Expert on improving water quality in SA
A water resource management expert estimates that about 4000 megalitres of untreated or partially treated sewerage enters the country's dams and rivers everyday.
Dr Anthony Turton says this sewerage then enters the drinking water system.
He feels the biggest problem is not necessarily the water levels in the country's dams but the quality.
"While the ministry is engaged in the evidence-based program, we feed this evidence into that program to suggest that we need a national water quality program. We need to have more emphasis on quality rather than quantity," he said.
Turton says the average person consumes about 235 litres of water per day - that's 26% more than the global average of 173 litres.
He says leaks and water losses are compounded by the loss of engineering skills at municipalities.
"At the lowest level of government, we've got the biggest crisis in terms of skills shortage manifesting in the management of sewage and other infrastructure like water reticulation hence the leaking pipes," he said.
(File photo)