Embedded Files
Water quality is one of the most critical and threatened dimensions of South Africa's water resources. Decades of inadequate wastewater treatment, agricultural runoff, urban stormwater, acid mine drainage, and industrial effluent have placed enormous pressure on the quality of the country's rivers, dams, wetlands, and groundwater systems. Deteriorating water quality has direct consequences for human health, ecological functioning, the cost of water treatment, and the long-term reliability of water supply. South Africa has a comprehensive national water quality monitoring network managed by the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS), alongside a well-established set of water quality guidelines covering domestic, agricultural, industrial, recreational, and ecological uses.
The resources below provide access to national water quality monitoring data, South African and international water quality guidelines, eutrophication monitoring tools, water quality modelling software, and accredited laboratory services for water quality analysis.
To use the tool above to discover DWS water quality data, first click on 'Browse All Stations' to load stations, then click on 'Load Sample Counts' to be able to see how many samples have been analysed. The map can be enlarged by clicking [ ], and the search function can be used to identify stations containing specific words. Once you have selected your station, click 'Add to Dashboard' and then 'Fetch Data'. Make sure the station you are interested in is active when viewing plotted time-series data.
National Water Quality Data
DWS Resource Quality Information Services (RQIS) The central portal for South Africa's national water quality monitoring data, managed by the DWS Directorate: Resource Quality Information Services. Provides access to physical, chemical, biological, and ecological water quality datasets across the national monitoring network.
Water Chemistry Processed water chemistry data and downloadable CSV files for South African monitoring stations, covering parameters such as electrical conductivity, pH, major ions, nutrients, and metals.
Eutrophication – National Eutrophication Monitoring Programme (NEMP) Processed eutrophication monitoring data and CSV files for South African dams and reservoirs, including chlorophyll-a, nutrient concentrations, and algal bloom indicators.
Microbiology – National Microbial Monitoring Programme (NMMP) Faecal indicator organism data for South African rivers and water bodies, used for assessing recreational water safety and compliance with microbiological water quality standards.
Ecosystems – National Aquatic Ecosystem Health Monitoring Programme (NAEHMP) River health monitoring data based on biological indices including macroinvertebrates, fish, riparian vegetation, and habitat assessment. See also the Freshwater Biodiversity Information System (FBIS) for species-level data.
Inorganic Water Chemistry Dataset – NWU Centre for Water Sciences and Management A compiled dataset of inorganic water chemistry records for South African rivers, dams, and lakes up to 2012, hosted by the North-West University.
Drinking Water Quality in South Africa A public-facing portal allowing users to check the drinking water quality status for their area, based on data from water supply systems across the country.
Drinking Water Quality Compliance – NIWIS Compliance monitoring data for drinking water quality across South Africa's water supply systems, accessible through the National Integrated Water Information System.
Marine Water Quality Tool (OCIMS) An interactive tool for assessing and visualising marine and coastal water quality along South Africa's coastline, hosted by the National Oceans and Coastal Information Management System.
Historical DWS Datasets (see below)
The following historical water quality datasets are available through the WRO data platform:
DWS historical water quality (EC, pH, nitrate, phosphate) for South African dams and lakes — up to 1998
DWS historical water quality (EC, pH, nitrate, phosphate) for South African dams and lakes — 1999 to 2012
DWS historical water quality (EC, pH, nitrate, phosphate) for South African rivers — up to 1998
DWS historical water quality (EC, pH, nitrate, phosphate) for South African rivers — 1999 to 2012
DWS historical water E. coli data — up to October 2024
DWS historical water quality (EC, pH, nitrate, phosphate) for South African dams and lakes up to 1998
DWS historical water quality (EC, pH, nitrate, phosphate) for South African dams and lakes from 1999 to 2012
DWS historical water quality (EC, pH, nitrate, phosphate) of South African rivers up to 1998
DWS historical water quality (EC, pH, nitrate, phosphate) of South African rivers from 1999 to 2012
DWS historical water E. coli data up to October 2024
South African Water Quality Guidelines
Agricultural water use: Irrigation | Irrigation (SAWQI DSS link)
Agricultural Water Use: Livestock Watering
Agricultural Water Use: Aquaculture
Aquatic Ecosystems | South African Water Quality Guidelines for Freshwater Ecosystems - Version 2 (DSS download link)
Drinking Water Quality Compliance
Regulations: Hazardous Chemical Agents 2021 (to be added)
Obtaining surface water quality data from DWS:
Download and install Google Earth
Go to https://www.dws.gov.za/iwqs/wms/data/WMS_WMA_map.asp and choose the kmz file for your drainage region
Identify the monitoring station you are interested in
Click on the point >> data
If the data doesn't show in Google Earth click the 'Open in Google Chrome' link
Eutrophication
Depth-Time Isoplots and Time-Series Plots for South African Water Bodies Graphical representations of long-term eutrophication monitoring data for South African dams, showing seasonal and interannual patterns in nutrient concentrations and algal biomass.
Earth Observation National Eutrophication Monitoring Programme (EONEMP) A satellite-based extension of the national eutrophication monitoring programme, using remote sensing to track algal bloom development and water body condition across South Africa.
CyanoLakes A satellite-derived monitoring tool providing near real-time information on cyanobacterial (blue-green algae) bloom status in South African water bodies — highly relevant for drinking water safety and recreational water management.
Waste Water Treatment Works
Water Quality Models & Tools
PHREEQC Version 3 (USGS) A widely used geochemical modelling program for simulating chemical reactions in water, including speciation, mineral saturation, and mixing — particularly useful for mine water and groundwater quality analysis.
Pesticide in Water Calculator (PWC) (US EPA) A model for estimating pesticide concentrations in water bodies receiving agricultural runoff — relevant to South Africa's agricultural water quality challenges.
LOADEST – Load Estimator (USGS) A program for estimating constituent loads (mass per unit time) in streams and rivers from concentration and flow data — widely used in nutrient and sediment load assessments.
City of Cape Town Inland Water Quality GIS An open data GIS tool for visualising inland water quality monitoring data for the City of Cape Town — a useful example of municipal-scale water quality data management.
Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CEC) Knowledge Hub A central repository for CEC-related data, research, and resources relevant to South Africa — see also the Contaminants of Emerging Concern page.
International Resources
UNEP Global Chemicals Outlook Global assessments of chemical pollution trends and their impacts on water resources and human health, providing international context for South Africa's water quality challenges.
WHO – Water, Sanitation and Health World Health Organisation guidelines, technical resources, and policy tools for drinking water quality, sanitation, and water-related health protection.
WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) Global data on access to safe water supply, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), including country-level statistics for South Africa useful for benchmarking and policy reporting.
SDG Water Quality Hub A global platform supporting monitoring and reporting on SDG Target 6.3.2 — the proportion of water bodies with good ambient water quality — relevant to South Africa's international reporting obligations.
See Also (Related WRO Pages)
Water quality is interconnected with virtually every other topic on the WRO. The pages below are particularly closely related.
Wastewater Management — the primary source of water quality degradation in South Africa
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse