Investigation into factors affecting water provision in Eastern Cape Municipalities, with specific focus on OR Tambo district Municipality

The provision of basic water services to all South African communities is one of the biggest challenges that many local municipalities are currently facing. The objective of this study was to investigate factors affecting water provision in Eastern Cape municipalities, with specific focus on OR Tambo District Municipality. As a Water Service Authority it has the responsibility to ensure that all communities at the district have access to basic water supply. The study evaluated the participant’s views who are municipal officials responsible in water services delivery. The study shows that there is a serious challenge of backlogs in water delivery and these will be difficult to overcome due to financial limitation, lack of personnel capacity. It also revealed that some of the areas in the district are not serviced due to the aging of infrastructure, Data collection was done by using the interview methods which involved direct interactions with the participants from the Water and Sanitation department at the OR Tambo District Municipality who provided answers to the questions of the researcher. The study recommends that the municipality should prioritise looking at other integrated water cycle management strategies that will ease the delivery of water to the citizens. Awareness campaigns for efficient and effective use of water should be launched. Water supply and management must be one of the areas that the municipality prioritise in terms of budgeting on establishing programs to prevent water losses in the system. Maintenance and effective use of the already available resources must be effected at the municipality