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GAME INDUSTRY TRENDS ANALYSIS 2024
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Municipal Water Failures Threaten Farmers
Municipal water failures threaten farmers
By Glenneis Kriel | 12 November 2024 | 7:00 pm
While the Department of Water and Sanitation is improving water security in South Africa, farmers are worried about how failures at municipal level might impact them, according to Janse Rabie, AgriSA’s head of natural resources.
Rabie said that everything was pointing towards an above-normal rainy season, so dams in the summer rainfall regions that might be low now should soon fill up.
According to the latest Department of Water and Sanitation State of the Dams report, South Africa’s water resources were down by 10% compared to the same day a year ago, but still at about 76% of capacity.
Total dam levels in most of the provinces also measured at 70% and higher, except in the North-West. Dam levels in this province are now at 57% of capacity, compared to almost 79% a year ago.
Several municipalities, specifically in Gauteng, however, are facing water restrictions, which Rabie said could have an impact on the availability of water to the farming sector.
“The problem is that agriculture is way at the bottom of priorities when it comes to the allocation of water, and this could negatively impact food security. When water levels are low there is also a higher risk of pollution and water contamination, which could negatively impact production, animal health and food safety.”
He said that efforts by the Department of Water and Sanitation to fix and improve infrastructure were to be applauded, but more should be done to ensure good service delivery and prevent pollution and wastage on a municipal level.
“National government must step in and capacitate municipalities to do a better job at purifying water, treating sewage and preventing leakages,” he said.
Minister of Water and Sanitation Pemmy Majodina recently hosted a media briefing in Johannesburg during which she ascribed water challenges in Johannesburg to peak demand being close to, and occasionally more than available supplies from Rand Water.
According to the press statement, the demand-supply relationship for treated water in Johannesburg is also very tight and the system is vulnerable to disturbances caused by electro-mechanical breakdowns or spikes in demand caused by heatwaves.
The minister said that the completion of the second phase of the Lesotho Highlands Project would help to increase water supplies to the city, but water leaks in the water distribution system also needed to be reduced.
In addition, projects to construct more reservoirs and pumping stations needed to be completed to improve the resilience of the system to electro-mechanical breakdowns and spikes in demand.
According to the 2023 No Drop report, water losses in Johannesburg were estimated at 35% compared to the international norm of 15%.
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