Half of South Africa’s water is lost before it reaches the tap

South Africa’s water crisis continues to deepen, with the country now losing around 56% of its treated water, largely due to inadequate infrastructure maintenance.

Concerningly, the quality of South Africa’s water is also deteriorating, with the country’s wastewater treatment systems failing at scale.

This was revealed in a press statement by the Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA).

The committee raised alarm over failures in South Africa’s water quality and warned that non-compliance with drinking water and wastewater standards may harm communities.

This comes after the committee received a briefing from the Office of the Auditor-General (AG) on its audits of the water sector. 

“The findings show, among other things, critical weaknesses, particularly in infrastructure maintenance,” it said.

“The committee heard that municipalities are spending far below required benchmarks on maintenance, with the vast majority failing to meet minimum standards.”

This has resulted in water losses remaining extremely high, deteriorating water quality, and wastewater treatment systems failing at scale.

In particular, the committee raised concerns about significant water losses across South Africa. The AG’s statistics showed a loss of approximately 56% of treated water. 

“Literally, of the water that has been treated, we lose more than we actually use, and that is a matter of serious concern,” committee chairperson Dr Zweli Mkhize said.

Water losses result in what experts call “non-revenue” water, meaning it does not reach the end user. Instead, it is lost through leakages and theft.

This has made it increasingly difficult for bulk water suppliers to maintain sufficient pressure to get water from their facilities to reservoirs in major cities and to the end user. 

In addition, the lost revenue means municipalities lack the funds needed to address maintenance problems.

In some cases, the revenue they do receive is not ringfenced, meaning payments for water are not redirected to improve water infrastructure or paid to bulk suppliers like Rand Water.

Water quality risks disease outbreaks

Mkhize described the AG’s findings as “very concerning”, particularly the deteriorating quality of water services in many municipalities.

“This has a direct impact on the health of communities,” he said, adding that failures in water treatment systems heighten the risk of disease outbreaks.

This is particularly the case in urban settings, which remain vulnerable to diseases such as cholera and dysentery due to poor-quality water.

Overall, the committee said South Africa’s current trajectory will continue to undermine reliable access to safe water. “This will place increasing pressure on communities and the economy,” it said.

Moving forward, Mkhize said the committee will focus its oversight on three critical areas, including poor accountability, inadequate institutional capacity and inadequate maintenance of water infrastructure. 

“These are the underlying drivers of the failures observed across the water value chain,” he said.

In its report, the AG also made a clear call to action, highlighting the need for stronger oversight, better coordination across all spheres of government, increased investment in maintenance and stronger consequence management.

The committee indicated that its oversight work will include engagements with the Department of Water and Sanitation and specific municipalities with challenges. 

However, Mkhize noted that more preparatory work is required to ensure that discussions are focused and address concrete problem areas. 

“We need to do a bit more work before we can have such a meeting, so that we can focus on specific municipalities and avoid having a discussion that is all over the show,” he said.

The committee further reaffirmed its commitment to working with stakeholders across all spheres of government to strengthen accountability and improve water service delivery.

The national government has taken steps to start addressing the water crisis, including the establishment of the South African National Water Resources Infrastructure Agency.

President Cyril Ramaphosa approved the Water Resources Infrastructure Agency Act on 7 August 2024, and it came into effect on 7 February 2025.

This legislation establishes a state-owned company to efficiently develop, operate, and manage national water resources infrastructure in accordance with constitutional mandates and national policy.