'Tap water not so safe'

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'Tap water not so safe'
Apr 19, 2010 6:13 PM | By NIVASHNI NAIR

A government report detailing the performance of the country’s drinking water quality management, has warned residents and visitors to take precautionary measures when drinking tap water in six municipalities in South Africa.

The Blue Drop 2010 report released at the Water Institute of South Africa conference in Durban warned that the Department of Water Affairs had no confidence in the drinking water supply and management in the Oudtshoorn Local Municipality and Central Karoo District Municipality in Western Cape; Ikwezi Local Municipality and Kou-Kamma Local Municipality in Western Cape; Thaba Chweu Local Municipality in Mpumalanga; and Renosterberg Local Municipality in Northern Cape.

The report said incomplete drinking water quality records, poor management and recurring microbiological failures, left the department with no other choice but to warn residents and visitors of unsafe tap water in those municipalities.

The alert will not be lifted until the six municipalities can prove that its drinking water is safe and that its management has compiled with the Blue Drop requirements.

The country’s top performing drinking water quality management is the City of Joburg, which scored 98,4 percent closely following by the City of Cape Town with a 98.2 percent.

Smaller municipalities such as Bitou, Kgatelopele, George and Dr J S Moroka Local Municipality also made the top ten, all scoring over 95 percent.

Ekurhuleni Metro, City of Tshwane and eThekwini Municipality also rated in the top ten.

Municipalities are evaluated on their management plans, regular data collection and submissions and drinking water compliance with the South African National Standard (SANS).

The report found that 13 percent of 787 water systems that were assessed rated excellent while 24 percent needed urgent attention.

"Through the Blue Drop Certification process, progressive transformation from good to excellent has been stimulated while not neglecting the areas where unacceptable practices have been identified," Department of Water Affairs deputy minister Rejoice Mabudafhasi said ahead of the Blue Drop Awards ceremony last night.

Only the top ten municipalities will receive the prestigious Blue Drop status.

 

[spiderz]

Is there a way to purify your own water?

 

[spiff]

Is there a way to purify your own water?

u can buy under counter / sink purifiers. just google or check yr yellow pages.

 

[Geriatrix]

Is there a way to purify your own water?

or just boil your tap water for a few minutes.

 

[Praeses]

Is there a way to purify your own water?

Just don't buy any water purification kits which have water in a reservoir, just stagnating. They are teeming with bacteria (even refrigerated ones).

 

[Palimino]

or just boil your tap water for a few minutes.

This is a good plan but it only gets rid of organic nasties. Heavy metal contamination is impervious to boiling – I understand this is the major contaminant from mining.

 

[Gawain]

Well atleast some people have taps as seen in another thread here somewhere ... Joke you can get portable purifiers and things like steripen

 

[Ady]

Is there a way to purify your own water?

Try this www.h2o.co.za i have the table top version with the ceramic filter and the canister under neath, it is amazing how dirty the ceramic filter gets.

 

[Geriatrix]

This is a good plan but it only gets rid of organic nasties. Heavy metal contamination is impervious to boiling – I understand this is the major contaminant from mining.

Yes for heavy metals and toxins it's be better to use condensation purification. Might have to get out granpas mampoer kits.

 

[Ady]

Is there a way to purify your own water?

Try this www.h2o.co.za i have the table top version with the ceramic filter and the canister under neath, it is amazing how dirty the ceramic filter gets.

 

[HavocXphere]

Yes for heavy metals and toxins it's be better to use condensation purification. Might have to get out granpas mampoer kits.

No its not. Condensed water should not be drunk in large quantities. Same with reverse osmosis. You'd need to adjust ph levels afterwards.

or just boil your tap water for a few minutes.

Best option.

This is a good plan but it only gets rid of organic nasties. Heavy metal contamination is impervious to boiling – I understand this is the major contaminant from mining.

True. But then again I'm much more concerned about bacteria than heavy metal contamination. The heavy metal contamination is likely to be fairly consistence & low level while w/ bacteria it just takes 1 days screwup at the water plant to ruin everyones week/month.

 

[Morgoth]

wouldn't our immune system be much better though?

 

[Albereth]

wouldn't our immune system be much better though?

Sure. That which does not kill us, makes us stronger.

It's the avoiding being killed to death that is the tricky part.

 

[DeadCore]

You can boil the water to get rid of bacteria and then run it thru activated carbon (must be cleaned first) to bind the heavy metals.

 

[grok]

Funny how every ANC failure lately starts with 'poor management' as an excuse.

 

[Nod]

Funny how every ANC failure lately starts with 'poor management' as an excuse.

It's all that woman's fault, you know the one, Ms. Management

 

[JungleBoy]

Funny how every ANC failure lately starts with 'poor management' as an excuse.

Oudtshoorn Local Municipality sounds like a DA strong hold. But maybe we can also blame the ANC for the crappy weather in CT during winter...

 

[JHatman]

Oudtshoorn Local Municipality sounds like a DA strong hold. But maybe we can also blame the ANC for the crappy weather in CT during winter...

lol qft. Well our water quality is still leaps and bounds ahead of Europe's. Even in UK there are large swathes of the country where there are warning signs above taps in public toilets and restaurants saying the water is not safe for drinking. We haven't gotten that far yet but maybe its headed that way?

 

[Kloofvreter]

I'll just drink the water from my tap, like I've always done.