As the precious resource of water remains contentiously in the spotlight, experts from WSP in Africa’s Property & Buildings team share their collective insights on the ripple effects of water shortages on properties and businesses, as well as proactive protection measures.
Alison Groves, Discipline Lead: Built Ecology, WSP in Africa, says: “South Africa is no stranger to the crisis that water scarcity and water shortages present. Recurrent water outages, intermittent water supply and water restrictions have persisted across parts of the country at varying times and degrees over the past several years and persistently in parts of Gauteng over the past year.”
Also persisting are the main causes of the country’s water woes - poorly maintained and aging infrastructure and the impact of climate change. As noted by the World Bank, less than 9% of the annual rainfall received filters into the region’s rivers and only about 5% goes on to recharge groundwater aquifers. This, along with South Africa’s arid and semi-arid climate, makes us a highly water stressed country and highly vulnerable to a changing climate.
Water wastage is an ongoing problem
“Over-and-above the very real challenges present with climate change and its impact on weather patterns and rainfall, persistent water wastage and losses are compounding the immediate water shortage crisis in the country,” says Groves.
It’s been reported that South Africans use more water per person, at 235 litres per capita per day and 36% more than the global average of approximately 173 litres per day per person.
However, usage is not the only cause of water scarcity, nor is limiting its use the singular solution. The bulk of our water loss is due to leakages and aging infrastructure. Nationally, we lose 40.8% of the water piped through our infrastructure to pipe leaks, while fluctuations in pressure worsens the situation by leading to bursts.
Articles in the press have noted that this has an economic cost too, with non-revenue water losses sitting at 47.4%. That is money that could otherwise be spent on repairing aging infrastructure and addressing the problem in a sustainable way.
Groves warns that while the spate of rain over the Summer season has helped refill the country’s dams in some places, flooding has caused physical damage to dams and rivers, which continues to compound prevailing water infrastructure issues. “It also doesn’t help if the water supply cannot reach where it needs to go due to poorly maintained pipes. Exacerbating our current water supply woe is that the Lesotho Highlands Water scheme project has been undergoing maintenance and has yet to fully come back online.”
The impact on businesses
For these reasons, the consistent availability of water has replaced electricity outages as a key concern for businesses in 2025. Certainly, without consistent power, business operations are impeded. However, as the country confronted its power supply crisis in recent years, businesses were able to adapt and make alternative plans to keep their lights on.
“Water scarcity poses a less forgiving challenge,” Groves states.
If businesses don’t have water in their pipes, they do not have backup alternatives in the same way. Water scarcity brings hygiene issues to every business and office block, forcing employees, unable to use the toilets, to go home.
Then there are businesses such as breweries, bottling companies, mines, manufacturing and those in the food industry that are even more dependent on water. Without a consistent supply for their operations, businesses ground to a halt, which has a far-reaching impact on the economy as a whole.
Water scarcity also ripples across and impacts on interconnected supply chains. For example, a drought that affects agricultural zones can lead to shortages of raw materials for food processors and retailers in the province. Manufacturing industries reliant on water-intensive processes could also be forced to contend with delays or increased costs in their operations; costs that then are passed on to the consumer.
Looking to solutions
As the adage goes, there is no problem without a solution, although some solutions are more valid than others.
One option, though short sighted, is drilling a borehole for industrial water use. However, this requires a water license and comes with several administrative hoops to jump through. It should also be noted that using borehole water eventually has an impact on the water table, making it unsustainable.
Currently unfortunately using borehole water is not easily monitored or regulated, where unlicenced and illegal borehole drilling can also have unforeseen and disastrous consequences, as was seen with a recent incident disrupting the Gautrain, forcing the government to take a harsher stance.
Whether it’s a commercial building/precinct or an industrial plant, to mitigate water outages, or the long arm of the law, organisations should rather develop proactive water management strategies, which WSP’s experts agree should include:
#1 Proactive awareness
Every employee should be made aware of the water scarcity issue, the importance of valuing water and how to conserve at work and at home.
#2 Smart metering, monitoring and efficiencies
A single dripping tap or leaking toilet can waste up to 30 litres of water per hour.
