World Water Day, celebrated on March 22, focuses on glacier preservation, a theme that resonates globally as melting ice disrupts water cycles and ecosystems. Though seemingly distant from South Africa, it’s a stark reminder that water security is a global issue with local consequences. Here at home, the crisis feels more immediate, with taps running dry in rural areas, cholera outbreaks in urban centres and half of municipal water being lost to leaks — all leaving millions without reliable access to clean water.
The 2023 cholera outbreak in Hammanskraal, which the World Health Organisation reports claimed 47 lives and affected a suspected 1,290 residents, exposed the infirmity of South Africa’s water systems. Malfunctioning wastewater treatment plants, chronic underinvestment, mismanagement and alleged misappropriation of funds were at the heart of the crisis. These systemic issues are incisively illustrated in the department of water & sanitation’s (DWS’s) 2023 “Green Drop Progress Report”, which showed that 32% of the country’s wastewater treatment plants are in critical condition, with an additional 34% at high risk — a stark deterioration from 2013’s 15% and 31%, respectively. Alarmingly, under one in 10 plants rated low risk in 2023, down from 23% a decade earlier.
Drinking water systems fare no better. The DWS’s 2023 “Blue Drop Report” notes that 47% of drinking water systems are in a poor or critical state, up from 40% in 2014, evidence of a decade of declining quality and upkeep.
Stats SA’s 2023 General Household Survey paints a mixed picture of progress, with 87% of households accessing tap water, though only 45% of these enjoy in-home piped water, while 30% rely on yard taps and 10% queue at communal taps. Additionally, 36% of households reported water interruptions, with rural municipalities bearing the brunt of erratic service delivery.
South Africa’s ageing infrastructure and lack of investment in new water projects compound the country’s water challenges. The last major dam, De Hoop in Limpopo, was completed in 2014 — preceded by the Inyaka Dam in Mpumalanga in 2001 — illuminating an extended gap in large-scale dam construction, despite mounting demand. Since 2014, the country has relied heavily on the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP), which supplies 25% of Gauteng’s water. However, phase 2 of the LHWP has been delayed until 2028 due to funding disputes, environmental concerns and political interference.
DWS director-general Sean Phillips has called for municipalities to urgently address Gauteng’s excessive water consumption — averaging 279l per person per day, well above the global average of 173l, as cited by Rand Water. He says repairing leaks, fixing faulty meters and addressing illegal connections — responsible for 49% of nonrevenue water losses — are critical to ensure sustainable distribution across the province.
The 2025 national budget attempts to tackle these gaps through targeted infrastructure investment. Of the R1.03-trillion earmarked for infrastructure over the next three years, R156.3bn has been allocated to water and sanitation projects. Yet this amount substantially trails the R256bn needed annually between 2023 and 2050 to achieve the country’s water sector objectives under the UN sustainable development goals, as estimated by a partnership between the Development Bank of Southern Africa, the National Treasury’s SA-TIED research projects, the National Planning Commission and the Presidential Climate Commission.
This amount substantially trails the R256bn needed annually between 2023 and 2050 to achieve the country’s water sector objectives
The budget states that the government’s focus remains on enhancing municipal water services and promoting private sector participation. Efforts are under way to introduce an independent economic regulator to enforce fair pricing and sustainable management of water services. This reform is part of the broader restructuring of the water sector under Operation Vulindlela, aimed at modernising governance in network industries such as water, transport, and energy. While the new National Water Resources Infrastructure Agency (NWRIA) will oversee bulk water infrastructure, manage national assets and generate revenue from water sales, it is not a standalone regulator, which is essential for enforcing pricing standards and ensuring equitable access — functions now divided between municipalities and the DWS. Through this separation of operational roles from regulatory oversight, the government is seeking to strengthen governance, enhance accountability and promote water sustainability.
As World Water Day 2025 calls for stewarding the world’s icy reservoirs, South Africa’s metaphorical thaw — crumbling infrastructure, leaking systems and a funding shortfall — threatens to leave taps dry for millions. Structural reforms, like the push for an independent regulator and the NWRIA, coupled with a budget commitment to targeted expenditure on water projects, signal promise, yet their success hinges on execution, accountability and bridging the investment gap.
In a country where water is both a basic need and an economic lifeline, the path ahead requires sustained effort to ensure that reliable access and a water-resilient future remains within reach for all.
Packirisamy is chief economist at Momentum Investments
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