People in several Cape Town townships – including Khayelitsha, Nyanga, Gugulethu, Mfuleni, and Driftsand – were shocked to see brown water coming from their taps.
Some residents reported stomach aches after drinking the discoloured water.
Busiswa Fanaphi from Khayelitsha noticed the change on Wednesday.
“I saw the water change [colour], but I didn’t think it would last. I was shocked to wake up and find it worse – like water from a river,” she said.
“This isn’t right. What if we get sick? I had to borrow money to buy clean water because I can’t give this to my children.”
A resident from Mfuleni, who asked to remain anonymous, also experienced problems. She drank the water late at night without noticing it was dirty, only to wake up feeling sick.
“I had stomach aches, and I’m worried about the kids. The city needs to fix this.”
Nolusindiso Qeke from Driftsand noticed the water was brown and tried boiling it, but she said that only made it worse.
“Even washing with this water isn’t a good idea,” she said.
Siseko Mbandezi, Cape Town’s acting mayoral committee member for water and sanitation, said that recent maintenance and emergency repairs could be the cause.
“After the water supply is restored, it may appear discoloured, which is normal. Let it run clear – it is safe to drink,” he said.
He added that sand in the pipes after the repairs could cause discolouration, but it should clear after the pipelines were flushed.
Pictured above: Cape Town residents woke up to dirty tap water.
Source: Supplied
