Doctors question Ilembe’s water quality

Doctors in the Dolphin Coast and Ilembe district are concerned about the increased number of people with gastroenteritis (stomach flu), and are blaming it on the quality of the tap water.

Ballito’s Dr Dinesh Patel and his colleagues from local clinics and hospitals have noted that since the floods in 2007 and the recent water restrictions, the water does not look or taste the same.

“I deal with patients mostly from the Ballito area but my colleagues who treat patients from the areas like Shakaskraal, Groutville and Etete have also been surprised by the increase number of reported Gastroenteritis. This is not only affecting rural people but also those in residential areas. What is scarier is that blood tests have proved that there is an increased level of bacteria such as E-Coli present in patients blood stream,” said Dr Patal.

Gastroenteritis is the inflammation of the stomach and intestines, typically resulting from bacterial toxins or viral infection that causes vomiting and diarrhea.

“Since the bacteria can enter the body in many ways, it is difficult to point to water as the source of the problem but it seems to be the common denominator.”

To gain better insight Dr Patal conducted a survey a year ago with patients who showed symptoms of GE.

“From the survey, I found that most people who suffer with the condition consume tap water and not filtered water. The study could not go further due to financial constraints.”

Semcorp Siza Water supplies the Ballito, Zimbali, Salt Rock and Sheffield areas with water while the Ilembe district municipality is responsible for the Tongaat, Ballito, Ndedwe and Groutville supply.

Despite the ongoing concerns, water suppliers remain adamant that there has not been any deterioration in the water quality.

Semcorp Siza Water‘s PRO Khosi Mathenjwa said, “Sembcorp Siza Water’s water quality is in compliance with SANS (South African National Standards) 241:2011 and is good to drink. We also take daily samples of Avondale Reservoir as well as weekly samples of the reservoirs and point of use.”

According to the Department of Water and Sanitation‘s 2014 Audit Report, released in February, Sembcorp Siza Water achieved the highest Blue Drop Score – 99,19%. Six criteria were used for the blue water assessments: water safety planning; process management and control; drinking water quality compliance; management, accountability and local regulation; asset management and water use efficiency and water loss management.

Likewise Ilembe district municipality’s media liaison officer, Khululiwe Makhaye said there had been no water failures both from the treatment works as well as from the reticulation that would pose a risk to consumers.

“The trucks that supply water during the day are getting water from the Hazelmere supply as well as the Sundumbili supply. Both these sources are subjected to similar water quality monitoring.”

Makhaye added that quality testing of the water is conducted on a daily basis and the results are posted to DSW monthly.

Scientist, environmental advisor and former employee of the Council of scientific and industrial research, Dr Anthony Turtin said the water treatment plant that feeds Ilembe is an unimproved plant, meaning the water is abstracted directly from the river.

“In other words there is no storage so if the river stops flowing then a crisis ensues. This plant had a series of problems and was the subject of various hasty interventions, each of which created a new set of engineering and management challenges.The overall outcome is that water supply was restored to Ilembe but the treatment plant now consists of bits and pieces of different plant that do not necessarily work well together.”

Turton said it was highly likely that water of various quality would be delivered for various reasons.

“The water resource used as feed stock is of a poor quality and the operators are limited by this factor. They typically dose high levels of chlorine as a result and this changes the taste. It is highly likely that different quality water will be experienced by different users over time within the system. In effect the system has failed so it cannot be expected to supply constant flow or quality.”

He said the quality of water was poor because of the stressed system with no dilution.

“This also concentrates the pathogenic loads coming from untreated sewage, or inadequate infrastructure to divert sewage flows into a suitable waste water treatment plant. In my view the latter is major risk.”

Turton concluded that engineers and operators could not be held liable for the water cleaning process as they do the best that they can with the limited resources that are provided to them, the responsibility then lies with the politicians.

“If anything, this sad story speaks volumes about the unintended consequences of in effect ethnically cleansing the cohort of water sector professionals. The few remaining professionals have known about the evolution of this crisis, but have been silenced, emasculated and neutered on ideological grounds. This drama is therefore a story about ideology versus engineering. If ideology is allowed to trump engineering, then the politicians have to accept responsibility for systemic failure when it occurs. If engineering is allowed to do the work it is tasked for, without fear or favor, then systemic resilience will result and we will not see failures like this.”

Although it has not been proven that the quality of water is to blame for illnesses such as GE, the doctors advice people boil their water before drinking and do not leave water exposed in containers outside as this may also result in bacteria entering.

“Many people have taken to purchasing bottled water, which in my opinion, is a great idea. However, there are people who simply cannot afford this luxury. It is advised to boil water, although this may not remove all the bacteria, it is safer,” said Dr Patal.

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