Overview of waste water treatment governance in the Berg River Catchment, South Africa

Abstract

The water resources of South Africa are contaminated. A major contributor to this challenge is poorly managed operational and incompetently controlled municipal waste water treatment works (WWTWs). The objective of the research was to investigate the interfaces and challenges of co-operative governance based on waste water treatment works within the Berg River Catchment Water Management Area (WMA). In this study, the Drakenstein Municipality (DM) was used as an example of a municipality, located within the Berg River WMA in the Western Cape Province. Questionnaires were distributed to participants within the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) and DM to obtain their views and opinions (data) regarding co-operative governance in the management and operation of WWTWs. Results were analysed and several challenges and factors contributing to the failure of municipalities fulfilling their constitutional obligations related to management and operation of WWTWs were indicated. These included the lack of resources (human and financial) and technical skills, high staff turnover, lack of stakeholder engagements, delay in issuing of licenses, co-operation among officials within various directorates of DWS, insufficient support from national sphere of government to local government funding for the ageing of the current infrastructure. It is suggested that the DWS develop an operational strategy aiming to strengthen the licensing and compliance and enforcement units. Furthermore, collaboration between spheres of government and the external (relevant) stakeholder is necessary as the stakeholders work closer to communities and know what is happening within the community at large. The implementation of the recommendations made, may enable all institutions responsible for the management and operation of WWTWs to work in a holistic manner and adhere to principles of co-operative governance as mandated by the Constitution (1996).