Water summit looks at ways to close infrastructure funding gap of R30bn

New funding models to improve South Africa’s water security were in focus at this week’s third annual Water Stewardship Summit attended by infrastructure and financial sector stakeholders in Johannesburg.

The financial sector was called on to look at ways to close the water services infrastructure funding gap of about R30 billion a year to support the National Water and Sanitation Master Plan, which is in the pipeline.

SA’s water services challenges included supply, ageing infrastructure and the concurrent need for new infrastructure, significant non-revenue water losses and revenue collection, according to expert speakers.

Innovative new infrastructure funding models and new approaches to water management to minimise losses and improve revenue generation and collection had to be found, they said.

The department of water and sanitation is currently drafting the new National Water and Sanitation Master Plan, which is expected to be completed by March 2018.

Trevor Balzer, deputy director-general of strategic and emergency projects in the department, called on big businesses to assist in funding sustainable development projects.

“Today’s event has brought us together at a critical time in South Africa’s water and sanitation planning.

“We expect to incorporate the feedback we receive today from the financial community and other stakeholders to create a plan that effectively addresses the country’s needs,” he said.

The summit was organised by the Strategic Water Partners Network, the National Business Initiative and the Royal Danish Embassy.

It provided public and private financiers an opportunity to get involved at the beginning stage of the new water master plan.

On the sidelines of the summit Danish ambassador Trine Rask Thygesen said: “The government of Denmark has three main aims in supporting SA’s efforts to improve water security and bridge the infrastructure funding shortfalls: foreign policy and our long-standing partnerships with SA, our ongoing interest in helping improve water services, and that Denmark has developed world-class water infrastructure innovations.

“We now have world-class companies in this arena and there are opportunities for government to support academic research and innovation in the SA water sector.” – ofentsem@citizen.co.za