/ 20 January 2025

Wastewater plants dump 50 000 litres of sewage into SA rivers every second

Aapies River 1205 Dv (1)
More than 50 000 litres of sewage spews into South Africa’s rivers every second, the result of a failure to maintain infrastructure and outdated wastewater treatment plants that are unable to handle current volumes. (Delwyn Verasamy/M&G)

More than 70% of the country’s neglected or aged wastewater treatment plants are not operating at optimal levels

This content is restricted to subscribers only.


Join the M&G Community


Our commitment at the Mail & Guardian is to ensure every reader enjoys the finest experience. Join the M&G community and support us in delivering in-depth news to you consistently.

Subscription enables:

  • - M&G community membership
  • - independent journalism
  • - access to all premium articles & features
  • - a digital version of the weekly newspaper
  • - invites to subscriber-only events
  • - the opportunity to test new online features first

Already a subscriber?
.