JOHANNESBURG - Nearly half of South Africa’s purified water is lost to leaks, theft, wastage and illegal connections.
At provincial level, non-revenue water losses are estimated to be between 46 and 51 percent.
And while the country’s water challenges have been attributed to faulty infrastructure and lack of maintenance, many of the country’s water boards are owed billions of Rand by municipalities.
This hampers their ability to carry out upgrades.
Water Management Expert, Professor Anja du Plessis says this leaves less funds for municipalities to carry out maintenance.