No E. coli in water, says Tshwane metro

The Pretoria Moot water supply has tested negative for the potentially harmful Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria, the metro said yesterday.

The metro had the water tested after Wonderboom South resident Isabel Stoltz had claimed a bacteria test by a private lab had found traces of the bacteria in her water, Pretoria Moot Rekord reports.

READ MORE: Traces of E. coli detected in PTA water

She said she had become suspicious after her dogs came down with diarrhoea.

But utility services and infrastructure MMC Darryl Moss told Pretoria Moot Rekord the City water was “not the source of the contamination”.

He said the tests of the Hercules reservoir water the metro had done in April and May found the water safe for human consumption.

He said water from this reservoir was supplied by Rand Water.

“It is almost impossible for E.coli to survive in chlorinated water, so the chances of there being E. coli present were extremely unlikely,” said Moss.

“Had there been E. coli present in the reservoir supply, there would have been many incidents of illness, not just one.”

Pretoria Moot Rekord previously reported that Stoltz had suspected the water after her dogs came down with diarrhoea.

“But I returned to the shop I had bought the food from to find out what was going on,” she said.

She said the shop assistant had informed her that in the past, the cause of the diarrhoea had been traced to the water.

“They took the bag of food back for testing and they also took a sample of the water.”

She said a South African National Accreditation System (SANAS) accredited laboratory in Pretoria had found traces of E. coli in the water on June 12.

E. coli is a generally harmless intestinal bacterium found in humans and animals, but some instance can cause infection, with symptoms that may include fever, nausea, vomiting and bloody diarrhoea.