Tap water may be safe to drink in some urban areas, but water sources such as streams, rivers and dams have high levels of E. Coli and coliform bacteria.
This is according to the findings from the recent water testing week by Water Community Action Network (WaterCAN), an initiative of the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA). The water testing week was conducted from 14-18 September with the help of volunteers countrywide.
“The conclusion derived from the results is that our tap water, while healthy in most urban areas, needs more people to test smaller towns and rural areas. The electricity crisis has affected pumping of water at reservoirs, and this could result in water being contaminated – which means that regular testing is becoming even more imperative,” said Dr Ferrial Adam, manager of WaterCAN.
About 80 citizen scientists tested tap water and raw water sources in eight of the nine provinces: Gauteng, Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal, Free State, Eastern Cape, Mpumalanga, North West and Western Cape.
They tested chemical and bacterial parameters that included nitrates, nitrites, phosphates, pH, hardness, alkalinity, chlorine, along with testing for metals and E.Coli.
The results from tap water tests indicated that the chemical parameters were all in line with the acceptable limits and the water can therefore be regarded as safe for drinking.
With regards to the bacterial parameters of tap water, there were four tests out of 37, that had a presence of total coliform bacteria, of which the one in Winburg, Free State, was high enough to raise concern with the municipality.
At least 76% of the tests on raw water sources – dams, rivers and streams - reflect high levels of E. Coli and coliform in the water. Various samples from raw water sources presented with high levels of hardness, alkalinity and phosphates.
WaterCAN said the levels of contamination are due to the lack of maintenance at water treatment facilities, the lack of laboratory facilities to test water regularly in line with regulatory requirements and the lack of proper treatment of highly contaminated raw water.
“The results, while not surprising, are a major concern, as this is where drinking water is abstracted from to serve communities, and in places where participants are dependent on the direct water source for drinking and cooking, the water quality poses a direct health risk,” Adam said.
WaterCAN has demanded that the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) hold municipal managers accountable for polluting raw water sources. They said municipalities must also test water regularly and make the results available to the public.
“This is only the beginning of our path to monitor and track the quality of our water supplies from taps, rivers and boreholes. We want to expand this project so that we have thousands of people regularly testing our water. And where there are concerns, we need to act fast and use our activism to hold those responsible accountable,” Adam said.
Cape Times