The number of engineers employed by government has reduced by nearly two thirds while the population served has increased almost four-fold, an engineering expert said.

Consulting Engineers of SA president Zulch Lotter told the media yesterday that before 1994, 5100 engineers served 14 million people, outside the homelands.

He said the lack of technical management expertise, particularly in municipal and provincial government departments, is likely to be the single biggest stumbling block to sustainable development and growth.

Today, an estimated 1800 engineers serve almost 47 million people, he said.

In addition, skills have migrated from the public to the private sector. While in 1980, 40 percent of engineers worked for the government, by 2005, only 15 percent did so. In the same period, the number of engineers in the consulting industry has increased from 30 percent to almost 50 percent, Lotter said.

Prevent total collapse

"Deteriorating delivery capacity at these levels of government is a burning bridge that requires a huge fire engine to prevent total collapse." He said Consulting Engineers of SA supported debate on depoliticising the public service.

Lotter said SA's water needs were also of concern.

SA's water demand is projected to exceed supply by 2025, with metropolitan areas such as the Witwatersrand to experience shortages from 2013.

Lotter said serious water shortages were expected by 2019 until interventions were put in place to address water demand. "Water quality is deteriorating and interventions are required to build, maintain and upgrade infrastructure and to upskill staff," he said.

Upskill staff

He said the Department of Water Affairs is encouraging local authorities to reduce the level of unaccounted for water from a national average of 30 percent to between 10 percent and 15 percent, which would reduce the demand significantly.

Linda Page, spokesperson for the department, said interventions to reduce demand were being implemented.

The Vaal Augmentation Scheme was launched in 2008 to increase water supply to Gauteng and a new dam is being planned, she said. She said a water conservation and demand programme was also being stepped up.

Business Day