Do not to drink tap water without sterilising it
According to the Blue Drop Mpumalanga is the worst performing province in the country.
HIGHVELD – In reply to a DA parliamentary question, it was revealed that only 38 of the 167 Waste Water Treatment Works (WWTWs) had valid licenses and of these, 42 were no longer operational since 2012.
Mpumalanga’s water quality has been ranked the worst in South Africa.
According to the 2012-13 Blue Drop report released by the Department of Water and Sanitation, Mpumalanga is the worst performing province in the country.
In terms of the water management criteria which include: Asset Management, Management Commitment, DWQ Compliance, Process Control Management and Water Safety Planning, Mpumalanga scored a disappointing 60.9 per cent.
This is 7.3 per cent lower than the next worst performing province, the Northern Cape.
Given that diarrhea is the second highest cause of death among children below the age of 5, Mpumalanga’s water quality is a major contributor and cause for concern.
According to the Blue Drop Report 50 per cent of Mpumalanga’s population have been warned not to drink their tap water without sterilising it first.
The DA submitted questions to the Minister of Water and Sanitation, Nomvula Mokonyane, who also indicated that budgetary constraints meant that 42 of the non-operational plants would not be refurbished until the National Treasury provided funding.
“The DA is appalled by the lack of corrective measures to curb this volatile situation.
“Where the DA governs, we deliver: The same Blue Drop report ranked the Western Cape as the highest performing province with four of DA-run municipalities in the top 10: City of Cape Town, Bitou, Witzenberg and George.
“The DA believes that we need to invest in maintaining and expanding our water plants in the province to ensure that more plants are operational and licensed.
“Accessibility to water is and always will be one of the most important commodities in our daily lives.
“We can no longer allow the ANC to put a plaster on a gunshot wound and we need action now.
“We call on the Minister to implement the recommendations made in the Blue Drop 2012-13 report to ensure that the people of Mpumalanga have an optimal water system.”
