By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The eThekwini Municipality says that the city’s water is safe for consumption after messages that were circulated on social media alleging that the city’s water was contaminated.
In a statement, the municipality said it was aware of false reports about the city’s water quality.
The municipality’s spokesperson, Msawakhe Mayisela, said the water was clean, safe to drink, and met the South African National Standards.
Mayisela cautioned against the spread of false information on social media and other platforms.
He urged residents to rely on the City for accurate information about the state of the water
He said potable water was sampled every week and there were no reports of mass hospitalisations and gastroenteritis infections.
Umngeni Water, which supplies water to the eThekwini Municipality, among several others, said the water was safe to drink.
This was in response to a WhatsApp message concerning cases of gastroenteritis being treated at some hospitals.
“Umgeni Water, as the bulk potable (drinking) water service provider to seven municipalities, including the eThekwini Metro, provides an assurance that the water it supplies complies fully with mandatory standards for drinking water quality stipulated in the South African National Standards 241 (SANS 241) for drinking water quality. The water supplied in bulk from all of Umgeni Water’s water treatment plants is, therefore, safe for human consumption,” Umgeni Water said.
The utility said: “There were no microbiological failures; chlorine residuals were adequate and within acceptable ranges; there was low turbidity in the final water; and water supplied from these plants complied with the requirements of SANS 241 for drinking water quality.”
The municipality gradually reopened some of its beaches, including Umhlanga Main Beach and Umdloti.
It had closed 13 beaches due to high E.coli levels caused by raw, untreated sewage flowing into the ocean following infrastructure damage during the April floods.