GAUTENG – The number of gastrointestinal illness cases linked to contaminated water in Bronkhorstspruit, Tshwane, has risen from 408 to 833, with no critical cases or deaths reported.
Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina confirmed the increase on Monday (26 October) during a visit to the area by the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Water and Sanitation, led by Deputy President Paul Mashatile.
The Bronkhorstspruit Water Treatment Plant has been shut down, but water treated and distributed before the closure may have contributed to the rise in cases, Majodina said.
Some residents also continued using stored water despite the closure and the deployment of water tankers.
Four pumps have been installed at the plant as work begins o restore its first phase. The facility has two phases, and Rand Water has been instructed to ensure that any water supplied when operations resume is safe.
Alternative water supplies are being provided to residents while repairs and cleaning continue. The City of Tshwane is supplying free drinking water through tankers.
Majodina said chlorine stocks at the plant were sufficient for the next six to seven weeks, with Rand Water and the municipality expected to secure additional supplies before stocks run low.
She said the government was also auditing water treatment works to assess the condition of the country’s ageing water infrastructure, particularly in Gauteng.
At least R400 billion was needed to repair the country’s water infrastructure, Majodina said, calling on the private sector to partner with municipalities.
She warned that water tankers were costly and inconvenient for residents and should primarily be used during emergencies.
No link had been established between the water supply challenges in Hammanskraal and those in Bronkhorstspruit, she added.
Mashatile said Rand Water was leading a multidisciplinary team working with the municipality and the national department to address the problems at the plant.
The work would take several weeks, although no specific timeframe had been confirmed.
Mashatile said efforts must be intensified to prevent further cases of diarrhoea and gastrointestinal illness.
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