Water is an indispensible natural resource. It is fundamental to life, the environment, production of food, hygiene and sanitation, industry and power generation. South Africa is semi-arid country, where water is scarce compared to most other countries. Thus wise utilisation of the resource in a sustainable manner is essential for the future growth of the country. Water is considered a crucial element in the battle against poverty, the foundation for prosperity and growth. As mentioned previously freshwater resources of the country are running out. The water crisis is a global environmental issue and thus there are a number of case studies that can be discussed where the availability and the quality of the water available is the main focus, however the case study that will be discussed will highlight the water issue and the effects of the water crisis on a small town Springbok in the Northern Cape. This case study in particular is highly credible as it was made public by Helen Zille, the Premier of the Cape. (Zille, H. (2011). Zille lays out water plan. Available: http://clevergreen.co.za/2011/04/08/zille-lays-out-water-plan/. Last accessed 18th April 2011.)
In Springbok, a town in the Northern Cape, has been in a dire water situation since the beginning of last year. Those that live in Springbok worry about the country’s lack of clear planning for South Africa’s water future. Those who live in Springbok in particular have experienced over run sewerage works and feel that South Africa’s natural resources have reached maximum capacity. The need for government intervention especially in places like Springbok saw the visit of Helen Zille, as the maintenance of water catchment areas and sources have not been carried out by the municipality and the municipality had failed to rectify and solve the sewage and water needs of the people living in Springbok.
Springbok, although remote is one of the driest towns in South Africa, and thus Springbok has experienced numerous water shortages. Locals in the area were subjected to extreme water shortages over the festive season. Local businesses, old age homes, schools and hospitals had to cope without any water supply from the municipality. The scarcity of water has been caused by mismanagement of water sources and other environmental factors. The scarcity of fresh water resulted in people’s health being put at risk and it had an overall negative impact on the people’s livelihoods. There was a portion of the Springbok population that believed that draught must be accepted as a way of life and should be considered an act of nature, and that the Springbok community were powerless to anything about it. However, although draughts may be an act of nature, there is a great deal one and a community can do to make sure there is adequate water available, during the dry season when demand is at its peak. It is considered that with the right infrastructure and plan, water education and conservation initiatives, municipalities together with the community can successfully manage draught in order to ensure that no one in the Springbok community goes without water. (Zille, H. (2011). Zille lays out water plan. Available: http://clevergreen.co.za/2011/04/08/zille-lays-out-water-plan/. Last accessed 18th April 2011.)
It is clear that the water crisis and mismanagement of water sources has had a dramatic effect on the Springbok community, business and the growth of the area. For example, a local business man was quoted saying “I have a guest house and I employ seven people. In 2008, I was without water for five days over the December dry season. A year later, in 2009, I had no water for fourteen days and last year in 2010 I had no municipal water for two months in a row.” The water shortages are worsening because not only is the environment under stress and the vital natural resource, water, is decreasing in availability and quality but the municipality in conjunction with the Namakwa water Board and the Department of Water affairs is failing in their basic duty to ensure that people of Springbok have and conserve water, as well as, protect water sources.
The cost of upgrading a pipeline that would supply water to Springbok from the Orange River has risen from five million rand to five hundred million rand, thus the pipeline has still not been .upgraded thus causing the availability of water to remain where it is, at an all time low. According to the Governments Blue Drop report which assess how municipalities manage the quality of their drinking water , the Nama Khoi municipality’s rating dropped for 70% in 2009 to 25% in 2010. This large decline in water quality is due to inadequate preparation by the Nama Khoi, Springbok municipality. If the municipality had noticed and rectified the water crisis initially and upgraded the various pipelines and infrastructure, the water crisis would have remained minor but instead it is an absolute crisis. (Zille, H. (2011). Zille lays out water plan. Available: http://clevergreen.co.za/2011/04/08/zille-lays-out-water-plan/. Last accessed 18th April 2011.)
