Pretoria - The City of Tshwane has maintained that there are no issues with the source of water supply to Rethabiseng and Riamar Park suburbs in Bronkhorstspruit despite slight discolouration in the water.
This was after serious concerns were raised by residents about the quality of water provided by the municipality.
In the wake of the concerns the City undertook to conduct tests in the water in the areas in Bronkhorstspruit.
In a media statement, the MMC for Utilities and Regional Operations, Daryl Johnston said the water test in Bronkhorstspruit has come up clean while the two tests in Rethabiseng and Riamar Park have not.
“There is slight discolouration in the water as well as microbiological contaminants in the water that reaches residents,” Johnston said.
He said the result was that the water was clean during the water tests at the reservoir and water being provided from the plant.
“This demonstrates that there are no issues at the source of the supply. The contamination is probably occurring in the distribution network, which could have been caused by vandalism.
This means that some of the water reaching residents is not safe to drink without being boiled first,” he said.
Johnston said the municipality would embark on “a comprehensive flushing of the pipes and using chemical decontamination to clean the distribution network”.
He cautioned residents that the process of flushing of the pipes may increase the discoloration until the water is clear.
“We have prioritised the work to repair any vandalised and damaged sections of the network which may be the source of the contamination. This should clear the contaminants out of the pipes and restore the water to full potability,” he said.
In the meantime, the City has as of Tuesday dispatched water trucks to distribute water to the Bronkhorstspruit community.
Johnston said: “We will continue to monitor this situation closely and I will provide a further update when our restorative actions are complete. I apologise to the residents of Bronkhorstspruit and commit that we will ensure that this matter is resolved.”
Meanwhile, MMC for Human Settlements Abel Tau reported that there were water shortages as a result of insufficient water tankers in the Rooiwal and Marikana areas in Ward 100 and the Mooiplaats and Marry Me areas in Ward 89.
Tau said: “The contract for the water tanker service expired on May 13. The City subsequently concluded a new contract that started on May 14. The City has been busy with the administrative work throughout the weekend in order to ensure that the contract transition runs smoothly and that the contractors are back in service and continue with the work of providing water services.”
He said the City has put mitigating measures in place by sending available tankers to fill the gap at specified areas in order to ensure that everyone is provided with water.
“Communities are urged to use water sparingly and to approach their ward councillors if there is a water shortage,” he said.
Pretoria News