The department reported that all 12 895 initially identified buckets that were supplied and serviced by the municipality had been eradicated by the end of November 2007. The buckets were either replaced by water borne or VIP sanitation systems. The total number of toilets built were 13 021. The challenge was that whilst the entire identified bucket system in terms of the definition of the Department of Water Affairs had been eradicated, informal settlements continued to develop their own bucket system, which has been a never-ending challenge.