AfriForum announces NC blue and green drop results
1 December 2020
AfriForum tested the water of various towns in the Northern Cape from August to October 2020 to determine the quality of the drinking water of these towns (blue drop status) and sewage water (green drop status).
This project was even more important this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic and research that shows that this virus could be traced in sewage systems, meaning that one can identify focus points.
“We could determine that the drinking water complies with the minimum standards and does not contain harmful bacteria. AfriForum will continuously test the water quality because residents have a constitutional right to clean drinking water,” says Lize-Mari Smit, AfriForum’s District Coordinator for the Karoo.
Blue drop results
These results indicated that the drinking water of all the towns of the Northern Cape that were tested, is clean. The three towns in our distribution area that appear on the blue drop results list are Kathu, Kuruman and Postmasburg.
According to AfriForum’s green drop results, 13 sewage treatment plants that were tested in the Northern Cape did not comply with the prescribed microbiological standards. The civil rights organisation voiced its concern over sewage treatment plants in the municipalities that do not comply with the prescribed standards. In the distribution area of the Kathu Gazette, these include Kimberley, Kathu and Kuruman. “We will further investigate the non-compliance and act where necessary,” said Ms Smit.
“AfriForum’s national blue and green drop project focuses on the state of drinking water and sewage treatment plants in towns. This project does not necessarily focus on the condition of the plant itself, but rather on the quality of the water that is supplied after this process as the end product in the form of drinking water and treated sewage water,” concluded Ms Smit.
As the custodian of water, the Department of Water and Sanitation does not fulfil its obligation to enforce legislation when municipal authorities are the guilty parties. AfriForum requests residents of the Northern Cape to give this organisation a mandate to continuously monitor the water quality.
