Unisa closes Sunnyside campus throughout June due to unhygienic water
The university says the campus was closed as a health and safety measure after the water turned dark brown.
Unisa’s Sunnyside campus has been closed since June 7 due to dirty tap water.
The university said the campus was closed as a health and safety measure after the water turned dark brown.
In a statement to GroundUp, Unisa senior media officer Tommy Huma said water quality at the Pretoria campuses is of great concern.
“In many cases, it is dark brown water. As a precaution, management resolved that all members of staff not drink water from our taps until further notice,” Huma says.
“An external service provider has been appointed to test water for various bacteria, including cholera at the municipal inlet point, our reservoir and the water line supply to the buildings and taps. The test results will be available in 10 days.”
UNISA APOLOGIZES TO STUDENTS
The university has since apologised to students for the inconvenience caused.
Tshwane metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo told GroundUp that the discolouration of water in parts of central Pretoria was the result of sediment.
“The incident was caused by sediments at the bottom of the reservoir servicing these areas, which had run critically low after the loss of pressure from the Rand Water supply,” Mashigo told GroundUp.
The news comes in the wake of the recent cholera outbreak in Hammanskraal, which has claimed 29 lives to date.
In last month’s state of the capital address, Tshwane mayor Cilliers Brink announced that R450-million or R150-million each for the next three years would be allocated to addressing the ongoing water issues.
The metro also issued a warning to Hammanskraal and surrounding areas to avoid drinking tap water or boil or filter the water used.
Rekord has sent an inquiry to Unisa and is currently awaiting a response.
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