The availability of water is a growing concern in South Africa which the CCSA acknowledges and we are committed to contributing to water management that will ease pressure on our natural resources. Although cement manufacturing is not a water intensive process, water is used in parts of the process for cooling, dust suppression, as well as supplying potable water to residential areas at our operations.

The CCSA members are all sensitive to our scarce water resources and the increasing pressure in terms of abstraction, habitat destruction, pollution, and the emerging consequences of climate change adds another dimension of stress to the pressure on our water resources. There is thus increasing focus on water management and planning. The CCSA has been actively engaging with the Department of Water Affairs to inform the development policy and strategy formulation.

The CCSA memberss are in process of improving water monitoring and as well as of obtaining water use licences for operations where needed. In future, the CCSA aims to include indication of volumes of water used by source such as: volumes obtained through catchment, river and ground water extraction, and from municipal sources.

CCSA members continue to make significant water saving improvements during plant upgrades. The CCSA will continue to participate in the development and implementation of a water resource strategy in an effort to minimise its use and protect our precious and scarce resources.