The new year brought no relief for Johannesburg’s taps. A run of burst pipes, empty reservoirs and a contamination scare shows how far the city’s water network has fallen, and how much it would cost to fix. Any hope that…
The Department of Water and Sanitation has moved against JB Marks Local Municipality after years of complaints about raw sewage flowing from Ikageng into the Mooi River, a source of water for homes, farms and industry in the North West.…
For the first time, the Auditor-General has audited the entire water value chain, from the national department to the municipal tap. The picture it presented to Parliament this week is of a system failing at almost every link. On Tuesday…
In the last fortnight of November, the Vaal Dam overflowed while parts of Johannesburg still relied on tankers. The contrast shows that Gauteng’s crisis is about delivery, not supply. For much of the past two weeks, the Department of Water…
The money exists in the books but not in the bank. A parliamentary briefing this week showed how Johannesburg’s finances and its failing water network are tied together. For two months, one number has hung over Johannesburg’s water crisis: R4…
Emfuleni’s water and sanitation services have been handed to a new ring-fenced utility. After years of raw sewage, inquiries and interventions, the Vaal River’s future may depend on whether it works. On Friday 14 November 2025, the Department of Water…
510,000 men die by suicide each year — that’s one every minute.Although around 78% of all suicides are male, only about 36% of mental healthcare users are men.Stigma and traditional gender roles are to blame, making it difficult for men…
An independent, volunteer-led testing programme has found that most of the sewage works it sampled are still discharging polluted effluent into South Africa’s rivers, even as drinking water quality holds steady. On 10 December 2025, the civil rights organisation AfriForum…
We would like to extend our sincere gratitude for your ongoing support, patience, and commitment to the establishment of the Citizen Science Association for Southern Africa (CSA_SA). It gives us great pleasure to announce that, after considerable effort and perseverance,…
Understanding the challenges and innovations shaping the country’s water quality. South Africa is a water-scarce country, and pollution significantly reduces the availability of clean water. From industrial effluent to agricultural runoff, contaminants threaten ecosystems, public health, and economic activities. Addressing…
How recycling wastewater and greywater can alleviate drought stress and secure the future. South Africa is one of the driest countries in the world, and climate change is intensifying water scarcity.While conservation and dam management are critical, water recycling has…
How politics, mismanagement, and money intertwine in one of the country’s most vital public resources. Water, like energy, sits at the heart of South Africa’s development story.It fuels industries, sustains cities, and defines livelihoods. But it’s also a political battleground…
Charting South Africa’s journey toward sustainable water management. South Africa’s Department of Water Affairs (DWA) — now formally the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) — has been the backbone of the nation’s water governance for more than a century.…
Why South Africans are paying more — and what’s behind the rising price of water. As South Africa grapples with infrastructure decay and growing demand, water tariffs have become a flashpoint.Households are paying more each year, yet many communities still…