A one size fits all approach to tackle problems around water conservation and water demand management (WCWDM) will not work. Solutions must be grounded in local realities and resource availability and tailor-made to suit specific areas. This is essential for sustainable water management and effective service delivery
One crucial message emerging from recent water sector conferences and dialogues is this: There is no universal solution. It is inadvisable to focus on surface water resources in the Northern Cape when the province is highly dependent on groundwater. Strategies should be developed around sustainable groundwater exploration, groundwater source and aquifer protection zoning, looking at recharge values and abstraction rates. In areas where there is a lot of mining activity, effluent reuse and water loss control should be low hanging fruits. Whilst desalination for seawater and brackish water has become a reliable method for water supply, it’s imprudent to consider the application of seawater desalination across the board, when it’s a more suitable in coastal regions.
Water conservation and demand management has changed
During the beginning of the industrial revolution, water conservation was all about building dams to capture and store water so that it could be distributed as needed. The subsequent major focus on inter-basin transfers as intervention measure is therefore not surprising. However, the average incremental cost of applying intervention measures through inter-basin-transfers is considerably high. Whilst the same applies for desalination due to its high energy-intensive processes, there are less expensive options for consideration, notably: water use efficiency, water loss control, augmentation of local resources and effluent reuse.
Today, water conservation largely centres around using less water and protecting the environment. Water conservation should be both an objective in water resource management and water services management as well as a strategy.
Demand management is often perceived and understood in a limited context and usually equates to communication programmes and tariff increases. Demand management is the development and implementation of clear cut, deliberate, tailor-made strategies and initiatives associated to managing water usage.
Dr. Harrison Pienaar, chairman, WISA
Governance must be considered. National departments, water boards, municipalities, and local water user association all have their own distinct mandates and perspectives. This fragmentation often results in a lack of coordination and role clarity in WCWDM. Demand management interventions in the case of a municipality focusing on its local end-users interventions would be different from that of a water board, being concerned with bulk water supply. In conclusion, we need to consider the best intervention for a specific area. Ultimately, South Africa needs to abandon the “basket of options” approach, where every potential solution is explored simultaneously, regardless of context. As demonstrated in Windhoek, Namibia, success comes from clear, focused choices – i.e. reclaimed water or no water at all. Commitment, coordination, and contextual decision-making are the keys to ensuring water security in a complex and often unpredictable environment. By Dr. Harrison Pienaar, chairman, WISA
