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Tshwane’s drinking water crisis a wake-up call for SA

Failing municipal sewage systems pollute drinking water for people beyond their jurisdictions

The foaming Hennops River in Gauteng polluted with sewage from the Sunderland Ridge treatment works. Archive photo: Seth Thorne

Failing treatment works, widespread blockages and pump station outages in numerous municipalities are causing sewage contamination of fresh water systems across South Africa.
Just 14 of the country’s 848 municipal sewage treatment plants (less than 2%), which discharge into our waterways, are up to scratch.
There have been hundreds of cases of gastrointestinal illness reported in Tshwane after residents drank unchlorinated water from the Bronkhorstspruit Water Treatment Works. Its raw water source, polluted by sewage, goes well beyond Tshwane.

On Monday, local, provincial and national authorities reported that at least 408 people, predominantly children under the age of four, had contracted…

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  1. Fun South African Fact: South Africa has hosted the football (2010), cricket (2003) and rugby (1995) world cups