Bronkhorstspruit water remains unsafe to drink despite rehabilitation progress

Moya says water from the Bronkhorstspruit Water Treatment Works remains unsafe to drink, even if it 'looks okay'. Tshwane Mayor Nasiphi Moya has provided an update on efforts to rehabilitate the Bronkhorstspruit Water Treatment Works following water contamination. As the city works to restore a safe water supply to affected communities following weeks of water disruptions, Moya said the water remains unsafe for consumption. Slow progress Moya said the city is making progress through its collaborative efforts with Rand Water. “We have engaged the city manager and his team to ensure that the rehabilitation programme, public health monitoring and operational communication continue beyond the final briefing before the elections,” Moya said. “We are encouraged by the progress achieved alongside Rand Water and anticipate that much of the outstanding work can be completed over the coming days, which are subject to the necessary technical processes and water quality verification.” 60 years of deterioration While noting that a great focus has been on the chlorine issue, Moya said they know they are dealing with a plant that is more than 60 years old, where investment did not match the plant’s demands and repair needs. She added that the repairs and maintenance budget did not even cover the basics required to maintain a plant of this size. Years of unsafe water Moya emphasised that the city had been trying to resolve a decade-long problem in just three weeks. “So the focus has then been to make sure that we restore the plant so that it is able to provide clean water, which has not been available to drink since October 2024,” Moya said. Rand Water’s initial assessment identified excessive sludge accumulation in the clear water tanks, dissolved flotation units and filters, along with deficiencies in pumping and filtration equipment, maintenance arrangements and the availability of critical spare parts. Disinfecting clearwater systems Moya explained that over time, these conditions have compromised the plant’s ability to consistently treat water to the required standards. “Over the past two weeks, technical teams have cleaned [the] treatment infrastructure, removed accumulated sludge, repaired critical equipment and progressively restored the filtration and chlorination processes,” Moya explained. “Importantly, these interventions are restoring the entire treatment process from raw water abstraction to filtration and disinfection, to the final clearwater system.” Progress Update On 28 October, the second phase of the treatment works was commissioned for flushing and disinfection. Further treatment and chlorination followed on 29 October, including the disinfection of the clear water sample. On Monday, 2 November, the plant was recommissioned at 14.30 in the afternoon to supply treated water to the Ekandustria Reservoir for further shock chlorination. “This marks an important transition from repairing and cleaning the treatment works to preparing the downstream storage and distribution system for the restoration of supply,” Moya emphasised. Cleaning completed “Cleaning has also been completed at the two Zithobeni reservoirs with capacities of 30 million and 15 million litres respectively,” she added. “The remaining interventions include final shock chlorination and outstanding valve installation at the Zithobeni reservoirs, further flushing and laboratory verification,” Moya noted. Moya further explained that, because the reservoirs at Ekandustria lack the necessary scouring valves, the technical teams will use fire hydrants and distribution scours to remove the remaining debris. ‘Do not drink water’ Moya appealed to residents not to use the water, sharing videos showing that it appeared clean despite remaining unsafe. “But we are asking, especially where the water looks okay because it looks clean, that residents must not use that water; the water has not been declared safe to drink.” “There have been ongoing water quality tests that have identified a low level of E. coli in water discharged during the cleaning of the clear water sample,” Moya said. Disinfection procedures She said the necessary disinfection procedures would be repeated until testing confirmed that the contamination has been eliminated. “While the treatment works is now progressing through commissioning, this does not automatically mean that water is ready for consumption. The treatment process must operate reliably, and the reservoirs and distribution network must be properly disinfected,” “Laboratory testing must confirm compliance with the required drinking water standards,” she added. Restoration process Once the necessary clearance is obtained, reservoirs will need to refill, and pipelines will need to repressurise; water supply will therefore return progressively “Our immediate objective is to complete the remaining commissioning and disinfection processes over the coming days, while ensuring that water is only released for consumption once it has been confirmed safe to drink,” she reiterated. “Beyond the immediate restoration of its supply, the city will continue its broader rehabilitation programme, including improvements to pumping equipment, treatment infrastructure, chemical management, preventative maintenance and water quality monitoring,” Moya said. She said Rand Water’s immediate role is to help restore and stabilise the treatment works, ensuring that it can consistently produce safe drinking water before operational responsibility is transferred back to the city “The longer-term investment and rehabilitation of these facilities remain the city’s responsibility,” she concluded.