Civil Engineering March 2021 | Vol 29 No 2

50 March 2021 Civil Engineering Water week Valuing water The Department of Water & Sanitation celebrates National Water Week from 15 to 22 March . This year National Water Week takes place against the backdrop of World Water Day under the theme ‘valuing water’. 3 million South Africans ARE still without access to basic water supply The 2021 National Water Week campaign raises awareness of, among others, the challenges noted in the National Water and Sanitation Master Plan, such as insufficient water, infrastructure maintenance and investment, recurrent droughts caused by climate change, inequities in access to water and sanitation, and water quality. On average, each person in South Africa uses 64ℓ per day more than the global average 41% of municipal water does not generate revenue. 35% is lost through leakage. Municipalities lose 1 660 million m³ per year through non-revenue water 64%   of households have access to a reliable water supply service R33 billion more is needed each year for the next 10 years to achieve water security South Africa could face a 17% water deficit by 2030