Latest news with #WaterCAN
The Herald
9 hours ago
- Science
- The Herald
Armed with water tests, SA students tackle eco-anxiety
After wading back to the river bank, Downsborough poured her findings into a container to identify the different macroinvertebrates with the help of her students. Each organism was given a unique score under the mini stream assessment scoring system (miniSASS) to help determine the water quality. The final results will be uploaded to an online map to identify polluted sites. Downsborough and her team also encourage citizen scientists to try out other water testing kits, such as Freshwater Watch and WaterCAN, which test for a range of pollutants such as excessive nitrates and phosphates. Findings can be uploaded online to be used by activists to rally for government action. In April, WaterCAN, alongside other civil society organisations, launched a report on Durban's Umbilo River that revealed pollution, including high levels of E coli bacteria. They called for urgent infrastructure repairs based on their findings. 'Civil society must continue to push for accountability, create awareness in communities and build action through citizen science,' the report said. The eThekwini municipal water and sanitation department acknowledged receipt of questions regarding the report, but did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication. GroundTruth, an environmental consulting company that helped develop the miniSASS kit, trains citizen scientists including more than 1,000 youth in KwaZulu-Natal. Downsborough and Stippel presented their research on public participation at the Citizen Science for Water Quality Conference in the Netherlands in early June. Next year, the IIE MSA water monitoring initiative will be expanded more widely across campuses and schools. 'Writing papers is one way to have impact, but bringing students outdoors to the river, bringing our office out to the river, is very rewarding,' Downsborough said. Thomson Reuters Foundation
The Citizen
03-06-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
Rand Water completes maintenance, but municipal failures may leave taps dry
Water supply has resumed after the Rand Water project, but local infrastructure woes mean many residents still face shortages. Residents can expect water supply to return after Rand Water completed major maintenance ahead of schedule. Rand Water spokesperson Makenosi Maroo confirmed the utility completed the maintenance to key infrastructures that started last week, but warned the water supply issues from the municipality to consumer would remain the same. 'Work on the B16 project is complete and pumping at Mapleton has officially started' – but the water supply doesn't return instantly as the system needs time to build capacity, Maroo said. Water shortages affected parts of Tshwane, Ekurhuleni, Midvaal municipality, Emfuleni municipality, Govan Mbeki municipality, Victor Khanye municipality and Thembisile Hani municipality. Municipalities called to maintain infrastructure Water CAN's Ferrial Adam said maintenance the past weekend would help in terms of bulk supply from Rand Water, but not from municipality to the consumer. 'What needs to happen is that similarly at the municipal level, all municipalities need to fund their infrastructure better and do maintenance,' Adam said. 'Rand Water supplies four municipalities. I don't think any of the municipalities are doing it well. Joburg is the melting pot at the moment. ALSO READ: Big update on Rand Water maintenance outages 'The maintenance is not drastically different from what we are experiencing in Johannesburg.' Residents were still going to get intermittent supply and water cuts, as well as leaks, Adam said. 'We still have very high non-revenue water through leaks until the City of Joburg get serious and decides to fund this.' 'Water systems falling apart' Adam asked why the city presented good turnaround strategies, knowing they didn't have the funds. 'From the strategy, you can see they know where the problems are, but it seems they don't get that they need to fix the infrastructure. 'You cannot go around shouting economic development when your water systems are falling apart, your electricity systems are falling apart and your roads are falling apart. 'They need to focus on those issues and fix those before everything else,' Adam said. 'They knew they had 42 leaking reservoirs. They say they have identified the key 20 but they are getting nowhere. Not one tender has been issued, while residents have to accept the situation,' she said. Consumers blamed AfriForum's advisor in environmental affairs Marais de Vaal said the metros concerned should refrain from using residents as scapegoats. ALSO READ: Water outages continue in Gauteng due to maintenance They should start dealing with the real issues – outdated infrastructure that is not properly maintained, gross mismanagement of the resources and serious water losses, driven by illegal connections and leaks. 'AfriForum is raising the alarm over the misleading narrative pushed by government entities regarding the escalating water crisis in Gauteng,' De Vaal said. 'The parliamentary portfolio committee on water and sanitation last month again made an appeal for residents to use water sparingly and urgently reduce consumption to global norms. 