| THE only thing stopping an ambitious R940 million housing partnership between government and business from reaching its full potential in Port Alfred is a lack of drinking water. Although just 500 of the proposed 5000 houses will be completed this year,Human Settlements minister Tokyo Sexwale yesterday promised the rest would be built when Ndlambe’s decades- long water woes were solved. No indication on when and how the water issue would be adequately resolved were provided yesterday. Comprising almost equally of 2350 subsidised units and 2250 affordable bonded units,the groundbreaking development is being hailed as a blueprint to solve the country’s housing problems. Several workers complained they had not been paid. Sexwale promised the issue would be rapidly solved.
By DAVID MACGREGOR  According to the Green Drop report,compiled by the water affairs ministry,only 45 percent of waste-water systems assessed scored more than 50 percent.
This means sewage is not being adequately treated in most of SA’s 850 treatment works. Insufficiently treated water is discharged into local river systems,affecting downstream users such as farmers and rural communities,and degrading ecosystems. But if sewage treatment works are not improved,SA could in time lose more of its water resources,putting more strain on agriculture. Fresh water is already in tight supply,with the Eastern Cape suffering a severe drought. Half of municipalities did not take part in the report which was compiled from 2008 to last year. Business Day said the report was meant to be released in November but had been kept under wraps. It was expected to be made public yesterday. Report by Business Day One of the city’s newest attractions,a floating vessel shaped like a ball which was built by deaf Khayelitsha residents,has won the most innovative product award at the 2010 SA Boating Awards. The Whisper Ball is a boat shaped like a ball which floats on the water powered by an eco-friendly electrical engine. It was recognised as the most innovative boat invention of the year at the weekend. Peter Jacops,chairperson of the Whisper Boat Building Academy for the Deaf in Khayelitsha,said he was extremely happy and excited at the news. “Hopefully this will help us and the academy further so that we can take on more deaf youngsters and train them to become professional boat builders so that they can earn a decent living,”Jacops said. The Whisper Ball is docked at the V and A Waterfront and floats around the harbour. By Nikita Sylvester JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – South Africa needs “urgent”investment of some R100-billion in bulk water infrastructure and reticulation,and it will be up the State alone to do this,says Xstrata CEO Mick Davis. Davis,who addressed the Wits Business School,says that,“in the not too distant future,under-investment in water infrastructure risks pitting the mining industry against its own communities,as water scarcity grows. “It doesn’t have to be this way and value can be captured from the ongoing super-cycle,”Davis adds. While mining companies can operate much of their own infrastructure,including power and rail transport,it will be far more difficult for them to operate water infrastructure,he says. Read Full Story…  WASHINGTON (Reuters) –Ice deposits at least 6 feet thick can be found in some small craters on the moon,researchers reported Monday in one of two studies showing more evidence of water on the moon and Mars.
The second study suggested that ice has recently melted and re-frozen on Mars,widening some of the characteristic gullies on its surface. The two studies add to the political and scientific debate about how best to explore our solar system and the universe —with missions that include human crews,or experiments using robots and remote surveys. The administration of President Barack Obama last month said it would cancel the Constellation program to return astronauts to the moon by 2020 after a review found the $108 billion program was underfunded and already off-track to meet most of its goals. Obama’s plan is to contract with private companies to do some of the work needed to investigate Mars,as well as asteroids,using robots,remote sensors and perhaps some astronauts. “As the moon has been bombarded with water-bearing objects such as comets and meteorites and implanted with solar wind hydrogen over geological time,some of this material must have made its way into these cold,dark areas,”they wrote in Geophysical Research Letters.  When it comes to water in Rajasthan,you don’t take any chances —you guard it with your life. Well,not quite,but villagers in areas where water scarcity has reached alarming proportions now think nothing of forking out anything between Rs 100 and Rs 200 a day to hire private security guards to keep away the ever increasing tribe of desperate water thieves.
