What is the old saying? Water is life. If water is indeed life, we must ask what is the state of South Africa’s water on life support.
I live in Crosby, Johannesburg, and we are prone to regular water cuts that invariably lead to a day or two without water. We are constantly being told that Brixton and Hursthill reservoirs are strained and we need to limit our water use. Load-shedding makes things worse, of course. Not having water is worse than not having electricity.
Joburg’s water problems have been well documented, as the city struggles to pump water with power outages and the province gets more than its share. Write for The OutlierGemma Ritchie notes how “aging infrastructure is in need of maintenance, and power outages are the root of the problem, rather than water shortages”.
A power failure at the water works in Vereeniging has left several suburbs without water, including Crosby.
So, even if the dam is indeed full, it does not mean that people living in metros are getting adequate water supply. There are swathes of suburban residents who have to make do with piped water.
Water problems across the country
In a recent article, my friend Sheree Bega discovered that the Zandspruit sewage pumping station is overflowing with sewage. The waste flows into the Klein Jukskei and Sandspruit rivers. This affects people from part of Fourways all the way to Hartbeespoort Dam, which covers a wide area.
Speaking of Harties, as you know, most Joburgers will drive by and see the hyacinths picking it up. This green flower spreads rapidly due to sewage pollution to the dam as fertilizer, which causes faster growth. Fortunately there is a bug, the hyacinth hopper, that can eat the flowers to limit its spread.
Let’s not forget the high danger of pollution in the Vaal dam, also caused by sewage flows from damaged infrastructure, which threatens Gauteng’s drinking water supply.
The country’s water problem is critical. Let’s look at other areas.
You’ve got the Eastern Cape in Nelson Mandela Bay certain dam levels below 10%. Large amounts are being used to supplement water supplies, while communities are being asked to minimize their use to avoid day zero.
Then there is the KwaZulu-Natal water problem which has been raging due to flooding. Recently, the South African Human Rights Commission studied how people face violations of their right to adequate clean water. More specifically, after concerns from residents, the commission collected data on the number of people without water for days after the flood.
We are also aware of waste flowing into the sea, with popular beaches closed during the festive season.
Sidenote: In late 2019, I went to Durban’s North Beach to swim. I can’t remember the last time I was sick – terrible gastro with all the bells and whistles.
The floods that hit the province in April last year caused a huge spill of sewage into the sea. But water expert Anja Du Plessis notes how “flooding is not the only cause of the sewage crisis. The failure of water infrastructure and sewage treatment works has been a problem for the past two decades, increasing every year.
While we are talking about floods, seven out of nine provinces have been affected by floods this month, prompting the government to declare another disaster. Mpumalanga is one of the hardest hit provinces.
Wetter weather can be attributed to the third year of the La Niña weather phenomenon.
In 2018, Cape Town made headlines as the country faced a zero-day water crisis. People had to lower their usage, higher rates were introduced and, as with every disaster, the marginalized and vulnerable were hit the hardest. Day zero never came and the dam was filled.
In December last year, the town experienced a beach closure due to sewage spilling into the sea, as reported by my friend Lesego Chepape. Old infrastructure and load-shedding are to blame. Do you see the pattern?
The point I am trying to make is that we are currently in the La Niña season which, for South Africa, means wetter weather. What happens when we enter an El Niño patch? This means dry, warmer weather, and dry conditions.
The last time South Africa was in a dry weather pattern, Cape Town was preparing for day zero, and, higher up in the country, the Vaal Dam was down to around 20% in Johannesburg.
What if it gets worse when El Niño comes? Can our major cities survive the drought? How did our leaders react? Will the most vulnerable be protected? Will provisions be made for them?
If Crosby’s small sample size is anything to go by, the regular water cuts we’ve been experiencing mean the hospital is running out of water and needs occasional water tankers. If the entire city is without water, will tankers be enough? The rich will get Jojo and the hole, but the rest may need some thought and prayer.
I hope that the contingency will be met and that the reaction will be quick. I’m usually a glass-half-full kind of person, but our leaders don’t fill my cup with hope and optimism – especially since they’re struggling to provide water when the dam is full.
Hopefully the rain will keep coming now. But it did not flood, destroy property and cause loss of life. That we could do without.
The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect official policy or position Mail & Guardians.