Unemployed youth get training for war on water leaks

THE WAR on Leaks programme was launched in 2015 by President Jacob Zuma.

This initiative aims to decrease water leaks by training and professionalising unemployed youth to improve the overall water-use efficiency within municipalities, communities and households.

The end result will raise water conservation and water demand management awareness. It will also instil appreciation for water in municipalities, communities and households.

During his State of the Nation Address in 2015, President Zuma stated that the country loses R7 billion a year to water losses. He said, “To mitigate this challenge, the government through the Department of Water and Sanitation will train 15 000 artisans and/or plumbers who will fix leaking taps in their local communities.”

The War on Leaks programme has recruited thousands of students nationwide and close to 600 of them come from the Western Cape. Minister of Water and Sanitation, Nomvula Mokonyane, officially mandated Rand Water as the project implementing agent.

The students are being trained as artisans, plumbers and water agents. All qualified students will be deployed to various priority municipalities after their training.

While on training, these students have hit the ground running as they assist in water conservation awareness campaigns across the length and the breath of the country. While we are excited about the prospects of the War on Leaks programme, we acknowledge the administrative teething problems associated with the implementation of the programme.

The department is striving to improve in all areas where there have been shortcomings associated with the programme.

This is to ensure that water leaks are reduced drastically, and to minimise the unaccounted water losses which have adverse implications to the economic well-being of the country.

Given the drought gripping some parts of the Western Cape, fighting water leaks becomes significant to stretch water security. The department would like to appeal to communities to take responsibility to save water. They must close leaking taps and report leaking pipes to local authorities.