55UXOuRjI

Chapter 7: Working with Water
FIGURE 7.3: THE VALUE OF WATER TO A COMPANY, THE ECONOMY, SOCIETY AND NATURE
Cleaning up the Jukskei river
The dire state of the Jukskei River, an iconic water course in Gauteng, brought
together the community of key stakeholders to form the WET Africa Jukskei River
Restoration initiative.
WET Africa is a South African-based Social Enterprise Company dedicated to the
restoration of our natural resources by cleaning up our rivers and environment of
pollution and waste, and creating visible community transformation.
The restoration of the water quality of the Jukskei River is vital to the creation of
a healthy environment and healthy communities living adjacent to the river. The
success of this initiative saw 48km of the Jukskei River restored, with 12,000 tons
of solid waste removed from the watercourse beds, banks and riparian zone. The
E.coli count in the river was reduced from 22,000,000/100ml to 240,000/100ml and
community monitoring systems were established.
...all South Africans
need to come
together to ensure
that this priceless
natural asset is
managed far more
consciously
Value far exceeds cost
The value of water far exceeds its current cost to users. Following on this, the
Department of Water and Sanitation is proposing a review of water pricing and this
should help to drive more efficient, sustainable use of water, particularly by bulk
consumers.
Ultimately, the value of water is priceless and all South Africans need to come
together to ensure that this priceless natural asset is managed far more consciously,
carefully and effectively. As the time-old saying goes, ‘Water is life’; it is the lifeblood
of us all.
Water Facts & Futures: Rethinking South Africa’s Water Future | Page
93