THE Department of Water and Sanitation today said it aimed to achieve all the targets of water accessibility to all by 2030.

The department said it is currently implementing Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6), which has six targets that focus on water services, including sanitation and water resource management.

“In order to achieve this ideal, the implications of SDG 6 for the country are aligned to the National Development Plan (SA’s Vision 2030), and the National Water and Sanitation Master Plan, which also looks at driving South Africa towards universal access by 2030,” they said in a statement.

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The department said the key prerequisite for the accurate assessment of the water status and the magnitude of water problems is the information which is based on well-organised monitoring programmes and reliable data.

The purpose of the monitoring programmes is to ensure water resources are protected, developed and managed well.

According to the Draft State of Water Report 2017/18 released by the department, the country’s water resources are impacted upon by a wide range of human activities.

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“These activities degrade the quality of water in rivers, dams, estuaries and groundwater. These are potential threats to human health and riverine biota which are indicators for healthy river ecosystems. It is therefore utterly imperative that water resources are monitored for quantity, quality and use at all spheres of government, including national, regional and local, to ensure protection and sustainable availability,” the department said.

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