<P> In May 2014 it was announced that Durban's Water and Sanitation Department won the Stockholm Industry Water Award "for its transformative and inclusive approach", calling it "one of the most progressive utilities in the world". The city has connected 1.3 million additional people to piped water and provided 700,000 people with access to toilets in 14 years . It also was South Africa's first municipality to put free basic water for the poor into practice . Furthermore, it has promoted rainwater harvesting, mini hydropower and urine - diverting dry toilets . </P> <P> Water availability in South Africa varies greatly in space and time . While the West is dry with rainfall only during the summer and as low as 100mm, the East and Southeast receive rainfall throughout the year with an average of up to 1,000 mm . Total annual surface runoff is estimated at 43 to 48 km3, depending on the source . </P> <P> Much of the runoff is lost through flood spillage, so that the available surface water resources are estimated at 14 km3 / year only . Although groundwater is limited due to geologic conditions, it is extensively utilised in the rural and more arid areas . Available groundwater is estimated at 1 km3 / year . The main rivers of South Africa are fairly small compared to the large rivers of the world: For example, the discharge of the Nile River alone is about six times higher than the available surface water resources from all South African rivers together . </P> <P> The main rivers are the Orange River draining to the Atlantic Ocean, the Limpopo River, the Incomati River, the Maputo River, the Tugela River, the Olifants River (Limpopo), and the Breede River . The Incomati, Maputo, Thukela and Limpopo all drain to the Indian Ocean . South Africa's most important rivers are transboundary: The Orange River is shared with Botswana, Namibia and Lesotho, the "water tower" of Southern Africa . The Limpopo - Olifants river basin is shared with Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique, which lies the furthest downstream . International commissions of all riparian countries have been set up to manage these transboundary water resources . Potential future water resources are seawater desalination or the transfer of water from the Zambezi River . </P>

Where does water come from in south africa