Contaminated water sickens 833 people in Tshwane
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Scrolla
The number of people with gastric illnesses linked to contaminated water in Tshwane has reached 833, including 328 children under four; three patients remain in hospital. Authorities found that water at the Bronkhorstspruit treatment plant was not chlorinated from 24 September to 14 October, according to the Minister of Water and Sanitation and the relevant department.
The number of people with gastrointestinal problems linked to contaminated water in Tshwane, South Africa, had reached 833 cases by 26 October, Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina said. Of those who fell ill, 328 were children under the age of four, according to the SABC. Three patients were still in hospital at the time of the count, and no deaths had been reported.
An investigation by the Department of Water and Sanitation established that water from the Bronkhorstspruit treatment plant had not been chlorinated from 24 September to 14 October. It also concluded that the City of Tshwane had not warned residents that the water was unfit for consumption. Tests revealed very high concentrations of E. coli bacteria in water from the plant and two reservoirs.
The chair of Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Water and Sanitation, Leon Basson, told eNCA that the problems could affect other Tshwane treatment plants. He said the municipality should also take responsibility, instead of blaming only the suspended manager of the Bronkhorstspruit plant for the failures.
Tshwane Mayor Nasiphi Moya said on 27 October that teams from Rand Water and the city had finished cleaning the large reservoir. Cleaning of the small reservoir was continuing, while preparations for the filtration system were about 90% complete. The teams aimed to finish the work on 28 October, before further testing, chlorination and flushing. The city had also suspended water tanker collections at a standpipe in Cullinan after detecting unusually cloudy water, and was seeking other filling points.
