1. Select Committee on Land and Environmental Affairs
Briefing on Water for Growth
and Development
Cape Town
24th August 2010
Committee Room V226
2nd Floor, Old Assembly Building 1

2. OVERVIEW OF WfGD SA 30th driest country – limited water resources
Water is central to any development (social, economic and environmental)
Serious constraints on the availability of water resources and meeting competing social, economic and environmental demands.
Water has a critical role to play in all sectors (agriculture, industries, mining, power generation, water services;)
Need to cater for all layers and at all scales for productive use of water.
Initiation of a water security framework – Water for Growth & Development Framework 2

3. OVERVIEW OF WfGD CONTD.
The framework offers a long-term perspective of how to achieve 2030 Water Security – quantity & quality
It establishes principles for decision-making:
Water at the epi-centre of all decision-making.
Ensuring basic access to water for all South African citizens is non-negotiable.
Balance social, economical and environmental needs.
It establishes gaps that affect decision-making
Development of Reconciliation Strategies – options for reconciling supply & demand for an area.
Thorough feasibility studies to establish most cost-effective ways of ensuring water security.
Strengthening of the regulatory function.
Integrated planning and co-ordination of implementation amongst the water sector partners. 3

4. WfGD Linkages - Integration and Cooperation
Overall strategic intent and direction for sector (>30yrs)
WfGD
Framework
Across all sectors …
National
Water
Resources
Strategy
(NWRS)
How we will reconcile demand & supply
wrt. to ‘national scale’ infrastructure
Strategic
Framework for
Water Services
Catchment
Management
Strategy
(CMS)
How we will manage water
at catchment level; includes
an allocation plan
Currently – through internal strategic perspective (ISPs)
Implementation: Cross-sector Linkages Critical 4

5. High level recommendations
Mainstreaming water
Water at the forefront of planning, not an afterthought
Strengthening sectoral cooperation
Strengthen institutional capacity
Water scarcity exacerbated by ineffectual management
Restructuring and re-alignment
DWA strengthening its regulatory capacity
Striking a balance between supply and demand-side measures
Diversifying the water mix
WCWDM provides a better return on investment
Improve water resource quality management 5

6. High level recommendations
Addressing service backlogs
Critically assessing reasons for persistent backlogs and a comprehensive strategy to address in concert with delivery partners
Changing water use behaviour for the future
Finding the right mix of mechanisms to effect change in behaviour: regulatory, self-regulatory, market-based instruments and awareness and education 6

7. Progress on Implementation
Mainstreaming water
Institutional capacity
Striking a balance between supply and demand-side measures
Diversifying the water mix
Water Conservation and Demand Management
Water Quality Management
Infrastructure development 7

8. Mainstreaming water 8 Reconciliation studies have been completed
2 reconciliation studies are under development – Umzimvubu & Algoa water supply system.
All towns reconciliation studies are under development
7 Provincial water indabas & Provincial water Sector Plans 8

9. Institutional Capacity
Strengthening of the regulatory function
Establishment of dedicated branch is under-way
CME unit has been strengthened
Investigations on an economic water regulator are underway
Institutional realignment process underway
The established CMAs (2) are supported to be functional
Delegation of functions have been compiled
CMAs (2 established)
80 WUAs (transformed irrigation boards and new Water User Association) 9

10. Diversifying the Water Mix
A desalination plant is in operation in Sedgefield Municipality (Kynsna) .
Feasibility studies for the construction of desalination plants in Ethekwini Metro & City of Cape Town are underway.
Rain water harvesting implementation –1587 tanks distributed (Limpopo, North-West & Eastern Cape) 10

11. Water Conservation & Demand Management
Targets set for the four major water supply systems which include 6 Metros
Vaal River System – save 200 million m3 by 2014
Algoa Bay and Amatole water supply system – save 4.8 million m3 by 2014
Umgeni water supply system – 45 million m3 by 2012.
Western Cape supply system – 60.2 million m3 by 2010 achieved
Municipalities assisted with implementation of WC/DM initiatives e.g leak detection, pressure mgmnt, retrofitting, community awareness etc.
savings were achieved but a growth in demand has since been experienced. A study is currently being conducted to establish the cause of such increase (i.e. population, increase in quality of services)- target to be revised due to increased demand 11

12. Water Quality Management
Drinking water quality regulation
Blue drop certification programme
In municipalities were assessed, & 23 achieved Blue Drop status
In municipalities were assessed (includes 787 systems) & 38 achieved Blue Drop systems
SA average of 97% on bacteriological compliance with SANS 241.
SA average of 95% on chemical compliance with SANS 241. 12

