The World Economic Forum’s ‘2015 Global Risk Report’ has named water crises the world’s greatest risk – viewed as a more serious threat than ‘inter-state conflict’, the ‘failure to adapt to climate change’ and ‘chronic unemployment’. As South Africans, we are confronted with serious water challenges with ageing water infrastructure, shifting demand patterns, and inadequate supply in several areas as a result of changing rainfall patterns. Moreover, the water sector is experiencing an ongoing critical scarce skills shortage, which has a direct effect on achieving water and sanitation delivery, meeting compliance targets and implementing sustainable water resources management.