A resident claimed that she had unwittingly drunk a glass of water from the tap which may have resulted in her being sick the whole night of 26 April.
She said, on the morning of 27 April, she took the same glass of water, and when she shook it, it immediately turned from clear to white. She suspected that it was chlorine.
Millicent Kabwe, spokesperson of Johannesburg Water, said it was difficult to determine what caused the water to turn white. She said, “It will be difficult to confirm what the white substance is from just looking at the photograph supplied. But what [I] can confirm is that in most cases the white-looking water is in fact water bubbles caused by pressure in the pipelines.
“This is not harmful.”
Although a lot of other residents speculated on what could have been the cause of the water change, some even suggested that residents should boil water before drinking it.
However Kabwe issued assurances of their safety measures.
“It is important to note that water supplied by us complies with the Sans 241 drinking water standard administered by the National Department of Water Affairs now known as Department of Water and Sanitation.”
She also said the water supplier participated in the department’s Blue Drop Certification programme which strives for excellence of water supply, quality and management.
“We have received a blue drop recognition award every year since the inception of the programme,” she said.
She also advised that concerned residents should obtain knowledge on the programme from the department’s website under the tab “My Water”.
“[This is where residents] can look at the blue drop status of the water supply in their area,” she said.
Do you trust our tap water? Share your thoughts with Midrand Reporter in the comments below.
