Water Quality and Security: public hearings

The Chairperson pointed out that the Committee had been confronted with legal challenges between different governmental spheres with regards to pollution, and that different governmental departments had assumed a pattern of blaming each other for pollution. In most instances local government had been challenged in that aspect, and it was clear that mechanisms were required to facilitate better intergovernmental relations.

Counci for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Submission
Dr Marius Claassen (Innovation Fund Coordinator, CSIR) pointed out that the CSIR was involved in areas such as data collection, the development of monitoring programmes and the development of guidelines for monitoring programmes. He explained that the CSIR had about 40 researchers working around the issue of water resources, and that the organisation had 55 researchers who were conducting research work around the issue of pollution and waste. He tabled a diagram of how the research could contribute to sustainable development and socio-economic development, and the scope of the research. Current water quality assessment was lacking in regulation, process technologies and financial incentives, and mercury, radioactivity, endocrine disruptors, organics and toxicity affected water quality.

CSIR research supported socio-economic development by assisting DWAF with policy, strategy and instruments, water and food security issues, and securing safe drinking water; he mentioned the projects in Elands River and Free State, as well as the rural drinking water programme that aimed to monitor points of supply and points of use. Technology transfer, technical assistance and dissemination of information were undertaken by CSIR through reports, schoolbooks and reports on drinking water quality. He summarised the resources for research, CSIR capacity and its strategy.

Discussion
See below: both CSIR and Water Research Council commented on questions at the same time.

Water Research Council (WRC) submissions
Mr Gerhard Offringa (Research Manager, WRC) explained that the WRC, which was a parastatal, funded and outsourced research on all aspects of water. WRC spent about R9-million a year on water quality related projects, which engaged stakeholders and partners in solving water-related problems. It was currently funding 39 projects. He pointed out that the urban water quality was good, but there remained problems in rural areas.

WRC would produce research reports, guidelines and manuals, examples of which were tabled. WRC also produced technologies developed for rural supply. He presented the results of a survey into rural water, which highlighted some of the problems. All the problems emanated from insufficient management skills and motivation, insufficient operations staff skills and motivation, and insufficient funding. He noted that the operators of the systems were of prime importance. He believed that expert teams should be established in each province, similar to what had been done in Free State, establish management and technical assistance centres, improve the training salaries and working conditions of operations staff, implement DWAF’s water quality management system, ensure that a percentage of municipal funding was applied to safe water provision, and supporting all efforts with research.

Discussion

Questions relating to CSIR and WRC were handled together as there were many cross-issues.

The Chairperson asked what role were the CSIR and the WRC playing in relation to the implementation chapters of the national water resources strategy.

Dr Claassen (CSIR) explained that the national water resources strategy was the blue print for the CSIR research strategy. He added that the CSIR conducted research in support of the national water resources strategy. He pointed out that the CSIR was involved in areas such as data collection and the development of monitoring programmes and the development of guidelines for monitoring programmes.

Mr Offringa (WRC) pointed out that the WRC was a research funding organisation. He explained that the WRC assists DWAF in doing whatever research was required within the national water resources strategy.

Ms Maine explained that she was concerned because there was a lot of research work being done, while on the other hand, very few water quality problems were being resolved. She asked what was being done with the information being researched.

Dr Claassen explained that through research the CSIR had uncovered information that was not previously available. He pointed out that the research had helped the CSIR to identify challenges and problems surrounding drinking water quality. This did not mean that these were new challenges and new problems, but rather identified existing challenges for the first time.

Mr P Ditshetelo (UCDP) asked both organisations to briefly share with the Committee some of the recommendations they had put forward in their research work with regards to drinking water quality.

Ms J Semple (DA) asked the WRC to explain why the drinking water quality in the Free State was superior compared to other provinces. She pointed out that the WRC had recommended that other provinces should, like the Free State, establish working teams. She asked how these teams came to be in the Free State, who comprised the teams and who paid the teams. Ms Semple further asked WRC to explain to the Committee whether relevant provinces had taken seriously their recommendation that other provinces establish similar kinds of teams.

Mr Offringa explained that the WRC wanted to bring their Free State model recommendations to the attention of the Committee, mainly because at the moment relevant provinces were doing nothing about it. WRC was hoping that the Committee would assist them in their campaign to get other provinces to adopt the Free State model. The team model was a joint effort of different departments and consisted of researchers.

The Chairperson pointed out that it was often said that South Africa had the least resources, despite its substantial population, compared to other countries. She asked if there were any security problems with regards to water posed by such a situation. Further, she wondered if there was enough research work being done around the issue of water security.

Dr Claassen pointed out that one of the key factors identified by the CSIR in water resources government systems was "trans-boundary water resources management". He explained that this term meant that it was not sufficient to manage water effectively in a province or in a country without extending to "trans-boundary water resources management".

Ms Sigcau explained that she was concerned about the drinking water quality in the Eastern Cape. She asked what measures were being taken to improve the drinking water quality in the Eastern Cape.

Mr Offringa clarified that the WRC was a research-funding organisation. He explained that the WRC assisted DWAF in doing whatever research was required within the national water resources strategy, and that it was not up to the WRC to implement mechanisms to improve drinking water quality.

