Water is one of life's most basic necessities. It is something we need every day, and something most of us expect to access simply by turning on a tap. But for an increasing number of South Africans, drinking water is becoming an expense they have to budget for. More people are opting to buy bottled water rather than drink the water supplied to their homes, raising questions about public confidence in municipal water supplies and concerns about the quality of the water reaching our taps. This is happening at a time when households are already under immense financial pressure. The cost of food, electricity, transport and other essentials continues to stretch household budgets. Now, for some families, buying water has become another expense they cannot easily avoid. But what happens to those who cannot afford to buy bottled water? Are they expected to take their chances with the water coming out of their taps, or should they be able to trust that the water supplied to their homes is safe to drink? Tonight, we look at the growing concerns around drinking water in South Africa and what this means for ordinary households. We speak to WaterCAN about water quality, public trust and the state of our municipal water systems, and to the South African Human Rights Commission about the right to safe drinking water and the responsibilities of government. Because in a country where access to
water is a basic human right, we have to ask: why are people increasingly feeling the need to pay extra for water they can trust?