26 June 2025 | 10:13 CAT
3-minute read

Image: Times Live

A recent school-based water testing project has exposed alarming levels of bacterial contamination in water consumed by South African learners, raising urgent questions about the safety of water in the country’s educational institutions. The Water Warrior School Water Quality Testing Project (WWSWQTP), led by WaterCAN in collaboration with local partners, aimed to create environmental awareness among the youth, but its findings have highlighted a deepening water safety crisis.

Speaking to Radio Islam International, WaterCAN’s Dr Ferrial Adam explained that the initiative initially intended to encourage scientific curiosity and environmental responsibility among high school learners.

“We wanted to create awareness around the environment. We wanted to create awareness around science, get people interested, get young people interested in science, get interested in the environment,” she said.

However, the results were far more concerning than the project leaders anticipated. Water samples from over 95 schools across the country revealed that more than 40% were unsafe for drinking. In some schools, the water used for everyday purposes came from unsafe sources like Jojo tanks or nearby rivers.

“When we got the results, that’s when we realised that we have a significant problem in our schools,” Dr Adam said.

The project focused on water used within the schools—whether for drinking, washing, or other purposes. Some schools, shockingly, used river water for daily activities. Out of three schools using river water, two samples were found to be contaminated. This, however, was not the most startling discovery.

What became evident was that nearly a quarter of South African schools lack access to municipal water supply and rely heavily on Jojo tanks, many of which are not properly maintained. Bacteria multiply rapidly in stagnant water, especially when tanks are left exposed to heat for long periods.

Dr Adam noted, “The thing with Jojo tanks, and this is something about water, is if you leave it in a bottle and it’s in the sun for days and days and days, there’s bacteria in the water that normally, but that bacteria then kind of multiplies. So it becomes unfit for drinking.”

The maintenance of these tanks is severely lacking. Without regular cleaning, even water sourced from municipal supplies can become hazardous if stored in dirty tanks. This is compounded by the national context: the most recent Blue Drop Report confirmed that nearly half of South Africa’s drinking water systems fail to meet safety standards.

Despite the concerning data, the Water Warrior Project is being seen as a critical first step in building water advocacy among young South Africans.

“We’re trying to say, engage with your municipalities. Like we need to let the Department of Basic Education know that this is what’s going on,” said Dr Adam, emphasising the importance of empowering learners to advocate for clean water in their schools.

In the immediate term, WaterCAN has alerted affected schools and urged them to warn learners not to drink the unsafe water. Municipalities have been contacted to clean water storage facilities, and purification tablets have been donated for short-term use. However, these are only stopgap measures.

Dr Adam stressed that a lasting solution requires systemic change. The project’s organisers plan to expand the initiative, aiming to reach at least 200 to 300 schools next year and establish water testing as a national routine, much like tree-planting on Arbour Day.

“We want to make sure that World Water Day, and we do two testings, by the way, we do one in March and one in September, that people test their water. But we want to see not just the testing and the results. We want to see what are the actions that come after that,” she said.

The findings of the Water Warrior Project reveal a harsh truth: unsafe drinking water is a daily reality for many South African learners. Urgent action from local authorities, national government, and civil society is essential to safeguard the health and futures of these young people.

Listen to the full interview on Sabaahul Muslim with Moulana Sulaimaan Ravat.