JOHANNESBURG – Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Water and Sanitation says more people must be held accountable for the Bronkhorstspruit water crisis, after more than 800 people were treated for gastrointestinal illnesses after drinking contaminated water.
The crisis came to light after it emerged that water from the Bronkhorstspruit Wastewater Treatment Works had not been chlorinated and was therefore unsafe for consumption.
The Department of Water and Sanitation said the City of Tshwane had failed to notify residents in time not to drink or use the water.
Most affected are children, many under the age of four.
Committee chairperson Leon Basson said the incident appeared to point to wider problems with Tshwane's water treatment facilities.
“It seems that this problem in Bronkhorstspruit is not isolated. There are other problems with other purification plants in Tshwane,” he said.
Basson said the situation raised serious concerns about the municipality’s handling of drinking water and its response to the contamination.
Tshwane receives some of its water from Rand Water and Magalies Water.
Rand Water is currently helping the City with chlorination and managing the Bronkhorstspruit treatment plant.
The metro operates five other treatment plants, Rietvlei, Temba, Roodeplaat, Bronkhorstbaai and Wallmannsthal, which supply various parts of Tshwane and neighbouring areas.
Mayor Nasiphi Moya said the municipality had deployed 36 water tankers to affected areas as an interim measure.
Coca-Cola has donated three additional tankers, bringing the fleet to 39.
Moya said the tankers collect clean water from various municipal depots.
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She also warned private tanker operators against exploiting the crisis, saying the Tshwane Metro Police Department would profile them, record their vehicle registration numbers and monitor where they sourced their water.
Rand Water took over the Bronkhorstspruit plant on 14 October, flushing it out and cleaning its reservoirs and pipes to ensure clean water could be supplied to the community once operations resumed.
Basson said the municipality could not simply blame the plant manager for the crisis, but also had to accept responsibility.
He welcomed the national government’s visit to Bronkhorstspruit to assess the crisis's impact on the community.