Obstacles to the provision of clean safe drinking water in the Western Cape.
Anél Powell reports on the Department of Water Affairs decision to adopt a zero-tolerance approach to councils that don’t comply with quality standards inShock finding on Cape water. A departmental study of the quality of drinking water in the Western Cape between January 2007 and 2008 revealed that 13 out of 28 municipalities had high levels of E. coli in their drinking water and were therefore rated as having poor water quality. Water with anything lower than a 97% compliance with E. coli or faecal standards is rated as “poor”. According to the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry website the effects of polluted water on human health, on the aquatic ecosystem and on various sectors of the economy, including agriculture, industry and recreation, can be disastrous.
Local municipalities have identified two key obstacles which hinder the availability of suitable drinking water. The first is that they are unable to cope with the growing demand for drinking water while trying to improve infrastructure at waste water treatment plants and water systems simultaneously. The second problem is several municipalities lack the necessary staff and skills. These issues will need to be addressed before the “zero tolerance approach” can take effect.
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