Track: Systems Engineering

Abstract

Large swaths of rural communities in South Africa are faced with water shortages. The Mpumalanga province is one of the most hard-hit areas in the country with very unskilled water administrators and old infrastructure exacerbating the problem. Lack of access to clean piped water affects local communities, surrounding agricultural farms and the few available industries in the province. The acid mine drainage at abandoned mine shafts also adds another dimension to the problem. In this research, the opportunities for poor communities to have access to potable water and also store enough water that will cater to the demand of water supply is investigated. The effective pumping systems strategic management are also addressed in this study to assist management to maintain the leaking and burst pipes. The delay in attending water related queries means more losses of water. An empirical investigation is conducted in the Mpumalanga province to identify the areas that have a water shortage and implement systems and strategies that will result in enough portable water to the affected rural communities.   The development of the empirical model and its testing with data obtained through questionnaires administered in the province forms the focus of this paper.