SA’s water quality under scrutiny: Is Cape Town’s tap water safe to drink?

Cape Town has released its latest annual water quality report, revealing how its drinking water performed over the past year.

With water contamination making headlines elsewhere in South Africa, the safety of municipal drinking water is (literally) under the microscope.

Covering the period from 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026, the findings offer insight into the quality of Cape Town’s supply.

“Cape Town’s tap water continues to meet an excellent standard of drinking water quality,” the City said in a statement on Wednesday.

“This is according to the latest annual report published by the City’s Water and Sanitation Directorate.”

Siphesihle Magqazolo (Scientific Services) analyses a drinking water sample for nitrates, nitrites, sulphates, fluorides, chlorides and colour. Image: CoCT

Water quality: How Cape Town tests its taps

The report confirms that Cape Town’s municipal drinking water met the applicable quality criteria across all 11 assessed supply systems. Testing covered physical, chemical and microbiological parameters, measured against South African National Standard SANS 241:2015.

Water is purified at 12 treatment plants, where laboratories test samples every two hours. Scientific Services teams also collect about 200 drinking water samples weekly across the city’s 10 800km network.

“Maintaining excellent drinking water quality requires consistent leadership, skilled people and sustained investment across the entire water supply system,” said Zahid Badroodien, the City’s Mayco Member for Water and Sanitation.

Drinking water quality in Cape Town – percentage compliance 2021-20222022-20232023-20242024-2025Quarter 1 (Jul – Sep)99.199.599.199.3Quarter 2 (Oct – Dec)99.199.499.299.4Quarter 3 (Jan – Mar)99.099.399.299.6Quarter 4 (Apr – Jun)99.099.299.399.6

A tale of three cities

Cape Town’s results come amid a serious water contamination crisis in Tshwane.

The South African reported on Tuesday that the number of people who have fallen ill after drinking contaminated water in Bronkhorstspruit has climbed to 833, including 328 children aged four and younger.

Three patients remain in hospital.

Contaminated water supplied by the Bronkhorstspruit Water Treatment Works has been linked to hundreds of reported gastrointestinal illness cases. Investigators found that the water had not been chlorinated between 24 September and 14 October.

Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina, however, insists there is no outbreak.

Meanwhile, in the East of Joburg, a precautionary alert has been lifted after a water quality scare in Bezuidenhout Valley.

“Johannesburg Water (JW) confirms that water samples collected on 23 and 25 October from the affected properties along 8th Avenue, at the corners of 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th Streets meet the required water quality standards for both microbiological and chemical parameters,” JW said.

Cape Town’s annual and quarterly water quality reports are available on the City’s website.