The Departments of Water Affairs and Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) will set up a task team that will work towards improving water delivery at municipal level.

The team has been formed to work on an appropriate funding model for the water sector.

“This will involve alignment of grants, a review of the Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG) policy and improved monitoring and evaluation of infrastructure programmes.

“Such a model will look at the whole value chain, including debts owed by municipalities to water boards; and pay specific attention to infrastructure requirements,” Cabinet spokesperson Jimmy Manyi said on Wednesday.

He was addressing the media after Cabinet’s fortnightly meeting.

Although government had made good progress in eradicating basic water supply backlogs, Manyi said there were “serious risks” threatening the ability of local government to meet the 2014 target for access to basic water supply.

The Department of Water Affairs has identified 30 water services authorities where repeated interventions have been made at municipal level with little or no noticeable improvement.

These water services authorities, Manyi noted, also faced significant governance problems, lack of adequate revenue or sufficient financial resources to maintain and operate water services infrastructure.

“Urgent, complete turnaround in these municipalities is required. Close cooperation between DWA, COGTA and the Municipal Infrastructure Support Agency is being put in place to effect turnaround in these municipalities,” said Manyi.