New threat on the horizon: Water safety
[{“type”:”text”,”content”:”The loadshedding crisis looms largely over the lives of South Africans. From the economy and jobs to safety and the cost of living, virtually no part of life in South Africa has been left untouched. Agri SA has also contributed to this discussion, raising the potentially catastrophic implications of loadshedding for the countryu2019s food security.nnBut while all eyes have been on loadshedding, another threat is growing: the threat to water safety in South Africa. This challenge is inextricably linked to loadshedding, but is also a consequence of systemic local government failures. And this highly consequential matter must be a priority for the ministers of electricity and of water and sanitation, Kgosientso Ramokgopa and Senzo Mchunu, respectively.nnAt the core of the problem is the fact that sewage treatment plants need electricity, a resource in short supply. Energy is required to pump water and to power aerobic and anaerobic processes in water treatment. Loadshedding, unfortunately, interrupts the supply of power, resulting in the degradation of the systems relied on for water treatment, which are exceptionally difficult to reboot once they fail. nThis failure is rendered even more alarming by a second factor from the past, namely that sewage treatment plant regulations mandated the return of treated water to rivers. For this reason, it made sense to position these plants close to rivers and waterways. But when treatment processes fail, the untreated water is likely to flow directly into vital water resources. Loadshedding (worsened by government inaction) has brought about precisely such failures in parts of the country.”,”position”:0,”id”:”1obyRg0XfZEhDjH4″}]