South Africa’s water supply interventions risk becoming unsustainable due to persistent capacity constraints at municipal level, the Portfolio Committee on Water and Sanitation has warned.

The committee received an update on progress made by the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) through Section 63 interventions of the Water Services Act. Whilst notable progress has been achieved, committee members expressed concern that municipalities lack the skills and capacity to operate and maintain completed projects once interventions conclude.

Leon Basson, chairperson of the committee, said the interventions are necessary to ensure completion of projects and resumption of quality water and sanitation services. However, municipalities continue to struggle with capacity constraints that will impact the running of infrastructure in the long term.

“Without such capacity, the interventions will not yield positive and sustainable long-term solutions,” Basson said.

Completed projects show progress

Through the Section 63 intervention, the DWS completed the refurbishment and upgrading of four major sewage pump stations that were in critical condition in Emfuleni Local Municipality. Collapsed sewer pipelines were also replaced, resulting in a reduction in sewer spillages and flooding affecting households.

In Hammanskraal, the department implemented and constructed a 50 ML clean-water package plant to augment water provision. The project was officially handed over by the president on 18 July.

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Water value chain at risk

The committee reiterated that the water value chain can only function effectively if all its components are effective. Currently, municipalities represent a weakness in the value chain, which exposes the entire system to significant and potentially unmitigable risks.

The committee emphasised the need to strengthen municipal systems and human resource capacity to ensure that South Africans benefit fully from the socio-economic impact of reliable water and sanitation services.

Without a long-term and sustainable programme to ensure functional local government, the infrastructure could eventually be mismanaged due to a lack of skills and governance challenges, the committee said.

Legislation alone insufficient

The committee highlighted that the current legislative process aimed at strengthening water services legislation may assist. However, without the required capacity, legislation alone will not resolve the persistent lack of skills and capacity at local government level.

The committee has called on government to develop a detailed plan to ensure that projects are not eventually mismanaged by an incapable local sphere of government, and that communities continue to receive quality water and sanitation services over the long term.

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