Elections 2026: Blunders in Mangaung are poisoning Free State water
While the municipality loses billions, sewage flows into rivers and residents struggle for water
In Mangaung, South Africa, a series of critical infrastructure failures have contaminated local water sources, leaving residents without access to clean drinking water. Leaking water pipes have created a 1,500 square metre waterlogged area on Denne Avenue, while sewage from various townships is intentionally being pumped into the Renosterspruit, a river that supplies the city's irrigation needs.
Seven of the municipality's sewage treatment plants are operating at 0% efficiency, releasing untreated sewage into nearby dams that provide drinking water to Bloemfontein. The RFP for a water re-use project highlights the municipality's severe potable water shortage, with daily supplies falling 68 million litres short of demand.
Without immediate action, this shortfall is projected to reach 154 million litres per day by 2040, severely impacting both service delivery and the local economy.
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