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The civil rights organisation AfriForum is concerned about the poor management of water in South Africa, after collecting results from its national water monitoring campaign in 2014 known as the Blue and Green Drop Branch Project. More than a 100 AfriForum branches across the country participated.
 
According to Julius Kleynhans, AfriForum Head of Environmental Affairs, AfriForum is dealing with drinking water quality quickly, but sewage water poses significant health risks to communities across South Africa. “Negligence in planning, management and infrastructure maintenance are causing massive pollution of our water resources. This may pose significant risks to human and environmental health,” said Kleynhans.
 
Blue Drop
 
The Blue Drop results indicated 11 municipalities which did not comply with water quality standards which included the following:
 
1.    Hertzogville – Tokologo Local Municipality - The samples indicated a quantity of 14 mg nitrates per 100 ml of water which may result in methaemoglobinaemia occurring in infants, according to the South African Water Quality Guidelines Volume 1: Domestic Water Use Second Edition, 1996;

2.    Kareedouw – Kou-Kamma Local Municipality - 10 counts of E. coli/100 ml of water;

3.    Stormsriver – Kou-Kamma Local Municipality – 23 counts of E. coli/100 ml of water;

4.    Polokwane – Polokwane Local Municipality – 4 counts of E. coli/100 ml of water;

5.    Stella – Naledi Local Municipality – 140 counts of E. coli/100 ml of water;

6.    Standerton – Lekwa Local Municipality - Colour exceeds limits but water healthy to drink;

7.    Swartruggens – Kgetlengriver Local Municipality - 36 counts of E. coli/100 ml of water;

8.    Vryburg – Naledi Local Municipality - 4 counts of E. coli/100 ml of water;

9.    Witbank – eMalahleni Local Municipality - 11 mg total organic carbon;

10.  Coligny – Ditsobotla Local Municipality - 4 counts of E. coli/100 ml of water;

11.  Mafikeng – Mafikeng Local Municipality - 2 counts of E. coli/100 ml of water; and

12.  Delareyville – Tswaing Local Municipality - 12 mg of nitrates.

 

* There may be no E. coli in drinking water according to SANS:241 national standards.

 

Green Drop
 
The results caused concern about responsible water management and the maintenance of services by Government. “To date, 43 waste water treatment works in our project have complied with the minimum standards for waste water quality. 33 do not comply, which poses a threat to human health, food security and the environment,” Kleynhans added.
 
South Africa’s national water quality standards allow for 1000 counts of E. coli per 100 ml of water in treated sewage. Municipalities who did not comply include the following: