The Democratic Alliance (DA) has called for an urgent debate in the Mpumalanga Legislature on the state of water in the province – after damning revelations from the 2023 Blue Drop Report that water coming from most taps is hazardous for humans and needs to be boiled before consumption.
Over the past two years, the Blue Drop Reports compiled by the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) cast significant doubt over the quality of water that is coming out of our taps throughout the province of Mpumalanga.
The 2023 Blue Drop Report noted that:
- Between 2014 and 2023, the quality of our drinking water worsened as the number of critical water supply systems increased from 23 to 34;
- Microbiological compliance 64% of water coming out of our water supply systems was deemed unacceptable;
- The presence of chemicals, 35% of water supply systems were deemed to be unacceptable.
The report by DWS notes that in the presence of high microbiological non-compliance, the water in these supply systems poses a serious threat to the residents.
Instances like the above are extremely concerning given that water is a fundamental basic human right and the fact that most of our residents rely on tap water.
Recently residents living in many areas of our province have taken to social media to express discontent with the appearance of the water coming out of their taps.
Over the past few days in Bushbuckridge local municipality – residents expressed discontent and shock as the water which came out of the taps had a pitch-black appearance caused by corrosion of the copper pipes.
Good water quality is a necessity and not a luxury. In 2022, the DA went as far as writing to the SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) requesting them to investigate the quality of our drinking water in Mpumalanga after another Blue Drop Report issued a warning to residents to boil their tap water as it was hazardous for human consumption. We are still waiting for the outcome of that investigation. On Human Rights Day last week, the DA also filed a complaint with the SAHRC against the ANC government’s brazen and ongoing violation of Section 27 of the Bill of Rights.
The DA would also like to urge residents of the province to take seriously the warning that they must boil their tap water before consumption so that they can avoid waterborne diseases.