Many regions in South Africa have been suffering from major water shortages sine last year when billions of litres of water had to be trucked to various regions; some of it due to drought but more than a third of it due to bad maintenance that has resulted in major leaks in the supply chain.

According to a report by GreenCape entitled Water: Market Intelligence Report 2017, around 37% of the South African water supply is lost through leaks in major cities.

The Western Cape government released the report last week, in the midst of a devastating drought that has seen the province struggling for water and instituting ever-harsher water restrictions since last year.

Economic opportunities MEC Alan Winde said in a statement that the report provides a detailed overview on water usage and projections of demand:

“Apart from us all playing a role in saving water, [it] also calls for innovative approaches from the public and private sector.”

The province is] experiencing its worst drought in 100 years, and according to reports by the City of Cape Town, the city only has sufficient water stored for approximately another 3 months. Level 3B water restrictions have been levelled for the first time ever, but even with these restrictions, without rain, there is great cause for concern.

Raymond Siebrits from GreenCape’s water sector desk said the current water challenges the province is facing provide an opportunity for households, businesses and industry to invest in water solutions.

“At GreenCape we see water constraints as opportunities for the green economy. South African water service and technology providers are able to meet these market needs – one just needs to know where to look,” Siebrits said.

While the call has gone out to individuals to save as much water as possible, and there is a total ban on the use of hosepipes, many feel that local municipalities across the nation are not doing enough to maintain the aging infrastructure and complain that water leaks sometimes go unattended to foe weeks and even months at a time, even though they are reported.

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