OUTA and Water Shortage SA have identified these key lapses in water regulation that highlight the need for an Independent Water Regulator:

• Blue Drop reports (on the quality of tap water) and Green Drop reports (on the quality of wastewater systems) have not been published since 2014;
• The Vaal River is seriously polluted by untreated sewage discharge;
• Water pricing in municipalities is not regulated resulting in under-recoveries and compromised services;
• Agriculture is not able to access the required volumes and quality of irrigation water during normal seasons and drought; and
• Municipalities are on average leaking 37% of their water.

We hope the establishment of an independent water regulator will:

• Provide a regulator which is independent of the Department of Water and Sanitation, as this is one of the entities it must oversee;
• Permanently address the Department of Water and Sanitation’s failures in regulating South Africa’s water sector;
• Ensure no political interference in the regulation of water; and 
• Unlock and facilitate investment in South Africa’s water sector so as to ensure sustainable economic and socio-economic development.

OUTA and Water Shortage SA position paper

In April 2019, OUTA and Water Shortage SA published a position paper on this issue. This paper is here