Residents in Pretoria’s central business district (CBD) have been urged to boil tap water before drinking it following the decommissioning of another reservoir found to be defective.
The City of Tshwane’s Mayoral Committee Member for Health, Tshegofatso Mashabela, said the warning follows the detection of microbiological failures at the Findlay Reservoir.
This comes just days after tap water in Bronkhorstspruit and surrounding areas was declared unsafe for human consumption because of severe bacterial contamination and inadequate chlorination at the local water treatment plant. At least 400 people, mostly children, were reportedly treated for gastrointestinal illnesses.
“The City of Tshwane Department of Health hereby informs residents of microbiological failures detected during water quality monitoring in the Findlay Reservoir water supply, which supplies the Pretoria CBD and other affected areas,” Mashabela said.
She said the warning was a precautionary measure while investigations continued.
“As a precautionary measure, residents in the affected areas are advised to boil all water intended for drinking, cooking, food preparation, brushing teeth and other household uses until further notice,” Mashabela said.
Residents, businesses and visitors in Region 3, which includes Pretoria’s CBD and surrounding areas, have been advised to boil all tap water before drinking or cooking until further notice.
The following areas are affected:
- Arcadia
- Asiatic Bazaar
- Asiatic Bazaar Extension 1
- Belle Ombre 636-JR
- Cape Boys’ Location
- Daspoort 319-JR
- Elandspoort 357-JR
- Marabastad
- Phillip Nel Park
- Pretoria
- Pretoria Central
- Pretoria Extension 1
- Pretoria Extension 9
- Pretoria Extension 11
- Pretoria Extension 14
- Pretoria Town and Townlands 346-JR
- Pretoria and Townlands 351-JR
- Pretoria and Tshwane
- Prinshof 349-JR
- Skougronde 648-JR
- Sunnyside
- Trevenna
Meanwhile, the Democratic Alliance (DA) has called for urgent confirmation that similar failures have not occurred at other water treatment plants across the city.
The party claims to have received information alleging that chlorine is absent at several water treatment plants, not just in Bronkhorstspruit.
“The public deserves to know whether this crisis is confined to Bronkhorstspruit or whether it points to a wider breakdown in the management of Tshwane’s water infrastructure under Moya.
“I call on Mayor Nasiphi Moya to issue an immediate public statement addressing these questions, supported by verifiable records of chlorine supplies and water quality tests at every treatment plant. After what happened in Bronkhorstspruit, residents cannot simply be expected to take the City’s word that their drinking water is safe,” said DA Tshwane Caucus Leader Cilliers Brink.
Residents in the affected areas should continue boiling tap water for the specified household uses until the City issues further notice.