The Southern African Plastic Pipe Manufacturers Association (SAPPMA), the standards body for the plastic pipe industry, says the outbreak of the Covid-19 in South Africa has once again highlighted the dangers which the lack of access to running water pose for the most vulnerable in our society.
Frequent hand washing with soap and clean water is one of the first lines of defense against contracting the corona virus. CEO of SAPPMA Joe Venter says it’s a sad reality that many informal settlements and rural areas in South Africa don’t have access to running water for basic needs, and the country desperately needs a reliable network of water and sewage pipes capable of serving the whole population.
Water and Sanitation Minister Lindiwe Sisulu launched the National Water & Sanitation Master Plan (NW&SMP) towards the end of 2019 in which she committed to address the issues of insufficient water infrastructure, water and sanitation, maintenance, investment, deteriorating water quality and a lack of water engineers as a matter of urgency.
Venter believes the Corona-virus outbreak highlights that we cannot afford to delay the process any longer.