'AfriForum argues that these ongoing appeals are based on the misinterpretation of data, which unfairly and solely place the blame on consumers. 'They are all the while diverting attention from Gauteng's metropolitan municipalities' [Ekurhuleni, Johannesburg and Tshwane] mismanagement of the resource,' De Vaal said. Detailed records of metros AfriForum earlier this year submitted formal applications in terms of the Promotion of Access to Information Act to all three metros to obtain access to detailed records on water usage over the past five years – from July 2019 to June last year. 'Only the Tshwane municipality provided information in this regard. The failure of the other two municipalities to make this important information available raises serious concerns about their commitment to transparency and their ability to address the crisis,' De Vaal said. NOW READ: Here's how many millions SA sends to Lesotho each month for water
The Citizen
02-06-2025
- Climate
- The Citizen
Water outages continue in Gauteng due to maintenance
Joburg Water also warned residents who receive water from the Deep South system that high demand was constraining the system. It is unclear when water will return to the thousands of households across Gauteng affected by Rand Water's 107-hour planned maintenance. Parts of the City of Tshwane, City of Ekurhuleni, Midvaal Local Municipality, Emfuleni Local Municipality, Govan Mbeki Local Municipality, Victor Khanye Local Municipality, and Thembisile Hani Local Municipality were without water by day two of the four-day planned maintenance yesterday. Rand Water spokesperson Makenosi Maroo said Rand Water reported that progress on the B16 project had been steady throughout the night and remained on track for completion as scheduled. 'Necessary interventions' Joburg Water warned residents that it would put in necessary interventions, including closing outlets. An alternate water supply had been arranged to assist with the recovery and restoration process. 'While many of the reservoirs had fair supply and capacity with poor pressure due to high demand, the Doornkop Reservoir was constrained and the outlet was closed due to poor pressure and no water.' ALSO READ: Tshwane's water warning to residents Joburg Water also warned residents who receive water from the Deep South system that high demand was constraining the system. 'The system improved and supplied throughout the day, but is declining. Joburg Water is putting in the necessary intervention, including closing outlets overnight to build capacity.' Joburg Water also indicated that the Orange Farm Reservoir, Ennerdale Reservoir, Lawley Reservoir, Lenasia Hospital Hill and Lenasia High Level were at fair capacity. WaterCAN's Ferrial Adam said: 'The Alexander reservoir that feeds Kensington and Bruma was not pumping at the right pressure and they had to sort it out, which meant that area didn't have water. 'There were other low reservoirs linked to the Rand Water pipe burst that happened about two to three weeks ago,' Adam said. ALSO READ: 21-day water outage in Joburg set to begin Friday In Tshwane in most areas expected to be affected, taps ran dry with residents taking to social media for updates on where to collect water. Equestria, Faerie Glen, Eastlynn and Waterkloof reported dry taps, while residents in Moreleta had water. Water outage warning City of Tshwane spokesperson Selby Bokaba last week warned residents of Region 6 and some parts of Regions 2 and 3 to urgently reduce water consumption as the levels of the reservoirs supplying these areas were dropping significantly. ALSO READ: Municipal water crisis 'nothing to do with bulk water supply', says minster at LHWP reopening Bokaba said continued high consumption was likely to put consumers at risk of having no water from today until the work was completed. 'The high volume of consumption is also putting the city's distribution network and Rand Water systems under severe pressure,' he said. Bokaba reminded customers that the water utility would also isolate the Klipriviersberg Master Reservoir from the Palmiet system for 10 hours from tomorrow. 'This is to allow the water utility's technicians to clean and conduct an inspection on the reservoir. During this period, pumping will be reduced to 67% at the Palmiet station. 'The City of Tshwane apologises for the inconvenience as a result of the abovementioned maintenance work,' Bokaba added. NOW READ: Gauteng residents warned to brace for major water disruptions this week
The Citizen
29-05-2025
- General
- The Citizen
Gauteng mayors unite to tackle toxic rivers
