Cape Town - A 43-year-old woman who suffers from asthma says she was horrified after a worm washed out of the tap while she was getting a glass of water.
Mom-of-two, Chrystolene Johannes from Parkwood Estate, says she got a huge fright as she watched the 5cm long creepy crawly land in her water.
The worm is light brown in colour, has feet and two large antennae, and appears to look like a centipede.
“I immediately put the thing in a container and headed to the City’s rent office in the area. There nobody could help me and nobody could tell me whether it is safe to continue drinking the tap water,” says an upset Chrystolene.
She says she is a day mother who takes care of a baby and a toddler, and is now worried about giving them tap water to drink, or even to wash in.
She says her twin boys, aged 16, and their friends are also in and out of the house and regularly drink tap water.
Picture: Jack Lestrade
“It might be dangerous and I would not know, that is my concern, man,” says the worried mom.
“All I ask is for someone to come and test the water."
“I don’t know what this thing is, but we will have to sacrifice and buy drinking water until someone can answer our questions."
“My children will not be drinking this water until we know what’s wrong with it.”
Chrystolene Johannes says a worm came out of her kitchen tap in Parkwood Estate. Picture: Jack Lestrade
Mayoral Committee Member for Informal Settlements, Water and Waste Services; Energy, Cllr Xanthea Limberg, says they are busy investigating the matter.
“The City’s Environmental Health Department has been informed, however the City’s reticulation system is closed and highly pressurised and as such no living organisms should be able to get into the water."
“Furthermore, every water meter acts as a physical barrier. Water passes through a sieve before it enters the property."
“It is therefore probable that the organism entered the tap from inside the resident’s home.”