Emfuleni Local Municipality Water Quality

Emfuleni Local Municipality in Gauteng is underperforming on drinking-water quality, with a Blue Drop drinking-water risk rating of Poor (no numeric score was published for this system in the 2023 assessment). According to the official DWS Blue Drop assessment, the drinking water in this system is flagged as NOT safe to drink — residents should not assume tap water here is safe, and should confirm current status with the municipality. 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 76.8% of treated water is lost to leaks and non-revenue water before it reaches consumers, above the national average of 47.4%.

CRITICAL: Non-revenue water of 76.8% — among the worst in the country. Emfuleni is the centre of the long-running Vaal sewage and infrastructure crisis. Raw sewage regularly discharged into the Vaal River affecting communities downstream. Municipality under financial distress compounding infrastructure neglect.

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.