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Daily Maverick
25-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Maverick
School children discover that more than 40% of school water samples they tested are unsafe
The Department of Basic Education has expressed 'concern' about the test results from seven provinces. Citizen science tests by children and teachers in seven provinces suggest that roughly 40% of the school water samples they collected are not safe to drink because of stomach bug bacteria and other water contaminants. While the informal testing project was based on a very small sample of schools – mainly in townships and rural areas – they nevertheless closely mirror the findings of the government's last official Blue Drop report, which found that 'it was not microbiologically safe to drink the water in almost half (46%) of our drinking water systems at times during 2022 when the Blue Drop audit was done'. The Blue Drop report also stated that the poor tap water quality found in many smaller municipalities increases the risk of life-threatening water-borne diseases such as cholera and chronic diarrhoea. In the latest Water Warriors test programme, children and teachers at 95 schools nationwide collected and analysed samples during a series of World Water Day events in March. Subsequent analysis showed that 43% of samples were classified as unsafe for human consumption due to unacceptable levels of bacterial contamination. Large plastic water storage containers (JoJo and similar tanks) showed the highest levels of contamination (73%) while 66% of river-collected water and 23% of municipal tap water samples were also contaminated with E. coli and other intestinal bugs. Dr Ferrial Adam, executive director of WaterCAN, a national civil society organisation which helped to initiate the project, said the results would be shared with all the schools involved and the Department of Basic Education. 'When schools lack clean water, the consequences are profound. Children fall ill. Teachers struggle to create safe learning environments. Families are forced to buy bottled water with money meant for food or transport. These are not isolated incidents – they are symptoms of systemic neglect,' she said. Increasingly, many schools across the country were operating with intermittent or no piped water supply, relying instead on boreholes, rainwater harvesting or water tank deliveries. These sources were often unreliable, poorly maintained or contaminated. Adam acknowledged that: 'This project was a snapshot, not a full picture. With 95 schools participating, this represents only a tiny fraction of the more than 24,000 schools in South Africa.' But the fact that more than 40% of the tested water samples were unsafe for drinking was 'alarming', and suggested that many more schools could be facing similar or worse conditions without knowing it. 'While we cannot generalise about the water quality status of all schools, the findings do highlight systemic concerns that likely apply nationwide.' Department of Basic Education spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga has also expressed 'concern' about the test results, noting that the National School Nutrition Programme – which provides meals to 9.6 million children daily – also depends on the water supply available in the areas where the schools are located. 'Any risk to which the learners are exposed poses a serious threat to the entire value chain thus placing the health of millions of children at risk. The report therefore raises critical matters that have an impact on schooling in the country.' 'Schools are beneficiaries of services rendered by municipalities and other organs of state, so they depend on those organisations established specifically to provide services that are needed for education to take place in a conducive environment.' The testing, under the umbrella of the Water Warriors Collective, was initiated by WaterCAN, with support from Adopt-a-River, the Wildlife and Environment Society, Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo, the Cape Town Science Centre, the Nelson Mandela Bay Science Centre, Makhanda River Rescue and the Leap Institute. The testing kits were supplied by the i-lab group which designed portable kits for non-scientific field operatives to do a basic water quality screening on chemicals (nitrates, nitrites, phosphates, chlorine, alkalinity, pH and hardness) and microbiological contamination (total coliform, E. coli) to determine the water's safety for human consumption. DM
The South African
25-06-2025
- Health
- The South African
Almost 40% of school water samples found unsafe for drinking
A national school-based water testing initiative has found that nearly 4 in 10 water samples from South African schools are unsafe for human consumption. The Water Warrior school water quality project, launched by WaterCAN under the Water Warriors Collective, ran for a month and involved 95 schools across eight provinces. Teachers trained pupils to use water testing kits and upload their findings to the online MapMyWater tool, turning them into citizen scientists. Water sources tested included tap water, JoJo tanks, and rivers. While only 53 schools (47%) successfully submitted results, limited by technical issues and school holidays, the data paints a troubling picture: 43% of water samples showed unsafe bacterial contamination; 73% of tank water samples contained harmful bacteria, including E. coli; 66% of river samples and 23% of tap water samples were unsafe; Some samples indicated low pH and elevated phosphate levels, both of which may pose long-term health risks. JoJo tanks, which are widely used in rural and township schools, emerged as the worst-performing water source. Poor maintenance, infrequent cleaning, and unreliable municipal supply were identified as major problems. According to Timeslive , many schools, particularly those in quintile 1–3 categories, lack reliable access to clean water. Some pupils bring bottled water from home, while others rely on rainwater or streams. In extreme cases, learners relieve themselves in open fields due to non-functional toilets, without water or soap for hygiene. This has wider consequences beyond health; it undermines dignity, concentration, and school attendance, especially for girls during menstruation. Executive Director of WaterCAN, Dr Ferrial Adam, said, 'This is not just citizen science, it's civic action.' 'Unsafe water is not just a health issue, it's an education issue, a gender issue and a human rights issue.' WaterCAN notified affected schools when they found contaminated water and guided them on immediate interventions and long-term engagement with municipalities. Adam stressed that with over 24 000 schools in South Africa, this project only scratches the surface. 'The findings call for a nationally coordinated school water testing and response programme. Every learner deserves clean, safe access.' Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
