The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) calls on South Africans to join the Clear Rivers Campaign to rid our rivers, streams, and other watercourses of pollution and keep them clean and flowing with clear water.

Clear and healthy rivers mean a healthy environment and water security for all, especially in a water-scarce, such as South Africa. The Clear Rivers Campaign takes place in the month of July as part of promoting volunteerism in the celebration of Mandela Month.

The active and responsible citizenry is encouraged across the spectrum where people from all walks of life become participants in promoting healthy rivers.

The need for water security, particularly in the face of global climate change and a multitude of anthropogenic impacts affecting our rivers calls for a unified national approach to protect our rivers, wetlands, and broader catchments.

The active and responsible citizenry is more than necessary to promote healthy rivers as the relationship between communities and healthy rivers can never be overstated as it is community members who must take care and ensure our rivers are not filtered with litter.

The public needs to take a serious stand against pollution and protect the water resources at all times as pollution has serious negative effects on the quality of water thereby affecting the quantity of water fit for use. Let us join hands and stop the use of our streams and rivers as dumping sites.

Pollution affects the water quality and also blocks their normal flow leaving communities downstream without access to water.

DWS also calls on the public to stop the dumping of disposable nappies in the watercourses as it is like dumping raw sewage in the water systems negatively affecting crops, livestock, and human beings downstream.

South Africa is a water-scarce country and every drop counts therefore it is crucial that everyone takes responsibility and protects the water resources from pollution to prevent the loss of precious water and ensure water security for the current and future generations.

It is important that everyone plays a role in preventing the pollution of watercourses and keep them clean to ensure that rivers and streams continue to provide the many socio-economic benefits for society.

In some parts of the country, some rural communities still depend on rivers for their livelihoods. Clean and healthy rivers and streams provide communities with water for human consumption, cooking and washing.

The watercourses also provide fish for food and water for agricultural products and livestock. The rivers and streams also provide recreational areas for communities. It is therefore critical to keep them clean and healthy at all times for our own sake and the sake of the environment.