South Africa’s Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) published three comprehensive reports in December 2023 assessing the state of water services across municipalities nationwide. The reports provide insights into drinking water quality, water losses, and wastewater management, information that helps citizens understand the safety and efficiency of their local water services.
The reports mark the continuation of the Blue, Green, and No Drop certification programmes, which were initially introduced in 2008, suspended in 2014, and reintroduced in 2021. These programmes aim to improve municipal water services by recognising excellence and providing guidance for improvement.
Key findings from each report:
- The Blue Drop Report, examining drinking water quality across 958 water supply systems, reveals concerning trends. Only 26 systems achieved the prestigious Blue Drop certification (down from 44 in 2014), while 277 systems were identified as critical. Water quality has significantly declined since 2014, with 46% of systems showing poor or bad microbiological water quality compliance, compared to just 5% in 2014. However, major metropolitan areas generally maintain good water quality.
- The No Drop Report, focusing on water distribution efficiency, shows that national non-revenue water (water lost through leaks, faulty meters, or poor billing) has increased from 37% in 2014 to 47% in 2023 – significantly higher than the international average of 30%. Only four water service authorities achieved No Drop certification with scores above 90%.
- The Green Drop Progress Assessment Report, evaluating wastewater treatment, indicates that 64% of wastewater treatment works are at high or critical risk of discharging inadequately treated water into the environment. This represents a deterioration since 2013 and poses significant environmental and health risks.
These detailed reports provide valuable insights for companies looking to make meaningful social investments in South Africa’s water infrastructure. The municipality-level data helps identify areas where corporate social investment could have the greatest impact, whether through funding technical training programmes, supporting infrastructure maintenance, or investing in water conservation initiatives.