Department of Water and Sanitation Reports Further Decline in South African Wastewater Infrastructure

The latest Green, Blue, and No Drop reports show a decline in South Africa's wastewater systems, with 396 systems now in critical failure.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 1, 2026, 6:17 AM EDT

Source: The information in this article was sourced from Engineering News

Escalating Crisis in Wastewater Management

The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) has released its latest suite of performance reports, highlighting a significant and concerning deterioration in the country’s wastewater treatment capabilities. The 2025 Green Drop report, which audited 848 municipal systems during the 2023/24 financial year, found that nearly half of these systems—396 in total—are now classified as being in a critical state. This represents a marked decline from the 334 systems reported in 2022. Minister Pemmy Majodina emphasized that this continued failure places unsustainable pressure on national water resources, the environment, and public health.

Decline in High-Performing Systems

In addition to the rise in critical failures, the number of wastewater systems performing at ‘excellent’ or ‘good’ levels has seen a sharp reduction. Only 8% of audited systems met these standards in the latest period, down from 14% in the previous audit. Furthermore, only 14 systems nationwide achieved Green Drop certification—requiring over 90% compliance—compared to 22 in 2022. Notably, six provinces—the North West, Northern Cape, Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal, Free State, and Eastern Cape—failed to produce a single system with compliance levels above 90%, leaving the Western Cape and Gauteng as the only regions with certified facilities.

Stabilization of Drinking Water Quality

Contrary to the wastewater findings, the 2025 Blue Drop progress assessment report indicates that South Africa’s drinking water systems have remained relatively stable. DWS Director-General Dr. Sean Phillips noted that while many systems remain in high-risk categories, the national percentage of low-risk drinking water systems increased marginally to 61.9%. Major metropolitan areas continue to lead in water quality management, though the Northern Cape and Free State remain areas of serious concern due to high concentrations of critical-risk systems.