Results of water tests delayed, Vryheiders urged to continue to disinfect and boil tap water

Water samples taken in Vryheid only arrived at the laboratory on Thursday morning due to delays with the supply chain management process, according to water manager Nathi Mbongwa.

AbaQulusi Municipality and the KZN Department of Health issued a warning this week that there may be a contaminant in the Vryheid’s water supply that is making people sick.

The warning was released in a press statement after more than 60 people were treated at Vryheid Hospital for vomiting, diarrhea and severe abdominal cramps. Many more of Vryheid’s residents were treated at clinics, private medical facilities or were self-medicating after experiencing the same symptoms.

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Mr Mbongwa said the lab would take 18-hours to process the tests and promised the results would be made public by Friday afternoon.

On Sunday afternoon, however, AbaQulusi’s Water Department was still unable to access the results.

Municipal manager, Bonga Ntanzi, said preliminary tests of samples taken at both the extraction point at the plant as well as at the reservoir showed nothing out of the ordinary.

“Those points have been cleared in terms of any possible contamination,” said Mr Ntanzi. “The hospital has not confirmed that the bacteria they are finding among the people with diarrhea is associated with any water borne disease. I have spoken to the Head of Health and asked him to please conduct his own tests to determine what it is that is making people sick. Right now we do not have anything that tells us that the sickness people are experiencing has to do with the water or the quality of water, but we taking this matter very seriously and we are doing further tests because we can’t take chances with our people’s lives. We have taken samples in a number of houses, and even in the shacks, in Bhekuzulu and in the informal settlements, because we don’t want to leave anything to chance. We will issue a formal statement once we have facts.”

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“Warnings issued by the Department of Health are only a precaution and are not based on any scientific evidence or investigation. There is a lot of investigation we have to do. Right now everything is just speculation, speculation,” concluded Mr Ntanzi.

In the meantime, AfriForum chairperson and Vryheid’s champion for clean, drinkable water, André van der Walt, said he observed, “a huge stream of waste water bypassing the waste treatment plant and flowing directly into Vryheid’s raw water source.”

“There has always been waste flowing into Klipfontein Dam but now it is worse than ever,” said Mr Van der Walt.

Environmental Health Practitioners have begun taking samples of water in the affected areas and elsewhere, and the Department of Communicable Diseases Control has taken stool samples from patients in order to determine the exact cause of their illness.

The Department of Health urges the community of Vryheid and surrounding areas not to panic, but rather adhere to the following water and food safety protocols:

• Use only bottled water, or water that has been disinfected with 1 teaspoon or 5ml of bleach into 20 – 25 litres of water, mix well and wait for at least 30 minutes before consumption.
• Then boil the water at least for a minute (let it bubble) to make it clean and safe.
• Wash all raw food with clean, treated or boiled water
• Wash your hands before handling or eating food
• Wash food utensils in clean, treated or boiled water
• Protect food from fly contamination and prevent fly contamination at home
• Use proper toilet facilities only and wash hands after use.
• Do not allow children to play in dirty pools, rivulets or storm water outlets
• Do not contaminate rivers or leave sewage where it can be washed into a river by rain.

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