THE subject of water productivity is at the centre of both the private and public sectors. The public sector is responsible for providing sustainable, secure and safe water to all users in South Africa, as enshrined in the Constitution.

The provision of water therefore implies that the services of the public sector should involve: water harvesting; water storage; water treatment; water distribution; and wastewater removal and treatment. Water productivity implies any human or economic activity gaining more benefits by using less water.

According to a Department of Water Affairs and Forestry's (DWAF) document for water growth and development, South Africa is under threat of not meeting its water requirements by 2025, if resources are not better managed. The Treasury's 2012 budget review projected that without better management South Africa's water demand will outstrip supply between 2025 and 2030, says the document. About 70% of the earth is covered by water, and of this 97% is salt water, thus leaving only 3% of the water to be shared by all living organisms.

Water, the economy and the environment are highly correlated. While South Africa is still struggling with the legacy of old water infrastructure, water demand due to increased industrialisation and urbanisation is increasing faster than the population. These factors are geared towards water scarcity, thus highlighting an immediate threat to water security. Water scarcity has far-reaching implications for this country. It will harm productivity and affect people, especially the poor, during water rationing, and will eventually lead to economic paralysis.

South Africa is a semi-arid country with an average annual rainfall of 490mm. While it can be assumed that all areas in South Africa get fair amount of water in a year, the rainfall varies from west to east in South Africa. The west side of the country gets rainfall only during half the year whereas the east and southeast side of the country receive rainfall throughout the year. One may assume that the country is fairly well resourced insofar as rainfall is concerned, but it is concerning that the water lost through runoff (50 billion cubic metres) is more than double (14 billion cubic metres) the water used, thus making the country susceptible to insufficient water resource, especially during droughts. The runoff is also the main source of surface water pollution.

The other sources of water pollution include households, commercial, industrial and municipality waste, agriculture and acid mine water. The main polluters are also the main users of water. In 2009, Blignaut et al showed that water allocation was mainly to these users: agriculture sector (64%), mining and manufacturing sectors (6%), households (23%) and energy (2%); all sectors are highly dependent on water. Water availability is one of the factors that affect these sectors' decision to locate in a specific area.

For South Africa to be productive and competitive, the sustainable use of water is a must. The emphasis for increased efficiency and water productivity need to change to ensure that abstraction and water discharge impacts positively on economic growth. With the looming threat of water scarcity, water policies need to go beyond making water available and accessible to all, but must also enforce efficient, sustainable and productive use of water. Efficiency in the productive use of water should form the basis of activities for each person and business.

The most concerning issues on productivity have also been raised by Barbier (2004) who first of all acknowledged the importance of water utilisation in economic growth. This is driven by the fact that productivity involves water as one of the productive inputs for businesses. Also acknowledging that water utilisation is likely to be restricted in a water constrained economy, Barier (2004) stressed that efficient water utilisation ensures that per capita water consumption will be maximised. However, even if the highest efficient productivity water use may be achieved, South Africa will still remain under threat due to financial and capacity constraints, especially from the dwindling skills in the water sector that continue to pose a serious challenge.

By: Bongani Coka - CEO of Productivity SA