Mail & Guardian
25-06-2025
- General
- Mail & Guardian
School sampling tests find storage tanks contain unsafe water
Pupils from Douglas Mbopa Senior Secondary School in the Eastern Cape, test water using WaterCAN kits. (Photo: WaterCAN) A Of 19 tank water samples tested in eight provinces, 14 (about 74%) were found to contain bacterial contamination, including E coli, rendering the water unfit for human consumption. Of the 53 schools that upload valid data, 23 returned results showing water was unsafe to drink. In total, 43% of the 53 samples tested showed bacterial contamination. This included 23% of tap water sources and 66% of river samples. But storage tanks — installed widely for commercial and private use to compensate for failing municipal water infrastructure — showed the highest rate of contamination. The tests formed part of a random sampling project led by nonprofit group The campaign was designed to coincide with World Water Day and involved 95 schools. Water was tested from taps, rivers and tanks, the primary sources of drinking water at participating schools. The learners were trained to use citizen science water test kits, which checked for chemical and microbiological contaminants such as nitrate, nitrite, phosphate, chlorine, bacterial contamination from total coliforms and E coli, as well as the acidity, alkalinity and hardness levels of the water. Ferrial Adam, the executive director of WaterCAN, said the results showed the importance of monitoring water tanks at schools. 'We don't know how often they're maintained; we don't know what their source of water is. Some of them get municipal water, some of them are rainwater-harvested, some of them are [from] boreholes. But in all of that, whatever their source, there are issues that need to be raised.' She said the results of this small project were worrying. 'If we look at the government's The project included online and in-person training sessions for teachers and learners. WaterCAN's report acknowledges that only 47% of schools submitted test results, because of schools being closed for the holidays, data upload difficulties and other logistical barriers. 'It is critical to emphasise that the data reflects only a snapshot of the broader reality across South Africa's thousands of schools,' said the report. 'While we cannot generalise about the water quality status of all schools, the findings do highlight systemic concerns that likely apply nationwide, most notably, the urgent need for an improvement to water and sanitation infrastructure, consistent water quality monitoring and routine maintenance of tanks and other storage systems within school premises. The Collaboration partners plan to engage the DBE [department of basic education] about this.' Herman Mayer, the education lead at the Leap Institute, said he enjoyed the campaign, which provided experiential learning to children. 'It's fantastic that we could involve schools in something that is critical to our country's prosperity. 'And in the end, education remains the single biggest and easiest way to change people's living conditions and opportunities and it's the quickest and easiest way that we can remove some of the inequality in our society.' As at home, children need clean, safe water at school, he said. 'The education department is responsible to provide conditions that are conducive to learning. It's taken us 30 years and we still haven't got rid of, for instance, schools with pit latrines, schools with no running water. 'We need to help the department. We also need to put pressure on the department as well as the provincial departments to make sure that all schools have clean and safe drinking water and all types of sanitation.' He added that young people need to understand their relationship with water, given that it is a scarce resource. They also should learn about water being polluted and that with scientific knowledge water can be preserved Nomsa Daele, WaterCAN's citizen science training coordinator, said the results would be used to alert affected schools; support follow-up testing and discussions with local government; and advocate for systemic solutions from the department and municipalities. 'This is a wake-up call, and it calls for urgent action and advocacy work,' she said. In 2024, South Africa had 24 850 schools, of which 22 381 were public. Government data suggesting nearly half of all public schools lack flushing toilets and about 2% have no running water. But a report by the International Labour Research and Information Group, has suggested that the number without functional water systems could be as high as 25%. Adam added that the project was not just about getting the results. 'It was about how do we build that next layer of water warriors in South Africa.' The project was a collaboration between WaterCAN, the Wildlife & Environment Society of South Africa, Adopt-a-River, Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo, Cape Town and Nelson Mandela Bay science centres, Makhanda River Rescue and the Leap Institute.
eNCA
26-05-2025
- Climate
- eNCA
Water infrastructure maintenance for Gauteng
JOHANNESBURG - Gauteng residents are being urged to prepare for low water supply this week, as Rand Water begins another round of critical maintenance on its infrastructure. WATCH | SIDSSA 2025 | Symposium kicks off under new administration The planned work will roll out at different times across several municipalities starting on the 29th of May and continuing through to the 2nd of June. Dr. Ferrial Adam, Executive Director of WaterCAN, a project of the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse, or OUTA, says that according to the report, the most significant impact of climate change will be through water, with droughts, floods, and heavy rains affecting infrastructure.
