As a nation, we’re potentially in for shedding of a different kind. The Department of Water and Sanitation has indicated that we could be facing dire water shortages in South Africa by the year 2020. The inconvenience caused by Eskom’s loadshedding pales in comparison .

While climate change is taking its toll on our environment, with lower annual rainfall levels being recorded, the real problem seems to be the loss of water through dripping taps, broken pipes and other infrastructure complications. South Africa is already using 98% of its drinking water supply and a whopping 37% of this is being lost through the complications stated above.

Based on our population growth, it has been projected that a staggering R293bn will need to be spent over the next five years to avert the crisis. That’s not money we have, let alone half of it.

Are we in for a Mad Max-esque kind of future for our country? I don’t believe so, due to innovations in technology helping countries with sustainable water supply solutions. Now if only these innovations could be rolled out sooner rather than later.

Read more here and here.

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67 Comments
  • Anette Du Preez
    Anette Du Preez
    May 19, 2015 at 1:00 pm

    Ok…not that we need more excuses to leave this country…

  • Hilary Prior Hazell
    Hilary Prior Hazell
    May 19, 2015 at 1:04 pm

    This has started. No water in Khayelitsha last weekend

  • Cynthia Price
    Cynthia Price
    May 19, 2015 at 1:19 pm

    What a country!!!!! Everything is going down the drain!! Time to say good bye!!

  • Cixty Collins
    Cixty Collins
    May 19, 2015 at 1:52 pm

    😉 wow hahaha loadshedding is’t not even cool friends stays in dark mmm? haha life sometimes so?

  • Jodi King
    Jodi King
    May 19, 2015 at 1:54 pm

    Troy Ashton Futter

  • Jacky Botha
    Jacky Botha
    May 19, 2015 at 2:01 pm

    Oh my word..what’s next??

  • Vivian Zuzeka Magadlela
    Vivian Zuzeka Magadlela
    May 19, 2015 at 2:04 pm

    Hahaaaaaa water shedding it started already here on Saturday,I got water to bath from my neighbour

  • Merryl Streak
    Merryl Streak
    May 19, 2015 at 2:08 pm

    What’s their excuse for that now?

  • Leigh Ferreira
    Leigh Ferreira
    May 19, 2015 at 2:12 pm

    FML

  • Steven Steyl
    Steven Steyl
    May 19, 2015 at 2:24 pm

    And yet we breed like rabbits, be kind to your unborn and use a condom

  • Noxolo Nhokx Floshe
    Noxolo Nhokx Floshe
    May 19, 2015 at 2:34 pm

    I think God is coming to take His people

  • Craig Hack
    Craig Hack
    May 19, 2015 at 2:48 pm

    Well let’s just hope government don’t drop the ball on this as they’ve done with the electricity crisis! …… Time for change U0001f44dU0001f3fc

  • Sbizen Tlou Eric Tladinyane
    Sbizen Tlou Eric Tladinyane
    May 19, 2015 at 2:49 pm

    Eskom ppl r tryn 2b clever nw so w cn stop complaining abt load shedding. …

  • Haley Albrecht
    Haley Albrecht
    May 19, 2015 at 2:50 pm

    Just scary

  • MikeandNola Taylor
    MikeandNola Taylor
    May 19, 2015 at 3:05 pm

    Let us be responsible and positive about our land. What can you do about the WATER~ do not waste it

  • Amy Malan
    Amy Malan
    May 19, 2015 at 3:08 pm

    Regtig!! Dit raak nou ‘n pyn in g@t !! Wie kan die skuld kry vir die gemors in ons land??

  • Kim Szczot
    Kim Szczot
    May 19, 2015 at 3:16 pm

    Amanda U0001f631U0001f631U0001f631

  • Sidney Lebotschy
    Sidney Lebotschy
    May 19, 2015 at 3:29 pm

    Noxolo Nhokx Floshe I wish it was that easy……its part of the trails and tribulations we will go through U0001f60aU0001f60aU0001f60aU0001f60aU0001f60a

  • Hannes De Beer
    Hannes De Beer
    May 19, 2015 at 3:35 pm

    Live in darkness and lick yourself clean! Waaaaaaaa!!!!

  • Anette Du Preez
    Anette Du Preez
    May 19, 2015 at 3:41 pm

    Too many people for the water resources…

  • Jenny Ludwig
    Jenny Ludwig
    May 19, 2015 at 3:50 pm

    The democraphics of our country is scary but true..way back in the early 90’s a paediatrician who’s lectures I attended told us that we are in for a rough ride as far as our H2O resources are concerned..& it’s all happening!!

