Methodological Assessment of Municipal Water Systems Yield Improvement in South Africa via Quasi-Experimental Design

South Africa's municipal water systems face challenges in maintaining consistent yield to meet growing demands. A quasi-experimental design was employed, incorporating data from multiple municipalities across South Africa. The study utilised regression analysis to model yield trends over time, accounting for potential confounding variables such as population growth and climate variability. Regression analysis revealed a significant negative correlation (p < 0.05) between municipal water system infrastructure age and yield improvement, with an estimated coefficient of -0.75 indicating that each year of age reduction in infrastructure correlated with a 7.5% increase in yield. The quasi-experimental design provided robust insights into the performance of South African municipal water systems, highlighting the importance of regular system updates and maintenance to enhance efficiency and reliability. Municipal authorities are recommended to prioritise infrastructure upgrades for older systems to achieve greater yield improvements. Additionally, targeted interventions could include predictive modelling to anticipate future demand and optimise resource allocation. municipal water systems, quasi-experimental design, regression analysis, yield improvement, South Africa The empirical specification follows Y=β₀+β^ X+ε, and inference is reported with uncertainty-aware statistical criteria.