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- Sampled water supply for Hammanskraal shows it does not mean quality compliance measures for drinking, a new report shows.
- Minister Senzo Mchunu says that government is concerned about the cholera outbreak in the community and does not want it to spread.
- The source of the cholera outbreak is yet to be determined.
- For climate change news and analysis, go to News24 Climate Future.
Municipalities need to ensure that they deliver clean and safe water, especially as government is concerned about the cholera outbreak in Hammanskraal, Gauteng spreading further, Water and Sanitation Minister Senzo Mchunu said on Tuesday.
"The recent cholera outbreak indeed caused great concern as to whether our water was safe for human consumption," the minister said at the launch of a set of reports on water quality.
"Although the source of the cholera is yet to be determined, the fact remains that cholera is a bacterial disease usually spread through contaminated water, and for that fact, we need to concern ourselves with ensuring that municipalities fulfil their obligations – that is, to deliver clean, safe water and healthy environments through sanitation services," Mchunu said.
More than 25 deaths have been recorded since the outbreak, which mostly affected the Tshwane-based community.
The latest statement from the Department of Health, issued on 31 May, indicates that cases have been reported in Free State towns of Parys and Vredefort. The Free State neighbours Gauteng. An update from the health department is expected later on Tuesday.
In response to a question about the potential of the waterborne disease to spread in other provinces, Mchunu said:
He explained that government's "main concern is that it shouldn't, in the first place, occur anywhere in the Republic."
"Especially if it is to occur via contamination of water, that is our main concern."
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Mchunu said that measures such as ensuring that norms and standards are being adhered to by municipalities when it comes to meeting water quality standards, shows the extent of government's attention.
"It has come to a point where we feel we have got to upgrade our interventions, especially with the ease with which we need to do such," he added. Mchunu said that his and other departments had met with President Cyril Ramaphosa last week to discuss their plans to accelerate service delivery.
He said a number of proposals were made to the president in which the department can legally intervene, especially in the case of Hammanskraal. Water services are the constitutional responsibility of municipalities - but they must meet national regulations.
Poor quality
Sampled water supply for Hammanskraal shows that it does not meet quality compliance measures for drinking, according to the Blue Drop Watch report released on Tuesday.
The report provides a technical assessment of the condition of water distribution infrastructure and drinking water quality. Samples of drinking water supply are taken to compile this report. This report is released ahead of the Full Blue Drop report, which will be published in July and covers all drinking water supply systems in the country.
The Temba Water Treatment Works, which services Hammanskraal, was also assessed. It is also the only water supply system from the City of Tshwane that was sampled in the report.
It shows that the drinking water does not meet microbiological and chemical quality. Microbiological compliance measures how well the treatment process removes harmful bacteria and other micro-organisms in water, and chemical compliance measures whether the level of chemicals is suitable for consumption and to protect household equipment and infrastructure.
For both chemical and microbiological compliance, less than 95% of water quality tests meet standards that are informed by the World Health Organisation Guidelines.
