Joint media statement by Ministries of Health, Water and Sanitation, Gauteng Provincial Government and the City of Tshwane on Bronkhorstspruit water

Following reports of an unusually high number of patients presenting with stomach cramps and diarrhoea at Bronkhorstspruit Hospital, national and provincial Department of Health and City of Tshwane Rapid Response Teams have been on site since 13 October 2026.  Patients have been treated at the hospital and local clinics from Zithobeni, Bronkhorstspruit, Dark City, Rethabiseng and Sokhulumi in Tshwane’s Region 7. 

The affected areas are largely supplied with water by the City of Tshwane’s Bronkhorstspruit Water Treatment Works (BWTW). On 13 October 2026, the Minister of Health requested the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) to carry out an investigation into the quality of the water emanating from the BWTW.  The Ministries of Water and Sanitation and Health, the Gauteng Provincial Government, and the City of Tshwane (CoT) met on Sunday evening, 18 October 2026 to receive an update from an intergovernmental technical team on the coordinated response. 

This followed a similar meeting on the evening of 15 October, at which it was agreed that further laboratory tests must be conducted to determine the cause of the illness and its source. The meeting last night, led by Ministers of Water and Sanitation Pemmy Majodina and Health Dr Aaron Motsoaledi and Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi as well as Tshwane Executive Mayor, Cllr Nasiphi Moya, received a consolidated update report from the technical intergovernmental team. 

The report covered information on the number and location of gastrointestinal illness cases, the laboratory test results, the findings of DWS investigations into the cause of the problem, the actions already taken, and the additional urgent measures being implemented to protect communities. Between 7 and 18 October 2026, 408 cases of gastrointestinal illness have been reported. Most of the patients are under four years old. No deaths have been reported to date. The number of new cases per day peaked on 13 October with 72 cases reported. 

On 18 October 16 new cases were reported.  Bronkhorstspruit Hospital has established an isolation area and overflow beds for affected patients. Most patients have been rehydrated and discharged within a day. A four-level surge plan is in place to expand beds, deploy additional staff, refer patients to Mamelodi Regional Hospital, Tshwane District Hospital or Pretoria West District Hospital where necessary, and escalate to provincial support if required. Laboratory test results of stool specimens from infected patients by the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), coupled with test results of water emanating from the BWTW, indicate that the illness has been caused by residents being exposed to contaminated water from BWTW. 

The NICD tests detected Norovirus, Campylobacter and Shigella in three of four specimens analysed, together with other pathogens that cause stomach cramps and diarrhoea. No cholera bacteria  were found in the sampled stools. The fact that mixed pathogens were found in the samples and the rapid spread point to a common water supply being the likely source of illness.  

This is corroborated by water quality tests conducted by DWS on 14 October which found extremely high levels of E. coli and total coliforms in the water emanating from the BWTW and in the Ekandustria (near Dark City) and Zithobeni reservoirs. Further tests are currently being conducted to confirm whether any other harmful contaminants are present in the water.  Further specimens are being collected by the NICD to strengthen the epidemiological evidence and to determine whether a formal outbreak declaration is required. In addition, DWS  has appointed the Water Research Commission (WRC) to conduct independent water quality tests. 

The WRC started testing on 18 October and has  conducted more tests  today, with results expected from Wednesday. The WRC has also been requested to conduct an independent investigation of the causes of contaminated water being supplied to residents. This report will be released by 28 October.  The DWS investigation found that the CoT experienced difficulties with its chlorine supplier which resulted in water emanating from BWTW not being chlorinated between 24 September and 14 October. 

The BWTW abstracts water from the Bronkhorstspruit River, which is badly contaminated with sewage pollution from upstream dysfunctional wastewater treatment works (WWTW) under Victor Khanye Municipality as well as from dysfunctional CoT sewage pumpstations. The investigation also found that the CoT had failed to warn residents in the affected areas of Bronkhorstspruit that the water being supplied had not been chlorinated and therefore should not be drunk or used for cooking, washing or bathing, even after boiling, as required by the 2025 Compulsory Standards for Water Services issued under the Water Services Act.  

As part of DWS’ regulatory function, necessary accountability steps have been initiated against those responsible for the water pollution and adherence to norms and standards governing provision of water and sanitation. CoT closed the BWTW on 14 October. The chlorine supply was restored by 15 October and CoT reopened the BWTW to supply water into the distribution system on 16 October, but informed residents that the water was not yet suitable for drinking.  Since 14 October, CoT has been distributing drinking water to residents using water tankers. The water tankers obtain water from the Cullinan WTW, and CoT and DWS have conducted laboratory tests on the water from the Cullinan WTW which indicate that the water is safe to drink. CoT is in the process of increasing the supply of this clean drinking water to the affected areas using additional water tankers (36 in total). Testing of this water will be conducted on a continuous basis, by both CoT and DWS.  

The DWS investigation also found that various components of the BWTW were not working, such as pumps, sand filters, and other mechanical equipment. CoT is in the process of appointing Rand Water as an implementing agent to further improve the performance of the BWTW.  

Together with DWS engineers, Rand Water is in the process of developing an implementation plan with timeframes in this regard. Part of this planning will include assessing whether the BWTW should be isolated for a further period to enable essential work to be carried out. At this stage, it is not possible to give a timeframe for when residents will again be able to drink water emanating from the BWTW.  The refurbishment and upgrading of the BWTW has been a longstanding priority for the City of Tshwane, with the municipality spending R21 million in the current financial year and substantial financial commitments towards the project over successive financial years. 

Together, these allocations represent more than R107 million in expenditure and planned investment over the three-year period. While substantial resources have already been invested and further funding committed, the work remains ongoing, with the City’s focus on addressing longstanding infrastructure deficiencies, improving operational reliability and progressively restoring the plant’s capacity to provide residents with a safe and dependable water supply. 

The meeting last night agreed that CoT must immediately improve its communication to residents and keep residents informed of the situation and where and when they can obtain clean drinking water from the water tankers. CoT has issued an improved comprehensive advisory notice to residents today. In addition, health promoters will continue to conduct loud-hailing and household-level awareness on boiling water, safe storage, disinfection of containers and hygiene practices. Until further notice, residents of areas supplied by BWTW must not drink water from their taps, or use the water for bathing, brushing teeth, washing food, washing clothes and cooking. 

The water can only be used for flushing toilets. Previously stored water should be discarded and water containers must be disinfected using household bleach. Drinking water obtained from water tankers should be stored in clean containers with lids.  Residents who develop symptoms of illness should seek medical attention early and report suspected cases to their nearest healthcare facility or local health authority. Early reporting protects not only individuals and families, but also enables health authorities to respond quickly and prevent further spread. 

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