# The Department of Water and Sanitation has warned that South Africa’s water crisis is worsened by leaking pipes, rising demand and poor municipal investment. Speaking at a Water Research Commission event, the department’s director-general Sean Phillips says 47-percent of water in Gauteng is lost or unaccounted for, and 60-percent in eThekwini. He says 74-percent of water services authorities are rated critical or poor, and warns that climate change and population growth will add pressure. Phillips calls for urgent leak repairs, better infrastructure maintenance and stronger conservation measures to protect future supplies.
Water and Sanitation Department warns water crisis deepened by leaks, poor infrastructure