79 of SA's water systems are rated critical risk. How to check yours

South Africa's water regulator rates 79 of the country's 1,006 municipal drinking water systems as critical risk, meaning there is a serious chance the water they supply does not meet the national safety standard. Another 106 are rated high risk (Department of Water and Sanitation).

That is the national picture. Whether your own tap is safe today depends on your municipality's latest test results, and you are entitled to know them.

Which provinces have the riskiest drinking water?

The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) assessed every municipal water supply system for its latest Blue Drop progress report, released on 31 March 2026 (DWS):

• 622 systems (62%) are low risk
• 199 systems (20%) are medium risk
• 106 systems (10%) are high risk
• 79 systems (8%) are critical risk

Gauteng and the Western Cape have no systems rated critical. The Northern Cape, Free State and Limpopo each have more than 10% of their systems in the critical category. The Northern Cape is the worst performer, with an average risk rating of 68% (a higher number means more risk) (DWS).

DWS says the big metros' drinking water systems generally perform well (DWS).

Does a good rating mean my water is safe right now?

No. The report covers the 2023/24 municipal financial year, and DWS itself says it does not show the current state of water quality in any municipality (DWS).

A rating tells you how well your municipality runs its treatment works, tests its water and staffs its plants. Problems can still appear overnight. Pretoria's CBD had a boil-water advisory from 22 October until 24 October 2026 after a burst sewer pipe contaminated a spring that feeds Findlay Reservoir (IOL). In Bronkhorstspruit, the City of Tshwane told residents to use tap water only for flushing toilets (City of Tshwane).

How do I check if my tap water is safe?

Drinking water must meet the SANS 241 standard set by the South African Bureau of Standards, and municipalities must test it regularly (DWS).

DWS says you can safely drink tap water if your municipality confirms the water is being tested and meets SANS 241, and that residents should check this with their municipality (DWS). In practice:

• Ask your municipality for its latest SANS 241 compliance results.
• Look up your municipality's Blue Drop risk rating in the DWS provincial reports on dws.gov.za.
• Watch your municipality's official notices and social media for boil-water advisories.

If tests show the water poses a health risk, the municipality is required to tell consumers (DWS).

How do I make water safe to drink during an advisory?

The City of Cape Town's health guidelines give three options (City of Cape Town):

• Boil the water for at least one minute, let it cool and store it in clean, sanitised containers.
• Add 5ml (one teaspoon) of unperfumed household bleach to 25 litres of water and let it stand for at least 30 minutes before use. This is the World Health Organization's recommendation.
• Use water disinfection tablets, following the manufacturer's instructions.

Some notices go further than a boil-water advisory. When a municipality says water is unsafe even if boiled, as Tshwane did for Bronkhorstspruit, only use it for what the notice allows (City of Tshwane).

Why is sewage part of the problem?

Wastewater treatment is in worse shape than drinking water treatment. In the 2025 Green Drop report, 396 of 848 municipal wastewater systems (47%) were in a critical state, up from 39% in 2022 (DWS). Poorly treated sewage ends up in rivers that supply raw water to treatment works.

DWS has blamed poor maintenance, ageing infrastructure, skills shortages and unstable municipal management (PMG). The next full Blue Drop report, which will check drinking water systems in more detail, is due in March 2027 (DWS).