Johannesburg - Despite having water cuts in some parts of the city, Johannesburg Water has confirmed that its drinking water is safe for consumption.
This follows a deadly cholera outbreak in Hammanskraal, Pretoria, that has so far claimed 17 lives. Six cases have also been confirmed in the Free State.
The city said it was taking precautionary measures amid cholera cases.
“One of the key mandates of Johannesburg Water is the provision of clean and safe drinking water, and the entity can confirm that the water in the city meets the high-quality requirements of the drinking water quality standard (SANS 241-2015 Drinking Water Quality),” it said.
To maintain high-quality water for human consumption, Johannesburg Water said it would continue to monitor and test for microbiological, physical, aesthetic, and chemical determinants in the water.
It maintained that tests on cholera and E coli were conducted in March and the results were negative.
“Against the backdrop of the current cholera outbreak, the water utility has continued to conduct tests on the water in stationary and mobile tankers at some informal settlements and reservoirs within the City of Johannesburg,” it said.
To bridge the water gap, the utility said it was providing water and sanitation services to areas that were affected by the outages.
“Johannesburg Water provides water and sanitation services to areas stretching from as far as Orange Farm in the south to Midrand in the north, Roodepoort in the west, and Alexandra in the east.
“The 1.6 billion litres of potable water we supply daily, which is procured from our bulk supplier Rand Water, is distributed through a network of water infrastructure consisting of 129 reservoirs and water towers,” it said.
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