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Public Hearing on Water Pollution and Water Challenges

This public hearing discusses the impact of poor water quality, the role of water services authorities, and the challenges faced in ensuring clean and safe water for communities. It also highlights the actions and interventions taken to address these issues.

douglasgregory
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Public Hearing on Water Pollution and Water Challenges

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  1. Public Hearing on Water Pollution and Water Challenges Date: 04th June 2008 Venue: Ground Floor, NCOP Building.

  2. Introduction. • DoH participate in the water service provision more to do Quality Control and monitoring and also as the user. • There are Environmental Health Practitioners who do the water sampling in the department to determine the water quality standards. • The DoH is concerned about the impact and effects of poor water quality. • The effects increasing the burden of disease for the DoH, increased mortality, and morbidity.

  3. Background • Water Services Act 108 of 1997 defines authorised local municipalities as Water Services Authorities (WSA’s). • Water services authorities are essentially the regulators of these services and are responsible for ensuring that services are provided efficiently, sustainability and affordably.

  4. Background • WSA’s may appoint water service providers to undertake the operational functions or provides the actual service • Water service providers provide water services according to the Constitution, the WS Act and the by-laws of the Water Service Authority and in terms of any specific conditions set by the WS Act.

  5. Background • According to the WS Act’s Compulsory National Standards for the Quality of Potable Water, section 5. (1) states that a WSA must include a suitable programme for sampling the quality of potable water provided to consumers in its water service development plan (WSDP). • This programme must specify the points at which: - Potable water provided will be sampled including the frequency of sampling and, - The substances and or determinants for which the water will be tested for (Bacteriological or Chemical samples) e.g. E.coli, faecal coliforms, Heterotrophic plate count, residual chlorine, nitrates etc.

  6. Background • It is further outlined that the WSA must compare the results obtained with the SANS 241:2006 specifications for Drinking Water or the South African Water Quality Guideline published by the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF). • In an event that the results revealed that water supplies might pose a health risk to the consumers, the water service institution must inform the Director-General of DWAF, the Head of Provincial Department of Health and its consumers.

  7. Departmental Experience • With all these in place, the DoH continues to be see: • Increase incidents of water borne diseases. • Increases admissions in our facilities. • Impact on the resources of the DoH.

  8. Provincial Picture • Based on various reports from the Provinces, it can be generally assumed and noted that individual provinces still tap their water supply from both surface and groundwater sources and in some smaller communities rain water harvesting is often in use, which primarily means that there are people who still consumes raw or untreated water. • Water quality monitoring is done respectively well in all Provinces even though there are a number of challenges and inconsistencies, thus leaving the community at risk of getting water borne diseases

  9. Challenges with water quality • One of the challenges is that there is fluctuation in compliance from time to time which can be attributable to a number of factors, such as - no/insufficient disinfection, - no/insufficient residual chlorine, - Contamination ground and surface water, - lack of maintenance of infrastructure, - no/insufficient water source protection. • skill shortage (officials not adequately trained to operate water treatment works or monitor water quality a regular basis). • There are times where there is high concentration of pollutants in water that may be available for drinking.

  10. Challenges • Poor water supplies and sanitation services (leakages and breakages) especially in the rural, informal settlements and farming areas. • Continued high incidents of water borne diseases. • Late reporting of the community members to the health facility.

  11. Actions and intervention • Collaboration with DWAF and WSA to monitor and assist with water quality. • The combined efforts for public health education, promotion and awareness. • Strengthening of the ORT in the event of outbreak of the water borne diseases at all level. • Strengthening of diarrheal diseases surveillance system for early detection. • Introduction of Water sampling programme in all Provinces

  12. Thanks very much

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