Water Facts & Figures

44 – The age of the June rainfall record that was broken at Paddock weather station along the KwaZulu-Natal coast during recent heavy rains. The weather station recorded 382 mm on June 17, breaking a record which has stood since 1964.

2012 – The year by which the world population will reach 7 billion, according to a US government projection. The world population surpassed 6 billion in 1999, meaning it will only take 13 years to add a billion people.

R5-billion – The funds allocated to Johannesburg Water’s project to upgrade and rehabilitate municipal water infrastructure across the city.

11 – The number of dams which provide bulk water to the City of Cape Town and surrounds. The city also has 20 bulk reservoirs and 12 water treatment plants.

115 – The number of municipalities in South Africa where 60% of more households do not have access to water in their dwellings or in their yards. This number is down from 155 in 2007, according to Minister of Provincial and Local Government Sydney Mufamadi.

5 680 ℓ – The volume of water it takes to process one barrel of beer.

September 2008 – The target date for the removal of the remaining 23 083 bucket toilets in the Free State, Northern Cape and Eastern Cape.

950 000 – The number of work opportunities created by the Expanded Public Works Programme between 2004 and 2007. The programme aims to create 1,3 million jobs by 2009.

16 000 – The number of residents in especially informal settlements affected by flooding due to July storms in Cape Town.