Non-Potable Water Use/Reuse in South Africa: Review and Strategic Issues

In many water scarce communities across the world (e.g. Gold Coast - Australia, Hong Kong - China, Islands of the Caribbean and Pacific, and Windhoek - Namibia), non-potable water use/reuses have been employed. In essence, the non-potable water source (e.g. coastal/sea/ground saline water, mine effluent, sewage effluent, and grey water) is targeted at meeting non-potable water requirements (e.g. toilet flushing, landscape and/or crop irrigation, industrial (including mining) cooling and other processes) traditionally met using potable water. This therefore frees potable water to be used for previously unmet or increasing potable water requirements. For several reasons, the use/reuse of non-potable water for non-potable water requirements has been limited in South Africa. This is despite the fact that South Africa is a chronic water scarce country (500–1000 m³/person/annum) approaching absolute water scarcity (<500 m³/person/annum). Regulatory and guideline documents at the national, provincial and municipal level to implement such an alternative have been lacking. This paper highlights a few non-potable water reuse schemes that currently exist in South Africa and the strategic issues, which if adequately attended to, will facilitate a broader acceptance of non-potable water use/reuse.