City of Tshwane Executive Mayor Dr Nasiphi Moya has apologised to residents for the municipality’s failure to promptly warn them about contaminated drinking water, describing the delay as unacceptable.
The admission comes as the municipality confirmed on Saturday that tap water supplied to the Pretoria CBD and surrounding areas through the Findlay Reservoir is once again safe for consumption, following a contamination scare linked to a damaged sewer pipe in Groenkloof.
The City has officially lifted the precautionary boil-water advisory after laboratory tests confirmed that the water meets the required drinking water quality standards.
According to Moya, the latest microbiological tests conducted at Findlay Reservoir detected no E. coli or total coliform bacteria, clearing the way for residents to resume normal use of tap water without boiling it.
However, the mayor acknowledged serious shortcomings in how the municipality communicated the initial health risks to affected communities.
“However, we recognise the seriousness of this incident and the concern it has caused residents. In particular, the delay in communicating the initial boil-water advisory was unacceptable, and I sincerely apologise to affected residents,” Moya said.
The contamination was traced to groundwater supplied by the Fountains springs, which feed into Findlay Reservoir alongside water supplied by Rand Water.
Investigations established that a damaged sewer pipe in Groenkloof had contaminated the groundwater source, raising concerns about the safety of water distributed to households and businesses in the Pretoria CBD.
Following the discovery, municipal technical teams isolated the contaminated groundwater source and switched the affected areas to an alternative supply from Salvokop Reservoir.
The City also cleaned Findlay Reservoir, applied chlorine shock treatment to the affected distribution network and conducted further laboratory tests to establish whether the water was safe for consumption.
Despite the introduction of clean water from the alternative source, the municipality maintained the boil-water advisory as a precaution because contaminated water could still have remained in parts of the distribution system.
Moya commended municipal technical teams for their response but warned that the circumstances surrounding the contamination and the delayed public warning would be investigated.
The mayor confirmed that the incident would form part of a broader independent investigation initiated following the separate Bronkhorstspruit water contamination crisis.
“As part of the broader independent investigation initiated following the Bronkhorstspruit water crisis, we will also examine the circumstances surrounding this incident, including whether any negligence occurred and why residents were not warned timeously,” she said.
“Where failures are established, appropriate corrective action and consequence management will follow.”
The latest incident comes as the municipality faces scrutiny over water safety following the Bronkhorstspruit crisis, where contaminated municipal water was linked to hundreds of cases of gastrointestinal illness.
However, Moya stressed that the Pretoria CBD contamination was unrelated to the water quality problems experienced in Bronkhorstspruit.
While safe drinking water has been restored to the Pretoria CBD, repairs to the damaged sewer pipe in Groenkloof are still underway.
The municipality has committed to repairing the sewer infrastructure and rehabilitating the affected section of the river.
According to the City, groundwater from the Fountains springs will only be reintroduced into the distribution system once further tests confirm that the contamination has been eliminated.
The pipeline supplying Findlay Reservoir will also be flushed before the groundwater source is restored.
Moya said the municipality would continue conducting routine water quality monitoring to ensure that drinking water complies with the required standards.
She also appealed to residents to use water responsibly, warning that increased pressure on the City’s water supply requires communities to avoid unnecessary wastage and report leaks.
The lifting of the boil-water advisory brings relief to residents and businesses in the Pretoria CBD, although questions remain over the municipality’s delayed communication and the circumstances that allowed sewage contamination to affect a drinking water source.
ENDS