Pretoria residents warned to boil tap water after contamination

Residents and businesses across Pretoria’s central business district and surrounding areas have been urged to take precautions with their tap water after a burst sewer pipe contaminated the supply from Findlay Reservoir.

The City of Tshwane issued a boil-water advisory after tests conducted on 21 October 2026 detected microbiological contamination in the water. The municipality confirmed that contaminated water had entered the supply system after an unexpected sewer pipe burst.

The warning means residents should not drink tap water straight from the tap until the city confirms that it is safe to do so.

What caused the Pretoria water contamination?

According to the City of Tshwane, Findlay Reservoir normally receives water from underground sources and Rand Water. While the underground water is generally of good quality and requires minimal chlorination, the sewer pipe burst introduced contamination into the system.

The municipality said the resulting microbial levels exceeded the capacity of the existing chlorination measures.

After detecting the problem, the city isolated the affected source, emptied Findlay Reservoir and switched Pretoria CBD and surrounding areas to an alternative water supply from Salvokop Reservoir.

Teams have also started flushing the affected water network to remove contaminated water.

The city stressed that this incident is separate from the ongoing water crisis in Bronkhorstspruit.

Which areas are affected by the boil-water warning?

The advisory covers Pretoria CBD and several surrounding communities. Residents in the following areas have been urged to follow the city’s water safety instructions:

• Arcadia
• Asiatic Bazaar
• Asiatic Bazaar Extension 1
• Belle Ombre
• Cape Boys’ Location
• Daspoort
• Elandspoort
• Marabastad
• Phillip Nel Park
• Pretoria Central
• Pretoria Extension 1
• Pretoria Extension 9
• Pretoria Extension 11
• Pretoria Extension 14
• Pretoria Town and Townlands
• Pretoria and Tshwane
• Prinshof
• Skougronde
• Sunnyside
• Trevenna

The city’s notice also lists Pretoria and Townlands 346-JR and Pretoria and Townlands 351-JR among the affected areas.

Residents should check the official municipal notice to confirm whether their neighbourhood falls within the affected supply area.

How residents should use tap water during the warning

Until further notice, the municipality has advised residents and businesses to boil tap water before using it for drinking, cooking, food preparation or brushing their teeth.

Water should be brought to a rolling boil for at least one minute and allowed to cool before use.

The city has also advised residents to:

• Discard stored tap water that may have been contaminated.
• Throw away ice made using tap water.
• Avoid drinking unboiled tap water.
• Avoid using unboiled tap water to prepare food.
• Share the warning with neighbours, tenants and others who may be affected.

These precautions are intended to reduce the risk of exposure to harmful microorganisms while the municipality works to restore water quality.

Water tankers planned for affected communities

The City of Tshwane has said it will provide access to safe drinking water through water tankers deployed to affected communities.

Information about the tankers’ locations and availability will be communicated to residents, according to the municipality.

In the meantime, the city is continuing to monitor water quality, flush the affected network and undertake corrective work.

Although the contaminated source has been isolated and an alternative supply activated, the boil-water advisory remains in place until further testing confirms that the water is safe for consumption.

Residents should continue following the precautions until the municipality officially lifts the warning.

For the latest information, residents can consult the City of Tshwane’s official water contamination notice.

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