The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) has started the public consultations for the third iteration of the National Water Resources Strategy (NWRS-3).

The draft NWRS-3, approved by Cabinet for public consultation in February, has been open for public comment, for a period of 90 days, since its publication in the Government Gazette on July 29.

The NWRS is the blueprint for water resources management in South Africa and requires all authorities and institutions to implement or operationalise the National Water Act.

The draft strategy, which builds on the first NWRS edition, published in 2004, and the second edition, published in 2013, was preceded by a three-year review of the NWRS-2, which identified areas of success and areas that remain a challenge.

The draft strategy comprises three thematic goals, namely that water and sanitation must support development and the elimination of poverty and inequality, that water must contribute to the economy and job creation, and that water must be protected, used, developed, managed and controlled sustainably and equitably.

Within these goals are ambitions of increasing water supply; reducing water demand; effectively managing water and sanitation; regulating the water and sanitation sector; redistributing water for transformation; promoting international cooperation; managing water and sanitation under a changing climate; improving raw water quality; and protecting and restoring ecological infrastructure.

This is supported by enabling targets that include the creation of effective water-sector institutions; data collection, analysis and information management for effective monitoring, evaluation and reporting; building capacity for action; ensuring financial stability; enhancing research, development and innovation; and addressing legislative and policy gaps.

DWS director-general Dr Sean Phillips said at the public consultation conference that the third edition of the NWRS should take into account the risks of climate change.

“Those risks should also be integrated into short, medium, and long-term water and sanitation sector strategies and planning,” he said, noting that the new reality of climate change is posing a threat to water security in the country, which has a knock-on effect on water-reliant sectors such as agriculture, health and energy.

The mainstreaming of climate change considerations in town planning and water planning and management is critical, he said during his keynote address on the strategic direction on the legislative review and key strategic priorities of the NWRS-3.

Overall, the draft strategy proposes strengthened integrated water quality management and introduces a stricter minimum requirement for wastewater treatment, while providing for innovative and appropriate technology on water and sanitation and responding to the National Climate Change Response Strategy.

Following the initial plenary, the stakeholders broke into three commissions to discuss various issues affecting the water sector.

Commission One deliberations included increasing water supply, managing effective water and sanitation services, regulating the water and sanitation sector and redistributing water for transformation, while Commission Two focused on the topics of managing water and sanitation under a changing climate, improving raw water quality, protecting and restoring ecological infrastructure, besides others.

Commission Three, meanwhile, comprised discussions surrounding the promotion of international cooperation, building capacity for action, ensuring financial sustainability, the creation of effective water-sector institutions and addressing any legislative and policy gaps.

Some of the resolutions that came from the various commissions included an emphasis on public and private, intergovernmental and citizen partnerships, the DWS outlined after the public consultations.

Other commentary included science-based limits being essential for water-use licences, as well as the need to carefully understand changes in water quality.

Further, there was a call on Catchment Management Agencies to ensure their stewardship projects will be inclusive of all stakeholders and to regulate tariff zero-based budgeting.

It was also suggested that the Water Research Act be reviewed to cover issues around climate change and water availability.