Tshwane did not meet any of the repair deadlines it set itself after the national water department warned in February that its Bronkhorstspruit treatment plant was failing, a department official has told a parliamentary committee.

Anet Muir, the department's director of compliance monitoring institutions, gave the account to the portfolio committee. Hundreds of people later fell ill with gastrointestinal illnesses after exposure to unchlorinated water from the plant.

The paper trail

The plant scored 42.3% for drinking-water compliance in the 2023 Blue Drop report, against a benchmark of 95% or higher, according to Muir's account.

In February, the department sent Tshwane a letter of noncompliance. The city committed to refurbishments with these deadlines:

  • Filtration refurbishment by 29 May.
  • Two new raw-water pumps and a motor control centre upgrade by 31 July.
  • Commissioning of high-lift pumps, the main refurbishment and sludge removal by 31 August.
  • Recruitment of critical staff (no date given).

None of the commitments was met on time, the department said. Tests in June, July, August and September confirmed continued noncompliance, and E. coli was found in samples.

October inspection and what the deputy minister says

On 14 October, department inspectors found that no chlorine had been added to the water since 23 September, according to Muir. Samples tested positive for E. coli and the plant was shut down immediately.

Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation David Mahlobo says Tshwane was warned about unsafe water from 2023 and again earlier this year. He says the city submitted a plan and fixed some problems, but others remained unresolved. Records show that between 24 September and 14 October the city skipped basic chemical treatment on water drawn from polluted sources, and that this water entered the supply, he says.

The department has opened a case into suspected professional negligence by some employees, Mahlobo says. He said: "Our Blue Drop and Green Drop results have indicated that many municipalities are struggling, including Tshwane."

The municipality is accused of failing to warn residents that the water was unsafe; the material we reviewed does not say by whom.