South Africa's municipal wastewater treatment systems are facing a severe crisis, with nearly half of the country's 848 systems classified as being in a critical state. According to the Department of Water and Sanitation's latest "Full Green Drop Report," 396 systems, or 47%, are struggling with performance issues. This represents a significant deterioration from the 2022 report, which found 334 systems, or 39%, in a critical state. The decline has raised concerns among parliamentarians and highlights the need for urgent intervention.
The Green Drop programme assesses the management of wastewater systems, including infrastructure, operational capacity, maintenance, compliance, monitoring, and management practices. The programme provides the department with a mechanism to identify facilities requiring intervention. In the latest assessment, only 14 systems achieved Green Drop certification, compared to 22 previously. The proportion of systems performing at good or excellent levels fell from 14%, or 118 systems, to 8%, or 66 systems. This decline has been attributed to various factors, including ageing infrastructure, inadequate maintenance, and shortages of technical skills.
The crisis is widespread, with critical wastewater facilities identified across all nine provinces. Gauteng, for example, has 10 critical systems under the City of Johannesburg, while KwaZulu-Natal has 19 critical systems listed under eThekwini municipality. The Eastern Cape has 67 critical systems, while the Free State has the highest provincial total at 81. The department has required municipalities with critical wastewater systems to prepare or update corrective action plans. Of the 90 municipalities identified in the 2022 Green Drop report, 79 submitted plans, and all had begun implementation.
However, several municipalities identified in the earlier assessment had not submitted corrective action plans. These include Masilonyana and Nketoana in the Free State, uMkhanyakude in KwaZulu-Natal, and several Northern Cape municipalities. The department has also initiated 96 criminal cases against 53 water services authorities regarding wastewater management failures. This enforcement action is part of a broader effort to address the crisis, including proposed legislative changes to strengthen the department's ability to act against non-compliant authorities.
The department has allocated R2.923 billion to wastewater infrastructure upgrades in the 2026/27 financial year. The funding covers 87 projects funded through the Regional Bulk Infrastructure Grant and Water Services Infrastructure Grant. Additionally, the department has introduced an internal review process for critical wastewater treatment plants and amended its annual performance plan to track the number of critical systems monitored against Green Drop requirements.
The portfolio committee on water and sanitation has expressed concern over the deterioration in municipal wastewater performance. In June, the committee warned that municipalities' failure to submit and implement corrective action plans was undermining efforts to restore failing wastewater systems. The committee also highlighted a shortage of skilled personnel, with only 1,151 of the 2,431 process controllers required nationally employed at the time of its briefing.
The crisis has significant implications for the country's water security and environmental health. The government has previously linked the deterioration to factors including ageing infrastructure, inadequate maintenance, shortages of technical skills, weak financial management, and governance problems. The department's response indicates that enforcement and legislative changes will play a key role in addressing the crisis.
Key points
- 396 out of 848 municipal wastewater treatment systems are in a critical state
- The department has initiated 96 criminal cases against 53 water services authorities
- R2.923 billion has been allocated to wastewater infrastructure upgrades in the 2026/27 financial year
