AfriForum tested the water of various towns in the Northern Cape from August to October 2020 to determine the quality of these towns’ drinking water (blue drop status) and sewage water (green drop status).
This project was even more important this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and research that shows that this virus could be traced in sewage systems, meaning that one can identify focus points.
“We could determine that the drinking water in the following areas: Douglas, Hartswater, Hopetown, Jan Kempdorp, Kakamas, Kathu, Kamieskroon, Keimoes, Kimberley, Kuruman, Orania, Postmasburg, Prieska, Springbok, Upington, Warrenton and Williston complies with the minimum standards and does not contain harmful bacteria. AfriForum will continuously test the water quality because residents have a constitutional right to clean drinking water,” says Lize-Mari Smit, AfriForum’s District Coordinator for the Karoo.
Blue drop results
These results indicate that the drinking water of all the towns of the Northern Cape that were tested, is clean.
| Northern Cape | |||||||||
| Buffelsrivier | Nama Khoi LM | – | – | – | Clean | – | – | – | – |
| Douglas | Siyancuma LM | – | – | – | – | – | Clean | Clean | Clean |
| Hartswater | Phokwane LM | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Clean |
| Hopetown | Thembelihle LM | – | – | – | – | – | Clean | Clean | Clean |
| Jan Kempdorp | Phokwane LM | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Clean |
| Kakamas | Ka !Garib LM | – | – | – | – | – | Clean | Clean | Clean |
| Kathu | Gamagara LM | – | Clean | Clean | Clean | Clean | Clean | Clean | Clean |
| Kamieskroon | Kamiesberg LM | – | Clean | Clean | Clean | Clean | – | – | Clean |
| Keimoes | Ka !Garib LM | – | – | – | – | – | Clean | Clean | Clean |
| Kimberley | Sol Plaatje LM | Clean | Clean | Clean | Clean | – | Clean | Clean | Clean |
| Kuruman | Ga-Segonyana LM | Clean | Clean | Clean | Clean | Clean | Clean | Clean | Clean |
| Nababeep | Nama Khoi LM | – | – | – | Clean | – | – | – | – |
| Orania | Orania Town Council | – | – | – | – | Clean | – | Clean | Clean |
| Postmasburg | Tsantsabane LM | – | – | – | Clean | Clean | Clean | Clean | Clean |
| Prieska | Siyathemba LM | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Clean |
| Springbok | Nama Khoi LM | – | Clean | Clean | Clean | Clean | Clean | Clean | Clean |
| Upington | //Khara Hais LM | – | – | – | – | Clean | Clean | Clean | Clean |
| Vaalharts | Phokwane LM | – | Clean | Clean | Clean | – | Clean | Clean | Clean |
| Warrenton | Magareng LM | – | – | – | – | – | Clean | Clean | Clean |
| Williston | Karoo Hoogland LM | – | – | – | – | – | Clean | – | Clean |
Green drop results
According to AfriForum’s green drop results 13 sewage treatment plants that were tested do not comply with the prescribed microbiological standards.
| Northern Cape | |||||||||
| Place | Municipality | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 |
| Daniëlskuil | Kgatelopele LM | – | Clean | Clean | – | – | – | – | – |
| Douglas | Siyancuma LM | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | >10 000 |
| Hartswater | Phokwane LM | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | >10 000 |
| Jan Kempdorp | Phokwane LM | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | >10 000 |
| Kakamas | Kai !Garib LM | – | – | – | – | – | – | >10 000 | |
| Kathu | Gamagara LM | – | 17 000 | Clean | – | Clean | Clean | Clean | >10 000 |
| Keimoes | Kai !Garib LM | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | >10 000 |
| Kimberley | Sol Plaatje LM | 1 600 | Rejected | 1 500 | Clean | – | – | >1 000 | >10 000 |
| Kamieskroon | Kamiesberg LM | – | – | – | Clean | – | – | – | >10 000 |
| Kuruman | Ga-Segonyana LM | – | Rejected | Clean | – | Clean | >1 000 | Clean | >10 000 |
| Nababeep | Nama Khoi LM | – | – | – | Clean | – | – | – | – |
| Postmasburg | Tsantsabane LM | – | – | – | – | >10 000 | >1 000 | Clean | – |
| Prieska | Siyathemba LM | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | >1 000 |
| Springbok | Nama Khoi LM | – | 1 250 | Clean | Clean | >1 500 | >1 000 | >1 000 | – |
| Upington | //Khara Hais LM | – | – | – | – | Clean | >2 000 | Clean | >10 000 |
| Vaalharts | Phokwane LM | – | Clean | Clean | Clean | – | >1 000 | Clean | >1 000 |
| Williston | Karoo Hoogland LM | – | Clean | Clean | – | – | Clean | Clean | >10 000 |
The civil rights organisation voiced its concern over sewage treatment plants in the municipalities that do not comply with the prescribed standards, namely Douglas, Hartswater, Jan Kempdorp, Kakamas, Kathu, Keimoes, Kimberley, Kamieskroon, Kuruman, Prieska, Upington and Williston. “We will further investigate the non-compliance and act where necessary,” says Smit.
“AfriForum’s national blue and green drop project focuses on the state of drinking water and sewage treatment plants in towns. This project does not necessarily focus on the condition of the plant itself, but rather on the quality of the water that is supplied after this process as the end product in the form of drinking water and treated sewage water,” concludes Smit.
As the custodian of water the Department of Water and Sanitation does not fulfil its obligation to enforce legislation when municipal authorities are the guilty parties. AfriForum requests residents of the Northern Cape to give this organisation a mandate to continuously monitor the water quality. SMS “Clean water” to 32532 (R1) and support this action.