THE IMPACTS OF A LACK OF ACCESS TO GOOD QUALITY POTABLE WATER

1. THE IMPACTS OF A LACK OF ACCESS TO GOOD QUALITY POTABLE WATER Rand Water March 2013

2. CONTENTS What is good quality water? What is not good quality water? Implications of poor quality water Relevance to Presidential outcomes Proposed solutions Rand Water capabilities and track record Conclusion

3. WHAT IS “GOOD QUALITY POTABLE WATER”? • Water that has : • NO harmful organisms or chemical compounds (safe) • NO visible floating matter (clear) • NO offensive odour • NO offensive taste • Complies to relevant standards 100% of the time

4. WHAT IS NOT “GOOD QUALITY POTABLE WATER”? • 100% compliance, some of the time • <100% compliance, some of the time • <100% compliance, all of the time

5. IMPLICATIONS

6. Underweight (malnutrition/poverty) HIV/Aids High blood pressure Smoking Alcohol Unsafe water & sanitation Cholesterol Indoor smoke Iron deficiency Overweight 3.4 mill/a 2.9 7.1 4.9 1.8 3.4 4.4 - 0.88 0.5 (USA/Europe) THE TOP TEN KILLERS WORLD HEALTH ORG (2002)

7. HEALTH • People die • Poor water and sanitation services kill more people than war, terrorism and weapons of mass destruction combined. • 4 000 children die each day from contaminated water – 80% of them are <5 years old. • 1 Jumbo airplane with 500 passengers crashing every 30 minutes!

8. WATERBORNE DISEASES-SOUTH AFRICA • 12% of children under the age of 5 die due to diarrheal diseases – DoH (2008) • 2.6% of all deaths and disability adjusted life years (DALYs) are attributable to unsafe water, sanitation and hygiene. • 2003-2004 there were 894 reported cases for Shigella • 9503 Hepatitis A cases reported in RSA in 2004 • Rotaviruses caused diarrhea outbreak in Northern Cape in 2005 • In 2004-2005 typhoid cases were reported in Limpopo and Mpumalanga, with confirmed cases of mortality • During the past 7 years rural communities in RSA had severe outbreaks of cholera in KZN, Limpopo, Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga with cases of mortality • The national figure for diarrhea 214.9 per 1 000 children under 5 years of age in the target population (SAHR, 2007)

9. BLUE DROP AWARD ASSESSMENTVOLUNTARY REGULATIONSouth Africa 90% of water systems did not achieve blue drop status.

10. 84% of all diarrheal disease in South Africa is attributable to water and sanitation Levin et al (2007)

11. ECONOMIC IMPACTS • Absenteeism • Productivity • Health care • For every $1US invested in water and sanitation there is projected $3 - $34 economic development return (UN WWAP, 2009)

12. ECONOMIC IMPACTS WRC Report 2010: A comparison of the costs associated with pollution prevention measures to that to treat polluted water resources. • Case study: cost of diarrhoea in the Olifant Water Management Area.

13. Economic losses as a result of the mortality and morbidity impacts from lack of water and sanitation in Africa are estimated at US$ 28,4 billion or about 5% of GDP (UN WWAP 2009)

14. As water quality degradation continues, the prevalence and impacts of disease will increase, particularly among poor and vulnerable

15. FOOD SECURITY IMPACT • Good quality water is essential for food production • Many potential points of food contamination via water during process of growing, harvesting, packing, processing, shipping, preparation and consumption of food • Many disease outbreaks reported in developed and developing countries

16. SOCIAL IMPACT • Disrupted family structures – loss of family members • Children not attending school • General quality of livelihood (chronic conditions)

17. POLITICAL IMPACT • Access to good quality water is a basic human right • Service delivery protests • Violence • Damage to property

18. RELEVANCE TO PRESIDENTIAL OUTCOMES • Improved quality of basic education • A long and healthy life for South Africans • All South Africans should be safe and feel safe • A skilled and capable workforce to support an inclusive growth path • An efficient, competitive and responsive economic infrastructure network • Vibrant equitable, sustainable rural communities with food security for all • Environmental assets and natural resources that are well protected and enhanced.

19. PROPOSED SOLUTIONS • Source water protection • Education & awareness (hygiene, catchment to tap) • Monitoring & data collection • Governance and regulation (WSP) • Water treatment (efficiency) • Wastewater treatment • Asset management (infrastrucutre) • Water quality standards (compliance eg Blue Drop) • Institutional capacity building • Strengthening enforcement (licensing and pollution) • “African solutions for African problems”

20. Effectiveness of various Water Sanitation and Health interventions in reducing diarrhea morbidity WHO 2004

21. RAND WATER CAPABILITIES AND TRACK RECORD • 110 year track record of World class potable water provision to economic hub of African continent (12 million consumers) • No health related water quality incidents for 113 years • Global award from IWA for education and awareness program • Outstanding track record of water quality compliance to SANS standard and WHO guideline

22. Cont. • Platinum Blue Drop award from DWA for top water quality management for past 3 years • First utility in the African continent and one of the first few in the world to implement water safety plans (WSP) which is state of art approach to manage and assume water quality • IWA Honorary Award for Excellence in managing drinking water quality • Capacity building initiatives on WSP offered to • Local Municipalities • Many utilities in Africa • State of art website (www.reservoir.co.za) which houses all water quality information, accessible to all • Wastewater treatment services offered and utilized by municipalities

23. CONCLUSION Rand Water is a national asset which is capable and well positioned to improve the lives of South Africans

24. water is life