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IOL News
5 days ago
- General
- IOL News
South Africa's infrastructure crisis: WRC demands urgent climate resilience training
World Environment Day is celebrated on June 5. Image: Ron As World Environment Day is commemorated on Thursday, the Water Research Commission (WRC) has called for reskilled and upskilled workers to incorporate climate resilience into their work. South Africa is reportedly facing an infrastructure crisis that threatens its ability to cope with the realities of climate change. The country's drainage systems are overwhelmed by heavy rainfall, while dam storage capacities are compromised by sedimentation. Roads and bridges are deteriorating at an alarming rate, reflecting a broader issue: the skills required to maintain and develop infrastructure have not evolved to meet current challenges. Lesego Gaegane, Senior Project Manager at the Water Research Commission (WRC), said the cracks in our infrastructure serve as a stark reminder of a nation unprepared for climate realities and emphasised the need for infrastructure that can adapt to climate impacts. 'Our current urban drainage systems are not adequately equipped to handle these changes,' she said. Many engineers, artisans, and planners are trained in outdated systems that do not align with the current needs on the ground. To address this, there is a pressing need for reskilling and upskilling in climate resilience practices. 'Although heavy rainfalls have occurred, we cannot store as much water as needed because our dams are not at full capacity due to sedimentation. Poor land use contributes to this issue, and we lack an optimal approach to manage it,' Gaegane explained. The challenges extend beyond technical aspects; they involve systematic planning for the long term. 'When we build infrastructure, insufficient thought is given to maintenance. This oversight leads to new constructions failing within five years due to a lack of proper maintenance plans,' she said. The solution lies not in new policies but in practical skills development. 'When constructing a dam or power plant, skills development must be included in contracts to ensure knowledge transfer to young engineers. If we do not integrate skills development into project delivery, we risk creating infrastructure that fails prematurely, leading to higher costs and service disruptions,' Gaegane said. To foster sustainability, she said, South Africa must cultivate cross-sector competencies that reflect the interdependence of water and energy systems. Water is essential for energy production, particularly in hydropower and cooling systems, while energy is critical for every stage of the water cycle, from abstraction to treatment and distribution. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ For instance, energy auditing within water utilities can help reduce operational costs, while understanding water footprints in energy production supports more efficient resource use. Embedding these skill sets across engineering, planning, and operations curricula is not just important; it is urgent. 'This isn't optional. Skills development is essential for preventing collapse. Infrastructure cannot exist without skills, and resilience cannot be achieved without both,' Gaegane said. At the recent DEVAC Infrastructure Summit in Johannesburg, Gaegane called for a collaborative approach to infrastructure development, integrating training requirements directly into contracts while promoting local innovations. 'TVET colleges must play a central role in this effort, recognising that Africa's infrastructure future relies not only on engineers and scientists but also on skilled technicians and artisans,' she said. One notable initiative is the Giyani Local Climate Resilience Programme, which deploys solar-powered boreholes while training local communities in managing both water and energy infrastructure. This dual-skilling approach has improved operational reliability, reduced costs, and created sustainable employment opportunities. Under Gaegane's leadership, the National Siltation Management Programme (NatSilt) has pioneered occupation-based skills programmes focusing on dam siltation, ecological restoration, and catchment rehabilitation. These training programmes, developed with a recognition of prior learning framework, have secured accreditation from the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations and partnered with the University of Johannesburg to mainstream Dam Siltation Management short learning programmes for sector-wide upskilling. Gaegane emphasised the importance of championing local innovation. 'African solutions rooted in local knowledge will yield the most resilient outcomes. We must not overlook the vital role of ecological infrastructure; our natural buffers are essential complements to engineered systems,' she said. The summit's discussions reinforced the notion that Africa's infrastructure must be both climate-resilient and people-resilient. KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Public Works and Infrastructure, Martin Meyer, highlighted the regional significance of infrastructure, stating that if KwaZulu-Natal ports fail, South Africa and Africa fail. Deputy Minister of Electricity and Energy, Samantha Graham-Mare, advocated for policy reforms that support localisation, while Namibia's Minister of Works and Transport, Veikko Nekundi, underscored the need for genuine cross-border collaboration. 'Our collective challenge, and indeed our profound opportunity, lies in transforming the continent's infrastructure pipeline into a dynamic platform for skills, innovation, and inclusivity. It is essential that the people of Africa, particularly women, youth, and rural communities, are placed firmly at the heart of this transformative journey,' Gaegane said. IOL
eNCA
23-05-2025
- General
- eNCA
Calls to prioritise climate resilient infrastructure
JOHANNESBURG - Africa is building but are the developments being made sustainably? READ: African Regional Forum | Climate shocks and conflict threaten African health goals As floods, droughts, and power cuts become part of daily life, experts say our infrastructure strategy needs more than concrete and cables; it needs better planning and long-term thinking. The recent Devac Infrastructure Summit raised a bold question: are we future-proofing our infrastructure, or wasting funds on systems that won't survive the next crisis? From training more artisans, to green design and sustainable materials, it's about building smarter, not just bigger. Lesego Gaegane from the Water Research Commission discussed this with eNCA.
