FITTING THOUGHT 1
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Not good enough !
By
Rory Macnamara
I recently caught part of an interview with Dr Sean Phillips , DG of Water & Sanitation on a TV news channel .
The discussion was about the dire water situation , particularly in Gauteng , in which non-revenue water ( NRW ) loss stands at about 40 %.
One immediately thinks this is due to leaks , but this is not so , where water leaks only constitute 20 % of the NRW loss , with the remaining resulting from theft and non-payment by users . As Gauteng is the economic hub of the country , 20 % would convert to many megalitres of water .
Also , once a leak starts and does not get repaired , it gets bigger and consequently more water is lost – never mind the structural damage that can result . Wear and tear is also a contributing factor , hence regular maintenance is necessary . Buildings using BMS can immediately see if water consumption increases and know whether this requires investigation , summoning the plumber to check it out if need be . With today ’ s technology , cellphones carry information and can issue a warning if something is wrong , allowing the user to act accordingly .
It would be fair to say that theft – usually done by an unqualified individual – would account for a fair loss , and of course non-compliant products and cheap goods add their fair share to the NRW loss .
We previously reported on the Blue Drop Report and the NRW loss in each province , with Durban coming in highest with a 58 % loss and other provinces are not far behind . Cape Town was the lowest . Notwithstanding this , if one considers the whole water loss using Gauteng ’ s 50 % of the total loss , we again come to megalitres of water going down the drain nationally . Bear in mind that we are talking about potable water that has already been treated at a cost to a very high standard .
Our Executive Director addresses , again , the non-compliant factor and the unqualified person doing plumbing work . We will all continue in this vein until the message gets through to those responsible for enforcement .
Water losses , non-compliance and unqualified people have to be reduced to zero through stringent enforcement ; not a slap on the wrist or a bribe , but a punishment that fits the crime – and all of these are crimes . PA
“ We are talking about potable water that has already been treated at a cost to a very high standard .”
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June 2024 Volume 30 I Number 4 www . plumbingafrica . co . za