Pretoria residents urged to boil water after sewage contamination

Residents and businesses in Pretoria CBD and surrounding areas have been instructed to boil tap water after contamination was detected in the supply from Findlay Reservoir.

Caitlyn Hilliard-Lomas reports for BusinessTech that the City of Tshwane isolated the affected source, emptied the reservoir and activated an alternative supply from Salvokop Reservoir.

According to the municipality’s account, a burst sewer pipe allowed contaminated water to enter the supply system. Tests conducted on 21 October detected microbial levels exceeding the capacity of the existing chlorination measures.

The city said the incident was separate from the water contamination crisis in Bronkhorstspruit.

Switching supplies does not immediately lift the precautionary advisory. Residents must continue boiling water until further tests confirm that it is safe.

The affected areas include Arcadia, Asiatic Bazaar and Extension 1, Marabastad, Phillip Nel Park, Pretoria Central, Sunnyside and Trevenna. The notice also covers Pretoria Extensions 1, 9, 11 and 14, Cape Boys’ Location and the listed township or cadastral areas of Belle Ombre, Daspoort, Elandspoort, Prinshof, Skougronde and Pretoria Town and Townlands.

The municipality advised residents to:

• Discard stored tap water and ice made from tap water.
• Bring water to a rolling boil for at least one minute before using it for drinking, cooking, food preparation or brushing teeth.
• Allow boiled water to cool before use.
• Share the warning with neighbours, tenants and others who may be affected.

BusinessTech reported that water tankers would provide additional drinking water, with locations and availability to be communicated to residents.

The city said monitoring, flushing of the affected network and corrective work would continue. An official notice will confirm when the advisory can be lifted.

Additional sources: City of Tshwane’s advisory; IOL, 22 October.