South African municipalities face a severe water crisis, owing over R25 billion to water boards and experiencing significant water loss through leaks. The Association of Water and Sanitation Institutes of South Africa (Awsisa) warns that the situation is dire and requires immediate action from municipalities to avoid further deterioration. Awsisa highlights the need for municipalities to improve infrastructure, collect payments from customers, and address the culture of non-payment among residents.
Municipalities across South Africa owe over R25 billion to water boards while Gauteng loses over two billion litres a day in leaks.The figures illustrating Gauteng’s water crisis paint a bleaker picture by the day.
Porous infrastructure and an inability to recoup payments from customers was leaving municipalities in a financially unsustainable position, noted Awsisa.Awsisa are a trade association registered in August 2023 that promotes the interests of the water and sanitation sector in conjunction with the national department. “The situation is dire, and it is imperative that municipalities take their responsibilities as water service authorities seriously,” stated Awsisa.
“In Gauteng, municipalities lose approximately 2.6 billion litres of water per day. This staggering loss is a stark reminder of the inefficiencies and mismanagement of water resources,” Awsisa explained.The organisation acknowledged that a culture of non-payment from residents also needed to be addressed, but urged municipalities to set the example. means that no matter how much water is put into the system, it often ends up being lost, often literally, into the ground,” they added.
WATER CRISIS MUNICIPALITIES LEAKS FINANCES SOUTH AFRICA
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