Drakenstein proves small municipalities can save water

Abstract

Water demand management D elegates at the Third Regional African Water Leakage Summit held in August 2013 were clearly impressed with a presentation by Drakenstein Municipality’s water services engineer, André Kowalewski, demonstrating their approval with extended applause. The presentation, entitled ‘Water demand management and conservation successes since 2000’ , revealed how non-revenue water in this Western Cape municipality had been reduced from 34% to only 12% over a 13-year period, using a range of interventions. Non-revenue water refers to physical (real) losses through leaks and overflows, and commercial (apparent) losses through meter under-registration, billing errors, theft and unbilled authorised consumption. The Drakenstein Municipality includes the towns of Paarl and Wellington, as well as the small settlements of Hermon, Gouda and Saron, dotted along the Berg River as it makes its way to the Atlantic Ocean.

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