Mail & Guardian
11-05-2025
- Health
- Mail & Guardian
SA's loos not flushed with success
Lost opportunity: Researcher Teboho Mofokeng says using drinking water to flush toilets is irrational. Every day, South Africa's coastal cities discharge roughly 300 million litres of For She said that amount of water is enough to provide about 1.5 million to two million people with drinking water every day 'and that is just from us flushing our toilets into the sea. Surely we can rethink what we are doing.' Mofokeng is the co-author of a new The research, commissioned by the Water Research Commission, found that Capetonians were willing to pay up to 10% more on their water bills to use seawater to flush their toilets — as long as it doesn't smell or stain the bowls. Mofokeng said water could also be treated to remove harmful bacteria and reused to flush toilets. But this would require a closed water system. In Cape Town alone, 20% to 30% of the city's drinkable water provided to households is used to flush toilets. As the demand for housing grows, so does the need for water and sanitation. When new housing developments are connected to the water supply network, alternatives such as seawater and recycled water for toilets should be considered, rather than using potable water. For their study, the researchers asked 239 people whether they would be willing to flush with seawater or recycled water — or continue to flush with drinking water but pay more to do so. They were also asked how they felt about toilet wastewater being discharged into the sea. The respondents had mixed findings. 'Overall, 90% of people were willing to move away from using drinking water for toilet flushing, but only if the new water source did not stain the toilet bowl, was clear and had no smell.' Nearly 60% of the respondents preferred using seawater to recycled water to flush toilets. But there were differences in preference according to income, gender and household size. About 45% of the people interviewed earned more than R12 800 a month and they preferred to use potable water to flush toilets. But women with a higher education qualification were more likely to pay extra for both seawater and recycled water options. Furthermore, homes in which more than three people lived were more likely to pay for recycled water than seawater. 'My interest was in understanding whether the choices we make around using alternative water sources are embedded from a pro-environmental influence; [in other words] if I use alternative water sources, then it's better for the environment,' said Mofokeng. 'From a research perspective, women tend to make those [environmental] choices more than men and people with a higher level of education also tend to make those kinds of decisions and also older people,' she said. On average, 10% to 15% of Capetonians' municipal bills went towards paying for water. The study looked at the preferences of households that pay R350 to R900 a month for water and found they were willing to pay 5% to 10% more to use alternative water. 'In the way that we set up this experiment and the models that we are using, it allows us to understand what qualities are important for people and under what circumstances would they But the study found that people were not willing to foot the bill for treating wastewater that would be discharged into the sea. They were also in favour of the city treating wastewater, but only if it reduced their water bill by up to 7%. Mofokeng said flushing toilets with seawater has its downsides. 'It would need a duplicate network to be set up, with one network of water pipes for the drinking water supply and another for the toilet flushing water supply. This would mean that both new and ageing water systems would be set up or replaced by systems with a duplicate pipe network. 'Usually water supply networks use concrete, steel or plastic pipes. But because seawater corrodes, plastic pipes will be needed for the seawater flushing pipe network. Plastic manufacturing and the raw materials needed have a significant impact on the environment,' Mofokeng explained. But steel or concrete pipes would need to be replaced more frequently than plastic pipes. Storage facilities, such as reservoirs, would also need to be built and a new system set up to treat seawater before it is piped to people's homes. The chemicals and electricity required to clean the water, supply water to consumers and eventually dispose of the wastewater would bump up the costs. And because the country's electricity is predominantly produced through burning coal, using up more energy in a duplicate water system would increase global warming significantly. This means a renewable energy system would need to be set up. Mofokeng added that climate change will result in a drier south-western Africa. Unpredictable rainfall and frequent droughts will mean less freshwater available for people to drink. She said it was crucial that coastal cities such as Cape Town, whose populations are growing, invest in water supplies from 'unconventional' sources. She said people have to become more aware that not all household activities need to use potable water. 'Increasing public awareness and education about the benefits of using alternative water can help people to accept that they won't be able to flush their toilets with clean, drinkable water for much longer.' The need to recycle water is a 'no-brainer' around the world but the problem is public perception and public acceptance of it, Mofokeng added. She pointed out that Windhoek, the capital of Namibia, has been producing purified drinking water from its wastewater for more than 50 years, while Singapore recycles its wastewater, turning it into safe, clean potable water. 'Until we start building new developments that have two-pipe systems, where the one is dedicated just for flushing toilets [using recycled or seawater], once people have that level of experience, then maybe it will become the new normal.'
