an effective measure anywhere else in the world, and calls it an admission of failure by the state.
“ In places like Yemen, Palestine and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, water supply is intermittent, so these are the benchmarks for our‘ success’. In those places, people fend for themselves— the central authority of the state is eroded in all cases. It is never a desired outcome,” he adds.
Turton says good leadership is needed from government to change the country’ s water usage habits.“ There is a deficit of trust evidenced across society. We need honest people to develop a plan that is credible and sustainable. We need more carrots of incentive to do things differently, and less big sticks to beat recalcitrant users.
“ Government is the biggest polluter of water through the sewage discharge released daily into our rivers and dams, so it has lost the moral authority to give credible leadership.”
Economically disruptive
Turton is also critical of the current water restrictions that have been implemented across many municipalities in South Africa.“ They are all disruptive to the economy at a time that we need economic stability.
“ Water shedding is just another risk for investors to consider. It is just another cost of doing business in South Africa. Government needs to start by fixing the many leaking pipes, dysfunctional sewers and broken pump stations. It needs to start by having technically competent people in key positions.”
In terms of its impact on infrastructure, Turton points out that water shedding allows air to enter pipes. When re-pressurised, this causes a‘ hydraulic hammer’( pressure surge) that causes significant damage to infrastructure.“ This is highly predictable so it is not a figment of imagination. This has many unintended consequences, including— but not limited to— the accelerated failure of geysers that have been compromised by the presence of limescale,” he says.
Jan Venter, CEO of the Southern African Plastic Pipe Manufacturers Association, is also critical of any suggestions of water shedding, saying it is not the preferred way of saving water.
“ Shutting down the flow in pipes could lead to the influx of dirt and other contaminants. Closing and opening of valves could increase the risk of new leaks in old piping systems,” he points out.
He notes that government, as a responsible entity, should not even be considering water shedding.“ They have been warned for a number of years about the potential of a water crisis in South Africa, but for reasons of their own did not consider this a priority. Had it not been for a number of good rainfall seasons, the problem would have hit us sooner.” u
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