Vryheid mayor warns residents not to drink tap water

“Don’t drink the tap water unless you have boiled it first,” cautioned AbaQulusi mayor Jerry Sibiya.

This warning comes after numerous residents from Vryheid town and Bhekuzulu began experiencing severe gastrointestinal problems including vomiting, diarrhoea, and agonising abdominal cramps from as early as Wednesday last week.

Water manager Nathi Mbongwa told the Vryheid Herald that he would be subjecting water samples to rigorous testing, after receiving a report on Monday morning indicating that the hospital had treated 14 patients from Bhekuzulu, one from Mondlo, and one from Louwsberg with the same symptoms.

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Sister S Smith from the Vryheid Hospital said that the number of patients treated for nausea, abdominal cramps, vomiting and diarrhoea since this weekend, was much higher than that.

“I am busy with my preliminary report for the hospital CEO and will be able to say how many patients were treated once it is complete, but it was far more than 14,” said Sister Smith.

When questioned about rumours that residents had died after presenting with these symptoms, Sister Smith admitted that people had died, but the hospital would only be able to confirm the reason for the deaths after an examination was conducted by a doctor.

“You must stay hydrated because you lose a lot of fluids when you are sick but please drink safe water,” advised Sister Smith.

Mbongwa explained that the water supplied to town and Bhekuzulu came from the reservoir that also supplied Lakeside and Emadoshini. The reservoir stores purified water from Klipfontein Dam. Klipfontein Dam fills with water from Besterspruit stream, which runs through Bhekuzulu, as well as Bloemveld Dam and Grootgewacht Dam which gets water from streams flowing from the catchment area.

“We are not disputing that there is a possibility that it is the water that is making people sick. We are trying to find the source of the problem and are arranging to get samples sent to a lab in Durban for testing. I am pushing as hard as I can to get the results by Thursday afternoon. We are running a full test to test for everything that is possible,” said Mbongwa.

It is estimated that the water tests will cost roughly R160,000.

“The samples tested by us for turbidity and chlorine came back normal. We do suspect that a foreign body may have been introduced to the water network through an illegal water connection.”

Meanwhile, pharmacist Ingrid Klingenberg said she had completely run out of medication used to treat nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea this weekend, for the first time in her career.

“I run the only pharmacy that is available on standby and over the weekends, and it was so busy that I had to step in to assist with depot duty for the first time in my life,” said Klingenberg.

“At first, I thought it may be a virus due to the change in season, but then I realised that that the patients were not running a high temperature. I advise all residents to buy bottled water if they can and boil the water properly if you are drinking tap water.

“Also, don’t wait too long before you seek medication because dehydration can be dangerous, especially in children.”

Sister Smith gave the following advice to residents until the issue is resolved:

• Boil water for at least one minute before drinking it. With modern kettles that switch off automatically, open the lid and allow the water to continue boiling for a full minute before switching the kettle off, she explains.
• If possible, consume bottled water until test results to determine the safety of the drinking water are received.
• Look for products that can purify water, such as chlorine tablets.
• Wash your hands thoroughly and as often as possible, especially if you begin to feel sick, as you can infect someone else.
• Seek medical attention as soon as you start to show symptoms. The elderly and small children are most at risk.

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