Water supply collapsing across South African towns

The effective provision of water in many cities and towns across South Africa has deteriorated, with the crisis leaving millions without water for days, weeks, months, and sometimes even years.

“Load shedding has been supplanted by the water security crisis, which poses a similar if not greater threat to the quality of life and economic prospects of all South Africans,” said President Cyril Ramaphosa in his 2025 January 8th statement.

While the energy crisis brought much of South Africa’s economy to its knees, the water crisis is an entirely different ball game, as being without water is a matter of survival.

Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina and others have emphasised that although South Africa is a water-scarce country, this crisis does not stem from a lack of bulk water.

Almost a decade after the government declared a nationwide “war on leaks” campaign, much of potable water is lost through leaks, leading to severe shortages.

Countrywide, non-revenue water losses are at 47.4%, with pipe leaks at 40.8%.

Majodina said this is largely self-inflicted by municipal mismanagement, poor maintenance, illegal connections, and a lack of planning and investment.

Water expert Professor Anthony Turton uses the metaphor of a leaking bucket to describe the relationship between bulk water suppliers and many municipalities.

Bulk water suppliers are like hoses and municipal infrastructure, leaking buckets. Irrespective of how much suppliers pour into leaking buckets, they will never be full. 

The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) manages South Africa’s water resources through policy, regulation, and bulk water management.

Water Service Authorities (WSAs), which are essentially municipalities, deliver water and sanitation services to communities within their jurisdictions. Essentially, the DWS sets the framework, and WSAs provide the services.

Through legislation, WSAs are required to measure and monitor performance related to water use targets, Non-Revenue Water (NRW), water losses, and water use efficiency.

The DWS regulates the WSA’s performance through the No Drop Report, which shows that South Africa’s water infrastructure is in a dire state:

• Only 4 WSAs scored above 90% (Excellent);
• 8 WSAs achieved a score between 80% and 90% (Good);
• 65 WSAs scored below 50% (Critical to poor);
• 24 failed to submit any relevant information for the audit.

The North West

Issues persist across cities and towns nationwide, but the mining and agricultural province of the North West is a notable example of where water woes have plagued residents and businesses.

Six WSAs in the province were defined as being “critical,” one as “poor,” and two as “average.” One did not provide any data.

With several service delivery-related protests and tipoffs, BusinessTech travelled to several municipalities and towns across the province to see some of these issues first-hand.

City of Rustenburg

The City of Rustenburg received a No Drop score of 54% for water management, indicating average performance.

While some areas of good performance exist, the municipality’s water loss management has significant issues.

Residents and businesses reported ongoing water waste from burst pipes, vandalised meters, and unrepaired infrastructure.

According to the report, the municipality has not shown a clear understanding of its water use or conservation strategy.

The required water balance for the audit period was incomplete, and while some consumer meters were maintained, the water balance’s accuracy is considered medium.

Additionally, the team managing water loss has gaps in capability and documentation, and while some leak repairs were made, not enough were completed within the required 48-hour period.

Mayoral spokesperson Odirile Madiba said that plans are in place, including major leak repairs, infrastructure upgrades, and the development of a 5-year Water Conservation and Demand Management Plan.

Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality

Next, we drove through to the border town of Zeerust, which falls under the Ramotshere Moiloa Local Municipality within the Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality (NMMDM).

Areas around this district have been plagued with service delivery woes, including one where all entry and exit points to the town were blocked.

Community leader Pilot Mosothwane said some areas had been without water for up to eight months.

The NMMDM received a No Drop score of 0% because it “failed to comply with regulatory requirements as no information was submitted for the audit period.”

We then travelled to another municipality within its purview, Ditsobotla, which includes towns like Lichtenburg and Coligny.

It was here where the dire state of water was made explicitly apparent, with residents and businesses facing significant challenges.

Residents experience intermittent water supply, with the municipality typically turning on water around 7 am and off by 11 am. Not all parts of town receive water, particularly those higher up.

