Question NW2264 to the Minister of Water and Sanitation
24 July 2023 - NW2264
Mohlala, Ms MR to ask the Minister of Water and Sanitation
Which (a) initiatives has he taken to investigate the alleged impact of corruption with regard to the cholera outbreaks in the Republic and (b) measures have been taken to deter the impact of corrupt practices on the quality and maintenance of water and sanitation infrastructure?
Reply:
a) The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) monitors the condition of municipal water and sanitation infrastructure through three incentive-based regulatory mechanisms:
- The Green Drop Report, which focuses on sanitation (waste-water treatment systems and effluent quality)
- The Blue Drop Report, which focuses on water (water treatment and water quality)
- The No Drop Report, which focuses on non-revenue water and water losses through leakages
The Blue and Green Drop Assessments results have shown that numerous municipalities lack the financial and technical capacity to manage water services adequately. The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) has a constitutional obligation to support municipalities, as well as to regulate the provision of water and sanitation services. The Minister has crisscrossed the country visiting those municipalities with severe challenges with water and sanitation services. In many of the worst performing municipalities, Minister and municipal leadership have agreed on improvement plans. In certain instances, the Minister has set-up both Political and Technical Committees comprising of various institutions to oversee and drive the implementations of these plans/projects.
b) Based on the Blue and Green Drop assessment findings, municipalities are required to develop and submit corrective action plans to the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS). The improvement plans include a range of short, medium, and long-term projects to improve water and sanitation infrastructure.
Furthermore, the DWS together with the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), Department of Human Settlement and National Treasury are in the process of developing the National Action Plan to implement the corrective or improvement plans.
Both these plans will be funded through the DWS’ Regional Bulk Infrastructure Grant (RBIG) and Water Services Infrastructure Grant (WSIG) and CoGTA’s Municipal Infrastructure Grant.
Furthermore, the Minister is strengthening the capacity of Water Boards to assist municipalities to implement these improvement plans. There are a number of projects that are being implemented throughout the country with the assistance of Water Boards and the DWs’ Construction Unit.
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