MANDATE
Rand Water’s mandate, as the largest bulk water utility in Africa and one of the largest in the world, is to supply bulk potable water services to 18 municipalities, mines, industries and direct customers (“Customers”) through a distribution network of over 3 056km. Rand Water’s mandate is based on the same spirit that has driven Rand Water’s growth in terms of infrastructure and water quality, creating a reputation for supplying world-class quality water that is of international standards.
Rand Water is faced with a challenge of both Formal and Informal Encroachments on its servitudes.
In order to achieve its primary mandate, Rand Water acquires land to build reservoirs to store water and lay pipelines and its associated infrastructure to convey bulk potable water to its Customers. Where Rand Water does not have land, it acquire servitudes from different land owners in order to lay bulk pipelines. A servitude is a limited real right over the land of third party which gives Rand Water a limited real right to lay bulk water pipelines. Rand Water servitudes are identified by white beacons, blue cathodic protection structures and concrete valve chambers.
Rand Water is currently facing a serious challenge of encroachments by the public which builds over and in close proximity of its servitudes. An encroachment occurs when a member of the public builds or erects a permanent structure within Rand Water servitudes without the consent of Rand Water. Encroachments can either be formal or informal.
Formal encroachments occur in instances where members of the public build houses, erect wall fences, construct mall/shopping centres or install infrastructure such as cables, within the servitude area.
An Informal encroachment occurs where people have built informal dwellings on Rand Water’s servitudes or pipelines and such informal dwellings are not approved by the municipality in terms of township planning legislation.
Encroachments on Rand Water’s pipelines and services are extremely dangerous to both person and property. Rand Water pipelines do not transport water via gravity, the water in the pipe is pumped to its location, and as a result of such there is an immense amount of constant pressure on the pipeline. Any additional pressure on the pipeline caused by any type of encroachment may cause it to burst. A pipe is constantly running with tons of water moving at a high pressure, the magnitude of damage caused by a burst pipe is massive and will result in death to any person and damage to any property in close proximity to the pipe.
The implication of these encroachments can have the associated problems
- Unauthorised connection to Rand Water’s bulk water pipelines to get access to drinking water;
- Potential danger to people’s lives in the event of a burst pipe
- Safety risks to Rand Water personnel patrolling and servicing the pipeline
- Access to the servitude is impossible
The aim of this awareness is to ensure that Rand Water successfully gets rid of the encroachments, and maintains a clear servitude, this an only be possible if all the role players agree on the approached to be followed, and fully adhere to them.
There are multiple stakeholders that deal with cases of encroachments, they range from all spheres of government, consultants, going all the way down to the grassroots levels being the community. Community participation plays a critical role in this problem, the community is able to identify and define the problems, they can also seek solutions together with other stakeholders. The process of community participation with all stakeholders has the effect of ensuring that there is effectiveness, efficiency and accountability at all times.