A tripartite initiative to fix leaking taps at residences in the Free State town of Excelsior is envisaged to save large amounts of drinkable water from going to waste.
The stakeholders are the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) in the Free State, Excelsior’s Water and Sanitation Forum and Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA).
The project entails capacitating community members to fix leaking taps on their properties in this town, which is administered by the Mantsopa Local Municipality.
The provincial department rolled out the project on 10 April, stating that the aim was to save the large amounts of clean water that is going to waste through leakages.
Millions of litres of clean water go to waste owing to the inability of municipalities and town residents to fix leakages, along with a lack of knowledge on how they can do so.
According to the department, the project is part of ongoing efforts between the public and private sector to drastically reduce the loss of water, and encourage everyone to play a meaningful role in the water value chain. This partnership is a culmination of concerted efforts conceived during the annual national Water Month celebrations in March.
The department will spearhead this campaign and project to bring water to the forefront on the national agenda, as it is still the most important resource in everyone’s life.
“This partnership seeks to educate community members about the role they need to play in conserving water, particularly leakages in their own yards,” the department explained.
“This is to ensure that they are aware of their responsibilities and not expect their local municipality to fix leaking taps and pipes in their homes.”
According to the department, in most instances leaking taps are a result of worn rubbers inside the tap. To fix the leak, residents must replace the rubber inside the tap, then seal it again to function properly.
Residents have also been provided with solutions to the theft of their copper taps.
The department has advised residents to counter this rife theft by installing plastic taps, which function just as effectively.
Ananias Mamabolo, deputy director of the department, has reiterated the importance of preserving water to the community of Excelsior.
“South Africa is a water-scarce country and everything possible should be done to reduce the loss of potable water in households. Fixing leaks before they become out of control is a big contribution to securing water availability for future generations,” said Mamabolo.
He stated that according to the Water Research Commission (WRC), almost 40% of the total municipal water supplied in South Africa was lost through leakages before it reached municipal customers.
