Nearly half of South Africa’s drinking water unsafe: Report

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The recently released Blue and No Drop Water Report has brought to light significant concerns regarding the safety of drinking water in South Africa.

The report, unveiled on December 5, 2023, revealed that nearly half of the country’s drinking water is considered unsafe.

Examining the performance of municipal drinking water systems since 2014, the report identified a regression and decline in their effectiveness. Assessing 958 water supply systems (WSS) across 144 water services authorities (WSA) nationwide, the report indicated that 29% of water supply systems are in a critical state of performance.

The decline in drinking water quality was attributed to various factors, including deficiencies in managerial and technical skills within municipalities, aging infrastructure, rapid housing developments, and a poor understanding of water supply and demand management.

Julius Kleynhans, representing WaterCAN, a network of activists, which is an initiative of Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA), expressed concerns over the lack of consequences for municipalities failing to provide communities with clean and quality water.

“We don’t see proper management of our water resources and infrastructure. Municipalities are not supplying proper services, however we know that rates and taxes go up every year so we’re not getting quality service, and there is no consequence management.

“We see them polluting rivers and we see they’re supplying substandard water to people,” adds Kleynhans.

The report revealed that despite a severe regression in drinking water quality between 2014 and 2023, drinking water systems in the major metropolitan areas are generally performing well in terms of the Blue Drop key performance areas.

Poor water quality in South Africa putting health and economy at risk

#DropReports | The 2023 Full Blue Drop report will cover all drinking water supply systems in the country and will also include non-technical aspects such as skills and qualifications of municipal staff. pic.twitter.com/j0VSxHQXcl

— Water&SanitationRSA (@DWS_RSA) December 5, 2023

DID YOU KNOW?#DropReports | The No Drop assessment includes the levels of physical water losses in the system (for example through leaks in pipes); levels of non-revenue water; the amount of water used per customer per day, amongst others. pic.twitter.com/nmpDnksbc6

— Water&SanitationRSA (@DWS_RSA) December 6, 2023