SA's Water Crisis | Nearly half of SA's purified water lost to leaks, theft

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 forty-six and fifty-one percent. 

READ: Leaks, burst pipes muddy city's troubled waters

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 Rands by municipalities. This hampers their ability to carry out upgrades. 

To unpack this for us, Professor Anja du Plessis, a Water Management Expert spoke to the eNCA.