1. Drop the Block
Campaign Report to the Portfolio Committee on Water & Sanitation
6th October, 2017
PRESENTATION TITLE
Presented by:
Name Surname
Directorate
Date

2. Contents Background Aims and Objectives Youth Empowerment
Blocks per province
Event-based rollout
Branding and Marketing
Media
Expenditure to date
Challenges
Highlights

3. Why was the campaign initiated?
During 2016, South Africa experienced one of the most debilitating drought conditions in years
Instead of spending more money on advertising with messages of water saving that will contribute towards behavioural change, the Department rolled out the Drop The Block Campaign, as an intervention to promote water use efficiency and reduce water consumption, given the drought conditions in the country
This initiative is in line with the National Water Resource Strategy 2 that is advocating the need to minimize water wastage, the care and protection of water resources, efficient and effective use of water
The campaign was rolled out as a door-to-door initiative and targeted household consumption by reducing the amount of water used per flush i.e. current consumption of 9 – 12 litres of water per flush

4. What did we want to achieve?
Reduce water consumption from flushing, thereby supporting water use efficiency
Monitoring of water losses at household level
Awareness creation on water use efficiency, with maximum community participation and as part of the campaign, households were encouraged to:
Take regular metre readings
Trace and repair leaks
Water efficient taps and toilets
Private sector and SOE collaboration

5. How does the campaign link to the APP?
Programme Number
Programme Name/ Strategic Objective
Actual Achievement in 2015/6
Planned target for 2016/7
Actual Achievement in 2016/7
Deviation from planned target to actual achievement
1.4
(Page 49 in the Annual Report)
Enhanced water use efficiency and management of water quality
A cumulative reduction of 2% was achieved from the 8 large water systems
8 large water supply systems monitored for water losses
Target achieved

6. What were the benefits? Number of blocks Period Water saving per day
Water saving per year
1 block
1 day - 1,3 litres X 4 flushes X 4 persons per household
21 litres
21 litres X 365 days = 7592 1 
1 day litres X 4 flushes X 4 persons per household
20 
20  X 365 days
= 7 614 

7. Additional benefits
The programme had a complementary, positive impact on the creation of work opportunities for young people in the various provinces and achieved the following:
Work opportunities were created for unskilled youth
Skills transfer by teaching young people how to conduct water loss audits as well as basic skills on fixing leaking taps and pipes
Income generation
Social interaction with like minded young people
Collaboration possibilities

8. What was the Campaign Expenditure?
The campaign was funded as part of the Communications budget line items.
Implementing Agent
Actual expenditure
2016/17
R’000
Budget
Variance
Manufacturing of block
Distribution, Marketing, Stipends
43 776
Implementing fee
(incl training for volunteers, lunch packs, water, equipment, stationery, etc.)
10 800
Total

9. What were the institutional arrangements for the campaign?
Sedibeng Water was appointed as the implementing agent for the roll out of the campaign
The Department is legally allowed to appoint its water entities as implementing agents, given that MOU are duly entered into
An MOU is attached for ease of reference
The MOU was initiated for a period of three years, however when the campaign was stopped, the service providers were released with no legal or other penalties for either Sedibeng Water of the Department

10. What were the selection criteria for participating municipalities?
The following was the qualifying criteria for areas that were identified to participate in the project:
Affected by drought
Households with high per capita consumption
Households that have bigger toilet cisterns, between 9 and 14 litres in size per flush
Indigent households that are struggling to pay for services

11. Roll Out per Province Province Municipalities Number of blocks
Volunteers paid GP
City of JHB
62 294
141 FS
Mangaung, Moqhaka and Nketoana,
51 190
123 NC
David Kruiper, Joe Morolong, Siyathemba, Renosterberg, Pixley ka Seme, Francis Baard, Namakwa, ZF Mgcawu, Tsantsabane, Namakhoi LM,
1 053 EC
Ndlambe ,Blue Crane LMs, Beyers Naude, Makana, Kouga, Amathole, Buffalo City,
577

12. Roll Out per Province Province Municipalities Number of blocks
Volunteers paid MP
Govan Mbeki, Emalahleni, Albert Luthuli, Victor Khanye, Steve Tshwete, Enhlanzeni DM, Nkangala DM,
1 172 WC
Belhar, Goodwood,
26 252 NW
City of Matlosana DM,
767
KZN
New Castle Local Municipality, AmaJuba DM,
497 LP
Capricorn DM
28 756 74

13. Private Sector and Government Collaboration
Transnet (Silveron GP) and Eskom (Magawatt Park, Sandton GP) – 1 700
Woolworths (HO – Cape Town) and Sasol (Rosebank GP and Secunda MP) –
Buildings maintained by Department of Public Works (FS, WC, and NW) –

14. Event Based Roll-out Province District Municipality Blocks dropped EC
Ngqushwa LM
3 252
Emalahleni LM
2 000
Senqu LM
2 688 WC
Cederberg LM
2 554
Drakenstein LM
2 961
Breedevalley LM
3 009
Swellendam LM
4 670 NW
Madibeng LM
2 711
Lekwa Teemane
2 723 NC
Gamagare LM
3 672

15. Event Based Roll-out Province District Municipality Blocks Dropped KZN
Mkabatine LM
3 335
Edumbe LM
2 921
Abaqulisi LM
2 290

16. What were Campaign Challenges?
There were challenges with the participation by some municipalities.
Household audit identified areas of leakages in most of the households visited, including leaking cisterns, taps and pipes.
In some municipalities, communities had been waiting for basic services for a long time therefore there were not interested on any form of awareness campaign.
Household members complained about response times on their complaints to municipalities
Some household members were not available during the day, extending working days into weekends
There were faulty and leaking water metres in some households.
All these issues were recorded as part of the audit and escalated to municipalities and our call centre operators for follow up/resolution

17. What were campaign gains?
Water savings were achieved
Water supply systems were monitored for water losses, up to household level
Ward Councillors were hands-on throughout the campaign.
Some municipalities had already replaced the old 9-15 liters cisterns with 6 litres and most RDP houses are fitted with smaller cisterns. This shows commitment on water saving across all spheres of government.
In most wards volunteers were creative and determined to exceed set targets.  
The audits conducted by the volunteers highlighted the challenges of water losses at household level, especially in relation to leaking pipes, leaking taps, as well as illegal water connections. This information was relayed back to the municipalities.

18. Campaign Activities
The Mayor of Govan Mbeki Local Municipality, launched Drop the Block campaign
Govan Mbeki Local municipality welcome the Drop the Block Campaign
Volunteers attended the launch after the induction session

19. Campaign Activities (cont.)
DWS demonstrating and distributing Drop-the-block at Woolworths head office in Cape Town
Rolling out Drop the block in Thabanchu
Khayelitsha community members collecting the blocks during an Imbizo.
A volunteer installing the block in Thulamahashe,Mpumalanga

20. Campaign Activities (cont.)
Water Saving Campaign held in Tshwane
The campaign was amplified by using various marketing material, including
Posters, pamphlets ,demonstration videos placed on social media.

21. Marketing & Branding

22. Marketing & Branding

23. Selected News Coverage

24. Selected News Coverage

25. THANK YOU