ENVIRONMENT and ENERGY
43
<< Continued from page 41
Strengthen compliance monitoring and enforcement The monitoring and enforcement of the implementation of WCWDM measures through the NWA will receive enhanced attention over the next number of years. It is expected that, where conditions for water use have been set, such conditions will have to be implemented and the DWS will enforce compliance with such conditions. It is expected that water users will follow a path of continuous improvement in their water use efficiency, as indicated by:
• Where targets have been set, it is expected that users will report on the achievement of such targets and the DWS will monitor progress against meeting these targets.
• Monitoring and enforcement of compliance to regulations promulgated through water legislation, including the Water Services Act, will be given increased attention.
• Ensuring that, in the issuing of water use licences, WCWDM is considered for all water users. The NWA section 29, for example, stipulates that a responsible authority may attach conditions to every general authorisation or licence requiring the preparation and approval of and adherence to a water management plan.
• All sectors, agricultural irrigation schemes, local government, industry, mining, and power generation should monitor and report, on a regular basis, on water loss and water efficiency improvements, such as water balances and measures implemented.
Implement water resource infrastructure development in the context of WCWDM The protocol established within the National Water Resource Strategy 1 must be implemented. It is crucial that priority be given to ensuring the efficient use of water and that alignment is obtained with the need for further infrastructure development.
Setting targets Water use efficiency targets have been set in Reconciliation Strategy studies as a means to balance water supply and demand, having provided structure and guidance to the planning process, as well as to the relevant sectors to implement the necessary measures to balance water supply and demand. Key areas that provide opportunities for water use efficiency are based on the understanding that water users in the sector must be measured and effectively managed.
Local government Investigations into the potential to reduce water demand by local government have been conducted through many water management area assessments and Reconciliation Studies, through which targets to reduce water demand have been set. The president has set a target to reduce water losses by half. Through information obtained from and in collaboration with municipalities and published through studies, such as the WRC’ s State of NRW in SA( 2012), municipalities are aware of their NRW status and must initiate measures to reduce their water losses / NRW. Continuation with target setting in the municipal sector would have little benefit.
The focus in the coming years is for municipalities to focus on the implementation of WCWDM measures to reduce their water losses and NRW. The targeted saving of halving the water losses was determined to be in the order of 250 million m 3 / a, based on available information.
Municipalities are required to report, on a quarterly basis, on their activities and the reduction of their water losses and NRW in terms of the outcomes-based performance management system.
Mining, energy, and manufacturing industries These are not homogenous and universal water use efficiency targets and can thus not be set generically across the board. A project was conducted by the Water Research Commission in the 1980s to determine water usage by the high water-consuming sectors, resulting in relevant sectors revising these documents, including setting targets per sub-sector as far as is practically possible.
Agricultural sector The NWA requires the development of WMPs by irrigation schemes, which involve the analysis of current water use, the setting of targets for improved water efficiency and planning of realistic means to reach targets. It is thus critical to ensure that all water supplies and uses are measured and are part of irrigation agriculture. Therefore, the principle of universal water measurement for irrigation agriculture will be enforced as a priority action. This will be addressed in the revision of the Pricing Strategy.
Focus on leak repairs There has been growing concern about the lack of action by municipalities to attend to high water consumption caused by water leaks in households. On average, it is estimated that by repairing plumbing leaks within the domestic sphere, consumers’ consumption can be reduced from 200 to 300 cubic metres per month to 10 – 15 cubic metres per month( depending on occupancy). Municipalities should thus be driving the reduction of household leaks as part of their WCWDM programmes. The DWS supports municipalities through:
• Community plumbers;
• Development and identification of training programmes to support the leak repair programme;
• Mobilisation of partnerships and support from the private sector in respect of technical expertise, funding, training and implementation; and
• Promotion of best practice, based on successful implementation within other municipalities.
Develop an institutional capacity within the DWS to manage and regulate WCWDM effectively The National Water Policy framework and the NDP have placed high priority on water conservation and water demand management and this requires that the DWS, the Department of Cooperative Governance( DCoG), and the South African Local Government Association( SALGA), among others, provide the necessary leadership and guidance to the sector.
The DWS needs to provide oversight, monitor, and ensure that effective WCWDM measures are implemented across all sectors. PA
Source Department of Water and Sanitation.
Many municipalities still have to do much more to reduce their losses and manage water efficiently.
www. plumbingafrica. co. za April 2017 Volume 23 I Number 2