Cape Town – Plumbers have taken to social media to warn people not to drink tap water as it will give them gastro.
The message has been circulating on Facebook this week, causing panic among people, with many fearing that the current water crisis is to blame for it.
But the City of Cape Town has confirmed the message is just a hoax and that residents should not take any notice of it.
The message reads: “Urgent Warning from plumbers for Cape Town residents, tap water must be boiled before drinking!!! Tap water is causing gastro!!”
A senior plumber told Daily Voice that they are aware of a spate of diarrhoea cases and cautioned it may be due to extremely low dam levels.
Plumbers’ warning was circulated on Facebook. Picture: Facebook
The plumber, who works for a large city-based firm and asked not to be named, says: “We’ve seen an increase in diarrhoea, even in our office people got sick. It could be from tap water and it could be due to dams running low on water."
“It could be that particles at the bottom of the dams could be getting into the filtration system," the plumber claims.
“It’s like a car, when the petrol runs low, dirt from the bottom of the tank goes into the petrol filter, and it affects the car.”
Mayor Patricia de Lille has said the final 10 percent of water in dams are unusable.
Currently, the province’s dam levels are standing at about 23 percent.
Xanthea Limberg, Mayoral Committee Member for Informal Settlements, Water and Waste Services and Energy, says the City’s water sources are tested almost every week and the latest tests shows no contamination.
City Mayor Patricia de Lille denied claims that drinking tap water will cause gastro. Picture: Bertram Malgas
She says people are getting sick because it is diarrhoea season.
“These allegations are not true. It is still diarrhoea season. During the warmer months between November and May, Cape Town experiences a surge in diarrhoea cases, particularly in young children,” Limberg said.
“Cape Town’s water quality is closely monitored via a large number of water samples analysed according to the stringent South African National Standards [SANS 241:2015] requirements."
“We draw water from sampling points throughout the water system, and we test these samples on a weekly or bi-weekly basis."
“Our water samples are taken from raw water [from dams and boreholes]; water after it has been treated at the treatment plants; water from reservoirs and water from pipework [taken from designated sampling points around Cape Town]."
“Recent tests have shown compliance with SANS 241:2015.”