Water quality
We are committed to providing quality water to Cape Town’s water users, and we regularly check the City’s water quality through a system of water sampling and analysis.
Water quality assurance
Watch the below video (Afrikaans |
Xhosa ) to see how Cape Town's water is treated and tested to make sure it is safe for you to drink.
We fully support and comply with strict water quality checks as prescribed by the national government’s Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS). This rigorous process means that water quality is closely monitored via a large number of water samples analysed according to the stringent South African National Standards (SANS 241:2015) requirements. Read this page to find out more about the quality of Cape Town’s water, and the processes we use to ensure water quality.
To ensure the excellent quality of our water, our laboratory tests over 5 700 samples of water each year. We draw water from sampling points throughout the water system, and we test these samples on a weekly or bi-weekly basis.
Our water samples are taken from:
- raw water (from dams and boreholes);
- water after it has been treated at the treatment plants;
- water from reservoirs; and
- water from pipework (taken from designated sampling points around Cape Town).
Water quality table
Our weekly checks of water samples allow us to measure our compliance with SANS 241 water quality requirements. Our water compliance has consistently exceeded our own internal targets.
The table below shows the percentage compliance achieved for Cape Town’s drinking water:
Drinking water quality in Cape Town - percentage summary
|
|---|
| 2021-2022 | 2022-2023
|
2023-2024 | 2024-2025
|
|---|
| Quarter 1 (Jul - Sep) | 99.1
| 99.5
| 99.1
| 99.3
|
|---|
| Quarter 2 (Oct - Dec) | 99.1 | 99.4
| 99.2
| 99.4
|
|---|
| Quarter 3 (Jan - Mar) | 99.0
| 99.3
| 99.2
| 99.6
|
|---|
| Quarter 4 (Apr - Jun) | 99.0
| 99.2
| 99.3
| 99.6
|
|---|
Annual water quality test results
To see the latest annual water quality test results, view our water analysis report:
Annual Water Quality Analysis Report July 2024 - June 2025 (English |
Afrikaans |
isiXhosa)
Quarterly water quality test results
To see the latest quarterly water quality test results, view our water analysis report:
Quarterly Water Quality Analysis Report January - March 2026
Quarterly Water Quality Analysis Report October - December 2025
Please note
The quarterly report refers to the quarters in the City’s financial year (July to June) not a calendar year.
How we ensure water quality
We use our Quality Management System to ensure the high water quality of domestic and industrial water supplies, and to ensure that our rivers, public amenities, and environment remain unpolluted. Our Quality Management System covers three Scientific Services laboratories: the Water, Analytical and Biological Sciences Laboratories.
Did you know?
A Well-run City: The City has been awarded many Blue Drop Certificates by the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) for its water quality and water quality management systems. Cape Town also received the Platinum Blue Drop Award for its consistent excellent performance over a number of years.
Find out more about how we go about our testing and quality assurance in our handbook below:
Water Quality: Assurance Through Testing Handbook
Would you like to print this page?
print 