Water conservation a collective effort
SINCE President Cyril Ramaphosa appointed Senzo Mchunu as minister of water and sanitation, there has been a shift.
He gets things done, gets his hands dirty, puts on his boots and gets on the ground to solve problems in areas affected by water shortages.
He has been criss-crossing Mzansi, making sure he gets first-hand information about the bottlenecks causing water challenges.
This is to ensure things move at the required speed, and to ensure the basic services of water and sanitation are rolled out to the people as enshrined in the Constitution.
He has solicited expert advice on solutions, be it projects in progress, both stalled and recentlycommenced.
Minister Mchunu wants this natural resource dispatched to all communities.
Municipalities are rated among the highest in unaccounted potable water loss through unattended pipe bursts and leakages.
Accountability and consequence management for those failing to perform their duties should be the order of the day for water conservation.
Apart from leakages, municipalities are also major contributors to water resource pollution as they fail to adhere to the Water and Sanitation Green Drop Certification when releasing waste water.
Under the Green Scorpions, the department is tracking contraveners who fail to heed directives issued.
We all play a part
There is a need to be responsible, as individuals, communities, industries, the agricultural sector and municipalities, by playing our part in water use and conservation.
Water is a freely-given natural resource, but once raindrops touch the land, money plays a role as water catchments in the form of dams and treatment plants need to be constantly maintained and operated.
From children to adults, we all have a responsibility to use water with care; from fixing a leaking toilet cistern and leaking pipes, to watering gardens in the early morning and after sunset, among others.
The mining and agricultural sectors also have a huge role to play in the water cycle.
They need to avoid obstructing rivers as this incapacitates other water users, be it farmers or domestic.
Failure to abide by the National Water Act will see you face the highest might of the law, with hefty fines.
The same sentiment goes to the mining community, which is polluting water resources in the name of profit making.
It’s easy to think all is well with our water availability, but the truth remains - we are a water scarce country.