Ekurhuleni water ‘not poisoned’, city says after concerns raised

Concerns about poisoned water in the City of Ekurhuleni have been dismissed as fake news.

The City of Ekurhuleni has “strongly rejected” what it called false social media claims alleging that the water supply to Tsakani, Duduza, Langaville, and KwaThema had been contaminated.

Water quality

“The city’s water quality teams sample and test tap water daily at reservoirs, clinics, distribution points, and households,” the city said.

“Results consistently confirm that the water is safe and fully compliant with national drinking water standards.”

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No tampering

The city said that its water facilities are safer from tampering.

“All water storage facilities are secured, with no incidents of tampering or intrusions reported.

“Residents are urged to rely only on official City of Ekurhuleni communication channels and avoid sharing unverified information that may cause unnecessary panic,” the city said.

Joburg’s smelly water

Earlier this month, concerns over “smelly” and contaminated water in parts of Johannesburg were also alleviated after Joburg Water confirmed that most samples now meet drinking water standards.

The utility issued an alert on 30 December 2025, about possible water contamination affecting Albertina Sisulu Road and surrounding streets (6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th avenues, as well as 10th Street) in the Joburg CBD and Bez Valley.

It followed residents reporting a strong smell in their tap water on Monday, 29 December 2025.

No contamination

Johannesburg Water said the issue had been resolved.

“As part of the ongoing investigation and interventions, the most recent water quality test results show no detection of E. coli at any sampling points, confirming that there is currently no evidence of faecal contamination in the affected section of the network. From a public health perspective, the system is therefore considered clear of faecal pollution.

“However, tests do show elevated total coliform levels commonly found in soil. The presence of these organisms is not unusual under such conditions and can be effectively managed through optimal chlorination,” Johannesburg Water said.

To address this, Johannesburg Water said it is boosting chlorine dosing where required, while ongoing monitoring and repeat sampling continue to track progress and ensure water quality meets SANS standards.

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