Millions of Black South Africans still lack access to adequate housing, mainly as a result of apartheid era development policies. The delivery of low income, state subsidised, housing includes the provision of water, sewer drainage and electricity supply services. These services are provided via individual connections to the bulk infrastructure, or grid, supply network. Whilst this delivery mechanism meets community aspirations, it masks the environmental impact of this access to natural resources. This research investigates the low income housing delivery mechanism in South Africa, both past and present, and considers the associated infrastructural service delivery in the context of what is understood as sustainable development. In order to identify a more environmentally sustainable format of service delivery, the notion of autonomous housing is investigated. This investigative research establishes the body of knowledge in respect of rainwater harvesting and renewable energy sources capable of being harvested at a domestic level and uses this knowledge to inductively derive theoretical models for the provision of water and electricity supply as well as sewer drainage to low income housing in the Ethekwini Municipal area. The objective of the research is therefore to propose a more autonomous, or self reliant, system of service delivery that constitutes sustainable development.

Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu- Natal, Durban, 2004.