Water supply and sanitation in South Africa

Water supply and sanitation in South Africa

Data
Water coverage (broad definition)	(improved water source) 93% (2015)[1]
Sanitation coverage (broad definition)	(improved sanitation) 66% (2015)[1]
Continuity of supply	High
Average urban water use (L/person/day)	186 (2006)[2]
Average urban water and sanitation tariff (US$/m3)	1.07 (2006)[2]
Share of household metering	High
Annual investment in WSS	US$38 per capita (2007)[3]
Share of external financing	30% self-financing, 51% tax-financing and 19% loan financing (2003–07)[3]
Institutions
Decentralization to municipalities	Substantial
National water and sanitation company	None
Water and sanitation regulator	None
Responsibility for policy setting	Department of Water Affairs
Sector law	1997 Water Services Act
No. of urban service providers	169
No. of rural service providers	Urban service providers also serve rural areas

Water supply and sanitation in South Africa is characterised by both achievements and challenges. After the end of Apartheid South Africa's newly elected government struggled with the then growing service and backlogs with respect to access to water supply and sanitation developed. The government thus made a strong commitment to high service standards and to high levels of investment subsidies to achieve those standards. Since then, the country has made some progress with regard to improving access to water supply: It reached universal access to an improved water source in urban areas, and in rural areas the share of those with access increased from 66% to 79% from 1990 to 2010.^[4]

South Africa also has a strong water industry with a track record in innovation. However, much less progress has been achieved on sanitation: Access increased only from 71% to 79% during the same period.^[4] Significant problems remain concerning the financial sustainability of service providers, leading to a lack of attention to maintenance. The uncertainty about the government's ability to sustain funding levels in the sector is also a concern. Two distinctive features of the South African water sector are the policy of free basic water and the existence of water boards, which are bulk water supply agencies that operate pipelines and sell water from reservoirs to municipalities.

In May 2014 it was announced that Durban's Water and Sanitation Department won the Stockholm Industry Water Award "for its transformative and inclusive approach", calling it "one of the most progressive utilities in the world".^[5] The city has connected 1.3 million additional people to piped water and provided 700,000 people with access to toilets in 14 years. It also was South Africa's first municipality to put free basic water for the poor into practice. Furthermore, it has promoted rainwater harvesting, mini hydropower and urine-diverting dry toilets.

On 13 February 2018, the country declared a national disaster in Cape Town as the city's water supply was predicted to run dry before the end of June. With its dams only 24.9% full, water saving measures were in effect that required each citizen to use less than 50 litres a day. All nine of the country's provinces were effected by what the government characterized as the "magnitude and severity" of a three-year drought. According to UN-endorsed projections, Cape Town is one of eleven major world cities that are expected to run out of water.^[6] In 2018, Cape Town rejected an offer from Israel to help it build desalination plants.^{[7][8][9][10]}