Gauteng Water Sector stakeholders make inputs into the National Water Resource Strategy – 3 (NWRS-3)
The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) in Gauteng led by the Provincial Head, Mr Justice Maluleke engaged key water sector stakeholders to make inputs into the National Water Resource Strategy 3 (NWRS-3).
Following several engagements in various provinces from September, the Department in Gauteng engaged with its stakeholders at Birchwood Hotel in Boksburg on Wednesday, 26 October 2022.
Setting the scene, the provincial head Mr Maluleka gave an overview of the state of water in the province, challenges, and key strategic priorities.
Maluleka highlighted that the National Water Resource Strategy provides an appropriate framework for the protection, use, development, conservation, management, and control of water resources, taking challenges into account.
One of the key objectives of the consultative workshop was to obtain commitment and support for the NWRS-3 to improve the management of water resources in the country. The primary key focus of the NWRS-3 is to ensure equitable and sustainable access to and use of water by all South Africans while sustaining the water resource.
The Cabinet approved the National Water Resource Strategy-3 for gazetting and public consultation.
“The Water Sector Partners and various Stakeholders supported the implementation of the second edition of the National Water Resources Strategy that was published in August 2013,” Maluleke said.
This enabled the water sector to attain some targets and milestones through collaborative efforts. For instance, it was through collaborative efforts among Government, NGOs, private sector, and water users in Cape Town that the Day Zero was avoided there in 2018. Improved water use efficiency by users coupled with allocation curtailments by Government undoubtedly saved the day.
In his provincial overview presentation, Maluleke reminded the delegates that Minister Mchunu convened an emergency meeting with municipalities and Rand Water to ascertain the impact of stage 2 water restrictions implemented by Rand Water.
The water restrictions were imposed on the three Metros, namely, City of Ekurhuleni, City of Johannesburg and City of Tshwane.
“The department will increase the bulk water allocation to the Rand Water system as an emergency measure to address water shortages in the Gauteng Metros, District and local municipalities,” said Maluleke.
Maluleke further outlined the water resource challenges in the province which include stressed catchments where demand exceeds availability, lack of operations and maintenance, unattended leakages, illegal connections, and vandalism of infrastructure.
The NWRS-3 workshop broke into four commissions which looked into and deliberated on issues of increasing water supply, managing water and sanitation services, regulating the water and sanitation sector, reducing water demand, redistributing water for transformation, promoting international cooperation, creating effective water sector institutions, addressing legislative and policy gaps.
Further, management of water and sanitation under a changing climate, improving raw water quality, protecting, and restoring ecological infrastructure, data collection, analysis and information management for effective monitoring, evaluation and reporting, building capacity for action, ensuring financial sustainability and enhancing research, development and innovation.
After some lengthy discussions from the breakaway sessions, a number of suggestions were made with a view of providing solutions to the challenge of provision of adequate water.
The outcomes of the Gauteng NWRS-3 consultative workshop will go a long way in ensuring sustainable water resource management for the socio-economic development of the country.

Source: Government of South Africa