Advanced and even artificial intelligence (AI) enabled smart metering, leak detection and monitoring systems help to understand where and how much water is being consumed, pick up on any leaks to be addressed urgently, which is essential to water conservation efforts and proactively safeguarding any property.
Hlologelo Manthose, Built Ecology Sustainability Consultant, WSP in Africa, says: “Fixing a drip or leak can be as simple as replacing a faulty valve, but the water savings over time will make a significant impact, as will installing highly efficient water fixtures and appliances that use far less water while maintaining functionality and user comfort.”
Carlo Cecchi, Discipline Lead: Connected Building Technology, WSP in Africa, adds that using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, which can analyse vast amounts of data, enables property owners to forecast water needs and identify potential issues before they become critical. However, he cautions that critical water infrastructure must be secured on an IT level.
“Precision sensor technologies, including moisture sensors and automated irrigation systems that are securely connected to the Internet, can optimise water use in commercial scale water systems. When this is done collectively, then both waste reduction and better water security can be attained,” says Cecchi. “Any digitalisation of your property water management systems must be protected from cyberthreats. This can be accomplished using the likes of network segmentation and multi-factor authentication.”
#3 Build in resilience
Explore opportunities for capturing wastewater (grey water harvesting, black water treatment etc.), and alternative water supply (rainwater harvesting, stormwater harvesting, treated effluent etc.) treating it and reusing it, wherever possible.
“Typically, water that does not have to go to sewage is considerably easier to treat to an acceptable standard and be reused. In this way, businesses can create their own sustainable closed circuit. Onsite water re-use strategies reduce reliance on municipal water and infrastructure, making the building resilient and future proofed,” says Manthose.
Chad Metzer, Director: Discipline Lead: Public Health, WSP in Africa, agrees and indicates that there are many technologies and systems that can be considered to achieve a sustainable, future ready way of living. “Greywater and rainwater harvesting systems, for example, can easily be installed at residential homes, new and existing commercial developments etc. These systems are relatively cost effective, decentralised, and proven in South Africa’s drought zones.”
Large facilities such as hospitals, hotels, high rise residentials, where there is substantial water demand, translates to a substantial amount of wastewater being discharged down the drain. Water treatment plants can treat the wastewater and provide treated water for irrigation, flushing of toilets and even to a potable drinking level of quality that can be re-introduced back into the system thereby reducing the water drawn from the municipality.
“Our municipal water infrastructure is notoriously unreliable with constant interruptions. When we design domestic water systems for a development, whether it’s a single storey or high-rise commercial building, 20 MW Data Centre, a large-scale healthcare facility, etc. we base our designs on the premise that there is no guaranteed water supply, nor guaranteed water pressure or water quality from the municipality. With these three assumptions in mind, we consider the most efficient back-up water storage and pumping systems, to ensure a more reliable water supply system,” says Metzer. “To address quality of water, water treatment/purification systems such as reverse osmosis, carbon filtration and water softening may be implemented to ensure water is safe for the building occupants and any water-based pipe systems within the building that utilise municipal water.”
Nabeel Mahomed, Director: Discipline Lead: Fire Engineering, WSP in Africa, warns that building in resilience is critical – almost non-negotiable – for fire protection and safety.
“Beyond daily consumption, a well-designed and maintained water infrastructure is vital for fire protection, ensuring that sufficient water is available to combat fires effectively. It must be noted that South African building codes stipulates that council does not guarantee water flow and pressure to any site, new or existing. This means that the onus falls on the property owner to ensure that all regulatory frameworks and standards are adhered to, including efficient water storage and distribution systems to support firefighting efforts, so as to ensure that water infrastructure meets necessary requirements for reliability and safety, throughout the lifecycle of the property,” says Mahomed.
Collective collaborative for change
As with the power shortages over the past several years, addressing water constraints needs collective action.
“Plugging the water crisis requires collaborative and concerted efforts across government, business and society at large, to save water where we can, upgrade aging infrastructure, and use water resources more smartly. Only then will we be able to navigate the challenges that climate change brings and ensure that the country can avoid the looming possibility of day zero for water supply,” concludes Groves.