Tshwane, Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni mayors are joining forces to clean the Kaalspruit and Hennops rivers, after years of severe pollution and neglect. Water Wariors members Themba Mofokeng, Deon Dlephu and Marco Zwane show how a fish trap will catch plastic bottles in the Jukskei River in Alexandra. Picture: Nigel Sibanda Experts are keen to see what will come from the meeting this week involving three major metro mayors on the state of rivers in Gauteng. City of Tshwane mayor Nasiphi Moya announced that the City of Tshwane will join Ekurhuleni and Joburg to tackle rehabilitation of the Kaalspruit catchment area. 'We have, for too long, been plagued by the declining state of the Hennops River and overwhelmed by helplessness because of our inability to address the upstream causes of pollution.' Pollution linked to raw sewage and population pressures The Kaalspruit conjoins river streams from Tshwane and Joburg. Moya said the causes of pollution include raw sewage, municipal waste and debris. There is excessive erosion and the entire system past Hennops River to Hartbeespoort Dam is silted up. 'Everyone is deeply concerned about the state of the Kaalspruit as a reflection of population growth, the gap between service delivery demand and supply and the throttling effect of the resource gap,' she said. ALSO READ: Tshwane mayor vows to clean up the capital city Experts slam government inaction WaterCAN's Ferrial Adam said the rivers were seriously polluted. 'What is interesting is government's lack of responsibility for this mess. Wastewater treatment works are in a critical state and there is no enforcement to hold polluters accountable.' Adam said the priority was to fix wastewater treatment works and to put boots on the ground to enforce laws. Hennops River Revival founder Tarryn Johnston said after six years and over five million kilograms of waste removed by the team from Hennops River, without help from government, sustainable solutions would be welcome. Nature matters Over the weekend a collaboration by the Nimbostratus Foundation, the Aaptwak Foundation and the Hennops River Revival Foundation saw the removal of 1 292 bags of waste from the river and surrounding areas. Aaptwak Foundation founder Walter Pretorius said what began as a call to action to restore one of the region's most polluted waterways turned into an expression of unity, commitment and love for the environment. 'We were joined by two large volunteer groups. On Saturday, we welcomed a team from Ohio, US and on Sunday, the spirit of celebration continued with support from the Egyptian embassy, who sponsored a DJ adding a joyful rhythm to the hard work. It was about remembering why nature matters.' NOW READ: 'Life is back to normal': Flood warnings subside with Vaal Dam levels
Mail & Guardian
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Mail & Guardian
Special Investigating Unit's anti-corruption forum to tackle South Africa's water sector scandals
South Africa's water crisis is not about a lack of resources; it's about corruption. Photo: Mlungisi Louw/Volksblad/The So said 'But let's be clear. This forum must deliver,' she said. 'South Africa's water crisis is not about a lack of resources; it's about corruption. Billions have been looted — R4 billion on the Companies like For more than a decade, WaterCAN and other water advocacy organisations have called for a body like the forum to be set up. 'Now, it's here. It must not fail. This forum must have teeth. It must be resourced; it must blacklist corrupt companies, it must enforce procurement rules and it must hold mayors and municipalities accountable. South Africans don't need more meetings. We need arrests, we need prosecutions, we need convictions. The looting must end now,' Adam said. Strategic intervention The forum is a strategic intervention aimed at developing tailored solutions to address corruption risks in the water sector, the SIU said. 'By adopting a risk-based approach, the forum will focus on investigation, prevention and enforcement to safeguard South Africa's water resources, which are essential for sustainable development.' The investigating unit noted that the establishment of the water sector anti-corruption forum followed the findings from 14 SIU proclamations related to the The forum, it said, brings together a broad coalition of stakeholders, including law-enforcement agencies; chapter 9 institutions; civil society organisations and water activists; private sector representatives and regulators, among others. 'This collaborative model strengthens accountability, closes gaps and implements measurable and actionable prevention plans,' it said. 'Importantly, the forum will also hold anti-corruption agencies accountable, ensuring transparency and effectiveness in their operations.' Among the forum's key objectives are to support anti-corruption initiatives in the water sector; foster collaboration among stakeholders to combat corruption effectively; coordinate law enforcement efforts to enhance investigative capacity and ensure tangible outcomes, including prosecutions, civil recoveries and administrative actions, according to the SIU. This builds on the success of other sector-specific forums, including the health sector anti-corruption forum, the infrastructure & built environment anti-corruption forum, local government anti-corruption forum and the border management & immigration anti-corruption forum. 