South Africa’s 150-year-old tourist town where residents have no water

Despite being one of South Africa’s most popular tourist towns, Parys residents continue to face severe water shortages, poor water quality and wider municipal service delivery problems.

Parys is a small Free State town on the banks of the Vaal River, about an hour’s drive from Johannesburg. Its location, historic character and range of activities have made it a popular weekend and holiday destination.

The town was established in the 1870s on land that formed part of the farm Klipspruit, which was owned by the Van Coller family.

The area was influenced by the need for a settlement where residents could attend church services without travelling long distances.

Parys was named by land surveyor Schilbach, who had taken part in the Siege of Paris. He felt that the Vaal River and the landscape resembled the Seine and Paris. The name was adopted when the town was laid out in 1876.

Parys developed steadily after the discovery of gold on the Witwatersrand in 1886. Its position on an important route to the north brought travellers and trade through the town.

The Anglo-Boer War disrupted this growth, with Parys becoming the scene of guerrilla fighting. Many buildings were destroyed, and residents had to rebuild much of the town after the war ended in 1902.

Infrastructure later improved, including irrigation canals and a reinforced concrete bridge across the Vaal River. The first electric lights in Parys were switched on in 1912 using water from the irrigation system.

Today, Parys combines its historic roots with a tourism-focused economy. The Vaal River remains central to the town, with activities including fishing, canoeing, boating, water skiing and river rafting.

Visitors can also explore antique shops, art galleries, restaurants, delis and spas. The surrounding area offers hiking, abseiling, 4×4 routes and other outdoor activities.

One of the region’s main attractions is the Vredefort Dome, the remains of a meteorite impact structure formed about two billion years ago.

Parys also hosts events such as the Dome Adventure Festival and the Crater Cruise mountain bike race.

Residents face water and service delivery problems

While Parys is a beloved tourist destination, residents have faced years of problems with water supply and municipal service delivery.

Recent claims of improved municipal compliance have contrasted with earlier reports of poor water quality, unreliable supply and ageing infrastructure.

In September 2026, the City Report stated that the Ngwathe Local Municipality ranked first nationally for Water Services Development Plan audit compliance, recording an 86% compliance rating.

Municipal Manager Dr F.P. Mothamaha attributed the result to the municipality’s focus on water and sanitation infrastructure and closer cooperation with the Department of Water and Sanitation.

“This cooperation with the provincial department has finally borne fruit,” Mothamaha said. However, the reported compliance improvement follows years of residents’ complaints about basic water services.

In July 2025, AfriForum said a survey of more than 800 Parys residents showed that 96.8% were dissatisfied with the municipality’s water supply.

The organisation said 33.8% of respondents experienced daily water outages, while another 49.5% experienced outages several times a week.

AfriForum also cited data from Save Ngwathe showing that more than 33,300 water-related complaints had been lodged with the municipality during the first six months of 2025.

The survey also found that 80.4% of respondents were dissatisfied with overall municipal service delivery, with road maintenance, water and electricity among the worst-rated services.

Water quality has also been a concern. In January 2025, AfriForum’s Parys branch said two sets of tests conducted by an accredited laboratory showed that the town’s water was still unfit for human consumption.

The first samples were taken on 16 January 2025. This was followed by a second round of testing on 28 January.

AfriForum said it had informed both the Ngwathe Local Municipality and the provincial Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs about the results, but had not received a response at the time.

The organisation also raised concerns about the condition of the waterworks, since municipal officials had indicated that there were no chemicals at the Parys waterworks and that filters were not operating.

AfriForum explained that this raised concerns about whether the area’s treatment process was functioning properly.

AfriForum’s District Coordinator for the Mooi River region, Alta Pretorius, said the situation suggested that there was information being withheld. “It seems like there’s a lot to hide.”

Ageing infrastructure

The town’s water crisis has been linked to ageing infrastructure and insufficient treatment capacity.

The original Parys waterworks, built in the 1950s, had a capacity of 5 megalitres per day, while a second section, built in the 1970s, added another 10 megalitres.

A modular plant introduced in 2016 was intended to provide another 10 megalitres, but reportedly broke down after about three years due to poor maintenance.

In September 2024, DA councillor Saal de Jager said the system was being upgraded as part of a R66 million project funded by the Department of Water and Sanitation.

During the work, sand filters were reportedly bypassed, and chlorination was used for disinfection. The DA warned that this could become problematic when rain increased river water turbidity.

Earlier reports show how long the problems have persisted. In June 2024, SABC News reported that Parys’ water shortages had become almost normal, with residents relying on communal taps for years.

The municipality acknowledged at the time that the water treatment plant was producing about 12 megalitres a day against the demand of 19 megalitres.

A GroundUp report in February 2023 similarly found that water supply was becoming increasingly erratic, with some residents walking kilometres to collect water.

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The Parys water crisis

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