WaterCAN’s work is rooted in a simple principle: every person has the right to safe, clean and reliable water.

Over the past year, we have continued to turn that principle into action by strengthening citizen science, supporting communities, scrutinising water governance and speaking out where poor management, pollution, infrastructure failure and corruption threaten this essential resource.

Our work has taken us into schools, communities, rivers, municipal systems and public institutions across South Africa. Through water testing, research, advocacy, training and public engagement, we are helping people better understand the water around them and giving communities the tools and information they need to demand accountability.

This annual report reflects both the scale of South Africa’s water challenges and the growing determination of citizens to confront them. It also shows what becomes possible when communities, civil society and partners work together to protect water as a shared public resource.