Residents in Makhanda are facing a new health scare after an independent water quality report from Rhodes University revealed that 100% of municipal samples failed to meet national safety standards, with dangerous bacteria detected at a local household and a pre-school.
Tests conducted earlier this month by the Rhodes University Biotechnology Innovation Centre’s water testing facility analysed seven samples collected across the city. The findings revealed that all seven points failed to comply with the South African National Standard for domestic drinking water.
E.coli, a bacteria associated with fecal contamination, was detected at two critical locations: a household tap and a Pre-School in the township area. Scientists linked the contamination to consistently low residual chlorine levels in the system, which is essential for disinfecting the water supply.
The report also found dangerously high levels of bacteria across all seven testing points, attributed to critically low chlorine levels throughout the system.
Local community members expressed alarm over the findings, highlighting the severe impact on vulnerable residents.
“Eighty percent of the people in Makhanda are not working, and those people are coming from the townships, black townships and coloured townships, and those people do not have the resources, the money to buy water in town,” a resident said. “They rely on this water from the municipality, but now they send the water and it is contaminated. If people drink that water, it affects their skins, but mostly it affects their kidneys. Anything that is kidney-related becomes dangerous.”
Beyond the immediate health risks, the ongoing water quality issues are undermining economic confidence in the city, which is home to one of South Africa’s top universities.
“It’s a matter of confidence. We have a massive shortage of jobs in this town,” another resident explained. “I try to talk to people about why they should set up shop here, open a new business. Because we have a top university in the country, it should be a big attractor for business, but they hear all the negative infrastructure stories and they’re not interested.”
The Makana Municipality has acknowledged the findings while pointing to its own testing regime. Municipal MM Pumelelo Kate confirmed the municipality became aware of tests conducted on February 11 at two sites—Blackbird and a preschool in Extension 10.
“We cannot dismiss the outcomes of their test,” Kate said, “but we can safely indicate that on the 18th of February, SABS [South African Bureau of Standards] conducted tests at all our sites that we normally assemble for testing, and our water was found to have no E.coli, so it’s safe to drink.”
The municipality says it will conduct independent confirmatory sampling across affected areas. In the meantime, residents are advised to take precautionary measures, including boiling water before cooking and drinking, disinfecting where possible, or using alternative sources.
Makana Municipality has faced recurring water supply challenges in recent years, largely linked to aging infrastructure and strain on its treatment and reticulation systems. The city continues to grapple with the dual challenge of ensuring safe drinking water while restoring confidence among residents and potential investors.