South Africa Needs $1 Billion to Make Toxic Water Potable

South Africa needs to spend as much as $1 billion to make toxic water leaking from abandoned mine shafts drinkable, the Department of Water Affairs said.

While the government and mines would foot part of the bill, the cost would mostly fall on consumers, said Marius Keet, acting chief director of the department’s office in Gauteng province, which includes Johannesburg, the country’s biggest city. South Africa is the 30th-driest nation on Earth with domestic and industrial demand outstripping supplies as early as 2025 if trends continue, government projections show.