Water for Life Voices

Knowledge Bank. A participatory and learning-based approach to raising awareness on water and sanitation in Durban, eThekwini Municipality, South Africa

Organization: eThekwini Water and Sanitation Unit, South Africa

eThekwini Water and Sanitation unit

The eThekwini Water and Sanitation Unit (EWS) is responsible for managing water and sanitation services within the eThekwini Municipality. After 1994 and the end of the apartheid era, the expansion of the municipal zone and a substantial influx of poor people from rural areas meant an increase in the number of households with no access to water or sanitation. This migration is expected to continue for decades, so EWS had to create a sustainable solution from scratch while maintaining the city centre’s first world infrastructure and supply.

Innovative technical methods of service delivery had to be introduced so that the environment wasn’t compromised in a water scarce region; and this within a limited budget. New consumers had to be educated in using the system.

EWS installed different levels of service comprising full pressure, semipressure (rooftanks) and groundtanks for the provision of water to the new and disparate areas of the municipality. The Municipality also built water borne sewerage systems, ventilated pit latrines, ablution blocks and urine diversion toilets for sanitation. A free basic water supply of per month per household was introduced so that even the poorest residents had access to safe water and sanitation.

Despite difficulties accessing remote areas and the presence of water borne diseases, such as cholera, a key challenge was educating people to avoid water wastage and vandalism. As a result, EWS embarked on an extensive awareness and education programme. People were encouraged to participate and were given a voice to raise concerns – many long-term residents feared the rapid expansion of the municipality would mean rising water bills.

By incorporating a participatory approach to ensure a two-way communication system, the programme raised awareness of the Millennium Development goal to provide water and sanitation for all, as well as the need for all South Africans to conserve and protect their water resources. It also allowed newcomers to the community to give feedback on how well the new systems were working.

Keywords: access to water, sanitation, water and cities

Location: South Africa, Africa

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