TO address water and sanitation challenges in the city, eThekwini Municipality’s Water and Sanitation Unit in partnership with the Water Research Commission (WRC) recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to develop innovative ways to ensure eThekwini residents have access to clean water and proper sanitation.
The MOU guides the collaboration to facilitate research and innovation sharing, co-creation, piloting and upscaling of innovative technologies for improved access to water and sanitation. One of the areas of co-operation will be around non-sewered sanitation systems which remains a critical challenge in informal, peri-urban and rural communities across South Africa.
With a growing population, supplying clean and safe drinking water and proper sanitation remains a significant challenge in the country which has impacted service delivery.
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Head of Water and Sanitation Unit Ednick Msweli said eThekwini has a large indigent population requiring services which is exacerbated by difficult settlement types and terrains. “This partnership will facilitate access to new and innovative solutions that have been developed by the WRC and trialled through their innovation acceleration platforms such as the Water Technologies Demonstration Programme and the South African Sanitation Technology Enterprise Programme,” he said.
He added that aging infrastructure, water pollution, water scarcity and climate change are some of the key challenges they face. “These innovative solutions will enable both parties to identify specific solutions for any particular challenge encountered by eThekwini and is of mutual interest to both parties.”
Dhesigen Naidoo, Chief Executive Officer of the WRC said they strongly believe that innovation inclusive of technological, social and institutional innovations will lead South Africa towards a sustainable service delivery model and a sustainable future. “It is exciting to collaborate with an entity that shares our vision of testing and upscaling sustainable innovations that address water and sanitation challenges and is willing to catalyse its commercialisation and uptake for the benefit of all South Africans,” said Naidoo.
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