Report warns of looming water crisis for Gauteng and Cape Town due to growth in population

A new report from the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) has revealed that Gauteng and Western Cape are likely to experience more water scarcity due to growing populations - driven by significant in-migration.

This is according to the 2024 National State of Water report, which stated that Gauteng, as the country’s economic hub, is the leading centre for both international and domestic migrants, while the Western Cape is the second major immigration attraction centre. 

Gauteng has a population of about 16 million while the Western Cape is home to 7.6 million residents.

The report stated that Gauteng is projected to reach 20 million residents by 2050, while the Western Cape is expected to reach 8.5 million, a growth not matched by an adequate increase in dam storage capacity.

The National State of Water report is a critical document published to provide a comprehensive  overview of the country's water resources and sanitation services. Its purpose is to guide decision-making, ensure the public is informed, and manage the nation's water supply and demand. 

For years, some parts of the country have been experiencing widespread water outages due to a combination of climate change-induced droughts, aging and under-maintained infrastructure, population growth and poor management, leading to frequent and prolonged disruptions, particularly in the Johannesburg area, forcing municipalities to implement water shedding, water throttling and water rationing. 

Residents across Johannesburg and its surrounding areas, including Coronationville, Westbury, Newlands, Ivory Park and Kokosi, took to the streets recently following prolonged water cuts, which left many residents without water supply for weeks.

The protests have led to road closures, confrontations with police and demands for government intervention to address the long-running water crisis.

In the Western Cape, a community at Gate 7 informal settlement near Wingfield Navy base in Cape Town, also embarked on a protest over service delivery, including water and electricity this week. 

The protesters blocked roads with a shipping container and burned tyres, which caused major traffic disruptions.

Community action network WaterCAN said the biggest strain in the Western Cape is on wastewater treatment works (WWTWs) as many plants are failing to cope, leading to pollution in rivers and coastal waters.

The organisation's Executive Director Dr Ferrial Adam said both Johannesburg and Cape Town must urgently prioritise fixing and upgrading infrastructure before the situation deteriorates.

The report stated that the country’s water sector has established extensive infrastructure to transfer water between catchments to address supply deficits, particularly around the economic hubs. 

However, over 98% of available water resources are already allocated. 

“There are also limited opportunities to increase future water requirements with conventional surface water resources; hence, more intervention is required on the demand side to address the projected supply deficit of 17% by 2030,’’ the report stated.

The department added that although 97,38% of Gauteng households have access to water infrastructure, which exceeded the Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) standards, 78,2% of households have a consistent water supply, reflecting both high access levels and a relatively dependable water provision system. 

In the Western Cape, 96.96% of households have access to water infrastructure. However, only 54.62% have reliable water supply, indicating that while infrastructure access is strong, many residents still face challenges in securing consistent water service.

The situation is dire in other provinces. 85.2% of households in Limpopo have access to water infrastructure while 69,54% meet RDP standards. However, only 58,81% enjoys a dependable water supply, which indicates a notable discrepancy between basic access and reliable water provision in the province.

A commendable 90,36% of households in Mpumalanga have access to water infrastructure, with 83,56% complying with RDP standards. Despite these promising figures, reliability of the water supply remains a concern, with 54,53% of households experiencing consistent access to water. This highlights an ongoing challenge to ensure that a significant number of households with access also benefit from reliable water services.

The report added that on a broader scale, across all provinces, there are a total of 18,5 million households, and 93,55% of them have access to water infrastructure, while 88,58% households meet RDP standards. Nevertheless, regarding a reliable water supply, only 68,09% of households can depend on a consistent water service.

“This reveals a significant trend: while a large majority of households across various provinces have access to essential water infrastructure, there are pronounced gaps in the reliability of this resource. Provinces like Gauteng and the Western Cape exhibit both high access and reliability rates. 

“In contrast, provinces such as Mpumalanga and Limpopo face greater challenges in ensuring that all households have access to water infrastructure and benefit from reliable water supply systems. This underlines the pressing need for improvements in water infrastructure to secure consistent and dependable water services for all households across the provinces,” read the report. 

DWS spokesperson Wisane Mavasa said the department is working to fast-track implementation and reduce delays in critical water projects, while continuing to advocate for water conservation and water demand management implementation across all municipalities. 

She urged the municipalities to ensure that their Wastewater Treatment Works authorisations explicitly cover reuse activities, rather than limiting them to discharge back into rivers and natural systems.

Mavasa added that Gauteng municipalities must also invest in their distribution infrastructure, including storage reservoirs and pumping stations, to increase the resilience of their water distribution systems.

“Gauteng is a particularly water-scarce area in a water-scarce country, and the high level of water consumption per capita is not sustainable. The average consumption per capita in the province must be reduced from 279 litres per capita per day to closer to the world average of 173 litres per capita per day.”

Meanwhile, the report stated that the DWS has developed strategic initiatives to address the water sector’s multifaceted challenges, notably the National Water and Sanitation Master Plan. 

“This comprehensive plan outlines actionable strategies to tackle issues such as water scarcity, inadequate sanitation facilities, and infrastructure upgrades. It strongly emphasises enhancing water security by diversifying water supply sources, optimising water use, and protecting vital ecosystems.”

manyane.manyane@inl.co.za