Water Hub
SA water tips, guides, stats and consumer information — all in one place.
South Africa Water Crisis — By the Numbers
The scale of the challenge we collectively face.
Water Conservation Tips
Small changes at home add up to massive national savings.
Shower, don't bathe
A 5-minute shower uses ~35 L; a bath up to 150 L. Fix dripping taps — one drip per second wastes 30 L/day.
Water-wise gardening
Water before 10 am or after 4 pm to cut evaporation. Choose indigenous, drought-resistant plants.
Catch and reuse greywater
Bucket shower water for flushing toilets or watering. A rainwater tank can save thousands of litres per year.
Fix leaks immediately
A running toilet wastes 200 L/day. Check your meter at night — if it moves with nothing running, you have a leak.
Full loads only
Run dishwashers and washing machines only when full. Front-loaders use as little as 50 L per wash.
Pool maintenance
Cover your pool to cut evaporation by 90%. A faulty backwash valve can waste thousands of litres.
How to Read Your Water Meter
Reading your own meter is the best way to catch billing errors and undetected leaks early.
Locate your meter
Usually in a small box set into the pavement outside your property.
Read the black digits
Black (or white) digits show kilolitres (kL). 1 kL = 1 000 litres.
Note the red digits
Red digits show litres — fractions of a kL. Usually only the black digits count for billing.
Calculate consumption
Subtract last month's reading from this month's. The difference = your consumption in kL.
Photograph your meter
SmartReadings photographs your meter and AI extracts the reading automatically.
Submit & track
Your municipality gets the reading. You can track trends and spot anomalies over time.
Types of Leaks & What to Do
Knowing the leak type helps you take the right action fast.
Call your municipality emergency line immediately.
Locate your isolation valve. Call a plumber. Report via SmartReadings.
Report to your municipality with photos and GPS location.
Could indicate a slow underground leak. Report to municipality.
Avoid contact. Report immediately — health hazard.
Fix the washer or call a plumber. Can waste 30–200 L/day.
Your Consumer Rights
Know your rights when dealing with water service issues in South Africa.
Right to basic water supply
Every South African is entitled to a minimum of 6 kL free basic water per household per month.
Right to accurate billing
You can query any reading and have your meter tested. The municipality must respond in writing.
Right to prior notice
Municipalities must give prior notice before interrupting supply. Emergency interruptions must be communicated ASAP.
Right to appeal
Escalate unresolved billing disputes to the Public Protector's office.
Right to emergency water
During extended outages, municipalities must provide access via standpipes or tankers.
Understanding SA Dam Levels
South Africa's water supply depends heavily on surface water stored in dams. The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) publishes weekly dam level reports.
Check current dam levels at dws.gov.za or visit the Live Water Issues page for the latest news.
Useful Resources
Authoritative South African water information sources.
DWS — Water Use Licencing & Dams
Department of Water and Sanitation — permits, dam levels, regulations.
dws.gov.zaWRC — Water Research Commission
Cutting-edge water research, publications, and conservation projects.
wrc.org.zaSALGA — Municipal Water Support
South African Local Government Association resources.
salga.org.zaSAICE — Infrastructure Report Card
Civil engineering assessment of SA water infrastructure.
saice.org.zaGroundUp — Water Journalism
Award-winning investigative reporting on SA water access.
groundup.org.zaCOGTA — Municipal Services
Cooperative Governance — oversight of local government service delivery.
cogta.gov.zaStay in the loop
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