The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) plans to spend R1.6-billion in the 2014/15 fiscal period on the upgrade of dilapidated water infrastructure across South Africa and a further R220-million on the Dam Safety Rehabilitation Project, which would see the full rehabilitation of 81 dams.

In a written Parliamentary response to Economic Freedom Fighters MP Makoti Khawula, Water and Sanitation Minister Nomvula Mokonyane stated that Cabinet had set a target of providing “90% reliable” water services by 2019.

She added that areas experiencing current water shortages had been captured in the basic water services backlog eradication master plan and that the DWS was working with the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs to address the matter.

“A comprehensive water supply situation assessment for each of the priority 27 district municipalities is [currently] under way [in this regard] and first order assessments are already available,” Mokonyane outlined.

Based on these assessments, detailed water supply master plans were being developed for each municipality to identify and address unserved areas, areas that required refurbishment, areas with ageing infrastructure, areas with operations and maintenance problems and areas that required new infrastructure.

Support programmes were also being developed to address planning, implementation and ongoing management.