People take so much for granted in this and age. A prime example would running water. People confidently stroll up to the tap, give it few turns and expect the lovely clear liquid to come flowing out. The only time anyone takes notice of this amazing act is when the water does not flow. The fact that this happens millions of times per day all around the country is even more impressive. Water pipes are making this apparent miracle possible; through a network of pipes so vast that people could even begin to grasp how vast the network is. As individuals we place, however unwittingly, a great deal of faith in these pipes and every day the network is growing larger and larger as the infrastructure of South Africa reaches out to touch more and more people.
Those of us who live in developed areas and suburbs really do take water for granted as well the system of pipes that brings it to us. No one ever stops to think just how lucky they are to be able to just turn on a tap. Some might argue that the government is just doing its job and no more, but they should ask themselves, what about the millions of South Africans who do not have this facility. Are they any less worthy of the government’s attention? Surely many of them would love to have the opportunity to pay for this service. Unfortunately it is not that simple. The water pipe network costs billions and it is going to take time before all South Africans just go into the bathroom or kitchen and just turn on the tap.
Those South Africans who are not yet on the water pipe grid, so to speak, spend hours every day ferrying water from a centrally situated tap. This walk for water can be as long as fifteen to twenty kilometres. All this because the state has not been able to completely connect everyone to the water supply. They say that is only a matter of time before the entire country is connected to the water pipe system, but one wonders when.