Bronkhorstspruit residents warned not to drink tap water as 408 cases of illness reported
Residents supplied by Bronkhorstspruit Water Treatment Works were advised not to drink tap water or use it for cooking or bathing.
Residents of Bronkhorstspruit are being advised against drinking, bathing or using water from their taps. This comes after 408 cases of gastrointestinal illness were reported in Tshwane’s Region 7 since the start of October, with young children under four years old making up the majority of those affected. Speaking at a press conference in Pretoria, Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina revealed that initial water quality tests conducted on October 14th had detected extremely high levels of E. coli in the water originating from the treatment plant that supplies the affected region.
The minister is looking into the possibility that contaminated water may be to blame. To date, there have been no reported deaths. Majodina stated that additional tests and investigations are being carried out to determine if any hazardous contaminants are present. She also noted that there has been no official declaration of a formal outbreak.
Patients have been receiving medical treatment at hospitals and local clinics, mainly within the Zithobeni, Bronkhorstspruit, Darkcity, Zithabeni, Rethabiseng and Sikhulumi areas within Tshwane region 7. The City of Tshwane has failed to issue a warning stating that the water from the Bronkhorstspruit Water Treatment Works had not been properly chlorinated, rendering it unsafe for human consumption.
Written by urgent.news from SABC News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
