WaterCAN is raising alarm over the Gauteng Province’s failure to meet basic microbiological water quality standards.
READ NOW: Our letter sent to Joburg Water and the Department of Water and Sanitation
READ NOW: Johannesburg Water responds to WaterCAN Letter
This follows recent public commentary by water scientist Ms Ayesha Laher, who highlighted the province’s compliance rate of just 97.8% – below the 99% national threshold required to ensure safe drinking water. According to Ms Laher, only three municipalities – Ekurhuleni, Lesedi, and Merafong – currently meet the acceptable microbiological standards.
Ms Laher also pointed to the recently gazetted Revised Compulsory National Water and Sanitation Services Standards, which require municipalities to notify health authorities within 12 hours of confirming any incident posing a health risk. The regulations further state that advisory notices must be issued when repeated non-compliant test results signal potential health threats.
WaterCAN’s own review of Joburg Water’s March, April, and May 2025 reports raises serious concerns (tables are contained in the letter):
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Turbidity (Table 2, SANS 241): In May, Joburg Water’s turbidity compliance was just 87.4% – far below the minimum 95% requirement. Elevated turbidity compromises effective disinfection, posing a direct risk to public health.
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Microbiological Compliance – E. coli (Table 1 & 4, SANS 241): E. coli is an acute health risk with a mandatory 99% compliance rate. Joburg Water’s compliance fell to 98.9% in March and 98.1% in April. For a metro the size of Johannesburg, the standard is clear: microbiological quality must be excellent, i.e., above 99%.
SEE THE TABLES: Contained in our letter
Ferrial Adam, Executive Manager of WaterCAN, said:
“These failures are not technical oversights—they are public health risks. Authorities have a legal and moral obligation to warn residents when drinking water may be unsafe. The continued lack of public health advisories is a breach of public trust and a violation of national regulations.”
WaterCAN is calling on Joburg Water to immediately respond to the following:
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Are these non-compliance events isolated or part of a recurring trend?
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What corrective actions are underway to address them?
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Why is microbiological compliance consistently below the national threshold?
In addition, WaterCAN urges the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) to fulfil its oversight responsibilities. Specifically, we call on the DWS to:
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Make Incident Risk Information Public:
All IRIS system reports of water quality risks must be made public without delay. Communities have the right to know when their water is unsafe. -
Deploy National Intervention Teams:
DWS must send engineers, health officials, and compliance teams to failing municipalities. Monitoring alone is insufficient—national support is needed to fix broken infrastructure and safeguard public health.
“South Africans deserve clean, safe drinking water—not excuses, silence, or secrecy,” added Adam. “We call for immediate transparency, intervention, and compliance from both municipal and national authorities. This cannot wait.”
To view our letter sent to Joburg Water and DWS select here.
For media queries contact/WhatsApp:
Dr Ferrial Adam- WaterCAN Executive Director – 0741813197
Jonathan Erasmus – Media Liaison – 0732276075