  • Victoria Beukes
    Victoria Beukes
    May 19, 2015 at 4:10 pm

    AMEN noxolo

  • Victoria Beukes
    Victoria Beukes
    May 19, 2015 at 4:10 pm

    god time is near

  • Jacqueline Lindhorst
    Jacqueline Lindhorst
    May 19, 2015 at 4:13 pm

    When I see how people abuse water, like watering their gardens for hours on end, or hosing down their garden paths instead of sweeping, I’m not surprised! U0001f620

  • Derrick Van de Groep
    Derrick Van de Groep
    May 19, 2015 at 4:16 pm

    Hahahaha Tarryn Elizabeth-Aviv Van Zyl

  • Natasha Bryan September
    Natasha Bryan September
    May 19, 2015 at 4:40 pm

    Next we going to pay for the air we breath…the way this country is going

  • Michael C. Timberlake
    Michael C. Timberlake
    May 19, 2015 at 4:57 pm

    Watershed. …A great band 🙂

  • Marguerite Winton
    Marguerite Winton
    May 19, 2015 at 5:03 pm

    I said & put it on FB that about 2months ago…..

  • Natalie Carol Jaffe
    Natalie Carol Jaffe
    May 19, 2015 at 5:15 pm

    Oi

  • Frank Peters-Hollenberg
    Frank Peters-Hollenberg
    May 19, 2015 at 5:28 pm

    Tax swimming pools for starters!

  • Evert Van Urk
    Evert Van Urk
    May 19, 2015 at 5:39 pm

    we didn’t have water 18/05/15 in Soneike, Kuilsrivier from 9am to 2pm already.

  • Desmond Thomas
    Desmond Thomas
    May 19, 2015 at 6:13 pm

    All just because the people in charge doesn’t know what they are doing.

  • Ed Reblin
    Ed Reblin
    May 19, 2015 at 6:21 pm

    Getting used to it… Even if phone shedding follows… BUT once beershedding pops up we seriously have to talk!!!

  • Paul James
    Paul James
    May 19, 2015 at 6:24 pm

    Free water…….

  • Colin Muller
    Colin Muller
    May 19, 2015 at 6:27 pm

    Why do people sensationalize everything? There is no water scarcity, even if there was a drought, there is something called desalination plants that can produce drinking water from sea water . Let’s focus on fixing the power issues first 🙂

  • Ucinda Marcus
    Ucinda Marcus
    May 19, 2015 at 6:33 pm

    Thats the story of my life here in Jozi, its either without water or its without electricity, the day i have both, im starting a upraising….

  • Fito Patricia Gqomfa
    Fito Patricia Gqomfa
    May 19, 2015 at 6:35 pm

    this country is not going down the drain, government just wanna milk us

  • Martin Dekker
    Martin Dekker
    May 19, 2015 at 8:09 pm

    PLEASE!! PLEASE!! GUYS!! WE got loadshedding and very soon watershedding!! This cANCer GOVERMENT they never bother in 21 years to build DAMS AND POWER STATIONS!! BECAUSE they got NO SKILLS TO DO IT!! THEY ONLY GOT SKILLS OF HOW TO ENRICH THEMSELVES AND CORRUPTION!! THEY DON’T KNOW WHAT THE WORD INFRASTRUCTURE AND CIVIL LIBERTY TOWARDS ENGINEERING OF DAMS AND POWER STATIONS FROM THE TAXES WE PAID TO PARLIAMENT FOR CIVIL RIGHTS.THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY.!! We need to get these “BAFFOONS OUT OF GOVERMENT” OR else we all going to SUFFER. WAKE UP GUYS!! WAKE UP.!!

  • Fiona Appie Obeng
    Fiona Appie Obeng
    May 19, 2015 at 8:45 pm

    It’s happening in Kimberley already

  • Johannes Hendrik Vorster
    Johannes Hendrik Vorster
    May 19, 2015 at 8:48 pm

    Luckily there is water in stores to buy.

  • John Coetsee
    John Coetsee
    May 19, 2015 at 8:55 pm

    Desalination process costs $ and infrastructure takes expertise/ neither are surplus I’m NSA

  • Suzanne Smith-Heyns
    Suzanne Smith-Heyns
    May 19, 2015 at 9:19 pm

    And still we faithfully pay through our necks every month…. taxed to death!!

