Nearly half of South Africa’s treated water never reaches households or businesses. The result isn’t only approximately R7.2 billion in annual deficit municipal revenue – it’s also taps that run dry, strained infrastructure, and communities left without the services they need.

“Every litre lost is also a lost chance to improve people’s lives,” says Sabine Dall’Omo, CEO of Siemens Sub-Saharan Africa.

“Digital solutions give municipalities the tools to recover water, reinvest in infrastructure, and deliver more reliable services to their communities.”

Here are five ways Siemens demonstrates how innovation can help turn water losses into opportunities for municipalities and their people:

1. Start with precise measurement

Communities can’t receive water if municipalities don’t know where it’s going. Advanced electromagnetic and battery-operated meters, linked via 4G and NB-IoT, provide real-time data on flows. This transparency is the foundation of better service delivery, allowing officials to identify exactly where water is being lost and act quickly.

2. Build a digital twin of the network

A digital twin creates a virtual model of water infrastructure. With platforms such as Siemens’ Gridscale X Meter Data Management for Water, municipalities can spot inefficiencies before they impact supply. For communities, this means fewer disruptions and faster repairs when problems arise.

3. Move from reactive to predictive with AI

Instead of waiting for a pipe to burst, Artificial Intelligence can flag weak points in advance. Tools like Leak Finder and Blockage Predictor cut leakages by up to 50%, detect faults within hours, and even identify customer-side leaks as small as a litre an hour. That translates into more water in people’s homes, fewer sudden outages, and fairer billing for households.

4. Protect infrastructure for the long term

Frequent bursts and leaks shorten the lifespan of municipal infrastructure. Predictive management reduces this wear and tear, saving money and ensuring networks last longer. In practical terms, communities benefit from more stable water supply systems that can withstand growing demand.

5. Unlock funding through partnerships

Sustained improvements require funding. Performance-Based Contracts (PBCs), where private partners share in the savings they generate, make digital projects financially viable. The Water Partnership Office also brings together municipalities, business and development financiers to scale solutions – ultimately helping municipalities deliver services more consistently to people on the ground.

“Reducing water loss is about more than protecting supply,” Dall’Omo concludes. “It’s about giving communities the certainty of knowing their taps will run, their bills will be fair, and their municipalities will have the resources to keep improving.”