Tests at a water treatment works that supplies the Pretoria city centre found the water to be unsafe for human consumption. The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) told Parliament this on Friday.
Officials were briefing the portfolio committee on health about the water crisis in the City of Tshwane. They said the chlorination problems go beyond Bronkhorstspruit, where nearly 600 people reportedly fell ill.
Deputy minister David Mahlobo said the department opened a criminal case against the City of Tshwane on 18 October. He said the City failed to give the required information or gave misleading information.
Mahlobo said he is still in talks with the National Prosecuting Authority about more charges. He welcomed a Public Protector investigation and said the department is also talking to the South African Human Rights Commission.
DWS director general Sean Phillips said the department checked chlorination across the metro after the Bronkhorstspruit problem came to light. That plant had not chlorinated its water for three weeks.
An inspection of Findlay Reservoir at the Fountains water treatment works on 21 October found the water had not been disinfected with chlorine. Tests showed E. coli levels above the national standard.
The leak was found and the City emptied the reservoir. The Pretoria city centre and nearby areas now get water from Rand Water. Residents and businesses were told to boil tap water until further notice.
Answering questions from MPs, Phillips said reported stomach illnesses in the area could be linked to the chlorination problems at the plant. He said years of poor spending on maintenance had created a “downward spiral” of leaks and breakdowns.
Health minister Aaron Motsoaledi told Parliament that clinics in Bronkhorstspruit, Zithobeni, Dark City, Rethabiseng and Sokhulumi recorded 595 cases of acute stomach illness. These cases were recorded between 7 and 19 October, and 262 of them were children under five.
Stool tests found several germs, including Norovirus, Campylobacter, Shigella and Sapovirus. No deaths were reported.
According to DWS officials, the Bronkhorstspruit plant ran without chlorination for 21 days, from 23 September until it was shut down on 14 October. Disinfection started again on 16 October.
Officials said the Bronkhorstspruit River is polluted by broken wastewater plants in Delmas and Botleng, under the Victor Khanye Local Municipality. Sewage pump stations at Riamar Park and Lanham Street in Tshwane are also not working.
DWS head of compliance monitoring Anet Muir said treating heavily polluted water needs a fully working plant. She said the Bronkhorstspruit plant was instead allowed to fall apart. In the 2023 Blue Drop assessment, it scored 42%.
The department sent Tshwane a formal regulatory letter in February 2026. In March, the City promised to secure chemicals, fix sand filters, upgrade pumps and repair other units by August. Muir said none of these promises was met on time.
Affected communities now depend on 36 water tankers. They draw clean water from tested hydrants in Cullinan and Rayton.
Independent tests by the Water Research Commission at 40 sites found water quality is improving. But tap water is still unsafe to drink and may only be used to flush toilets.
Tshwane mayor Nasiphi Moya called the chlorine shortage “indefensible” and said the crisis could have been prevented. She said the plant manager has been suspended and independent investigations are under way.
Officials said the price of chlorine rose by 40%, which the City could not afford. Moya said she accepted “overall political responsibility” for the crisis.
Tshwane chief operating officer Vuyo Zitumane said the City is looking for another supplier and approved a replacement chlorine tender. She said the current contract ends in December.
Source: this article is based on reporting by GroundUp. Image: GroundUp. Written with the help of AI and published by the Tzaneen Voice News desk. See our Editorial Standards.
Kgomotso Maake covers news and politics for Tzaneen Voice. Kgomotso reports on government, Parliament, municipalities, courts, crime and service delivery across South Africa, with a close eye on how national decisions reach towns like Tzaneen and the wider Limpopo province. Stories are written in plain English and focus on the facts: who made the decision, what it means, and what happens next.