Manguzi drinking water the worst in the Country

A government report detailing the performance of the country’s drinking water quality management, has found that the Manguzi Area has the worse drinking water in the country. Among bad performers were uMkhanyakude District Municipality in KwaZulu Natal which scored 16% for the water quality in the Manguzi area in northern Zululand.

The top ten performers were eThekwini Municipality, City of Johannesburg, City of Cape Town, Bitou municipality, Ekurhuleni, City of Tshwane and Mogale City, Kgatelopele, George and Dr J.S Moroka local municipality.However, nine municipal water authorities have snubbed government's water quality assessment programme. Another concern is that of 787 municipal water authorities assessed, only 38 obtained the Blue Drop for 2010.

Deputy Water Affairs Minister Rejoice Mabudafhasi was quick to point out that the quality of water and water authorities that failed to obtain the Blue Drop status was not necessarily poor or unsafe to drink.

'Tap water must be safe'

In the 269-page report, the assessors said it was unfortunate that nine were found to portray a disregard for drinking water quality management when they chose not to adhere to the call to be assessed.Addressing the media before the report was made public, Mabudafhasi said her department would pay attention to the municipalities which were not assessed, saying that it was paramount that tap water was safe.