2009/09/07
THE extent of the province’s water woes has been exposed in a government report which reveals how tap water in the Amathole region became contaminated with faeces.
Reservoirs in a number of areas, including the suburbs of Buffalo City Municipality, were tested and found to have elevated levels of faecal content in the water.
National guidelines stipulate that all drinking water should be completely free of faecal contamination.
Samples taken during the first quarter of this year showed that more than 50 water treatment works and reservoirs in the Amathole district, stretching from Butterworth to East London, failed to meet national standards.
Although authorities say the problems have since been rectified, a drinking and wastewater quality monitoring report tabled at a recent Amathole District Municipality (ADM) council meeting has revealed just how much pressure the water network is under.
In East London, reservoirs and water supply points in Selborne, Beacon Bay, Cambridge and Gonubie failed to comply with set standards.
The Beacon Bay reservoir at one stage had 15 colony forming units (CFU) of e.coli bacteria per 100ml.
A CFU is a measure used by scientists to gauge the extent to which water has been contaminated by faecal matter. The SA National Standards recommendation for drinking water is zero CFU.
In Gonubie, the reservoir there registered six CFU of e.coli. And the problem is not only confined to East London. One reservoir in Butterworth had 200 CFU of e.coli per 100ml. In Butterworth’s case, Amatola Water, the water agent for the region, had to investigate the levels.
“In cases of non-compliance with e.coli, which is ... regarded as a health failure, the health and protection services department has a legal responsibility to investigate and report on causes of such failures,” the report states.
Scientist Wayne Selkirk of Monitor Laboratories in Gonubie said it was only possible to have “faecal coliforms” or e.coli present if the water was not properly treated.
“If there’s not enough chlorine you can’t sterilise the water,” said Selkirk.
“But, generally speaking, in the East London context it’s very rare to get e.coli in the system. The system is pretty good,” he said.
He said the problem would be worse in the rural areas.
Selkirk said the after-effects of drinking contaminated water depended on the sensitivity of an individual. If a person drank water where mould was forming, they’d probably get a skin rash.
“But if there’s cholera in the water, (you’ll) get cholera.”
He said for water to be completely safe to drink it should have zero CFU.
But despite the readings, Buffalo City Municipality spokesperson Samkelo Ngwenya said residents had nothing to worry about.
BCM water and sanitation general manager Graham Cowley said all the water sources that failed tests earlier this year had been sorted out. He said in July, out of 27 sites tested, 16 needed attention and only one site had a health alert. “One that had e.coli was in Macleantown and that had 2 CFU,” said Cowley.
Amatola Water director of operations Xola Bomela said there have been major improvements in some of the areas mentioned in the report. “What we do as Amatola is we are contracted by ADM to operate and maintain all or a bulk portion of its plants. There has been a lot of improvement.”
ADM spokesperson Gail Pullen said the municipality is faced with aging and dilapidated infrastructure that is in urgent need of repair. In July, Water Affairs Minister Buyelwa Sonjica revealed that water in the Eastern Cape’s rivers was toxic – well over the recommended international standard for bacteria levels.
l See http://blogs.dispatch.co.za/dispatchnow for an interactive map on water quality in your area. - By BABALO NDENZE
Council Reporter
|