THE STATE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF WATER AND SANITATION AND SOUTH AFRICA’S WATER SECURITY AND REQUEST FOR MEETING WITH THE SOUTH AFRICAN WATER CAUCUS IN RELATION

The South African Water Caucus (SAWC) identifies a state of "institutional crisis" within the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS), citing severe financial mismanagement, human resource challenges, and a failure to maintain water infrastructure. The document highlights the critical risk posed by 212 wastewater treatment plants and the lack of water quality reporting since 2013. SAWC urges the Ministry to prioritize the establishment of nine Catchment Management Agencies (CMAs), protect 22 strategic water source areas, and address the R60 billion estimated cost for treating acid-mine drainage from approximately 5,906 derelict and ownerless mines. The letter also calls for water allocation reform to address inequities where industrial agriculture receives 60% of water but Black emerging farmers receive only 3% of that allocation.

• The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) is experiencing an institutional crisis characterized by financial mismanagement, including over-expenditure, failure to pay contractors, and corruption allegations, alongside high staff turnover and vacancy rates.
• Water quality monitoring has lapsed, with the DWS failing to publish Blue Drop and Green Drop reports since 2013, which are the only comprehensive public assessments of treatment plant compliance.
• Wastewater infrastructure is severely deteriorating, with 212 plants categorized as "Critical Risk" in the 2014 Green Drop report; the North West Province is particularly affected, with 60% of its systems in High and Critical Risk.
• Compliance enforcement is critically under-resourced, with only 35 officials for the entire country and zero criminal convictions for offences among 76 facilities requiring action in 2016/2017.
• South Africa's 22 strategic water source areas (SWSAs) provide 50% of surface run-off and support 60% of the population, yet they face threats from mining, climate change, land degradation, and urban development.
• There is a massive funding gap for treating acid-mine drainage (AMD) from approximately 5,906 derelict and ownerless mines, with estimated costs of up to R60 billion compared to a historical investment of only R120 million.
• Water allocation is inequitable, with industrial agriculture receiving 60% of the country's water while Black emerging farmers receive only roughly 3% of that specific allocation.

APA

Centre for Environmental Rights (2018). THE STATE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF WATER AND SANITATION AND SOUTH AFRICA’S WATER SECURITY AND REQUEST FOR MEETING WITH THE SOUTH AFRICAN WATER CAUCUS IN RELATION. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/SAWC_Letter-to-Minister-of-Water-and-Sanitation_27-06-2018.pdf?x21779

Chicago

Centre for Environmental Rights. THE STATE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF WATER AND SANITATION AND SOUTH AFRICA’S WATER SECURITY AND REQUEST FOR MEETING WITH THE SOUTH AFRICAN WATER CAUCUS IN RELATION. 2018. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/SAWC_Letter-to-Minister-of-Water-and-Sanitation_27-06-2018.pdf?x21779.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Centre for Environmental Rights |title=THE STATE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF WATER AND SANITATION AND SOUTH AFRICA’S WATER SECURITY AND REQUEST FOR MEETING WITH THE SOUTH AFRICAN WATER CAUCUS IN RELATION |date=27 June 2018 |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/SAWC_Letter-to-Minister-of-Water-and-Sanitation_27-06-2018.pdf?x21779 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{centreforenvironmentalrights2018state, author = {{Centre for Environmental Rights}}, title = {{THE STATE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF WATER AND SANITATION AND SOUTH AFRICA’S WATER SECURITY AND REQUEST FOR MEETING WITH THE SOUTH AFRICAN WATER CAUCUS IN RELATION}}, publisher = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, year = {2018}, month = jun, url = {https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/SAWC_Letter-to-Minister-of-Water-and-Sanitation_27-06-2018.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }