Abstract
Water infrastructure is critical to the prosperity of national economies. However, the performance of water infrastructure in developing economies, including South Africa, is less than optimal and results from a combination of many factors that hinder their effective management and operation. The factors include historical, economic, and governance-related issues that have persisted over time. Consequently, many countries in the developing world struggle to maintain their water infrastructure to achieve optimal level of performance.
The current study therefore set out to investigate the opportunities and challenges associated with the water infrastructure performance. The study utilised a systematic literature review, a bibliometric review, and a closed-ended questionnaire survey to collect data. The systematic and bibliometric literature review examined the studies undertaken on water infrastructure performance. The literature review sources included the Scopus database and the Web of Science.
Primary data was collected using closed-ended questionnaires from built environment professionals working in the water sector. Specifically, the respondents included infrastructure asset managers, civil, mechanical, and electrical engineers, and project and construction managers. The location of the study was the Gauteng Province, South Africa. The questionnaire was distributed electronically using an online Google Forms platform. The form was distributed to 640 respondents, and 201 responses were received, resulting in a response rate of 31%.
The data was analysed using SPSS version 26, statistical software. Descriptive and inferential statistics were obtained to gain insights into the factors influencing water infrastructure performance. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted to identify themes underlying factors associated with water infrastructure performance.
Findings revealed three primary themes namely: environmental, social and organisational factors. The study also found challenges affecting the optimal operation of water infrastructure as water infrastructure management and maintenance. Other challenges included institutional, economic, financial, government, legislative, and technical issues.
Based on the findings, twenty-one opportunities for optimising water infrastructure performance were identified and categorised into three sub-sections: water infrastructure asset management (WIAM), stakeholder engagement, private-public partnership (PPP), integrated water resource management (IWRM), and the use of emerging technologies for water infrastructure management. It is recommended that water infrastructure management should leverage these opportunities for better and optimal performance.