'No maggots in water'

2006-04-21 21:31

Pretoria - A "thorough" investigation into reports of rat-tailed maggots in three provinces found no evidence of contaminated drinking water, the Water Affairs department said on Friday.

It said: "We wish to assure the South African public that initial tests around these areas proved that drinking water is not contaminated with organic matter."

Neither health official nor anyone else saw rat-tailed maggots coming from drinking water out of a tap.

Maggots have reportedly been seen near taps, in sinks, showers and drains in Cape Town, Durban, and the East Rand.

"Some newspaper reports created the impression that these maggots are gushing out of thousands of taps right across the country," the department said.

"A thorough investigation has been launched into the reports."

Experts tested water supplied by the Cape Town City Council, the Durban and Ekurhuleni Metros, Msunduzi Local Municipality, as well as by Rand Water, Umgeni Water and the East Rand Water Care Company.

"Drinking water tested from these taps was found to be 100% compliant with all chemical and biological standards set by the Department of Water Affairs," the department said.

"This brought us to the conclusion that the presence of the rat-tailed maggots in the close vicinity of a point of water supply is not indicative of the quality of the drinking water supplied."

Scientists had confirmed the maggots could not live in the treated municipal water.

The maggots lived in oxygen-poor water where organic matter was in abundance. They could be found near open septic tanks, under debris and in stagnant water, the department said.

- SAPA