The Department of Water and Sanitation says claims that it is set to spend R88 500 on a single bucket toilet are outright lies.

The department says the allegations, which were made by civil society action group Outa, were baseless and that the budget allocation against the audited and completed number of toilets as  reflected by Outa was by no means correct or an accurate reflection of the cost of the toilet.

Exaggerated spending

The organisation reported last week Monday that the department intended to spend approximately R88 500 to replace a single bucket toilet this year.

According to Outa the Department’s report for 2017/18 isn’t available yet, but the Budget shows that in 2017/18, it spent R852.1 million on the target of 13 538 toilets (it’s not clear if this target was met): this is an average of R62 941 per toilet.

The department refutes these claims stating that on average, the provision of a dry sanitation solution in areas without adequate infrastructure to enable the flushing of the toilet can cost up to R11 500 per toilet and R15 000 for waterborne toilet excluding new water, sewer reticulation as well as bulk services in the affected area.

There’s more to flushing toilets than meets the eye

The department says waterborne sanitation is a multifaceted operation that includes civil work such as site preparation, digging, installation of the reticulation infrastructure and yard connections.

“Generally, 70% of the project cost will go towards the reticulation (work underground) while the balance entails site establishment costs, new toilet structures and furniture, project management and design fee,” the department notes.

The department says it remains committed to eradicating the bucket toilets while ensuring all South Africans enjoy proper and dignified sanitation services and that it will not be deterred by any organisation.