Go 19 November 2020

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Mdantsane residents concerned
about the quality of tap water
BCM says measures are being taken to sanitise the water and remove possible contaminants
MATTHEW FIELD
Residents in Mdantsane
are raising concerns
about the quality of the
water coming out of their taps,
despite reassurances from BCM
that the matter is being
addressed.
One resident, Solly Mdingi,
sent an open letter to BCM
mayor Xola Pakati outlining the
problems.
“For about a month, if not
beyond, we have been having a
problem with water in many
areas of Mdantsane.
“The problem with the water
is that as soon as I open my tap,
the water that comes out is very
white in colour as if a white
substance has been added to it,”
Mdingi wrote.
He said the colour takes
about five minutes to clear up
and seems to emit a fizzing
noise as it does so.
In a reply to Mdingi’s letter,
city manager Andile Sihlahla
said the water was not
necessarily harmful.
“It is possible to get a whitish
DIRTY WATER: Residents in Mdantsane have raised concerns about the quality of the tap water
in their area Picture: PIXABAY
❝ Bubbles occur if there
was a section of pipe
in the distribution
system that was
emptied due to a
burst pipe or
emergency work in
the reservoir; or
there is air in your
geyser or internal
re t i c u l a t i o n
colour in your tap water due to
air bubbles in the water supply
system and these air bubbles
disappear within a few minutes.
“These bubbles occur if
there was a section of pipe in
the distribution system that was
emptied due to a burst pipe or
emergency work in the
reservoir; or there is air in your
geyser or internal reticulation.
“This colour is not due to the
added chemicals,” Sihlahla said.
However, Mdingi said the
problems go beyond just a
strange colour.
According to Mdingi, a
number of other residents came
to him with complaints that they
have been getting sick after
drinking the tap water.
One resident, who wished to
remain anonymous, mentioned
experiencing headaches and
s t o m a ch a ch e s .
This comes soon after similar
concerns had been raised by
residents across BCM, where
tap water was reported to have a
foul taste and odour.
When contacted by GO! &
Expr ess, BCM spokesperson
Samkelo Ngwenya sent the
statement that had been
published on the municipality’s
Facebook page last week.
The statement said that BCM
acknowledged the complaints
about water quailty and blamed
it on algal bloom in the Bridle
Drift Dam.
The municipality said the
problem was being addressed
and measures were being taken
to sanitise the water and remove
possible contaminants.