Water and Sanitation minister calls on KZN municipalities to reduce unnecessary water loss

KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) municipalities and the provincial Water and Sanitation Department have been urged to step up measures to curb water loss.

This was the message from the Water and Sanitation Minister, Senzo Mchunu, last week at a working session at the Olive Convention Centre.

Mchunu emphasised that the scale of water loss in the province is alarmingly high, and this is due to leaks, burst pipes, illegal connections, vandalism and ageing infrastructure.

“It is the right of the communities to receive water from us, it is not a favour. It is also important to note that water is the main priority and the main supporter of life. This is a commodity that is not in abundance in the country,” Mchunu said.

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Mchunu encouraged municipalities and the provincial department to endeavour to unearth innovative ideas of utilising rainwater.

This is due to the fact that KZN has received the highest rainfall in the country, on average.

The deputy minister of Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation, David Mahlobo reiterated the issue of water loss as a matter of grave concern that needed to be urgently attended to.

Mahlobo noted that the eThekwini Metro loses the most amount of water in the country, with the Newcastle District Municipality losing approximately 30 million litres of water on a daily basis.

“This is a clear indication that the gravity of water loss in the province is extremely huge,” the Deputy Minister said.