13. Water Quality Management contd.
Resource water quality management.
Waste water management services including WWTW and infrastructure Green drop certification programme.
32 achieved green drop status (90% & above)
174 were acceptable to good (50% - 89%)
250 require serious attention (<50%)
Water resource monitoring programmes - Biological, Eutrophication, Toxicity & Radioactivity
Detailed report on the mining sector pollution (AMD) will be addressed separately. 13

14. Infrastructure Development
Regional Bulk Infrastructure Grant (RBIG) is a multi-year programme addressing the water service backlogs
The budget for the financial year 2010/2011 is R893 million
Currently 34 projects are under construction country- wide
18 in design / tender phase
55 in feasibility / implementation ready studies were initiated
11 projects have been completed
4 projects to be completed in 2010/11 ( Eastern Cape, Mpumalanga, Limpopo & Kwa Zulu Natal) 14

15. Infrastructure Development contd.
Accelerated Community Infrastructure Program (ACIP):
Community Infrastructure: Water Supply (R11.62m)
Community Infrastructure: Sanitation (R12.24m)
Water Conservation and Water Demand Management (R12.24m)
Waste Water infrastructure Refurbishment Programme (R23.87m) 15

16. Infrastructure Development contd.
Drought relief allocations
R 86,857 million for Eastern Cape
R 141,5 million for Western Cape
R 54 million for Limpopo 16

17. Infrastructure development contd. Bulk Raw water supply
Rehabilitation of 15 dams & 1 canal conveyance project (Mpumalanga) in progress.
8 dams under construction (Western Cape (1), Eastern Cape (4), Limpopo (2) & Northern Cape (1)
7 dams in design phase (5 in Eastern Cape & 2 in Western Cape) 17

18. Infrastructure development contd. Bulk Raw water supply
Augmentation schemes – 3 projects under construction and 4 in preparation phase
Olifants Water Resources Dev Project (De Hoop dam), Vaal River Eastern Sub System Augmentation Project (Mpumalanga for SASOL & ESKOM) & Komati Water Augmentation Project are under construction
The following are in preparatory phase:
Mokolo & Crocodile River Augmentation Project,
Raising o f the Hazelmere dam wall (KZN),
Mooi-Mngeni Transfer scheme (KZN),
and
Raising o f the Clanwilliam Dam wall (WC) 18

19. Infrastructure development contd.
Water Boards have projected to use about R12, 600 billion over a period of 5 years on capex projects. R1, 862 billion will be used during this financial year
These capex projects focus on the
Upgrade of water treatment works
Refurbishment of waste water treatment works
Upgrade of laboratory facilities and scientific equipment. 19

20. 20

21. IMPLEMENTATION CHALLENGES & INTERVENTIONS
Inter-departmental coordination and cooperation is a challenge
Infrastructure development is a responsibility which is cross-cutting between the different spheres of government & such prioritization becomes a challenge.
The government outcome on infrastructure development will assist in addressing this 21

22. IMPLEMENTATION CHALLENGES & INTERVENTIONS CONTD.
Institutional :
Recruitment of required skills is still a challenge
learning academy has been set up to bridge the skills gap
The Siyenzamanje project by DBSA helps with the deployment of Engineers & other specialists to the different municipalities 22

23. IMPLEMENTATION CHALLENGES & INTERVENTIONS
Planning-
Integrated planning still remains a challenge
The coordination of planning function by the Planning Commission will assist overcoming this challenge.
Strengthening of the regulatory function
inadequate understanding of environmental laws by the legal fraternity – constraint on enforcement
A training programme has been put together for the National Prosecuting Authority and the police 23

24. IMPLEMENTATION CHALLENGES & INTERVENTIONS
Ageing and dilapidated infrastructure
Budgetary constraints for refurbishment of infrastructure, new infrastructure and Operation & Maintenance related functions.
An inter-departmental task team has been put in place by the Department of Cooperative Governance to address the management & utilization of Operation & Maintenance related grants. 24

25. Concluding Remarks
The Water for Growth and development framework aims at improving the alignment of water initiatives with government priorities.
With water, choices are limited, hence some of the interventions such as the re-use of water have become a necessity.
No developmental plan would be complete without looking into water availability.
It has guided in the review of the National Water Resources Strategy to look beyond 2025 and focus on implementation 25

26. Thank You! 26