Professor Philiswa Nomngongo, the DSTI-NRF SARChI Chair in Nanotechnology for Water, highlights the urgent need for a more inclusive approach to water access in South Africa as the world observes World Water Day today.
While urban water shortages in Johannesburg and Cape Town often dominate discussions, she highlights that rural communities, which lack consistent access to clean water, remain largely ignored.
“My question is when are we in South Africa going to talk about the supply of clean and safe water in an inclusive way, not in a way that only considers some areas,” says Nomngongo.
She notes that rural communities are frequently neglected in discussions about water security.
“We totally forget about people who do not have access to clean water in South Africa, some of whom still fetch water from the rivers. Rural communities are always the forgotten ones. It doesn’t matter which province you’re talking about, it’s the same throughout.”
Challenges in rural water access
Beyond infrastructure, rural communities also receive little attention in research initiatives.
“As a result, there aren’t many funded research projects looking into water issues in these areas,” Nomngongo explains. Her research aims to not only identify problems but also educate rural communities about water safety.
A recent study in the Eastern Cape exposed severe water rationing, with some households receiving water only on designated days. “We go to communities and get told the water is only available on Tuesdays early in the morning,” she notes.
“This tells us that water supplied to such communities is no longer enough. The number of people in rural areas is increasing, yet the resources are either not there or not enough.”
Innovations in water research
A professor of environmental analytical chemistry at the University of Johannesburg, Nomngongo has been the DSTI-NRF SARChI Chair in Nanotechnology for Water since 2020. The South African Research Chairs Initiative (SARChI), established in 2006 by the department of science, technology and innovation and the National Research Foundation, aims to strengthen research and innovation in South Africa.
Her research focuses on using nanotechnology to improve water quality.
“Monitoring water quality is very important. In order for us to come up with solutions, we need to know what the problem is. So, we’re using nanotechnology to identify the problems in different sources, whether it’s wastewater or river water,” she explains.
Her findings reveal stark contrasts between urban and rural water contamination. “In urban areas, raw water systems are contaminated by pharmaceuticals and other pollutants,” she says. “In rural areas, the primary problem is microbial contamination, such as E. coli in borehole water. Our team is developing nanomaterials that can trap E. coli and improve water quality.”
Under Nomngongo’s leadership, the research initiative has produced 51 postgraduates between 2020 and 2025, including 29 Master of Science and 22 doctoral graduates.
“Our work not only contributes to finding solutions but also helps train and retain students in this critical field until they complete their degrees,” she says. “More than 50% of our graduates are black, South African females. All these graduates are equipped with skills in water monitoring, which is very important.”
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