Nearly half of SA’s wastewater systems in critical condition, Green Drop report warns
SOUTH Africa’s wastewater infrastructure is deteriorating at an alarming rate, with the 2025 Green Drop Report revealing that 47% of the country’s wastewater treatment systems, 396 out of 848 audited, are now classified in a critical condition, up from 39% in 2022. The findings, released by Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina on 1 April, carry direct consequences for public health, environmental compliance, and business continuity.
Systems achieving excellent or good performance declined from 14% in 2022 to just 8% in 2025, while only 14 systems achieved Green Drop certification, down from 22 in the previous report.
Released alongside the Green Drop findings were Progress Assessment Reports for Blue Drop (drinking water quality) and No Drop (water use efficiency). On drinking water, the picture was marginally more positive: low-risk systems improved from 60.2% to 61.9%, and critical-risk systems decreased from 9.9% to 7.9%. However, Majodina cautioned against complacency, warning that critical and high-risk systems still require urgent corrective action.
Non-revenue water sits at 47.3%, essentially unchanged from 47.4% in 2023 – a level described as “stabilised but unacceptably high.”
Governance failure at the core
The report makes clear this is not purely a technical problem. Systemic issues include poor maintenance of ageing infrastructure, failure to adhere to operational standards, lack of skilled personnel, weak municipal leadership, inadequate budgeting, and poor revenue collection. Vandalism, corruption, and attacks on infrastructure are compounding the crisis further.
The Western Cape and Gauteng continue to lead with the strongest risk profiles, while the Northern Cape was flagged as the worst-performing province. The Free State also remains a province of material concern.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has declared South Africa’s water situation a national crisis, and government has established the National Water Crisis Committee (WaterCom), chaired by the President, to coordinate action across all spheres of government.
For business, the message is stark: water security is a core economic risk. Industries from agriculture and manufacturing to hospitality depend on reliable supply and functional sanitation. As government mounts its response, accountability across all sectors will be essential.
