ENVIRONMENT and ENERGY
National Water Resources Strategy
This is an extract from the National Water Resources Strategy 2, gazetted in 2013, as it relates to the plumber’ s need to have an awareness of the strategy. Why awareness? Because this very policy is the one that offers protection to the plumber to install according to compulsory standards and to use compliant products.
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In the January 2017 issue of Plumbing Africa, we referred to the opportunities that exist for plumbers to offer a more comprehensive service to their clients when we spoke of assessment of client needs, which in effect becomes the Water Conservation and Water Demand Strategy( WCWDM Strategy) document. References to other chapters will required download from www. dws. gov. za.
A set of broad strategies need to be implemented to reconcile the available supply with the demand for water and water conservation. Managing the demand for water is key to ensure sustainable use of our water resources, and to ensure that sufficient water is available for current and future requirements.
The National Water Policy( Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, 1997) thus states,“ Water resources shall be developed, apportioned and managed in such a manner as to enable all user sectors to gain equitable access to the desired quantity, quality and reliable water. Conservation and other measures to manage demand shall be actively promoted as preferred option to achieve this objective.”
The National Water Act( Act No. 36 of 1998) therefore aims to achieve the desired balance between the development, use, protection, conservation, management and control of water resources. The National Water Act promotes water resource management with the objective of reconciling water supply and demand, and to enable all user sectors to gain equitable access to the desired quantity and reliability of water supply.
Demands on South Africa’ s finite water resources are increasing, thereby also increasing the competition between agricultural, industrial, power generation, mining, commercial, and domestic needs. To meet these demands in a water-scarce country, all sectors must improve their water use efficiency and conserve water.
The Department of Water Affairs and Forestry( DWA), now the Department of Water and Sanitation( DWS), developed a National WCWDM Strategy, supported by three subsidiary strategies, focussing on water services, agriculture, industry, mining, and power generation. The WCWDM Strategy is a fundamental step in promoting water use efficiency and is consistent with the National Water Act, which emphasises effective management of water resources.
The DWS has also been developing Reconciliation Strategies, of which WCWDM forms an integral part in balancing supply and demand. Through these studies, targets to reduce the demand were set for all the major demand centres and WCWDM has been identified as the first step to be implemented in all other towns.
Growth and development goals South Africa aims to build a transformed society where opportunities for a better life are extended to all its citizens. The National Development Plan( NDP) proposes that realising such a society will require transformation of the economy by bolstering competitiveness and investment in high value-added industries; increasing exports, focusing on those areas where South Africa already has endowments and comparative advantage, such as mining, construction, mid-skill manufacturing, agriculture, and agro-processing; and developing the tourism and business services. However, most of the sectors in which there are significant growth opportunities are water dependent.
• The NDP stresses that economic growth should be environmentally sustainable and that water conservation must be a priority to ensure sufficient water to support equitable economic growth and the achievement of the national developmental goals. Thus, all sectors of the economy need to prioritise water conservation in their development plans.
• The NDP states a dedicated national water conservation and demand management programme, with clear national and local targets for 2017 and 2022. Sub-programmes focused on municipalities, industry and agriculture had to be developed between 2012 and 2015. The progress thus far is uncertain.
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www. plumbingafrica. co. za March 2017 Volume 23 I Number 1