A study into the implementation of Water Conservation/Water Demand Management in Gauteng municipalities

The provision of water of good quality and quantity is important to utilities in urban areas due to water scarcity and growth in demand. South Africa is a water scarce country and non-revenue water (NRW) is 37% on average in the municipalities. Demand for water exceeds supply in Gauteng and the municipalities are the biggest consumers. The municipalities have developed Water Conservation/Water Demand Management (WC/WDM) strategies and this research study wanted to establish if these strategies are being implemented successfully or result in NRW reduction. It was also intended to establish if smart meter technology is utilised in the implementation of the WC/WDM strategies or if there is interest/will to use this technology by municipalities. The method of data collection that was used in this study was structured questionnaires that were prepared for the managers and engineers. The results indicated that there are strategies and policies in place for the WC/WDM implementations but it was concluded that these are on a small because the NRW remains high. The municipalities are aware of water problems facing the industry and the capabilities of smart metering technology. Pre-payment metering is currently in use and smart metering technologies can be used in the future.