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
South Africans flush toilets with drinkable water: study in Cape Town looked at using seawater instead
As the planet gets hotter and freshwater sources dry up, cities and towns will not be able to continue the global norm of using millions of litres of clean, drinkable water to flush toilets. South Africa's Water Research Commission recently commissioned a study into using seawater to flush toilets in Cape Town. Water engineering lecturer Teboho Mofokeng researches water management and reuse in South Africa and she co-authored the study. She spoke to The Conversation Africa about Capetonians' willingness to pay up to 10% more on their water bills to use seawater to flush their toilets, as long as it doesn't smell or stain their toilets. The first problem is that the city uses clean, treated drinking water for toilet flushing. Generally, 20%-30% of the city's drinkable water supply to households is used to flush toilets. The water used for bathing, cooking, laundry, cleaning and flushing toilets goes down the drain. It is treated at wastewater plants to remove harmful germs before being pumped back into rivers. Read more: The second problem is that in some Cape Town communities (as well as the coastal cities of Durban and Gqeberha in South Africa), wastewater is discharged into the sea with little treatment to remove harmful germs. Although the government permits a certain amount of discharge, this pollutes the ocean. The third problem is that as demand for housing grows, so does the need for water and sanitation. When more and more wastewater is discharged into the sea, it is a lost opportunity to keep the water within the urban water management system, and use it again. South Africa's water supply network is ageing, has not been well maintained and is due for replacement or repairs. When new housing developments are connected to the water supply network, there is an opportunity to come up with alternatives to using drinking water to flush toilets. One option is seawater. Another could be recycled water. Toilet water could be treated to remove harmful bacteria and reused for flushing. This would need a closed water system for flushing toilets. It would eliminate the current loss of drinking water flushed down toilets and then discharged into the sea. Studies have shown that most households would prefer to flush with recycled water than clean, drinkable water. However, our study is the first to investigate how people feel about flushing with seawater. We asked 239 people if they'd be willing to flush with seawater or recycled water or continue to flush with drinking water but pay more to do so. We also asked how they felt about toilet wastewater being discharged into the sea. Our survey had mixed findings. Overall, 90% of people were willing to move away from using drinking water for toilet flushing, but only if the new water source did not stain the toilet bowl, was clear and had no smell. Read more: We found that 58% of the people we surveyed preferred using seawater to recycled water for toilet flushing. However, there were differences in preference according to income, gender and household size. About 45% of the people we interviewed earned more than R12,800 (US$697) per month. They preferred to use drinking water to flush toilets. But females with a higher education qualification were more likely to pay extra for both seawater and recycled water options. Homes where more than three people lived were more likely to pay for recycled water than seawater. On average, 10%%-15% of Capetonians' municipal bills goes to paying for water. We looked at the preferences of households that pay R350 to R900 per month for water and found they were willing to pay 5%-10% more to use clean and clear alternative water. They were also willing to use water with a slight odour if they got a discount of up to 60% on their monthly water bills. Treating wastewater before discharging it into the sea would cost money. We found that people were not willing to foot this bill. They were in favour of the city treating wastewater only if it reduced their water bill by up to 7%. Firstly, it would need a duplicate network to be set up. This would be one network of water pipes for the drinking water supply and another for the toilet flushing water supply. This would mean that both new and ageing water systems would be set up or replaced by systems with a duplicate pipe network. Usually water supply networks use concrete, steel or plastic pipes. But because seawater corrodes, plastic pipes will be needed for the seawater flushing pipe network. Plastic manufacturing and the raw materials needed have a significant impact on the environment. On the other hand, steel or concrete pipes would need to be replaced more frequently than plastic pipes. Secondly, storage facilities like reservoirs would need to be built to store the seawater and a new system set up to treat seawater before it is piped to homes. Read more: Thirdly, the chemicals and electricity required to clean the water, the supply of water to consumers and eventually the disposal of the wastewater would add to the costs. Since South Africa's energy is still electricity made by burning coal, using up more energy in a duplicate water system would increase global warming significantly. So, a renewable energy system would need to be set up. Despite these drawbacks, a duplicate system has worked well in Hong Kong. Using less freshwater also benefits the environment more. Climate change will result in a drier south-western Africa. Unpredictable rainfall and frequent droughts will mean less freshwater available for people to drink. Therefore, it is crucial that coastal cities like Cape Town, whose populations are growing, start investing now in water supplies from unconventional sources. People have to become more aware that not all household activities need to use drinking water. Increasing public awareness and education about the benefits of using alternative water can help people to accept that they won't be able to flush their toilets with clean, drinkable water for much longer. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Teboho Mofokeng, University of Cape Town Read more: The world needs more toilets – but not ones that flush How the world needs to change as regions get drier Reducing and reusing wastewater: Six essential reads for World Water Day Teboho Mofokeng receives funding from Water Research Commission and National Research Fund . She is affiliated with WISA, ECSA and IWA.
