Skills pooling urged as water-shedding is forecast to worsen
The structural nature of South Africa’s water challenges requires that skills be shared to counteract the effect that a lack of skills has on water management, says South African black-owned consulting engineering firm Gibb technical executive Wiero Vogelzang.
The lack of resources at smaller municipalities and rural districts to maintain infrastructure, plan and execute water management, and remunerate skilled water professionals compound the water scarcity and poor water management challenges.
Vogelzang says water-shedding – cutting off water supply for periods to manage reserves – is a reality in South Africa, with some regions affected more than others.
“We can expect this to increase unless the country acknowledges and manages its water resources more effectively,” he notes.
Water management and water systems are complex and require a high level of skills and sustained political will from government structures to be effective, says Gibb Integrated Infrastructure senior associate Jacques Laubscher.
“Many smaller municipalities do not have access to skilled water professionals or they leave for better remuneration elsewhere. However, many of the water quality and management challenges in these small municipalities is a direct result of lack of access to skills and a lack of understanding of the demands of water management,” he notes.
For example, nonrevenue water losses, mainly because of leaks or water theft, constitute about 30% and, in some cases, as high as 60% of water resources lost in many parts of the country.
“This means that the effective identification, management, maintenance and repair of water infrastructure can significantly reduce or eliminate water challenges in these areas. This will also help to preserve water, and municipal revenues, to aid expected growth.”
To this end, Laubscher suggests a centralised, possibly national, system, where water professionals from the public and private sectors can be seconded to problematic areas. Similar remuneration packages for similarly skilled and experienced professionals should be introduced to incentivise working in smaller municipalities and rural areas.
“It costs more and requires more water skills to provide water sustainably to more remote and rural areas,” he says, adding that fewer households are served by water infrastructure or a given length of water reticulation pipe, while water reservoirs are also often distant from demand centres, which subsequently requires more infrastructure.
Vogelzang notes that, structurally, most places in South Africa where water can be captured have been developed, therefore, more resources will be required for future water infrastructure development and to pump the water to where it needs to be.
The only way to overcome these challenges is to improve awareness and cooperation among all stakeholders, public and private, and to ensure that politicians are aware that overcoming the current challenges and securing water resources for the future require sustained political will and support at all levels of government.
“We are a water-scarce country and, while we have very good infrastructure in many parts of the country, including elaborate and innovative water transfer schemes, dams and water- catchment management organisations, we can achieve our socioeconomic goals only by carefully managing and preserving our water resources, as well as investigating other water-capture and reuse systems,” concludes Vogelzang.
Gibb has worked closely with municipalities and metros across Southern and Western Africa.
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