South Africa Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! === Water supply and sanitation === {{Main|Water supply and sanitation in South Africa}} Two distinctive features of the South African water sector are the policy of free basic water and the existence of [[Water Board (South Africa)|water boards]], which are bulk water supply agencies that operate pipelines and sell water from reservoirs to municipalities. These features have led to significant problems concerning the financial sustainability of service providers, leading to a lack of attention to maintenance. Following the end of apartheid, the country had made improvements in the levels of access to water as those with access increased from 66% to 79% from 1990 to 2010.<ref name="JMP">[[WHO]]/[[UNICEF]]:[[Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply and Sanitation]]:[http://www.wssinfo.org/data-estimates/table/ Data table South Africa] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140209002836/http://www.wssinfo.org/data-estimates/table/|date= 9 February 2014 }}, 2010. Retrieved 3 November 2012</ref> Sanitation access increased from 71% to 79% during the same period.<ref name="JMP" /> However, water supply and sanitation has come under increasing pressure in recent years despite a commitment made by the government to improve service standards and provide investment subsidies to the water industry.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/688965/?sc=c59|title=Professor Says Cape Town Crisis Should Serve as a 'Wakeup Call to All Major U.S. Cities'|website=www.newswise.com|access-date=14 June 2018|archive-date=14 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180614121654/http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/688965/?sc=c59|url-status=live}}</ref> The eastern parts of South Africa suffer from periodic droughts linked to the [[El NiΓ±o]] weather phenomenon.<ref name="whyCapeTownDroughtConversation">{{cite web|url=https://theconversation.com/why-cape-towns-drought-was-so-hard-to-forecast-84735|title=Why Cape Town's drought was so hard to forecast|first=Bruce|last=Hewitson|date=19 October 2017 |access-date=11 July 2018|archive-date=11 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180711112014/https://theconversation.com/why-cape-towns-drought-was-so-hard-to-forecast-84735|url-status=live}}</ref> In early 2018, Cape Town, which has different weather patterns to the rest of the country,<ref name="whyCapeTownDroughtConversation"/> faced a water crisis as the city's water supply was predicted to run dry before the end of June. Water-saving measures were in effect that required each citizen to use less than {{Convert|50|l|gal}} per day.<ref>[https://www.bbc.com/news/amp/world-42982959 "The 11 cities most likely to run out of drinking water β like Cape Town"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180213225140/https://www.bbc.com/news/amp/world-42982959|date=13 February 2018 }} 11 February 2018. BBC News.</ref> Cape Town rejected an offer from Israel to help it build [[desalination]] plants.<ref>[https://www.reuters.com/article/us-saundersonmeyer-drought-commentary/commentary-in-drought-hit-south-africa-the-politics-of-water-idUSKBN1FP226 In drought-hit South Africa, the politics of water] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181122202625/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-saundersonmeyer-drought-commentary/commentary-in-drought-hit-south-africa-the-politics-of-water-idUSKBN1FP226|date=22 November 2018 }}, Reuters, 25 January 2018</ref><ref>[https://www.wsj.com/articles/cape-town-may-dry-up-because-of-an-aversion-to-israel-1519254816 Cape Town May Dry Up Because of an Aversion to Israel] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211214053920/https://www.wsj.com/articles/cape-town-may-dry-up-because-of-an-aversion-to-israel-1519254816|date=14 December 2021 }}, Wall St. Journal, 21 February 2018</ref><ref>[https://www.aish.com/jw/me/The-Cape-Town-Water-Crisis-and-Hating-Israel.html The Cape Town Water Crisis and Hating Israel] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211214053921/https://www.aish.com/jw/me/The-Cape-Town-Water-Crisis-and-Hating-Israel.html|date=14 December 2021 }}, aish, 11 February 2018</ref><ref>[https://www.jpost.com/Opinion/South-African-stupidity-540605 South African stupidity] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211214053918/https://www.jpost.com/opinion/south-african-stupidity-540605|date=14 December 2021 }}, Jerusalem Post, 3 February 2018</ref> Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. 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