Gauteng Water Crisis in the Spotlight at Sahrc Inquiry
Auditor-General and civil society organisations made submissions on Tuesday
WaterCAN
Johannesburg Sewerage Treatment Fails Green Drop Assessment
Metro has dropped from 91% in 2011 to below 50%
Take Me to the River: Baptisms in Joburg’s Polluted Water
Years of systemic failures have poisoned the Klip River
Pollution Is Killing Gauteng’s Fresh Water Sources
Failing sewage systems, rapid urbanisation and industrial pollution have turned Gauteng’s rivers into an environmental and public health problem
Johannesburg: Where Water Runs in the Streets, but Not in the Taps
Nearly half of the city’s water is lost to leaks
Melville Enters Third Week Without Water
Volunteers work shifts to provide 50 litres of water per person per day
Midrand Residents Protest Six-Day Water Outage
Large parts of Johannesburg have been without water
Claremont Could Be Johannesburg Water’s Big Blind Spot
Suburb is among several expecting a very dry Christmas
Stop the Non-payment
WaterCAN is deeply concerned about yet another disruption of water supply to informal settlements in Johannesburg following the withdrawal of services by a contractor due to alleged nonpayment. This is not an isolated incident. For several months Johannesburg Water has struggled to pay contractors consistently, resulting in delays to infrastructure work and interruptions to essential …
How Do We Disrupt Gangsterism in Prisons
On Wednesday, 19 November 2025, Premier Alan Winde hosted Minister of Correctional Services, Pieter Groenewald, and Executive Mayor of Cape Town, Geordin Hill-Lewis, for a frank and constructive engagement on efforts to combat gangsterism and organised crime in Western Cape communities and prisons. The conversation centred on working together on numerous initiatives that stand to …
Johannesburg Water’s R1 Billion Debt Sparks Humanitarian Crisis
Johannesburg Water’s debt has now exceeded R1 billion, creating a humanitarian crisis that is leaving thousands without access to water, says WaterCAN. The organisation warns that financial mismanagement by Johannesburg Water has reached a critical point, directly impacting the city’s most vulnerable communities. What began as a debt of R666 million owed to 203 contractors in September …
Joburg Protesters Call for End to Water Crisis
Millions of people in the city face daily water interruptions, dry taps, and inadequate sanitation, say picketers
Protesters Demanding Water Shot at With Rubber Bullets, Tear Gas
Johannesburg civil society organisations stand with the residents of Coronationville, Westbury, Westdene, Martindale and Sophiatown who took to the streets on Wednesday to demand what should never be denied – clean, reliable water. Burning tyres and clouds of tear gas filled Coronationville as roads were barricaded and traffic came to a standstill. Instead of solutions, …
Is Government Lying About How Many Pit Latrines Exist?
In the wake of yet another tragedy involving poor sanitation infrastructure at schools, the water and sanitation civic activism non-profit WaterCAN demands the National Government to prioritise the dignity of learners. WaterCAN is devastated by another tragic death, this time a six-year-old Grade R pupil at Umzila Primary School in Dannhauser, KwaZulu-Natal, who fell into …
The new Water Anti-Corruption Forum
WaterCAN, a civil society organisation advocating for water justice, has welcomed the launch of the Water Sector Anti-Corruption Forum (WSACF), led by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), as a critical intervention to confront entrenched corruption across South Africa’s water value chain. WaterCAN Executive Director Dr Ferrial Adam said the country’s water crisis is driven not …
Water Checked, Future Secured
A collaborative water testing project in 115 high schools across five provinces equips students with the knowledge and tools to protect South Africa’s water quality. “Water checked, future secured” is the slogan of the WaterCAN Youth Collective’s water testing project for high school students. The recently launched project aims to empower teachers and students as …
Picket for Water Budget Increase During Joburg Council Meeting
Activists gather outside the City Council in Braamfontein to picket about water challenges affecting millions of residents
Joburg’s Adjustment Budget Sinks
WaterCAN and JoburgCAN are concerned about the very small water budget increase, the plan for massive debt funding and the chaotic failure to process the adjusted budget. Today the City of Joburg council tabled an adjustment budget with a little more spending for water infrastructure, following our petition demanding a major budget rewrite, but then …
As Clear as Mud
WaterCAN says that SONA 2025 is as clear as mud on water projects. WaterCAN welcomes the promise to prioritise water challenges, but wants clarity on spending and strong accountability The attention to water in the President’s SONA 2025 is a welcome recognition of the urgent state of our water resources. There are some victories. WaterCAN …
Call for Johannesburg to Rewrite the Water Budget
WaterCAN calls on the City of Johannesburg to table an adjustment budget which increases the capital spending on water and sanitation infrastructure from R1.221 billion to R3bn for 2024/25 and to R3bn for 2025/26. The adjustment budget is due to be tabled at the council’s first meeting of the year on 30 January. This should …
Ensure Basic Water Access Before Cut Offs
WaterCAN says that Joburg and SA’s failure to manage the water crisis is inexcusable. Routine water cuts lasting weeks in Joburg suburbs. Desperate residents on the streets begging for water tankers that don’t arrive. Inadequate management of leaks. Informal settlements “stealing” water cut off. This is what failed governance looks like. We expect the City …
A Threat to Public Health and Human Rights
Mismanagement and Neglect Expose Mogale City Residents to Health Risks Amid Sewage Crisis. Reports of wilful and persistent sewage pollution by the City of Mogale reveal more than an environmental disaster; they highlight a human rights violation with the potential to cause a public health crisis. The sewage infrastructure in Mogale has collapsed, leading to …
Citizen Science Leads the Way
South Africa’s next big crisis – this time with water – is here, and it will have a much bigger impact than our energy crisis. But citizen science activism can help turn it around. Dr Ferrial Adam, WaterCAN’s executive manager, explains how. The state of our water resources affects us all, whether you we live …
This Month Is Water Testing Month
WaterCAN, an initiative of the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA), is proud to announce its 3rd annual water testing month this September, in collaboration with the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Gardens. This initiative is part of the lead-up to World Water Monitoring Day, which will be celebrated with a special event on 18 September at …