News

Going to the park? Take a rubbish bag and pick up a load of litter

The Joburg spruits need your help

Unrestrained sewage spills from the City of Johannesburg and rubbish are polluting the Johannesburg spruits which run from Gauteng to Mozambique, are used for water sports, religious ceremonies and replenishing wetlands, and are needed by people, birds and wildlife i...

29.04.2025 21:09:48

We can restore the Umbilo River: A citizen science call to action

A coalition of civil society organisations has sounded the alarm over the dire state of Durban’s Umbilo River. A 22-day investigation led by WaterCAN, Adopt-a-River, and Save Our Rivers and Sea from Sewage (SORS-FS) has uncovered extreme levels of pollution, including raw sewage leaks, industrial du...

22.04.2025 22:40:49

Water Summits without Civil Society are a waste of time—and water

Government’s exclusion of civil society shows it’s not serious about solving SA’s water crisis.

The Department of Water and Sanitation’s latest Indaba (27–28 March 2025) brought together government officials, academics, the private sector, and media to discuss the country’s deepening water crisis. Bu...

28.03.2025 22:31:42

Toxic time bomb: Klip River pollution crisis demands action

Decades of industrial waste and sewage spills have turned the Klip River into a health hazard – WaterCAN is calling for accountability before more lives are at risk.

The Water Community Action Network (WaterCAN), is demanding urgent action following a University of Johannesburg study confirming the l...

28.03.2025 01:42:27

WATER CHECKED, FUTURE SECURED

A collaborative water testing project in 115 high schools across five provinces equips students with the knowledge and tools to protect South Africa’s water quality.

“Water checked, future secured” is the slogan of the WaterCAN Youth Collective’s water testing project for high school students. The re...

19.03.2025 20:12:26

Joburg’s adjustment budget sinks without resolving water crisis

WaterCAN and JoburgCAN are concerned about the very small water budget increase, the plan for massive debt funding and the chaotic failure to process the adjusted budget

Today the City of Joburg council tabled an adjustment budget with a little more spending for water infrastructure, following our pe...

28.02.2025 03:30:51

Joburg’s water crisis: Residents left high and dry

No water plus not enough information plus inadequate planning equals a deluge of anger among residents

For the past two weeks, residents across Johannesburg have faced severe water shortages, with inadequate communication from the City and the water utilities. This is no longer a short-term crisis, b...

14.02.2025 00:03:32

SONA 2025 is clear as mud on water projects

WaterCAN welcomes the promise to prioritise water challenges, but wants clarity on spending and strong accountability

The attention to water in the President’s SONA 2025 is a welcome recognition of the urgent state of our water resources. There are some victories. WaterCAN has been advocating for the...

07.02.2025 21:55:38

Thank you to 3500 active citizens who signed on to help fix Joburg’s water infrastructure

WaterCAN delivers water infrastructure budget petition to the Speaker of the City of Joburg, and now we’re waiting for it to be discussed in council

During the Johannesburg Crises Alliance Summit on Saturday 25 January, WaterCAN, an initiative of OUTA, delivered a petition to the Speaker of the Johan...

29.01.2025 21:49:10

Join WaterCAN’s Call for Joburg to Rewrite the Water Budget

Sign WaterCAN’s petition calling on the City of Joburg to table an amended budget on 30 January with more funding for water and sanitation infrastructure

WaterCAN calls on the City of Johannesburg to table an adjustment budget which increases the capital spending on water and sanitation infrastructur...

16.01.2025 21:12:32