Environmental Monitoring Group (EMG) Submissions
Ms Liane Greeff (Water Justice Programme Manager, EMG) summarised the resolutions coming out of the first multi-stakeholder symposium in 2001. She summarised the issues raised in the WCD report "Dams and Development" of November 2000. The priorities were addressed in seven strategic priorities. The substantive report was approved in October 2004 and published in March 2005. This analytical approach compared South African policy and practice against the report and found that there were many overlaps, but that stakeholders were willing to approach tasks with open minds. She stated that the first priority was to address existing dams and their social issues, with a view to exploring and implementing mechanisms for recognising entitlement and sharing benefits for new dams. The second priority was enhancing governance of water and energy resources development, and the third promoting river health and sustainable environments. An additional priority was promoting regional good governance. She noted that the planning approach with regards to the construction of new dams did not consider the options’ assessment in an attempt to find the best use of water in a water-insecure country. She pointed out that about 67 percent of South African water was utilised for agriculture, but at the same time, the farming practices in South Africa were inefficient.

The way forward, to be promoted by a new committee elected in October 2004, was to publicise the reports, to encourage adoption of the recommendations, to involve all players, and to improve the decision making on dams.

Discussion

The Chairperson asked the EMG to clarify the statement attributed to a former Minister that "DWAF was planning to build 20 dams in 20 years for R20-billion." The Chairperson believed that it was the media who came up with that statement. She asked the EMG to specify which Minister talked about R20-billion for 20 dams within a period of 20 years.

Ms Greeff did not have the detailed references with her at the time. She pointed out that the national water resources strategy spoke of either 19 or 18 dams. She explained that the issue was not around the figures, but rather the planning approach.

Ms Greeff elaborated that the planning approach did not consider the options assessment in an attempt to find the best use of water in a water insecure country. She emphasised that about 67% of South African was used for agriculture, but at the same time, the farming practises in South Africa were inefficient. She added that it was possible to have a better use of the water that South Africa had without building new dams.

South African Local Government Association (SALGA) submission
Mr Sipho Musayi (SALGA) summarised the challenges faced by local government in meeting water quality standards. He stated that the potential for problems already started with the abstraction of raw water. Wastewater and hazardous waste sites had negative impact. He summarised the process involved in the national drinking water quality standard, and the registration of discharge authorisations. He stated that challenges faced by WSAs with regard to drinking water quality included that there was a lack of understanding of legislative requirements, service delivery to smaller towns, management and monitoring of drinking water quality standards. Poor infrastructure. Institutional capacity problems and lack of appropriate interventions compounded the problems. The standards were rigorous and would go far to ensuring safety of water. However, those standards needed the correct systems to support them.

Mr Musayi summarised the monitoring systems used by local government, and mentioned the landmark programme in Free State, initiated through its DLG. He then commented on the financial resources needed by local government, and what would be needed to provide acceptable drinking water quality. Finally he tabled his recommendations, which included highlighting the profile of water quality management, creating awareness, implementation of drinking water situational assessments, consultative audits, and interventions by DWAF, including emergency responses

Discussion
Ms Semple pointed out that it was all well to state that there were other budgetary items that required more urgent attention as compared to drinking water quality, but the fact of the matter was that the South African population relied on good quality water. She asked if South Africa could afford not to maintain good quality water for its citizens, and not to carry out the water testing that were supposed to be done on the regular basis.

Mr Musayi agreed that it was not to the South African government’s best interests to not provide good quality water to the public. He explained that the solution should not come from SALGA, but instead the solution should come from the water services industry.

The Chairperson pointed out that SALGA was behaving as if South Africa woke up to water quality issues just yesterday. She explained that the Committee would want to be convinced that there was a continuation as far as providing good quality drinking water to the public. She asked SALGA to explain what plans they had in store to fulfil such an endeavour and what timeframe were they operating in.

Mr Musayi explained that if one looked at metros, SALGA had implemented a ten-year plan to deal with wastewater treatment compliance. He added that, however, it was difficult to see those programmes through without financial backing, and without properly trained staff it was almost impossible to deal with the challenges of actually implementing such programmes.

Department of Education Submission
Ms Lucy Moyane (Chief Director, DOE) stated that education in water matters would teach learners to handle the natural water resources diligently in an environment of water scarcity. She tabled examples of references to water in the National Curriculum, in the areas of Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, Technology, and Life Orientation. She summarised the types of activities that learners would need to undertake and what they would learn in each component. She noted that the way in which the assessment standards had been formulated allowed for a wide range of possible interpretations and applications.

No specific questions were put on this presentation.

Department of Agriculture and Land Affairs Submission
Dr Shadreck Moephuli (Department of Agriculture and Land Affairs (DALA)) pointed out that DALA’s mission was to lead and support sustainable agriculture and promote rural development. This could bew achieved by equitable access and participation, improvement of global competitiveness, and ensuring existing resource management. A post-settlement support and a comprehensive agriculture support programme could achieve Land and agrarian reform. Dr Moephuli summarised the main features of the agricultural support programme, and summarised that profitability could be increased through land reform, rehabilitation, irrigation and concentrated farming in different areas. He then summarised the challenges to agrarian water and stated that there was a need to re-examine 36 old allocations and deal with new allocations. Water pricing was also a major concern. Quality was affected by pollution and over-exploitation, as shown by the Berg River Study, which he tabled in some depth. He tabled proposals to address quality and possible solutions.

The meeting was adjourned.