FUNDS FOR DELIVERY SCARCE
Free water policy to be reviewed
The review of 25 free litres of water per household per day will be the first since the policy's inception
Minister of Water and Sanitation Nomvula Mokonyane has directed her department to review its free water provision policy for indigent households, as the burden on subsidised state services piles up and funds for delivery become scarce. The department is expected to review the policy which allows for 25 free litres of water per household per person for the first time since the policy’s inception, as outlined in the Water Services Act of 1997. Apart from SA already being a water-scarce country, it is still reeling from the effects of the 2015-16 drought. The department itself is battling to get to grips with the loss of money from project delays. Speaking to Parliament’s portfolio committee on water and sanitation on Tuesday, deputy director-general for policy and research Anil Singh said the growth of the country’s population and dwindling resources meant that the Department of Water and Sanitation had to reassess the policy. Also briefing the committee, Statistics SA director-genera...
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