In brief
More than 400 residents of Pretoria and nearby townships reported vomiting and diarrhoea after using tap water, prompting authorities to declare the supply unsafe. Testing revealed high levels of E. coli and other pathogens such as norovirus, campylobacter and shigella. Since the outbreak began, water tankers have delivered clean water and residents are instructed to flush toilets only with the contaminated supply. The incident follows previous waterborne emergencies in the region, including a 2023 cholera outbreak that killed 29 people in a township near Pretoria. Officials are investigating possible failures in the local water treatment plant.
Over 400 residents in the Tshwane area, which includes Pretoria, were confirmed to be sick after using tap water between 7 and 18 October, according to a joint statement by the Department of Water and the Department of Health. The majority of cases were children under four years old who experienced stomach cramps and diarrhoea.
Lab tests revealed high levels of E. coli and other pathogens – including norovirus, campylobacter and shigella – in water supplied by a local treatment plant that serves several eastern townships.
Because the tap water has been declared unsafe for human consumption, authorities have sent water tankers to deliver clean drinking water and urged residents to use the contaminated supply only for flushing toilets. Residents also have been advised to discard previously stored water and disinfect containers with household bleach.
The incident adds to a series of water‑borne disease outbreaks in the region. In 2023 a cholera outbreak in Hammanskraal – the township just outside Pretoria – killed 29 people, while a 2025 outbreak of typhoid in an eastern Pretoria area confirmed 48 cases. Officials have said investigations are ongoing into how the contamination occurred.
Public health officials are monitoring the situation closely and will provide updates as new findings emerge.
