Abstract
Access to clean and safe drinking water is a critical issue in South Africa, with approximately 40% of the population lacking this necessity. This study investigates the relationship between community knowledge and perceptions of locally supplied drinking water quality and the methods of water treatment and storage in Mafikeng, North West, South Africa. Given the public health implications, understanding these perceptions, knowledge levels and practices is essential. This cross-sectional quantitative study was conducted in the Mafikeng communities of Danville, Mmabatho, Montshiwa, Mafikeng Central and Molopo. These areas predominantly consist of low-income communities and informal settlements that rely on locally supplied water, often lacking alternatives. The study sampled 126 consenting adults, aged 18 to 79, using a convenience sampling technique to distribute questionnaires. Data collection involved structured questionnaires and participant observations. The collected data was recorded in an Excel spreadsheet, checked for missing data and errors, and analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 29.0.0. The analysis included descriptive statistics to summarize community knowledge, practices and perceptions regarding water sources and storage and inferential statistics to identify potential associations between these variables and public health risks. The findings revealed that most residents demonstrated moderate knowledge of water quality and related health risks, yet many expressed dissatisfactions with the quality of their municipal water supply. Water storage and treatment practices were inconsistent, with few respondents cleaning containers regularly. Socioeconomic status, gender and ethnicity significantly influenced satisfaction with drinking water quality. The study concludes that strengthening community education on water safety, promoting proper storage and treatment methods and improving municipal water monitoring systems are essential to safeguard public health.