Buffalo City (East London) Water Quality

Buffalo City (East London) in Eastern Cape sits mid-range on drinking-water quality, with a Blue Drop drinking-water score of 83.5/100, rated Adequate. According to the official DWS Blue Drop assessment, the drinking water supplied here meets safe-to-drink standards. No Green Drop wastewater score was published for this system in the 2023 assessment, so its sewage-treatment performance is not scored here. An estimated 37.7% of treated water is lost to leaks and non-revenue water before it reaches consumers.

Stronger Eastern Cape drinking water performer but well below Blue Drop certification. Nearly 40% of sampled Eastern Cape treatment works were flagged as unsafe in 2023. AfriForum 2024 found every sewage sample in the Eastern Cape polluted. Still well below Blue Drop certification threshold.

Data aggregated from the Department of Water and Sanitation Blue Drop, Green Drop and No Drop reports (2023) and AfriForum. Scores reflect the most recent published DWS assessment and may not capture day-to-day changes. For current advisories, contact your municipality or DWS on 0800 200 200.