STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK: ‘Send out the plumbers and the water bills!’ deputy minister tells leaky councils

More than 20 years after the last major policy review, the government has invited the public to comment on its latest plans to overhaul South Africa’s largely dysfunctional water and sanitation sector – placing a fresh emphasis on a “modernised” regulatory system featuring mandatory, enforceable service delivery agreements with municipalities.

At a public consultation meeting in Durban on 22 September, the national Department of Water and Sanitation presented an outline of its new Strategic Framework for Water and Sanitation Services, nearly 23 years after the previous version was approved by Cabinet.

The new version is open for public comment until the end of October.

Deputy Water and Sanitation Minister Jack Bloom acknowledged, however, that there was a long way to go in “narrowing the gap” between government promises and delivery to ordinary citizens.

“When I visited eThekwini last month, I saw residents [who had been] without tap water for years, a backlog of 13,000 leaks, sewage spills, and flood damage still unrepaired after four years.

“Nationally, more than two million households still use unventilated pit toilets. One in five of those households is in KwaZulu-Natal.”

He noted that the eThekwini municipality reported 58.7% non-revenue water in the last financial year – meaning that more than half the treated and pumped water was not reaching paying customers.

In an interview with Daily Maverick, Bloom spoke of his “deep frustration” that his department had to launch at least 96 criminal cases against municipalities nationwide for sewage pollution and wastewater treatment failures.

“But fixing the water leaks is not rocket science. We need to start with basic things – like sending out plumbers and sending out water bills. In some cases, there are no water meters ... so how can you send out bills or get people to pay them if water consumption is not even measured in some cases? Cities also need to install smart meters, starting with the biggest users.”

Bloom said municipal revenue derived from water should be ring-fenced to ensure that infrastructure and operations are properly financed, noting:

“It’s just so frustrating that so much clean water is wasted from leaks running down the streets.”

He said that even after laying criminal charges against municipalities as a “last-resort measure”, there were still councils defaulting on the terms of plea and sentence agreements in which fines imposed by the courts were earmarked to repair neglected or broken infrastructure.

“So now we are having to lay further charges of contempt of court against a number of municipalities, including the Rand West municipality.”

Law reform proposals

To address some of these problems, there were now law reform proposals before Parliament to hold municipal managers and other senior officials personally liable for service delivery failures.

Seemingly unable to resist an opportunity to campaign ahead of the local government elections, Bloom added: “We have elections in November, and people must vote for good governance. That’s the core of the problem … it’s a crumbling system.”

In his formal presentation at the Durban consultation meeting, Bloom said the 2026 Strategic Framework plan aimed to shift away from basic access to water and sanitation services towards more reliable services.

“Reliability replaces mere connections. Climate risk assessment and adaptation become mandatory. Smart meters, digital asset registers and open reporting are required, not optional. Informal settlements, peri-urban areas and people on private land are planned for from the start.

“An independent economic and water services regulator should be legislated by 2029, separating the department’s dual role as operator and regulator.

“Grants should fund repairs and renewal, not only new projects, too many of which deteriorate because they are not maintained. Water revenue should be ring-fenced and lifecycle costing made compulsory.”

Core targets of the new framework would also include:

• Water Services Authorities required to renew at least 10% of high-risk ageing assets annually, with at least 30% of end-of-life pipelines, pumps and process units replaced by 2035.

• 80% of urban households to have smart meters by 2032.

• National non-revenue water reduced to below 25% by 2035.

• R108-billion in additional infrastructure investment in SA’s eight metros in the years leading to 2031, comprising R54-billion in Treasury performance incentives and an equal amount in metro self-financing.

• Investment in water-services infrastructure to reach at least 0.75% of GDP by 2035.

• All schools and clinics to have adequate and safe water and sanitation services by 2035.

• Free basic water and sanitation policy implemented in all Water Services Authorities by 2035.

• 100% compliance with Sans 241 potable-water standards by 2035, while Blue Drop and Green Drop certification require minimum scores of 95% and 90%, respectively.

“Success is when every person experiences functioning, safe and reliable water and sanitation services. Whereas the old framework was a catch-up plan for basic services, the new framework brings in best practices and modern technology to address the remaining delivery gaps,” said Bloom. DM