Water, Sanitation and Wastewater Management: Some Questions for National Water Security in South Africa

Abstract

In South Africa, flush toilets have historically been associated with white privilege, and dry toilets with racial discrimination. The sector slogan ‘Sanitation is Dignity’ has deep resonance, and in urban areas, anything other than a flush toilet is regarded as inferior and at best an interim option. The emphasis on dignity, rights and aspirations has led to a focus on toilet technologies, rather than on integrated sanitation improvement. But rapid extension of reticulated water and sanitation infrastructure is creating significant bulk infrastructure bottlenecks; the focus on meeting coverage and bucket eradication targets far bolder than the MDGs is compromising sound operation and maintenance, and there is widespread evidence of wastewater treatment failures which have severe consequences for human health and the natural resource base. This paper maps some challenges around service provision and sanitation improvement in urban South Africa. It argues that a rights-based approach to providing water and sanitation is a hollow promise if the service is unsustainable and prone to failure; and that a shortage of skills to operate and manage sewered systems is an even greater threat to sustainability than funding gaps. It is generally the poorest and most vulnerable who wait the longest for service improvements, and who are most risk when services fail. There are compelling reasons to pursue less water-dependent, less-polluting approaches to sanitation improvement, but a comprehensive shift in approach is unlikely soon. In the interim, more robust systems are needed which have lower skills requirements and a reduced risk of failure. Given the urgency of service improvements – particularly in informal settlements – in a context of extremely high HIV and TB infection levels, South Africa does not have the luxury of plentiful time.