Water might soon become the most precious commodity. Water is so cheap and ? at the moment ? so abundant that many people may not be aware of the necessity to spare it. Even though the heavy rains brought by cyclone Gamede have secured Mauritian reservoirs and aquifers for the moment, the minister of Public utilities, Abu Kasenally, who opened the seminar, made it clear that water managers should not ?rest on their laurels?. Many challenges are looming ahead.

The first challenge comes from external factors. ?The issue of climate change is affecting us more than we would have imagined. In that context, one of the key observations is the fact that our meteorological services have noted an 8% decrease in our average annual rainfall. In addition, our dry season has apparently extended by about two months.? The tone is set. Global environment is undergoing major changes and there is a need for local authorities to make proper adjustments to ensure they can deal with these issues.

It can no longer afford the losses from the water network representing about 46% of non-revenue water. It can no longer afford to accumulate debts while people are not paying their dues. It can no longer afford to supply huge amounts of water for agricultural purposes. While the first issue will be tackled with the impending arrival of the British company Severn Trent, the authorities have already taken steps on the two other issues. ?Rs 18 million have been recovered? through the anti-fraud unit.

All speakers - though belonging to various sectors - stressed on the necessity for the government to take action but many also emphasised the need for making the whole population feel responsible for water leakages.

As for the agricultural sector, Dr Ah-Koon from the Mauritius Sugar Industry Research Institute (MSIRI) made it clear: ?Sugar cane planters have had to learn to cope with limited water supplies.? While planters themselves have taken measures to save water, the use of treated wastewater for agricultural activities is among the major initiatives taken by the authorities.

Hemant Chittoo from the University of Technology and D. Deepchand from the Wastewater Management Authority (WMA) stressed in their speeches the importance of re-using water . ?One way to achieve sustainable development will be to reduce wastewater loss and keep as much wastewater in the system for constructive uses even if such treated water is put to secondary or tertiary uses.? Even though Mauritius has already ?embarked on such a strategy through the setting up of its wastewater treatment plant in St-Martin, which allows the WMA to sell its treated water for irrigation purposes?, they pointed out that ?there remains probably more scope for re-use of water in Mauritius?.

In fact, all speakers ? though belonging to various sectors such as the ministry of Environment, the Central Electricity Board or the Mauritius Institute of Education to mention only a few ? stressed on the necessity for the government to take action but many also emphasised the need for making the whole population feel responsible for water leakages.

The seminar was supposed to end up with the stakeholders taking resolutions but the delay in the initial timetable has prevented them from doing so. The Octave Wiehe auditorium gradually emptied and there were hardly 30 people attending the end of the seminar. As a result, all speeches will be sent to the ministry of Public Utilities, which may then build on them to take a number of decisions. This is the least we can expect!

CWA launches customer charter

The CWA seized the opportunity of the seminar to launch its customer charter, which ?bears testimony to the will of the CWA to serve its customers in the best possible manner?. Its objective is ?a better understanding of the rights and obligations of the customer with regard to the duties and responsibilities entrusted to the CWA?. The booklet not only includes much information on the CWA but it also contains relevant services that customers may require. Moreover, as ?customers also have their rights and obligations?, the CWA has included a list of recommendations aimed at ?providing a better service to its customers?.