AfriForum announces Gauteng South’s blue and green drop results
AfriForum recently tested the water of various towns in southern Gauteng to determine the quality of the region’s drinking (blue drop status) and sewage water (green drop status).
AfriForum’s national blue and green drop project focuses on the quality of drinking water and sewage plants in towns. This project doesn’t necessarily focus on the condition of the plant itself, but rather on the quality of the water produced after the process as an end product in the form of drinking water and treated sewage water.
“We could determine that the drinking water of the following areas complies with the minimum standards and doesn’t contain any harmful bacteria. AfriForum will however continuously test the water quality. Residents have a constitutional right to clean drinking water,” says Marié Naudé, AfriForum’s District Coordinator for the East Rand.
Blue drop results
These results indicate that the drinking water that was tested in all the towns of Gauteng South is up to standard and fit for human consumption.
| Southern Gauteng | ||||||||
| Branch | Municipality | Province | Blue drop AfriForum 2014 | Blue drop AfriForum 2015 | Blue drop AfriForum 2016 | Blue drop AfriForum 2017 | Blue drop AfriForum 2018 | Blue drop AfriForum 2019 |
| Alberton | Ekurhuleni Metro | Gauteng | – | – | Clean | Clean | Clean | Clean |
| Bedfordview | Ekurhuleni Metro | Gauteng | – | – | – | Clean | Clean | Clean |
| Benoni | Ekurhuleni Metro | Gauteng | – | – | Clean | Clean | Clean | Clean |
| Boksburg | Ekurhuleni Metro | Gauteng | – | – | – | Clean | Clean | Clean |
| Brakpan | Ekurhuleni Metro | Gauteng | – | – | – | – | Clean | Clean |
| Edenvale | Ekurhuleni Metro | Gauteng | – | – | – | Clean | Phosphate > 25 | Clean |
| Elsburg | Ekurhuleni Metro | Gauteng | – | – | – | Clean | Clean | Clean |
| Florida | Johannesburg Metro | Gauteng | – | – | – | – | – | Clean |
| Fochville | Merafong City LM | Gauteng | – | – | – | – | – | Clean |
| Germiston | Ekurhuleni Metro | Gauteng | – | – | – | – | Clean | Clean |
| Heidelberg | Lesedi LM | Gauteng | Clean | Clean | Clean | Clean | Clean | Clean |
| Kempton Park | Ekurhuleni Metro | Gauteng | Clean | Clean | Clean | Clean | Clean | Clean |
| Krugersdorp | Mogale City LM | Gauteng | – | – | – | – | Clean | Clean |
| Lochvaal | Emfuleni LM | Gauteng | Clean | Clean | Clean | – | – | Clean |
| Magaliesburg | Mogale City LM | Gauteng | Clean | Clean | – | – | Clean | Clean |
| Midvaal | Midvaal LM | Gauteng | – | – | – | Clean | Clean | Clean |
| Nigel | Ekurhuleni Metro | Gauteng | Clean | Clean | Clean | Clean | Clean | Clean |
| Primrose | Ekurhuleni Metro | Gauteng | – | – | – | – | Clean | Clean |
| Randburg | Johannesburg Metro | Gauteng | Clean | Clean | Clean | Clean | – | Clean |
| Randfontein | Randfontein LM | Gauteng | – | – | – | Clean | Clean | Clean |
| Roodepoort | Johannesburg Metro | Gauteng | – | – | – | – | Clean | Clean |
| Springs | Ekurhuleni Metro | Gauteng | Clean | Clean | Clean | Clean | Clean | Clean |
| Tedstoneville | Ekurhuleni Metro | Gauteng | – | – | – | – | Clean | Clean |
| Vanderbijlpark | Emfuleni LM | Gauteng | Clean | Clean | Clean | Clean | Clean | Clean |
| Vanderbijlpark South | Emfuleni LM | Gauteng | – | – | Clean | Clean | Clean | Clean |
| Vanderbijlpark West | Emfuleni LM | Gauteng | – | Clean | Clean | Clean | Clean | Clean |
| Vereeniging | Emfuleni LM | Gauteng | Clean | Clean | Clean | Clean | Clean | Clean |
| Westonaria | Mogale City LM | Gauteng | Clean | Clean | Clean | Clean | Clean | Clean |
Green drop results
According to AfriForum’s green drop results, the seven sewage treatment plants that were tested do not comply with the prescribed microbiological standards.
| Gauteng South | ||||||||
| Branch | Municipality | Province | Green drop AfriForum 2014 | Green drop AfriForum 2015 | Green drop AfriForum 2016 | Green drop AfriForum 2017 | Green drop AfriForum 2018 | Green drop AfriForum 2019 |
| Alberton | Ekurhuleni Metro | Gauteng | – | – | 3 900 | Clean | Clean | Clean |
| Benoni | Ekurhuleni Metro | Gauteng | – | – | – | – | Clean | Clean |
| Brakpan | Ekurhuleni Metro | Gauteng | – | – | – | – | Clean | Clean |
| Edenvale | Ekurhuleni Metro | Gauteng | – | – | – | – | >1 000
Phosphate count >50 |
>10 000 |
| Elsburg | Ekurhuleni Metro | Gauteng | – | – | – | – | Clean | Clean |
| Germiston | Ekurhuleni Metro | Gauteng | – | – | – | – | Clean | Clean |
| Heidelberg | Lesedi LM | Gauteng | Clean | Clean | n.v.t. | >3 000 | Clean | >1000 |
| Kempton Park | Ekurhuleni Metro | Gauteng | Clean | Clean | n.v.t. | n.v.t. | >1 000 | Clean |
| Midvaal | Midvaal LM | Gauteng | – | – | – | – | – | >15 000 |
| Nigel | Ekurhuleni Metro | Gauteng | Clean | Clean | High concentration of faecal coliforms | >3 000 |
>3 000 |
– |
| Primrose | Ekurhuleni Metro | Gauteng | – | – | – | – | Clean | Clean |
| Randfontein | Randfontein LM | Gauteng | – | – | – | >4 000 | >3 000 | – |
| Springs | Ekurhuleni Metro | Gauteng | Clean | Clean | 2 000 | >2 000 | >2 000 | >5 000 |
| Vanderbijlpark
(Leeukuil) |
Emfuleni LM | Gauteng | Clean | Clean | Clean | >1 000 | >100 000 | >10 000 |
| Vanderbijlpark
(Rietspruit) |
– | – | – | – | – | – | >100 000 | >50 000 |
| Vanderbijlpark
(Sebokeng) |
– | – | – | – | – | – | >100 000 | >50 000 |
| Vereeniging | Emfuleni LM | Gauteng | Clean | Clean | Clean | Clean | >1 000 | – |
| Westonaria | Mogale City LM | Gauteng | – | Clean | 2 500 | Clean | Clean | – |
The civil rights organisation expressed its concern about sewage in the towns that do not comply with the prescribed standards. These include Edenvale, Midvaal Springs and Vanderbijlpark.
“We will further investigate the noncompliance and act where necessary,” says Dewet Ungerer, AfriForum’s District Coordinator for the West Rand.
We request residents of southern Gauteng to give AfriForum a mandate to continuously monitor the water quality of Gauteng South: SMS “Skoonwater” to 45342 (R1) to support this action.
