Nearly half of South African schools tested have UNSAFE drinking water
A national school water quality testing project reveals horrifying results.
Picture: Pexels
702 and CapeTalk’s Africa Melane speaks with Dr Ferrial Adam of WaterCAN.
Listen below:
South African schools have a water crisis, affecting the health and safety of countless learners.
A recent test at nearly 100 schools across eight provinces showed devastating results.
The drinking water at 43% of the schools tested across the country is unsuitable for human consumption.
“Whoever drinks this water could get sick. You are basically affecting their education, their long-term life and their health. It is not safe for people to be continuously exposed to bad drinking water.”
- Dr Ferrial Adam, Executive Manager - WaterCAN
JoJo tanks, which are becoming an increasingly common source of school water, had the worst results.
About 73% of these tanks tested positive for bacterial contamination.
“The JoJo tanks need maintenance… There could be a number of reasons why this water was contaminated.”
- Dr Ferrial Adam, Executive Manager - WaterCAN
About 11,000 schools do not have a single flushing toilet, and 383 have no running water at all.
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According to Adam, Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal schools were the worst affected.
WaterCAN and its partners will send purification tablets to schools and request support from the municipalities to fix their water supplies.
Scroll up to the audio player for more.