'An independent evaluation of these forums confirmed their effectiveness, noting their role in improving transparency and accountability across institutions, including anti-corruption bodies,' it said. Recommendations have been made to improve case turnaround times, expand stakeholder participation and enhance prevention initiatives, the SIU said, adding these were key lessons being applied to the water sector anti-corruption forum. Financial mismanagement During a In The SIU told parliament that the contractor for the first phase failed to perform and eventually abandoned the site, with the municipality terminating the contract in 2022. The proclamation is limited to only the first contract and, as such, the SIU is not mandated to investigate the procurement of the remaining three contracts at this point. The unit's estimated completion date is 31 October and, so far, it has referred four individuals to the National Prosecuting Authority for fraud charges. In terms of its second focus area on corruption, it has identified 65 roleplayers for 'high-level profiling' including officials, private individuals and entities. So far, nine officials have been red-flagged for further lifestyle analysis due to assets purchased and/or living beyond their means, it said. Twenty-seven were red-flagged for further lifestyle analysis and/or suspicious transactions. In It is also looking into the 'War on Leaks' programme and the alleged irregular appointments of and payments to Rand Water and the Energy and Water Sector Education and Training Authority (EWSETA) between 2015 and 2019. Investigations are ongoing into the R500 million Drop the Block project. On the R10 million Almost Empty Outdoor campaign, the SIU team found that Sedibeng Water was appointed as an implementing agent contrary to legislation and the department's policy prescriptions. It said Sedibeng Water had appointed a service provider using a deviation from procurement processes by going through an emergency procurement, which was irregular, among others and the investigation is continuing. In the War on Leaks programme, where 15 000 young people were meant to be trained as water agents, plumbers and artisans, the SIU said indications were that the appointment of the EWSETA was not in terms of any legislative prescripts or the water department policy framework. The SIU team is focusing on the authorisation and appointment of the service providers appointed by Rand Water and EWSETA. The approved budget amount was R2.2 billion 'but the team has identified that R4.7 billion was paid out thus far, this number is still growing with the SIU's forensic accounts quantification process'. A total of R1.7 billion was paid to Rand Water, including R40 million in 'unexplained and unsubstantiated contingency fees'. The SIU team identified 29 individuals for high-level profiling in its corruption focus area for the War on Leaks, as well as suspicious transaction reports, in its ongoing investigation. 'No stone unturned' Water and Sanitation Minister 'We are working with the SIU and we are going to ensure that we don't leave any stone unturned on issues and matters that have been referred to the department … We have met several times with the SIU and we did not question their findings but we said whatever was referred to us, we are going to investigate and have a conclusion on the matters. We are not going to leave any matter unattended,' she said. The department's deputy director-general for corporate services, Nthabiseng Fundakubi, told parliament's portfolio committee on water that there had been no unauthorised expenditure by the department since the 2018-19 financial year. The department is implementing a financial recovery plan addressing, among others, performance and discipline/consequence management systems; institutional stabilisation and compliance and financial management. 'These efforts have resulted in an improved internal control environment leading to unqualified audit opinions in both accounts,' Fundakubi said. There had been no unauthorised expenditure since the 2018-19 financial year, while there had been a reduction in incidents of irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure. Fundakubi said internal forensic audits since 2019-20 had led to 446 allegations of financial misconduct being investigated, with 326 of them found to be valid. 'Most of the disciplinary processes have been completed and the remainder are still in progress.' A further 73 cases were under investigation and seven cases that had been received recently were still to be investigated. The resulting disciplinary processes had led to various sanctions including dismissal, demotion, suspension without pay and written warnings. 'These cases resulted in an amount of R1 307 861.87 being recovered through [the] civil recovery processes and a judgment of R27 610 067.17 in favour of the department,' she said. 'Another R77 million still needs to be paid to the department, so the SIU has helped us to recoup more than R500 million, most of which has already been repaid to the department,' he said. SIU head Andy Mothibi told the committee briefing: 'We are really pleased to see that there is action taken against the officials. We will continue to engage the department, particularly around the rate of representations that are made to the department and decisions are made not to take action, we are really interested to hear the kind of representation that has been made.' On the issue of departmental officials resigning before disciplinary action is taken, he said: 'We just want to assure the honourable committee that when employees resign, they may have terminated the employee-employer relationship … but we will still pursue them for criminal action where evidence points to them and also civil litigation where they have contributed to the damages suffered by the department.'
