It’s become a common refrain in South Africa: there’s no drought, dams and reservoirs are full, but the taps are dry.The ongoing crisis has been decades in the making. South Africa is a water-scarce country, yet it has failed to take even basic measures to preserve water supplies. These include:
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poor financial management which has led to collapsing infrastructure. The result is dysfunctional water treatment plants and leaking pipes. For every four litres provided to Gauteng by Rand Water, which oversees the country’s industrial heartland, one litre is wasted through leakage.
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South Africans use a lot of water: in Gauteng, for example, the average consumption is 279 litres per person per day. This is 60% greater than the global average.
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The chronic crisis is underscored by the fact that the challenges – and what needs to be done about them – have been known for some time, as these articles from our archives show.
The right to water is out of reach for many South Africans: case study offers solutions
Is my water safe to drink? Expert advice for residents of South African cities
How to make sure water is safe to drink: four practical tips
Written by Caroline Southey, Founding Editor, Africa, The Conversation
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