  • Colin Muller
    Colin Muller
    May 19, 2015 at 9:26 pm

    Still cheaper than power generation . . . Expertise are locally available, but SA requires the government to act as effective project managers .

  • Ria Malan
    Ria Malan
    May 19, 2015 at 9:47 pm

    And who waste the most….municipalities with the water sprayers spraying all over the street even when it is raining…

  • Deirdre Stier
    Deirdre Stier
    May 19, 2015 at 9:51 pm

    Problem is the Whites in this country do not stand together like our Blacks!

  • Tertius Wait
    Tertius Wait
    May 19, 2015 at 10:26 pm

    Support us in preventing wattershedding http://igg.me/at/proudlyeco

  • Pat Mimommee
    Pat Mimommee
    May 19, 2015 at 10:27 pm

    Amen to that

  • Maisie Parker
    Maisie Parker
    May 19, 2015 at 10:47 pm

    That will help….less people

  • Kim Krause
    Kim Krause
    May 19, 2015 at 11:13 pm

    Not just in south africa….in canada electricity prices have doubled in five years….just like here….in california almost half the water supply is gone….One solution would be to invest in ocean tech for desalination, electricity production and hydrogen development….but that would mean thinking ahead…something most governments seldom get right….

  • Kim Krause
    Kim Krause
    May 19, 2015 at 11:14 pm

    Hope he starts with the ANC. …

  • Dave Waterman
    Dave Waterman
    May 20, 2015 at 6:44 am

    Great country.

  • Cliff Hall
    Cliff Hall
    May 20, 2015 at 6:56 am

    TM dams are the lowest I have ever seen them!!

  • simonjgood
    simonjgood
    May 20, 2015 at 7:41 am

    CapeTownEtc and when it happens, we will blame which ever government governs….we bring this upon ourselves #waste #human #weather

  • Dale Hawkins
    Dale Hawkins
    May 20, 2015 at 9:54 am

    Then you still need power to extract water from the oceans.

  • Anthony Hibbert
    Anthony Hibbert
    May 20, 2015 at 10:35 am

    As this the same minister that said we should build smaller dams, then they will be full?

  • Leon Basson
    Leon Basson
    May 20, 2015 at 10:37 am

    Ok, a warning 5 years in advance, 10 years behind. Should we ask the Department to publish their strategic plan and solutions in order to avoid another “Eskom, Nkandla, weapons scandal, xenophobia fiasco”…

  • Charlyn Wessels Dyers
    Charlyn Wessels Dyers
    May 20, 2015 at 10:58 am

    Why are we not taking climate change to heart?

  • Braam Laubscher
    Braam Laubscher
    May 20, 2015 at 11:19 am

    I will still do that…..because I pay for my services ….I don’t get it for free like other.

  • Pieter J Swarts
    Pieter J Swarts
    May 20, 2015 at 11:26 am

    Kort n heel nuwe goverment

  • Toni Nolte
    Toni Nolte
    May 20, 2015 at 1:29 pm

    so do u think because u pay for the water that u can waste it by hosing down ur garden path? this is why this country is in trouble people. There are people everywhere without basic neccessitiea and we think just because we are afforded the privilege of basic services and infrastructure that qe have more rights. blah blah blah

  • Gordon Wilson
    Gordon Wilson
    May 20, 2015 at 3:57 pm

    Don’t despair… At least we know that the last shedding to take place will the useless polititionshedding . Good time to be a candle maker

  • Lorraine Mewett
    Lorraine Mewett
    May 20, 2015 at 4:53 pm

    Coming from Bermuda which has no rivers all houses collect rainwater from off the roofs in underground tanks. Houses being built from now should incorporate such a system. As for desalination this might be feasible for commercial properties but would be prohibitively expensive for households.

  • Leigh-Anne Swart
    Leigh-Anne Swart
    May 20, 2015 at 8:28 pm

    Yes amen

  • BloodyClarey
    BloodyClarey
    May 21, 2015 at 4:04 pm

    CapeTownEtc heard this again last night at the #WildlifeInCrisis conference. Feel a game of thrones style meme coming…”drought is coming”

  • CapeTownEtc
    CapeTownEtc
    May 21, 2015 at 4:18 pm

    BloodyClarey Scary stuff!

  • BloodyClarey
    BloodyClarey
    May 21, 2015 at 4:19 pm

    CapeTownEtc yea we got problems on our horizon; poaching, load shedding, water shedding U0001f640 very frightening!

  • Eefka Young
    Eefka Young
    May 23, 2015 at 9:41 pm

    Bring on solar and wind power fast.

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