South Africans should have to rely on buying bottled water or having a borehole to get a clean glass of drinking water Photo Pexels
South Africa – The recent unfortunate deaths in Hammanskraal has brought attention to the deteriorating water quality in South Africa. It has now become a pressing issue, with various municipalities facing potential criminal charges and legal action.
The Blue Drop and Green Drop reports played a significant role in evaluating the quality of drinking water and wastewater treatment in South Africa. These reports, released by the government, provided insights into the state of water treatment and management. However, there has been a lack of transparency in releasing these reports consistently, which has hindered public awareness and understanding, explained Dr. Ferrial Adam, Environmental activist: water and climate change.
“The Blue Drop and Green Drop reports are supposed to be released annually. In 2013 Nomvula Mokonyane, the minister at the time, looked at the report and saw what a bad state everything is and said we are not releasing them anymore. That was bad because it didn’t give the public an idea of what’s been going on with our water treatment, our drinking water and our wastewater.”
The role of Blue Drop and Green Drop reports
The Blue Drop report focuses on drinking water quality, evaluating factors such as bacterial and chemical checks. It has revealed concerning deficiencies in some water treatment plants, including the lack of essential chemicals required for water purification.
“They evaluate the drinking water based on technical skills, do they do bacterial checks, chemical checks and it’s actually quite worrying that some water treatment plants don’t even have the basic chemicals to clean our water. So that is a big concern.”
On the other hand, the Green Drop report assesses wastewater treatment systems, highlighting issues related to sewage spillage into rivers and streams. The inadequate maintenance of infrastructure across the country has contributed to this problem.
“It’s not only Hammanskraal. Waste water treatment works across the country are old, the infrastructure has not been maintained. So, what we’re finding is that sewage is just spilling over into rivers and streams. I can’t believe that this has been allowed to go on for 10 years. It’s actually an absolute violation of our human rights. I’m glad that the Department of Water and Sanitation are finally stepping up and saying that they’re going to charge municipalities criminally.”
However, while this is commendable, Adam is calling for mayors and municipal managers to be charged as well. It is her belief that until someone is held responsible or fired “this kind of thing will carry on”.
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The need for awareness campaigns
As time goes on it is becoming more apparent that citizens cannot fully rely on government officials. As such, it is essential to now launch community-based education and awareness campaigns to combat the deteriorating water quality. Oftentimes, it is us who do an incredible amount of damage, albeit unknowingly.
“In terms of broader society there needs to be community-based education and awareness that we must not throw litter into stormwater drains. That adds to the blockages and breaking down of infrastructure. We throw everything we want down the toilet as if we think, if it’s gone down the toilet, it’s fine. We don’t realise that further down the line, it is affecting the infrastructure.”
Challenging the bottled water norm
When tap water isn’t available to drink, many individuals turn towards bottled water as a solution. While some individuals can afford to rely on bottled water, it is not a sustainable solution. Even using water tankers should not be the norm.
“I think that the reliance on water tankers and bottled water should not be the norm. We should not think we can just go and buy water if there’s a water cut or there’s a boil water notice. Then you have the water tankers that are acting like mafia and want to control water access and then also selling the water that they are supposed to be giving for free. It’s in our best interest to make sure that municipalities work. That we demand that our water treatment plants are treated with respect, that they get the funding they need to be upgraded.”
The deteriorating water quality in South Africa demands immediate attention and collaborative action from all stakeholders. The release of Blue Drop and Green Drop reports, along with transparent communication from municipalities, is vital for addressing the current challenges. Additionally, community-based education campaigns and responsible water consumption can help protect water resources for future generations. Only by taking decisive action can South Africa pave the way for a sustainable and safe water future.
The plan from government
Last week Thursday Water and sanitation minister Senzo Mchunu briefed media on the latest interventions by the department and the City of Tshwane to deal with the cholera outbreak in Hammanskraal. The city and the department agreed to jointly fund the project to upgrade and fix the water supply system in Hammanskraal.
The city and the department agreed to jointly fund the project to upgrade and fix the water supply system in Hammanskraal. The city has agreed to contribute R450m to the R4bn budget which will see residents of Hammanskraal have potable water from their taps by March next year. It is a three-year project to improve water supply in the area.
The project will have short-, medium- and long-term interventions. The short-term intervention will be to install improved wastewater technology in Rooiwal to improve the way in which the plant treats sewage and increase the quality of discharged effluent into the Apies. The second phase will deal with improving water provision for Hammanskraal residents. The repair and upgrade of Rooiwal will be in three phases, starting in September and ending in June 2026.
Dr. Ferrial Adam’s enlightening conversation with Julie Alli unveiled the path to water safety, accountability, and testing tap water quality, ensuring the purity of your borehole water. Listen to the riveting discussion here:
