New water training centre set to address water loss crisis
Minister of water and sanitation Lindiwe Sisulu on Monday opened the newly built centre at the department’s Roodeplaat training centre in the north of Pretoria as water loss estimated to cost R9 billion yearly.
Municipalities like Tshwane were set to benefit from a newly-built training centre in the north of Pretoria which would address water loss issues.
Water and sanitation minister Lindiwe Sisulu earlier this week unveiled the multi-million rand Roodeplaat training centre
According to the department, nationally water loss (non-revenue water- water used but municipality generates no income) costs about R9-billion a year.
Sisulu said water was under extreme threat from a growing population, increasing demands of agriculture and industry and the worsening impacts of climate change.
“The department and Salga are faced with a similar challenge regarding the state of non-revenue water in South Africa. The municipalities do not have the capacity and opportunity to train their officials on non-revenue water and the country does not have a specific functional facility available to offer training on non-revenue water.”
She said the department would work with municipalities to ensure the project delivered on intended objectives.
Lack of access to water affected the survival of families in rural areas the most and as a sector, this was a direct challenge to all to change and strengthen the systems towards water use efficiency.
“Lack of access to safe, sufficient and affordable water, sanitation and hygiene facilities has a devastating effect on the health, dignity and prosperity of billions of people, and has significant consequences for the realisation of other human rights.”
Residents of Hammanskraal have for years, been fighting for clean water safe water, which has been affected by Rooiwal water treatment leaking untreated sewage into Hammanskraal’s water system.
The issue of water treatment has once again landed in courts as the department of water and sanitation earlier this month took the metro to court over sewage sludge and solid waste flowing into the Pienaars river in the north of Pretoria.
The pollution was believed to be a result of a raw sewage spill coming from the Baviaanspoort wastewater treatment facility.
According to the metro, projects to address Baviaanspoort waste water were underway.
Ambassador of Japan in the RSA Norio Maruyama and a representative of the Japan international cooperation agency which funded the construction of the centre, said the objective of the facility was to give support for skills development to local municipalities faced with challenges of water losses.
“The area of non-revenue water is one of the major challenges ‘operation vulindlela’ (initiative for the development of the economy) will drive in the economic reform of South Africa.
“The Japanese assistance will help municipalities to improve their performance in water services and to address challenges of economic reforms,” Maruyama said.
Water loss sees municipalities not gaining any income and the skills development would enable the municipalities not to lose more money.
The Japanese Government, through the Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA), funded the construction of the training facility at the Roodeplaat training Centre of the Department. #WorldWaterDay pic.twitter.com/UHIwTJG55A
— Water&SanitationRSA (@DWS_RSA) March 22, 2021
🎥 | #WorldWaterDay
On this occasion of the world water day, we celebrate the fruits of this important collaboration between ourselves as South Africa and Japan. pic.twitter.com/CKkzSQZqrU
— Lindiwe Sisulu (@LindiweSisuluSA) March 22, 2021
📸 | #WorldWaterDay
RSA and the Japanese Government have strong relations which have resulted in the establishment of a training facility in South Africa to develop artisans on water and sanitation, especially on Non-Revenue water where Japanese have displayed excellence. pic.twitter.com/5owlew0GSG
— Lindiwe Sisulu (@LindiweSisuluSA) March 22, 2021
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