How safe is our drinking water?
Uthukela District Municipality Health Department checked the latest water quality report for the period between 26 to 30 January, and noted that the chlorine levels were low but that there was no E-coli in the water samples
Social media platforms such as Facebook and BlackBerry Messenger have been flooded with a health warning this past week. “…Boil or purchase bottled water! …Many people are suffering from gastro…” This was after a trusted source notified Sister Jenny Wreford about the current state of the water.
Out of concern for the well-being of the community Sister Jenny posted the above on her Facebook page and has been warning all her patients. Sister Jenny and local pharmacies have grown concerned by the large number of patients daily purchasing gastro medication or visiting local clinics to be examined as they suffer from gastro symptoms.
Some of the comments that have been posted and shared on Facebook read:
“I hope they sort this out soon, in this heat, water is really an essential service” and “my entire family, including myself, suffered from gastro two days ago and ended up at our family doctor.”
Gastroenteritis or infectious diarrhoea is a medical condition from inflammation that involves both the stomach (“gastro”-) and the small intestine (“entero”-). It causes a combination of diarrhoea, vomiting, and abdominal pain and cramping. Dehydration may occur as a result. Gastroenteritis is referred to as gastro, stomach bug, and stomach virus. Although it is not related to influenza, it has also been called stomach ‘flu and gastric ‘flu. Transmission may occur due to consumption of improperly prepared foods or contaminated water or via close contact with individuals who are infected. Prevention includes the use of fresh water, regular hand washing, and breast-feeding. The rotavirus vaccine is recommended for all children. The key treatment is enough fluids. Sister Jenny’s main concern is the effect gastro may have on infants, “through dehydration the infant’s life is on the line ” and has decided to share the oral rehydration solution.
For mild or moderate cases, this can typically be achieved
Water – 1 litre – 5 cups full (each cup about 200 ml.)
Sugar – Eight level teaspoons
Salt – One level teaspoon
Stir the mixture till the sugar dissolves.
In children who are breast fed, continued breast-feeding is recommended. For more severe cases, intravenous fluids from a healthcare centre, clinic or pharmacy may be needed. Residents are in a flurry and fear that water has been contaminated.
In response, Jabulani Mkhonza from Uthukela District Municipality Communications Unit provided the following statement:
Following the allegations with regards to poor water quality in Estcourt, uThukela District Municipality Health Department then quickly checked the latest water quality report for the period between 26 to 30 January, and noted that the chlorine levels were low but that there was no E-coli in the water samples.
Rajesh Ramlal, the Bulk Superintendent for Umtshezi/Imbabazane, was then instructed by Gordon Cross to increase the chlorine dosing rate at WTW’s to a level of 1,3 – 1,5 mg/l at the plants. This was done to make sure that there was an adequate chlorine level in the reticulation system.
The microbiological quality of water is determined by the type and number of micro-organisms present in water. Most micro-organisms present in water are harmless but if the water is polluted, pathogens may be present. Pathogens are disease-causing micro-organisms such as those causing cholera, gastro-enteritis, hepatitis etc.
It is difficult to determine the presence of all the different pathogenic organisms and therefore certain indicator organisms are used to give an indication of the possible presence of the pathogen. The following are the most commonly used indicator organisms:
Total coliforms are a group of closely related bacteria that are most commonly used as indicator organism for drinking water. Most of them occur widely in the environment including water and waste water.
E.coli is a subset of the total coliform group and a definite, preferred indicator of faecal pollution. E. coli is a better indicator of recent pollution than coliforms but do not provide a distinction between human and animal contamination.
According to SANS 241-1:2011, E. coli is an Acute health – 1 Risk.
Acute health -1:
“Routinely quantifiable determinant that poses an immediate unacceptable health risk if consumed with water at concentration values exceeding the numerical limits specified”
The SANS limit for E. coli is Count per 100 mL – not detected. In South-Africa, the SANS is used as the official specification for assessing the quality of drinking water. The Uthukela District Municipality uses E. coli as an indicator organism. According to SANS 241-2:2011, a minimum of one sample per 10 000 population must be collected for analysis on a monthly basis. The Microbiological quality of the supplied water must comply with the Blue Drop Certification Requirements of 2012.
E. coli results recorded from the Umtshezi area were NIL/100 mL sample. The most important requirement is that water must be safe to drink. The water must be aesthetically pleasing and it must be chemically stable. As far as drinking water quality is concerned, the focus is on health aspects, specifically its microbiological quality.
The Uthukela District Municipality Health Department strictly adheres to a registered sampling programme and laboratory results are loaded on the Department of Water and Sanitation BDS website for the public to view (See back of Uthukela water account). The municipality is committed to continuously providing clean, safe and fresh tasting water for all.
