Central SA
Bloemfontein workshop maps future of safe water and dignified sanitation─── ZENANDE MPAME 14:35 Fri, 26 Sep 2025
Access to safe water and dignified sanitation is entering a new era in South Africa with the rollout of the revised compulsory national water and sanitation services standards.
A provincial workshop took place on Thursday (25/9) at the President Hotel in Bloemfontein. It outlined both the policy foundations and the practical steps required for successful implementation over the next decade.
Looking ahead, Water Services Authorities (WSAs) and institutions face clear timelines and responsibilities that will reshape the water and sanitation landscape.
WSAs are now obligated to provide a reliable basic water supply of a minimum of six kilolitres per household per month, with strict limits on interruptions and adherence to the SANS 241 (the South African National Standard for Drinking Water Quality), drinking water quality benchmarks.
“We are here to present to our water services institutions, including the government, to introduce the compulsory national norms and standards according to the Water Services Act,” said department of water and sanitation policy, strategy, and evaluation unit Siboniso Ndlovu.
“Because within the ministry of water and sanitation, we are mandated to, from time to time, prescribe these norms for the water services sector to comply with. These norms were approved by the minister in 2025.
“One of the key challenges is our aging infrastructure, and we are supporting local government to work on this aging infrastructure, come up with an infrastructure that is fit for purpose to provide basic water services.
“There should be a change in behaviour in terms of making sure that when we are saying water is life, sanitation is dignity. It has to always protect the people’s needs, and we also want to make sure that it's not only about the institutions.”
‘Interim water supply within 90 days’
Informal settlements will receive an interim water supply within 90 days of establishment, ensuring no community is left behind, according to the compulsory norms and standards. As well as sanitation services must meet requirements of safety, hygiene, environmental protection, and inclusivity, with the explicit prohibition of bucket toilets.
WSAs should implement innovative solutions, such as non-sewered sanitation systems and decentralised wastewater treatment will become increasingly important, particularly in water-scarce and high-density areas.
