Water: A looming crisis?
- The water supply system in South Africa – initially designed to extend access to potable water – is beset by a growing array of challenges.
- Since 1994, an additional 12 million people have been given access to water, but about 3 million people, and a number of schools, still do not have access to basic water services.
- South Africa’s declining water quality, caused by water pollutants and acid mine drainage, has a growing effect on the agriculture and mining industry, and ultimately threatens to undermine economic growth and development.
- Our current trajectory with respect to water can be reversed through effective governance of our water management institutions; the proper maintenance of our existing infrastructure and getting price and regulation right.