Wetlands help to treat our water while providing great ecological and hydrological importance.
The World Water Day theme for 2023 is 'Accelerating Change’. What change in
the water sector would you like to see in South Africa?
PS There are five changes that I want to see:
1)There needs to be a greater sanitation focus. Sanitation and sewage work not operating to complete compliance levels evitably pollute our water sources.
This has enormous ramifications — from the rising expense of water treatment to the damage to our environment and health risks. Water hyacinth is found in many of our dams and wetlands, and it is well known that this invading plant thrives in polluted water with high nutrient loads.
2) The Working for Water programme of the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) seems to have lost momentum and I would like to see its resuscitation. This programme was successful in removing alien invasive plants that pose a threat to water security.
3) The use of raw water must be minimised through water reuse and water conservation initiatives. This should include reducing non-revenue water in municipalities and water utilities by preparing and fixing leaks.
