Is Rand Water safe?

Rand Water holds the country's highest security classification. Yet thieves were able to plunge the organisation into its worst crisis in over a century.

The utility is listed as a national key point because it provides water to 60% of South Africa's population.

It shares this classification with nuclear power stations, airports and other sites of national strategic importance, with each declared a national key point to deter potential saboteurs.

On Monday, cable theft resulted in a power outage that caused the utility's Palmiet pump station to fail, cutting off water to tens of thousands of Gauteng residents.

Rand Water's spokesman, Justice Mohale, is refusing to comment on security issues relating to the utility. He said the cable was stolen at an Eskom substation in Alrode.

"We were just informed by Eskom that cable theft resulted in a power failure."

But the parliamentary portfolio committee on water and sanitation wants to know exactly how the theft occured and how South Africa's economic hub might have been compromised.

Committee chairman Mlungisi Johnson said Rand Water did not live up to its listing as a national key point. He was speaking after the committee had conducted a site visit to assess the situation and find solutions to Gauteng's water crisis.

Experts say that as a national key point , Rand Water must have backup plans and simulate possible disaster scenarios.

Water researcher Dr Anthony Turton said: "There was a time when there would have been very strict measures in place. As a national key point they would have had disaster scenarios and tested response times but, over time, this has fallen away."

He said critical components should be on hand to get systems running as quickly as possible. These, he said, included generators.

Andries Jordaan, a University of Free State lecturer on disaster management, said contingency plans had to be in place, and that Rand Water would have to do continual risk assessments.

The Rand Water 2011 Sustainability Report states that, in accordance with the Disaster Management Act, it was required to have "an integrated and co-ordinated approach that focuses on rapid and effective response to disasters".

The report also called for improved public communication with the media.

On Thursday the Minister of Water Affairs and Sanitation, Nomvula Mokonyane, told Rand Water that it needed to communicate better with communities regarding the water crisis.

It was also announced that a joint committee had been formed to deal with the crisis.

Johnson identified three issues that needed to be addressed - the ageing infrastructure, maintenance and copper theft.

Warning of the implication of continued water cuts to national security, Johnson said: "There will be revolution with people taking to the streets. We don't want to see that happen. Going forward, the province and the country has to have a water plan in place."

In June in Bloemhof in North West two babies died of diarrhoea after drinking contaminated municipal water.

Earlier this year, street battles over water shortages broke out in the Brits township of Mothutlung between residents and police, leaving two people dead.

In a statement yesterday Rand Water said it had restored water to several suburbs in Johannesburg and Pretoria as well as Ekurhuleni.