A shocking new citizen science study has revealed the presence of bacterial contamination and sewage pollution in water sources across all nine provinces, from household taps to major rivers and dams. The non-profit organisation WaterCan, which conducted the research, has renewed its call for urgent government intervention, warning that deteriorating wastewater infrastructure is creating a severe public health risk.
The findings come from WaterCan’s annual National Water Testing Week, a volunteer-driven initiative that coincides with World Water Monitoring Day. According to WaterCan spokesperson Jonathan Erasmus, the program aims to provide an independent snapshot of the country’s water quality while empowering communities through citizen science.
“The purpose of this is twofold,” Erasmus explained. “It’s to get a fully independent, volunteer-driven sample of water sources across the country… and to inculcate a belief in citizen science to help empower communities to better understand what’s in their water and then use that information proactively in holding authorities to account.”
The study identified dangerous levels of coliform bacteria, which should not be present in any drinking water, in tap samples from multiple locations. Erasmus cited recurring incidents, including recent negative findings in the Tulbagh area under the Witzenberg Municipality in the Western Cape. He warned that the contamination points to a systemic failure.
“What we’re seeing is a pattern of breakdown infrastructure,” he said. “We have in general a water crisis in this country from what we drink to how we handle our waste and sanitation.”
The report has been met with skepticism from some municipalities, which have questioned the credibility of the non-laboratory testing methods. WaterCan firmly defends the reliability of its kits, developed with scientific partners and rigorously tested.
“Their results are 100% factual,” Erasmus stated, noting that the organisation’s Executive Director, Dr. Ferrial Adam, has extensive experience in water management and research. Erasmus added that he has personally used the kits to open a criminal case in the past, underscoring their evidentiary strength.
The public health implications are severe. Contaminated water can lead to vomiting, diarrhea, and serious illness, posing a particular threat to vulnerable populations. Erasmus urged affected municipalities to issue boil-water notices and provide water tankers as an immediate, though insufficient, stopgap measure.
He attributed the crisis to a combination of aging infrastructure, under-investment, corruption, and a critical lack of accountability. “Until there is serious action taken against municipal leaders… this kind of situation is never really going to be resolved,” Erasmus argued. “There needs to be serious consequence for anyone in a position of power for not dealing with the water crisis.”
WaterCan’s work now focuses on public education and community mobilization, aiming to use citizen-generated data to pressure authorities into addressing what the organisation describes as a fundamental failure in basic service delivery and the upholding of a basic human right.