Webinar: Strengthening Water Infrastructure Management for Improved Service Delivery Celebrating the SA National Water Week

South Africa is facing a projected 3% water deficit and by 2040 if it doesn’t successfully implement the planned measures the country will experience huge water shortages. Despite efforts to improve delivery of water services, 1 in 10 households still do not have access to clean drinking water (SALGA,2022). Additionally, over 22% of our households do not have access to water within a 200-metre radius of their home. Only 64 % of households have access to a reliable water supply services. The dignity of residents is also being challenged with nearly 2 out 10 households not having access to descent sanitation (SALGA,2022). Over 34% of residents are either utilising pit latrines or unhygienic means to relieve themselves. The National Water Master Plan states that 46% of the households with access to water, find water services unreliable. 56% of wastewater treatment and 44% of water treatment works are in a poor or critical condition, 11% are dysfunctional. More worrying is the fact that 41% of municipal water does not get to generate revenue and 35% of water is lost through leakage (R9 - R10 billion lost annually). All these factors are worse in rural South Africa.
Considering the challenges mentioned above, in 2020, the WRC partnered with SALGA to establish the Technology Innovation Forum (TIF) to accelerate uptake of disruptive innovations through the SALGA municipal testbed network and to organise training sessions for municipal technical staff to be able to manage the uptake of new technologies.

As part of the National Water Week Celebration in South Africa, SALGA and WRC have partnered with Watershare to provide a platform to exchange knowledge on the interventions required for resolving and enhancing institutional and management of water services delivery with a special focus on municipalities in South Africa. The webinar will also share and discuss measures to improve water and sanitation infrastructure management (Technical and Technological) for resilience of the sector and to achieve the economic development objectives of the South African Government.

Registration link: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_bYGTW_WpSoGG3qoKn59u-Q