The country loses 40% of its water to crumbling pipes, with peaks of 45% in the eThekwini (Durban) metropolitan area. Drought, climate change, corruption and ineffective management of funds contribute
to the problem.

South Africa is a semi-arid country with an average annual rainfall of 497 mm, compared to the global average of 860 mm. The rains in late December and early January have eased the water crisis, but have not solved it. The problem, partly due to climate change and the resulting decrease in rainfall, is aggravated by the dilapidated water distribution network and poor maintenance. This was highlighted by the Minister of Water and Sanitation, Pemmy Majodina, who recently addressed the municipal administrations asking them to commit to the maintenance of the pipes to limit water waste in the distribution network.

Soweto. Nationwide, a staggering amount of water is lost, estimated to exceed 40% of the total supply. File swm

According to the same minister, losses amount, on average, to 33% in the municipalities of the province of Gauteng (including the cities of Pretoria, Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni) and reach up to 45% in the metropolitan area of eThekwini (whose main city is Durban). The water disruptions in Gauteng and parts of KwaZulu/Natal, the minister stressed, were not caused by drought but by increasing leaks in the distribution network. Nationwide, a staggering amount of water is lost, estimated at more than 40% of the total supply. The cause is precisely the inefficiency of the structures.

Administrations in difficulty
However, municipalities often do not have sufficient funds to meet the costs of maintaining the network due to the lack of invoicing for lost water and the arrears of many users.
Majodina announced that his ministry will launch a vigorous awareness campaign to urge citizens and businesses to use water sparingly, expressing concern about the high-water consumption in Gauteng and eThekwini, where the daily per capita consumption is 218 litres, well above the international average of 173 litres.

A cracked underground asbestos pipe is leaking large amounts of water. MD_Photography

If the campaign fails, local governments will have to impose and enforce stricter restrictions. What the minister failed to highlight was that corruption is a major factor in South Africa’s water crisis, along with mismanagement of funding and lack of investment in infrastructure.
Modernisation funds have been diverted elsewhere, leaving pipes rusting, water treatment and purification plants in disrepair, and many communities without water. Regulatory efforts also often fail, as enforcement measures fail to address widespread corruption.

Rural areas hit hard
The hardest hit are those living in rural and peri-urban areas with limited or no access to services. Currently, 19% of the rural population lacks access to a reliable water supply, and 33% lacks basic sanitation. In addition, over 26% of schools (urban and rural) and 45% of health care centres do not have access to water. Poorer communities with limited political influence are the last to benefit from infrastructure
repairs and improvements.

A government signpost which encourages citizens to save water in the town. MD_Photography / Shutterstock.com

In townships and informal settlements, residents often find few alternatives, forced to rely on unsafe sources or pay exorbitant prices to private water vendors. In regions such as Limpopo, the Free State, the Eastern Cape and parts of Gauteng, women and children walk kilometres every day to fetch water from rivers and ponds. It is a bitter irony that the poorest communities, who contribute the least to water waste, are the ones who suffer most from its scarcity. (Open Photo: Water flowing from the pipe. Shutterstock/tum3123) – (E.T.)