The energy crisis is just an introduction to the real crisis that lubricates the economy and that’s water, said Benoit Le Roy, Director of Operations at Nexus Water Alchemy.

During the recent 1.5 Degrees: Africa’s Net Zero Conference and Expo, the topic of Africa’s overstretched water resources was unpacked at length to understand its link in relation to climate change mitigation, energy creation and meeting net-zero ambitions.

In trying to address the threat of water losses and inadequate water management in South Africa, panellists also discussed the use of technology for water security through digitalisation.

“Water is a fundamental economic lubricant and we take it for granted from a health perspective. What we’re starting to see now with climate change, and a lot of other [factors], is that our [water] assets are not in the condition that we would like them to be,” Le Roy said.

Climate change and water resources

South Africa’s current water reserves are quite constrained due to a combination of evaporative losses and a lack of sufficient groundwater recharge due to heavy downpours and droughts, among other issues, such as leaks.

As temperatures rise, the evaporation of South Africa’s water resources becomes even more of a threat. Therefore, it is imperative that water assets are improved, managed well and kept in optimal condition for maximum output.

This is imperative as water is vital for the success of businesses, specifically in the agriculture sector which is South Africa’s biggest water user.

“We have a threat to our [water] reserve. We are encroaching in places of overallocation into the environmental reserve,” said Le Roy. “We’ve got evaporation rates of up to 80% and the temperatures.”

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Digitising and digitalising water assets for real-time asset management

In order to manage water assets, panellists discussed the importance of digitalising water management processes to avert disasters and stay up to date with the state of South Africa’s water affairs.

One panellist, Adriaan Coetzee, Cape Town Office Manager at iX Engineers, said the traditional way of managing assets and data is not enough anymore. “We need to digitise and we need to collaborate with machines to enable us to manage these challenges,” Coetzee said.

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Leonardo Marnus from the City of Cape Town’s Water and Sanitation Department explained that digitisation in the water sector can be helpful in obtaining as much information as possible about South Africa’s water status.

As such, digitisation can be used as a preventative measure to stay updated on maintenance needs before an issue arises. By painting the full picture of the status of water assets, governing bodies can begin to align their short-, medium- and long-term plans with realistic data.

Using probes and censors, and eventually predictive analysis and maintenance, municipalities can then put a management system in place and keep their fingers on the pulse. However, it will require significant investment into the sector’s technologies and human capital.

Support for water policy

In trying to achieve Africa’s water security objectives, Fanus Fourie, a hydrogeologist at the Department of Water and Sanitation, highlighted the importance of implementation and action for water policy.

Kavita Pema, Group Head: Sustainability and ESG at AECI Limited, questioned whether businesses have to correct levels of support and understanding from a policy perspective, noting that businesses can incur penalties that disincentivise efficient and recycled water use should the full bureaucratic process not be followed.

“We cannot be held ransom for doing the right thing,” Pema commented, emphasising the importance of a holistic water management regime.

As a result of regulatory issues, there is a lot of information that remains unknown in South Africa’s water sector, said Le Roy. However, Coetzee noted, through education, collaboration, communication and implementation, South Africa’s water systems can be protected from climate impacts and optimised for the future. ESI