If you are passing by villages like Sri Kolayat,Khajuwala,Pugal or Bajju near Bikaner,security guards protecting tanks or even ponds are a common sight. These are places where water is scarce and theft rampant. Shyam Lal,from Khajuwala,says the guards even keep animals away from quenching their thirst in the local pond. “There are 8,000 villagers and they depend on this water body. So,we have hired four security guards to protect the pond round the clock. And the pond is also drying. It hasn’t rained here properly for nearly five years.” Guards also ensure that no family gets more than its share. Each family’s quota is decided based on the number of members in the household. “Often,villagers take away water using pipes and electric motors. But we keep check round the clock and keep outsiders and stray animals away from the water tanks,”said a guard. A senior police official told TOI that cases of water theft for the purpose of irrigation was higher compared to stealing of drinking water. He claimed the police are also doing their best to keep water thieves at bay but the villagers prefer to let private guards do the protecting. Even if it means pooling in hard-earned money to pay for it.  Some municipalities are falling further and further behind on their payments to water boards,warns the Democratic Alliance
A recent written reply by Water Affairs Minister Buyelwa Sonjica to a parliamentary question showed the total amount owing was now well over a billion rand,DA MP Gareth Morgan said in a statement. “Over a billion rand owed to water boards is extraordinarily high and must surely hamper the ability of many water boards to operate effectively and to make the required infrastructure investments,”he said. Several water boards appeared to be in a perilous situation. “Lepelle Northern Water has over R249 million owing to it,of which over R231 million is arrears. Bushbuckridge Water has over R151 million owing to it,of which R147 million is arrears,while Sedibeng has R146 million owing to it,with over R121 million being arrears,”Morgan said. According to Sonjica’s reply,municipalities owe water boards a total of R1,262,047,056. Of this amount,R653,416,344 is current debt and R608,630,712 arrears. By Sappa  Photograph by:JORGE SILVA Opposition MPs warned of a crisis in the state of South Africa’s water affairs,pinning the blame for it on mismanagement. Your department has let South Africa down,and seriously so,” Democratic Alliance MP Annette Lovemore told Water Affairs Minister Buyelwa Sonjica. Lovemore,speaking during debate on the water affairs budget vote in the National Assembly,called on the minister to show “vital,critical and urgent leadership to address the current shocking level of mismanagement of our water resources”. Ground and surface water quality in South Africa was deteriorating fast,and people had died after drinking polluted water,she said. “We are sitting on a time bomb. This is a water-scarce country with a growing population and outdated infrastructure designed to serve a small portion of citizens who live in the privileged areas.” Holomisa said government had failed in the past 15 years to bring the infrastructure in underprivileged areas on a par with privileged areas. THE Water Affairs Department is planning seven new bulk water projects to be completed in the next three years. Though no price has yet been put on the projects,Minister Buyelwa Sonjica told a media conference in Parliament that,ideally,her budget should be more than R100 billion over the three years. As it is,she will have to manage with R8bn ,R9.1bn and R9.6bn . Sonjica also spoke about unconventional water augmentation projects,including desalination plants around the coasts. The seven new bulk water schemes include the Mokolo River project that will supply water to the Medupi power station . — I-Net Bridge  Installing a domestic Solar water heater has become cheaper,thanks to Eskom subsidy.
Eskom has announced that,subject to certain conditions,it will substantially increase subsidies through a 15-30% rebate for the installation of approved solar heaters. This brings the previous rebate figure of R4900 to a new maximum of just over R12 000. A solar water heater can save UP to 30% of the electricity usage in an average household. For a family of four with an average electricity bill of R900 per month,a typical solar system would cost between R12 000 and R35 000 to install. However this system could produce savings of some R300 per month,or R3600 per year – and even more if proposed electricity tariff hikes in the coming years materialise. The City will make it easier for residents by offering a fixed repayment plan thought their rates account. For more information visit: www.eskom.com/dsm |  Against a global rainfall average of 870mm per year,South Africa receives a pitiful 450mm,making it the worlds 30th driest country. Water Rhapsody,with 15 years experience in water conservation,is number 1 in South Africa in Grey water recycling systems and Rainwater harvesting systems. Water Rhapsody,a WWF Green Trust award winner,can save you up to 90% of your municipal water bills!  WWF Green Trust Award |
