On February 14, 2024 (Valentine’s Day), WaterCAN is delivering a poignant message regarding the precarious state of our rivers and water sources to five mayors across the country. Mayors representing the City of Cape Town, Emfuleni Local Municipality, Dipaleseng Municipality, City of Johannesburg, and eThekwini Municipality were each presented with a symbolic package containing wilted flowers, a bottle of contaminated water, and a breakup letter from WaterCAN and other water guardians from across South Africa.
The gesture underscores the urgent need for attention to the dire condition of our drinking water and rivers, as highlighted in the Blue, Green, and NoDrop reports released in November 2023 by the Department of Water and Sanitation.
These reports reveal alarming statistics: 46% of drinking systems fail to meet microbiological standards, 67.6% of wastewater treatment works are inoperable, and 47.4% of our water is lost or unaccounted for. “Our breakup letter and the accompanying gifts of water and wilted flowers serve as a stark representation of the degradation of our water resources and the ecosystems they support,” said Dr Ferrial Adam, Executive Manager of WaterCAN.
The selected mayors symbolise the challenges faced by many municipalities nationwide. Emfuleni grapples with ongoing sewage pollution in the Vaal River, Cape Town discharges nearly 32 million litres of untreated sewage into marine protected areas, while the tap water in Dipaleseng in Mpumalanga remains unsafe for consumption.
The City of Johannesburg contends with failing infrastructure, water cuts, and a significant flow of sewage into rivers, and eThekwini experiences failing infrastructure leading to water cuts and uncontrolled sewage outflows into rivers, impacting critical beaches. “We aim to remind all mayors and municipal managers of their duty to provide clean water and safeguard our water resources and environment within their jurisdictions—a responsibility that is currently not being adequately fulfilled,” added Dr Adam. WaterCAN, alongside its expanding network of citizen science activists, remains committed to holding municipalities and polluters accountable for their contributions to the degradation of our water ecosystems.
