The Department of Water Affairs (DWA) expects the private sector, nongovernmental organisations, churches and other entities in South Africa to reduce the country’s water loss by half in 2014, as a result of working with municipalites.

Department of Water and Environmental Affairs Deputy Minister Rejoice Mabudafhasi says the DWA has engaged with business to establish a public– private partnership platform to encourage business to support and invest in municipal infrastructure to help reduce water risks.

She spoke at international integrated energy and chemicals company Sasol’s Water Sense conference last month at the Emerald Resort & Casino, in Vanderbijlpark, and highlighted that South Africa was faced with several challenges pertaining to water infrastructure.

These challenges included the country’s ageing infrastructure, providing access to water for rural villages and townships, as well as improved utilities for all South Africans. The rapid growth of South Africa’s population was also placing increased pressure on existing ageing infrastructure – particularly owing to the influx of people from rural areas to urban areas in search of better work opportunities.

“The United Nations General Assembly declared 2013 the year of international water cooperation. This gives greater significance to our partnership with Sasol on the matter of water conservation and demand management, which heralds a new era in the fight against water loss; hence, it is said that water conservation is everybody’s business,” said Mabudafhasi.

She added that, through Sasol’s Water Sense initiative, the company had indeed heeded President Jacob Zuma’s call for the private sector to partner with government to solve challenges faced by South Africa.

“Sasol has supported the notion that government cannot do it alone,” stressed Mabudafhasi.
Further, she stated that Sasol had also indeed taken forward the call from The Presidency by partnering with the Emfuleni local municipality and focusing on initiatives to reduce water loss in prioritised areas.

“Sasol has also initiated programmes of education and awareness in communities and schools with regard to water conservation issues and has developed new and existing community plumbing entities,” said Mabudafhasi.

The cumulative savings that will be realised through such initiatives is expected to trigger reinvestment in the water-conservation activities of the Emfuleni local municipality. Positive results are also envisaged in job creation for unemployed youths.

The Deputy Minister further stated that by working together with municipalities and the private sector, the department continued to implement its War on Leaks Project, which aimed to eradicate leaks at household level and educate users about water conservation and about the importance of fixing leaks, all of which, Mabudafhasi highlighted, would create jobs for the youth and develop local skills.

“The DWA maintains the focus of meeting water-loss reduction targets, managing South Africa’s scarce water resources for long-term sustainability, improving the regulatory and institutional environment, spearheading transformation in the water sector and supporting the development of water resources infrastructure,” she said.

The Deputy Minister stressed that there was a great need to promote water efficient practices in all sectors to prevent the repercussions of a serious water crisis, which would be exacerbated by the effects of global warming and climate change.

“Through public awareness and education, the DWA is imple- menting the 2020 Vision Pro- gramme, which is a school-based and community outreach programme. “This programme continues to educate learners from Grade R to 12 about integrated water-resource management, climate change and the environment, as wells as water-related careers,” said Mabudafhasi.

“The efficient use of water ensures a reliable supply, which, in turn, improves the quality of life of all South Africans and promotes local economic development.

“The economic benefits are a reduction in loss and wastefulness. This adds to savings on the cost of providing new infrastructure to treat and prepare more water,” said the Deputy Minister.

The DWA adopted the Inte- grated Water Resource Man- agement (IWRM) approach, which provides a more holistic approach to water management. The IWRM requires intensive planning to ensure the efficient, equitable and sustainable management of water resources.

“Government will continue to protect and conserve this precious resource and [it] will not rest until a water-saving culture is instilled in every citizen, as we aspire to [create] a culture that advocates that every drop counts,” concluded Mabudafhasi.