‘SA needs answers on water quality’

File Photo: Motlabana Monnakgotla

File Photo: Motlabana Monnakgotla

Published Nov 10, 2015

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Cape Town – South Africans seemed to be in the dark about the quality of the country’s water supply, this as the water crisis in South Africa intensified, Afriforum said on Tuesday.

South Africa is experiencing its worst water crisis and drought in years, but Afriforum warned that insufficient rainfall could also lead to greater pollution and poorer water quality.

AfriForum said the country’s quality of water was “deteriorating, putting more stress on municipal systems” and putting citizens’ health at risk.

It called on Margaret-Anne Diedricks, Director-General of the Department of Water and Sanitation to “publish overdue water quality reports”.

“With a water crisis in South Africa, it is extremely important for the citizens to know what the quality of their water is so that they can be vigilant to health risks,” said Julius Kleynhans AfriForum’s head of environmental affairs.

As a result of a failure of water regulation, “only 25% of drinking water systems complied with water quality standards in 2013,” Afriforum charged.

“Approximately four billion litres of partially and untreated sewage is being discharged into our rivers and dams every day,” Kleynhans said.

African News Agency

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