22/10/2026
21 OCTOBER 2026 | SPECIAL REPORT | WATER RIGHTS
New Water Rights Tracker puts South Africa’s water failures under scrutiny
The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) and the Claude Leon Chair in Earth Justice and Stewardship at the University of the Witwatersrand have launched the Water Rights Tracker to assess progress towards fulfilling the constitutional right of access to sufficient water.
Drawing on five years of research, the project profiles all 144 Water Services Authorities across South Africa’s nine provinces, providing an evidence base for scrutiny of water service delivery.
What Does The Tracker Measure?
The Tracker uses 85 indicators across five categories: access, affordability, adequacy, quality and efficiency. It also examines the financial, technical and institutional resources available to deliver water services.
Its purpose is to assess whether the state is meeting its obligation under Section 27 of the Constitution to take reasonable measures, within available resources, to progressively realise the right of access to sufficient water.
Identifying Warning Signs
The research highlights prolonged supply interruptions, deteriorating infrastructure, unsafe drinking water and inadequate support for households unable to afford basic services.
The Tracker identifies “red flags” signalling potential human rights violations. These warning signs can help communities, civil society and oversight institutions identify failures and demand corrective action; they do not, on their own, establish a legal finding of a violation.
The Human Cost Of Water Failures
The launch comes amid the Bronkhorstspruit water crisis. SAHRC Commissioner Dr Henk Boshoff cited gastrointestinal illness among residents exposed to contaminated water as an example of the consequences of failures in water service delivery.
Professor Tracy-Lynn Field, the Claude Leon Chair in Earth Justice and Stewardship, said: “Access to sufficient water is not a privilege or a political promise. It is a constitutional right.”
The test now is whether the evidence leads to corrective action—and whether responsible authorities can demonstrate measurable improvements in the water services communities receive.
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Date of Publication: 21 October 2026.
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