Water minister Majodina on a mission to plug the holes

Conceding to glaring service delivery-related failures at municipal level, with some owing water boards R21.3 billion, Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina has moved speedily to address the challenges.

This includes dispatching a team to investigate water problems in Fleurhof, west of Johannesburg.

Majodina and her deputies David Mahlobo and Sello Seitlholo are on a countrywide drive to fix problems in the water and sanitation sphere.

Contaminated water addressed

Majodina said the department was working with the City of Joburg to resolve the claims of contaminated water in Fleurhof.

Pledging to address issues head-on, Majodina cautioned of a state of disaster “should we allow anything to go wrong with water”.

“We urge society to also keep a watch on their reservoirs and not allow anyone to vandalise infrastructure.”

She said community protests were caused by lack of effective communication from various municipalities.

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“When there is to be maintenance to water pipes, the community must be informed in advance.

“An example of this is when Rand Water was going to start maintenance in Ekurhuleni, Tshwane and Johannesburg – informing people a year in advance. Water minister on a mission to plug the holes

“Municipalities have to play a part in intensifying communication, making sure that when there is maintenance water supply is not interrupted.

“Our working together with municipalities is not a choice but a must – ensuring that people are not caught in a situation where there is no water,” said Majodina.

Key challenges faced by the department include:

• Raw water supply;
• Lack of access to water and sanitation services; and
• Deteriorating municipal water and sanitation services.

“To ensure that the availability of water does not become a constraint to investment and economic growth – and that there is sufficient water to meet the needs of our population – we will ensure timeous investment in additional national water resource infrastructure,” she said.

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“We will focus on diversifying the water mix and increasingly use other sources of water, including groundwater, water reuse and sea water desalination.

“We will implement more effective water conservation and demand management programmes to bring our water consumption per capita levels in line with or below the international average.”

On the Water Services Amendment Bill – currently before Cabinet – Majodina said: “The draft law provides for the introduction of an operating licence system for water services providers enabling water services authorities to ensure providers have a minimum level of capability to provide services that meet national standards.”