Call for community engagement on KZN's water master plan

KWAZULU-Natal has one of the highest water losses in the country, with the 2022 and 2023 no-drop results indicating that non-revenue water (NRW) averaged 52.6% in the province.

- ZAINUL DAWOOD [e-mail]

This was higher than the global aggregate of 30% and was one of the major challenges raised by the KZN Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) when they presented their progress report on the KZN Provincial Water Master Plan to the KZN Legislature Portfolio Committee yesterday.

Other challenges include no planned maintenance programme in relation to ageing infrastructure, and also unplanned/reactive maintenance, which is mostly undertaken.

In its presentation, Cogta stated that drinking water quality management was also a challenge in the province, as 21 water systems were found to be in a critical state as per the Blue Drop results published by the Department of Water and Sanitation in December 2023.

The report indicated a decline in the water quality in Amajuba, King Cetshwayo, uMzinyathi, and Zululand districts.

The department has implemented what they term seven pillars in response to some of the challenges including programmes focused on water resources, treatment, bulk distribution, reticulation and conservation.