Residents in Mdantsane are raising concerns about the quality of the water coming out of their taps, despite reassurances from BCM that the matter is being addressed.
One resident, Solly Mdingi, sent an open letter to BCM mayor Xola Pakati outlining the problems.
“For about a month, if not beyond, we have been having a problem with water in many areas of Mdantsane.
“The problem with the water is that as soon as I open my tap, the water that comes out is very white in colour as if a white substance has been added to it,” Mdingi wrote.
He said the colour takes about five minutes to clear up and seems to emit a fizzing noise as it does so.
In a reply to Mdingi’s letter, city manager Andile Sihlahla said the water was not necessarily harmful.
“It is possible to get a whitish colour in your tap water due to air bubbles in the water supply system and these air bubbles disappear within a few minutes.
“These bubbles occur if there was a section of pipe in the distribution system that was emptied due to a burst pipe or emergency work in the reservoir; or there is air in your geyser or internal reticulation.
“This colour is not due to the added chemicals,” Sihlahla said.
However, Mdingi said the problems go beyond just a strange colour.
According to Mdingi, a number of other residents came to him with complaints that they have been getting sick after drinking the tap water.
One resident, who wished to remain anonymous, mentioned experiencing headaches and stomachaches.
This comes soon after similar concerns had been raised by residents across BCM, where tap water was reported to have a foul taste and odour.
When contacted by GO! & Express, BCM spokesperson Samkelo Ngwenya sent the statement that had been published on the municipality’s Facebook page last week.
The statement said that BCM acknowledged the complaints about water quailty and blamed it on algal bloom in the Bridle Drift Dam.
The municipality said the problem was being addressed and measures were being taken to sanitise the water and remove possible contaminants.
