South Africa is a water-scarce country because of multiple factors, in addition to little rainfall. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (AFO) of the United Nations, 2017, it has varying climatic conditions marked by droughts and climatic variations as well as a growing population.
The country also has a low level of renewable water resources of 900 m3/capita/year.
According to the AFO report, South Africans consume about 237 litres of water per person per day, above the global average of 173 litres per day
Quick read about water in South Africa’s largest cities provided by Statistica.
Cape Town
Between 2015 and 2018, Cape Town endured a one-in-400 year drought which brought the City’s 4.6 million residents to the brink of “day zero.”
Cape Town receives its water from 14 dams, with a collective capacity of approximately 900 000 Ml (900 000 000 000 litres). Six large dams are the Theewaterskloof, Voëlvlei, Berg River, Wemmershoek, and the Steenbras Upper and Lower dams.
Durban
EThekwini Municipality said results in June 2023 from independent water tests (including from the Durban University of Technology’s Institute for Water and Wastewater Technology, remains safe to drink.
Dam & Rainfall Data include the following dams:
Mgeni System829.38, Spring Grove Dam106.7, Mearns Dam4.02, Midmar Dam196.24, Albert Falls Dam274.41, Nagle Dam19.34, Inanda Dam227.73, Henley Dam1.05, South Coast System 00, Umzinto Dam0.42, E.J.Smith Dam0.86, Nungwane Dam2.16, Mhlabatshane Dam1.51, Ludeke Dam8.59, Hazelmere Dam18.51, iMvutshane Dam1.9, Home Farm Dam 0.54, Woodstock Dam366.31, Spioenkop Dam240.52, Wagendrift Dam50.81, Olifantskop Dam0.35 and Goedertrouw Dam227.73.
Johannesburg
Of South Africa’s 9 provinces, Gauteng, has the best water quality in South Africa, followed by the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.
Gauteng gets its water from a network of 14 dams called the Integrated Vaal River System. The Lesotho Highlands Water Project is a key part of this system with its dams Katse and Mohale supplying South Africa’s economic hub with water.
Johannesburg Water says they along with several other municipalities were alerted by Rand Water to curb high demand on the system in August 2023.
Soweto
There are two Johannesburg Water maintenance depots in the Soweto region, one in Avalon and the other in Klipspruit.
Pretoria
For over 80 years the Rietvlei Dam, located South East of Pretoria, has been providing the City with water.
The City of Tshwane said most of the areas that were hit by water outages throughout the week in August, have recovered and water supply, restored, while others are still without water due to reservoir depletion.
6 days ago, the City of Tshwane said water levels were improving but others are still without supply.
Port Elizabeth
Nelson Mandela Bay Metro been experiencing a water crisis since 2022, due to a drought induced water shortage, and was reportedly facing a Day Zero.
Port Elizabeth gets its water from five main dams from biggest to smallest the Kouga Dam (previously the Paul Sauer Dam), the Impofu Dam, the Krom River Dam (previously the Churchill Dam), the Groendal Dam, and the Loerie Dam.
Pietermaritzburg
The dams in the Mgeni System, the largest system in KwaZulu-Natal supplies nearly seven million residents in Spring Grove, Midmar, Albert Falls, Nagle and Inanda.
Umgeni Water has assured residents that drinking water supplied conforms to rigorous drinking water quality standards set out in the South African National Standards (SANS).
Benoni
The new Vlakfontein reservoir is part of the Mapleton System, which receives water from the Zuikerbosch purification and pumping station.
Sampling of water is conducted daily, weekly, and monthly by the metro to ensure water is clean and safe to drink.
East London
Maden Dam supplies King William’s Town and the Rooikraal and Laing dams supply Zwelitsha, while the Bridle Drift Dam supplies Mdantsane and East London.
Amatola Water confirmed earlier this year, that the allegations on social media and other community platforms, that the water in East London is contaminated, were baseless and untrue.
The water board investigated allegations of water contamination and found no evidence of contamination.
Picture Unicef