The Ministry of Water and Sanitation has released the 2025 Green Drop Report together with progress assessment reports on the Blue Drop and No Drop programmes on Tuesday, 31 March 2026, providing a comprehensive and evidence-based account of the state of water and sanitation services in South Africa.

The Green Drop Report, which reflects a full audit of 848 municipal wastewater treatment systems for the 2023/24 financial year, presents a concerning picture of declining wastewater performance across the country.

The percentage of wastewater systems in a critical state has increased significantly from 39 percent, representing 334 systems in 2022, to 47 percent, representing 396 systems in 2025. At the same time, systems performing at excellent or good levels have declined from 14 percent, or 118 systems, to 8 percent, or 66 systems. Only 14 systems achieved Green Drop certification in 2025, down from 22 in 2022 (Those who comply with wastewater standards). These results show that systems previously operating at a poor level have continued to deteriorate into critical failure, placing increasing pressure on water resources, the environment and public health.

Addressing delegates, Minister Pemmy Majodina said the report must be treated as a decisive moment for the sector.

“This report is not a routine compliance exercise, it lays bare the true state of wastewater management in our country and reflects how effectively we are protecting our water resources and safeguarding the dignity of our people. The deterioration we are seeing is unacceptable, and it demands urgent and sustained action,” said Minister Majodina.

The Green Drop findings are complemented by the Blue Drop and No Drop Progress Assessment Reports, which provide further insight into drinking water quality and water use efficiency, respectively. While these two are not full assessments, they indicate that the risk profile for drinking water has stabilised, albeit at a high level. Nationally, low-risk drinking water systems have increased marginally from 60.2 percent to 61.9 percent, while critical-risk systems have decreased from 9.9 percent to 7.9 percent. Despite these modest improvements, a significant number of systems remain in high and critical risk categories and require urgent corrective action and intensified regulatory oversight.

Furthermore, performance across provinces on drinking water quality remains uneven. The Western Cape and Gauteng continue to show the strongest overall performance, while Mpumalanga and North West have recorded notable improvements. However, the Northern Cape remains the poorest performing province, with the highest concentration of high and critical risk systems, and the Free State continues to be an area of serious concern. Drinking water systems in major metropolitan areas are generally performing well, and where municipalities confirm compliance with SANS 241 standards, water can be safely consumed. Residents are encouraged to verify this information with their local municipalities.

The No Drop assessment shows that non-revenue water remains persistently high at approximately 47.3 percent. Although this shows some level of stability, it reflects ongoing inefficiencies in water use, infrastructure losses and weak revenue collection, all of which undermine the financial sustainability of municipalities and their ability to maintain and operate infrastructure effectively.

Meanwhile, the Department of Water and Sanitation is responding decisively to these findings with a strengthened programme of enforcement, investment and reform aimed at reversing the decline and restoring system performance. A central focus is the urgent implementation of corrective action plans for all systems in a critical state. The Department is intensifying oversight and will enforce compliance more rigorously, including taking regulatory action against municipalities that fail to implement required interventions.

“We cannot allow a situation where infrastructure continues to fail while plans remain on paper. Implementation must be immediate, visible and measurable. Where there is inaction, the Department will act,” sternly expressed Minister Majodina.

Legislative amendments currently before Parliament will further strengthen the Department’s ability to enforce compliance and intervene where necessary. These reforms will require municipalities to partner with capable and licensed water service providers where they lack the capacity to deliver, ensuring that technical expertise is brought in to stabilise failing systems.

The Department is also directing financial resources to the areas of greatest need. Infrastructure funding through the Regional Bulk Infrastructure Grant and the Water Services Infrastructure Grant has been prioritised towards the worst performing municipalities to accelerate refurbishment, upgrading and maintenance of critical infrastructure. This is being supported by increased technical assistance and closer monitoring of implementation.

In parallel, a coordinated national response is being driven through the National Water Crisis Committee, chaired by President Cyril Ramaphosa. This work will culminate in a National Water Action Plan that will outline clear and time-bound measures to address both immediate system failures and long-term structural challenges in the sector.

The Drop Reports highlight persistent structural weaknesses, including inadequate maintenance of infrastructure, failure to adhere to standard operating procedures, shortages of skilled personnel, weak financial management and governance failures. These challenges are further compounded by vandalism, illegal connections, corruption and broader criminal activity affecting infrastructure.

The reports remain a critical regulatory tool to drive accountability, transparency and improvement in the sector. They provide credible information to the public, guide corrective action and enable enforcement where standards are not met. Municipalities are required to inform consumers where drinking water poses a health risk. Where water meets SANS 241 standards, it is safe for consumption.

The findings of the 2025 reports present a clear call to action. The Department is intensifying efforts to stabilise the sector through stronger regulation, targeted investment, enhanced oversight and coordinated national intervention. The Green Drop Report not only reflects the current state of wastewater management but sets the direction for urgent and sustained reform.

“This report tells us where we stand as a country. What matters now is what we do next. What will definitely happen is that we will not accept decline as the norm. We will act, enforce, and rebuild. The dignity, health and future of our communities depend on it,” Minister Majodina concluded.

The full report is available to the public on the Department of Water and Sanitation website. Use this link: https://ws.dws.gov.za/IRIS/latestresults.aspx