According to data from telemetry systems on Ditsobotla’s reservoirs compiled by Hannes Kruger, on average, 4.5 megalitres of water is released daily from the municipality versus a demand of approximately 20 megalitres.

This does not account for what is lost to leaks along the way.

Kruger surveyed residents of Ditsobotla to gauge their water supply. Of the over 2,000 responses, around 85% indicated that they did not receive water that day.

Many residents of Ditsobotla have been without water for extended periods.

One elderly resident reported being without water for over five years, which means she has had to push heavy wheelbarrows of water around every day since.

The principal of G.R. Setsetse Primary School, with over 1,300 pupils, said that the lack of water is a serious crisis, consistently putting children at risk. Because the toilets do not work, they become unsanitary, leading to terrible odours and health risks.

Students also lack drinking water and the ability to wash their hands and are sometimes sent home early due to water shortages.

Businesses and residents with the means in these areas have had to resort to boreholes or are supplied or buy water from those who have access to it.

The DWS said that following the 2022 Green Drop and 2023 Blue Drop assessments, it issued noncompliance letters to NMMDM. The municipality then submitted action plans that are now being monitored.

The Department added that it provides ongoing training on compliance, including using the DWS’ Integrated Regulatory Information System for assessments and participates in quarterly financial recovery meetings with Provincial Treasury to address challenges.

Additionally, a court order brought forward by Sakelige mandates the district to ensure reliable, potable water for Ditsobotla, especially Lichtenburg, with monthly progress reports to the court.

The DWS said that “is exploring a long-term plan to utilise Midvaal bulk water spare capacity (drawing water from Vaal River and utilising the existing Water Treatment Plant situated in Matlosana) to provide NMMDM with sustainable bulk water provision.”

The project is still in its planning phase.

City of Matlosana

Next, BusinessTech visited the City of Matlosana, home to around 430,000 residents and sports towns like Klerksdorp.

According to the municipality, water distribution involves the bulk purchase and supply of water by Midvaal Water Company to the area.

Matlosana manages retail and distribution. Rural areas use communal standpipes, while urban areas have individual connections and water-borne sanitation.

According to the No Drop report, Matlosana received a score of 1%, which “indicates that there is a critical need for urgent interventions to be implemented at the City of Matlosana for all aspects,” said DWS.

The report noted that Motlosana showed “very little understanding” of its water use and water conservation strategy.

They did not submit a required water balance for 2021/22 nor provide proof of meter maintenance or replacements during the audit period.

As a result, the regulator could not calculate the key performance indicators based on the provided water balance.

Potential supply reductions further threaten issues due to a staggering R2 billion debt owed by the bulk water supplier.

Residents and businesses said that the town’s water supply system is a significant problem for them, plagued by a consistent loss of clean water and, thus, shortages due to broken pipes.

DWS would have implemented the same intervening actions for the City.

Department of Water and Sanitation’s plans

DWS told BusinessTech that currently, it has limited ability to intervene in water services, as its mandate lies with the municipalities.

It said that it is amending the Water Services Act to introduce operating licenses for all water service providers, including municipalities.

These amendments aim to strengthen DWS’s ability to intervene when municipalities fail and motivate improvements to meet necessary standards, said the Department.

Up to now, DWS said that it focused on supporting municipalities through two capital grants—the Regional Bulk Infrastructure Grant and the Water Services Infrastructure Grant —while also strengthening its support.

“Through this support, DWS assists municipalities with training and guidance to develop 5-year reliability plans and Water Services Demand Plans.”

DWS has also established the Water Partnerships Office to help municipalities set up public-private partnerships, with the aim of increasing private investment in municipal infrastructure.

The department said it holds municipalities accountable through its regulatory function by issuing reports like the Blue, Green, and No Drop reports, which highlight poor performance and guide municipalities in identifying areas needing investment and maintenance.

When municipalities fail to invest in or maintain infrastructure, DWS said that takes regulatory actions, including legal steps.

“While this is not the preferred approach from an inter-governmental relations perspective, it serves to encourage municipalities to prioritise funding for critical infrastructure and maintenance,” said DWS.