More than 40 facilities in the Buffalo City Metro – including clinics, a hospital and various schools – recently failed critical water quality tests when the metro’s health department sampled their water.
The latest compliance status report on BCM’s water monitoring programme for public health facilities, tabled before council last week, revealed that between October and December, 46 water samples had failed to meet the required standard and were undrinkable.
During the second quarter of the current financial year, 265 water samples were gathered and submitted for analysis.
The council report showed how hospitals, clinics, schools, campsites and daycare centres had failed to comply with the South African National Standards (SANS) for drinking water.
Some of the health facilities that failed the critical tests included Grey Hospital in King William’s Town, Breidbach Clinic and Mxhalanga, Ginsberg, St Thomas, Zwelitsha, Mt Coke, Jafta, Alphendale, Aspiranza, Pefferville, Empilweni, Zikhova, Tyutyu and Berlin clinics, according to the report.
Other facilities found non-compliant were Kaysers Beach Primary School, the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) offices in East London’s Buffalo Street, Kidd’s Beach Primary School, Cove Rock Primary School, Khanyisa Day Care, the Sobey senior citizens’ home and the Nahoon caravan park.
“This programme seeks to monitor the quality of water rendered by the water service authority and to advise on remedial actions,” said the metro’s acting head of health, public safety and emergency services, Steve Terwin.
“Moreover, it is to ensure the prevention of waterborne diseases within BCM’s area of jurisdiction as required by legislation,” Terwin added.
He said the affected clinics had to take measures that include emptying and cleaning all their water tanks “hygienically”.
“ put filters at all inflows and clean gutters frequently.
“Furthermore, all non-compliant clinics were given notices to refrain from using the contaminated tank water,” he said.
Terwin’s report also stated that, while the metro’s environmental health section was trying to strengthen primary healthcare services through inspection and sampling of water in all 73 public health facilities, it still experienced challenges due to staff shortages. Staff shortages, Terwin wrote, prevented the expansion of the water monitoring programme.
DA councillor Susan Bentley said her party had expressed “grave concerns” about the large number of clinics and other facilities affected by this.
“In a standing committee meeting we asked what BCM would be doing about the issue and they responded that they had passed on their findings to the health department.
“Our concern is that the maintenance backlog at clinics is horrendous and in all likelihood nothing is being done,” she said.
ANC councillor and portfolio head of health Amanda Mnyute said: “Clinics that don’t comply are usually those that use water tanks as their source. This happens when the roof has not been cleaned and that results in water that can’t be consumed.”
According to Mnyute, these clinics were under the supervision of the provincial department of health.
“We don’t want people to go to clinics only to become sicker.”
Provincial health spokesman Sizwe Kupelo said: “Water is the mandate and responsibility of local government. Yes we own all the clinics, it’s true, but provision of water is not our responsibility.
“If the municipality is complaining that the water is dirty they must fix it – it is their water.
“The provision of water is the responsibility of district municipalities and water affairs.
“If a clinic is under BCM they should provide quality water to the clinic as water is a responsibility of local government.” — mamelag@dispatch.co.za
Water at hospital, schools . . . undrinkable
The latest compliance status report on BCM’s water monitoring programme for public health facilities, tabled before council last week, revealed that between October and December, 46 water samples had failed to meet the required standard and were undrinkable.
During the second quarter of the current financial year, 265 water samples were gathered and submitted for analysis.
The council report showed how hospitals, clinics, schools, campsites and daycare centres had failed to comply with the South African National Standards (SANS) for drinking water.
Some of the health facilities that failed the critical tests included Grey Hospital in King William’s Town, Breidbach Clinic and Mxhalanga, Ginsberg, St Thomas, Zwelitsha, Mt Coke, Jafta, Alphendale, Aspiranza, Pefferville, Empilweni, Zikhova, Tyutyu and Berlin clinics, according to the report.
Other facilities found non-compliant were Kaysers Beach Primary School, the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) offices in East London’s Buffalo Street, Kidd’s Beach Primary School, Cove Rock Primary School, Khanyisa Day Care, the Sobey senior citizens’ home and the Nahoon caravan park.
“This programme seeks to monitor the quality of water rendered by the water service authority and to advise on remedial actions,” said the metro’s acting head of health, public safety and emergency services, Steve Terwin.
“Moreover, it is to ensure the prevention of waterborne diseases within BCM’s area of jurisdiction as required by legislation,” Terwin added.
He said the affected clinics had to take measures that include emptying and cleaning all their water tanks “hygienically”.
“ put filters at all inflows and clean gutters frequently.
“Furthermore, all non-compliant clinics were given notices to refrain from using the contaminated tank water,” he said.
Terwin’s report also stated that, while the metro’s environmental health section was trying to strengthen primary healthcare services through inspection and sampling of water in all 73 public health facilities, it still experienced challenges due to staff shortages. Staff shortages, Terwin wrote, prevented the expansion of the water monitoring programme.
DA councillor Susan Bentley said her party had expressed “grave concerns” about the large number of clinics and other facilities affected by this.
“In a standing committee meeting we asked what BCM would be doing about the issue and they responded that they had passed on their findings to the health department.
“Our concern is that the maintenance backlog at clinics is horrendous and in all likelihood nothing is being done,” she said.
ANC councillor and portfolio head of health Amanda Mnyute said: “Clinics that don’t comply are usually those that use water tanks as their source. This happens when the roof has not been cleaned and that results in water that can’t be consumed.”
According to Mnyute, these clinics were under the supervision of the provincial department of health.
“We don’t want people to go to clinics only to become sicker.”
Provincial health spokesman Sizwe Kupelo said: “Water is the mandate and responsibility of local government. Yes we own all the clinics, it’s true, but provision of water is not our responsibility.
“If the municipality is complaining that the water is dirty they must fix it – it is their water.
“The provision of water is the responsibility of district municipalities and water affairs.
“If a clinic is under BCM they should provide quality water to the clinic as water is a responsibility of local government.” — mamelag@dispatch.co.za
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