Water Resources Group (WRG) – an influential public-private global network on water that is supported by the World Economic Forum and whose key partners include the Coca-Cola Company, International Finance Corporation, Nestlé, PepsiCo, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and Veolia Environment.

This partnership between the public and private sector, called the “South Africa Strategic Water Partners Network”, will address critical water issues such as water conservation and developing more sustainable management of groundwater resources, among others.

Based on the fact that while water usage is estimated to increase by 52% over the next 30 years, the supply is declining rapidly due to poorly maintained municipal infrastructure, the loss of wetlands, and the increasing demand from the commercial sector. A shortage of water could have serious implications for the country’s economic growth, and was the basis of the partnership between the government and the WRG.

Dominic Waughray, senior director, head of Environmental Initiatives at the World Economic Forum, and a member of the WRG, said: “The Water Resources Group partnership will enable South Africa to access best practice economics, projects and policies in water management from public, private and civil society sectors around the world – enabling officials to field-test and replicate actions for implementation domestically.”

The group aims to diversify the water mix by increasing the reuse of effluent and desalination water options, particularly in rural areas where groundwater resources are limited. Another key focus area for the group is to increase water use efficiency in industry and households, and reduce leakage from municipal and other distribution networks.

In addition to projects launched by the WRG, it will assist the DWA to develop strategies for key sectors such as agriculture, energy and industry to identify potential projects, evaluate any challenges in replicating projects, and help encourage widespread adoption and commitment from each sector to preserve water as best business practice.

Veolia Water Solutions (VWS) South Africa is another example of a public-private partnership and investment in water infrastructure. Working alongside the eThekwini Municipality, Veolia developed and implemented technologically advanced systems for large-scale water reuse. Aimed mainly at manufacturers, its system allows for the preservation of natural resources and sustainable industrial water management.

The technology to allow waste water to be reused was implemented on a large scale at the Durban Water Recycling (DWR) plant. The wastewater recovery system treats 47.5 megalitres of water to near-potable standards, to be reused by the Mondi paper mill and Sapref oil refinery, among other large industrial customers.

The reuse of water in this instance saves the city’s water output by 10%, and the water that would have been used for industry can now be distributed to unserviced communities.

VWS is engaged in several other partnerships with the Eastern and Western Cape municipalities to address the water crises in these provinces.

Centred around reused waste water and desalination processes, these projects not only service large industrial manufacturers such as the Petroleum, Oil and Gas Corporation of South Africa, but also brings water to rural and outlying communities locally and in regions as far as Namibia.

Testimony to the crucial involvement necessary by the private sector in water infrastructure, Arnaud Gisclon – deputy managing director of VWS and MD of DWR – said that: “Considering we are a water-stressed country, we need more initiatives that can assist in preserving our natural water resources.

“The decade-old DWR project is an example of how innovative approaches to water resource and environmental management, waste water treatment technology and institutional arrangements can yield exceptional results. It harnesses the resources of the partners and highlights the potential role that the private sector can play in water management, treatment and distribution.”

The government continues to call on the private sector to partner with it in meeting the country’s water needs. The opportunities to create innovative solutions and collectively ensure the basic right to water is met for every citizen are not only abundant but in great demand – not only for each individual but for the sustainability of South Africa as a whole.

Taryn Springhall