Water that is paid for will be valued and will result in wiser use and lower losses
23 May 2023 - 14:43
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Dennis Webster’s article served to draw attention to SA’s serious water situation, pointing out that water is an infrastructure-intensive business and that failures by the government to adequately invest in, maintain and operate this infrastructure is resulting in dry taps (“Consumers bear the brunt as the state squanders vital water resources”, May 12).
Webster also notes that patronage has had a devastating effect on state capability, and that water delivery is “deeply enmeshed in municipal politics”. All will agree that building state capability and ridding the state of patronage and corruption are critical components in responding to these challenges. Progress being made by the department of water & sanitation was noted by Webster, but there is far more to be done, at national level, by the water boards and at municipalities.
Beyond these points, it appears that Webster’s solution is that water should be treated like a public good that does not need to be paid for by water users. But the provision of raw water for industry and treated water for domestic and commercial use must be paid for somehow. Catchment areas must be managed. Dams, conveyance systems, water treatment works, reservoirs, pumping stations and distribution systems must all be built, maintained and operated on a continuous basis.
Webster does not say how he thinks this should all be paid for, if not by water users. Government policy — that those who can afford to pay should contribute to the costs of the service according to how much they use — is appropriate. Water that is paid for will be valued and will result in wiser use and lower losses. SA is a water scarce country, and an approach that values water through a fair and equitable pricing mechanism, and that caters for the poor and indigent, is therefore essential.
In the right institutional environment attaching value to water also enables water services institutions to manage the service in a business-like way. We need water service institutions that are well-governed and professionally managed; that provide reliable services that meet minimum quality standards; that manage their relationships with their customers effectively; and that are financially sustainable, with optimised revenue collection and adequate and efficient investment and expenditure.
A large state-led construction programme post-1994 greatly increased access to water, particularly in rural areas. However, water failures occurred first and to the greatest extent in these same areas. It is the poor who are most affected by these failures. This was not for lack of money. Municipalities will receive more than R60bn this year through grants from the national government to support the provision of water to poor people.
The main underlying causes of water service delivery failures are poor governance and poor management in municipalities, coupled with the fact that water has been treated as a public good with virtually no payments by customers in rural areas, including by those who can afford to pay, and rapidly declining payment levels for water in other areas.
The constitutional responsibility to ensure the provision of reliable and adequate water and sanitation services lies with local government. The national department of water & sanitation is exploring ways to strengthen its regulatory function to require municipalities to adhere to this constitutional responsibility. Municipalities have a critical role to play, but this does not mean they must necessarily provide the service themselves.
Where municipalities are unable to provide the service effectively themselves they will be encouraged, or may even be required, to consider capable alternative service providers, which could include water boards, municipal-owned utilities, or private water service providers. Existing legislation enables municipalities to make this choice.
This is not about the commodification or privatisation of water. Our legislation rules out the privatisation of water. Nor is it about a binary debate as to the merits of public versus private service provision. The key question to be answered is how best water services can be provided to all in a reliable and sustainable manner, making the best use of the country’s limited human and financial resources. The poor will only be well served when good, practical answers can be found to this essential question.
Senzo Mchunu Water & sanitation minister
JOIN THE DISCUSSION: Send us an email with your comments to letters@businesslive.co.za. Letters of more than 300 words will be edited for length. Anonymous correspondence will not be published. Writers should include a daytime telephone number.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
LETTER: Ensuring reliable water services for all
Water that is paid for will be valued and will result in wiser use and lower losses
Dennis Webster’s article served to draw attention to SA’s serious water situation, pointing out that water is an infrastructure-intensive business and that failures by the government to adequately invest in, maintain and operate this infrastructure is resulting in dry taps (“Consumers bear the brunt as the state squanders vital water resources”, May 12).
Webster also notes that patronage has had a devastating effect on state capability, and that water delivery is “deeply enmeshed in municipal politics”. All will agree that building state capability and ridding the state of patronage and corruption are critical components in responding to these challenges. Progress being made by the department of water & sanitation was noted by Webster, but there is far more to be done, at national level, by the water boards and at municipalities.
Beyond these points, it appears that Webster’s solution is that water should be treated like a public good that does not need to be paid for by water users. But the provision of raw water for industry and treated water for domestic and commercial use must be paid for somehow. Catchment areas must be managed. Dams, conveyance systems, water treatment works, reservoirs, pumping stations and distribution systems must all be built, maintained and operated on a continuous basis.
Webster does not say how he thinks this should all be paid for, if not by water users. Government policy — that those who can afford to pay should contribute to the costs of the service according to how much they use — is appropriate. Water that is paid for will be valued and will result in wiser use and lower losses. SA is a water scarce country, and an approach that values water through a fair and equitable pricing mechanism, and that caters for the poor and indigent, is therefore essential.
In the right institutional environment attaching value to water also enables water services institutions to manage the service in a business-like way. We need water service institutions that are well-governed and professionally managed; that provide reliable services that meet minimum quality standards; that manage their relationships with their customers effectively; and that are financially sustainable, with optimised revenue collection and adequate and efficient investment and expenditure.
A large state-led construction programme post-1994 greatly increased access to water, particularly in rural areas. However, water failures occurred first and to the greatest extent in these same areas. It is the poor who are most affected by these failures. This was not for lack of money. Municipalities will receive more than R60bn this year through grants from the national government to support the provision of water to poor people.
The main underlying causes of water service delivery failures are poor governance and poor management in municipalities, coupled with the fact that water has been treated as a public good with virtually no payments by customers in rural areas, including by those who can afford to pay, and rapidly declining payment levels for water in other areas.
The constitutional responsibility to ensure the provision of reliable and adequate water and sanitation services lies with local government. The national department of water & sanitation is exploring ways to strengthen its regulatory function to require municipalities to adhere to this constitutional responsibility. Municipalities have a critical role to play, but this does not mean they must necessarily provide the service themselves.
Where municipalities are unable to provide the service effectively themselves they will be encouraged, or may even be required, to consider capable alternative service providers, which could include water boards, municipal-owned utilities, or private water service providers. Existing legislation enables municipalities to make this choice.
This is not about the commodification or privatisation of water. Our legislation rules out the privatisation of water. Nor is it about a binary debate as to the merits of public versus private service provision. The key question to be answered is how best water services can be provided to all in a reliable and sustainable manner, making the best use of the country’s limited human and financial resources. The poor will only be well served when good, practical answers can be found to this essential question.
Senzo Mchunu
Water & sanitation minister
JOIN THE DISCUSSION: Send us an email with your comments to letters@businesslive.co.za. Letters of more than 300 words will be edited for length. Anonymous correspondence will not be published. Writers should include a daytime telephone number.
DENNIS WEBSTER: Consumers bear the brunt as the state squanders vital water resources
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