Bronkhorstspruit water plant has enough chlorine for weeks: Majodina
Majodina says additional chlorine supplies are expected to be procured as needed.
Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina has stated that there is sufficient chlorine to disinfect the Bronkhorstspruit Water Treatment plant for the upcoming weeks. The Chlorination shortfall at the facility led to 833 people in Bronkhorstspruit falling ill due to a gastrointestinal illness. The plant's manager has been suspended as a result of the incident.
Speaking to the media in Pretoria, Majodina assured that more chlorine supplies are anticipated to be obtained as required. "The chlorine issue, which was the main concern surrounding the Bronkhorstspruit Water Treatment plant, we currently have enough chlorine for the next six to seven weeks," she explained. "When our current reserves dwindle, we have received assurance from Rand Water, collaborating with Tshwane, that they will ensure additional chlorine is procured promptly."
In addition, Majodina revealed that over 90% of South Africa's water is deemed safe for consumption, despite apprehensions about aging infrastructure and inconsistent supply. The Bronkhorstspruit incident has prompted government to reassess the state of water treatment plants. However, Majodina cautioned that Johannesburg may experience a water crisis if immediate action is not taken to address leaks.
"The challenge we have to acknowledge is that when it comes to the conveyance and distribution of water, there is a problem," she acknowledged. "I have been saying it, water is unreliable, sometimes it is not treated properly due to outdated infrastructure. The country's water and sanitation infrastructure needs R400 billion."
Written by urgent.news from SABC News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
