No maggots, says Rand Water

2006-04-19 18:58

Johannesburg - No evidence of rat-tailed maggots has been found in Rand Water's water supply, the supplier said on Wednesday.

To date, Rand Water had received one complaint that the maggots had been found in the household water supply of a consumer in Brakpan in Ekurhuleni.

"Rand Water and Ekurhuleni metropolitan council immediately dispatched a team of scientists to investigate the origin of these larvae.

"The team did not find any evidence of the presence of maggots in the municipal supply," said Tendani Tsedu of Rand Water.

The maggots were usually associated with stagnant, highly enriched water such as in manure pits and lagoons.

Due to the life cycle of the maggots, their normal habitats and the size of the larvae, it was highly unlikely that they would ever be found in purified-water systems, said Tsedu.

"Nowhere in Rand Water's system will you find these maggots, as they cannot survive our stringent purification process.

Complies with world standards

"The presence of these maggots in household water is not associated with water distribution systems, but is more likely to be related to an on-site water-supply problem.

"Among these could be poorly maintained overhead tanks or open drains which served as a breeding place for the maggots."

Tsedu said the quality of the water produced by Rand Water complied with South African National Standard and World Health Organisation guidelines.

Rand Water is the bulk supplier of potable water to municipalities of greater Johannesburg, Tshwane, Ekurhuleni and the Vaal Triangle.

Municipalities in the Rand Water area supply water to more than 12 million consumers daily.

- SAPA