Water quality tests done by AfriForum Springs at four sites around Springs have revealed high quantities of feacal matter.
The tests were done as part of AfriForum Springs’s annual water testing project.
Their Blue and Green Drop Project focuses on the quality of the drinking water and sewage plants.
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The project does not necessarily focus on the condition of the sewage plant itself, but rather on the quality of water released after the process as an end result in the form of drinking water (Blue Drop) and treated sewage (Green Drop).
They have been testing the quality of water sources since 2014 and the results have indicated the problem is on the increase.
This is a yearly effort on their national calendar and is aimed at determining the quality of the water in Springs.
They test drinking water as well as natural water sources.
Last Friday afternoon, AfriForum Springs chairperson Cornel Swart, alongside other members of AfriFrorum, collected water samples from Bakerton, Strubenvale Extension, the area behind the Erwat Water Works premises and the Daggafontein informal settlement.
“We’ll be testing for things such as E.coli, sulphates and chemicals.
“We used a DIY kit provided by a lab in Bloemfontein which will give us the preliminary results.
“It was alarming to find feacal matter in the Blesbokspruit so close to the outlet of the waste water works next to Ermelo Road.
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“We also found that the Ph level at the Blesbokspruit outlet was extremely high.
“There could be secondary factors because we could not test directly on the water works premises, but we were pretty close to the outlet.
“The test site behind Strubenvale where we found very high Ph (acidic) and ammonia levels also confirmed the highest count of E.coli and feacal matter,” said Swart.
Swart said the eight AfriForum branches in the East Rand will be conducting tests in their own areas, and will be done with testing next Friday.
AfriForum has been worried about the water quality in the area for some time and along with the Green Scorpions has a case against the City of Ekurhuleni regarding the water quality in the area.
The preliminary test results compiled by AfriForum Springs will be handed back to the lab for final analysis.
“We will also discuss the alarming results with the City of Ekurhuleni as soon as we can schedule a meeting.
“Residential drinking water tested safe for human consumption,” said Swart.
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