A RESIDENT on Vause Road, Musgrave, fears for his and his family’s health after water suspected to be contaminated with sewage began flowing through their taps.

Shaheen Baba and his family of five, who have been living in the area for 13 years, have been plagued by what looks and smells like sewage in the water they consume. For the past week, his family and others on Vause Road have resorted to buying drinking water, which has hit hard on the pocket.

“We started noticing the discoloured water on April 27. The water even smelled like sewage. Noticeably, this was after water had been shut off for a day due to repairs on Peter Mokaba Road. When it returned, it was a muddy, brownish sight. This continued for days.

“Our plea went unnoticed, and no help was on hand. Although we bought drinking water, when we attempted to use the tap water, family members started suffering from stomach pains and loose stools. It was a clear threat to our health. A water tanker came by for a day (Wednesday), an inspector from the City also came in to investigate, and later a hydrant was flushed. This did not improve the circumstances.

Also read: Calls for municipalities to uphold the quality of drinking water

“At one point, we received notice from the municipality, advising that we boil water before use. This was only said to be valid for a day or two. But even after that, we are not certain if the water is safe because no follow-up assurance was made,” said Baba.

Baba adds that the water from the tap is not fully clear nor free of odour, hence they are still wary of using it, and there has been no notice that it is safe to consume it.

The Musgrave Ratepayers Association (MRPA) shared a statement, “We received numerous complaints of a water burst and a very long water outage. Communication was not forthcoming from the authorities, and the residents relied on us to provide first-hand, accurate information. We have stood by assisting our residents through this crisis. It’s sad because this particular disaster is an unspeakable service delivery in all aspects of Musgrave and has reached appalling heights. The once sought-after Musgrave suburb is now crumbling before our own eyes. It’s heartbreaking to see our suburb deteriorating at such a rapid pace.
“We, as MRPA, have taken it upon ourselves to assist with service delivery issues. MRPA have proven to be a community that cares.”

Also read: eThekwini tap water safe to drink

eThekwini Municipality spokesperson Gugu Sisilana responded, “The City is aware of the concerns raised regarding water quality along Vause Road. A water quality intervention was carried out on May 6, during which a hydrant flush was conducted to address the issue of discoloured water. This is part of the City’s standard water quality management process.
“Residents are assured that the city continues to monitor the situation closely and further testing will be carried out where necessary.”

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