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AfriForum announces Northern Cape blue and green drop results

AfriForum tested the water of various towns in the Northern Cape from August to October 2020 to determine the quality of these towns’ drinking water (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 in the following areas: Douglas, Hartswater, Hopetown, Jan Kempdorp, Kakamas, Kathu, Kamieskroon, Keimoes, Kimberley, Kuruman, Orania, Postmasburg, Prieska, Springbok, Upington, Warrenton and Williston 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 indicate that the drinking water of all the towns of the Northern Cape that were tested, is clean.

Northern Cape
BuffelsrivierNama Khoi LMClean
          
DouglasSiyancuma LMCleanCleanClean
HartswaterPhokwane LMClean
HopetownThembelihle LMCleanCleanClean
Jan KempdorpPhokwane LMClean
KakamasKa !Garib LMCleanCleanClean
KathuGamagara LMCleanCleanCleanCleanCleanCleanClean
KamieskroonKamiesberg LMCleanCleanCleanCleanClean
KeimoesKa !Garib LMCleanCleanClean
KimberleySol Plaatje LMCleanCleanCleanCleanCleanCleanClean
KurumanGa-Segonyana LMCleanCleanCleanCleanCleanCleanCleanClean
NababeepNama Khoi LMClean
OraniaOrania Town CouncilCleanCleanClean
PostmasburgTsantsabane LMCleanCleanCleanCleanClean
PrieskaSiyathemba LMClean
SpringbokNama Khoi LMCleanCleanCleanCleanCleanCleanClean
Upington//Khara Hais LMCleanCleanCleanClean
VaalhartsPhokwane LMCleanCleanCleanCleanCleanClean
WarrentonMagareng LMCleanCleanClean
WillistonKaroo Hoogland LMCleanClean

Green drop results

According to AfriForum’s green drop results 13 sewage treatment plants that were tested do not comply with the prescribed microbiological standards.

Northern Cape
PlaceMunicipality20132014201520162017201820192020
DaniëlskuilKgatelopele LMCleanClean
DouglasSiyancuma LM>10 000
HartswaterPhokwane LM>10 000
Jan KempdorpPhokwane LM>10 000
KakamasKai !Garib LM >10 000
KathuGamagara LM17 000CleanCleanCleanClean>10 000
KeimoesKai !Garib LM>10 000
KimberleySol Plaatje LM1 600Rejected1 500Clean>1 000>10 000
KamieskroonKamiesberg LMClean>10 000
KurumanGa-Segonyana LMRejectedCleanClean>1 000Clean>10 000
NababeepNama Khoi LMClean
PostmasburgTsantsabane LM>10 000>1 000Clean
PrieskaSiyathemba LM>1 000
SpringbokNama Khoi LM1 250CleanClean>1 500>1 000>1 000
Upington//Khara Hais LMClean>2 000Clean>10 000
VaalhartsPhokwane LMCleanCleanClean>1 000Clean>1 000
WillistonKaroo Hoogland LMCleanCleanCleanClean>10 000

The civil rights organisation voiced its concern over sewage treatment plants in the municipalities that do not comply with the prescribed standards, namely Douglas, Hartswater, Jan Kempdorp, Kakamas, Kathu, Keimoes, Kimberley, Kamieskroon, Kuruman, Prieska, Upington and Williston. “We will further investigate the non-compliance and act where necessary,” says 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,” concludes 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. SMS “Clean water” to 32532 (R1) and support this action.

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