Half of South Africa Wastewater Plants Deemed in Critical State

Almost half of South Africa’s wastewater facilities are in a critical state, raising the risk of them discharging untreated water into rivers and the environment.

An audit of the country’s 848 municipal wastewater-treatment systems last year showed that 47% of them were compromised, compared with 39% in 2022, according to the Green Drop Report produced by the Department of Water and Sanitation. Systems complying with wastewater standards declined to 8% from 14%, it said.