Over 400 Fall Ill in South Africa After Consuming Contaminated Tap Water

More than 400 people, predominantly young children, have fallen ill near South Africa's capital, Pretoria, after consuming contaminated tap water. The outbreak, detected in the Tshwane metropolitan area, prompted officials to issue a warning advising residents not to drink or use the tap water for cooking.

Cases of stomach cramps and diarrhea were reported to local hospitals over a two-week period, from October 7 to October 18. Laboratory tests confirmed the presence of norovirus, campylobacter, shigella, and other pathogens in water samples. High levels of E. coli were also detected. No deaths have been reported in connection with this specific incident, and cholera bacteria have not been found.

The affected water supply originates from a local treatment facility serving several communities east of Pretoria. Investigations by the departments of water and health revealed that authorities failed to alert residents about the contaminated water. The water has been declared unfit for human consumption, with instructions for residents to use it only for flushing toilets. Clean drinking water is being supplied via tankers, and officials have advised discarding previously stored water and disinfecting containers with bleach.

This is not the first waterborne disease outbreak in the Tshwane area in recent years. In 2023, a cholera outbreak in Hammanskraal, a township near Pretoria, resulted in 29 deaths and was attributed to substandard water purification practices. In 2025, 48 cases of typhoid were confirmed in the same region, though the source of that outbreak remained unclear.