Patients in the Dr van Niekerk Hospital, the senior citizens of the Huis Namakwaland and Harmony Home for the aged and the children at the Primere Skool in Springbok had to go without water for long periods of time. These water shortages resulted in an increase in various illnesses, decrease in overall sanitation, interfered with the running of surgery schedules and meal times and caused much discomfort and anger amongst the community. The school had to use twelve thousand rand of their own funds to install a water tank, this should be implemented and afforded by government or the municipality as these organisations in particular should be aware of the global water crisis. Huis Namakwaland used donated money to build a water tank and the hospital patients families have had to bring the patients bottled water during the dry season.
The impact of climate change and other environmental factors will make the water crisis in Springbok a greater challenge in the future, however it is up to the municipality to ensure that each person in the community is educated on how to conserve water and the municipality should be funding the building and maintenance of a number of water storage tanks. The Springbok municipality should have a plan to upgrade infrastructure to cope with the wear and increased demand as it is considered that 30% of water is lost because of leaking pipes.
Municipalities across South Africa should have by- laws in place to manage and reduce consumption, the municipality especially in areas like Springbok should be proactive and realise that the demand aspect for water is as important as the supply side. The water crisis, in areas like Springbok, municipalities need to become innovative in the way they conserve ad treat water , as the effects of minimal to no water availability on the community is severely negative. (Work place communication. (2008). Water shortages in Africa: responsible use of natural resources in the workplace. Available: http://www.workplace-communication.com/water-shortages-africa.html. Last accessed 17th April 2011.)
In the Eden District during 2010, the Democratic Alliance worked to curb one worst drought since records began 132 years ago. The DA adopted a process where demand reduction, borehole exploration, the indirect reuse of effluent and the construction of a desalination plants in Sedgefield, Mossel Bay, Knysna and Plettenberg Bay, was the focus. The droughts experienced by the Cape during the course of last year, affected the livelihoods, business and the growth of business, as well as, agriculture, in the many communities that were subjected to live without water.
The water crisis, particularly in Cape Town, directly affects everybody who depends on water. In some areas particularly in the rural areas, the overpopulation in the various settlements like the Hout Bay Settlement, Imizama Yathu, has lead to an increase in water pollution, due to an increase in sewage. The overpopulation and thus an increase in sewage and polluted water has directly lead to an increase in illness, as the affected water is a serious health risk and people in the settlement are still making use of the infected water as they are dependent on it for living.(Powell, A. (2006). Cape Town: Water crisis forces council to move squatters. Available: http://www.abahlali.org/node/222. Last accessed 17th April 2011.)
The Disa River, in Hout bay is highly polluted, over nine billion disease causing organisms have been found in the river water, which has serious health implications for the surrounding communities. With this case study the water source is available however because of overpopulation and the lack of infrastructure like a reliable sewage systems and an efficient municipality, the community living in this Hout Bay settlement are subjected to extreme sanitation problem and thus illness.
Another case study that focuses on the availability of water, is taken out of the Mercury Newspaper on the 21st of April. The article “the weight of water” focuses on a Maqheleng resident that takes an eighty three minute journey to queue at a standpipe that is the source of water for the community. In this case study it is apparent that the source of water is available however, the community is forced to walk long distances to get a subsistent amount of water. Thus, whilst mothers are forced to spend their day collecting water, their children are left at home with the grandparents or forced to walk with them. Thus the socio economic status of the community is extremely low, as the family members do not have jobs and the children do not attend school, as each member has a commitment to the home and thus to survive. The families depend on grants given by the government and there source of food comes from their subsistence farming which is heavily dependent on water. It is case studies like this that reveal that the local municipality’s mismanagement and incompetence is to blame. (Tromp, B. 2011. The weight of water. The Natal Mercury, 21 April. P.14.)
Water is a vital resource and in a number of case studies to do with the Cape, the water source is available but the population demand is too high, the water is infected, the water is not being conserved or protected and or the municipality is not maintaining and repairing the water sources, thus leaving various communities without water, wasting water or having to use infected water. Agriculture is major problem, as a number of communities are self sufficient and depend on agriculture as a source of income and food. The water crisis will continue to cause much economic and individual well being destruction, if not controlled or conserved.
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