<\/p>\n
Everything you flush down a toilet or pour down a drain is supposed to be properly treated. What comes out of the process should be clear, close to odourless and safe enough to discharge into a river without making people sick or stripping oxygen from the water.<\/p>\n
Untreated sewage entering waterways and the sea can lead to diseases such as cholera, make drinking water more difficult to treat, and harm river ecosystems.<\/p>\n
But in almost every metro in South Africa, wastewater treatment has deteriorated between 2021 and 2024, according to the 2025 Green Drop report.<\/p>\n
This is measured through the Green Drop score, which is the Department of Water and Sanitation\u2019s assessment of how well wastewater treatment works are functioning.<\/p>\n
Read:
Joburg\u2019s dirtiest river may lose its only champion
Mogale City still polluting Cradle of Mankind
Antibiotic resistance is spreading through SA\u2019s water systems<\/p>\n
Ekurhuleni got the highest score of any metro in 2024, at 82%, down from 86% in 2021, and was the only one rated \u201cgood\u201d. Six of its 17 wastewater treatment plants achieved Green Drop status, meaning they are performing excellently. But, as GroundUp has reported,\u00a0sewage spills\u00a0are common.<\/p>\n
Metro wastewater systems deteriorate<\/p>\n
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Cape Town, at 75%, dropped from the \u201cgood\u201d to \u201caverage\u201d category and recorded its lowest score so far. None of its plants are in a critical state.<\/p>\n
Johannesburg\u2019s\u00a0score has dropped in every audit cycle, scoring an excellent 91% in 2011, then a \u201cgood\u201d 86% in 2013, \u201caverage\u201d 73% in 2021, and \u201cvery poor\u201d 49% in 2024. The city has experienced\u00a0serious failures\u00a0at its two biggest wastewater treatment works and is exceeding the design capacity at another.<\/p>\n
Read: Joburg sewerage treatment fails Green Drop assessment<\/p>\n
Mangaung is the only metro that has seen an improvement in scores between 2021 and 2024, but the score is still low at 43%. Not enough preventative maintenance is being conducted, and its treatment capacity is limited.<\/p>\n
GroundUp\u00a0reported earlier this month\u00a0that none of the 13 treatment works are functioning properly, that screw pumps are missing, and that effluent flows into Maselspoort Dam, a drinking water source.<\/p>\n
Nelson Mandela Bay\u00a0dropped from 58% in 2021 to 36% in 2024, with two of seven treatment works disqualified. Vandalism is a contributor, as well as procurement issues.<\/p>\n
Read:
SAHRC finds sewage and litter still plague Cape Town communities
Local government failure is now systemic, engineers warn
Gauteng municipality pumping raw sewage into rivers in the Cradle of Humankind
Sewage treatment collapsing in Tshwane<\/p>\n
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Tshwane scored 34% in 2024, down from 60% in 2021. In 2013, Tshwane scored 82%, but now most of its treatment systems are\u00a0performing poorly, and many are in a critical state.<\/p>\n
EThekwini\u00a0has seen the biggest drop. Its treatment works were \u201cexcellent\u201d in 2011 and 2013, \u201caverage\u201d in 2021, and dropped to a \u201cvery poor\u201d 31% in 2024. The April 2022 floods had a significant impact on its sewerage works.<\/p>\n
Buffalo City is the\u00a0only metro with a critical score of 26%, dropping from 59% in 2021. Twelve out of 15 treatment systems scored below 31%. The municipality has blamed vandalism. But it also failed to commission a new sludge plant in 2021.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Chart produced by\u00a0The Outlier\u00a0in partnership with GroundUp.<\/p>\n
\u00a9 2026 GroundUp. This article was first published here.<\/p>\n
#Raw #sewage #flowing #metro<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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