Water Quality in Rural South Africa: Problems

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Water Quality in Rural South Africa Problems
Possible Remedies

• Gerhard Offring, Annatjie Moolman Innocent
  Msibi
• Presentation to
• Parliamentary Portfolio Committee,20 June 2006

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Structure of the presentation

• Water Quality and Health
• The Water Research Commission and its research on
  water quality
• The current situation in the country
• Possible remedies to alleviate the problem areas

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Why is water quality important?

• Drinking
• Cooking
• Bathing laundry
• Food production
• Hygiene(sanitation)
• Poor qualitySickness, morbidity death

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Water Quality and Health
Water
PMG Note Healthy person photograph not include,
please email info_at_pmg.org.za
Quality
Quantity
Proximity
Knowledge Education
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Water Research Commission

• Funds research on all aspects of water
• Parastatal -funded mostly by means of a research
  levy on water use
• Report to Parliament through Minister of Water
  Affairs
• Governed by Board appointed by Minister
• Research is outsourced

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Our Mission The WRC is a dynamic hub for
water-centred knowledge, innovation and
intellectual capital. We provide leadership for
research and development through the support of
knowledge creation, transfer and application. We
engage stakeholders and partners in solving
water-related problems which are critical to
South Africas sustainable development and
economic growth, and are committed to promoting a
better quality of life for all
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Research on Water Quality

• WRC funding 39 projects related to water quality
  in South Africa
• R9 million/year spent on water quality related
  projects(15 of total research budget)

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The urban water quality of best in the world
but we have some problems with water quality in
rural areas
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• The WRC produces
• Research reports (information technology
  development)
• Guidelines manuals
• Knowledge transfer publications, pamphlets
  magazines
• Some products re. water quality

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Strategic planning for future research
Strategic Framework for water-Related Human
Health Research Nozi Mjoli Fanus Venter PMG
note graphics not included, please email
info_at_pmg.org.za
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w a t e r r e s e a r c h c o m m i s s i o n

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Overview of a Typical Water Purification Plant

• PMG note Overview of a Typical Water
  Purification Plant picture not included. Email
  info_at_pmg.org.za for this

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Cartoon operators manual
PMG note photograph not included, please email
info_at_pmg.org.za
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and technologies developed for rural community
water supply
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Fog collection system

• PMG noteFog collection system picture not
  included. Email info_at_pmg.org.za for this

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Membrane treatment
PMG note graphics not included, please email
info_at_pmg.org.za
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Bottom line We have lots of supporting
material and technology to treat water properly!
but still we have problems
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A study being funded by the Water Research
Commission and executed by a consortium of
researchers under leadership of Fort Hare
University, surveyed 181 rural water schemes
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Percentage of rural plants complying with SA potable water standards for turbidity Turbidity Clarity of the water Percentage of rural plants complying with SA potable water standards for turbidity Turbidity Clarity of the water Percentage of rural plants complying with SA potable water standards for turbidity Turbidity Clarity of the water Percentage of rural plants complying with SA potable water standards for turbidity Turbidity Clarity of the water
Province Class 1 Class 2 Fail Cl. 2
Limpopo (36 plants) Mpumalanga (19) North West (18) Free State (13) Kwa-Zulu Natal (28) Eastern Cape (54) Western Cape (13) (Total 181) 40 50 17 73 46 33 50 46 39 55 27 29 27 42 14 11 28 0 25 40 8
SANS 241, 2005 Compliance- Class 1 lt1 NTU, Class 2 1-5 NTU SANS 241, 2005 Compliance- Class 1 lt1 NTU, Class 2 1-5 NTU SANS 241, 2005 Compliance- Class 1 lt1 NTU, Class 2 1-5 NTU SANS 241, 2005 Compliance- Class 1 lt1 NTU, Class 2 1-5 NTU
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Percentage of water treatment plants complying with DWAF standards for bacteria Percentage of water treatment plants complying with DWAF standards for bacteria Percentage of water treatment plants complying with DWAF standards for bacteria
Province Total coliforms Faecal coliforms
Limpopo (36 plants) Mpumalanga (19) North West (18) Free State (13) Kwazulu Natal (28) Eastern Cape (54) Western Cape (13) 67 95 78 100 67 49 50 72 74 94 100 94 30 67
DWAF(1996) Compliance Total coliforms 0-10 cfu/100ml Faecal coliforms 0 cfu/100ml DWAF(1996) Compliance Total coliforms 0-10 cfu/100ml Faecal coliforms 0 cfu/100ml DWAF(1996) Compliance Total coliforms 0-10 cfu/100ml Faecal coliforms 0 cfu/100ml
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Why is this?

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Some problems experienced

• Little interest from councillors management
• Poor salaries working conditions
• Operators not skilled chemical dosing not
  understood
• Few structured training programmes
• Little money to buy equipment chemicals
• C

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• Chlorine not dosed at times(shortage)
• Analysis laboratories skills inadequate

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More problems experienced

• Plants normally overloaded
• No spare parts long delivery times
• No funds for maintenance
• Suppliers in urban centres and not interested
• Poor access roads poor facilities at plant
• Minimal cost recovery

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More problems experienced

• Minimal costs recovery
• Plants over-sophisticated
• No constant supply of electricity
• Lack of community involvement (seen as a
  Government responsibility)
• Etc...

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They all boil down to

• Insufficient management skills motivation
• Insufficient operations staff skills motivation
• Insufficient funding for water treatment and
  supply

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Remember that a water treatment plant is a food
production unit!
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Our first defence to ensure safe drinking water
THE OPERATOR
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Operator qualification experience
Province Operator qualification Operator qualification Operator qualification Years Experience Years Experience Years Experience
Province Std 8 () Matric () Post Matric () lt 5 () 5-10 () 11 ()
Limpopo 28 56 22 32 34 34
Mpumalanga 23 51 20 31 38 31
N-West 19 61 20 38 34 28
Free State 39 61 0 27 37 36
KZ-Natal 6 80 14 32 26 42
E-Cape 46 43 11 31 24 45
W-Cape 11 37 52 29 38 33
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Operator qualification experience
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What should we do? Immediately

• Organise expert teams in every province as is
  done in the Free State (to assist both Management
  Staff)

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Short to Medium term

• Establish Management and Technical Assistance
  Centres in every province
• Improve the training, salaries and working
  conditions of operations staff
• Implement the excellent Drinking Water Quality
  Management System of the DWAF support adequate
  training

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Medium to long term

• Ensure that an enforced of Municipal funding
  goes for safe water provision
• Twin plants with Universities
• Support with research

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to summarise
Adequate Funding
Adequate Equipment
Empowered Municipality
Clean, Safe Water
Skills improvement
Technical Assistance
Empowered Operators
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Thank you for your attention!