The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) outlined urgent measures to address South Africa’s escalating water crisis during a briefing to Parliament’s Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa)
The department highlighted infrastructure strain and municipal dysfunction as key drivers of deteriorating water services, particularly in Gauteng and eThekwini.
Director General Sean Phillips said that the national raw water supply remains balanced with demand, municipal water and sanitation infrastructure is in poor condition. “The DWS asset register shows 81% of national water resource infrastructure is in fair to very good condition, and we are raising finance for new investments,” Phillips said.
However, municipal-level challenges, including 52% non-revenue water losses in Gauteng and 62% in eThekwini, have led to significant service delivery failures. The DWS’s reinstated Blue, Green, and No Drop reports confirm marked deterioration in municipal water services.
Minister Pemmy Majodina revealed that 105 of the country’s 144 municipal water services authorities are performing “dismally” due to high water losses, poor infrastructure management, and institutional weaknesses. To address this, an inter-ministerial committee will deploy teams to the 20 worst-affected municipalities. Deputy Minister David Mahlobo emphasized the scale of the problem, noting billions in losses due to poor planning and project delays, as reported by the Auditor General
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The DWS has introduced reforms to the Water Services Act to separate the roles of Water Services Authorities and Providers, ring-fence water tariff revenue, and establish single-point accountability for service delivery. These efforts align with the Treasury’s Reform of Metropolitan Trading Services Programme and Phase 2 of Operation Vulindlela, a joint initiative with the Presidency to drive economic recovery.
To secure future raw water supply, Phillips stressed the need for more dams, diversification of water sources, and improved conservation and demand management. South Africa, one of the 30 most water-scarce countries globally, has per capita water consumption well above the global average.
Major national projects, including Phase 2 of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project, uMzimvubu, and uMkhomazi, are now in implementation after years of delays. At the municipal level, progress includes the Giyani water project, where Phase 1 has delivered piped water to 23 of 24 villages, with Phase 2 set to extend services to 31 more villages later this year.
With South Africa’s water security under threat, the DWS’s intensified efforts signal a commitment to addressing infrastructure backlogs, municipal failures, and systemic corruption. However, the scale of the crisis, particularly at the municipal level, underscores the need for sustained intervention and reform to ensure reliable water and sanitation services for all.
