Nearly three in four water samples failed safety tests in 2025–26
Number of water quality tests by result, South Africa, November 2025 – November 2026
73%
of all tests returned an unsafe result
863
total tests conducted over the period
Tests by water source
South African volunteers submitted 863 water samples to WaterCan's MapMyWater portal over a single year, drawing mainly from rivers and taps — the sources people rely on most. But 630 tests, nearly three in four, came back unsafe: a signal that water quality failures are widespread and systemic, not isolated incidents.
Daily Maverick · Source: WaterCan MapMyWater portal, supplied data, 2025–26
