Women’s Month: South Africans’ mixed reaction to adopting alternative water sources

As climate change wreaks havoc globally – leading to less (or more) rain and an increase in droughts in usually arid regions – it has become increasingly important to diversify South Africa’s long-term water strategy. Step one is ensuring that it includes unique, innovative water sources to guarantee a sustained supply of this precious commodity.

This is crucial to ensure that South Africa’s growing population has enough water for drinking and sanitation purposes for generations to come, said the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Teboho Mofokeng. Mofokeng is a lecturer in the Department of Civil Engineering and a PhD candidate in the department’s Water Research Group – a subsidiary of the Future Water Institute. Naturally, her research interests include water management and reuse in the context of drought; water security; and water, food and energy nexus.

“As a nation, it is critical that we start viewing and managing water differently. But what is equally important is that water users are educated on sustainable water-use behavioural practices to be able to make informed decisions," Mofokeng said.

As part of the UCT News Women’s Month feature series, Mofokeng discussed her latest research study that examined South Africans’ behaviour towards water. This study focused on residents in two communities in Cape Town and Durban.

The plan

South Africa is permitted to dispose of up to 300 million litres of wastewater into the sea every day. Although it’s largely considered “waste”, Mofokeng said this water can be treated – using a process that removes harmful bacteria – and put to good use. While treated wastewater cannot be used for drinking, she said, it can be used for flushing toilets, which, as it stands, accounts for roughly 20–30% of households’ total water consumption.

But would South Africans be open to using alternative water sources to flush their toilets? Mofokeng was determined to answer this question. What she wanted to understand was whether her research participants’ choices were based on an understanding that using lower-grade flushing water reduces the demand for high-quality drinking water; and whether they’ve adopted pro-environmental behaviours because they’re willing to prioritise the shared and long-term interests of the community and the environment over immediate, personal gain.

“We wanted to understand people’s thinking around a shared responsiblty towards the use of sustainable water sources.”

“We wanted to understand people’s thinking around a shared responsibility towards the use of sustainable water sources, with the potential to benefit future generations in the long term,” she said.

Hout Bay vs The Bluff

Mofokeng focused on two seaside suburbs – Hout Bay in Cape Town and The Bluff in Durban – for this research study. To solicit a response, she presented participants with the following scenario: “The cost of drinking water has increased. As a result, would you opt to use seawater, recycled water, or expensive drinking water to flush the toilet?”

Interestingly, she noted that Hong Kong has been using seawater to flush toilets for decades and the method continues to form part of the region’s long-term water strategy. Why can’t the approach work for South Africa, especially in suburbs where wastewater is discharged into the sea without treatment? Mofokeng’s research was designed to test participants’ preferences in colour, smell, cost, water stains and disposal practices for alternative water supply options.

She said respondents in Hout Bay were open to using recycled water to flush their toilets. Their choices stemmed from an awareness that water is a scarce commodity and their sense of responsibility to accept and embrace alternative sources. The pro-environmental behaviour, she noted, was prevalent among non-white heads of households.

“Generally, our research shows that residents in both communities … are willing to accept alternative water sources for flushing, if necessary.”

However, she added, households with an income of R12 800 and more preferred to continue flushing their toilets with drinking water at an increased cost; while households headed by women (who held university degrees or diplomas) preferred using the seawater alternative.

The Bluff residents felt differently. Mofokeng said that while respondents agreed that it is important to adopt pro-environmental behaviours, heads of households (who earned more than R12 800 per month and had lived through a recent drought) preferred to continue using drinking water to flush their toilets. However, she said, homeowners between the ages of 18 and 34 years old who shared their homes with three or more people were comfortable with using recycled water.

“Generally, our research shows that residents in both communities, although hesitant in some cases, are willing to accept alternative water sources for flushing, if necessary,” she said.

Fun fact

Mofokeng said awareness campaigns were effective to ensure residents develop water-conscious behaviours. Both the City of Cape Town and the eThekwini Municipality implemented successful water-wise awareness campaigns during their recent national droughts.

Using Cape Town as a case in point, Mofokeng said her research findings show that respondents’ water choices stem from their pro-environmental behaviour – demonstrating the long-term success of the city’s water-wise awareness campaign. These campaigns recognised and encouraged
water-saving efforts – using water maps that highlighted households’ attempts to save water; and leveraging community engagement programmes to contribute to adopting long-term
pro-environmental behaviours among residents. However, she added, the eThekwini Municipality’s campaign was less interactive and centred primarily on education. So, while 86% of residents there indicated that they understand the importance of being water savvy, they had not yet developed
pro-environmental behaviours.

“So, while awareness is important, it alone will not lead to increased pro-environmental behaviours. That would require integrating those behavioural nudges to have a total mind shift,” she said.

Adopt dual supply water networks

Mofokeng said her research and participants’ responses come at just the right time – as discussions and work get under way to review and potentially replace the country’s dated sanitation pipe network infrastructure, which was built in the 1970s.

She said replacing or upgrading the pipe infrastructure presents an opportunity to rethink conventional water supply systems and consider dual supply networks where feasible, especially considering its success in Hong Kong. With dual water supply networks, Mofokeng explained,
high-quality water is provided for household activities such as drinking water, bathing and cooking, and a separate lower-grade water quality network is provided for other uses like flushing the toilet and watering the garden.

“This study contributes to this knowledge, especially from an African perspective where very little research has been done to understand preferences towards alternative water use.”

“It is clear that participants’ choice to adopt alternative water sources are influenced by the quality of the water, conservation and environmental protection benefits, as well as cost and an understanding and awareness of water systems,” she said. “This study contributes to this knowledge, especially from an African perspective where very little research has been done to understand preferences towards alternative water use.”

Mofokeng said her work demonstrates that South Africans are willing to use alternative water sources. She hopes the results will benefit decision makers and planners as they work towards improving the country’s water supply and infrastructure development, and enhance the design of awareness campaigns, for the long-term benefit of all South Africans.

At the time of writing, residents of the Atlantic Seaboard in Cape Town welcomed the city’s proposal to construct a wastewater treatment plant in Green Point. Residents said that the plant would reduce pollution and waterborne diseases.