Cleaner water for 13 families
2005-07-27 14:42
Bronkhorstspruit - Thirteen families who have had to compete with animals for clean water will now be able to purify water with bleach provided by the health department.
National health spokesperson Sibani Mngadi said bottles of bleach for water purification would be distributed to the families on farms around Bronkhorstspruit who complained of lack of access to safe water, as they have to share a small water stream with livestock.
This followed a visit by Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang to the Kungwini municipality to establish community concerns over service delivery on Tuesday.
The community includes about 4 000 farm workers living and working on more than 30 farms.
Boreholes allegedly shut down
During the minister's visit residents alleged that boreholes that existed in the area were shut down.
Tshabalala-Msimang would discuss the possibility of re-opening these boreholes and providing safe portable water for the community with the local municipality, Mngadi said.
The department and the municipality identified four springs where water samples will be taken for laboratory testing by environmental health officers.
This would establish, amongst other things, whether the contaminated water source can be linked to diseases that are prevalent within the community.
The area would also be assessed to determine where water tanks would be distributed to supply clean water to the affected families.
The lack of proper sanitation in the area would be investigated and addressed by the department and health promoters would educate communities about water purification.
Tshabalala-Msimang encouraged the community to boil water and promised to begin to provide bleach for water purification as from tomorrow.
- SAPA