Lesego Gaegane | Senior Project Manager | Water Research Commission | mail me |
During National Water Week commemorations, South Africa confronts multiple water challenges. The National Water Week serves as a wake-up call to the country’s deepening water crisis.
Climate change drives extreme weather, threatens water quality and impacts water security. This places greater pressure on a system already struggling to meet demand.
A call for decentralised water reuse
Millions living in poverty face unreliable access to clean water. This is not just an inconvenience – it is a daily threat to health, livelihoods and survival.
Water insecurity creates a ripple effect across society. It cripples the economy, disrupts education, worsens food shortages and undermines overall stability. Existing resources remain under severe strain. Therefore, the time to act is now.
The National Water Week coincides with the 14th annual International Conference on Water Reclamation and Reuse in Cape Town. The conference ran between the 16th and 19th of March 2025. It came at a time when the world is fast-tracking the direct use of treated effluents. These effluents support industry, agriculture and domestic purposes.
The conference acted as a catalyst for sustainable change. It showcased the critical role of water reuse and innovation in South Africa’s water security pathway.
Current and future engagements on sustainable water resource management demand a holistic and adaptive approach. This approach integrates diverse water sources and innovative technologies. It ensures resilience in the face of unprecedented environmental and demographic pressures.
– Dr Jennifer Molwantwa, CEO of the Water Research Commission
Challenges and solutions for an efficient reuse future
The National Water Week culminates in the globally recognised World Water Day on March 22. We mark these occasions by intensifying our focus on critical research and innovation areas.
These areas are vital for South Africa’s water security. They include accelerating the adoption of decentralised water reuse technologies. They also advance climate-resilient water infrastructure solutions. Additionally, they strengthen community-based water conservation initiatives. Finally, they prioritise research into the sustainable management of groundwater resources. This is especially important in drought-prone regions.
The demands of contemporary water resource management highlight the need for reassessing traditional strategies.
Historically, indirect water reuse served as a cornerstone of global water security frameworks. However, its efficacy faces increasing challenges. These challenges arise from the compounded risks of anthropogenic climate change and rapid urban expansion.
Water reuse as part of water security strategies
The frequency and intensity of climate-related disasters testify to conventional approaches becoming inadequate. Burgeoning urban centres place additional demands on water resources. Consequently, making decentralised water reuse an integral part of comprehensive water security strategies is essential. This is no longer a matter of strategic foresight but an immediate operational imperative.
A series of reports released by the Department of Water and Sanitation in 2023 support this renewed emphasis. These reports highlight innovative reuse and water resource management as priorities. They revealed that 46% of drinking water systems did not meet microbiological standards in municipalities countrywide.
The percentage of water treatment plants facing high risk increased from 65% in 2021 to 70% in 2023. This means more plants are in danger of failing. In addition, 51% of critical state systems received enforcement notices. These notices range from cases reported, notices and directives issued, to criminal charges laid.
Furthermore, 24% of the national system was at critical risk. Meanwhile, 29% of the national system was at high risk.
The Blue Drop, Green Drop, and No Drop reports provide stark projections. They found that water demand is expected to sharply increase over the next 20 years. Simultaneously, water supply is likely to decline. Therefore, a projected supply deficit of 17% is anticipated by 2030. These figures paint a stark picture. Water scarcity is not a distant threat but a present-day reality in South Africa.
The intersection of Women’s Month and Global Water Awareness
March focuses on water awareness and coincides with the global observation of Women’s Day. In light of this, we marked the occasion with a conference. This conference served as a testament to the role of women as drivers of change.
True progress in the water sector depends on cutting-edge technologies and robust policies. It also requires the active participation and empowerment of women.
The conference featured high-level roundtables, dialogues and sessions. These events addressed critical water challenges facing South Africa. Participants highlighted the alarming state of water services in many municipalities. Discussions focused on water reuse, decentralisation and municipal climate risk assessments. They also included water services skills forecasting and eco-industrial parks.
I would like to share San Francisco’s pioneering approach to onsite water reuse. This approach demonstrates how regulatory frameworks drive significant reductions in potable water consumption. It also enhances urban water resilience. Decentralised water reuse is not just about technology. It is about building resilient communities.
– Ms Paula Keyhoe, Representative at the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission
We seek to build resilience against these and other global impacts through data-driven sustainable practices and research-backed solutions. These are tailored to South Africa’s unique challenges.
