Water and Sanitation Minister Senzo Mchunu has asked lawmakers to show confidence in efforts to improve water delivery amid a monumental water crisis in the country's economic hub.

"I would say have confidence in us, have confidence in the measures we are taking even if it is not maybe now, but have confidence in the processes that are underway because we have applied our minds and then you can keep the changes under the microscope and give us six to nine months and we will improve services on the ground," he told MPs in Parliament on Tuesday.

Mchunu briefed the Standing Committee on Public Accounts on the Department of Water and Sanitation's irregular and wasteful expenditure.

Last week, News24 reported the department had incurred an eye-watering R16.5-billion in irregular expenditure.

Of this amount, R8.8-billion is in the process of condonation by National Treasury.

Mchunu's call for confidence comes amid a water crisis in Gauteng's three major metros.

He met municipal officials on Monday, after the Commando System - a water system which supplies the Brixton reservoir, Crosby pump station and Hursthill reservoir - went from low to empty.

A collapse of the system in the area left thousands of residents and businesses without water.

Mchunu said a water room committee, comprising the department, Rand Water, all Gauteng's municipalities, and the business sector would be set up to provide a holistic coordination, provision and management of water systems in the province.

Rand Water supplies 17-million people in the City of Johannesburg, City of Ekurhuleni, City of Tshwane, Rand West Local Municipality, Mogale City Local Municipality, and Rustenburg Local Municipality.

"We acknowledge that we need to do better. Yesterday, I met all the metros in Gauteng, they need to improve particularly to ensure that water is being used cautiously.

"They need to be assisted. We established a water room for Gauteng to attend to issues that it will monitor to increase efficiency to the level that is required," he told MPs on Tuesday.

Previously, Mchunu told Parliament at least a third of the 144 municipalities constitutionally mandated to provide water and sanitation were regarded as dysfunctional.

More than 50% have no, or limited, technical staff.

According to his figures, reported in March, out of 19 149 485 households in the country, the water service infrastructure backlogs amounted to 2 125 333 households or 11%.

Mchunu said expectations of households remained high, but the delivery of water services was low.

"We have met all provinces and had engagements with them for three days. We interacted intensively with the water services authorities.

"The conclusion that we reached after those intensive interactions was that indeed municipalities don't have the necessary capacity to deliver at the level they are expected," he added.

Furthermore, Mchunu said most municipalities had limited skilled personnel.

"Even if they have, they don't have adequate skills to perform the duties that have to do with water and sanitation. Apart from that, there are a number of other things that require some level of education.

"The level of expertise in water-related matters is limited. Budgets are also limited and the little that is available to municipalities from time to time and over the years will not be good."

Added to the mounting challenges are broken and dilapidated water infrastructure.

"Municipalities are saying that their infrastructure is ageing, but actually, it is decaying. It is rotten. We will, where necessarily, intervene.

"There are also interventions where we work with the private sector. We do this with one objective and that is to get water to the people. Then you can talk politics afterwards, but why we do this is for the sole purpose of getting water to people," Mchunu told MPs.