Experts have advised a number of local schools to immediately stop drinking from water tanks after testing at 72 of them found 20 samples – 12 from taps and eight from Jojo tanks – to be “dangerously unsafe”, with possible E. coli contamination, reports News24.
The results of the tests, conducted in the Western Cape, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga, were part of civic group WaterCan’s initiative to track water quality and have been uploaded to its Map My Water portal.
The results were “highly concerning”, said WaterCan’s citizen science and training co-ordinator Nomsa Daele, because they indicate possible faecal contamination, “a direct health risk to the staff and pupils, and may lead to waterborne illnesses”.
She said this deepened the NPO’s concern that South Africa’s water was in a critical state after years of decline.
Daele added that the tests are considered “indicator tests” and serve as an important early warning of contamination. Generally considered reliable for screening, they indicate the presence of contaminants such as bacteria, nutrients, and metals, but they don’t provide an exact indication of contamination levels.
“We have advised the schools to exercise caution and avoid using the water for drinking purposes until the matter is resolved,” she said.
WaterCan has asked the relevant municipalities to conduct confirmatory water quality testing at the schools; to investigate the source of the contamination; and to take immediate corrective action to ensure the water is safe for consumption.
It was worrying, she added, that some of the municipalities where biological elements were found in school drinking water were also flagged in the Blue Drop Report released in 2023 for failing to meet basic compliance requirements.
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